The Institute for the Critical Study of Society
at the Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library

Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library

PAST PROGRAMS

NOTE; here’s our schedule of completed programs since 2017. These are listed in reverse chronological order. We have a fairly complete record going back through 2012, plus selections going back to 2006. We hope to post everything as soon as we figure out the best format. This list does not include non-Sunday morning programs at NPML or nearby which we sometimes include in our weekly announcements. Many Of our programs have been recorded and placed on the "icss marxist" channel on YouTube” as well as listed here.

Sun, Apr  18, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Pacific
Law and People’s Rights in  India
Synopsis of the talk from Mihir Desai: I will be speaking about legislative and policy changes during the Modi Government affecting rights of people. This will include the new labour codes, farmers laws, laws concerning citizenship, love jihad laws, education policy, AADHAR act, changes in laws affecting NGOs, Environmental laws, laws concerning elections, demonetisation, etc. This will include the erosion of parliamentary democracy and  federal structure. The talk will also include the use of existing and new draconian laws. It will be in the overall context of the present context of the Establishments efforts to suppress all dissent and to hollow out all institutions of accountability.           Speaker’s Profile: Mihir Desai is a designated Senior Advocate practising in Bombay High Court and Supreme Court of India. He mainly practises human rights law. He is a cofounder of Human Rights Law Network and was Director of India Centre of Human Rights and Law for 10 years. He was also the Editor of Combat Law- a human rights law magazine for the same period. He is presently the National Vice President of Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). He has done litigation on various human rights issues including the Gujarat carnage of 2002, challenging the CAA and NRC in Supreme Court and various issues arising out of NRC in Gawhati High Court, litigation concerning the tool kit concerning farmers movement, issues concerning hate speech, representing number of accused in the Bhima Koregaon ‘urban naxal’ case, challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution concerning Kashmir. He has also been involved in a number of other cases concerning environment, women’s rights, child rights, police brutality and freedom of speech and expression and right to protest. He has been member of number of independent peoples tribunals concerning human rights issues. He was the Legal Counsel for International Tribunal on Kashmir.
RECORDING WILL BE POSTED WHEN AVAILABLE

Sun, Apr 11, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Pacific

Ten Things for US to Understand

about Latin America

   Our speaker, Laura Wells, just returned from two weeks in Nicaragua with a delegation sponsored by Sanctions Kill, Alliance for Global Justice, and Friends of the ATC. When she received the announcement for the delegation, she felt instantly inspired. She had already visited the other two countries named as the "Troika of Tyranny" by Trump's Secretary of State Pompeo. She knew "tyranny" was a lie about Cuba and Venezuela and wanted to see if it was also a lie about Nicaragua. She was especially interested because there is a common impression across the political spectrum that Daniel Ortega was good in the 1980s but became corrupt and authoritarian when he returned to the presidency in 2006. See more at https://laurawells.org/ten-things-for-us-to-understand-about-latin-america/

    Laura will report back on the struggles in Latin America and the Caribbean resisting US imperialism to create a better world, based on her visits and studies. In the Q&A, she would like to engage in a robust discussion of what we can learn from the shift in consciousness in Latin America and about their advances toward socialism.

   Laura Wells is a longtime political and social activist. She is a leader in the Green Party, running for Congress in 2018 and for governor in 2010. In 2002 she garnered nearly a half million votes in her run for California state controller. A former financial systems analyst, she supports taxing the rich, implementing public banks, and making significant changes to Proposition 13.

   We highly recommend her blog: http://laurawells.org/
RECORDED
Here's the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiQ6durUe-U

Sun, Apr  4, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Pacific
The Mass Psychology of Neofascism
Fascist rulers in the 20th century, as well as Neofascist forces across the globe in the early 21st century have managed to attract mass support from significant sections of working people. This is despite the fact that these reactionary projects intensify capitalist exploitation and undermine the material interests of many of their own followers. To understand this contradiction, we need to supplement current political economy analyses of Neofascism with a grasp of mass psychology processes, which are powerfully manipulated by neofascist leaders.
Our speaker is an activist physician and author.
NOT RECORDED.

Sun, Mar 28, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Pacific
What’s going on in Myanmar?
On Feb 1st, 2021, the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) instituted a coup of the civilian government on the eve of the seating of the newly elected parliament,.  Since then, the situation has resulted in mass protest while devolving into bloodshed.  Journalist K.J.Noh will join us to discuss the history, geopolitics, and political economy of Myanmar to better understand the situation, what forces--historical, political, material-- are at play and what is at stake in this critical moment.
K.J. Noh, is a scholar, educator and activist journalist focusing on the geopolitics of the Asia-pacific.   He writes for Dissident Voice, Black Agenda Report, Counterpunch, Popular Resistance, Asia Times,  and is senior correspondent for KPFA Flashpoints.  He also does commentary and analysis on the shows: By Any Means Necessary, Fault Lines, Critical Hour, Political Misfits, Loud & Clear.  He is a contributor to the book "Capitalism on a Ventilator", banned from Amazon.com but now available from respectable book dealers elsewhere.
x
https://youtu.be/jvq5-chBk38

Sun, Mar  21, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Pacific
The Great Labor Rebellion of the 1930s.
The topic will be the history of the 1930s. Not the Great Depression but the *responses* to it. Firstly the Great Labor Rebellion: the CP-led California farmworkers strike, the three left-led general strikes of 1934, the sitdown strikes, and the rise of the CIO. And secondly the capitalist response, the New Deal and FDR, how the capitalist class coopted Labor’s Giant Step, and how black people, Chicanos and women were mistreated under New Deal legislation.
Our speaker is John Holmes who teaches history at Merritt College in California, and is currently on the executive council of the Peralta Federation of Teachers, representing part timers. He was previously an activist in the typographical union. 
RECORDED
Here's the link;
ICSS 20210321 Labor Movement of 1930 and the response - John Holmes
If that doesn’t work, try this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrhzoRIH2k8

Sun, Mar 14, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Pacific
Collective Worker Action in the Tech Industry
A look at both the history of collective actions taken by workers in the tech industry and the current state of the movement. Tech has long been seen as an industry that has resisted worker organization for many reasons. However, there has actually been a long history of organization among tech workers. And, in the last few years, there has been a groundswell of worker organizing in many of the largest tech companies including Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. What are the strategies that have been taken by the movement to build worker power and how successful have they been? What is different and unique about organizing workers in the tech industry? Come find out!
Our speakers have been working in the tech industry for many years and also active in the Bernie 2020 campaign.
NOT RECORDED: Due to unforeseen difficulties this program was not recorded.

Sun, Mar  7, 2021: 10:30 am to 2:30 pm Pacific Time
Capitalism, Ecology, and Socialism
Forest fires in California, thawing of ice in the arctic, Glacier melting in The Himalayas, floods and bitter cold in Texas; and the Covid pandemic are all tied to the global warming from cumulative effects of capitalist commodity production over the past 200 years. Air pollution in much of world has worsened. Since the collapse of the USSR in 1991, and China taking the role of a biggest commodity producer for the world; other than tiny Cuba, there is no model of development that does not contribute to worsening of the ecological crisis all over the world. Class differentiation is leading to right-wing populism, threatening social peace in many countries. The internal contradictions of capital are extreme. To survive, capitalism requires even more exploitation of natural resources and human beings of the world, witness the farmers fighting capitalist predation laws in India. Result of all this is more pollution of air, sea and land on a scale that is undermining the very basis of healthy human existence on earth. Can the alienated individualism and consumerist way of life created by late stage capitalism be ended by a new socialist revolution? Can a new socialism build a healthy materially adequate society for all human beings which lives in balance with Nature?
Our Speaker, ICSS Member Raj Sahai will explore ideas and invite discussion with the participants, in a work in-progress.
RECORDED
Here's the link, if need be, copy and paste into your browser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu2sUJGONA8

Sun, Feb 28, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Pacific Time
The Recent Past and Future of Peace and
Solidarity Movements, 2008 - 2021 and Beyond 
The anti-war movements in the US and across the globe were at their peaks through the first years of the post-9/11 wars.  They were broad, diverse, international, and powerful.  They did not succeed in preventing the 2003 US/UK invasion of Iraq, but they set the stage for future movements and future victories, including stopping US bombing campaigns in Syria and escalation in Iran, parts of the Arab Spring uprisings,  and more.  By the time the Obama administration came into office in 2008, the movement in the US was already facing new challenges.  And over the next several years its power, size, breadth, and influence  had all diminished.  Many blamed it on "oh the peace movement was just too enthralled with Obama" and they stopped working.  But that claim, while holding a grain of truth among a few sectors of the movement, does not explain the changes.  Phyllis will discuss that history, and look forward to today's legacy and new anti-war organizations, and the rise of anti-war/anti-militarism components in a broad range of intersectional organizations. 
About the speaker: Phyllis Bennis is a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C., where she directs the New Internationalism Project, focusing on Middle East, U.S. wars and UN issues. For many years she has been a role model for those who would change US foreign policy by combining activism with crucial research and analysis.  In 2001 Phyllis helped found the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and now serves on the national board of Jewish Voice for Peace. She works with many anti-war and Palestinian rights organizations, writing and speaking widely across the U.S. and around the world. She has served as an informal adviser to several top UN officials on Middle East issues and was twice short-listed to become the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.  Phyllis has written and edited eleven books. Among her latest is the just-published 7th updated edition of her popular Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. Other important works include Before & After: US Foreign Policy and the War on Terror and Challenging Empire: How People, Governments and the UN Defy U.S. Power.
RECORDED
Here's the link, if need be, copy and paste into your browser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVDrdvzks_c&feature=youtu.be

The Western Campaign against
Russian and Chinese Athletes
Rick Sterling will discuss the banning of Russian athletes beginning with the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Summer Olympics and continuing through banning Russian participation in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. He will analyze the "state sponsored doping" accusations that have been made by the World Anti-Doping Agency. What are the accusations and what is their credibility?   Who is Grigory Rodchenkov and what role has he played? 
   Rick will also discuss the case of Sun Yang, probably the most famous Chinese athlete. Sun Yang has won many international swimming events and holds  the world record in the 1500-meter event.  In 2019, Sun Yang was found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation and was banned from international competition for 8 years.  The case was appealed to the highest court adjudicating international sports. In a ruling that shook the swimming world, the court overturned the decision because of racist tweets by the Italian head judge.  These tweets were revealed in Rick's article linked below. Sun Yang's lawyers used this information to successfully challenge the decision.  There will be a new hearing with new judges. 
   Rick will put these cases in the context of the politicization of athletics and western efforts to attack Russia and China in this international arena. 
   Rick Sterling is active in Task Force on the Americas (https://taskforceamericas.org/) and Mount Diablo Peace and Justice Center (https://ourpeacecenter.org/).
   He researches and writes articles on diverse subjects - from the campaign to save the City College of San Francisco, to Syria, to international sports. 
He can be reached at rsterling1@gmail.com
RECORDED

Here's the link, if need be, copy and paste into your browser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mChZPPQcjLI

Sun, Feb 14, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
History of Communist and
Left Movements in Turkey .
This is being organized by Yusuf Gürsey with some other possible speakers.
   Yusuf writes: “I am Turkish and born in Turkey but now residing in New Haven, CT. I am a member of of the US Peace Council and CPUSA and an associate of Communist Party of Turkey (TKP). I am a retired physicist from Middle East Technical University Ankara, Turkey but lately I have become an independent researcher in linguistics and history. I am also very knowledgeable about the struggles in other Middle East countries, particularly the Arab World and I am involved in Middle East Solidarity work. I had become first familiar with Left Movements in Turkey through the students of my parents in Middle East Technical University since 1967 when I was in junior high school and that was also the year I became a supporter of the Palestinian cause.:
  We have invited Ekim Kılıç an officer in the Labour Party (Turkey) of the Kurdish nationality and someone  from the TKP
  ICSS Member Mehmet Bayram will join the discussion.
RECORDED
20210214 Communism and the Left in Turkey - Yusuf Gursey
If need be, copy and paste this into your browser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVI-sQeBJMg&feature=youtu.be

