Policies and debates Archives - John Riddell https://johnriddell.com/category/marxism/policies-and-debates/ MARXIST ESSAYS AND COMMENTARY Wed, 20 Oct 2021 23:05:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.10 https://i0.wp.com/johnriddell.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/cropped-John-Riddell-Icon-Final-1.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Policies and debates Archives - John Riddell https://johnriddell.com/category/marxism/policies-and-debates/ 32 32 22825446 ‘International Manifesto Group’ Founded https://johnriddell.com/2021/09/12/international-manifesto-group-founded/ https://johnriddell.com/2021/09/12/international-manifesto-group-founded/#comments Mon, 13 Sep 2021 01:16:19 +0000 https://johnriddell.com/?p=7346 A Report on the Manifesto’s 5 September Launch The newly formed group International Manifesto Group, convened by Radhika Desai, unites socialists on six continents. The text of the group’s declaration: “From Pluripolarity to Socialism: A Manifesto,” is available at the International Manifesto Group website, along with a listing of its more than 200 signatories and […]

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]]> https://johnriddell.com/2021/09/12/international-manifesto-group-founded/feed/ 9 7346 What Are the ‘Right Lessons’ for Socialists? https://johnriddell.com/2021/08/16/what-are-the-right-lessons-for-socialists/ https://johnriddell.com/2021/08/16/what-are-the-right-lessons-for-socialists/#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2021 12:48:53 +0000 https://johnriddell.com/?p=7263 A Reply to Eric Blanc By Mike Taber: Eric Blanc is a serious and dedicated socialist historian and activist who doesn’t hesitate to jump into the fray and take positions he knows are controversial. Such an attitude is commendable, even if I disagree with his conclusions. His latest article, “Socialists Should Take the Right Lessons […]

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]]> https://johnriddell.com/2021/08/16/what-are-the-right-lessons-for-socialists/feed/ 8 7263 New Book on Second International’s Marxist Years https://johnriddell.com/2021/07/05/new-book-on-second-internationals-marxist-years/ https://johnriddell.com/2021/07/05/new-book-on-second-internationals-marxist-years/#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2021 19:03:54 +0000 https://johnriddell.com/?p=7119 Comments by Socialist Historians Haymarket Books has just published ‘Under the Socialist Banner: Resolutions of the Second International, 1889-1912’. Edited by Mike Taber, this book is the first collection ever assembled in English of all the resolutions adopted by the Second International during its Marxist Years. Despite weaknesses and contradictions that led to the Second […]

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]]> https://johnriddell.com/2021/07/05/new-book-on-second-internationals-marxist-years/feed/ 1 7119 James P. Cannon on Defensive Formulations and the Organization of Action https://johnriddell.com/2019/07/10/james-p-cannon-on-defensive-formulations-and-the-organization-of-action/ https://johnriddell.com/2019/07/10/james-p-cannon-on-defensive-formulations-and-the-organization-of-action/#respond Wed, 10 Jul 2019 16:41:50 +0000 http://johnriddell.com/?p=5440 Introductory Note by John Riddell: My article, “On The Democratic Character of Socialist Revolution” contested the view that revolutionary Marxists (“Leninists”) favour a strategy for insurrection against parliamentary institutions, quoting from court testimony given in 1942  by James P. Cannon, a founding leader of the U.S. Communist Party and later of the Socialist Workers Party. […]

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]]> https://johnriddell.com/2019/07/10/james-p-cannon-on-defensive-formulations-and-the-organization-of-action/feed/ 0 5440 Karl Kautsky as Architect of the October Revolution: Part 2 https://johnriddell.com/2019/07/05/karl-kautsky-as-architect-of-the-october-revolution-part-2/ https://johnriddell.com/2019/07/05/karl-kautsky-as-architect-of-the-october-revolution-part-2/#comments Fri, 05 Jul 2019 13:37:23 +0000 http://johnriddell.com/?p=5415 1917: The Bolsheviks Apply Kautsky’s Tactics Lenin remained true to the tactical ideas of Karl Kautsky after the latter had abandoned them. By Lars T. Lih As we have seen, the Bolsheviks came into 1917 with two pieces of Kautsky advice firmly under their belts: enlist the peasantry as a revolutionary ally, and do not […]

