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Marx Talks
100 years of Georg Lukacs' History and Class Consciousness - Robert Narai
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Georg Lukács’s History and Class Consciousness, published in 1923, is primarily seen as one of the great works of Marxist philosophy. But Lukács was also a commissar in the failed Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919 and a political leader in the exiled Hungarian Communist Party in Vienna throughout the 1920s. Along with labour leader Jenö Landler, Lukács led a faction opposing an ultra-left sectarian orientation represented by Béla Kun (at that time also associated with Comintern chairman Zinoviev, later aligning himself with Stalin). This session explores History and Class Consciousness and his work in the 1920s through the lens of this factional struggle and the degeneration of the Comintern, examining it as an attempt to reconstruct the theory and practice of Lenin and the Bolsheviks, understand the leading role the working class must play in the struggle for democracy in Hungary, and rebuild the Hungarian Communist Party along these lines.
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A Marxist critique of intersectionality - Monica Sesito
27:56|First articulated in the 1980s, intersectionality has its origins in legal theory. It has since been taken up by progressives and others, ostensibly as a way to integrate different forms of oppression into political theory and practice. But like most buzzwords, intersectionality means different things to different people. This session will look at whether it adds anything new to the fight against oppression and the system that causes it.
Germany 1900–1918: the radical left and the founding of the Communist Party - Oscar Sterner
39:56|At the turn of the 20th century, Germany was one of the world's most advanced capitalist countries, yet also one of the youngest. Economic and military competition between Germany and the established empires of Britain and France helped to foster a crisis in the global system which would eventually break out into WWI. It also drove the organisation and radicalisation of the German working class, who would eventually end the war by overthrowing their old rulers in the November Revolution of 1918. This session will discuss the experience of revolutionary socialists in Germany as they attempted to clarify their tasks and strategies at a time of unprecedented turmoil.
Is revolution possible in the West? - Liz Walsh
40:45|Is it even possible to overthrow capitalism today? It’s often argued that workers are too apathetic or disorganised, that the capitalist state is too powerful, the media too influential. Revolutions might happen in countries with extreme poverty and repressive governments, but wealthy liberal democracies like the US and Australia are too stable to be challenged. Accepting arguments like these means accepting that change is only possible within the existing system, if at all. Fortunately, the Marxist theory of revolution helps us to understand that even long periods of stability can only ever be temporary for capitalism. Economic, political and social crises will always threaten a system based on competitive profit-seeking. This session will explore how this can shake up the status quo and compel workers to fight back, as well as the crucial role of revolutionary politics and organisation.
Workers under attack from ALP and capital - Eleanor Morley
36:11|From below-inflation wage 'rises' to the end of progressive income tax, from privatisation of public housing to further restrictions on the right to strike- the ALP and the Australian capitalist class today in lock-step attacking workers. How do we explain Labor's appalling record, and what can activists and workers do to build resistance to a right wing Labor government?
The global backlash against women's & LGBT rights - Grace Hill
31:59|Issues of gender and sexuality—whether it be abortion rights, marriage or who uses what bathroom—have become a particular focus of the Christian right both here and in the United States in recent years. To defend the important gains that have been made in these areas over the last few decades, it is essential for the left to effectively confront and defeat the right. This session will look at how we can best do that.
Why socialists should oppose nuclear power - Emma Dynes
47:52|Addressing the Institute of Public Affairs earlier this year, Peter Dutton proclaimed “the time has come for a sensible and sober conversation on nuclear power in Australia.” With AUKUS, Australia is experiencing the most serious proposal for expanded domestic nuclear technology in decades. It’s no coincidence this comes at a time of increasing imperialist tensions between the US and China. The nuclear industry is not safe, clean or renewable – the push for its expansion should be opposed by the left today.
How the Great Depression reshaped world capitalism - James Gallagher
40:23|The Wall Street crash of 1929 was a watershed moment. It not only plunged millions of workers into poverty but had a dramatic economic and political impact on world capitalism. In its wake, major economies embraced protectionism and state intervention and turned away from the "free" market. This laid the basis for a renewed intensification of international and domestic political tensions on everything from the remilitarisation of Europe to the expansion of Japanese imperialism into China and the crisis of the Weimar Republic in Germany. This session will unpack both the reasons why the Great Depression broke out and how it reshaped world capitalism for years to come.