International Marxist Tendency

The International Marxist Tendency (IMT) is an international Trotskyist tendency founded by Ted Grant and his followers following their break with the Committee for a Workers International in the early 1990s. Their website, Marxist.com, is edited by Alan Woods. The site is multilingual, and publishes international current affairs articles written from a Marxist perspective, as well as many historical and theoretical articles. The IMT is active in over 40 countries worldwide.[5]

International Marxist Tendency
AbbreviationIMT
LeaderAlan Woods
FounderTed Grant
Founded1992
Split fromCommittee for a Workers' International
IdeologyCommunism
Revolutionary socialism
Marxism
Leninism[1][2][3]
Trotskyism
Bolshevism[4]
Anti-Stalinism
Political positionFar-left
Colors  Red
Website
www.marxist.com

History

Militant (also known as the Militant tendency) was an entryist group within the British Labour Party based around the Militant newspaper which was founded in 1964. In 1974, Militant and its allies in Sweden, Ireland and other countries formed the Committee for a Workers' International. At the time it was the largest Trotskyist organization in Europe. The organisation gained more members during the 1970s and early 1980s and dominated the Labour Party in Liverpool. In 1983, the five members of the Militant newspaper's editorial board were expelled for contravening the Labour Party constitution and expulsions of Militant members continued throughout the rest of the decade.[6][7][8]

Ted Grant was a long time leader of Militant until it split in early 1992 over a number of issues, primarily whether to continue working within the Labour Party. The majority, rejecting entryism, formed Militant Labour, which subsequently became the Socialist Party of England and Wales. Grant argued that leaving Labour would amount to throwing away many decades of patient work and maintained that Marxists should remain within the party. However, he and his supporters were expelled from the tendency and together with Alan Woods they formed Socialist Appeal in Britain.[9][10][11]

The factional fight within Militant that led to the expulsion of Grant and Woods also played itself out within the CWI with supporters of the Grant faction leaving to form the Committee for a Marxist International in several countries, particularly Spain.

At its World Congress in 2006, the organisation was renamed the International Marxist Tendency (IMT).[12]

Woods is editor of the British section's journal Socialist Appeal and of the IMT website, In Defence of Marxism.[13]

Theory and tactics

Hammer and sickle on Trotsky's grave

The International Marxist Tendency adheres to Orthodox Trotskyism, emphasising the education of cadres of workers and youth.[14]

The IMT manifesto makes demands such as "the end to privatisation and the abandonment of market economics", "the nationalisation of privatised companies without compensation" and "the reintroduction of the state monopoly of foreign trade".[15]

National sections

The IMT claims sections in many countries worldwide, including Esquerda Marxista in Brazil, Sinistra classe rivoluzione[16] in Italy, Revolutie (previously Vonk) in the Netherlands, Fightback in Canada, and Socialist Appeal in Britain.

Its section in France, Révolution (formerly La Riposte), practiced entryism in the French Communist Party . In 2008, La Riposte supported an alternative platform at the PCF party conference which received the support of 15% of voters,[17][18] following which Révolution left the French Communist Party and became a member of La France Insoumise while La Riposte stayed within the PCF and are no longer a section of the International Marxist Tendency.

The IMT's Brazilian section, Esquerda Marxista (Marxist Left) was formerly a recognized tendency within the ruling Workers' Party and has a majority in the Movimento Negro Socialista (Socialist Black Movement, MNS).[19][20] On 5 May 2015, the Brazilian section announced its withdrawal from the Workers' Party, citing the failure of this party to stand up to austerity and its support for police repression of protest movements.[21]

Two members of the Greek section (Communist Tendency of SYRIZA) were elected to the Central Committee of SYRIZA during its founding congress in July 2013. This faction has since pushed within SYRIZA for the rejection of austerity, and for the party to carry out socialist policies.[22][23] This organization's positions have gained the attention of the Wall Street Journal, which interviewed some members as part of an article on 23 June 2015.[24] The Communist Tendency joined the newly founded Popular Unity following its split from SYRIZA.[25] In the summer of 2016 Communist Tendency split from Popular Unity after the latter’s founding conference.

The Mexican section, La Izquierda Socialista, has been active in the National Regeneration Movement.[26] Several members of the Mexican section were mentioned by name in articles by the Conservative newspaper La Razón. These articles took note of these members large role in student struggles at Instituto Politécnico Nacional, and accused them of being outside agitators linked to the left-wing writer and politician Paco Ignacio Taibo II.[27][28] On August 26, 2015 members of La Izquerda Socialista were injured in a confrontation with riot police after leaving an "Ayotzinapa" protest in Mexico city. Among the injured was Ubaldo Meneses, editor of the organization's newspaper, and a member of the national council of MORENA.[29]

In preparation for the Italian general election in 2018, the IMT's section (Left, Class, Revolution) launched the For a Revolutionary Left electoral alliance with the Workers' Communist Party, the Italian section of the Coordinating Committee for the Refoundation of the Fourth International (CRFI).[30][31] The alliance received 0.08% of the vote.[32]

Since the rapid growth of the Democratic Socialists of America since the 2016 presidential election in the United States, US members of the IMT have joined DSA chapters around the country.

