Marxist Audio Archive

Afleveringen

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  The Russian Revolution: Ten days that shook the world 05.08.2026 51min

  The Russian Revolution was the greatest event in history. Lenin, Trotsky, and the rest of the Bolsheviks led the working class to take power and hold it for the first time in history. October was living proof that the oppressed do not need their oppressors; that a better world is possible. It inspired a worldwide revolutionary wave in its wake, and remains a beacon of hope to the oppressed today.No party has sunk deeper roots among ordinary people than the Bolsheviks, and no victory has ever been more decisive or transformative than the one the Bolsheviks led them to achieve.This is why the ruling class will never forget the Bolsheviks, and it’s why we must seek to study them. The Russian Revolution of 1917 still contains the most urgent lessons for revolutionaries today.In this presentation from the Western Canadian Marxist Summer School, Joel Bergman explains the lessons communists can draw from this inspiring event, in order to change the world today.📖 Further reading:The Bolsheviks and the Russian Revolution: An introductionThe Lessons of October[Buy the booklet here]Russia: From Revolution to Counter-Revolution[Buy the book here]🫵 Join the Revolutionary Communist Party📰Subscribe to Communist Revolution▶️YouTube📱Apple Podcasts📸 Instagram💬X💻Facebook wherever you get your podcastsRecorded July 5, 2026 in Edmonton.
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  Revolution in ‘Azad’ Kashmir — Communist explains 29.07.2026 36min

  Across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, workers, shopkeepers, and youth are mobilizing by the hundreds of thousands against the repressive Pakistani regime.Under the leadership of the Joint Awami Action Committees, months long general strikes and mass sit-ins show that the people are ready to democratically seize power and intervene into the course of history.The next step is for the Awami Action Committees, the organization at the head of the revolution, to officially take power.In this presentation, Renu Brar of the RCP explains the situation.📖 Further reading:Mass movement of AAC in Pakistan-administered Kashmir defies brutal state repression to write a new chapter in historyEmergency resolution in solidarity with the struggle of the people of Azad Kashmir15 July Long March in ‘Azad’ Kashmir: All power to the committees!🫵 Join the Revolutionary Communist Party📰Subscribe to Communist Revolution▶️YouTube📱Apple Podcasts📸 Instagram💬X💻FacebookListen wherever you get your podcastsRecorded July 23, 2026, in Toronto.
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  The Indigenous Struggle: Revolution Not Reconciliation 22.07.2026 44min

  For years, the Canadian state has pushed for land acknowledgements, tearful apologies, “equity partnerships”, and identity politics to try to paper over centuries of oppression. This has not worked.For all of this country’s history, Indigenous people have suffered all of the worst features of capitalism. The conditions of Indigenous communities have lagged far behind the rest of the country. Now, governments are trying to claw away the few protections Indigenous people have, in the interests of mining companies and oil giants.Events are proving what Marxists have always stated: there can be no reconciliation under capitalism.Not only Indigenous communities but the broader working class will be drawn into struggle against the ruling class and its state. What will it take for these struggles to win, and ultimately, to overthrow the system entirely?In this presentation from the 2026 Western Canadian Marxist Summer School, Rob Lyon explains the Marxist approach to Indigenous liberation.📖 Further reading:Indigenous liberation: capitalism or communism?DRIPA, private property, and Eby’s betrayal of Indigenous peopleIndigenous Struggle and the Fight for Socialism: Revolution, Not Reconciliation![Buy the booklet here]Louis Riel and the Métis Revolution[Buy the booklet here]🫵 Join the Revolutionary Communist Party📰Subscribe to Communist Revolution▶️YouTube📱Apple Podcasts📸 Instagram💬X💻FacebookListen wherever you get your podcastsRecorded on July 4, 2026 in Edmonton.
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  Will Alberta Separate? 15.07.2026 48min

