The Revolutionary Communist Podcast
160 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★ - 7 ratingsThe official podcast of the Revolutionary Communist Party, the Canadian section of the Revolutionary Communist International. We publish presentations and interviews each week in order to educate and organize workers and youth on the foundations of marxist theory and revolutionary history. If you agree with what you hear, then reach out to us at marxist.ca/join to build the Revolutionary Communist Party where you are!
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Episodes
Why we need a Communist International - Spectre of Communism Season Finale
April 11, 2024 17:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBIn June, the International Marxist Tendency will take the monumental step of founding a new Revolutionary Communist International (RCI), to provide communist workers and youth around the world with a bold rallying point in the struggle to overthrow capitalism. In doing so, the RCI will build on the immense revolutionary legacy left behind by the Third (Communist) International, founded by Lenin and the Bolsheviks as the world party of revolution. Register now for the founding of the RCI! htt...
Imperialism and War
April 10, 2024 16:00 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBFrom the devestation raining down on Gaza to the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine, world imperialism is opening millions of people's eyes to the brutality of the capitalist system on a world scale. Already we have begun to see movements against imperialism ot tens of thousands of people, and we will doubtless see more as capitalism lurches further into bloody confluct and crisis. But in order to fight against imperialism and win, we need to understand what exactly we are fighting against. W...
What is the RCP?
April 04, 2024 16:00 - 43 minutes - 52.3 MBWelcome to the official podcast of the Revolutionary Communist Party! This week we'll be discussing the questions: What is the RCP? Why have we launched this party? What kind of party are we building? To help us answer these questions, and more, we're joined by Joel Bergman, a leading comrade in the RCP here in Canada. Rallies on April 6th: Toronto: Yonge & Dundas Square, 2:00PM Ottawa: Confederation Park, 1:00PM Montreal: Jarry Park, 1:00PM Quebec City: Victoria Park, 1:00PM Sherbr...
The State and Revolution
March 20, 2024 16:00 - 41 minutes - 38.5 MBAt some stage or another, every mass struggle necessarily comes up against the obstacle of the state - the police, the army, the courts - institutions which, we are told, exist to maintain "law and order" in society. The approach that the movement takes towards the state is therefore of vital importance; in fact, it is often what determines the victory or the defeat of whole revolutionary struggles. This is why the ruling classes have always shrouded their bodies of armed force in whatever m...
The Life and Ideas of Lenin
March 11, 2024 17:21 - 51 minutes - 70.8 MBWelcome the the very first episode of the Revolutionary Communist Podcast! This week, we're listening to a presentation by Rob Sewell, co-author of "In Defence of Lenin", on history's greatest revolutionary leader. If you want to learn how you can fight against capitalism and for communism where you are, then reach out to us! We can provide you with all the tools you need to build the party wherever you are! In Defence of Lenin: store.marxist.ca/products/in-defence-of-lenin Join us: mar...
Communist Revolution Update
January 09, 2024 20:47 - 2 minutes - 3.72 MBIn the coming weeks, we will be totally revamping this podcast, in tandem with the launch of our new monthly newspaper: Communist Revolution. You can subscribe to the newspaper here: https://www.marxist.ca/subscribe And, join us February 17-18 for the biggest Marxist event of the year -- the Montreal Winter School. You can find the link to register here: https://www.marxist.ca/school
What is Bonapartism? - Fightback Radio #53
December 13, 2023 18:50 - 58 minutes - 54.6 MBThe state is ultimately the organ of domination of the exploiting class over the exploited classes, but beyond this "ABC" of Marxism, there are sometimes extraordinary moments when the state acquires greater independence from the classes and seems to rise above society. It then becomes the "reign of the sword", a military-police dictatorship, as with Napoleon Bonaparte, Hitler, Stalin and Putin. Fightback activist Hélène Bissonnette gives this presentation on "What is Bonapartism?".
Ethnic cleansing in palestine: Canadian imperialism is complicit - This week in the Canadian Revolution #32
October 19, 2023 18:48 - 1 hour - 57.7 MBIn light of Israel's ongoing ethnic cleansing of Gaza, Joel and Julien talk about the complicity of Canadian imperialism, and what we can do in Canada to fight back.
