Past Posts by Descending Date

Carlos L. Garrido- “The Comprehensive Crisis in the U.S. and the Revolutionary Way Forward” In line with the tradition of Marxism-Leninism, this presentation argues that the elements constitutive of objectively revolutionary conditions are all present in the U.S.; what is missing for a successful revolutionary movement is the subjective factor. The presenter will argue that the purity fetish which predominates the outlook of modern American communism has presented a fundamental fetter for the development of the subjective factor in the American working masses; the development of a consistent dialectical materialist worldview, it will be argued, is the precondition for the ...

 Professor Aleksandr Dugin of Russia has a wide sweep in scholarship, from Philosophy, Sociology to Geopolitics. He is 60 years of age. He has written 60 books. His book 'The Fourth Political Theory' has been translated into English by Michael Millerman, a Canadian, with a Ph.D. in Philosophy. Dugin is an idealist conservative philosopher. Liberalism, according to Dugin, is the theory of Capitalism, which has defeated its two challengers in the 20th century: Communism on the Left and Fascism on the Right. These cannot now pose an effective challenge to it. Further, that Liberalism has turned into "Postliberalism" after 1991, ...

 Pleading with arsonists to put out the fire they’ve ignited is what it is like to turn to the UNSecurity Council, OAS, and United States government to “stabilize” the crisis in Haiti.Haiti has been under US/ UN occupation for more than 18 years, ever since the US-backed coupd’état in 2004 against the democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Thisoccupation has perpetrated gross human rights abuses including rape and other forms of sexualabuse. The occupation has brought cholera to Haiti and has systematically destroyed Haiti’sinstitutions while increasing hunger and misery.Courageously facing police and paramilitary attacks, the population of Haiti has taken to ...

The London Revolution 1640-1643 refutes the attacks of revisionist historians who would write the concept of revolution out of history. A defense and restatement of the Marxist view of the English Revolution and Civil War. Chronicles England’s history through the revolution in 1641 – 1642, which toppled the feudal political system, and its aftermath. It explores how London’s growing capitalist economy fundamentally conflicted with its decaying feudal society, causing tensions and dislocations that affected all classes in the early modern period. In contrast with most other works, this book posits that the fundamental driving force of the revolution was the ...

Carlos L. Garrido- “The Comprehensive Crisis in the U.S. and the Revolutionary Way Forward” In line with the tradition of Marxism-Leninism, this presentation argues that the elements constitutive of objectively revolutionary conditions are all present in the U.S.; what is missing for a successful revolutionary movement is the subjective factor. The presenter will argue that the purity fetish which predominates the outlook of modern American communism has presented a fundamental fetter for the development of the subjective factor in the American working masses; the development of a consistent dialectical materialist worldview, it will be argued, is the precondition for the ...

 John Willich was a Prussian army career officer who quit after 25 years to become a carpenter. He was a German 48er who formed the proletarian army in the German Revolution with Friedrich Engels as second-in-command. He was exiled to England, where he joined Marx and Engels. Polemics between Willich and Marx-Engels led to his joining an opposing communist faction. In the 1850s he emigrated to the US where he become involved in communist clubs. He was an abolitionist who worked with free African Americans. In the Civil War, he started an innovative and highly praised German regiment. Conclusion: along ...

Written by 55 of the richest white men, and signed by only 39 of them, the US constitution is the sacred text of American nationalism. Popular perceptions of it are mired in idolatry, myth and misinformation - many Americans have opinions on the constitution but have little idea what it says. Our speaker's new book examines the constitution for what it is – a rulebook for elites to protect capitalism from democracy. Social movements have misplaced faith in the constitution as a tool for achieving justice when it actually impedes social change through the many roadblocks and obstructions we call ...

 The ICSS has hosted a number of Marxist intellectuals addressing imperialism and how is it manifest in the Ukraine conflict. There is a broad consensus on the left against weapons for endless war and for diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine – a conflict that risks nuclear conflagration. Progressive groups like the Peace In Ukraine Coalition (https://www.peaceinukraine.org/) oppose spending for militarism and support funds for jobs, healthcare, and housing. InPeace Talks Essential as War Rages on in Ukraine (https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/09/05/peace-talks-essential-war-rages-ukraine), Benjamin and Davies write how the US and its allies sabotaged a possible peace agreement in the early stages of the conflict and argue that one is ...

