Marxist Audio Archive

The following is a reading of a document that is the product of over 20 years of study and participation in the fight of Indigenous peoples against Canadian capitalism. Revolution not Reconciliation encompasses the accumulated conclusions of the supporters of the International Marxist Tendency, Indigenous and non, applying Marxist theory to the movement on the ground.

While part one covered pre-invasion Indigenous societies, and the origins of the Canadian state and Canadian capitalism in the exploitation and oppression of Indigenous peoples; part two looks at the changing tactics of the Canadian state that brought us to where we are today, as well as the history of Indigenous resistance.

The following is a reading of a document that is the product of over 20 years of study and participation in the fight of Indigenous peoples against Canadian capitalism. Revolution not Reconciliation encompasses the accumulated conclusions of the supporters of the International Marxist Tendency, Indigenous and non, applying Marxist theory to the movement on the ground. Here we detail a revolutionary Marxist analysis of the origin of Indigenous oppression, in opposition to the liberal/reformist hypocrisy of “reconciliation”, and the trap of identity politics and postcolonial theory, pushed by comfortable academics. The conclusions of this work have never been more timely, given the recurring explosions of Indigenous struggle. Only through mass revolutionary struggle against capitalism can all the oppressed be genuinely liberated. We appeal to all to study these lessons, discuss the conclusions, and unite with us in struggle.

The pandemic has unleashed a deep economic crisis and the capitalist system has been shaken to its foundations. Capitalist governments acted quickly to keep the economy afloat by injecting huge sums of money into it. 

In this context, ideas that had been relatively marginal until now suddenly entered mainstream discourse, such as "modern monetary theory", and universal basic income. Have these ideas succeeded in overcoming the contradictions of capitalism? what is the Marxist approach to economic crises?

In this talk, Benoît Tanguay, editor of La Riposte socialiste, addresses why reformism cannot solve the crisis.

With the death of Prince Philip, the media has spent weeks weeks bombarding us with praise of the world's highest paid unemployed family. This comes after a string of scandals involving the royals. Each new scandal reminds us that the monarchy continues to be at the heart of the Canadian political system. It is high time to abolish this costly, archaic, unnecessary and anti-democratic institution. How can this be done? What is the Marxist analysis of the monarchy in Canada and Quebec?

In this talk, Benoit Tanguay, editor of La Riposte Socialiste discusses how to abolish the monarchy in Canada

The objective conditions for socialism have existed for a very long time. So why have we not yet achieved socialism?

Many people on the left will say that the fault lies with the workers. That they are too "weak" or do not have enough class consciousness. But if we look at the history of the last 100 years, we see that Time and again, the working class rises up to change society. The missing factor is a revolutionary party armed with the ideas to lead it to victory. 

In this episode, Julien Arseneau, editor of La Riposte Socialiste, discusses the class, the party and the leadership: how to organize revolution. 

Listen to Fightback editor Alex Grant on Cheri DiNovo's "Left, Lefter, Leftist". This month: Abolishing the monarchy, the police and capitalism, and more. Also featuring David Slavick of ThePopularPod

Also listen on Cheri DiNovo's soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/cheri-dinovo

On September 11, 1973, a bloody US-backed coup overthrew the government of Chilean socialist Salvador Allende, and ushered in the oppressive rule of dictator Augusto Pinochet. Decades later the capitalist system and constitution inherited from the dictatorship remained fundamentally the same. This was graphically demonstrated by the mass movement and general strike in the fall of 2019, which led to the vote in favour of changing the rotten Chilean constitution. On the back of these mass movements, a new generation of socialists is awakening in Chile!

Carlos Hernan, activist with Fightback and organiser with the Chilean Marxist group Octubre, gives this talk on Chile: From Allende to Pinochet to today

One hundred years ago, Ireland was in the midst of a revolutionary war for independence from Britain. The Irish struggle for freedom is full of lessons for Marxists today— the tactics of divide and rule of the ruling class, the betrayals of nationalist leaders, the role of individual terrorism, the role of religion, and above all the role of the working class in national liberation struggles.

In this episode, Ben Curry, editor of Socialist Appeal UK, discusses the Irish struggle for freedom.

Since the 1920s, capitalist economists have argued that a socialist planned economy would be unable to distribute goods and services as well as a capitalist market economy. However, this argument is not supported by experience. In this episode, Fightback organizer Vincent Beaudoin looks at how examples of large-scale economic planning beat out market-based methods, and makes the case for a socialist planned economy. 

The fight for women's liberation is one of the burning issues in the labour movement, and has been for over a hundred years. While we have come a long way in Canada, women continue to be an oppressed group under capitalism and our basic rights are constantly under attack. Most recently, COVID-19 has reversed decades of hard-won progress.

What is the best way forward for the women's movement? The struggle against oppression is fundamentally divided into two camps, which have different demands and tactics: Marxism and identity politics. The points of disagreement include: do capitalist and working women have common interests? What should be our main tool in the struggle for progress: the legal system or the class struggle?

In this episode Atefa Akbary, an activist from La Riposte syndicale, discusses why identity politics can't liberate women.