Sun., Feb. 7, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm

Dope + Capitalism = Genocide

   The title of this program comes from a slogan by the Black Panther Party. Without a class analysis, we can never understand the epidemics of violence, addiction, and trauma that plague our communities. Join Danny Shaw, author of My Son Blazes within Me: So Many Contradictions, So Little Time for a discussion of the intergenerational trauma that is inherent to capitalism and imperialism and how we fight back, all day, every day. 
   Our speaker, Danny Shaw, teaches Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the City University of New York. He holds a master’s in international affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. He is fluent in Spanish, Haitian Kreyol, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Kreolu, and has a fair command of French. He works as an international affairs analyst for TeleSUR, RT, and other international news networks. He has worked and organized in seventy different countries, opening his spirit to countless testimonies about the inhumanity of the international economic system. He is a senior research fellow at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (https://www.coha.org/).
   Danny is also a retired Golden Gloves boxer, who fought twice in Madison Square Garden for the NYC heavyweight championship. He teaches boxing, yoga and nutrition, and works as a Sober Coach. He works to keep young people out of the military and prison industrial complex. He is a mentor to many guiding them through the nutritional, ideological, social, and emotional landmines that surround us. He is the father of two young Life Warriors, Ernesto Rafael and Caũa Amaru.
   Danny Shaw is the author of six books, which are available on the web: 365 Days of Resistance; Shedding that which is Not Us: A Working-Class Guide to Life Foods Training and Healing; The Saints of Santo Domingo: Dominican Resistance in the Age of Neocolonialism; My Son Blazes within Me: So Many Contradictions, So Little Time; Paisajes de Amor y Combate; and Los Santos de Santo Domingo.
   In preparation for this program, we recommend two of his articles on Marxism and generational trauma:

https://liberationschool.org/50-years-since-the-panthers-formed-capitalism-drugs-still-genocide/

https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/to-live-among-broken-men-theorizing-rape-and-incest

Or check out this video of Danny being interviewed by Max Blumenthal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcfsxE5ARqQ&t=781s

#ModerateRebels: Revolutionary anti-imperialist struggle from the Bronx to Venezuela, Dominican Republic to Haiti.
RECORDED
https://youtu.be/rbCGW6Ofz_8
If need be, copy and paste into your browser

Sun, Jan 31, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Master of Space: Corporate plans for the militarization & privatization of space
DESCRIPTION:
Bruce Gagnon will reveal the deadly connections between the corporate drive to 'control and dominate' space as spelled out in the US Space Command's 1997 planning document called Vision for 2020.
https://thecommunity.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Vision2020.pdf
   The gold rush is now underway as space technologies have matured to the point where mining the sky for precious resources becomes possible.  Corporate forces intend to use the newly formed 'Space force' to guard the front gate on and off Earth to ensure that only 'authorized' companies and nations would be allowed to access space.
   This vision was first spelled out before Congress in the early 1950's when former Nazi Maj. Gen. Walter Dornberger shared his vision of orbiting battle stations in space to control the pathway on and off our planet.  Dornberger had been Hitler's liaison to V-1 & V-2 rocket scientist Wernher  von Braun during WW II.  After the war Dornberger, Von Braun and more than 1,000 Nazi leaders were secretly brought to the US to serve in the military industrial complex.  Van Braun built the US space program and Dornberger became a V-P of Bell Aerospace in New York.
http://www.space4peace.org
BIO: Bruce Gagnon is the Coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space.  He was a co-founder of the Global Network when it was created in 1992.
RECORDED
https://youtu.be/aJB8uHm3Nq8
If needed, copy and paste into your browser. 

Sun, Jan. 24, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
The US Capitol Building Riot and Its Blowback: 
The Only Thing Scarier than QAnon Is the Reaction to It
   The right-wing riot at the US Capitol on January 6 was a spectacle, complete with Confederate flags and a QAnon shaman in red-white-and-blue face paint. Some half of the active electorate sympathized with the belief that the 2020 presidential election was a steal. The other half of the active electorate was abhorrent, speaking with semi-religious reverence about the desecration of sacred institutions. The true blue had suspected that the Russians stole the 2016 presidential election and, for the last four years, supported politicians ever vigilant against détente breaking out with the second most powerful nuclear state. 
   The US state has not been meeting the needs of its people, its naked dysfunctionality is bare for all to see, and the ruling circles are experiencing a crisis of legitimacy. The response of the rulers to mass discontent is not to address the root causes but to step up suppression. The aftermath of the events of January 6 has precipitated blowbacks by the ruling elites, such as proposed anti-domestic terrorism measures, in anticipation of popular resistance to the intensifying contradictions of the US imperial project. 
   Our speaker, Roger D. Harris, will begin the discussion with an abbreviated presentation followed by a Q&A period and robust group discussion on the many issues raised by the Capitol building riot. Was it a riot or a coup? Was it a trap for Trump and did the police collude with the rioters? What is the danger of fascism? What does the rising right-wing insurgency signify and what should be the response to it? Whither Trump and what about the Squad? And most of all, what do the developments of January 6 and its blowback mean for left organizing and progressive social change?      Roger is a member of the ICSS program committee and the human rights organization, the Task Force on the Americas. Roger recently wrote on the US Capitol riot of January 6: https://www.counterpunch.org/2021/01/13/the-only-thing-scarier-than-qanon-is-the-reaction-to-it/Also recommended is the US Peace Council’s statement on the event and its aftermath, People’s Movement is Faced with a Serious Threat (Roger was one of the authors):
http://wpc-in.org/statements/people%E2%80%99s-movement-faced-serious-threat
Additional recommended reading are the blogs by the inimitable Caitlin Johnstone, who tells us “Modern liberalism is just QAnon for people with diplomas on their walls.” See on today’s topic: 
https://caityjohnstone.medium.com/stop-trivializing-the-term-coup-notes-from-the-edge-of-the-narrative-matrix-fdc49a95fdd2
RECORDED

https://youtu.be/yUMkfNwwzYY

If needed, copy and paste into your browser. 

Sun, Jan 17, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
The Farmer’s Movement in India
Present protests of farmers have grown with tens of thousands in opposition to the three farm laws government of India passed in the parliament where the ruling BJP has majority, taking advantage of  the Covid pandemic lockdown period which restricted the movements and thus also protests. These 3 laws have the purpose of denying fair prices to farmers, to the advantage of big (capitalist) privately owned corporations both Indian and foreign. They will be allowed to take over agricultural land, to hoard agricultural produce and sell them at much higher prices making huge profits at the cost of consumers and farmers. Hence there are widespread protests all over the country by all sections of farmers and farm workers. But in Delhi those states which are located close to the Capital of India, New Delhi, farmers unions have mobilized to march to the capital and protest over 2 months back. They have been stopped at the border of Delhi State, a central government territory by the police.  Now these farmers are choking Delhi by blocking all highways into the city. The Modi government has come forward with some amendments which are cosmetic. Farmers are firm in demanding repeal of laws. The Supreme Court of India (SCI) has intervened, which is permitted in India for the SCI when the issue is a large public interest one. The SC has ruled to suspend these new laws, and has created a committee to study and provide it the advice of the committee. But farmers have rejected this committee. Over 70 farmers have died in the harsh winter outdoor living on the roads. The crisis is unresolved.

Our speaker,  Mr. G. N. Nagaraj, is an agronomist based in Karnataka State in South India. This state is now ruled by BJP but was ruled by the Congress Party in 1983. He resigned from his state job in 1983 over what he saw was unfairness to the farmers. He then worked with farmers unions. He helped found an organization of farm workers as they suffered most because of their social situation as Dalits and economic situation as landless agricultural labor.
RECORDED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAHDW05uNk4&feature=youtu.be

If needed, copy and paste into your browser. 

Sun, Jan 10, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Michael Roberts,  The Story of the Year of the COVID: But What Now for 2021?
2020 will go down in history - a worldwide pandemic from a previously unknown virus deadly to humans, killing millions or leaving them with permanent health problems; forcing lockdowns across the world that destroyed the world economy in the worst slump in the history of capitalism; and driving millions globally into poverty and loss of livelihood.  Where did all this come from?  Can capitalism come out of this unscarred?  With vaccines on the way is the crisis over?  What are the prospects for lives and livelihoods in 2021? 

For a preview, see Michael Roberts blog: Blogging from a Marxist economist. https://thenextrecession.wordpress.com

RECORDED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc2hZdS0lP4&feature=youtu.be

If needed, copy and paste into your browser. 

Sun, Jan 3, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Open Planning Meeting
Group Discussion: 2020-2021 The Year in Review and Preview.
Time to get together, talk about what happened in 2020, and discuss our hopes, fears, and tasks for 2021. Everyone is welcome to participate in the discussion. Concrete proposals welcomed and will be  considered by the Program Committee.
THIS PROGRAM WAS NOT RECORDED.

Sun, Dec 27, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
The Three Concepts of Freedom

Synopsis: In this session we will compare and contrast the Liberal, Democratic, and the communist concepts of freedom. We will discuss that the Liberal freedom consists of the legal guarantees against outside intrusions. Democratic freedom emphasizes the right to participate in the life of the community, and the communist understanding of it consists of self-determination, i.e. non-alienated life.  

Our speaker, Kambiz Sakhai, was born and educated in Iran. His studies included: Sociology, Middle Eastern Studies and Psychology. He has lived and worked in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 30 years. He is one of the founders of ICSS
RECORDED
https://youtu.be/8Ox0OLsHiGQ

If needed, copy and paste into your browser. 

Sun, Dec 20, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
The Present Farmers' Movement in India:
A Working Class Perspective
The present farmers' movement in India has evoked a lot of interest among progressive and democratic circles around the world. In this context, certain questions need to be answered: What do these farmers actually want? What are their principal demands? What are the three Farm Bills and whom does they benefit? Where are the demands of poor peasantry and agricultural proletariat in this entire picture? Where do the urban working class of India figure in this scenario? As Plekhanov once said, living people think on living questions and these are some of the living questions of our times. As Marxists, we need to answer these questions in order to articulate a proletarian position on these issues
Our speaker is Abhinav Sinha (Editor, 'Mazdoor Bigul', Writer 'Red Polemique' Blog and Political Activist, Delhi, India) to speak on this topic.
Moderator: Raj Sahai
RECORDED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-usmbRxV64
If needed, copy and paste into your browser.

Sun, Dec 13, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Grover Furr speaks: Trotsky Was a Collaborator and Terrorist, and What This Means For Us Today
My talk will center on my most recent book, New Evidence of Trotsky's Conspiracy
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578649764
I will briefly review my procedure in this book, and the results of my research.
I will also discuss
* How our understanding of the Stalin years in the Soviet Union, roughly 1928-1953, has been revolutionized during the past decade by evidence from the Soviet Archives;
* The resistance of academic authorities and of many others, including many on the anti-capitalist left, to the truth about the Stalin period.
* How the emerging truth about Stalin and the Stalin period in the USSR -- the most heroic period of the world communist movement of the 20th century -- changes our understanding of both Soviet and world history in the 20th century.
* What the truth about the Stalin period has to teach socialists and communists today and in the future.
RECORDED
https://youtu.be/et8lFx5Exo8
If needed, copy and paste into your browser.

Sun, Dec 6, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
The Logic of Capitalist Production and Marx & Engels’ Ecology
Even many Marxists are convinced that Marx believed in production without limitations, and thus Marx was oblivious to the question of ecology of the planet. Today the world is caught in a double jeopardy: on one hand capitalism is reducing workers’ organized bargaining power by production shifted to lowest wage countries pitting workers of one country against another and on the other capitalist production is consuming the resources of the planet provided by Nature rapidly while massively polluting land, water, and air. Since the fall of the USSR, China has been touted as the successful model of socialism using the capitalist market, or what is termed as “Market-Socialism”. This leads workers in the US with no hope, unlike in the 1930s when they saw hope after the revolution in the USSR and workers had state power and were constructing socialism. A section of the US workers were drawn to a demagogue, a 'racist & self described nationalist', Trump, now defeated in the US and replaced by so called liberal Biden, and in India a majority of workers followed another demagogue, and a "Hindu nationalist" or also termed a "cultural nationalist": Modi in India, where unlike Trump his party is getting more dominant. This trend is also developing in other countries. Raj Sahai will analyze this situation in the first hour and then in the second invite comments from the audience.
RECORDED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R53-GYE_pY&feature=youtu.be
If needed, copy and paste into your browser.

