Marx Talks

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.

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 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.

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?

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.

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.