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Socialist Action Canada

Socialist Action Canada | Ligue pour L'Action Socialiste

Category: Theory

Marxism and the National Question

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National oppression and racism are fundamental features of capitalist states in the world today. In few of them does the national question play such a central role as in Canada. This is most clearly demonstrated in the case of Quebec, where national resentment periodically erupts to take centre stage in political life. It is seen in the rising national consciousness and demands of Indigenous peoples in Canada and Quebec. French-speaking communities outside Quebec which have survived Anglo-assimilation, notably the Acadians in Atlantic Canada, also claim nationhood. And it applies, arguably, to Newfoundland, where a separate society existed for three hundred years before its incorporation, by a fraudulent set of referenda, into the Canadian state in 1949.

What is Trotskyism?

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In answer to the question “What is socialism?”, James P. Cannon, a pioneer of the revolutionary workers’ movement in North America, famously said: “Socialism is both a political program and a political movement to achieve it.”

So, what then is Trotskyism?  Simply put, Trotskyism is modern-day revolutionary socialism.  My aim here is to summarize its main component parts.

Do Canadian Workers have Revolutionary Potential? — A Defence of the Working Class

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My purpose is to take on the doubters and the cynics, the middle-class thinkers, the academics, the petit bourgeois currents among students, young radicals, labour bureaucrats, and the NDP brass. None of them believe the Canadian working class can make a revolution and overthrow capitalism in Canada.

Our lives and our work in Socialist Action are based on the proposition that they are wrong. That is what I aim to show.

The Leninist Party and the Left

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V.I. Lenin, and his famous book “What is to Be Done?”, are hated by the entire political establishment.  Even scholars who consider themselves Marxists are uncomfortable with Lenin.  Why?  Because Lenin built a party that led a socialist revolution.  He proved that workers could overthrow capitalism.

WEBCAST: James P. Cannon and the Foundations of Trotskyism

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Thursday, April 22  4 p.m. PT, 7 p.m. EST, “James P. Cannon and the Foundations of Trotskyism” featuring Bryan Palmer, Emeritus Professor of History at Trent University, Ontario, and author of “James P. Cannon and the Origins of the American Revolutionary Left 1890-1928”. Host: Elizabeth Byce. Discussants: Jeff Mackler, national secretary, Socialist Action – USA.

Grace Carlson: Unsung Hero of the Early Trotskyist Movement

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Grace Carlson was the only female member of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) (predecessor organization of Socialist Action) to be convicted and sentenced under the notorious anti-communist Smith Act of 1940. She was sentenced to sixteen months in the Federal Correctional Facility For Women in Alderson, West Virginia. The trial and convictions of the 17 male leaders of the SWP is a well known part of Trotskyist history. All 18 leaders were  convicted of allegedly trying to overthrow the U.S. government by force and violence on the eve of the U.S entrance into World War II . (See “Socialism On Trial” by James P. Cannon).

The Revolutionary Ideas of Antonio Gramsci

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Antonio Gramsci is one of the few Marxist historical figures who have consistently retained popularity in the halls of universities and academic journals over the last three decades. His influence is regularly cited in political, cultural, anthropological studies as an important theoretical authority. Activists on the left also credit Gramsci with having formulated innovative and useful theoretical concepts about political struggle and capitalism.

WEBCAST: The Sport and Prey of Capitalists: How the Rich Are Stealing Canada’s Public Wealth

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Thursday, March 18   4 p.m. PT, 7 p.m. EST, “The Sport and Prey of Capitalists: How the Rich Are Stealing Canada's Public Wealth” (published 2019) with author Linda McQuaig.  Host: Elizabeth Byce.   Discussants:  John Orrett in Thornhill and Emily Steers…

Read More WEBCAST: The Sport and Prey of Capitalists: How the Rich Are Stealing Canada’s Public Wealth

Greetings to SA USA!

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The following greetings were presented by Elizabeth Byce, SA/LAS Canada to the annual convention of Socialist Action USA, which took place January 30, 31, 2021. Dear comrades of Socialist Action – USA, I bring you warmest revolutionary greetings from Socialist…

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How Socialists Resist Rightist Coups: Lessons from the Early Communist International

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January 12, 2021  •  John Riddell Parliaments and elections are no guarantee of democratic rights and fair treatment for working people. Capitalist forces displeased with an electoral outcome are all too likely to take direct action to impose their will,…

Read More How Socialists Resist Rightist Coups: Lessons from the Early Communist International