Revolutionary Socialism in the 21st Century
 
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Resisting Israeli scholasticide and academic apartheid – interview with Maya Wind

Israel’s genocidal war is massacring Palestinians and destroying their infrastructure, in particular, targeting Palestinian educational institutions

Interview | Empire of Normality

Hazel Croft talks to author Robert Chapman about their new book and discusses neurodiversity and how we can challenge the capitalist logics of ‘normality’.

Toward decolonisation: the struggle for Palestine today – interview with Tareq Baconi

Spectre Journal interviewed Tareq Baconi, author of Hamas Contained, about 7 October, Israel’s genocide, and the state of the Palestinian resistance and its implication for the region and world.

‘A symbol for the liberation struggle’

Interview with a pro-Palestinian protester in Germany.

Syria – ‘The people want the fall of the regime!’

Large demonstrations have been taking place across Syria in recent weeks. While their scale has yet to reach the peaks seen in 2011, many are hopeful that the government will be brought down. We republish an interview with an Australian based Syrian leftist.

This is a war against the studios – interviews with picketers in Hollywood

Interviews with striking actors and writers in Hollywood.

Image is a close-up of a crowd holding a variety of union flags including PCS and RMT, with placards saying "Protect our right to strike" and "Defend the Right to Strike". The people in the shot apear diverse in age, gender and race. In the centre of the shot, a person in a yellow shirt with the word 'RESIST' on it raises their left fist.

‘Lack and longing’: an interview with Satnam Virdee and Brendan McGeever

Satnam Virdee and Brendan McGeever answer questions about race, nation, working class struggle and the breakdown of Britain’s democratic settlement.

The IS History Project

A new oral history project aims to record the memories of socialist activists from the 1960s and early 1970s. Project members Sue Sparks and Hazel Croft explain its aims and its relevance for activists today in an interview with rs21 members.

Demonstration with banners and placards

Support the rail strikes!

Thousands of rail workers are about to take on the government in the biggest strike for years – and facing attacks from the Tory press. Two activists from the RMT rail union told rs21 why they will be striking, and why other workers should support them.

Picture: A screenshot of the Universal Credit application page on the gov.uk website. (Keywords: UC applications poverty welfare benefits)

A Universal Credit inquiry | Part 1

Millions of people out of work due to Covid are experiencing the cruelty of the Tories’ reformed welfare system for the first time.

The Trumpian afterlife

The incoming Biden administration may repeal a few of Trump’s ugliest policies, but the revitalised far right is not going away.

An image of Ian Birchall, by Colin Fancy. Keywords: Ian Birchall Algeria France Marxism socialism IS International Socialists

Unearthing hidden histories: an interview with Ian Birchall

An interview with socialist historian Ian Birchall. Ian’s work has has involved researching and reevaluating lesser-known revolutionaries and activists from the Global South.

Fortress Europe after Moria

After Moria burned to the ground, a new camp was quickly built to replace it. We interviewed Chloe Haralambous and Michalis Poulimas about events on the ground and what they mean for the EU border regime.

Interview: Annie Cohen, Union of Jewish Students presidential candidate

Annie Cohen has been called the ‘anti-Zionist candidate’ for leadership of the Union of Jewish Students (UJS). rs21 interviewed her about why she’s standing. Annie Cohen, tell us a bit about why you decided to stand for UJS President. I’m very involved in Jewish left wing activism with Jewdas*, which has grown incredibly over the […]

Interview: Women in the Revolution

Estelle Cooch interviews Katy Turton author of Forgotten Lives – the role of Lenin’s sisters in the Russian Revolution The role of women in the February Revolution is relatively well known about, but how involved were women in the events of October? As you would expect, women were participants in the October revolution, but they […]

The easiest rig to stop is the first one

The protectors in Kirby Misperton know they are on the frontline. They are determined to stop the frackers, using direct action if necessary.

