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Debate

Latest update : 16 July 2023.

Reflections of an Anti-Imperialist after Ten Years of Debate
3 June 2021, by Gilbert Achcar
“At the same time, we should advocate to those who require such aid complete mistrust in the United States and any imperialist government whatsoever. And we should oppose any form of intervention that would tie their hands and subordinate them to Washington, Moscow, or anyone else.”
Desperado in the White House: Coup Fails, Trump Faces Impeachment
13 January 2021, by Dan La Botz
“Our next problem will be Biden and the Democrats’ neoliberalism, but Trump is still the issue for the moment.”
Seven Theses on the Post-Trump Right and DSA’s Role in the Fight Ahead
12 January 2021, by DSA Santa Cruz
“Our response must be different. It must emerge from our understanding of how this racist, anti-worker, anti-poor capitalist death machine can actually be overcome. That will require organizing, not lobbying. ”
The Invasion of Capitol Hill
11 January 2021, by Cihan Tuğal
Decaying Institutions, Rightwing Insurrection, and the Need for a Mass Movement
Trump fanatics invade Capitol as his presidency disintegrates
11 January 2021, by Jeff Mackler
“Humanity’s future also rests on the emergence and consolidation of a new and independent Black, Latinx and Native American leadership to champion the struggles of the most oppressed and exploited and establish democratic control of their communities while opening the way to the formation of independent Black and Brown parties in the political arena.”
Capitol (United States): Attempted insurrection fails
10 January 2021, by Barry Sheppard, Malik Miah
The attempted coup to overturn the election in the mass riots and invasion of the Capital Building to prevent Congress counting the Electoral College results, was prepared months in advance.
The Washington Riot Was a Defeat for the Far Right, Not a Triumph
9 January 2021, by Rafael Khachaturian , Stephen Maher
The riot at the Capitol on Wednesday was a symptom of right-wing weakness, not power. The real danger isn’t a MAGA coup, but a restoration of the neoliberal status quo that produced the nightmare of Trump and his minions.
We Cannot Let Yesterday’s Farce Become Tomorrow’s Tragedy
9 January 2021, by Spectre Journal
“We can give no support to the bourgeois establishment, the new Biden administration, or their state repression at home and imperial reassertion abroad. Instead, we must rally our forces to build anti-fascist united fronts everywhere to confront the right in large numbers and drive them off the streets, out of workplaces and social organizations.”
Mob takeover of Capitol highlights instability of U.S. political system
8 January 2021, by Socialist Resurgence
“Building a powerful, self-motivated movement of working people and their allies is the best weapon against the fascists—who prey on people who are politically demoralized and lack a clear direction.”
Reactionary uprising against the Parliament
8 January 2021, by Kay Mann
“Trump found that government control does not give absolute control over the levers of the state.”

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2022 - Ukraine

Ukraine is once again at the centre of debates in the anti-imperialist left internationally. Having opened this section in 2014 we are continuing it now in 2022.

Building new parties of the left

This section brings together contributions discussing the questions of building broad new left or anti-capitalist parties. Among the most recent contributions are those that were submitted to the meetings of the Fourth International leadership in 2012, 2013 and 2014 either for discussions relating to the balance sheet of specific cases, Brazil, Denmark, Italy, Portugal in 2012, Pakistan, Spanish state and France in 2013, and the Philippines, Britan and Greece in 2014 or more general contributions.

Older discussions include one starting from the results of the 2003 European elections, where Alex Callinicos, Murray Smith and Alan Thornett discuss how the left should organise, the role of revolutionaries and their relationship with broader anti-capitalist formations. Picking up the thread in 2008, Phil Hearse and David Packer make an assessment in the light of divisions in some broad parties, such as Respect. Other contributions discuss perspectives in Scotland in the SSP, in Germany or Italy or consider more general questions.

Ecology

This section bring together articles discussing questions of concern for our ecosocialist project.

