Hasta siempre Chavez! The revolution must continue
Revolutionary movements invariably produce great leaders. The name Hugo Chavez stands among these. Judging the role individuals play in historic processes is a precarious affair. But having some estimation is important to understanding the challenges that may await. The US Marxist, George Novack, observed that the “leadership, collective and individual, embodies the conscious element in […]
The making of the Mystique
FIFTY YEARS after its publication, The Feminine Mystique has been credited with everything from single-handedly sparking the women’s movement to perpetuating an outdated and long-gone stereotype of the American family. Neither is true, but many of the issues that Betty Friedan’s book raised–such as the role of women and the nuclear family–make The Feminine Mystique […]
Nothing natural about sexism
Marx’s collaborator Engels wrote that “…the first class antagonism which appears in history coincides with the development of the antagonism between man and woman in monogamous marriage, and the first class oppression with that of the female sex by the male.” So women’s oppression existed before the rise of capitalism, but has not always existed. […]
Why the Working Class?
“The emancipation of the working classes must be conquered by the working classes themselves” – so reads the first sentence of the rules to of the First International Workingmen’s Association, one of the first ever organizations to unite workers internationally. This formulation is at the heart of Marxist and socialist politics, but what does it […]
Euchred; eclipsed: Ralph Hotere (1931 – 2013)
Ralph Hotere – painter, sculptor, collaborator – is a hugely important figure in the art and culture of Aotearoa. His death, as well as being a great and personal loss to his whanau, fellow artists, and community, has historical significance for us all. He was, with his close friend and comrade Hone Tuwhare, one of […]
Marxism, feminism and women’s liberation
Sharon Smith, author of the soon-to-be-republished Women and Socialism: Essays on Women’s Liberation, examines how the Marxist tradition has approached the struggle to end women’s oppression, including its attitude toward other theories, in this article based on a talk given at the Socialism 2012 conference in Chicago. INESSA ARMAND, the first leader of the women’s department of […]
Militant Classics: Ka Whawhai Tonu Matou
Ka Whawhai Tonu Matou by Ranginui Walker (revised edition 2004) Ranginui Walker presents a history of Aotearoa/New Zealand from the perspective of Maori fighting for self-determination. In this way the book has a ‘bottom up’ or ‘people`s history’ feel too it – it is an indispensable resource for activists today. Walker has been an engaged intellectual, […]
On “Australia Day” / Invasion Day
Black Panther Billy X Jennings and Aboriginal activist Gary Foley will be speaking at Marxism 2013 28-31 March in Melbourne. Jeremy Gibson introduces these two anti-racist heroes. In the wake of Invasion Day on the 26th of January, questions of racial identity and racial discrimination in Australia have once again been thrown into the spotlight of discussion. Despite […]
Order Prevails in Berlin! Remembering Rosa Luxemburg
94 years ago today Rosa Luxemburg was murdered. She was one of the great leaders in the history of the socialist movement internationally – a fierce opponent of imperialist war, suffering in jail for her opposition to the carnage of World War One, an original and innovative economist, a theorist of workers’ democracy. Her book […]
Socialist Summer Readings: the best of 2012
We asked some left-wing writers, journalists and performers, as well as some Socialist Review writers and readers, to tell us about their highlights from 2012. Whether you’re interested in novels, theater, films or texts, we have you covered. Dean ParkerIn the first week of May this year I picked up two books of recent NZ history […]