Sun, Nov 29, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm (Thanksgiving weekend)
Socialism in the Twenty First Century:
A Scientific Analysis of Our Global Struggle
This presentation will be based on the Marxian principle that socialism is not an ideal to which reality will have to conform but an actual movement which is transforming the world and contributing to human progress and well-being. Over the past two centuries, socialism has developed a variety of forms, most of which have survived the defeats of the late 20th Century. Of these, we will examine the two most promising forms: the Socialism with Chinese Characteristics of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, and Xi Jinping, and the Socialism in the Belly of the Beast, of Eugene Debs, the New Deal, Bernie Sanders, and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr..
Scientific socialism began with Marx and Engels, was further developed by Lenin, and continues to evolve as a science. It did not end there, but has continued to develop with the leadership of Stalin, Mao, Deng, and Xi as well as a host of others, including Fidel, Che, Ho Chi Minh.
(Not to be confused with the Socialism FOR the Twenty First Century espoused by many on the left, which will not be considered due to time constraints.).
This talk will be based on the final chapters of Ruyle's book-in-progress, a working draft is available in his Dropbox:
 
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7l7ln7nbygk018skpdw1s/SOC-4-AMER-LATEST.pdf?dl=0&oref=e&r=ABTlo3mS2_GKwtTzFIu4SJbf2ix7iJS_dZK_VisJ39-IKPQgu5go_KfJTtYd6lHqeSkuR3KtKTXmOAH0SBeZyirkIdD9oFo-FiI5j0LQHRkc2FFtMHPSr5U2hL6C9zgfCNyWTU9sFYdX-swshooCImjou1pq1Gh4j7yj6u4o9RxHx9pTSvaLTuYDgGJaf1FVNlI&sm=1

(If this doesn’t work, request a copy directly from cuyleruyle@mac.com and I will email you a copy.
Eugene E Ruyle is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology and Asian Studies at Cal State Long pm
RECORDED:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sxpJ8PSRo8&feature=youtu.be
If needed, copy and paste into your browser.

Sun, Nov 22, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30pm
How the US Dominates the World Economy: Failings of Modern Monetary Theory and why the US can print trillions of dollars and not experience inflation.
Stansfield Smith will explain how the US control of the world economy since the end of World War II has enabled it to bully the world’s countries into depending on the US dollar and using it as the international currency. This requires world countries to amass quantities of dollars to operate and to pay the cost of upholding the value of the dollar, which includes investing in the growing US debt. This also explains how the US can use its economic sanctions to punish countries that seek independence from US control. While Modern Monetary Theory gives an account of why the US can continue to print vast sums of money and suffer little inflation, its explanation avoids confronting the reality of US control of the world financial structure.
   Stansfield Smith’s presentation is based on his articles: Inadequacy of Modern Monetary Theory and the Power of the US Dollar in the World Economy and Why the US Can Keep Increasing its Debt and not Suffer Inflation.
Stan Smith has been involved in the Freedom for the Cuban Five movement and the movements in defense of the sovereignty of El Salvador, Cuba, Venezuela, and other Latin American countries for 40 years. He has written numerous articles such as: First Two Months in Power: Hitler vs. Trump; What North Koreans Think; Framing North Korea; Is Russia imperialist; China’s International Solidarity Aid to the World During the Corona Pandemic; Chomsky and Other Liberal Intellectuals Ask Us to Join Them in Throwing in the Towel. He produces a weekly compendium of articles on Latin America at https://chicagoalbasolidarity.wordpress.com/

RECORDED:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tsOv-nufk4&feature=youtu.be

If needed, copy and paste into your browser.

Sun, Nov 15, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
The Ongoing War on Syria & Why it Matters |
Rick Sterling will discuss the current situation in Syria and future prospects if Biden assumes the Presidency. Unreported in mainstream media, the US and allies continue to wage hybrid warfare on Syria - economically, politically, judicially and militarily. Why does the US persist in attacking Syria, preventing it from recovering and harming millions of Syrians? Will this change with a Democrat in the White House?  Why has this struggle become a focal point of East - West conflict? What are the best and worst things that could happen?
   Rick Sterling is on the Steering Committee of Syria Solidarity Movement. 

He is an independent journalist who has written many articles about Syria..
RECORDED:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuuylDXYj0M&feature=youtu.be
If needed, copy and paste into your browser.

Sun, Nov 8, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
WHAT NOW?
Post U.S. Election Analysis
This will be our first meeting after the November 3, 2020 election. How do slogans such as “Dump Trump” or “Battle Biden” take form in the current situation? What will groups like ANSWER, the Poor People’s Campaign, and DSA  be doing? We have invited Gloria La Riva, the presidential candidate of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) on the ballot in 15 states (in California, on the ballot line of the Peace and Freedom Party) to lead our discussion.
TO BE RECORDED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPFQrSr_rto&t=660s

If needed, copy and paste into your browser.

Sun, Nov 1, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm DST FALL BACK
The fall of the Soviet Union: New insights into the sequence of events, starting with the victory of the Russian Revolution on November 7, 1917, and implications for Marxists today.
Wadi'h Halabi, with the Center for Marxist Education in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will discuss this topic. His analysis extends to differences between the Chinese and Russian Revolutions. For example, civil war and land reform followed revolution in Russia but preceded it in China. Halabi’s discussion will touch on the 'new Cold War'. The global class struggle hardly ended with the fall of the Soviet Union, and this is the framework of the presentation. 
RECORDED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBECFspdciQ&feature=youtu.be

If needed, copy and paste into your browser.

Sun, Oct 25, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm

Attack on Anti-racist Organizers
On Sept. 17, 2020, several protest leaders, including four members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), were arrested in Denver, Colorado in a coordinated police attack. The organizers now face over 30 bogus charges including “kidnapping” and “inciting a riot,” and potentially years in prison. They were targeted because of their dedicated organizing efforts in recent months to denouncing the police murder of Elijah McClain in Aurora, Colorado.
   This attack is part of a larger assault on the anti-racist movement directed from the White House, Governor’s mansions, and local governments and police agencies around the country. This can happen to any protester who has used their voice to mobilize in the mass movement against racism in every single corner of the United States.
   We will be joined by Lillian House, one of the protest organizers  facing 12 bogus facing charges including “kidnapping” and “inciting a riot,” and potentially years in prison and well as Richard Becker of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
For more info and to donate, see https://www.liberationnews.org/thousands-declare-their-solidarity-with-framed-denver-anti-racist-organizers-add-your-name-here/
The demands are: 1. Drop all the charges! 2. Stop the assault on the movement and on free speech!
ICSS member Allan Miller will facilitate the session
THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN RECORDED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SstLlA-REJg&feature=youtu.be

If clicking on this doesn’t work, copy and paste into your browser:

Sun, Oct 18, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
CONFIRMED: What Should Working People in the U.S. do about Elections 2020?
Should we: 1. Vote Third Party? 2. Vote Democratic to oppose the Fascist tendency represented by Trump? Trump? 3. Adopt the Safe State Strategy?, 4. Sit out of the bourgeois election? 4. Vote for Trump to deny support to the real danger, Biden? 5. suport only those down-ballot candidates from any group that pushes for reform of the capitalist system, e.g Greens, Berners and “The Squad”?
We have three confirmed speakers,
* Tom Gallagher, former Massachusetts State Representative and author of The Primary Route.
* Roger Harris, among his many activities, Roger is on the Central Committee of the Peace and Freedom Party and a board member of the Task Force on the Americas
* Laura Wells, former Green Party candidate for Governor, writer (laurawells.org)
ICSS member Sharon Rose will facilitate the session..
RECOMMENDED READINGS:
* The Specter of a Fascist Coup by Trump Haunts the US, But There's Worse to Worry About https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/21/the-specter-of-a-fascist-coup-by-trump-haunts-the-us-but-theres-worse-to-worry-About/
* Utopia for Realists: How We Can Build the Ideal World By Rutger Bregman, recommended by https://laurawells.org
* Joe Biden, Don’t Let Donald Trump Run as the Antiwar Candidate! By Tom Gallagher. https://tomgallagherwrites.com
THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN RECORDED
Please find the video at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSdlEpvdKc8&feature=youtu.be
If this doesn’t work, copy and paste into your browser:

Sun, Oct 11, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
CONFIRMED: Dealing with Covid 19:
A Comparison Between Cuba and the United States
   Cuba, a socialist nation with a population of about 11 million, has suffered (as of mid-September, 2020) about 100 fatalities from the Covid 19 virus pandemic. The USA, a capitalist nation with a population about 30 times as great as Cuba, has suffered (as of mid-September), almost 200,000 deaths from this virus. The U.S., with about 30 times the population of Cuba has lost about 2000 times as many lives! What are the social, political, economic, ideological, cultural, strategic and other factors relevant to each nation that explain this profound difference
   Dr. Laurence H. Shoup has taught history at a number of universities and is the author of five books, his most recent one being Wall Street’s Think Tank: The Council on Foreign Relations and the Empire Neoliberal Geopolitics 1976-2019 (Monthly Review Press). He has been in active solidarity with the Cuban Revolution for many decades and has visited the country over a dozen times on a variety of solidarity excursions, including two Pastors for Peace caravans, several Labor Exchange trips, as well as with the Venceremos Brigade and Global Exchange.
   ICSS Member Allan Miller will facilitate.
RECORDED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-m0sfwDeSU&t=28s
if this doesn’t work, copy and paste into your browser:

Sun, Oct 4, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
CONFIRMED: The Crisis in Education:
Billionaire’s Messes and Community Solutions
Throughout the world, the billionaire class have been creating messes with their neoliberal policies in healthcare, housing, and education. Working people everywhere at fighting back to solve the mess in education created by capitalism. In this session, we look at Oakland, CA, where billionaire-funded charter school organizations have been buying our school board members, implementing school closures, and turning students and parents into vectors for billionaire profit. Meanwhile, community and union activists are fighting to keep Oakland schools public, and to keep charter schools and their billionaire supporters out of our communities. They have organized Action2020Oakland (for more information, see action2020oakland.org) We have invited Gerald Smith, a community activist with Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and former candidate for the Oakland School Board, to lead a discussion with members of the Oakland Education Association (OEA) (the teacher’s union) and Action2020Oakland. Invited discussants include: Stacy Thomas (District 1), Cherisse Gash (District 3), Mike Hutchinson. (District 5), Ben "Coach" Tapscott.( District 7), all endorsed by Action2020Oakland..
The session will be moderated by ICSS Member Raj Sahai.
RECORDED
ICSS 20201004 - Crisis in Education - Gerald Smith
f this doesn’t work, copy this and paste into your browser:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mQa3fm6JrA&feature=youtu.be

Sun, Sep 27, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Labor and Immigration
David Bacon will talk about the struggles of farmworkers on the West Coast to organize, and the way it's affected by their work lives and status as immigrants.  He'll include photographs and a description of his documentary work process.
Our speaker, David Bacon is a photojournalist, author, political activist, and union organizer who has focused on labor issues, particularly those related to immigrant labor. He has written several books and numerous articles on the subject. Bacon's parents were strong supporter of unionism and his early interest in labor issues began with union organizing activities. He was involved in organizing efforts for the United Farm Workers, the United Electrical Workers, the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, the Molders' Union and others.
ICSS  Member Sharon Rose, will facilitate the meeting.
RECORDED
ICSS 20200927 Labor and Immigration David Bacon

    sSun, Sep 20, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Socialism and 'Movement for a People's Party'
In the US, a movement is afoot for a new party and over 100,000 people have responded to the call to form a new 'People's Party’, which is presently a pre-party formation.  In this Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library session, we will be showing some videos of the speeches by notable speakers and analyze the platform for this new political formation from a Marxist perspective, followed by a lively discussion
RECORDED
ICSS 20200920 Socialism and the Movement for a Peoples Party Raj Sahai
This recording has a few  gaps, but a corrected version will be substituted as soon as it becomes available.

Sun, Sep 13, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
The Current Impasse in Belarus
and the Peace Alternative
   Back in the 1970s, the left and even many liberals were clear that Nixon’s dropping napalm on Vietnamese villages was an abomination. By the 1990s, some thought Bill Clinton’s bombing of Yugoslavia was, perhaps, humanitarian. Fast forward to the present, there is sentiment that the US has a global “responsibility to protect” the less enlightened lands in the name of “democracy.” Some of the liberal-left fail to recognize the fallacy of what Jean Bricmont exposes as “humanitarian imperialism – using human rights to sell war.” 

   In response to a peace organization advocating no foreign intervention in the internal affairs of Belarus, a US commentator protested: “[T]here has been no US intervention in the country. There's nothing wrong, intrinsically, with external support of democracy. Your support for someone who seems like a bloody dictator is dismaying.” So, several inevitable questions arise. What is a dictator? Has there been foreign intervention in Belarus? Who has the right to intervene? And does advocating non-intervention implicitly support a presumptive dictator?

   Our speaker is Roger D. Harris, a member of the ICSS program committee and the human rights organization, the Task Force on the Americas  Two of his grandparents were from Belarus. Along with showing slides from his visit to Belarus, he will analyze the current attempt at a “color revolution” in Belarus. What is called the “last Soviet republic” is struggling to retain state-run industry and agriculture, the social safety net, and the relative equality of the socialist period. Roger recently wrote on Belarus: https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/27/belaruss-options-in-the-midst-of-a-color-revolution/

ICSS member Alan Miller will moderate.

