Theory

Lenin and the Easter Rebellion of 1916

8th February 2016 Socialist Action 0

To mark this year’s centenary of the Easter Rising this website will be carrying a series of articles on the Irish liberation struggle, starting with Lenin on the Irish Rebellion of 1916. Lenin was the foremost exponent of Marxism of his generation whose leadership was decisive in the success of the Russian Revolution. This was made possible by the development of a theoretical outlook which informed the anti-imperialist wing of the socialist movement which subsequently became the worldwide communist movement.

Lenin and the Easter Rebellion of 1916

2nd April 2015 Socialist Action 0

Lenin was the foremost exponent of Marxism of his generation whose leadership was decisive in the success of the Russian Revolution. This was made possible by the development of a theoretical outlook which informed the anti-imperialist wing of the socialist movement which subsequently became the worldwide communist movement.

The US economic slowdown is much greater than China’s

9th August 2013 Socialist Action 0

Discussion about the trends in the world economy emerging from the 2008 financial crisis is dominated by the relative growth rates of the US and China – the world’s two largest economies.

The media discussion has been focusing on concerns about China’s slowdown and its global impact, while the US is portrayed a recovering well. In fact both major economies are slowing in the context of continued global economic weakness, but the US is slowing much more than China.

The following article, by John Ross, looks at these facts in detail and points out that the key question is not ‘why is China slowing?’, but why has the US slowed much more dramatically than China in the last year?

From Lenin to Chávez – socialist leadership since 1917

11th March 2013 Socialist Action 0

By Brian Williams

The analysis of Marxism concludes that the interests of humanity as a whole coincide with those of the working class – i.e. the advance of the working class takes forward the general interests of humanity, including all of its oppressed layers, while setbacks for the working class roll back the interests of humanity. This therefore determines the attitude to all political forces. Those who take forward the interests of the working class take humanity forward, those who set back the working class set back the general interests of humanity including its oppressed layers. Nothing more clearly illustrates this reality than the history of the 20th century, above all the victory and then defeat of the Russian revolution, and the events following this in the 21st century.

The failure of neo-liberalism

4th February 2013 Socialist Action 0

The following article by John Ross sets out the disastrous effects on countries following neo-liberal economic policies – including in Latin America, Europe, and the US. It also analyses the errors in economic theory of neo-liberalism. Its influences also damaged China’s economy in the first half of 2012, but following China’s government boosting state led investment from mid-2012, China’s growth has accelerated again.