'Socialism or Barbarism' today: the centrality of self-emancipation
IIRE – ECOSOCIALIST SCHOOL December 2018
"Socialism or Barbary" to-day : the centrality of self-emancipation. "Transitional strategy" and “Permanent revolution” in contemporary capitalism Lessons from the past and from new struggles
Catherine Samary http://csamary.
OUTLINE
I - Why “socialism or barbary” to-day ? The impact of the “soviet century” - and its end – on capitalist “policies” and institutions, behind economic dimensions, “long waves” and crisis.
II- Back on “Socialism” and “communism” : what do we mean ? Lessons from the past and present struggles ; updating notions and debates.
III- What “transitional strategy” to-day ? At what level ? What fundamental demands ?
Questions for working groups
Do you know (in your own country or elsewhere) significant examples of the following experiences (you can select what you know more about) : “Municipalism” or “rebel cities” ? Fights about “commons” (clarify the concept) workers or popular forms of “self-managment” in factories, services or local (rural and/or urban territories) ? Fights against private banks and financial markets, as supported by the CADTM against “illegitimate debt” (at municipal, national or broader level), or against “toxic credits” ?
How can those fights be part of a “transitional” dynamic within/against the capitalist system and logics ? What difficulties, risks, contradictions are they (or could they be) confronted to ? How to deal with them ? What involvement and debates about those experiences among radical left currents ?
Reading materials:
1) David Harvey on the commons [1]
2) CADTM Women, debt and Micro-credit . Final Declaration of CADTM African women's seminar, Bamako, 15-19 November 2017 [2]
3) Via Campesina [3] (3) Who are we? What are we fighting for? What are we fighting against? Media and Publications)
Building alternatives [4]
UN Declaration on peasants’ rights [5]
4) Michael Lebowitz : The Spectre of Socialism in the XXIst Century : Build it NOW ! [6]