Elections and referendums are events in bourgeois “democracy” which give the people a brief sense of power. The people use this as an opportunity to show their anger – as with Brexit – once in few years because they are unable to meaningfully influence any policy decisions of government. Real […]
Political Essays
On Human Nature
The anti-communists tell us that communism cannot work because of human nature or that Marx failed to consider human nature. This has been met with some of those on the left claiming that humans are too complex or simply don’t have an inherent nature. Dr John Edward Terrell, a professor […]
The degrowth debate
Degrowth has arguably become the most common idea in the coverage of post-capitalist visions of the world in tackling climate change. Monthly Review dedicated an issue to degrowth, while Kohei Saito’s Degrowth Manifesto had record sales in Japan. Inevitably, degrowth is interpreted in different ways in the public conversations. In […]
“Totalitarianism”: An anti-communist theory
■ From Manifest, monthly paper of the New Communist Party of the Netherlands,¹ translated and edited by Miranda Lynch. Anti-communism is an essential part of the prevailing ideology under capitalism. It is of great importance to the bourgeoisie that the oppressed class does not see communism as an alternative. This […]
Some cause for optimism in Brazil
As many people know, Brazil will face its first round of federal elections on 2 October, after being ruled by the far right for four years. The event is characterised by a huge polarisation that is widely discussed by people and poorly discussed by the candidates (at least those who […]
Protecting the privileged
This year marks a century since the foundation of the 26-County state. Difficult as it may be to believe, the powers that be are now preparing to celebrate what they will describe as a successful political entity. There will be no mention of the hundreds of thousands forced into […]
Evolution or revolution?
It would appear that, one way or another, humans have always been trying to find a better way to live and survive in the world, particularly from a materialist viewpoint, to meet their needs and develop their capacities—not always with success—by their own volition or as they would want it […]
A Unity Programme
Weakening of the structure of capitalism in Ireland Two recent articles in Socialist Voice – “On the need for a focal point,” parts 1 and 2 – attempted to deal with the importance of directed, planned and conscious interventions in the class struggle. The articles put forward a framework for […]