Our speakers, Roger Keeran and Thomas Kenny will discuss their book,  Socialism Betrayed: Behind the Collapse of the Soviet Union (2004), and  their reflections since writing the book, including Gorbachev’s role in overturning socialism in the Soviet Union, why he arose, whether this was inevitable, and what lessons are to be learned.    Roger Keeran is  Professor Emeritus at Empire State School of the State University of New York (SUNY), He has been a member of the Communist Party USA for three decades and is currently a member of the advisory board of the Marxist journal Science & Society.    Joe Jamison (Thomas Kenny) is co-author with Roger Keeran ...

Michael Roberts will analyse the latest developments in the major economies as inflation rates reach 40-year highs and economic activity heads towards stagnation or worse.  What are the causes of this and what policies are needed to end this crisis? Our speaker, Michael Roberts, worked in the City of London as an economist for over 40 years. He has closely observed the machinations of global capitalism from within the dragon’s den. At the same time, he was a political activist in the labour movement for decades. Since retiring, he has written several books.  The Great Recession – a Marxist view(2009); The Long Depression (2016); Marx 200: ...

The AFL-CIO has since its existence been involved in taking money from the CIA and other government agencies for international operations around the world It has supported coups in Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Ukraine, and attempted coups in Venezuela, Cuba. It now operates in over 60 countries without real transparency and reports to the membership of the AFL-CIO members. Most workers in the AFL-CIO do not know about this history or the fact that the AFL-CIO “Solidarity Center” gets $75 million a year from the National Endowment for Democracy which is directly from the US government. This panel of ...

Our speaker will be Professor Gerald Horne, Moores Professor of History at the University of Houston has published dozens of books. Hear his presentation on his latest: 'The Counter-Revolution of 1836: Texas Slavery & Jim Crow and the Roots of U.S. Fascism', 2022, which has implications for California and Indigenous History--and the prospects for a unique form of fascism ...

What are the motives and likely effects of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan? We will be looking at these questions in the light of the interlocking crises of the US empire, US capitalism and the US Democratic Party. We will start the discussion with short presentations by Gene Ruyle, Veterans for Peace and ICSS, Raj Sahai of ICSS, and David Ewing, Chair of the US-China Friendship Society ...

'The canonical accounts of Lenin’s last writings accept the version that Lenin left a “testament” that included a number of negative remarks about Joseph Stalin, and that Lenin wished to remove Stalin from the position of General Secretary of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolshevik). This version stems partly from Leon Trotsky, who embraced it eagerly in his campaign to replace Stalin as Party leader; partly from Lenin’s wife Nadezhda Krupskaya; and partly from Nikita Khrushchev and the Khrushchev-era last edition of Lenin’s works, the Polnoe Sobranie Sochinenii (“Complete Collection of Writings''), or PSS.   Professor Valentin A. Sakharov of Moscow State ...

On Feb 4, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with China's President Xi Jinping at tthe opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing  They released a 5000-word document, "Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China on the International Relations Entering a New Era and the Global Sustainable Development." This document expresses the views of two of the world's largest nuclear powers, both permanent members of the UN Security Council. As such, it merits full discussion and we are inviting a panel to lead our discussion ...

1. Myth: Russia’s “Special Military Operation” (SMO) is an unprovoked war of conquest2. Myth: Russia miscalculated its military strategy in its invasion of Ukraine Russia is losing the war.3. Myth: the claim that Ukraine is natizified is a Russian propaganda ploy4. Myth: the world is united against the "Russian aggression" in Ukraine, Russia is isolated and growing more isolated.5. Myth: the economic sanctions against Russia are working, the Russian economy is a shambles, Putin is isolated, and the sanctions will eventually topple the "Putin regime" Instead of an hour presentation followed by a discussion, we will split the session into ...