The Palestinian escape from Gaza and attack on their occupiers on October 7 was a desperate attempt to alter the status quo, and one of the greatest asymmetric warfare victories of our time. The operation galvanized unprecedented levels of support for the Palestinian struggle and brought it to the global forefront. As Marxists, we give unconditional, but critical support to this and all national liberation struggles.
Part of our perspectives series on major issues, this piece addresses the ongoing genocide in Palestine, its effects on the region and the US, and what approach communists should take in organizing against US imperialism. The societal crisis wracking Israel together with an unprecedented Palestine solidarity movement suggests the potential collapse of the Zionist project in our lifetimes, even in the face of increasingly draconian crackdowns against activists.
The Russian Revolution, which took place 107 years ago, stands as the only time in world history that workers took power and began the transition to a socialist mode of production. That shining epoch offers many enduring lessons for today’s revolutionaries — including the Bolsheviks’ reliance on democratic-centralist organization and their intolerance of reformism within their ranks.
Karl Kautsky’s grandson John told a very revealing anecdote about attitudes towards his grandfather in the 1960s. He recalled a historian named Georges Haupt, who had many discussions among students about the history of the Second International. During those talks,...