Israel-Palestine: End the occupation, fight for communism!
October 19, 2023 14:30 - 36 minutes - 34 MBMillions of people around the world have been horrified by Israel's brutal bombing of Gaza. Communists stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and their struggle for liberation. In this talk, Fightback activist Joel Bergman discusses what we can do to fight imperialism, end the war on Gaza, and free Palestine.
The Labour Theory of Value - Fightback Radio #52
September 08, 2023 18:46 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MBFightback activist Renu Brar discusses Marx's labour theory of value, and its explaination for how workers are exploited.
Communism has come to Canada: get organized! - This Week in the Canadian Revolution #31
August 23, 2023 20:54 - 52 minutes - 48.2 MBCapitalism is on the brink. An entire generation has known only crisis, cutbacks, and climate catastrophe. Everywhere we look there is war, poverty, and exploitation. And yet, the rich have seen their wealth grow enormously. People all across the country are starting to draw the correct conclusion that the root of the problem is capitalism itself. More than one million young people in Canada now believe that communism is the ideal economic system. This week, Joel is joined by Fightback and L...
Free Will and Determinism - Fightback Radio #51
July 19, 2023 18:16 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBWhat is the place of humans in history, and how can we play a role in deciding our fate? In this talk, Fightback editor Joel Bergman provides a Marxist critique of the book The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow, and discusses the relationship between free will and determinism. Joel has also written an article on this topic, which is in the latest issue of In Defence of Marxism. You can subscribe here. You can also listen to Joel discuss the book with Joe Attard on the I...
Why the UCP was re-elected and how to fight them - This Week in the Canadian Revolution #30
June 14, 2023 20:21 - 57 minutes - 53.6 MBThis week, Joel is joined by Fightback editor Laine to discuss the outcome of the Alberta election. Why did Danielle Smith and the UCP hold on to power? What can we learn from the election? And what can the working class do about it?
75 years after the Nakba: How can Palestine be free? - Fightback Radio #50
June 09, 2023 18:16 - 56 minutes - 52.7 MB75 years since the founding of Israel and "al-Nakba" (the catastrophe) Palestinians living in Gaza are again facing bombardments by the Israeli state. Today the plight of the Palestinian people is deeper than ever before, with their brutal oppression approved and sanctioned by the western imperialist powers. It is absolutely imperative as socialists and revolutionaries that we understand the history of this struggle and have a clear perspective of what is the way forward for Palestinian lib...
Origins of the Family: A Marxist Perspective - Fightback Radio #49
June 02, 2023 14:46 - 59 minutes - 55.5 MBWhy do Marxists want to abolish the family? Engels described the emergence of the patriarchal family as humanity’s first counterrevolution. In this talk, Fred Weston, editor of marxist.com, presents a Marxist perspective on the family and its origins.
Rising class struggle in Canada: PSAC strike: This Week in the Canadian Revolution #29
April 27, 2023 19:09 - 1 hour - 65.4 MBThis week Joel is joined by editor of La Riposte socialiste, Julien Arseneau, to bring a Marxist analysis to the largest PSAC strike in 30 years. What are the demands the workers are fighting for? What is the significance of the strike for the Canadian class struggle? And how do the workers win?
Ted Grant and the Fourth International - Montreal Marxist Winter School 2023 #4
April 13, 2023 18:25 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MBThe assassination of Trotsky in August 1940 dealt a devastating blow to the young and untested forces of the Fourth International. Unfortunately, the leaders of the Fourth were not up to the level of the tasks posed by history. Deprived of Trotsky's leadership they made a series of fundamental mistakes. Only the leadership of the RCP in Britain was able to readjust to the new situation on a world scale after 1945. This was the result of the theoretical capabilities of Ted Grant. His writings...
Lessons from the Indonesian Revolution - Montreal Marxist Winter School 2023 #3
April 06, 2023 15:14 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MBIn the 1950s the Indonesian economy was failing, with the division between rich and poor increasing sharply. At the same time the PKI, the Communist Party of Indonesia, grew to the third largest Communist Party in the world, with three million paid members and the support of ten million trade unionists and organized peasants. Sadly this explosive combination ended in the massacre of 1 million communists in 1965. Indonesia is a graphic example of how mistakes in theory have dire consequences....
