Another Powerful Stride Forward
More than 1,400 ISA members and supporters from 36 countries on all continents attended our third “Virtual Marxist University’ between 19 and 25 July. This included comrades from “countries which are crucial to the global class struggle and who had not been represented in previous VMUs, including Chile and Egypt.
“Zoom fatigue” is a term – and a reality – which workers and young people the world over have gotten to know intimately in the last year and a half, whether in work, social life, or in political activity and organizing. Indeed, for members of ISA – fighters for socialism in more than 30 countries – in some parts of the world, reopenings and the ability to meet real people in real places both socially and politically has opened up a horizon of hope and possibility, including the benefits of in-person struggle and organizing.
In this context, the prospect of bringing more than 1,000 members together on Zoom for the third time in 12 months may justifiably have raised some eyebrows. However, the event thrived nonetheless, even if in slightly different circumstances. Many of those national sections lucky enough to be able to contemplate such things, held “watch parties” where comrades came together in person to experience the virtual discussions in an enhanced way.
While the VMU itself is an internal event, open only to members and close supporters, the week ended with a historic “Virtual Rally for a Socialist World” which was broadcast live on YouTube and Facebook and translated into eleven languages, emphasising our internationalist approach. This led to more than 900 people from over 60 countries signing up to express an interest in getting involved with ISA.
The VMU was yet another powerful stride forward for an organization whose Marxist ideas, meaningful internationalism in theory and practice, and determination to build the forces of revolutionary socialism amidst the rising tide of class struggle worldwide, allow it to look forward into the 2020s with growing confidence.
Global Organizing at Work and Among Youth
An original feature of this VMU was the distinct meetings that took place prior to the opening plenary session which brought together ISA members most directly involved in organizing in the labour and trade union movements, and among young people, respectively. As well as to share valuable experiences and insights from different countries, strikes and movements, these were meetings to concretely organize our work on a global scale.
A crucial step in this will be ISA’s big international mobilisation for the COP26 climate summit in Scotland this November. Hundreds of young socialists will be mobilising to make the journey and add ISA’s unique marxist perspective and program of working class struggle for the only solution to climate catastrophe – international democratic socialist planning – to the important counter protests that will take place there. To be a part of this international intervention, you can register here
Understanding the World in a New “Age of Disorder”
The main VMU discussions opened on Tuesday 20 July with a plenary discussion titled “World Perspectives: Opportunities and Dangers in the ‘Age of Disorder.’” An introduction which was pre-recorded and subtitled in 12 languages was shown, followed by a fascinating discussion. Comrades from across the world intervened on a variety of themes which are crucial to understand the explosive and complex “perfect storm” of crises being faced by global capitalism, which is setting the scene for a new era of revolution and counter revolution.
Speakers explored the characteristics of revolutionary uprisings which have recently taken place in Myanmar and Colombia and also addressed, among other things: the anatomy and processes of the New Cold War which dominates this epoch of intensified inter-imperialist rivalry; the climate catastrophe which is so central to the crises of capitalism; the new wave of feminist struggle amid heightened radicalisation in opposition to all forms of oppression; perspectives for the world economy and the limits and contradictions of the current “recovery;” and the latest horrific outburst of bloodshed, which provoked mass global resistance, in the Middle East.
As in all the discussions throughout the event, a real internationalism was made possible by the heroic work of interpreters from ISA’s sections, who tirelessly translated speaker after speaker.
This plenary session was followed up by 4 blocs of simultaneous commissions/workshops, with a total of more than 20 discussions focusing on different aspects of the world political situation and a Marxist perspective and method. These included discussions on: “The Blocking of the Suez Canal: Global Supply Chains and the Power of Logistics Workers;” “Scottish Independence and the Break-Up of the UK;” “Understanding Chinese Imperialism;” “Lessons from the BAmazon Union Drive;” “Upheaval in India: General Strikes, Farmers Protests, and the Covid Crisis;” “Fighting Bolsonaro and the Right: The Struggle For Socialism In Brazil;” “Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Myanmar” and many, many more.
A selection of content arising from these commissions, in text, audio and video form will be made publicly available on internationalsocialist.net, and the World to Win YouTube channel and podcast in the coming weeks. Subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss out!
Revolutionary Theory for a Revolutionary Movement
Alongside a careful attention to world events and processes, ISA understands that a theory and method of analysis is necessary to adequately understand the world, in order to change it! As well as this, a deep and meaningful study of the revolutionary history of humankind, and the world working class in particular, is crucial in order to understand the lessons of history to guide revolutionary action in the 2020s.
