Marxist Audio Archive

The October Revolution of 1917 created the most democratic regime in human history. Through the Soviets, power was in the hands of the workers and peasants for the first time in history. These gains however were later lost under Stalin. So was the Soviet Union actually socialist?

Listen to Fightback editor Alex Grant on Cheri DiNovo's "Left, Lefter, Leftist". This month: should the Greens and the NDP unite into a single party? Should the left should support Biden in the US election? And more! Also listen on Cheri DiNovo's soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/cheri-dinovo

With the global crisis of capitalism and revival of class struggle everywhere, millions of workers and youth are looking for answers. It is therefore not surprising that there is a resurgence of interest in Anarchism along with the ideas of Marxism and socialism. In this talk, fightback organizer and editor Joel Bergman discusses the differences between Marxism and Anarchism, and asks What is the...

The Doug Ford government in Ontario, Jason Kenney in Alberta, as well as the CAQ government in Quebec, share similarities with the experience of class struggle in Ontario in the 1990s. In 2018 Fightback editor Alex Grant spoke on the lessons of the 1990s for the struggles of today. This is a forgotten history that needs to be reclaimed by the movement against the vitriol of the right wing, and the...

It is clear that urgent action on climate change is needed. But the capitalists and their political representatives are completely incapable of carrying out the radical changes that are required. The necessary action will never take place so long as those in power put profits before the health of the planet. In this episode, Fightback activist Alvaro discusses why we need a revolution to fight cli...

Leon Trotsky, along with Lenin, was one of the main leaders of the Russian Revolution of 1917. He was also a prolific writer and Marxist theoretician whose writings are a treasure trove for socialists today looking to fight against the capitalist system. But what is Trotskyism? And why is it relevant today?

The Doug Ford government in Ontario, Jason Kenney in Alberta, as well as the CAQ government in Quebec, share similarities with the experience of class struggle in Ontario in the 1990s. In 2018 Fightback editor Alex Grant spoke on the lessons of the 1990s for the struggles of today. This is a forgotten history that needs to be reclaimed by the movement against the vitriol of the right wing, and the...

This year, the Black Lives Matter movement re-emerged on a higher level. People are aware that racism is not just a matter of individuals but of the entire system. As Malcolm X said "You can't have capitalism without racism." But why does capitalism need racism? What is the Marxist approach to fighting racism?

The crisis of capitalism has been particularly acute in Alberta. With the collapse of oil prices, tens of thousands lost their jobs. COVID-19 has only accelerated the crisis. Meanwhile Jason Kenney's United Conservative Party government is ruling with an iron fist, offloading the cost of this crisis onto working class people while crushing all opposition. While it is commonplace for people on the...

With the election of Trump, fascists have felt emboldened, carrying out bloody attacks. With the polarization of American politics, it has become commonplace for political commentators to refer to Trump as a fascist and warn about the rise of fascism. But what is fascism? Is Trump a fascist? How does fascism arise and how can we effectively fight against it and win?

Postmodernism is very popular on university campuses, and is even starting to gain an echo in the workers’ movement. Postmodernism denies the very idea of historical progress. Scientific truth is also sidelined in favour of a ‘subjective’ emphasis on language, experience and identity. In this talk, Fightback activist Olive discusses where these ideas come from, and what Marxists have to say about...

Mental health problems are on the rise, and this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. The capitalist system offers no future to the working class and this creates a situation in which mental health problems proliferate. But what is the connection between capitalism and mental health? For more from Jessica, listen to World Gone Mad: The crisis of capitalism and mental health

No other event in human history has been the subject of more distortions, falsehoods and fabrications the Russian Revolution. In this talk, Fightback editor Alex Grant discusses the top 10 lies about the Russian Revolution, and why Marxists defend the revolution today. The accompanying article on this topic can be found here .

Listen to Fightback editor Alex Grant on Cheri DiNovo's "Left, Lefter, Leftist". This month: School reopenings, the second wave of the pandemic, will there be an election, and more! Also listen on Cheri DiNovo's soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/cheri-dinovo

The capitalist system is in a deep crisis. This is recognized by everyone, including the bourgeoisie. However, there is a lot of confusion as to why the system is in crisis. In this talk, Fightback editor Alex Grant introduces Marxist economics, which is a vital tool for understanding the inner workings of the capitalist system.

What are socialists fighting for? In concrete terms, how might a new society work? In what way would our individual lives be affected? What would socialism look like?

What is centrism, and what must the approach of Marxists be towards the mass organizations of the working class? 

Written over 170 years ago, the Communist Manifesto retains all of its relevance today. In fact, the Manifesto is a surprisingly modern text. Marx's predictions regarding globalization, the inevitable economic crisis and resulting class struggle between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie are ideas that are more relevant today than ever.

With capitalism in a deep crisis, class struggle is making a come back. Revolutions and mass movement occur so often that its hard to keep track. In this context, the ideas of Marxism are making a come back. But what is Marxism? Listen to the first episode of our Marxist University series for the answer! 

The current economic crisis in not simply the result of capitalism's boom-slump cycle playing out. Rather, it is the symptom of a system in terminal decline, as capitalism can no longer develop the productive forces as it did in the past.  In this talk, Fightback editor Rob Lyon discusses what the productive forces are, and what role they play in history. 

The Lebanese masses are moving once again. In the wake of the August 4th Beirut blast which devastated much of the city, the masses have taken to the streets to hold those responsible to account. Rightfully, they have aimed their anger at the corrupt government of Lebanon which caused the blast through their neglect and corruption. In the wake of this powerful movement, the government has resigned...

Fightback editor Alex Grant appears on Rev. Cheri DiNovo's ( https://soundcloud.com/cheri-dinovo ) monthly radio show, "Left, Lefter, Leftist." In this episode: Governments are playing Russian Roulette with the back to school plan, Liberal entitlement and the WE charity scandal, how to *actually* abolish the police, and more.

The Great Depression was not just a time of poverty and misery, but of intense workers' struggle. In the final part of our series, we take a closer look at these movements, and what we can learn from them today.

In part 2 of our series on the Great Depression, we look at the different responses of capitalist governments to the economic crisis. While the United States resorted to the New Deal and Keynesianism, Canada stuck to its laissez-faire guns, and introduced slave camps to contain the growing masses of unemployed. Either way, was capitalism able to provide a way out of the Depression?

As we enter into a new depression, set off by the pandemic, many are drawing parallels with the Great Depression of the 1930s. This is an important period for socialists to understand - as the saying goes, those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. In Part 1, we discuss how the initial stock market crash set off the depression, and how the capitalists made it worse.