Imperialist hypocrisy over 'Chinese interference' - This Week in the Canadian Revolution #28
April 04, 2023 17:19 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBThis week, Joel is joined by International Marxist Tendency activist Ted Sprague to talk about so-called "Chinese interference" in Canadian election, actual CSIS interference in Canadian politics, and growing imperialist rivalry between China and western capitalist powers.
Bonus #16: Left, Lefter, Leftist - March 21
March 29, 2023 17:16 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBListen to Fightback editor Alex Grant on Cheri DiNovo's "Left, Lefter, Leftist". This month: Cheri, Alex, Curtis Jordan and Gary Kinsman discuss transit, homelessness, and the Toronto mayoral election You can also listen on the CIUT website, here.
The real history of the American Revolution - Fightback Radio #48
March 24, 2023 15:17 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBThe American Revolution was a dialectically complex, and profound political and social revolution, which rooted out most of the remaining traces of monarchic rule and feudalism inherited from the only partially complete English bourgeois revolution. Unfortunately, the Revolution has been reduced to a summer barbecue on the 4th of July that completely ignores the real class roots of this world-shaking event. In this talk, Fightback activist Kian provides a Marxist analysis, to understand the...
The struggle for a workers' party in the USA - Montreal Marxist Winter School 2023 #2
March 17, 2023 18:43 - 42 minutes - 39.8 MBThe question of how the US working class will create a party of its own—a class-independent, mass socialist party—has been a foremost concern of Marxists since the earliest beginnings of the movement, both in the US and around the world. Reactionaries have long pointed to the lack of a working-class party as an indication of “American exceptionalism” and the weakness of the class struggle in the land of McCarthy. Meanwhile, revolutionaries have tirelessly maintained that a mass workers’ part...
What is to be done? The Bolshevik-Menshevik split - Montreal Marxist Winter School 2023 #1
March 09, 2023 15:09 - 42 minutes - 39 MBThe history of Bolshevism has many vital lessons for today’s revolutionaries – particularly regarding the origins of the revolutionary party that led the masses to victory in Russia. At the second congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1903, the famous split between the majority (Bolsheviks) and minority (Mensheviks) took place. Many myths and distortion surround this split. It is often wrongly alleged the Mensheviks stood for a ‘democratic’ and ‘decentralized’ party, in o...
The Revolutionary Party - This Week in the Canadian Revolution #27
January 24, 2023 18:31 - 1 hour - 61.5 MBThis week, Joel and Julien Arseneau of La Riposte socialiste discuss why a revolutionary party is necessary for the overthrow of capitalism. Links: "The class, the party and the leadership: How to organize revolution"/"Classe, parti et direction : comment organiser une révolution" by Julien Arseneau Register for the Montreal Marxist Winter School 2023
Bolshevism vs. Stalinism - Fightback Radio #47
January 05, 2023 16:52 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBAt the 2022 NYC Marxist School, Alex Grant of Fightback provided a brief history and background on the USSR, what it achieved, why it was hated by the capitalist world, and looked at the difference between genuine Bolshevism and Stalinism.
The Coming Recession - This Week in the Canadian Revolution #26
December 14, 2022 18:25 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBThis week, Joel and Alex discuss the coming recession, and what it means for class struggle in Canada. The articles mentioned in the podcast can be found here: https://www.marxist.ca/article/explaining-the-coming-crisis-of-capitalism https://www.marxist.ca/article/canada-before-and-after-coronavirus https://www.marxist.ca/article/fightbacks-perspectives-2021-the-coming-storm-and-the-tasks-of-the-marxists You can sign up for the Marxist Winter School here: www.marxist.ca/school
The Oka Crisis and Indigenous resistance - Western Canadian Marxist Summer School #3
November 30, 2022 17:48 - 43 minutes - 40.5 MBThe Oka crisis is one of the most significant episodes in modern Canadian history. For months, all eyes in the country were pulled to a small Quebec town where a group of Indigenous activists lead an armed blockade against a golf course expansion that threatened ancestral lands. This standoff sparked a wave of protest across Canada and left behind a spirit of militancy that the Indigenous movement continues to draw from today. In this talk from summer 2022, comrade Marcus discusses the lesso...