Syria Russia US intervention

Support the Syrian people – not the USA or Russia

No imperialist power can improve the situation in Syria – only the Syrian revolution itself can secure lasting peace

A turning point in Polish politics: the #czarnyprotest and Monday’s women’s strike

Large protests have taken place in Poland against a proposed ban on abortion in all cases. On Monday (3 October) Polish women are taking part in a nationwide strike to defend their basic reproductive rights. Mark Bergfeld, who researches Polish immigrant workers as part of his PhD, spoke to Aleksandra Wolke who is a feminist […]

The Labour Party experience – interviews with new Labour activists

Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership has attracted new activists to party politics, as well as those who were members of other parties, further to the left of Labour.

US elections: “This is going to go down as a pivotal election American history”

With only days to go before the penultimate primary elections in the US, Amy Gilligan spoke to California based journalist, writer and activist Adam Hudson How do you think that Sanders will do this week in the California primary? Sanders has a decent shot of winning California, but it’s still up in the air. His […]

US elections: “Bernie has suddenly given all of us a national stage”

Continuing our series of interviews with socialists in the US discussing the upcoming elections, we spoke to Nivedita Majumdar, Sanders supporter and secretary of the Professional Staff Congress, the faculty and Staff union of the City University of New York. This interview represents her personal views. Where now for the Sander’s campaign – will it […]

‘I was a shop steward and I had a duplicator’ – IS in the 1970s

As the battles of the 1970s intensified Norman McLean became an electrician working in factories and on building sites. Norman spoke to us about his experiences of being a revolutionary activist in an exciting period of working class history. Part 1 can be found here Part 2 Getting Organised What did it mean to be […]

‘Becoming a shop steward transformed my political life.’ – IS in the 1970s

May ’68 and the struggles of the late sixties radicalised tens of thousands of students, some became revolutionaries and joined revolutionary groups. Norman MacLean became a member of the International Socialists (IS) and started working in factories, organising and agitating with his fellow workers during the heightened period of class struggle known as the ‘upturn’. […]

Debating the work of sex work

Melissa Gira Grant responds to questions from Estelle Cooch about her work and her understanding of sex work today. Sex work has become the subject of heated debate within feminism. That debate is highly polarised – so much so that the two sides even tend to use different terms, “prostitution” and “sex work”,  for the topic […]

Labour and the left after #jezwecan: An interview with Ben Sellers

Ben Sellers is a member of Red Labour and was one of the organisers of the social media team that underpinned Jeremy Corbyn’s successful campaign for the leadership of the Labour Party. rs21: You’ve written a piece explaining the roots of Jeremy Corbyn’s social media campaign in Alex Craven’s Facebook page Red Labour, which you and […]

Getting to grips with the levels of strikes

Simon Joyce recently published an article arguing that ‘lack of confidence’ is an inadequate explanation for the sustained low level of strikes in the UK. He suggests that the strike weapon being taken out of the hands of stewards is the key factor. Hazel C and Ian A discussed with Simon some of the issues raised. This is a longer […]

Towards a Marxist theory of gender?

Heather Brown‘s book Marx on Gender and the Family was released to great acclaim. Estelle Cooch interviewed her about Engels, intersectionality and feminism today. This interview was originally published in the Autumn 2014 issue of the rs21 magazine. There has been a shift from looking at Engels’ Origins to looking at Marx’s writings in Capital – […]

‘We save people not banks’: FBU pensions fight continues

Amy Gilligan spoke to Cameron Matthews, FBU Cambridgeshire Brigade Secretary on the picket lines at Cambridge fire station about the strike and supporting victimised FBU member Ashley Brown.

The politics of depression: Mark Fisher on mental health and class confidence

Anindya Bhattacharyya spoke to Mark Fisher about the politics of mental health, magical voluntarism and the ideology of neoliberalism.

Anti-fascist 5 trial collapses: interview

S, freed antifascist protester, speaks outside Westminster Magistrates Court shortly after the case against her and four others collapses.