RECORDED

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxlhVKflZEc&feature=youtu.be
The recording has gaps for a few minutes at 2:55, but a corrected version will be substitute as soon as it becomes available.

Sun, Sep 6, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm

Group Discussion: 

Before, During, and After November 2020

There are increasing concerns as to what will happen before, during, and after our November election so this is an opportunity to express our concerns. Our group discussion will be introduced by Gene Ruyle and other ICSS members with ample opportunity for discussion. Be prepared to voice, and defend, your views  For background, the following have been suggested by Gene and other ICSS members: 

*[1]-What If Trump Refuses to Accept a Biden Victory? A Look at How Electoral Chaos Could Divide Nation, AUGUST 03, 2020

https://www.democracynow.org/2020/8/3/nils_gilman_2020_election_scenarios

*[2]-STATEMENT BY BOB AVAKIAN August 1, 2020

https://revcom.us/

*[3]-The RCP, Fascism, and Chairman Bob’s Endorsement of Biden for President

https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/13/the-rcp-fascism-and-chairman-bobs-endorsement-of-biden-for-president/

*[4]-Krystal Ball: Progressives Launch Hilarious SETTLE FOR BIDEN Organization

https://youtu.be/OX8zfNcjPEA

*[5]-If Trump Tries to Hijack the Election, We Must Be Ready to Resist

https://truthout.org/articles/if-trump-tries-to-hijack-the-election-we-must-be-ready-to-resist/

ICSS member Sharon Rose will moderate.

RECORDED

ICSS 20200906 Before and After November 2020

Sun, Aug 30, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
The past and future of U.S. policing
Noted historian and criminologist Tony Platt will share his long research and insights into the carceral state known as the USA. Tony Platt has been involved since the 1960s in issues relating to criminal justice, race, inequality, and social justice in American history. He taught at the University of Chicago, Berkeley, and California state universities. He is currently a Distinguished Affiliated Scholar at the Center for the Study of Law & Society in Berkeley’s Law School. A founding member of the editorial board of Social Justice, Platt blogs on history and memory at http://GoodToGo.typepad.com. In addition to books and scholarly journals, he has published in a wide variety of popular sites, including National Public Radio, Los Angeles Times, History News Network, Truthdig, Huntington Post, The Guardian, and San Francisco Chronicle.

   From teaching criminology with David Du Bois, editor of the Black Panther Party’s newspaper, and organizing California’s first major conference on prison activism in the 1970s, to more recently speaking out about the damaging social legacies of eugenics, Platt’s experience as a political activist and public intellectual informs his research and publications. In the 1970s, he was co-author of The Iron Fist and The Velvet Glove, a book that challenged prevailing conceptions of American policing. In his latest book, Beyond These Walls: Rethinking Crime and Punishment in the United States (St. Martin’s Press, 2019,   https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250085115), Platt draws upon a lifetime of research and commitment to social justice to articulate
RECORDED:
https://youtu.be/A77LlMKz5yU

Sun, Aug 23, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm

Drastically Cutting the Military Budget -

Why Is It Not a Campaign Issue?

   Hunger and homelessness stalk the poor. Jobs lost in the pandemic and the resulting economic collapse may not come back or will be even lower wage than before. Public education and transportation along with protecting the environment are on the chopping block, while the billionaires are raking in money. Our cities and states are economically strapped. Yet, elected officials have no idea how to run them without raising local taxes, laying off workers, or slashing benefits. Meanwhile wars are plentiful. The more than a trillion dollars Congress annually votes to send to the Pentagon is hardly a topic of conversation or a campaign issue as a source of salvation at any level. 

   Our speaker, Henry Lowendorf, with the Campaign to Move the Money from military to human needs, will address what we can do about it. A biologist by profession, Lowendorf has been a peace activist since the mid-1960s. In 2016, he led a peace delegation to Syria on a mission to stimulate the US peace movement to honestly discuss the war on that country. He chairs the Greater New Haven (CT) Peace Council, is a member of the US Peace Council Executive Committee, and chair of the Peace and Solidarity Commission of the Communist Party, USA.

RECORDED:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnhDcHoKnLU

Sun, Aug 16, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Coronavirus: Scientific Realities
vs. Economic Fallacies
   We are pleased that Georgi Marinov, Stanford postdoc in Genetics, , has accepted our invitation to speak about his recent article in LEFTEAST on this subject.
   Georgi Marinov, a post-doc researcher in Genetics at Stanford, has written one of the most prescient, widely-read, and important articles written from a Left perspective on COVID-19 pandemic and what we need to do to address it.
   Dr. Marinov describes the virus and the difficulties of knowing whether people will develop lasting immunity to it, and of developing a vaccine.  He also delves into concerns about the virus mutating and becoming more lethal, and explains why the actual Case Fatality Rate (CFR) is higher than what is being reported in the media.
   Due to all of the above, Dr. Marinov says that we can expect successive waves of infection for the foreseeable future. On reopening the economy to “save it,” as some are advocating, he explains why that can only result in mass death and economic failure.
   Dr. Marinov concludes that we must take steps now to eradicate COVID-19 or it will be with us for a long time. Our best hope is that we stop the transmission and the virus ‘dies off’. This will require a long term quarantine and social support for people during that period in the forms of a basic income, cancellation of bills and providing basic necessities. It also means sequestering essential workers so they can continue to do necessary work. And, because this is not the last pandemic we will face, it means an economy that can be "paused" it when necessary to stop pandemics.
   Here’s the link to Marinov’s article
https://popularresistance.org/coronavirus-scientific-realities-vs-economic-fallacies/
RECORDED
ICSS 20200816 Coronavirus: Scientific Realities vs. Economic Fallacies
(you may need to copy and paste the URL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj8FnnnQgsw&feature=youtu.be

Sun, Aug 9, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
75th Anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Atomic Bombing
   Two Atomic bombs dropped three days apart August 6 and August 9, 1945, on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the two Japanese cities, changed the trajectory of the world. To the US citizens, it was portrayed by the US government and the Mass Media as necessary to end WWII with a country that had started it by a surprise attack on the US Naval Base in Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii  on December 7, 1941, bringing a reluctant US into war with Japan. It was argued that this Atomic bombing  saved lives, by ending the war a few days later when Japan surrendered unconditionally. But was it in fact the case and was it necessary? What else did it do? And how do the Americans view this event 75 years later?
   ICSS Member Raj Sahai, who studied this issue on the 50th anniversary will present his analysis of this world changing event - the Atomic Bombing of Japan, and what are the lessons that can be drawn for today, when the danger of war in Asia has again escalated.
RECORDED
https://youtu.be/FwetHQcop5c
(you may need to copy and paste the URL

Sun, Aug 2, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm 
Cuba: This is what medical internationalism looks like.
Please join us for what will be an illuminating conversation on contemporary Cuba's medical Internationalist work. Featured speakers will include Abraham Vela MD (a 2016 graduate of the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba) and Gail Walker (director of IFCO/Pastors for Peace). The event will be moderated by longtime Cuba solidarity activist Tony Ryan. Hold the date and please help in spreading the word!.
RECORDED:
ICSS 20200802 Cuba and the health crisis - Tony Ryan
(OR, you may need to copy and paste the URL)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d1Nj4AWnd4

Sun, Jul 26, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Socialism, Communism, Democracy, and Dictatorship

A Scientific Perspective
Too many leftists and socialists remain wedded to bourgeois ideology and therefore cannot understand the world we live in, much less change it. ICSS Member Eugene Ruyle will clarify issues such as the nature of scientific socialism, the class nature of the state, the distinction between bourgeois and proletarian democracy, and role of the dictatorship of the proletariat in the transition from capitalism to communism. Come prepared to ask questions, challenge the speaker, and defend your own views.
RECORDED: RECORDED:
ICSS 20200726 Socialism communism democracy - Eugene Ruyle
(OR, you may need to copy and paste the URL)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rY5XbR3zI8

Sun, Jul 19, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Group Discussion: What Is Neoliberalism?
Our group discussion will be introduced and led by ICSS member Alan Miller. Gene has suggested the following as interesting supplemental reading: “The Tale of the Dueling Economists.”(Keynes vs Hayek.) By Nancy F. Koehn, NY Times, Oct. 22, 2011: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/business/keynes-hayek-views-origins-of-an-economics-debate-review.html.
Come prepared to discuss and defend your views!
RECORDED:
ICSS 20200719 Neoliberalism Discussion with Allan Miller

(OR, you may need to copy and paste the URL)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QujrOQSAxNI&feature=youtu.be

Sun, Jul 12, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Covid-19 and the crisis of neoliberalism
The COVID-19 disease caused by the novel corona virus has turned into
a global pandemic with almost 5.5 million people confirmedly infected
and over 3.5 hundred thousand deaths around more than a hundred
countries. Irrespective of the fact whether the virus is a bio-weapon
or naturally mutated, our aim is to show how it has impacted upon the
global capitalist economy. Contrary to what is being campaigned from
the mainstream institutions, it will be shown that the capitalist
economy already fallen into the jaws of death has temporarily been
able to keep breath by utilizing such pandemic situation. However, it
is nothing but they have bought some time. 
Speaker: Basudev Nag Choudhary 
Moderator: Raj Sahai
RECORDED:
ICSS 20200712 Coronavirus and the crises of neoliberalism. By Basudev Nag Choudhary

(OR, you may need to copy and paste the URL)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_uxLNcZd_E

Sun, Jul 5, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?
On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass, who escaped slavery in 1838 at age 20, gave one of his most famous speeches, “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” to the Ladies Antislavery Society of Rochester, New York. We will begin by listening to actor and activist Danny Glover reading a six-minute selection from the speech during a performance of Howard Zinn’s “Voices of a People’s History of the United States“ on October 5, 2005, at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, Los Angeles. <https://vimeo.com/1275332>

Following a brief introduction by ICSS member Gene Ruyle, we will have a group discussion of the speech and its significance for today. Come prepared to share your views!

The full text (over 2800 words) of the speech may be found at:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2927t.html

Moderator: ICSS Member Sharon Rose

RECORDED:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECLIge_M0cU

(OR, you may need to copy and paste the URL)

Sun, Jun 28, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Planet of the Humans –
Left Perspectives on Climate Solutions
   Produced and promoted by Michael Moore, Planet of the Humans critiques the mainstream climate change movement while proffering solutions of its own. This recent movie on climate change has in turn precipitated both a defense by some current climate activists as well as still more trenchant analyses on the causes and solutions to global warming.
This program is at the Marxist Library addresses, from a left perspective, themes raised in the movie regarding climate change and its solutions. Our speakers represent diverse backgrounds of technical competence.
   Sandeep Agarwal is an engineer with many years of working with the solar power and energy storage. Sandeep will take a critical look at ideological basis of fiscal policies like green new deal and carbon pricing which are being promoted to accelerate global decarbonization.
   Sharat Lin is a medical physicist and political economist. Sharat will argue that the ongoing transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy must not only make use of every possible aspect of decarbonization, starting with the low-hanging fruit and “bridge technologies,” but must drastically reduce non-fossil greenhouse gas production through lifestyle changes mobilized through state and institutional intervention.  We cannot automatically assume that small is better or that socialism will solve the problem that capitalism has created.
   Roger Harris is a biologist and a retired consultant, who has worked assessing the environmental impacts of oil, gas, geothermal, co-generation, electric, wind, and solar energy developments. Michael Moore’s movie, pointing to the depleting finite resources on the planet, blames human population growth as a fundamental cause of environmental degradation. Roger will present the perspective that there may be too many superrich people, but that the ideology of overpopulation is a justification of unequal social relations and is not scientifically valid. Climate justice suggests that we consider the “climate debt” that the industrialized countries have as the main contributors to global warming.
   You need not have viewed Planet of the Humans to benefit from joining us at this webinar. The one-hour and 40-minute movie, however, can be viewed free at https://planetofthehumans.com/.
RECORDED:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4pdUOEMNC0

(OR, you may need to copy and paste the URL)

Sun, Jun 21, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Anti-caste Movements of Ayyankali, Phule, Periyar, Ambedkar and the need of a Revolutionary Class-based Anti-Caste Movement
In order to devise a correct understanding of a revolutionary anti-caste movement needed today, we must develop a critical relation with the anti-caste movements of past. We must also understand the mistakes committed by the revolutionary communist movement in understanding the caste question. Only through critique, can we develop a correct theory. In this process, we will attempt to present some tentative proposals for building a non-identitarian, non-pragmatist, revolutionary class-based anti-caste movement.
Speaker: Abhinav Sinha
(Editor, 'Mazdoor Bigul', Writer 'Red Polemique' Blog and Political Activist, Delhi, India)
RECORDED:
ICSS 20200621 Cast and Classes in India. Speaker: Abhinav Sinha
(OR, you may need to copy and paste the URL)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzkgvNCMjD8&feature=youtu.be