  In October, Alberta will vote on whether or not to have a binding referendum on separating from Canada. Separatists have latched on to the idea that the Federal government is impeding Alberta’s prosperity, after years of the UCP making these same arguments. Danielle Smith wanted to leverage western alienation against the federal government, but now that the movement has evolved, she is like a sorcerer who’s lost control of her spells.After the victory of Brexit, Meloni, and Trump (twice), the lesson that status quo establishment politics cannot defeat anti-establishment movements should be clear. And yet, the leadership of the labour movement is joining hands with establishment politicians of every stripe, and aligning against separation behind Canadian nationalism. This is dissolving the struggle of the working class into the same camp as the federal liberals, conservatives, the bosses, and every other discredited figure.The workers of Alberta need a class based approach to fight the reactionary separatist project.In this presentation from the 2026 Western Canadian Marxist Summer School, Laine Sheldon-Houle explains the communist position.📖 Further reading:The working class response to Smith’s referendumHow should socialists vote in Jason Kenney’s pointless referendum?The Alberta Federation of Labour must prepare for a general strikeWhy would Alberta separate?🫵 Join the Revolutionary Communist Party📰Subscribe to Communist Revolution▶️YouTube📱Apple Podcasts📸 Instagram💬X💻FacebookListen wherever you get your podcastsRecorded live at in Edmonton on July 5, 2026.
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  What is Consciousness? 24.06.2026 50min

  The rise of AI has lead to widespread concern, ranging from fears of job losses and environmental destruction, to a total replacement of humanity.This has raised important (though hardly new) questions for science and philosophy, surrounding the future of humanity, the feasibility of creating “Generalized Artificial Intelligence,” and the nature of consciousness itself.In this presentation, Jeremy Swinarton explains the problem of consciousness, what science tells us, and how Marxist philosophy can help us understand the question.📖 Further reading:Ted Grant & Alan Woods — Reason in Revolt: Marxist Philosophy and Modern Science (Chapter 13: The Genesis of Mind)(Buy a copy)Engels — The Part played by Labour in the Transition from Ape to ManDaniel Morley — Artificial Intelligence: doomsday for humanity, or for capitalism? Karl Marx — Theses On Feuerbach🫵 Jointhe Revolutionary Communist Party📰 Subscribe to Communist Revolution, the newspaper of the RCP▶️ YouTube📱 Apple Podcasts📸Instagram💬 X💻FacebookRecorded live in Toronto on June 12, 2026.
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  Marxism and Modern Science 17.06.2026 47min

  Engels once called dialectics “the science of the general laws of motion, both of the external world and of human thought”.It is the philosophy of motion and change. It was on the foundations of this philosophy that Marx and Engels developed their analysis of class society, of the rise and the inevitable fall of the capitalist system.But motion and change are ubiquitous, not only to human life but also to nature as a whole. Everything from the evolution of species to the formation of our solar system is governed by constant transformation. To better understand the world in which we live, we must learn to apply dialectical materialism to all spheres of life, above all to the natural world.This talk by Ben Curry focuses on the scientific philosophy of Marxism, dialectical materialism.📖 Further reading:Rob Sewell — What is dialectical materialism?Available in “What is Marxism?”Ben Curry — Scientific revolution and materialist philosophy Engels — Dialectics of NatureGet a copy herePreface by Rob SewellAdam Booth — The crisis in science: progress, stagnation, and revolution 🫵 Join the Revolutionary Communist Party📰Subscribe to Communist Revolution, the newspaper of the RCP▶️ YouTube📱 Apple Podcasts📸 Instagram💬 X💻FacebookRecorded live in Montreal on May 14, 2026.
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  Canada in Crisis — who pays? | RCP Political Perspectives 2026 10.06.2026 36min

  “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”This presentation by Joel Bergman outlines the key processes shaping the class struggle in Canada. The changing world situation, and in particular the relative decline of US Imperialism, leaves Canadian capitalism in a dead end. Mounting government debt, a looming recession, inflation, and low productivity weigh heavy on Canada's economy. Carney is stuck with an economy which is uncompetitive and which requires massive investment. In order to invest, the capitalists are demanding cuts to wages, social programs, and public spending. This will inevitably push the working class to defend against attacks on their standard of living. The road is being prepared for class battles ahead. The fault lines of capitalism are beginning to crack. This is being expressed through the rise of separatism in Alberta, renewed talk of Quebec independence, and the heating up of the Indigenous movement. Everywhere, people are looking for ideas, for answers. Canada is broken, and someone will be made to pay for the crisis. The question is, "who pays?"This presentation served as the introduction to a discussion on "Canada and the new world order", as part of the Third congress of the RCP. The discussion was based around our 2026 perspectives document (linked below), which was amended and approved by the congress.📖 Further reading:Perspectives document - Canada and the new world order (2026 Perspectives)Read more about the Congress - Third RCP Congress: A party up to the taskWatch more from the Congress🫵 Join the Revolutionary Communist Party📰Subscribe to Communist Revolution, the newspaper of the RCP▶️ YouTube📱Apple Podcasts📸 Instagram💬 X💻FacebookRecorded live in Toronto on May 16, 2026.
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  Revolution in Ireland: The Legacy of James Connolly 03.06.2026 1u 4min

