Issue 47 of In Defence of Marxism magazine – the quarterly theoretical journal of the Revolutionary Communist International – is out now! We publish here Alan Woods’ editorial for this issue, in which he traces the lessons of the international communist movement from the times of Marx and Engels to today, and the revolutionary tradition of struggle against militarism, imperialism and war, which communists continue down to the present. Get your copy of issue 47 of In Defence of Marxism magazine now!

We are now in the third year of the war in Ukraine. The success of the Russian army’s advance on Pokrovsk and the meagre effect of the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk Oblast have filled the ‘statesmen’ of western capitalism with trepidation. ‘This is not how it was supposed to be, Friends!’ resounds in Washington and Kiev.

Former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi has produced a revealing study on behalf of the EU on the (lack of) ‘European competitiveness’. The former ‘saviour’ of the euro outlines an imperialist offensive as the solution.

The crisis of capitalism has many expressions: new wars and inter-imperialist conflicts, environmental destruction, the growing chasm between rich and poor, the decline of science and culture, etc. One especially conspicuous symptom of capitalism's failure is its inability to provide the basic human need for adequate housing, even in the wealthiest countries.

The recent elections in Austria saw polarisation to the left and to the right. The old government was punished, but the weak programmes of the Social Democrats and the Communist Party failed to create enthusiasm. Instead, the FPÖ won the election, basing themselves on fierce demagogic opposition to the status quo.

This Thursday, comrades Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International recorded a special podcast episode on Gaza, Ukraine and world relations. Instead of our regular format, this one addresses the burning questions of the day in a slightly different format.

The year 1917 stands out as a turning point in human history. For the first time, the downtrodden, toiling masses fought back – and won! But we can say with certainty that that victory was only possible because of the presence of a theoretically trained and practically steeled party, the most revolutionary party in history, the Bolshevik Party. But even that party would have failed to achieve such a task without the crystal-clear and razor-sharp leadership of Lenin. We publish here the introduction to a brand new selection of Lenin’s invaluable 1917 writings.

Since 9 September 1,500 Samsung workers at a huge plant in Chennai, India (representing 75 percent of the workforce) have been on strike. They are organised under the banner of the CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions), which is affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM). Their core demand for union recognition is being fought bitterly by the bosses and state government. There have been several arrests, including of the national leader of the CITU. Still, the workers are holding their ground. 

Since we first published this statement against militarism, the message of our campaign has become more urgent than ever.

Around the world, the capitalist establishment is increasingly obsessed with the so-called ‘Culture War’, with conservative journalists and politicians scaremongering about the ‘woke agenda’, while liberals drape rainbow flags on war and austerity and call it ‘liberation’. How can communists cut through this reactionary nonsense and get to the heart of the issues facing us today?

Two weeks after being slammed by Hurricane Helene—the strongest storm to make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region in 150 years—the Southeast is now bracing for a potentially worse “monster storm,” Hurricane Milton. It’s the latest in a series of humanitarian disasters across the region, which have wrought destruction far beyond anything seen in living memory.

A year has passed since Israel launched its genocidal war in Gaza, which has now spilled over into Lebanon, threatening a wider conflict that could engulf the region. A mass protest movement for Palestine has been underway continuously for the past 12 months, and despite ebbs and flows, it rallied last weekend for this grim anniversary. Comrades of the Revolutionary Communist International (RCI) mobilised in force at demonstrations and rallies worldwide, calling for a revolutionary solution to the nightmare in the Middle East.

Hundreds of communists from all over Denmark gathered over the weekend for the founding festival of the Revolutionary Communist Party. Join the fight for revolution; organise yourself in the RKP!

Two weeks ago, the US Department of Commerce put forward a bill proposing to ban car parts and software linked to China or Russia. The White House held a press briefing and published a fact sheet justifying this, with implications that this was a measure to prevent terrorist attacks. The irony of such measures coming so soon after the US-sanctioned Israeli terror attack that was carried out using technological sabotage appears to have been lost on them.

In recent weeks, one event after another has threatened to plunge the world into a major war. This is true both in Ukraine and in the Middle East. We are told that the only aggressors are the enemies of the West. But who is actually pushing for further escalation?