Sun, Jun 14, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Why Did Minneapolis Explode?
Our comrades, Gerald Smith and Frank Runninghorse. Co-founders of the Oscar Grant Committee Against Police Brutality and State Repression (OGC), will explore the roots of rebellion sparked by the police murder of George Floyd. Together with other members of the OGC, we will discuss current developments in that globalized rebellion.
RECORDED:
 ICSS 20200614 Why Did Minneapolis Explode?
(OR, you may need to copy and paste the URL)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8tEomN-bYc

Sun, Jun 7, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Origin and Evolution of Varna-Caste System
and Its Articulation with Class Dynamics
What is Caste? How did it originate? How it evolved over centuries? How do we understand the articulation between Caste and Class in Indian Society? These are some questions that do not merely have academic value, but essential for a revolutionary anti-caste movement in India. As Marx said, "to be a radical means, going to the root of things." It is imperative to approach this question historically in order to articulate a proletarian strategy and tactics on this question.
Speaker: Abhinav Sinha
(Editor, 'Mazdoor Bigul', Writer 'Red Polemique' Blog and Political Activist, Delhi, India)
Moderator: Raj Sahai
RECORDED:

ICSS 20200607 Origin and Evolution of Varna-Caste System and Class Dynamics by Abhinav Sinha
(OR, you may need to copy and paste the URL)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yazmAIJNNXY

Sun, May 31, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Revolutionary Organizations in the U.S.
Lenin advocated for and created a revolutionary socialist party of a ‘new type’, more than 100 years ago. What kind of socialist organizations are required in the USA today? What revolutionary organizations are here already and how are they faring? After a short presentation by ICSS member Riichard Fallenbaum, there will be an open discussion in which participants will present their own observations and evaluations.
RECORDED: (you may need to copy and paste the URL)
ICSS 20200531 Revolutionary Organizations in the US by Richard Fellenbaum
If this doesn’t work, try this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK0HCmFu7lg

Sun, May 24, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Public Banking Gathers Momentum in 2020
   Public Banking is a root solution that helps all other solutions from healthcare and COVID-19 to a real Green New Deal. Public banks partner with community banks and serve the interest of the public, not Wall Street. The 100-year-old Bank of North Dakota is currently the only state bank, but this year that could change. In fall of 2019 California passed a law that established a pathway for public banks at all levels from municipal to state. Now in 2020, due to the COVID-19 crisis, more possibilities have opened up. The Public Banking Institute sent a letter to the Governors and Treasurers of all states, outlining the steps that can be taken to both deal with the short term crisis, and change the system for the long-term. We’ll talk about the opportunities we have in front of us right now. 
   Laura Wells ran as the Green Party candidate for Governor in 2010 on a platform of Public Banking and “Tax the Rich” by reforming Prop 13. 
RECORDED: (you may need to copy and paste the URL)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28PvaEIH-GE

Sun, May 17, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
U.S. Sanctions:
The Weaponization of the Global Financial System
   While wars have historically been fought with soldiers and guns, the sole superpower has realized its monopoly ability to wage financial war through sanctions and embargoes against its perceived enemies around the world, such as Iran, North Korea, China, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria, Gaza.  How and why does the United States alone exercise this extraterritorial power to such devastating effect?
   Dr. Sharat G. Lin is a research fellow at the San José Peace and Justice Center.  He writes and lectures on global political economy, labor migration, the Middle
RECORDED: (you may need to copy and paste the URL)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3vFRUtdRJQ

Sun, May 10, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
The Bernie Sanders Movement, Its Historical Antecedents, and Its Legacy
Bernie Sanders has suspended, but not dismantled, his campaign for POTUS. We will examine the impact of the movement that was led by Bernie Sanders on US politics and its historical antecedents. Eugene E Ruyle will review the past two centuries of the struggle for socialism in America, from Robert Owen to the New Left and MLK, taking us up to the present. Roger Harris will follow with an examination of the substantial contributions made by Sanders and the extraordinary obstacles imposed by the Democratic National Committee and by extension by the capitalist state. Also, to be addressed is the nature of the various movements calling themselves socialist and, in particular, what kind of “socialism” is represented by the Sanders phenomenon. Open discussion will follow.
   Eugene E Ruyle is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at CSULB, currently with ICSS in Oakland.
   Roger Harris is on the state central committee of the Peace and Freedom Party, the only ballot qualified socialist party in California.
RECORDED: (you may need to copy and paste the URL)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS-r_V3tRf8

Sun, May 3, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Lenin on Democracy and Dictatorship & its relevance for our time
Workers in the US accepted New Deal in 1939, got jobs & social security benefits in return for giving up struggle for power to rule the society; only to lose it a generation later. US Democracy: Bill Clinton gave us NAFTA; shipped jobs to China, Bush set us up to be robbed by Banks, Obama sold us "Hope" only to be defrauded by Wall Street, and so workers, given the choices, elected Trump, the impostor. Sanders denounced Trump only to now support Biden, the corporate Democrat.  Bourgeois democracy is exposed as irrelevant to the lives of the vast majority as never before.
   April 22 marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of V. I. Lenin. Raj Sahai will go into Lenin's views on how to get past bourgeois democracy while using it. Discussion will follow.
RECORDED:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3igv5FypMf4

Sun, Apr 26, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
The COVID-19 Pandemic: Apocalypse or Opportunity?
A Briefing by Dr. Sharat G. Lin
The COVID-19 virus has in a matter of weeks spread to nearly every corner of the planet, disrupting every human activity.  What is different about COVID-19 from other diseases?  Suddenly everything is being reprioritized: universal health care, paid sick-leave, drug companies sharing data on vaccines and treatments, housing for the unhoused, reducing the number of prisoners, restructured food chains, reducing meat consumption, multi-trillion dollar rescue packages, war ceasefires, lifting sanctions are the new existential priorities.  Meanwhile, fossil fuel consumption, traffic jams, and air pollution have plummeted, providing a possible respite in global warming, the other existential threat.  This is a global shock solely to the human species.  Is it an opportunity to reset priorities for humanity?
   Dr. Sharat G. Lin has written and lectured on global political economy, public health, labor migration, social movements, and the arts of protest.  He is with the Initiative for Equality, San Jose Peace and Justice Center, and Human Agenda
RECORDED:
https://youtu.be/rPRsPt7Zrww

Sun, Apr 19, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
COVID 19: A Global Pandemic.
ICSS Members Raj Sahai and Mehmet Bayyan will discuss the global pandemic using India and Turkey as case studies.
   Corona virus came at a time when the capitalist crisis on hand had already started its devastation.   The medical crisis immediately became a very convenient cover to hide the real cause, the real destruction, brought on by the capitalist devastation.  However, the destruction is and will have the worst effect in the neo-colonial countries such as Turkey.  The pandemic has exposed the illegitimacy of the capitalist, dependent and corrupt system as it is unable to cope with the demands of the vast number of people, let alone a medical disaster.   Mehmet Bayram will discuss how Turkey is dealing with the disease, but mostly the political measures that kicked in together with the fight against the pandemic.
   Mehmet Bayram is a journalist reporting on labor and community issues.

He contributes to the English language news from Turkey at https://sendika63.org/kategori/english/   and also writes and translates for the same site.  Sendia.org has been closed by the Turkish government 62 times and is now publishing at its 63rd site defying the “access ban” imposed by the Turkish government.
   India has been fortunate in the current Covid-19 pandemic so far in that it has been limited in scope, but now that it has attained stage two, and threatening to enter the third stage, i.e., community spread, the specter of suffering and deaths in the population looms much larger in India than it has been in other countries, which collectively has already seen over 130,000 deaths as of today (April 15,2020). The British colonialism impoverished India and left it in shambles upon being ousted in 1947, but the nationalist movement supported by the USSR helped bring about public health programs and some improvement in the lives of a substantial minority even as the poor remained poor. But the class nature of society that emerged in the period of Neoliberal "reform" launched in 1989 and the Fascist ideology of the present ruling party, the BJP, adds to the threat that this fast moving pandemic poses. In his proposed presentation titled 'Novel Corona Virus in India'  Raj Sahai will attempt to outline the issues facing the working class population, which lives on a very meager material base even in the best of times. 
   Raj Sahai immigrated to the US from India in 1966. He visits India frequently,where he works with worker activists in struggle. He  has been associated with the Institute for Critical Study of Society at the Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library for the past 15 years. He can be reached at rsahai1987@gmail.com
RECORDING:

https://youtu.be/NKC4Jm_Kh0M

Sun, Apr 12, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Boom ... Bang ... Crash!  The Breathtaking Capitalist Crash of 2020

   The Covid 19 pandemic has triggered what is shaping up to be the fastest and possibly deepest economic crash in U.S. capitalist history.  Millions of workers have already been laid off in just a few weeks; the St. Louis Fed warns of possible 32.1 percent unemployment by the end of June.   Some mainstream economists are predicting a 20%-30% fall in GDP in the second quarter.  We've seen the fastest drop (more than 20%) in stock prices in U.S. stock market history, and the Federal Reserve has been frantically pumping trillions of dollars into the capitalist financial system.
   While the coronavirus pandemic triggered this hyper-acute phase of the crisis, the forces generating economic and social instability in capitalism have been building for decades.  ICSS Marxist economist Dr. Allan Miller will present some analysis of the fundamental causes of the crisis, the recently passed federal capitalist bailout CARES bill, and some initial ideas on what it is leading to.  Discussion will follow.  Bring your ideas on what's happening, and what is to be done about it!

RECORDING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbHeROxKh2U

Sun, Apr 5, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
“Group Discussion: Coping with the Coronavirus Crisis.”
This will be an open discussion of our current crisis. After a brief introduction, we will proceed around the virtual room, giving everyone present 2 or 3 minutes to speak from a personal or political perspective, or both. We hope to give everyone an opportunity to speak at least once.

RECORDING:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnwGpeRAQ0Y

Sun, Mar 29, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Marxists Behaving Correctly: Xi Jinping, Bernie Sanders, and the End of the Age of Trump
In this session, ICSS members Raj Sahai and Eugene E Ruyle will apply the principles of the Scientific Socialism of Marx, Engels, and Lenin to the current global crisis in light of the results of the various U.S. primaries, the Rise of China as Number One, and the coronavirus crisis.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/o8a4yy50iduovfu/marxists-ccorrectly-2020-02-29pptx.pptx?dl=0

Sun, Mar 22, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
NO FORUM ON SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2020

We had nothing scheduled for this Sunday, so we will not meet on Sun, March 22.
   We expect to continue our Sunday morning forums on Sunday, March 29, 2020 and thereafter. However, we will not hold any in-person meetings for the duration of the current crisis, which is expectd to last through the end of April at least. We expect that all of our meetings will be ZOOM meetings for the foreseeable future. We will continue to observe and adjust to local and state regulations

Sun, Mar 15, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Cold War Chinatown
Dave Ewing suggests a program on the long battle -- 1930s till now -- between Communist and KMT supporters in Chinatown.  Reds were hunted and deported.  It involved intelligence operations by the CIA and Taiwan CIA.  There are several unsung heroes of the Chinatown Wars.  Pro-PRC forces are dominant today.  But Taiwan agents remain active.  The American intelligence focus today is on recruiting PRC students and local business people to spy inside China.  Lotus might want to help.
RECORDED: History of China town in San Francisco. David Ewing. 20200314
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maSA-OCfGHY&t=210s

Sun, Mar 8, 2020: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm - DST SPRING FORWARD
‘Marxists Behaving Badly.’
   Why don’t Marxists study the Soviet experience in order to learn what these pioneers of the communist movement did, and what we can learn from them?
   For Marx, as for all materialists, practice was – is -- primary. Theory must be tested through practice. To base theory on the basis of a false understanding of reality is as fatal to knowledge as it would be to base theory, as idealists do, on ideas alone, without regard to material reality.
   The Stalin era was the heroic era of the worldwide communist movement. Indeed, the 20th century may be fairly described as the “Soviet century,” since all the important political and social events and upheavals took place with reference to the Soviet Union.
   If, following Marx, we want to build an egalitarian, communist society, we must study the practice of those who came before us in this endeavor. That means studying the Soviet Union after the Bolshevik Revolution, especially the period when Joseph Stalin was in the leadership of the Bolshevik Party and the Soviet state.
   Why don’t today’s Marxists do this? My talk will explore the reasons for this fatal neglect and urge a corrective. — Grover Furr, Montclair State University
RECORDED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0dgp7J5DcU

Sun, Mar 1, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
China as Number One
John Walsh has developed a PP Presentation on China as the world's number one economic power and related matters based on his article that appeared in DissidentVoice: >>> https://dissidentvoice.org/2020/01/china-number-one-economic-power-for-half-decade-dashes-on/
RECORDED:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yiw2bff1atU&feature=em-lsp (1/4)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMe2CVK9eQ0&feature=em-lsp (2/4)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hZJXtp9wT4    (3/4)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roO4SUnHMPg    (4/4)

Sun, Feb 23, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Harriet Tubman as a Woman Warrior
by Al Sargis, Director, Friedrich Engels Institute of Marxist War & Military Analysis
The recent (2019) film, Harriet, left many aspects of Harriet Tubman’s life and work unexplored.  Tubman's military exploits include being head of military intelligence of the Department of the Potomac and her planning, organizing and leading the only amphibious assault by a woman in US history.  Also, little known is both her co-planning of John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry and furnishing many of John Brown's troops.  Additionally, she was an army hospital nurse.  This perspective on Tubman is described in one book as "America's most unsung Civil War general."  It is why General Grant regarded Harriet Tubman as "worth many regiments in the Northern forces" and John Brown called her "General".  While known for her work in the Underground Railroad, little is mentioned about how this prepared her for her later activities with John Brown and during the Civil War. This lecture will cover how each phase of her life groomed her for the next one: from before and during the Underground Railroad, her relationship with John Brown and, finally, her little known Civil War exploits. Tubman's turn to armed revolutionary struggle to abolish slavery in contrast to many, if not most, abolitionists, and its political, moral and religious basis, will be an underlying theme.