At its XIII Congress on May 3–4 May 2019, the Revolutionary Workers' Party voted to fuse with the Russian section of the International Marxist Tendency and for the united party to affiliate to the IMT.[33][34] In 2019, the Russian IMT section led the anti-clerical campaign in Moscow and successfully supported the election campaign of one of the Communist Party candidates for the Moscow City Duma (city council).[35][36]

Sections of the IMT

Updated IMT Sections of the World
Section Name of publication English name Official website Connection to mass parties
 Argentina El Militante Militant [1]
 Australia Revolution Revolution [2] Australian Labor Party
 Austria Der Funke The Spark [3] Socialist Youth Austria
 Belgium in Wallonia: Unité Socialiste
in Flanders: Vonk
Socialist Unity
The Spark
[4]

[5]

 Bolivia Lucha de Clases Class Struggle [6] Movement for Socialism
 Brazil Esquerda Marxista Marxist Left [7] Socialism and Liberty Party
 Canada Fightback Fightback [8]
 Catalonia L'Octubre In October [9]
 Czech Republic
 Slovak Republic
Marxistická Alternativa Marxist Alternative [10]
 Denmark Revolutionære Socialister Revolutionary Socialists [11]
 El Salvador Bloque Popular Juvenil United Front of the Youth [12] Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front
 England
 Wales
Socialist Appeal Socialist Appeal [13] Labour Party
 France Révolution Revolution [14] La France Insoumise
 Germany Der Funke – Marxistische Linke The Spark – Marxist Left [15] The Left
 Greece Κομμουνιστική Τάση
Kommunistiki Tási
Communist Tendency [16]
 Guatemala Bloque Popular Juvenil Youth Popular Block [17]
 Honduras Izquierda Marxista Marxist Left [18]
 India Bolshevik IMT India
 Indonesia Perhimpunan Sosialis Revolusioner Revolutionary Socialist Assembly [19]
 Iran مبارزه طبقاتی
Mobāreze-ye Tabaqāti
Class Struggle [20]
 Ireland Irish Marxists
 Italy Sinistra classe rivoluzione Left, Class, Revolution [21]

[22]

For a Revolutionary Left
 Mexico La Izquierda Socialista The Socialist Left [23] National Regeneration Movement
 Morocco رابطة العمل الشيوعي
Rābita al-'amal al-shuyu'ī
Communist League [24]
 Netherlands Revolutie Revolution [25]
 New Zealand Socialist Appeal Socialist Appeal [26] New Zealand Labour Party
 Nigeria Workers' Alternative Workers' Alternative [27]
 Pakistan لال سلام
Lal Salaam
Red Salute [28]
 Poland Czerwony front Red Front [29]
 Portugal Colectivo Marxista Marxist Collective [30]
 Quebec La Riposte Fightback [31] Québec solidaire
 Romania Critica Roșie Red Critique
 Russia Враг Капитала
Vrag Kapitala
Enemy of the Capital [32]
 Scotland Revolution Revolution [33]
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
 North Macedonia
 Serbia
Crvena Kritika
Црвена Критика
Red Critique [34]
 South Africa Revolution Revolution [35]
Economic Freedom Fighters
 Spain Lucha de Clases Class Struggle [36] Podemos
 Sweden Revolution Revolution [37] Left Party
  Switzerland in German Switzerland: Der Funke
in Romandy: L'étincelle
The Spark [38] Young Socialists Switzerland
 Taiwan 火花
Huǒhuā
The Spark [39]
 United States Socialist Revolution Socialist Revolution [40] Democratic Socialists of America
 Venezuela Lucha de Clases Class Struggle [41] Popular Revolutionary Alternative[37]

Activity

Leading theoretician of the International Marxist Tendency Alan Woods, in a meeting with Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez.
Logo of the In Defence Of Marxism website

Just as the Committee for a Worker's International pursued a policy of entryism within traditional mass social democratic parties up until the early 1990s,[38] IMT groups across the world pursue this method in their respective Labour Parties (where they exist), some Communist parties such as those in France and Italy and, in some countries, mass populist parties such as the Pakistan Peoples Party. This work, however, is typically combined with independent work outside these parties and with a strong observance of not liquidating the organisation within them. The IMT's section in the United States does not pursue entryism, instead supporting a campaign for a trade union-backed Labour Party.