Lessons from the Education Workers Strike - Fightback Radio #46
November 11, 2022 16:07 - 1 hour - 55.9 MBFor the first time, Canadian workers have forced the repeal of back-to-work legislation. The inspiring struggle of the 55,000 Ontario education workers has achieved an important partial victory, and sets a precedent for workers across Canada. When workers unite and fight, they win! In this talk, Fightback editor Alex Grant discusses the historic outcome of this struggle and the way forward.
The Crisis of Canadian Capitalism and the Rising Class Struggle - Fightback Radio #45
November 07, 2022 16:09 - 51 minutes - 48 MBOn November 5, in the midst of a rising strike movement of education workers, Fightback met to discuss the perspective for the class struggle in Canada. In this talk Joel Bergman explains how we got here and where the crisis of capitalism is leading.
Ontario education workers strike: How to win - This Week in the Canadian Revolution #25
November 02, 2022 17:31 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBIn an attack on the entire labour movement, the Ontario government has tabled back-to-work legislation against Ontario workers before the strike has even started, and is using the notwithstanding clause to push through this unconstitutional attack. This week, Joel is joined by custodian and organizer with the CUPE 4400 Rank-and-File Group, Hermes Azam, to talk about what needs to happen for the labour movement to fight back against this attack.
This Week in the Canadian Revolution #24: Anarchy in the U.K.
October 27, 2022 17:23 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MBThis week, Joel is joined by Adam Booth from Socialist Appeal to talk about the fall of Liz Truss, the death of the queen, and class struggle in the U.K.
This Week in the Canadian Revolution #23: The Communist Manifesto
October 19, 2022 13:48 - 1 hour - 70.5 MBThis week, Joel and Alex discuss the Communist Manifesto, and the ways in which it continues to be incredibly relevant to the modern world.
Fightback Radio #44: Women, Life, Freedom, Socialism! Lessons From Iranian Revolutionaries
October 13, 2022 18:36 - 30 minutes - 28.6 MBThe movement against the Iranian regime has escalated on the streets spreading to more than 140 cities, towns and villages across Iran. What started as a protest against the killing of a young Kurdish woman, has turned into a powerful revolutionary movement of the youth against the entire regime. In this episode, Fightback activist Maral N. discusses what has led up to the current movement, and where it needs to go in order to win.
This Week in the Canadian Revolution #22: Mass protests in Iran: What way forward?
October 06, 2022 16:30 - 1 hour - 57.1 MBThis week, Joel is joined by Hamid Alizadeh, editor of marxist.com, to talk about the mass protests in Iran, what's necessary for it to win, and what we can learn from the movement in Canada
Fightback Radio #43: Capitalism in crisis: What is to be done?
September 29, 2022 15:31 - 47 minutes - 44.2 MBWe are living in a time of crisis on all fronts—war, poverty, oppression, political instability and economic collapse have all compounded to create a living nightmare for workers and youth. However, these are not unconnected events, but all different expressions of a single crisis: the crisis of capitalism. This is the system that crushes the working class on a daily basis, and is particularly bad for the youth. Many young people have rightly concluded that capitalism has robbed them of the...
This Week in the Canadian Revolution #21: The death of the Queen and the fight against the monarchy in Canada
September 13, 2022 19:11 - 1 hour - 58 MBThis week, Joel is joined by Benoît Tanguay, editor of La Riposte socialiste, to discuss the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and how to abolish the monarchy in Canada.
Fightback Radio #42: Strike against inflation!
September 09, 2022 16:14 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MBAcross Canada there is a marked increase in strike votes and strike activity among unionized workers, from public service workers in British Columbia to education workers in Ontario. Unionization drives for unorganized workers is picking up in Starbucks, Amazon and other workplaces. All of this is a response to rising inflation and the higher cost of living. As big corporations and their friends in government put the cost of their own crisis on the backs of workers, workers are instinctively...