Gerald Smith may join us to say a few words from a Black HISTORICAL context.

RECORDED.  Online at the "icss marxist" channel on YouTube in five parts:

https://youtu.be/tQOyashEWWg

https://youtu.be/1H5H3VTqWcw

https://youtu.be/YmwJr-WKOSk

https://youtu.be/VGC5W2wtrNo

https://youtu.be/VZTV2I8I7R8

Sun, Feb 16, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Rabelais: Renaissance Humanist, Bacchic Christian, and Proto-Utopian Socialist.
A look at a giant of literature.
Recommended reading: Rabelais and His World by Mikhail Bakhtin
Rabelaisian Dialectic and the Platonic Hermetic Tradition by Mallary Masters
ICSS Member Lew Finzel will lead our discussion

Sun, Feb 9, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm

Revolt of the Dispossessed against Neoliberalism in Latin America and the Caribbean
With the Trump administration’s renewed emphasis on imposing the Monroe Doctrine to the Empire's so-called "backyard," the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean resist in a revolt of the dispossessed against neoliberalism. In this year in review, hear about the struggles in Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Bolivia, Haiti, and elsewhere along with the solidarity actions by North Americans in support of the social justice movements. The presenters are activists with the 34-year old human rights organization, Task Force on the Americas (https://taskforceamericas.org/).  The presenters are Alice Loaiza, Alicia Jrapko, Rick Sterling, Marilyn Langlois, Bill Hackwell, Roger Harris.

Sun, Feb 2, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
The Haitian Revolution of 1804.
"The impact of the Haitian Revolution was immeasurable. It was significant to the history of the Atlantic slave system, to the history of de-colonial and anti-imperial struggles, to the history of France, and to the history of the United States. To other slave societies, the Haitian Revolution became an example of what could be accomplished and a source of hope that figured prominently in the imaginations of enslaved peoples across the New World."  — Ashleigh Shoecraft
Our speakers will be Pierre Labossiere, Co-Founder of the Haiti Action Committee (HAC) and the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund (HERF) and Gerald Smith, co-founder of the Oscar Grant Committee
RECORDED.  Online at the "icss marxist" channel on YouTube in five parts:
1.   https://youtu.be/e7ZK6JzTlqg
2.   https://youtu.be/1H5H3VTqWcw
3.   https://youtu.be/asBvO_L-CU0
4.   https://youtu.be/kuKt1SS3km0
5.   https://youtu.be/vwC_dglLULg

Sun, Jan 26, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
India:  Modi in his Second Term takes a Hard Right Turn
Modi’s BJP won 303 seats in the Parliament of 545 seats in the 2019 General Elections, after completing his first term of 5 years, in which BJP did not have majority, so it was more dependent on its allied regional parties. Modi has undertaken bold move within the first year of his Second term: Removal of Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted Jammu & Kashmir state substantial autonomy; Outlawing of the Triple Talaq practice (thrice repeated word divorce by which men could divorce their wives) among Muslims; Threatened to carry out National Registration of Citizens (NRC); and enactment of Citizens Amendment Act (CAA), which permits granting of citizenship to refugees of Hindu, Christian & Sikh faiths from three countries, but not Muslims: Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Each of these moves go against the spirit of the staunchly secular Indian Constitution. Students and Muslims, joined by secular persons of Hindu, Christian and Sikh faiths, have begun strong opposition to these moves of the government, and now the Left Parties are organizing workers to oppose government’s Neo-Liberal policies. The latest incident of goons attacking and injuring Left Students and Faculty members at the prestigious Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU) has added to the tension in society already tense. What is in store for India the years ahead with Modi at the helm? Raj Sahai who closely monitors the political and economic affairs in India will present his views. Q/A will follow his 50 minute talk.

Sun, Jan 19, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Group Reading: Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.
In honor of Dr. King’s birthday, we will discuss what many believe is the greatest speech by America’s greatest spiritual leader, a speech that cost him his life. It is not widely recognized that Dr. King was an open socialist who stated that: "There must be a better distribution of wealth, and maybe America must move toward a democratic socialism." Reading the speech will take about an hour, leaving time for open discussion.

Sun, Jan 12, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
What Is Socialism and What Good Is It?
  Socialism takes many forms and all of them do better than capitalism in meeting the basic human needs of humanity.  Our scientific analysis will stand as a critique of the shoddy scholarship and biased methodology of books like The Black Book of Communism and provide a more realistic view. We will focus on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which provides a viable alternative to global capitalism, and Bernie-Style socialism, which is popular among youth in the United States but which has yet to understand its historic mission.
   Speaker will be Eugene E Ruyle, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, CSU Long Beach, currently with ICSS in Oakland. Gene will discuss his forthcoming book, Socialism for Americans: A Scientific Introduction to the Global Struggle for Socialism.

Sun, Jan 5, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Group Discussion: 2019-2020 The Year in Review and Preview
Time to get together, talk about what happened in 2019, and discuss our hopes, fears, and tasks for 2020. Everyone is welcome to participate in the discussion.

Sun, Dec 29, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Group Discussion: David Graeber’s DEBT: the First Five Thousand Years.
This topic was suggested by ICSS member Karen Steward who will provide an introduction to this fascinating book.

Sun, Dec 22, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Group Discussion: The Christian Church and Marxism.
On the eve of one of the holiest festivals of the Christian calendar we take a materialist and dialectical look at this influential religious denomination.  Our topic will be introduced by ICSS member Richard Fallenbaum.
1.   https://youtu.be/n9H-YOk84Mc
2.  https://youtu.be/awU0KyEHM1M
3.  https://youtu.be/Ner0A6I0wFknorma
4. https://youtu.be/72uYvHOKHu0
5. https://youtu.be/V7rIqqgHMWI

Sun, Dec 15, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Group Discussion: “Dictatorship of the Proletariat”
ICSS member Eugene E Ruyle will provide an introduction and recommends everybody read the Wikipedia article “Dictatorship of the Proletariat,” which is surprisingly good.

Sun, Dec 8, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Bitcoin and crypto currencies
Bitcoin showed the world that there can be a decentralized alternative to existing nation-state fiat currencies. People anywhere in the world can send and receive any amount of money, nearly for free, with no middlemen that can censor their transactions. Come learn about the history of crypto currencies, and the benefits they offer to society compared to the systems we have today. This talk is geared towards those new to crypto currencies who are interested in the separation of money and state. Lets dream together about a peer to peer future, and how we
can bring financial services to the 2 billion people who are not served today. One of our new members, Josh Elitthorse, a staff software engineer at Coinbase, the biggest exchange in the United States, will lead our discussion.

Sun, Dec 1, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Town Hall Meeting on Hong Kong (China)
The so-called “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019,” introduced by Marco Rubio, (R-Fl) in the Senate and by Chris Smith (R-NJ) in the House, with broad bipartisan support, has passed both houses and signed into law by the President. Many believe that the U.S. should not be interfering in the internal affairs of China. The bill is based on erroneous views of China and Hong Kong, would do great harm to US China relations, and be bad both for the people of China and of the United States. After a brief introduction by ICSS member Eugene Ruyle, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology and Asian Studies at Cal State Long Beach, and perhaps a few additional speakers, an open discussion of the issue with different opinions welcome.

Sun, Dec 1, 2019: 12:45-1:45 pm
Planning Session
We get together after the morning session on the first Sunday of every month to discuss things in general and plan the schedule for our Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library forums. This is an open meeting. Everyone is welcome to help plan our future sessions. Please come with suggestions and concrete plans. Also, please review our web site to familiarize yourself with our current proposals. Newcomers and Old Timers welcome.

Sun, Nov 24, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Women and War
Women have a long association with violent intergroup conflict and war going back to early human times.  This presentation will survey women in the highly genderized institutions of war and the military in various periods and types of societies.  Although women have been impacted in multiple ways and played many roles, the focus of this talk is on women's role as fighter/combatant and direct supporters of this activity.  Also covered are women in some of the revolutionary wars and militaries in the past two centuries.  The fighter/combatant perspective on women is usually omitted or "hidden" in accounts by both conventional and feminist analysts who stress women as victims, survivors, peacemakers and supporters of men who fight.  Women as fighters not only redresses this imbalance but indicates a role whose impact is as significant as the other roles that are more widely promulgated. 
Presented by Al Sargis, Founder/Director of the Friedrich Engels Institute of Marxist War and Military Analysis (FEIMWAMA).

Sun, Nov 17, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Black Lives Matter, All Lives Matter.
The Oscar Grant Committee (OGC) Against Police Brutality and State Repression was organized in the aftermath of the police murder of Oscar Grant on January 1, 2009. The OGC was formed as an ongoing multi-racial movement, organized democratically, building a united front with others to achieve justice and organize solidarity and political support to the families that have been victimized by police brutality. As part of their multi-racial strategy, the OGC combines the slogans Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter, something which has generated considerable misunderstanding and controversy within our movement.  We have invited two leaders of the OGC, Frank Runninghorse and Gerald Smith, to discuss their position on this matter.

Sun, Nov 10, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Open Mic/Political Karaoke

What’s bugging you, politics-wise? Here’s your chance to talk about any and every thing from the PG&E Power Shutdown to Brexit, from Nancy Pelosi to Greta Thunberg, maybe even the riots in Chile. Sign up for 5 minute slots!

Sun, Nov 3, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Turkey, Syria, and the Kurds.
Our confirmed speaker is ICSS member Mehmet Bayram, freelance journalist, who currently writes for the Sendika.org news outlet, which has been shut down 62 times by the Turkish government. He has recently returned from Turkey and will clarify the situation. Here’s a preview:  Turkish invasion of Syria serves many purposes for the Turkish regime.  It distracts the masses from the harsh economic realities of capitalism, it unites the Turkish people fed with nationalism behind the fascist dictator when his voter support has fallen below 40%, it kindles the old flame of building the Islamic-Turkish empire that died after the WW1, it legitimizes the barbaric attacks with the long held hatred against the Kurds, it demands funds from the West to keep the "hordes of refugees” from reaching the metropolitan centers of Europe, and, yes, it exposes the hypocrisy of imperialism, to be used as blackmail against Erdoğan’s bosses that created him.  Erdoğan is trying to capitalize on the contradictions within the imperialist camp and tries playing one against the other by forcing the issues that will benefit his presidency and him personally, until, of course, his personal wealth is put on the table.  The victims of course are the Kurds, Arabs, Yazidis, Armenians.  This invasion, supported by the imperialist centers has become an ethnic cleansing tool for the Turkish racist nationalists to use against the Kurds.

