Political Education

Political Education

Introduction to Marxism

You will find below a selection from “classic” works of Marxism and also some short theoretical and historical texts we have written ourselves that summarize Marxist ideas in an accessible way.
 

What is Capitalism?

Marxism is grounded in an analysis of the economy in order to understand how capitalism operates, how it exploits people, and how it can be defeated

What is Socialism?

It’s one thing to understand that capitalism is destructive and bad, but what are we fighting for? These readings inform our  understanding of the goals and ideals we strive for as socialists.

What is the State?

Capitalism is not merely an economic system, but also is intertwined with the state, the armed bodies of government such as the police and military. Understanding the role that these forces play and the obstacles that they represent is key to the fight for socialism.

What is the Revolutionary Party?

As socialists, how do we organize ourselves? How do we use this organizational form as a tool to further our political work, and how do we avoid the pitfalls associated with political organization? These readings address these questions and make the case for the importance of the revolutionary party.

What are Imperialism, Anti-Imperialism, and Internationalism?

The following readings inform our understanding of the role that imperialism plays on a global scale, and the need for socialists to oppose imperialism and remain committed to internationalism in our political work.

Winning the Fight for Socialism

Movement Tactics and Strategy

How do we engage in the class struggle? As Marxists we hope to both be the best labor militants we can, and to convince other workers to join us in our fight against capitalism. These readings identify tactics that we need to adopt in our political work, as well as tactics that we should avoid.

Reform or Revolution

One of the central questions within socialist movements since the late 19th century, as revolutionary socialists we believe that these texts clarify the shortcomings of reformist politics on the road to socialism.

Revolutionaries and Elections

These readings inform our understanding of how revolutionary socialists should understand elections in bourgeois republics such as the United States, and thus further help us decide when and how we should engage with them.

Understanding and Fighting Oppression

The following readings inform our understanding of where racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression come from, and how to build resilient workers’ movements that can fight against them effectively.

Women’s Oppression

Anti-Black Racism

Anti-Latinx Racism

Anti-Jewish Oppression

 

Historical Analyses

Our political theory and practice is informed by rigorous analysis of historical events, which we analyze in order to learn from past successes and failures. This section is under construction, and will be expanded with readings to progressively cover more and more of working class history. 
 
Africa

Bolivia

Palestine

The Paris Commune (1871)

Puerto Rico

The Russian Revolution

The US Strike Wave of 1934

 ***