What is Imperialism? - Western Canadian Marxist Summer School 2022 #2
August 18, 2022 17:36 - 34 minutes - 32.2 MBWar, poverty, climate change, hunger, disease, the concentration of power, wealth, and influence in the hands of a few. These, and countless more nightmares have plagued the world for over 100 years, making life miserable for the vast majority of the globe. Lenin proposed in his work, Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism, that these phenomena are not a bug or mistake of capitalism, but rather the logical progression under a system based on the relentless and unending pursuit of capit...
This Week in the Canadian Revolution #20: Saber rattling over Taiwan: The Marxist position
August 10, 2022 18:45 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBThis week, Joel is joined by Daniel Morley, writer for In Defence of Marxism, to discuss U.S. and Chinese saber rattling over Taiwan.
Fightback Radio #41: What causes capitalist crisis?
August 04, 2022 15:16 - 54 minutes - 50.5 MBThe world economy is wracked with turbulence, buffeted by a perfect storm of war, pandemic, and protectionism. A toxic combination of inflation and recession looms for capitalism. This is a finished recipe for revolutionary explosions everywhere. In this episode, Fightback editor Alex Grant discusses what causes capitalist crises and how we can change society through socialist revolution.
Imperialist War and Marxism - Western Canadian Marxist Summer School 2022 #1
July 21, 2022 19:44 - 1 hour - 59.3 MBIn this talk from the Western Canadian Marxist Summer School 2022, Fightback editor Alex Grant discusses imperialism, pacifism, and the Marxist analysis of war.
This Week in the Canadian Revolution #19: Boris Johnson's resignation and the crisis in Britain
July 12, 2022 16:50 - 1 hour - 73.8 MBThis week, Joel is joined by Adam Booth, editor of Socialist Appeal in the UK, to discuss the crisis in Britain and what Marxists can learn from it.
This Week in the Canadian Revolution #18: Marxism and LGBTQ liberation
June 21, 2022 17:56 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBThis week, Joel is joined by Koral to discuss the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ liberation, and why Marxism is the best tool to end oppression.
Fighback Radio #40: A world in crisis and perspectives for class struggle
June 16, 2022 17:52 - 2 hours - 120 MBIn this leadoff from Fightback's 2022 congress, In Defence of Marxism editor Fred Weston discusses the global situation and perspectives for class struggle
This Week in the Canadian Revolution #17: Bill-C 21 and the socialist approach to gun control
June 14, 2022 17:04 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MBThis week, Joel is joined by Laine to talk about the Liberal's Bill C-21 to restrict handguns, and what the socialist approach is to gun control.
Fightback Radio #39: Canada, crisis and the need for working class leadership
June 09, 2022 17:51 - 1 hour - 83.6 MBIn this talk, given at Fightback's 2022 National Congress, Fightback editor Alex Grant discusses the perspectives for class struggle in Canada and the role of the Marxists.
This Week in the Canadian Revolution #16: Left failure: What is to be Done?
June 07, 2022 16:51 - 1 hour - 57.7 MBThis week, Joel and Alex talk about the general despondency of the left in the light of events like the Ontario election, and what is to be done. Register for the Western Canadian Marxist School here. Register for the International Marxist University here.
Bonus #15: Left, Lefter, Leftist - Ontario election
June 04, 2022 14:22 - 52 minutes - 48 MBListen to Fightback editor Alex Grant on Cheri DiNovo's "Left, Lefter, Leftist". This month: Cheri, Alex, and Nora Loreto discuss the outcome of the Ontario election You can also listen on Cheri DiNovo's Soundcloud, here.
Fightback Radio #38: The 1984-85 British Miners' Strike: Lessons for Workers in Canada
June 03, 2022 15:58 - 54 minutes - 50.6 MBIn this episode, Fred Weston, editor of In Defence of Marxism, discusses the lessons of the 1984-85 British Miners' strike, and what they mean for picket lines today. This talk was hosted by the Picket Lines Mean Do Not Cross campaign. You can find out more about the campaign here.
This Week in the Canadian Revolution #15: Quebec language debate: The Marxist position on Bill 96
May 31, 2022 17:21 - 1 hour - 74.9 MBThis week, Joel is joined by Julien Arseneau to discuss Quebec's Bill 96, the language debate, and the Quebec national question.