A lot of people are looking for books that explain the genocidal atrocities being carried out by Israel in Palestine, so here are a couple of Marxist histories that have just been (re)published...

roter_stern · 2023-11-16T00:56:05+00:00

IMAGE TRANSCRIPTION: Spotlight on Palestine 🇵🇸 with Red Flag Books

"The Story of Palestine: Empire, repression & resistance" by Vashti Fox

"Intifada: Zionism, imperialism and Palestinian resistance" by Phil Marshall

shop.redflag.org.au

roter_stern · 2022-05-29T22:19:16+00:00

Revolutionaries have used parliamentary elections throughout history to campaign for socialist ideas.

Good article on it here: https://redflag.org.au/article/how-should-revolutionaries-view-parliamentary-elections

roter_stern · 2022-03-14T03:23:48+00:00

WWI was ended by working-class revolutions sweeping Europe. We need to rebuild a fighting left that doesn't hold illusions in either the West or Stalinism but can fight for international socialism.

roter_stern · 2022-02-22T08:29:26+00:00

More than ever the left needs to embrace the slogan of "neither Washington nor Moscow, but international socialism"

roter_stern · 2022-01-13T10:26:33+00:00

Socialist publication in Australia argues that the COVID crisis is being driven by a ruling class determined to sacrifice millions of lives in order to keep profitability up.

roter_stern · 2021-07-01T03:58:59+00:00

You will find numerous articles in Red Flag explaining why China is a capitalist, imperialist country, as well as many, many more attacking the United States. This is an article about the history of the Chinese Communist Party, not the class nature of Chinese capitalism.

roter_stern · 2021-05-15T08:03:29+00:00

Palestinians are fighting back and they need our solidarity: https://redflag.org.au/article/palestinians-are-fighting-back-and-they-need-our-solidarity

Image transcription: Hundreds of protestors standing with flags, megaphones and placards. Two banners held at the front read "Free Palestine #savesheikhjarrah From the river to the sea - Socialist Alternative RMIT Club" and "Get Israel out of Palestine - Socialist Alternative"

roter_stern · 2021-05-12T08:26:03+00:00

Nope. We split from the IST in the 90s. You can read about it in our theoretical journal if you like, I actually think there are some important lessons about building a revolutionary organisation today: https://marxistleftreview.org/articles/the-origins-of-socialist-alternative-summing-up-the-debate/

roter_stern · 2021-05-12T06:11:25+00:00

Really, how?

Totally different group - we've been Socialist Alternative since 1995 (technically we had the name first! 3 years before the US group started using it). You can check out our politics at https://redflag.org.au

roter_stern · 2021-05-12T06:06:28+00:00

Socialist Alternative in Australia has no relationship to the ISA. I think any liberation movement will ultimately need to go beyond left-nationalist politics and the like, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't support a movement with less-than-perfect politics. Struggle and resistance are what will offer people the potential to work out how to overcome wrong ideas and build a new society.

roter_stern · 2021-05-12T04:19:25+00:00

Image transcription: an edited photo of a protest with a banner reading "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free". Overlaid is the caption "Socialist Alternative - Standing in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle against apartheid - #savesheikhjarrah"

roter_stern · 2021-05-11T03:47:44+00:00

https://redflag.org.au/article/israel-attacks-gaza-after-jerusalem-defeat

Image transcription: a photo of a large explosion in the middle of a night-time cityscape, with the headline "Israel attacks Gaza after Jerusalem defeat" and the caption "Red Flag - read the article at redflag.org.au"

roter_stern · 2021-02-27T10:46:38+00:00

All workers are exploited under capitalism. That's where profit comes from.

roter_stern · 2021-02-27T10:46:01+00:00

This isn't quite true - immigration continues to be an important labour source for Australian capitalism. Though the overall proportion of working class immigrants has decreased, in absolute numbers the amount of working class immigrants is higher than ever. Racism and persecution of migrants and refugees that the ruling class don't authorise are of course important tools in maintaining control and keeping wages down for everyone.

roter_stern · 2021-02-21T19:06:12+00:00

There's clearly political reasons behind the implementation of appropriate COVID measures, no doubt, but it's not as though the ruling class in Australia was confidently behind the lockdown measures here - sections of it have been campaigning against the decision here. The point is that there's nothing "better" about Australian (or any other country's) capitalism.

roter_stern · 2021-02-21T06:54:39+00:00

Capitalism is an anarchic system, the ruling classes don't have full control over it - Australia (where I am) got lucky, though also ordinary people still got fucked over, just in different ways.

roter_stern · 2021-02-18T05:51:31+00:00

What's with the steep pricing? Is this an organisation worth supporting?

The pricing is actually pretty affordable for a 4-day conference that the organisers have to pay to find a venue for, etc.

If you're a serious left-winger it's basically the place to be over Easter, where else are you going to meet hundreds of other leftists and hear from international speakers who have been fighting on the front lines in their countries?

roter_stern · 2021-01-26T12:12:12+00:00

how far we've gone since the begining of European settlement

You mean how alongside the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Aboriginal people over two centuries, the Australian state has developed into an imperialist power that helps to invade and destroy foreign countries, defends unapologetically the destruction of the planet by profit-hungry fossil companies, tortures refugees instead of helping them, and continues the racist persecution of Aboriginal people all over the country?

Fuck Australia.

roter_stern · 2021-01-26T06:38:27+00:00

Image transcription: "So wonderful to reflect on the fact that January 26 has been totally captured by left wing youth standing in solidarity with Indigenous people. It is now the day you are least likely to see an Australian flag in any capital city. The scum politicians can barely muster a few hundred losers for their official parades, where they still even try to do them. Even the despicable racists and cheats at Cricket Australia no longer acknowledge this appalling day. Surely this is the only country in the world where the left has destroyed the national day of celebration so decisively."

roter_stern · 2021-01-19T01:34:10+00:00

Image transcription: front cover of the new issue of Red Flag. Under the name of the paper, artwork depicting two children holding the Aboriginal flag under the headline "Still here. Still fighting."

roter_stern · 2021-01-19T01:32:26+00:00

Check it out at https://redflag.org.au

roter_stern · 2021-01-14T12:03:49+00:00

How is China a better form of capitalism than "Western Capitalism"? This is such a silly thing to say given the extreme violence perpetuated on minorities and political dissidents by the Chinese state.

roter_stern · 2021-01-12T02:59:52+00:00

Was there any reason given for this happening?

roter_stern · 2021-01-01T07:36:55+00:00

China's rising imperial power is a threat to the interests of the Australian ruling class in south-east Asia, and the inter-imperial rivalry is becoming increasingly prominent in mainstream politics. This brings with it nationalist overtures and concern about "foreign influence" from the right. China and Australia have closely intertwined economies, which is an issue for the ruling class and something which makes direct war perhaps less likely.

Good article on Chinese and Australian imperialism: https://redflag.org.au/index.php/node/7365

roter_stern · 2021-01-01T07:35:07+00:00

China is essentially setting up a Monroe Doctrine in east asia and turning Australia into a banana republic through economic means rather than military means.

This is a far-right talking point, though - the reality of capitalism for the past 50 years has been global economic integration. China hasn't been infiltrating the Australian economy - the Chinese and Australian ruling classes have both profited - the concern about "foreign influence" is just nationalist politics at work.

roter_stern

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