The Levellers and the English Revolution

04/14/21 • 44 min

In this podcast, Joe Russell explains the history of the Levellers and the Diggers, and discusses what we can learn from these heroic revolutionary movements to help us in the struggle for socialism today.Over 350 years ago, the masses in England turned the world upside down, carrying out one of the first of the bourgeois revolutions. This shows how English history – contrary to the story we are constantly told – is not one glorious, uninterrupted march of conservative progress and moderation. In this great revolution, two movements – the Levellers and the Diggers – developed that went far beyond the confines of capitalism. With their vision and demands, they laid the foundations for the traditions of communism in England. Join - socialist.net/join Donate - socialist.net/donate Subscribe - socialist.net/subscribe Follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and our podcast, Marxist Voice: Facebook - facebook.com/SocialistAppeal YouTube - youtube.com/c/SocialistNet1917 Twitter - twitter.com/socialist_app Podcast - wavve.link/marxistvoice

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What can I do? The role of the individual In history

In this podcast, Ben Curry explains the Marxist understanding of the role played by individuals in history – and the role that we must play today. History is commonly taught as little more than the deeds of great men, who alone possess the ability to make history. Marxism rejects this view, and instead sees the development of society and great events as subject to objective processes, which often act behind the backs of the people taking part in them. But does this mean that the actions, ideas, and characteristics of individuals play no role at all? And what does this mean for revolutionaries living and fighting today? Marxism has sometimes been wrongly accused of fatalism: the belief that everything that happens is predetermined and unavoidable. But this raises an important question of how the powerful objective forces of history interact with the conscious acts of individuals. Get involved with Socialist Appeal! Join - www.socialist.net/join Donate - www.socialist.net/donate Subscribe - www.socialist.net/subscribe Follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Soundcloud: Facebook - www.facebook.com/SocialistAppeal YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/SocialistNet1917 Twitter - www.twitter.com/socialist_app Soundcloud - @socialist-appeal

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Fascism: what it is and how to fight it

In this podcast, Niklas Albin Svensson – editor of marxist.com – sets out a Marxist analysis of the history and nature of fascism: what it is; what it isn’t; and how the labour movement can smash fascist and far-right groups wherever they emerge. The crisis of capitalism has shaken and polarised society all over the world. While thousands of workers and youth are taking to the streets against austerity and oppression, far-right and openly fascist groups of thugs and extremists have also risen in prominence. We saw the danger these groups pose earlier this year, when a 17-year-old white supremacist opened fire on unarmed demonstrators in Kenosha, Illinois. These protestors were out demonstrating against the racist murder of Jacob Blake by police, and demanding an end to all police brutality. At the same time, we are warned that reactionary governments – such as those of Trump, Johnson, or Bolsonaro – constitute a threat of fascism; and that the only way to defeat these regimes is for the left to team up with liberal ‘progressives’ at the ballot box. But is this correct? What are the perspectives for the rise of fascism? And how should workers and youth fight far-right and genuinely fascist elements that do rear their heads? Join - socialist.net/join Donate - socialist.net/donate Subscribe - socialist.net/subscribe Follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and our podcast, Marxist Voice: Facebook - facebook.com/SocialistAppeal YouTube - youtube.com/c/SocialistNet1917 Twitter - twitter.com/socialist_app Podcast - wavve.link/marxistvoice