Theory and the battle of ideas

A statement from the Russian Socialist Movement and the Ukrainian socialist organisation Sotsialnyi Rukh.

Although the majority of the left has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the left camp’s unity is still lacking. We would like to address those on the left who still stick to “a plague on both houses” position that views the war as an inter-imperialist war.

Vladimir Putin has been extremely explicit and vocal in condemning the Bolsheviks’ policy of national self-determination and their policy for Ukraine in particular. Condemnation of the Bolsheviks is central to his absurd argument that there is essentially no Ukrainian nation, that it is a somehow an artificial construction.

Rohini Hensman’s book is a welcome intervention into debates on the international socialist left.

Above all it is a damning indictment of the state of those broad sections of the left, especially in Britain, who have embraced a negative, anti-Western, anti-US, “pseudo-anti-imperialism” — a politics that is also effectively pro-imperialist (of Russia, China, Iran), anti-democratic, anti-liberatory and ultimately anti-working class.

From Socialist Organiser, January 1992

What is happening in the former USSR now is a grotesque triumph of unreason. In its destructiveness and senselessness, it will rank in history with the carnage of the First and Second World Wars as an almost inexplicable piece of 20th century madness.

Books have been a great factor in human culture. The Qur’an says: “Do not argue with the People of the Book except only by the best manner, except the unjust among them. Tell them, ‘We believe in what is revealed to us and to you. Our Lord and your Lord is one. We have submitted ourselves to His will’.”

Two articles. The first: written April 22, 1939, and published in the US paper Socialist Appeal on May 9, 1939.

The Ukrainian question, which many governments and many “socialists” and even “communists” have tried to forget or to relegate to the deep strongbox of history, has once again been placed on the order of the day and this time with redoubled force.

From the US revolutionary socialist paper Labor Action, July 10 1950

If your school-age son is somewhat better than clever in any field of science, you may have heard the expression: "He's an Einstein."

It is indeed unprecedented that the name of a scientist working in highly specialised mathematical physics has become a by-word in the homes of his adopted land. This unique status of Albert Einstein rests not only on his scientific pre-eminence but also upon his keen interest in social and political affairs.

The issues in the controversy surrounding the UK’s royal family require proper comment in themselves. We hope to publish more soon.

Immediately, we welcome the fact that the controversy has caused a noticeable surge of publicly-expressed scepticism about the institution of the monarchy. The republican left should seek to sustain that surge and develop a real debate.

Some climate campaigners are promoting the Zapatistas in Mexico as an inspiration and model for building the climate movement. This is a snare, misunderstanding Zapatista politics. An honest account of the Zapatistas’ evolution shows their aims and methods are a long way from what is needed to mobilise millions of workers to prevent dangerous climate change.

The spark

In November 2018, the longtime Irish-based Trotskyist Rayner Lysaght debated with Sean Matgamna, a founding member of Workers’ Liberty, on Marxist perspectives on Irish history and the Irish revolution. The following day they had an extended discussion on related topics. This has been recorded and released as nine videos.