The failures of 'lesser evilism' and the popular front

The failures of 'lesser evilism' and the popular front

Those on the left are increasingly being pushed the idea that we must support, vote for and publicly defend the 'lesser evil' in politics. Many liberal politicians orient their campaign around the idea that they are not as bad as the other candidate.  This is not a new phenomenon but a rehashing of the ideas of the Popular Front, popularised by Stalin in the 1920s/30s to excuse his distaste for international revolution.  Importantly, it has never worked in defeating either fascism or the right wing populists of today such as Trump or Farage. In fact, the left aligning themselves with the liberals, ie. the representatives of capitalist crisis, has only opened the road further to those on the right presenting themselves as the anti-establishment candidates.  In this talk, delivered to the newly elected RCP Central Committee this weekend, Rob Sewell discusses different examples of lesser evilism and the popular front and their failures, linking this to how this bankrupt idea has informed the political situation in the West today.  Rob Sewell is a member of the Executive Committee of the RCP and the International Secretariat of the RCI.

1945: Liberation, revolution and betrayal

A revolutionary wave swept through Europe towards the end of the Second World War. In France, communists formed the backbone of the armed resistance to fascism. In Italy, workers occupied the factories, peasants took over the land, and communists led a mass armed partisan force. In Greece, the communist party led the resistance movement, and was in a strong position to take power. But in all these countries, capitalism survived. In this session, leading member of the RCI James Kilby, will explain the revolutionary process that developed towards the end of the war. He will explore how and why the Stalinists in one country after another betrayed these incredible movements, thus setting back the world revolution by decades.

What would socialism look like?

Most people today are well aware of what they are against, poverty, austerity, racism, imperialism and much more. However, very few people have an idea of what they are fighting for. Politics promises things it can never achieve, demoralising people in the process. This is where Marxism is different. Instead of starting with what we want, we begin with what is possible and what is getting in our way. In this talk, Sarah Vedrovitch explains the world which communists are fighting for and how to get to it from what exists today.

Revolutions in Materialist Philosophy

From the Renaissance to Marx, this talk from the London Marxist School traces the revolutionary developments of materialist philosophy. Beginning with the scientific breakthroughs of figures like Francis Bacon and Isaac Newton, it explores how humanity fought to understand the world through reason, science, and experience. The talk examines the limits of English empiricism, explaining the triumph of Marx and Engels in using dialectics to elevate materialism onto a higher plane. In doing so, they uncovered the laws of historical development and the contradictions of capitalism itself. As Khaled Malachi explains, Marxist philosophy is a guide to revolutionary action: a method for understanding society, exposing the roots of class exploitation, and fighting consciously for a socialist future.

Defying US imperialism: Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution

The Cuban Revolution stands as one of the most revered revolutions in the history of capitalism. Fidel Castro and Che Guevara began as anti-imperialists and did not initially consider the revolution to be socialist. However, in the course of the struggle, they realised that the fight against imperialism, if it was to succeed, also had to be a fight against capitalism. With this understanding, they heroically ended capitalism on the island, leading to a long list of gains for Cuban workers. With the struggle against imperialism taking on renewed importance today, the lessons of the Cuban Revolution should be studied by all those who want to end the barbarism created by imperialism. In this talk, RCP Central Committee member Keelan Kellegher will draw out the lessons of the Cuban Revolution, explaining the most important conclusions we can take from this inspiring event.