Sun, Oct 27, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Impeachment Now? Or Never?
This is being planned as a “Town Hall” style meeting, with full participation, with comments limited to 2-3 minutes. We may watch a short video to start discussion, like “ To Impeach or Not to Impeach? Chris Hedges & John Bonifaz Debate What Congress Should Do Next,” on Democracy Now, Oct 1, 2019, at https://www.democracynow.org/2019/10/1/trump_impeachment_inquiry_debateSun,

Oct 20, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Marxism and the National Question - the Case of Kashmir
   On August 5, 2019, the government of India, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of Hindu Nationalist BJP put Kashmir in a security lockdown and then moved in the Lok Sabha (“Peoples Assembly” – i.e. the Parliament, to revoke Articles 370 and 35A, which granted political autonomy to the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir and barred outsiders to purchase property in the state respectively. The upper house, known as Rajya Sabha (“States Assembly” - where representatives are elected from each state of India) ratified the new law. Mr. Modi’s Party has clear majority in the Parliament but not in the Rajya Sabha.
   Kashmir has been a dispute between India and Pakistan ever since British colony of India was split into two sovereign politically independent countries on August 15-16, 1947. India and Pakistan have fought three wars over Kashmir, all three initiated by Pakistan, the first one of which in 1947-48 ended in a truce brokered by the UN, and which divided Kashmir ‘temporarily” between the two countries . The latest move of India has angered Pakistan, while India considers it as an internal matter.
   Raj Sahai will present a historical outline and his analysis based on ‘Marxism and the National and Colonial Question’ developed by Joseph Stalin that helped successfully integrate the oppressed nationalities under the Tsarist rule in the socialist state of the USSR as partners and which success helped develop the backward nations and in turn also the USSR very rapidly and which helped vanquish the Nazi German invaders in 1945.
   Raj Sahai has been associated with ICSS for the past 13 years and is a student of Marx’s ‘Capital’ as well as anti-war activist starting with the Vietnam War in 1968 to more recent wars imposed on small countries by developed Capitalist countries.

Sun, Oct 13, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Support the Embassy Protectors Collective. U.S. Hands off Venezuela.
Come hear Margaret Flowers, Kevin Zeese, and David Paul who each face one-year prison sentences and $100,000 fines based on the spurious charge of "interfering with government operations.
   These courageous Embassy Protectors defended the Washington, D.C. Venezuelan Embassy for 34 days at the request of the Venezuelan government and its only legitimate President Nicolas Maduro.
   They will be speaking about their experience that included having to defend themselves and the embassy against violent well financed right wing Venezuelans living in the US and the complicity of Federal Police. The three will also give an update on the details of their case and the struggle against the US imperialist drive to economically strangle the Bolivarian Revolution and its social gains.
   The presentation at NPML is part of a Bay Area Tour that includes Sacramento, Berkeley, Oakland, Santa Rosa and San Jose. Tour sponsor: Embassy Protectors Defense Committee; Co-sponsors, United National Antiwar Coalition * Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Social Justice Committee • Sacramento Action for Latin America • Women's International League for Peace & Freedom Sacramento • San Jose Peace & Justice Center • Sonoma Peace & Justice Center • Task Force on the Americas • International Committee for Peace, Justice & Dignity • Socialist Action • Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal • Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library • U.S. Peace Council • Popular Resistance • Nor. Cal. Committees of Correspondence for Democracy & Socialism • BAYAN-USA For more information about other presentations contact jmackler@lmi.net or call 510-268-9429

Sun, Oct 6, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Gentrifying Paradise: Resistance and Removal in 21st Century Venice California. Author Jim Smith, will join us to discuss his new (2019) book, described by Democracy Now’s Juan González as follows: “This is a captivating people's history of the battle to preserve one of America's iconic neighborhoods, Venice, California, from the claws of real estate developers, downtown politicians and the merchants of mass consumerism. Author James R Smith weaves together his own personal memoir, his many muckraking dispatches from one of the few surviving 1960s alternative newspapers, the Free Venice Beachhead, and unforgettable sketches of scores of grassroots activists who banded together over many decades to defend their beloved ocean side town from outsiders with money and power."

Sun, Sep 29, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Why Chelsea and Julian Are Our Working Class Heros. Their Fight Is Our Fight.
Our Aim in this forum is to continue and deepen the discussion on how Chelsea and Julian have helped build more awareness of who the real enemy is and who are our real friends and how important Chelsea and Julian are to our survival. We can do this by our speakers presenting their analyses of how very important they truly are. More info at: https://bayaction2freeassange.org
Program: Guest artist musical introduction Speakers:  Gerald Smith - Organizer for Oscar Grant Committee and Mumia Ab Jamal; Steve Zeltzer- Host of WORK WEEK KPFA and Labor Fest SF and Labor Video Project. Organizer for many spirited demos at Federal Building, British, Australian and Ecuadorian consulates in support of Chelsea and Julian; Cecile Pineda -Poet Actress Code Pink; Ricardo Ortiz- Past and founding member of Frente Socialism de Puerto Rico Collaborator Labor Fest SF: 5th Speaker TBA.
After the presentation, special guest music interlude, followed by audience participation:  2 minutes each, questions and/or comments on furthering the struggle.

Sun, Sep 22, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Honduras: Refugees & Resistance
Our speaker will be Karen Spring, the Honduras-based Coordinator of the Honduras Solidarity Network (HSN), a group of over 30 organizations from Canada and the United States. She has lived and worked in Honduras since 2009 and works closely with community-based organizations affected by US and Canadian foreign policy and investments.
Karen has written or contributed to several reports about mining, militarization, and human rights issues and blogsat: www.aquiabajo.com.
NOTE: Due to her husband having health problems and  being threatened with imprisonment, Karen Spring has had to return to Honduras. 
She will not be at the scheduled event on Sunday September 22.  Instead, we will show a video which Karen has prepared since she cannot be there in person. 
Rick Sterling, from Task Force on the Americas, will describe the background and current critical situation in Honduras and answer questions.

Sun, Sep 15, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Gloria Steinem Was A CIA Agent!
She Proudly Admits It, So Does the CIA. After A Brief Introduction From ICSS Member Eugene Ruyle, We Will Have A Roundtable Discussion Of Two Readings:
1. The Feminist Was A Spook, By Markos Kounalakis Https://Www.Chicagotribune.Com/Opinion/Commentary/Ct-Gloria-Steinem-Cia-20151025-Story.Html
2. The Mighty Wurlitzer: How The CIA Played America
Https://Www.Cia.Gov/Library/Center-For-The-Study-Of-Intelligence/Csi-Publications/Csi-Studies/Studies/Vol52no2/Intelligence-In-Recent-Public-Literature-1.Html
Also, for a more critical view, see Black Feminism, the CIA and Gloria Steinem, http://www.wrongkindofgreen.org/2012/05/01/black-feminism-the-cia-and-gloria-steinem/

Sun, Sep 8, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Climate Change And Renewable Energy Revolution

The Renewable Industry Has Experienced Exponential Growth In The Past Decade. Both Wind And Solar Power Are Cheaper Than Conventional Sources Of Energy Now And Their Cost Will Continue To Decline In The Coming Decades. Despite Their Intermittent Nature, Most Studies Indicate That It Should Be Relatively Easy To Achieve 80% - 90% Decarbonization Of Electric Grid Without Use Of Nuclear Power Or Any Other Innovation. Likewise, Electric Vehicles Are Fast Achieving Range, Performance, And Cost That Will Make Them Superior To Fossil Fuel Based Transportation. A Similar Exponential Growth Is Expected In Electric Vehicle Adoption. 
   Meanwhile Global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Are Also Continuing To Increase, Driven Primarily By Industrialization Of China And Rest Of Emerging Economies. While The Renewable Revolution Will Mitigate Worst Case Global Warming Scenarios, The World Is Heading Towards Pretty Bleak Climate Situation. This Talk Will Present The Nature Of Renewable Revolution And Policies And Technologies Needed To Prevent A Climate Catastrophe. 
   Sandeep Agarwal Has Worked In The Renewable Industry For The Past Eight Years. Prior To Moving To The U.S., He Worked For A Textile Trade Union In India Which Helped Organize Contract Workers In The City Of Kanpur.

Sun, Sep 1, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Scientific Socialism And The National Question
Recent History In Syria, The Ukraine, And Puerto Rico Have Brought The National Question Front And Center International Events. But, What Is A Nation? And Why Is A Scientific Understanding Of National Self-Determination So Important? Gerald Smith, Of The Oscar Grant Committee, Will Strive To Clarify The Theories I.E., The Concentrated History, Surrounding The National Question In Order To Rearm Those Who Comprehend Its Importance. David Ewing Of The U.S. China Peoples Friendship Association, Will Also Speak.

Sun, Aug 25, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Black -Jewish Oppression Viewed Through The Prism Of The Leo Frank And Mary Turner Lynchings.
The Asymmetrical Oppression Of A Privileged Jewish Factory Manager And The African-American Wife Of An Impressed In Peonage  Convict Laborer Will Be Nevertheless Interlinked To Demonstrate The Need For United Front Struggle And Mutual Defense.
Our Comrade, Elazar Friedman, Will Explore This Topic During His Visit From Idaho. Another Comrade, Gerald Smith, Will Also Speak On The History Of The Nation Of Islam.

Sun, Aug 18, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
The Plot To Attack Iran:
How The CIA And The Deep State Have Conspired To Vilify Iran.
Our Speaker Will Be Daniel Kovalik Who Will Update Us On Current Developments On The U.S. Threatening War On Iran. Dan Currently Teaches International Human Rights At The University Of Pittsburgh School Of Law.  He Also Served For Over 25 Years As Associate General Counsel Of The United Steelworkers, AFL-CIO (USW). The Christian Science Monitor, Referring To His Work Defending Colombian Unionists Subject To Death Threats, Described Dan Kovalik As “One Of The Most Prominent Defenders Of Colombian Workers In The United States.” Dan Kovalik Has Written Numerous Books, Too Many To Even List.
Dan’s Talk On Sunday Morning Will Not Duplicate His Wednesday Evening Talk On “The Plot To Overthrow Venezuela: How The U.S. Is Orchestrating A Coup For Oil,” At The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar Street, Berkeley, CA On Wed, Aug 14, 2019, At 7:30 Pm, Sponsored By KPFA. $15 At The Door. We Urge Our Members To Attend BOTH Talks So We Can Intelligently Oppose America’s Next War Before It Starts, Wherever It Starts.

Sun, Aug 11, 2019: 11:30 Am To 1:30 Pm  *NOTE TIME CHANGE*
The Most Important Historical Discovery Of Our Era .
Our Comrade From Montclair University, Grover Furr, Will Be Speaking On His Latest Research On Socialism. After A Short Summary Of Recent Research On The Stalin Years In The USSR (Mainly, His Own Research), He Will Talk About Why The Proof That Stalin And The Soviet Leaders Did Not Commit A Single One Of The Crimes He (And They) Are Charged With, And Why What REALLY Happened In The USSR During The 1930s, Is So Significant For Us Today, And For All Those Who Will Fight For A Communist World In Future. In Addition, ICSS Member Gary Hicks, Will Give A Brief Talk On The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact Signed On August 23, 1939.

Sun, Aug 4, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Lies, And The Lying Liars Who Build Nuclear Weapons
As The Annual Hiroshima Day Rally, March, And Nonviolent Action On Tuesday, August 6 At The Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab Approaches, ICSS Member Eugene E Ruyle (Emeritus Professor Of Anthropology, CSU, Long Beach; President, Veterans For Peace, East Bay Chapter 162) Will Present His Slide Show Reviewing The History Of Nuclear Weapons And Nuclear Power, And David Walters (Retired IBEW 1245 Shop Steward And Power Plant Operator; Administrator For The Marxists Internet Archive)  Will Present A Contrarian View As A Basis For Informed Discussion. This Will NOT Be A “Debate” But Rather An Informed And Informative Political Discussion With Full Audience Participation.
Background Readings:
“On The Nuclear Disaster At Fukushima” (2011) At Nonukesnow.Net;
“Socialist Arguments For Nuclear Power,” Climate And Capitalism (2011). Https://Climateandcapitalism.Com/2011/06/14/Socialist-Arguments-For-Nuclear-Power/
And “The Socialist Case For Nuclear Energy.”
”Https://Thebreakthrough.Org/Issues/Energy/The-Socialist-Case-For-Nuclear-Energy

Sun, Aug 4, 2019: 12:45-1:45 Pm
Planning Session
We Get Together After The Morning Session, Usually The First Sunday Of Every Month, To Discuss Things In General And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions And Discuss Procedures And Organization Of The ICSS. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Also, Please Review Our Web Site To Familiarize Yourself With Our Current Proposals. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome.

