Ben Lewis introduces another excerpt from his translation of Karl Kautsky's 'Republic and social democracy in France'- published in English for the first time The following text is the second part of Karl Kautsky’s 1905 work, ‘Republic and social democracy’, which was originally published as a series of seven articles in the theoretical weekly, Die Neue Zeit. ...
The second part of Karl Kautsky's 1905 work, 'Republic and social democracy', translated by Ben Lewis When the republic was proclaimed on February 24 1848, all memories of 1793 were awoken. From the outset the lower classes regarded the republic as the surety protecting their interests, as the “social republic” which would reassume the work of ...
Independent scholar Lars T Lih introduces excerpts from Karl Kautsky's 'Republic and social democracy in France', published in English for the first time. This article first appeared in the Weekly Worker. Storming of the Bastille in July 1789: proletarian and petty bourgeoisie then exert their power, according to Kautsky At the end of 1904, Karl Kautsky began ...
For the first time in English[1], an extract from Karl Kautsky's 'Republic and social democracy in France', translated by Ben Lewis Karl Kautsky: former 'pope' of Marxism The International Congress[2] has had an unexpected aftermath. Following a series of statements they made in Amsterdam, Bebel[3]and Guesde[4] have been accused of indifference to the republic, even of a ...
Communist Students convened in Manchester for its annual conference on April 2. Greg Compton reports Communist Students was formed on the initiative of student members and supporters of the Communist Party of Great Britain, nearly five years ago. We were, then as now, concerned that the far left was offering very slim pickings to radicals on ...
James Tansey critiques Ian McKay’s Property is Theft! A Pierre-Joseph Proudhon Anthology “...the triumph of opportunism within Italy and the Communist International... show[ed] that the doctrine of self-sufficient factory councils (with their own little self-contained revolutions), was a very dangerous starting point; as indeed was the illusion that communist victory was assured as soon as individual ...
Those who are waiting for a 'pure' opposition will wait forever, writes James Turley (first published in the Weekly Worker) Friends: Tony Blair and Muammar Gaddafi In my last article, I attacked those on the left who imagined that the imperialist intervention in Libya was, or could be, somehow to the profit of the masses of that country.[1] ...
James Turley looks at the first year of the Obama presidency Last Wednesday was January 20 - not a particularly important date most years, except to astrologers. On that date last year, however, Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States of America - to a rapturous reception from a war-weary and crisis-ravaged US ...
Ben Lewis welcomes the initiative of Communist Workers of Iran and offers some fraternal criticisms We welcome the political platform of the Communist Workers of Iran (CWI). We have proofed and edited the English text and are publishing it in the hope that, at a time when the Iranian masses are on the move once more, ...
Millions around the world were appalled at the death and devastation in Haiti. James Turley puts the calamity into context As readers will know, just before 5pm local time on January 12, a catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti. Its epicentre was very close to Léogâne, a well-populated town not far from the capital, Port-au-Prince. The tremor is estimated ...
Ben Lewis reviews Martin Empson's Marxism and ecology: capitalism, socialism and the future of the planet Bookmarks, pp32, £1.50 In some ways, this Socialist Workers Party pamphlet is a useful read. Although it hardly presents a thoroughgoing critique of capitalism and its plundering of nature, it carries arguments, backed up by numerous figures and statistics, that ...
The Labour Representation Committee has just published a list of Labour candidates that it will be actively supporting in the coming general election. It is a starting point, argues Ben Lewis The Labour Representation Committee’s January 13 press release on the general election highlights the weak position the Labour left currently finds itself in. This in ...
Iranian workers are on the offensive, reports Chris Strafford 2010 has begun the way 2009 ended in the Islamic Republic of Iran, with millions protesting in cities and towns across the country. But the dangers facing the Iranian people have undoubtedly increased over the last few weeks. Further sanctions are being put in place, and Obama is ...