European Union

Fascism

In this section we cover debates on the question of fascism in a different contexts; whether it is useful to look at the growth of far right forces in the global north as a growth of fascism per se, whether fascism is a useful label for reactionary forces in the global south and how that relates to the growth of religious fundamentalism/communalism in those countries. In both contexts there is also the question of what the use of the label fascist means about the specific tactics that the left should use in combating such phenomena.

Imperialisms today

This section contains contributions in the discussion process towards writing "Theses on Imperialism today" for the 2015 meeting of the International Committee of the Fourth International.

Marxism and Religion

How do Marxists respond to the use of religion as a political tool by "fundamentalists" of all hues? Can marxists and the religious work together?

Paris, Brussels, responding to the attacks

The killings in Paris at Charle Hebdo and the Hyper Cacher (kosher supermarket) in January 2015 provoked a broad debate on the radical left about the nature of satire, attitude to religion, Islamophobia, and the left’s weakness in the immigrant communities in most European countries. These debates were give a new impetus by the November 2015 attacks in Paris, and in those of March 2016 in Brussels. International Viewpoint first published contributions to these ongoing debates in early 2015, and is continuing to do so.

Perspectives in Greece

This section was opened before the the Greek elections of 17 June 2012. We said â€œ[the elections] are a decisive moment in the struggle of the Greek people aginst Troika-imposed austerity. How the radical, anti-capitalist, revolutionary left should position itself is subject to wide-ranging debate. International Viewpoint has decided to publish a number of contributions it has received.â€ Greece continues to be at the centre of discussions on strategies for resistance, so we are continuing to publish contributions from different standpoints about perspectives in Greece.

Problems of the Arab and Middle East regions

From time to time problems and discussions concerning the stance of radical left and progressive forces in what are broadly called the Arab region or the Middle East (terms which are of course not synonymous although with substnatial overlap) are posed. We have had two debate sections dealing with these problems, created as they arose. The first was "Solidarity with the Iraqi resistance" in 2005 in which Gilbert Achcar, Alex Callinicos and Sharon Smith debated the issue of whether Marxists in the West should declare "solidarity with the Iraqi resistance". The second in 2011 was â€œLibya, the resistance and the no-fly zoneâ€ discussing the struggle between the popular rebellion and the pro-Gaddafi forces and the nature of the forces engaged; the rebels’ demand for a no-fly zone and UN resolution 1973.

It seems more appropriate today to create one single section where the more polemical coverage of questions posed in Syria, Egypt and other locuses of the ongoing â€œArab revolutionsâ€ process can find their place while we continue ongoing coverage of what is happening in the magazine section.

Venezuela

The current events in Venezuela are provoking a major debate on the Latin American and international left about what stance towards the Maduro government and the call for a Constituent Assembly. International Viewpoint published contributions from the Venezuelan organizations Luchas and Marea Socialista in the June magazine. We are now publishing further contributions in a new debate section.

TEST : rubrique au format PDF

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News from the FI, the militant left and the social movements

India

Radical Socialist Statement on Civilian Killings in Pahalgam

April 2025

At least 26 civilians, mostly tourists, have been brutally and callously killed by militants in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025. Radical Socialist mourns the death of every single civilian, and condemns this terrorist act perpetrated by The Resistance Front that has claimed responsibility for it. It is a senseless attack which is morally unjustifiable and is completely counterproductive politically because it can further stoke and strengthen existing currents of Islamophobia in Indian society and in state apparatuses.

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France

Le Pen convicted, the fight against the far right continues!

statement by NPA-l’Anticapitaliste

April 2025

In the so-called case of “the parliamentary assistants to the European Parliament”, Marine Le Pen was sentenced on Monday 31 March to four years in prison, two of which were suspended, a fine of €200,000 and was banned from running for office for five years. Thus, taking into account the usual judicial delays before the holding of an appeal and the effect of political destabilization, her candidacy for the presidential election in 2027 is very much in doubt, especially if the election is called early.

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