To this end, ISA VMU’s have consistently placed great emphasis on collectively discussing Marxist theory and revolutionary history. This includes collective efforts to read, discuss and understand the key contributions from Marxist thinkers including Marx, Engels, Lenin, Rosa Luxemburg, and Leon Trotsky. Not only is this a crucial preparation for our interventions into the struggles of workers, young people and all the oppressed, it is also part of the class struggle – a theoretical and historical struggle against the influence of capitalist ideology and against a misleading and distorted version of our class’ history which is employed today to serve the preservation of the rule of the capitalist class.
17 discussions along these lines included: “Trotsky’s “The Class, the Party and the Leadership” and its Relevance Today;” “‘Radical Feminists’ of the Second Wave and the Impacts of their Ideas on the Movement Today;” “What Can Marxists Today Learn From Gramsci?;” “Republishing of Peter Hadden’s ‘Troubled Times’ as the National Question in Ireland Enters a New Stage;” “Detroit’s League of Revolutionary Black Workers: The Labor Movement and Black Liberation;” “Intro to Marxist Economics” and “What is Maoism?.”
URGENT: Build and Strengthen the Forces of Marxism
A clear thread running through all discussions was an understanding of how these discussions are not academic, but intimately linked to revolutionary action, struggle and sacrifice. With billionaires racing each other into space while the planet burns and plague-ridden capitalism kills millions, the system has never been more rotten, decadent and ripe for overthrow. At the same time, the oppressed of the world, led by the multi-national, multi-ethnic, multi-gendered working class, have shown untold determination and heroism in resisting capitalist barbarism.
But all of history has shown that neither the deepest capitalist crisis, nor the most heroic and determined of movements can bring down capitalism and usher in a humane and dignified epoch in human history, unless another factor is present. That is a sufficiently strong and organized revolutionary movement, armed with the methods of Marxism and the program of world socialist transformation, which can point the road beyond capitalism and imperialism, with a coherent and revolutionary political alternative.
Capitalist crises and working class resistance have laid the basis for hundreds of revolutionary opportunities over the course of the last century, but in the absence of this crucial factor, most have left the system stumbling on to new and greater crises. Only once, in the October Russian Revolution of 1917, has the presence of this factor in the form of Lenin and Trotsky’s Bolshevik party, allowed for a successful socialist revolution, which sparked off a worldwide revolutionary wave.
History also demonstrates that such a force must be prepared and built in advance of a revolutionary situation, by the conscious and determined action of those conscious of this necessity, and moreover that this is a task that must be conducted on a world scale.
ISA exists to act upon this great lesson of decades of revolutionary experience. We organise to help build the struggles and the power of workers, women, young people and all the oppressed in the struggle against capitalism, and in doing so prepare the forces of Marxism for revolutionary storms on the horizon.
We do this in practice, by dedicating time and energy to this political work, by working to build support for our ideas, recruit new members to our ideas, politically educate ourselves, spread our views in socialist papers and publications, raise money to assist our work, etc, etc. The VMU held a plenary discussion on “A World to Win: Building a Revolutionary International'” which brought together crucial points about how to apply this understanding. This was followed by 12 simultaneous commissions which included: “Recruiting and Consolidating New Members;” “Lessons from Social Media Breakthroughs;” “Socialists at Work — First Steps for Building in a Workplace;” “Revolutionary Newspaper as our Collective Organizer: Using the Paper to Build ISA;” “Building a New Branch” and “Building Revolutionary Finance Consciousness in Our Branches.”
Revolutionary Finances: Over €116,000 and counting…
All the revolutionary political understanding, will and determination of the week was also expressed materially in an historic financial appeal. At the time of writing, over €116,000 was raised at the VMU, without a single millionaire or billionaire putting their hand in their pocket, but from sacrifices made by Amazon warehouse workers, teachers, cleaners, street vendors, train drivers, unemployed, precarious workers, students, etc.
And it’s not over yet! We are continuing this appeal with the bold aim of raising €150,000 in the days and weeks to come. Donate here and spread the word!
Join the Struggle
The VMU was brought to a close amid great pride, enthusiasm and a conviction that ISA is an organization whose time is coming. However, we remain far from achieving our objectives. Fundamentally, we are too small in number, influence and reach.
If you are reading this and agree, or want to discuss further with a view to assisting us with the most necessary of tasks — building in the here and now for an International Socialist Alternative to end capitalism’s perfect storm of human misery — then get in touch and join our struggle today.