  "For our demands most moderate are, We only want the earth." - James Connolly, 1907James Connolly is often portrayed as simply an Irish nationalist. This couldn't be further from the truth. The leader of the Easter rising, he was a revolutionary Marxist. His study of Marx and Engels guided his fight for an Irish socialist republic, independently bringing him to similar conclusions as Lenin and the Bolsheviks. From the question of national liberation, to international socialism, and the struggle for working class unity, Connolly's legacy offers invaluable lessons for revolutionaries today.In this presentation, Ben Curry (from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International) explains the impact of Connolly's life and ideas. Connolly's unfinished work - for an Irish socialist republic, and a socialist world - is up to us to complete. Armed with his ideas, as well as those of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky, the working class will win.This presentation was recorded live in Toronto on May 19, 2026.Further reading:James Connolly and the Easter RisingIreland: Republicanism and Revolution Buy the book!Join the Revolutionary Communist Party
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  Imperialist War and Class Struggle: World Perspectives 2026 27.05.2026 44min

  The global crisis of capitalism is shaking the world order, bringing about imperialist wars, class struggle, and revolution.In this presentation, Ben Curry (from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International) explains the processes underneath the events unfolding on the world stage. He explains that the nation state and private property relations - the very things which first helped capitalism develop - are leading it into an unprecedented crisis. Ben breaks down the direction the world is headed in, and outlines the opportunities it will present for revolutionaries in the coming period.This presentation was part of a discussion held at the Revolutionary Communist Party's Third Congress, which took place in Toronto May 16-18. Read more about the congress here.Further reading:2026 kicks off to the sound of imperialist war drums and class struggleTrump’s defeat in Iran and its worldwide consequencesAI investment prepares new attacks on the working classThe meaning of the rise of ChinaHow the global crisis is strengthening RussiaTen Theses on the 2026 Minnesota General StrikeAustralia faces “nightmare scenarios” after ruling class backs Iran WarThis presentation was recorded live in Toronto on May 16, 2026.Note: translation has been edited out for clarity.Join the Revolutionary Communist Party
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  The Role of the Individual in History 29.04.2026 1u 16min

  Most textbooks and documentaries would like us to believe that all historical progress is the product of ‘Great Men and Women’ with ‘Great Ideas’, in which the masses are merely the passive recipients of charismatic, determined, and resolute individuals. Marxism is opposed to this unscientific approach.Many academic critics attempt to paint Marxism as being rigid and mechanical, accusing the theories of scientific socialism of being ‘economically deterministic’. Yet Marx never denied the importance of human agency in determining the course of history. Indeed, ‘history’, Marx stressed, is not some mystical force. There is no ‘destiny’ or ‘fate’.History is made by people. But we need to uncover the dialectical relationship between the individual (the subjective) and the great forces (the objective) that govern the movement of society and see the individual’s role in its historical context.This presentation, given by Holly Quilty, was recorded live in Montreal on April 10, 2026.Recommended readings:Adam Booth - The individual and the Marxist view of history Rob Sewell - The Decisive Role of the Individual in HistoryG.V. Plekhanov - On the Role of the Individual in HistoryJoin the Revolutionary Communist Party
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  Marxism or Mutual Aid? 22.04.2026 40min

  As the crisis of capitalism deepens, millions of people are looking for a way out. This has caused many on the left to look to the ideas of mutual aid. But what is mutual aid, and can it help us end capitalism?In this video, Josie Seaton (from the Central Committee of the RCP) explains the Marxist approach to mutual aid, its historical role, and what we can do today in to build a force that will truly end capitalism.This presentation was recorded live in Toronto on April 10, 2026.Recommended readings:A communist critique of mutual aidBase-Building or Bolshevism?The class, the party and the leadership: How to organize revolutionFAQ: Marxism, Bolshevism, and Mutual AidCommunism or Mutual Aid? (Booklet)Referenced texts:Nechayev's The Revolutionary CatechismJoin the Revolutionary Communist Party
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  Myths of Canadian Confederation 18.04.2026 38min

