In case you didn't happen to read the UK's most recent National Security Strategy document, @critisticuffs.org has a piece highlighting how much it promises to sacrifice for the security of the state.
critisticuffs.org/texts/what-t...
I like that group but it really has the dumbest name
Where we read a piece by our friends over at @critisticuffs.org about Trump and imperialism and have our biannual current events discussion.
open.spotify.com/episode/2yVu...
Image is of the opening paragraphs of the article. They read: “The United States will once again consider itself a growing nation — one that increases our wealth, expands our territory, builds our cities, raises our expectations, and carries our flag into new and beautiful horizons.” — US President Donald Trump’s Inaugural Address, 20 January 2025 With these words, Donald Trump declared an end to a central pillar of the American world order. This world order prevailed over half of the world since the end of the Second World War and has prevailed essentially across the entire globe since the 1990s. This declaration by Donald Trump upends the competing calculations of capitalist states worldwide, which now contemplate the odds of war, not only with the US but also with each other.
New article: Peace for our Time
Trump has upended the post-war American world order. What has been undone, and what is to be done?
critisticuffs.org/texts/peace-...
Cover of the Penguin edition of Capital volume 1
New year, new you! Join a reading group for Karl Marx's Capital.
Meeting weekly and taking it slow in the company of other people is in my experience the best way to get to grips with this book.
New groups starting from mid January in London, Brighton, and Glasgow. Details at critisticuffs.org
More info:
Here's some links you can share:
critisticuffs.org/events/capit...
critisticuffs.org/events/capit...
critisticuffs.org/events/capit...
Cover of Capital Volume 1 by Karl Marx, Penguin edition
Our Capital reading groups are just around the corner:
- 9th Jan, 7pm for Brighton, at the Cowley Club
- 13th Jan, 7pm for London, at the Sekforde
- February for Glasgow
You can just turn up on the day, or get in touch with us here if you want to know more.
You can also send us a blank email to any of these lists to subscribe to email updates:
London: reading_capital_in_london-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
Glasgow: reading_capital_in_glasgow-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
Brighton: reading_capital_in_brighton-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
Capital isn't an easy book to read - especially the opening chapters - but neither is it beyond anyone willing to spend some time with it. Reading in a group is a good way of coming to an understanding of both the key concepts and overarching structure of the book's arguments.
We are starting Marx's Capital volume 1 reading groups in London, Glasgow and Brighton in the new year.
Each will meet weekly, and we will read it together at a slow pace, to allow everyone to be on the same page. If you're interested, get in touch with us here and we will send you more details.
hi David 👋, sorry for being so late to this, here's our companion to your companion: critisticuffs.org/texts/david-...
A particular cruel punchline of history is that “historical materialism” is the hallmark of radicals and revolutionaries. A theory that predicts the collapse of the rejected system is a theory peddled by those busying themselves to bring it to its knees. For social democrats, who have completed their journey to responsible co-managers of the capitalist mode of production, historical materialism has fulfilled its historic mission in justifying their journey.
New text: "Historical Materialism: A fetter on productive politics" - https://critisticuffs.org/texts/historical-materialism
We claim that modern misery ultimately is the result of the capitalist economy, the nation-state watching over it and the wrong ideas people have about them. This separates us from most other critics.