In the midst of the biggest strike wave in France since the mid-1990s, Alan Woods, editor of In Defence of Marxism, addressed meetings of workers and youth in six French cities. This video (in English with French translation) was recorded at a packed meeting in Paris at the very end of the tour on the evening of the 16h - a day when millions of people were on the streets in France.

The discussions on World Perspectives are the foundations from which everything else flows in terms of the perspectives and work in each country, our priorities, tasks, etc. The instability on a world scale has only deepened since the World Perspectives document was drafted, in the autumn of 2009. But the main lines of the perspectives have been entirely confirmed by the march of events. This is a recording of the lead-off given by Alan Woods at the 2010 World Congress.

Some 50 activists participated in a very intense day of discussions during the Conference of Hands off Venezuela in London, on May 22. The main guests of the Conference were Katy Jaimes and Elías Chacón, active in the Socialist United Party (PSUV) and the PSUV youth as well as the movement of occupied factories, who had travelled from Venezuela to report on the current situation of the Bolivarian revolution. The Conference also featured a discussion on the Fifth International led off by Alan Woods. Here we present videos of their interventions.

Fred Weston, from the editorial board of Marxist.com, spoke to a packed house at May Day Books in Minneapolis, MN, USA on June 1st. Around 30 people came to hear Fred present a Marxist analysis of the state of the Chinese economy and the future of 1/5 of humanity. We present here a video of Fred's presentation and the question and answer session, which covered topics as varied as the difference between socialism and communism to an explanation of the Asiatic mode of production.

On Thursday April 22, Radio Nacional de Venezuela, the country’s leading radio aired an interview with the editor of Marxist.com, Alan Woods. The interview, which was broadcast live across the country, took place at 11 am and was repeated at 6 pm, lasting about an hour. The reaction from listeners who telephoned the station was extremely positive, showing once again the existence of a very receptive audience for the ideas of the IMT in Venezuela.

On the evening of Monday 22 March Alan Woods was interviewed by one of the main TV channels in Pakistan. Channel 5 is one of the biggest news channels, and is owned by the Khubrain (News) Group of newspapers, which produces papers in Urdu, English, Pashto, Sindi and Punjabi. The interview was conducted by the well-known journalist Saeed Qazi, whose popular programme is watched by millions. It was broadcast on prime time with Urdu subtitles, and repeated twice the following day.

The Cuban Revolution is one of the great events of human history. The small island was completely dominated by US imperialism until the revolution of 1959 shattered the Batista dictatorship and introduced a nationalised planned economy in the years following the revolution. Since then impressive achievements in health care and education have been met with loud shouts of "dictatorship" from the bourgeois press. What was the background to the revolution and why did it develop in the way that it did? Where is Cuba going today?

The discipline that is imposed on the worker through the capitalist system — through wage labour, through the division of labour and the development of manufacturing — is the very same discipline that the workers turn against the bosses through organisation into trade unions and political parties of labour.  Therefore what effect does the theory and practice of Anarchism have in the attempts by the workers to forge fighting organisations? In a recent meeting of Socialist Appeal supporters in London, Alan Woods answers this question, focusing on the clashes between Marx and Bakunin in the First International, on the role of the Anarchists in the Spanish Civil War, Democratic

An avalanche of books has recently been published to discredit Lenin, Trotsky and the Russian Revolution. First and foremost of these writers is Professor Robert Service. The aim of his latest book on Trotsky is to prove that Bolshevism leads to Stalinism and totalitarianism. In a lead off given to a recent Socialist Appeal Day School in London Alan Woods sets the record straight and explains the huge gulf that divided genuine Bolshevism from the monster of Stalinism that was built on the physical destruction of the Bolshevik party.

The Middle East is often associated with terrorist attacks, suicide bombings and Al-Qaeda. At the same time we also think about the war in Iraq and the ruthless occupation of Gaza. But on the other hand we can also see the awakening of the mass struggle in this region. The most advanced expression of it being the movement in Iran, which has shaken the theocratic regime to the core and upset the plans of imperialism.

Christianity has played a pivotal role in shaping the modern world and continues to hold considerable influence over many people's lives and even many countries' governments. Understanding the roots of such a phenomenon, dating back 2000 years, provides great practical significance when it comes to understanding the development of religion and society in general.

The Honduran coup government used heavy repressive tactics on election day as the resistance vowed to continue to fight for a new constitution and the people's rights. We publish here a video report by The Real News for the interest of our readers.

Jorge Martín, international secretary of Hands Off Venezuela, addressed a recent meeting of the ULU Marxist Society in London on the topic of the Latin American Revolution. The meeting took place in the midst of mobilisations in Mexico, a coup in Honduras and the extraordinary congress of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela. For Marxists the unfolding revolution in Latin America is a great source of inspiration and lessons.

Listen to Lal Khan interviewed on the current army operation in South Waziristan, Pakistan.

Greg Oxley, editor of the French Marxist magazine La Riposte and member of the French Communist Party, spoke to a recent meeting of the ULU Marxist Society in London. He explained the revolutionary events that shook France 41 years ago where 10 million workers went out on strike and occupied the factories, beginning with the movement of the students.