  Canada is often painted as a calm country of polite compromise. Confederation is presented as the bright, hopeful moment when this friendly land of peace, order, and good government was born.The real history is very different. Confederation was a rotten deal for the majority of people, achieved through the putting down of revolutions, the genocide of Indigenous peoples, and underpinned by ruthless oppression of francophones.In this presentation from the 2026 Montreal Marxist Winter School, Marco La Grotta (member of the RCP Executive Committee) exposes the reality of confederation, which allows us to understand the crises facing Canada today.This presentation was recorded on February 14, 2026.Suggested readings:Why would Alberta separate?What is behind Trump’s threat to annex Canada?How to abolish the monarchyWhy John A. Macdonald needed to fallNote: This presentation has been edited to remove translation. Additionally, the sound for his presentation was corrupted, and had to be salvaged from the camera audio. Please excuse the poor audio quality.
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  Hugo Chávez and the Venezuelan Revolution 01.04.2026 56min

  The Venezuelan Revolution and the unprecedented upsurge of the Venezuelan people in the early 2000s was one of the most inspiring events in recent history. The oppressed masses, rallying behind Hugo Chávez, waged a heroic struggle against imperialism. They carried out vast land seizures and nationalizations, and showed that it is possible for workers to run their workplaces without bosses.But the revolution did not unseat the Venezuelan oligarchy. And now the country is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis—a fact that right-wingers and reactionaries love to point to as an example of “why socialism never works”. These events illustrate a vital lesson that all revolutionaries must grasp: a revolution cannot stop half-way. In this presentation from the 2026 Montreal Marxist Winter School, Marcus Katryniuk (member of the RCP Executive Committee) explains the revolution, and what communists today can learn from it.This presentation was recorded on February 14, 2026.Suggested readings:The Venezuelan Revolution: A Marxist PerspectivePermanent Revolution in Latin America (Buy the book)Five years on: revolutionary legacy of Hugo ChavezTrump’s escalation in the Caribbean – US imperialism attempts to reassert control over its ‘backyard’Join the Revolutionary Communist Party
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  Quebec 2012: How a Student Strike Brought Down the Government 31.03.2026 54min

  In 2012, Quebec students went on a months-long strike to reverse a planned 75 per cent tuition increase. At its height, hundreds of thousands of students refused to attend class, making it one of the largest movements in Canada’s history. It ended with the fall of the provincial government and the cancellation of the tuition hike. Quebec students had fought and won.Today, post-secondary education is being cut to the bone. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced that student funding to help pay for tuition will be changed from being mostly grants to mostly loans—plunging students deeper into debt. Similar cuts have been announced, or are being threatened, in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and B.C.Given all of this, it’s no surprise that Quebec 2012 is being discussed in English Canada like never before. People want to know how this movement was built, and why was it able to win.Julien Arseneau explains the lessons of the Quebec 2012 Student Strike movement - how it was able to beat the tuition hikes, how the movement could've gone further, and what's needed today.This presentation was recorded live in Toronto on March 27, 2026.Interested in reading more? Check out our new book Lessons from the 2012 Quebec Student Strike, available here!Join the Revolutionary Communist PartySubscribe to Communist Revolution
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  Are we doomed? Communism and the climate crisis 26.03.2026 50min

  The rich are killing the planet. Millions of students and youth have taken to the streets worldwide to confront this existential threat. Millions have concluded that the crisis cannot be solved without a radical break with the capitalist system. Communists call for exactly this—an end to capitalism and for building a communist society of superabundance.At the same time, many people, even self-described socialists, argue that the environmental crisis can only be addressed by reducing our consumption in order to produce less – that the solution is a “degrowth” of the economy.What do communists propose to do to solve the climate crisis? Is a reduction in the standards of living of the working class necessary? Are degrowth and socialism actually compatible?In this presentation from the 2026 Montreal Marxist Winter School, Josie Seaton (member of the RCP Central Committee) explains the Marxist solution to the climate crisis.This presentation was recorded on February 14, 2026.Suggested Readings:Climate chaos: capitalism to blameCommunism versus ‘degrowth’: How to combat the climate crisisWho is to blame for climate change: ‘consumerism’ or capitalism?The Part played by Labour in the Transition from Ape to ManSubscribe to Communist Revolution, the newspaper of the Revolutionary Communist PartyJoin the Revolutionary Communist Party ⁠
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  Canada and the new world order - RCP Political Perspectives 2026 23.03.2026 1u 3min