The IMT has spread to parts of Latin America, where it now has groups in Venezuela, Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil and El Salvador. At the end of 2002 it promoted the launching of the solidarity campaign at Hands Off Venezuela, which is now active in 30 countries and has had resolutions passed within the trade union movements in Britain, Canada, Italy and other countries.[39] IMT activists also play an important role in FRETECO (Front of Factories Under Workers' Control) movement in Brazil and Venezuela.[40] They have been very active in Venezuela, where their section supports Hugo Chávez while promoting the ideas of Marx, Lenin, and Trotsky.[41] In 2010 Ramon Muchacho, leader of the main Venezuelan opposition party Primero Justicia, claimed that Alan Woods of the IMT was the "principal ideological adviser and personal friend" of Chávez, a claim played down by Alan Woods.[42]

Every year all the sections of tendency take part in a large event that is either a World Congress or a World School of Marxism. The function of the congress is to discuss the progress of IMT in the world, present reports and plan the future activities, whilst the World School is aimed mainly to deepen the knowledge of Marxist theory, history of workers' movement and the actual situation of the struggle for world socialism.[43]

In the first days of March 2009 the International Marxist Tendency organised a Marxist School in Mexico, where revolutionaries from all over North, South and Central America gathered in order to discuss the work done in each country, as well as Marxist ideas and perspectives for the movement. Notably present at one of the Meetings was Esteban Volkov, grandson of Trotsky[44] who described Alan Woods as one of Trotsky's best followers. Also in this event, a new theoretical magazine was launched, called America Socialista, currently published in Spanish, but which is intended to eventually also be published in Portuguese, English and French.[45]

In 2012 the IMT published an article denouncing the attempted assassination of Malala Yousafzai, claiming she is an IMT sympathizer and showing a picture of her speaking at an IMT school in Swat, Pakistan.[46] Woods's statement has been used to interpret Yousafzai's politics[47][48] and to speculate on whether she has a communist or anti-religious agenda.[49][50] Yousafzai sent greetings to the 9 March 2013 congress of the Pakistani section of the IMT, in which she said, "I am convinced Socialism is the only answer and I urge all comrades to take this struggle to a victorious conclusion. Only this will free us from the chains of bigotry and exploitation."[51][52][53]

2009–2010–2016–2017 splits

In late 2009 a dispute developed between the IMT leadership and the leaderships of its sections in Spain (El Militante), Venezuela (Corriente Marxista Revolucionaria) and Mexico. In January 2010, these organisations, together with the group in Colombia and part of the section in Mexico, broke with the IMT and established a new international body, the Izquierda Revolucionaria (Revolutionary Left).[54][55] Minorities in Venezuela and Spain chose to remain with the IMT and set up new sections.[56] The new IMT Venezuelan section launched their newspaper, Lucha de Clases, in April 2010.[57] In 2016, the Corriente Marxista Revolucionaria issued a joint declaration with the Committee for a Workers International announcing that the organizations are conducting joint work.[58]

In the same year, another smaller split occurred. The majority of the Swedish section, factions in Poland and Britain and individuals from several other sections left the IMT to form a new group called Towards a New International Tendency.[59] The Iranian section of the IMT also split away over the international's position on Venezuela's friendly relations with the Iranian government and in 2011 launched Marxist Revival[60] with co-thinkers in Britain.

In 2016 the Pakistani section split, with the majority leaving, while the minority reorganized as "Lal Salaam" (Red Salute).

In April 2017, the IMT suffered a split in its Brazilian section.

Publications

In addition to the international website, each national section has its own website in that country's respective language(s). There is also a quantity of audio and video material on the site. The IMT operates a publisher, Wellred Books which publishes a number of books by Trotsky, Alan Woods and other authors and sells them through its online bookstore and supplies IMT sections with material for their book stalls. Every section of the IMT regularly publishes theoretical periodicals, such as In Defence of Marxism, "America Socialista", Asian Marxist Review or "FalceMartello".

The site's name, In Defence of Marxism, is derived from the title given to a collection of letters and articles by Trotsky.[61]

References

  1. Sewell, Rob. "Vladimir Ilyich Lenin: The relevance of his ideas today". In Defence of Marxism.
  2. Sewell, Rob. "In Defence of Lenin". In Defence of Marxism.
  3. Woods, Alan. "Lenin's Last Struggle". In Defence of Marxism.
  4. Sewell, Rob. "Bolshevism and Stalinism". In Defence of Marxism.
  5. "Trotskyist Parties and Organizations of the World". Broadleft.org. 27 November 2005. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
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  13. "BBC 2 Interview with Alan Woods". YouTube. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  14. "A Brief History of the International Marxist Tendency". In Defence of Marxism. 12 August 2006. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
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