The two following articles are edited version of brief introductions given by Will McMahon and Janet Sillet at a Talking About Socialism … from a Marxist point of view meeting “What happened at the 2023 Labour Party conference” on Monday 16 October 2023. They are published in the order of Continue Reading
Palestine: The political background to Israel’s war on Gaza
This article is an edited version of a talk given by Moshé Machover to a ‘Talking About Socialism…from a Marxist point of view’ online discussion on the subject, on Monday 13 November 2023. I will place present events in their historical context. As the General Secretary of the United Nations said, these events are Continue Reading
The Breaking of Bread and Catastrophe: Two poems on Gaza
The breaking of bread by Janet Sillett Families queuing for round flat loaveseach morning before dawn the struggle for bread Sharq Bakery in Gaza City bombed late October 2023in the doorway blood mixes with flour the smell of baking lingering in the space that is left I recall Jewish black bread, caraway Continue Reading
To those who seek nemesis in my name
To those who seek nemesis in my name by Janet Sillett you do not do this in my nameyou do not use my nameyou do not speak for me my anger is minenot yoursyou do not use my nameto light up the dying sky with sulphurous starsto bleed the oceanto Continue Reading
The rise of the far-right in Europe
This article is based on the notes for an introduction given by Will on 2nd October which, along with the discussion afterwards, can be watched on YouTube: The rise of the far-right. Over the last two decades we have see the growth of far-right parties across the continent of Europe. Continue Reading
Broad to death: the problem with broad left parties
This article is based on the notes for an introduction given by Chris on 7th August which, along with the discussion afterwards, can be watched on YouTube: ‘Transform? The problem with broad left parties’ For over thirty years there have been repeated attempts to build a political space to the Continue Reading
On-line discussion: What kind of democracy do we have, and need?
This meeting was chaired by Nick Wrack, on 18th September 2023. Watch the video here. Ed Potts introduces a discussion looking at democracy. What sort of democracy do we have under capitalism? What sort of democracy do we need? What should democracy mean in the workers’ movement? Ed starts by reflecting on the Continue Reading
50 years since Pinochet’s coup in Chile
To mark fifty years since General Augusto Pinochet’s coup in Chile, carried out on 11 September 1973, we carry this poem by Janet Sillett. The disappeared By Janet Sillett Stooping women searching in the arid sand of Atacama Desert bone fragments meticulously cleaned the loudest of silences The baked earth Continue Reading
Online Discussion: After Corbynism, what next for the left? Part Two.
Zoom session on 17th April 2023. Watch the video here. Read Nick Wrack’s background paper here. In the second of our sessions looking at the tasks and challenges facing the left after the demise of the Corbyn project, Nick Wrack introduced the discussion by focussing on our fundamental goal as Continue Reading
Online discussion: Who we are, and the ideas that guide us
Zoom session on 4th September 2023. Watch the video here. Read the statement here. The group who organise the Talking About Socialism website and Zoom discussions have published a statement about who we are, and the ideas that guide us. It is the basis of our collaboration, and on the back of which Continue Reading