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]]> https://johnriddell.com/2019/07/05/karl-kautsky-as-architect-of-the-october-revolution-part-2/feed/ 1 5415 Karl Kautsky as Architect of the October Revolution: Part 1 https://johnriddell.com/2019/07/04/karl-kautsky-as-architect-of-the-october-revolution-part-1/ https://johnriddell.com/2019/07/04/karl-kautsky-as-architect-of-the-october-revolution-part-1/#comments Thu, 04 Jul 2019 15:03:23 +0000 http://johnriddell.com/?p=5410 Before the War: The Bolsheviks Applaud Kautsky’s Tactics Lenin remained true to the tactical ideas of Karl Kautsky after the latter had abandoned them. By Lars T. Lih In recent months, Jacobin has seen an exchange of views on the theme of Kautsky vs Lenin. Many good points were made, but on the subject of […]

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]]> https://johnriddell.com/2019/07/04/karl-kautsky-as-architect-of-the-october-revolution-part-1/feed/ 4 5410 The Workers’ and Peasants’ Government https://johnriddell.com/2019/05/17/the-workers-and-peasants-government/ https://johnriddell.com/2019/05/17/the-workers-and-peasants-government/#comments Fri, 17 May 2019 20:20:02 +0000 https://johnriddell.com/?p=5332 Text of the Communist International’s 1923 decision Reproduced below are a resolution and excerpts from a report adopted in June 1923 by the Communist International (Comintern). It took place at an enlarged meeting of the Executive Committee of the Communist International (ECCI). It is reprinted from The Communist Movement at a Crossroads: Plenums of the […]

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]]> https://johnriddell.com/2019/05/17/the-workers-and-peasants-government/feed/ 1 5332 The Comintern debates the United Front https://johnriddell.com/2019/05/05/the-comintern-debates-the-united-front/ https://johnriddell.com/2019/05/05/the-comintern-debates-the-united-front/#respond Sun, 05 May 2019 17:42:55 +0000 https://johnriddell.com/?p=5317 Excerpts from the original leadership debate, 1922 Introduction by Mike Taber: Below are excerpts from the February 1922 debate on the united front that took place at an enlarged meeting of the Executive Committee of the Communist International (ECCI). The speakers include Grigorii Zinoviev, Karl Radek, and Leon Trotsky. The excerpts are reprinted from The […]

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]]> https://johnriddell.com/2019/05/05/the-comintern-debates-the-united-front/feed/ 0 5317 Clara Zetkin: Years of stubborn resistance, 1928–33 https://johnriddell.com/2019/04/20/clara-zetkin-years-of-stubborn-resistance-1928-33/ https://johnriddell.com/2019/04/20/clara-zetkin-years-of-stubborn-resistance-1928-33/#comments Sat, 20 Apr 2019 20:06:37 +0000 https://johnriddell.com/?p=5305 Zetkin’s defense of the United Front, Part 2 See also Part 1, “Honored but Silenced,” 1924–28. Appended to this text is a portion of Zetkin’s historic speech to the German Reichstag on August 30, 1932, which presents a final summary of her views on workers’ unity against fascism. The text that follows first appeared in […]

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]]> https://johnriddell.com/2019/04/20/clara-zetkin-years-of-stubborn-resistance-1928-33/feed/ 6 5305 Revolutionary strategy and the electoral road https://johnriddell.com/2019/04/13/revolutionary-strategy-and-the-electoral-road/ https://johnriddell.com/2019/04/13/revolutionary-strategy-and-the-electoral-road/#comments Sat, 13 Apr 2019 13:59:38 +0000 https://johnriddell.com/?p=5293 A rejoinder to Eric Blanc By Mike Taber: It should be apparent that my exchange with Eric Blanc (See part 1, part 2, part 3) involves more than different historical appreciations. In the background are clear differences over how to evaluate politics in general, as well as what perspective socialists and revolutionaries should adopt today. […]

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