Revolutionary Socialism in the 21st Century
 
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Capitalism, debt and feminism

Kate Bradley reviews A Feminist Reading of Debt, finding an insightful account of the relationship between debt, gender, and capitalism, as well as examples of how to fight back against debt.

Lenin reading a book

Revolutionary Reads – What books got us through 2021?

We asked rs21 members what they’ve been reading in 2021, whether new works of revolutionary theory, fiction, or old classics. These were some of the examples our members had. James B – Psychoanalysis and Revolution (2021) Pyschoanalysis and Revolution argues for the relevancy of psychoanalysis as a tool for those of us involved in liberatory […]

A picture of seaglass washed up on the beach.

Patient Humans and other poems

Leila Platt writes on experiences of mental health treatment, Covid and power in ‘Patient Humans’ and other poems.

A shadowy figure in a suit holds a gun while sitting on a chair

The ruling class is the original OCG

What keeps us watching Line of Duty?

The Good Lord Bird: John Brown’s militant abolitionism

Bill Crane looks at the life of militant US abolitionist John Brown and his portrayal in a recent TV adaptation of James McBride’s novel The Good Lord Bird.

Rubens: View of Het Steen in the early morning. Keywords: art Marxism Marx what is art

Cultural Marxism? A review of The Dialectics of Art

Ian Birchall reviews The Dialectics of Art, a new work by John Molyneux.

Image shows the text 'We will not be victims: no going back' on a background of a Jackson Pollock painting

Agitating with Art: the Artivists at Work story so far

Artwork – not just ‘great art’ but cartoons and doodles – can add life and vibrancy to political messaging, and give people a mirror in which to recognise their own hopes and frustrations.

Michaela Cole promo shot for I May Destroy You

Cultural commodities that got us through 2020

From Netflix binges to a new theory of ‘alternative hedonism’, here are the shows, films, music, and books that kept us going in 2020.

Artistic platforms and political art

Allan Struthers explores the relationship of artwork and the platforms on which they are presented.

Artivists at Work 2

More from Artivists at Work: resisting NHS cuts, unsafe school reopenings and the gendered impacts of Covid-19.

Hearts and stomachs

Last week’s vote on the Trade Bill showed how the callous disregard for human life and food safety that Upton Sinclair exposed in his classic novel The Jungle is as relevant as ever.

We must act now

As the initially censored Public Health England report makes clear, Covid-19 has exposed the lethal structures of systemic racism in our society. Artwork and text by Katherine Hearst.

Artivists at Work

Artivists at Work was formed in response to the government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Here’s a round-up of highlights from June and details of how to get involved.

Aretha Franklin (seated on the left) and Jerry Wexler (standing on the right, leaning over)

The Fairplay Committee

Mitch Mitchell recounts the legacy of the Fairplay Committee, a group aiming to improve the conditions of black workers in the music industry.

The promotional image of the documentary Epstein: Filthy rich

Review: Epstein: Filthy rich

Kate Bradley reviews a documentary series focusing on giving a voice to the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein.

The Reunion

Artwork by Caliban’s Revenge.

Alan Freed: Mr. Rock ‘n’ Roll

Alan Freed, one of the earliest promoters of rock ‘n’ roll, was hated by the US establishment for helping to break segregation in the music industry.

Our key workers keep us strong

A May Day tribute to the key workers who are keeping us going in the face of the coronavirus crisis, and to remember those who have died.

Naming of parts 2020

Poem by Brian Parkin, based on an original by Harry Reed. Illustration by Mark Winter.

The Unconquerable Inscription

To mark Lenin’s 150th birthday, The Artful Doodler has made a short film of Bertolt Brecht’s poem ‘The Unconquerable Inscription’ (1934).

Obituary: Sonja Grossner, 1942-2020

Sheila Mosley and members of Leicester rs21 remember Sonja Grossner (1942-2020).

Mods and Rockers: the 1960s youth cult

Following his earlier A brief history of the Teddy Boys, Mitch Mitchell recalls the rivalries, real and manufactured, between the Mods and Rockers.

Vernon Dalhart

Music of the people: Country & Western

Mitch Mitchell (‘the Fenland Kid’) is back with another people’s music playlist. This time he’s here with a brief history of Country and Western.

What does my body know of photography? – Remembering the resistance through art

On Holocaust Memorial Day, Annie Dobson remembers Faye Schulman, photographer and Jewish partisan with her lyric essay.

Film still from The Gentlemen

Guns, gangs and imperialism

Guy Ritichie’s film The Gentlemen is a violent fantasy about ongoing Anglo-American global dominance, writes Kate Bradley.

Trixie Smith

Music of the people: The Blues

Mitch Mitchell is back with another people’s music playlist. This time he’s here with a brief history of The Blues

Music of the people: Skiffle

Mitch Mitchell is back with another people’s music playlist. This time he’s introducing Skiffle.

Review: The Twittering Machine

Mark Murphy reviews Richard Seymour’s latest book, which uses a psychoanalytical framework to understand the phenomenon of social media.

Music of the people: Doo Wop

Mitch Mitchell introduces a new series of playlists of ‘music of the people’. He starts this week with Doo Wop.

The Politics of Monsters

Caliban’s Revolt celebrates the capacity of the monster to terrorise the powers that be.