  As Carney said in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, “We know the old order is not coming back. We shouldn’t mourn it.” The Munich Security Conference this year also echoed this, stating: “more than 80 years after construction began, the US-led post-1945 international order is now under destruction.”But what new order will take its place? And what place will Canada take in it?In this presentation, Joel Bergman (from the Executive Committee of the Revolutionary Communist Party) lays out the political perspectives for the coming year, and how revolutionaries can fight for a new world.Recorded on March 21, 2026, at a meeting of the Central Committee of the RCP.Join the Revolutionary Communist Party here
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  The Relevance of Trotsky’s Permanent Revolution 18.03.2026 35min

  Trotsky’s theory of permanent revolution is one of the most important—and most misunderstood—ideas in the theoretical arsenal of Marxism.Drawing on the experience of the 1905 Russian Revolution, Trotsky explained that the capitalists in undeveloped or colonized countries could not play a progressive role; they would be a barrier in the fight for agrarian reform, parliamentary democracy, and national independence. The leadership of the revolutions in these countries would thus fall to the working class.This perspective was brilliantly confirmed in 1917, when the Bolsheviks led the proletariat of undeveloped Russia to power, creating the world's first workers’ state. But this is not just the perspective of a century ago. With billions labouring under imperialist exploitation, it’s more relevant than ever.In this presentation from the 2026 Montreal Marxist Winter School, Joel Bergman (member of the RCP Executive Committee and host of The Class Line) explains the theory of permanent revolution, how its distortion has led to disaster, and why it is vital that revolutionaries understand it today.This presentation was recorded on February 14, 2026.Note: translation has been edited out for clarity.Join the Revolutionary Communist Party ⁠here⁠
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  Reform or Revolution? 11.03.2026 1u 15min

  New left-wing figures like Zohran Mamdani in New York and Zarah Sultana in the UK are generating tremendous enthusiasm. These self-described socialists denounce capitalism and billionaires and propose bold reforms to alleviate the immediate problems of workers.These reforms can appear more realistic or practical than the messy business of revolution.Yet all over the world, capitalism is in an existential crisis. Far from granting reforms, the ruling class is ruthlessly clawing back reforms that were won in the past.So can we really reform our way to socialism? Is revolution necessary? And if so, is there any use fighting for reforms within capitalism? Finally, what should be the attitude of Communists towards these reformist figures?In this presentation from the 2026 Montreal Marxist Winter School, Josh Holroyd (member of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International, editor of In Defence of Marxism magazine) explains the shortcomings of reform-ism, how Marxists approach reforms, and how we can fight for a successful socialist revolution.This presentation was recorded on February 15, 2026.Note: translation has been edited out for clarity.Join the Revolutionary Communist Party here
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  The Real History of the 1979 Iranian Revolution 06.03.2026 51min

  As U.S. imperialism once again circles Iran with the threat of intervention, those who oppose Washington’s reach often mistake the Islamic Republic for an anti-imperialist ally. This perception is rooted in the regime’s origins in the revolution of 1979. To understand the republic’s true character, however, communists must seriously study this history and draw the correct lessons.In 1979, in one of the most inspiring revolutionary episodes of the post-war era, the hated Shah was ousted by a spontaneous mass movement that seized control of society without a pre-existing program or leadership. Yet, due to the disastrous policies of Stalinism, the revolution was betrayed in the true sense of the word; power was handed back to the ruling class, represented no longer by the monarchy, but by the supposedly "anti-imperialist" clergy.This historic tragedy offers vital lessons for revolutionaries today, highlighting the necessity of a revolutionary party, the true nature of the fight against imperialism, and the enduring relevance of the theory of permanent revolution. Recommended readings:Thirty years since the Iranian RevolutionThe Iranian RevolutionJoin the Revolutionary Communist Party here
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  Minneapolis Uprising: Report from American Communists 25.02.2026 42min

  The Minneapolis general strike marked a turning point in the American class struggle. Hundreds of thousands of ordinary people have begun realizing that they cannot trust the cops, politicians or any arm of the state, and are taking matters into their own hands.This is extremely significant. The only force capable of bringing down American capitalism and imperialism — the American working class itself — has begun to move.What does this mean for communists? What is our role in this process, and how can the movement actually win?Tom Trottier, from Revolutionary Communists of America, presented on this topic at this year's Montreal Marxist Winter School. Afterwards, comrades in Minneapolis report on their activity on the ground during this historic moment.