Shows
unAustralian Marxism: history and theoryEp13 - The Communist Party of Australia's 1931 Program for Aboriginal LiberationIn September 1931, the Communist Party of Australia printed an extraordinary program for Aboriginal liberation. Written by CPA leader Herbert Moxon, the program condemned continuing genocide in Australia and called for the abolition of the Protection regime controlling Aboriginal lives, respect for self-determination and return of stolen lands. In this talk, Paddy explains how the party moved beyond earlier ignorant and racist attitudes towards Aboriginal people to produce this important document. The influence of an all Black organisation, the Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association, was critical. You can read the full program here.
This is a recording of a...2024-06-2624 minunAustralian Marxism: history and theoryEp 12: Race, Empire and Settler-Colonialism in the work of Marx and EngelsIn the classical Marxist tradition, anti-racist and anti-colonial struggles are of central importance for the revolutionary working-class movement. This talk explores the the roots of these ideas in Marx and Engels' foundational analysis of race and empire, that developed in profound ways from the 1850s through to Marx’s death in 1883. This development came in response to resistance movements of colonised people around the world. The talk also provides a critique of their weakness on settler-colonialism in particular, Engel’s acceptance of some of the racist ideas of bourgeois ethnography from this time and the way Marx overcame many of t...2024-06-2057 minunAustralian Marxism: history and theoryEp 11: The nature of the Australian Labor PartyThis talk explores the contradictory nature of the Australian Labor Party. While founded by the trade unions, the ALP is committed to running Australian capitalism, leading to vicious attacks on its working-class base throughout it's history. The talk argues that socialists need to adopt a non-sectarian attitude to Labor supporters, while agitating for struggle against Labor governments that is every bit as intense as that needed when fighting the Liberals. Delivered at a Solidarity meeting in April 2022.
2024-06-2023 minunAustralian Marxism: history and theoryEp 10: 15 years of the Northern Territory InterventionThis talk provides and analysis of the Northern Territory Intervention, a racist policy aimed at controlling Aboriginal people and their land that was launched in 2007. It was given at a Solidarity meeting in June 2022 marking 15 years since the policy was announced and explores the dynamics driving the Intervention, its impact and political legacy.
2024-06-2019 minunAustralian Marxism: history and theoryEp 9: Anti-colonialism and the Communist InternationalThis talk outlines the anti-colonial politics of the early years of the Communist International (Comintern), formed in the wake of the Russian Revolution in 1919. Paddy explores the way the Comintern theorised the relationship between workers' revolution in imperialist countries and anti-colonial revolts shaking the world, particularly the importance of anti-racism and commitment to the defeat of imperialist forces. Recorded at a Solidarity meeting in June 2016.
2022-03-0532 minunAustralian Marxism: history and theoryEp 8: Capitalism and anti-Aboriginal racismThis talk outlines the importance of anti-Aboriginal racism to the ruling class in Australia. Paddy explores the ways that the so-called "Aboriginal problem" has posed challenges for Australian capitalism and the way Aboriginal resistance continues to threaten the system. Recorded at a Solidarity meeting in April 2016, this podcast is dedicated to the memory of Arrente and Alyawarr Elder Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, who famously asserted "don't try and suppress me. I am not the problem. I have never left my country, nor have I ever ceded any part of it".
2022-03-0526 minunAustralian Marxism: history and theoryEp 7: Invasion and resistance in early colonial SydneyThis talk provides an historical account of the invasion by British imperialism of Eora and Darug Country, what is now known as Sydney, Australia. Paddy discusses the dynamics driving the invasion and the war of resistance waged by Aboriginal people defending their homelands. Recorded at a Solidarity meeting in January 2015. Since this talk, historian Stephen Gapps has published a major book The Sydney Wars which contains lots of new research into these issues and is highly recommended.
2022-03-0132 minunAustralian Marxism: history and theoryEp 6: What’s wrong with capitalism? What’s the alternative?An introduction to Karl Marx's theory of historical materialism. Basic explanations of the concept of alienation, surplus value, the centralisation and concentration of capital and what we mean by workers' power and socialist revolution. Talk to a Solidarity student club meeting at Sydney University in August 2014.
2022-02-2722 minunAustralian Marxism: history and theoryEp 5: Imperialism and contemporary geopoliticsThis talk provides an introduction to the classical Marxist theory of imperialism and uses this framework to analyse contemporary geopolitical crises. Comments cover a range of topics including the rise of ISIS and the civil war in Syria, conflict in Ukraine and growing tensions with China. Recorded at Solidarity's annual KeepLeft conference in August 20142022-02-2731 minunAustralian Marxism: history and theoryEp 4: Frontier warfare and colonial capitalismThis talk explores how the expansionist imperatives of capitalism drove genocidal war across the colonial frontier, with a particular focus on Northern Australia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There is also discussion of the challenge posed to Australian nationalism by Indigenous resistance and why ruling class figures such as John Howard have tried so hard to bury the truth about frontier warfare. Recorded at a Solidarity meeting in Sydney, May 2014.2022-02-2623 minunAustralian Marxism: history and theoryEp 3: Marx and ecological crisesAn introduction to Karl Marx's analysis of how capitalism causes ecological destruction and why a socialist revolution is needed to heal the planet. There are concluding comments reflecting on horrific floods that were happening in the Philippines at the time of this talk and the way that imperialism and class divisions shape disaster response. Talk recorded at a Solidarity meeting November 2013.2022-02-2627 minunAustralian Marxism: history and theoryEp 2: Australian imperialism and Papua New GuineaIn this talk, Paddy applies the Marxist theory of imperialism to explore the founding of Australia and development of Australian imperialism in the Asia-Pacific region. There is a specific focus on Australian colonial rule in PNG and how this domination operates today, with some concluding comments on the refugee detention regime. Recorded at a Solidarity meeting in August 2013.2022-02-2624 minunAustralian Marxism: history and theoryEp 1: What is to be Done? Lenin’s pamphlet 110 years onThis talk reflects on the enduring power of Lenin's analysis in the pamphlet What is to be Done, first published in 1902. A main theme of the pamphlet is the relationship between workers' action for better wages and conditions, and broader political struggles and the development of socialist consciousness. Central to this is the question of how socialists should organise. Recorded at a Solidarity meeting in Sydney, September 2012.2022-02-2620 min
Living the DreamLiving The Dream with the Communist Party of Australia and Indigenous Struggles in the 1920s and 30sIn this episode Dave(@withsobersenses) and Jon (@jonpiccini) chat with Padraic Gibson (@paddygibson) about his research into the Communist Party of Australia and its early, or lack there of, engagement with Indigenous struggles in the 1920s and 30s. Not only is the history fascinating but Paddy also really digs into what was wrong with socialist and communist thought at the time, and the inheritance of Marx and Engel’s work, that made it hard for the CPA to connect with these struggles. How and why did this change? And how do these concerns play out today?
Sadly Jo...2018-08-211h 15