Author: icsswpadmin

ICSS 20210502 – Socialism: Scientific and Utopian – Eugene E. Ruyle

Sun, May 2, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Pacific
Socialism: Scientific and Utopian
Just as Darwin discovered the law of motion of biological evolution, so Marx and Engels discovered the law of motion of human history and with it, placed the science of human society on a firm, working class basis. In 1880, Engels published Socialism: Utopian and Scientific, explaining how socialism had been transformed from a utopia into a science. This science was further developed by Lenin who led the world historic October Revolution and is continuing to develop in other world historic revolutions in China, Vietnam, and Cuba, and well as revolutionary movements throughout Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Unfortunately, some comrades have chosen to reject science and revert to utopianism. We will examine this question in group discussion in which everyone is encouraged to participate fully.
Organizer: Eugene E Ruyle is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology and Asian Studies at CSU, Long Beach; President of Veterans For Peace, East Bay Chapter 162 (Berkeley/Oakland); and active in a variety of working class organizations, including the ICSS and the Oscar Grant Committee Against Police Brutality and State Repression.

Read More

ICSS 20210425 – Grover Furr on Issues in Soviet History

Sun, Apr 25, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Pacific

Grover Furr on Issues in Soviet History

Grover writes that he will discuss two subject in his talk. First, he will talk about his new book Trotsky and the Military Conspiracy, available from Amazon.com. Second, he will discuss the issues concerning evidence: what evidence is; how to analyze it; what logical fallacies and false arguments are employed to avoid facing the evidence.

Read More

ICSS 20210418 – The Law and the people’s rights in India – Mihir Desai

ICSS 20210418 The Law and the people’s rights in India – Mihir Desai
Sun, Apr 18, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Pacific

Mihir Desai on Law and People’s Rights in India
Our speaker writes: I will be speaking about legislative and policy changes during the Modi Government affecting rights of people. This will include the new labour codes, farmers laws, laws concerning citizenship, love jihad laws, education policy, AADHAR act, changes in laws affecting NGOs, Environmental laws, laws concerning elections, demonetisation, etc. This will include the erosion of parliamentary democracy and federal structure. The talk will also include the use of existing and new draconian laws. It will be in the overall context of the present context of the Establishments efforts to suppress all dissent and to hollow out all institutions of accountability.

Read More

ICSS 20210411 – Ten Things for US to Understand about Latin America – Laura Wells

Sun, Apr 11, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Pacific

Ten Things for US to Understand about Latin America

Our speaker, Laura Wells, just returned from two weeks in Nicaragua with a delegation sponsored by Sanctions Kill, Alliance for Global Justice, and Friends of the ATC. When she received the announcement for the delegation, she felt instantly inspired. She had already visited the other two countries named as the “Troika of Tyranny” by Trump’s Secretary of State Pompeo. She knew “tyranny” was a lie about Cuba and Venezuela and wanted to see if it was also a lie about Nicaragua. She was especially interested because there is a common impression across the political spectrum that Daniel Ortega was good in the 1980s but became corrupt and authoritarian when he returned to the presidency in 2006. See more at https://laurawells.org/ten-things-for-us-to-understand-about-latin-america/

Laura will report back on the struggles in Latin America and the Caribbean resisting US imperialism to create a better world, based on her visits and studies. In the Q&A, she would like to engage in a robust discussion of what we can learn from the shift in consciousness in Latin America and about their advances toward socialism.

Laura Wells is a longtime political and social activist. She is a leader in the Green Party, running for Congress in 2018 and for governor in 2010. In 2002 she garnered nearly a half million votes in her run for California state controller. A former financial systems analyst, she supports taxing the rich, implementing public banks, and making significant changes to Proposition 13.

We highly recommend her blog: http://laurawells.org/

LOGIN INFORMATION
We Intend to start the presentation as close to 10:30 am as possible, but the Zoom room will be opened up, as usual, at 10:15 for anyone to join and discuss technical matters, catch up with each other, say Hi, etc.. The program (and recording) will end at 12:30, but the Waiting Room will remain open until about 1 pm for informal discussion.

Read More

ICSS 20210404 – Understanding the Mass Psychology of Neofascism

Sun, April 4, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Pacific

Understanding the Mass Psychology of Neofascism

Fascist rulers in the 20th century, as well as Neofascist forces across the globe in the early 21st century have managed to attract mass support from significant sections of working people. This is despite the fact that these reactionary projects intensify capitalist exploitation and undermine the material interests of many of their own followers. To understand this contradiction, we need to supplement current political economy analyses of Neofascism with a grasp of mass psychology processes, which are powerfully manipulated by neofascist leaders.
Our speaker is an activist physician and author.speaker

Read More