Sun, Jul 28, 2019: 10:30 am To 12:30 pm
Cuba And Culture
An Exploration Of The Situation In Cuba Today, Speakers To Include Tony Ryan, Founder Of The Turquino Project, And Steve Wasserman, Publisher And Executive Director Of Heyday Books. Both Speakers Recently Returned From Cuba, Steve Just Returned From 10 Days In Cuba, The 10th Trip Over 50 Years, Beginning In 1970 When He Participated In The Second Contingent Of The Venceremos Brigade. Tony Ryan Will Moderate.

Sun, Jul 21, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
China's PLA Political-Military Strategy For The Past 30 & Next 30 Years
China's Political-Military Strategies Are Examined Within The Framework Of The Primary Stage Of Socialism Which Replaced Mao's Class Revolutionary Approach. Starting Briefly From The Mao Era (30 Years Before Deng), The Presentation Will Focus On The Reform Period (30 Years After Deng).  Stages Of Political-Military Strategies Are Related To The Changing Political-Military Doctrines Of Each Executive Of The Party-State.  These, In Turn, Are Identified With The Anticipated Types Of Imperialist Conflicts And Threats And To The Kinds Of Political-Military Policies Designed To Deal With Them.  Among The Issues Discussed Will Be The Dominant Chinese View Of What The World Might Look Like In 2050, What China's Role Will Be And Why No Overt, Direct War With The US Until At Least 2050.
   Presented By Al Sargis, Founder Of The Friedrich Engels Institute For Marxist War & The Military (FEIMWAMA) And Moderator Of Chinastudygroupboston & MARMILIST Yahoo Groups.  He Has Been To China 10 Times, Including  Presentations To The Chinese Academy Of Military Science And The Chinese Academy Of Social Sciences.

Sun, Jul 14, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
General Elections In India:
Modi’s Fascism Vs. Social Democrats And The Left
   Modi Has Completed 5 Years In Power, With His BJP Having A Majority In The Indian Parliament. In 2014, Modi Won On The Slogan Of “Be With Everyone, Development For Everyone” In The Background Of Major Corruption Scandals In The Last 5 Years Of The 10 Years That Congress Party Ruled (2004 Thru 2014), With Manmohan Singh As The Prime Minister And Sonia Gandhi As The Congress Party President.  
   Modi Moved Rapidly To Consolidate Power In His Hands, Ousting Or Sidelining Veteran Leaders In His Own Party. Under His 5 Years Of Rule, “Cow Protectors” Have Become Emboldened. Several Incidents Of Lynching Of Muslims Have Taken Place, Religious Bigotry Is Openly Practiced, And Assassinations Of Several Public Intellectuals, All Secularists, Have Taken Place While He Mostly Sat Silently Over Such Egregious Violations Of Civil Rights. Further He Has Tried To Create A Militarist Posture And Sought To Portray Himself As A Strong PM, Who Is Willing To Take On The Terrorists Based In Pakistan Aggressively. His Policies Of “Demonetization” Of 2016 Created A Great Deal Of Small Business Distress. Unemployment Is At 45 Year High And Farm Distress And Farmer Suicides Continue. But The Mass Media, Now Privately Owned And Funded By Big Capital, Has Helped Create Him As A “The Man Of The People”. 
   ICSS Member Raj Sahai Will Present His Views On What Is Beginning To Boil Under The Surface Of A Seeming “All Is Well” Scenario Presented In India In The Mass Media And Projected And Globally.

Sun, Jul 7, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital
We Have Had A Monthly Continuing Reading Of Capital For 18 Months, But Many Believe It Is Time To Change The Time And Place. We Are Now On Chapter 3, There Are 33 Chapters In Capital. It Took A Year To Finish Chapter One And Six More Months To Get Through Chapters Two And Three. At This Rate, We Might Not Finish Before 2025. We Will Discuss How Best To Continue This Project.

Sun, Jun 30, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Fascism: What It Is And How To Fight It.
"Fascism: What It Is And How To Fight It" - A Two Part Talk Including A Historical Overview Of The Events Leading Up To The Rise Of Fascism In Europe Leading Up To WWII, And A Political Analysis Of The Failures Of The Communist Movement At The Time In Preventing It. This All In Light Of The Current Rise Of White Supremacy And Fascist Movements In The U.S., Europe And Latin America And The Lack Of A United Left Movement To Fight It. Supplemental Handouts Will Be Available, Including A Timeline. Presented By Peoples Alliance Members Bill Bowers And Tova Fry (Both Former WWP): Bill Leading With The Historical Overview And Tova Fry Following With The Political Analysis, Largely Based On Trotsky's Work Of The Same Name. Questions And Comments Will Follow The Presentations With Time Limits As Needed To Ensure That As Many People As Possible Can Express Their Views Or Ask Their Questions.

Sun, Jun 23, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Tiananmen Massacre Or Battle Of Beijing?
What Really Happened At Tiananmen Square On June 3-4, 1989? Speakers Invited To Address This Question Include: Richard Becker, Party For Socialism And Liberation; David Ewing, U.S. China Peoples Friendship Association; Gerald Smith, Liberated Lens; Eugene Ruyle, ICSS Member. Questions And Comments Will Follow The Presentations With Time Limits As Needed To Ensure That As Many People As Possible Can Express Their Views Or Ask Their Questions.
Suggested Readings: "Tiananmen: The Massacre That Wasn’t." By Brian Becker.
Https://Liberationschool.Org/Tiananmen-The-Massacre-That-Wasnt/
U.S. Role In Hong Kong Protests: International Action Center Statement:
Https://Iacenter.Org/2019/06/20/International-Action-Center-Statement-U-S-Role-In-Hong-Kong-Protests/

Sun, Jun 16, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Cuba’s Democracy
Constitutional Referendum And Grassroots Political Processes.
Cuba Is Always Described As A "Dictatorship" By The Mainstream Media And The U.S. Government, Thus Providing A Pretext For The Economic Blockade And Talk About Regime Change. But Sharat G. Lin Found A Remarkable Democratic Process In The Recent Constitutional Referendum In Cuba And Months Of Nationwide Discussions Involving Millions Of Voters. ICSS Member Raj Sahai Will Facilitate.

Sun, June 9, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
A Socialist Defector: From Harvard To Karl-Marx-Allee
   After 24 Years In The USA, 38 Years In The (East) German Democratic Republic As A Mccarthy-Era Exile, Then Nearly 30 Years In Unified Germany, Victor Grossman, The Ex-Pat Journalist And Author Examines The Rise And Fall Of A Socialist Experiment As He Observed And Participated In It. He Tries To Clear Through A Fog Of Misinformation And Distortion Regarding It, Describing Its Achievements, Its Successes As Well As Its Blunders And Negative Aspects. Its Position Regarding Nazis And Fascism Is Compared With That In West Germany. Its School System, Women’s Rights, Both Models In Many Ways, Cultural Questions And Other Matters Are Examined From A Personal, Anecdotal And Sometimes Humorous Perspective. 
   The Book Then Turns To A Broader Examination Of Possible Lessons To Be Learned When Searching For Solutions To Present-Day Problems: The Growing Gap Between Rich And Poor, Alarmingly Malevolent Dangers For A Crippled Environment, The Menace Of Racism And New Fascist Movements, The Almost Ignored Danger Of Atomic Annihilation - And Who Is To Blame For Them. But The Book Also Looks At Newly Invigorated Hopes For A Better, A Socialist Future Despite The Many Barriers To Its Realization – Seen Through The Prism Of A Veteran Of The “Old Left” In The USA, Communist Rule And The Cold War In The Shadow Of The Berlin Wall, And Expresses His Views On Current Fears And Hopes On Both Sides Of The Atlantic – And The Pacific. 
(Copies Of Victor’s Book Will Be Available For Purchase, Cash Or Checks Only, NO CREDIT CARDS.

Sun, Jun 2, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital
This Is Part Of A Continuing Discussion Of Capital, Reading, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967). We’ve Finished Chapter One (After One Year) And Are Now Working Our Way Through Chapter 2: The Process Of Exchange, P. 178.

Sun, June 2, 2019: 12:45-1:45 Pm
Planning Session
We Get Together After The Morning Session On The First Sunday Of Every Month To Discuss Things In General And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Also, Please Review Our Web Site To Familiarize Yourself With Our Current Proposals. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome. NOTE: This Is An Important Meeting, Since Decisions Affecting The Future Of Our Sunday Morning Program.

Sun, May 26, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Report From Venezuela Delegation
Venezuela Is In The Cross Hairs Of Imperialism.  It Has The Largest Oil Reserves In The World, But More Than That, Venezuela Is Determined To Use Its Resources For The Benefit Of Its Own People Instead Of Handing Them Over To Transnational Corporations Or Imperialist Rulers.  In The Age Of Imperialism, These Trends Are Enough To Make Any Country The Target Of Imperialist Plunderers.  We Are Under A Media Barrage Of Lies, Misinformation, And Open US Propaganda About Venezuela. With This Intense Muddying Of Waters It Becomes Very Hard To Know And Understand The Events Happening Around This Latin American, Bolivarian, Country. 
   In Order To Observe What Is Really Going On There, Recently Bay Area Residents Mehmet Bayram, ICSS Member And Journalist, And Laura Wells, Green Party Congressional Candidate, Visited Venezuela With The “End Venezuela Sanctions” Delegation.  They Will Present Their Experience And Lead The Discussion Afterwards.  Sun, May 19, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

¡VIVA MEXICO! S

   Mexican President Díaz (1876-1880 And 1884-1911) Famously Commented: “Poor Mexico, So Far From God And So Close To The United States.”

   Diaz Got It At Least Half Right. Mexico Has Suffered In The Shadow Of The Colossus Of The North, But Mexico Is Not Poor. Mexico Is Rich In Many Ways, Yet It Also Has Been Impoverished. And Mexico Has Been Greatly Underappreciated By North Americans. This Presentation Will Emphasize The Many Poorly Known Accomplishments Of Mexico, While Uncovering The Role Of US Imperialism.

   Roger Harris Will Present A Powerpoint-Illustrated Cautionary History Of This Trice Conquered Land. A Longtime Activist With The Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library, Roger Is On The Board Of The Task Force On The Americas (Http://Taskforceamericas.Org/), A 33-Year-Old Human Rights Organization, And Is Active With The Campaign To End US-Canadian Sanctions Against Venezuela. He Last Visited Mexico In March.

   Mexico Is Bucking An International Right-Wing Tide, Shifting Its Government From Right To Left-Of-Center With The Recent Presidential Inauguration Of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). Speaking For International Capital, The Economist Is Worried. The Other 99% Of Humanity Is Hopeful.

    Ted Lewis, Human Rights Director At Global Exchange (Https://Globalexchange.Org/), Will Comment On The Current Situation Where AMLO Recently Announced A Massive Regional Development Plan And An End Of The “Merida Initiative,” The US-Funded Counter Narcotics Program. This Seems To Be Good News, But The Devil Remains In The Details.  Global Exchange Will Also Be Having A Webinar On The Current Situation In Mexico On May 23. For Further Information: Https://Zoom.Us/Webinar/Register/WN_Ujxjwfzwsvakc2dffiirya.

Co-Sponsored By The Task Force On The Americas.

Sun, May 12, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Turkey At The Cross Roads Of Imperialism
Turkey Is Struggling To Find A New And Better Position In The World While Fascism Erodes The Economy, Human Rights, Freedom Of Press And All Opposition.  New “Elections” On March 31 Is Only A Sham As Mounting Evidence Of Corruption Piles.  Turkey Has Lost On Syria, A Quagmire It Planned On Winning Big With The Bog Guys.  As Turkey Oscillates Between European Union, The USA And Russia, It Finds Itself More And More Irrelevant.  Contrary To The Big Plans Of Becoming A Leader In The Middle East, Turkey Has Been Relegated To A Position Where It Is Only Trying To Find Who To Follow.  Such Is The Position Of Those Who Accept Imperialism Instead Of Standing Up To It. ICSS Member Mehmet Bayram Will Present And Lead Our Discussion.

Sun, May 5, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital
This Is Part Of A Continuing Discussion Of Capital, Reading, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967). We’ve Finished Chapter One (After One Year) And Are Now On Chapter 2: The Process Of Exchange, Starting On P. 178.

Sun, Apr 28, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
My Favorite Marx
All Participants Are Encouraged To Bring Their Favorite Brief Quote From Marx (Or Another Radical Thinker). They Will Read It And Be Prepared To Say A Few Words About Why It Is Their Favorite, Perhaps A 5 Minute Presentation.
Some Examples May Be:
“...In The United States Of North America, Every Independent Movement Of The Workers Was Paralysed So Long As Slavery Disfigured A Part Of The Republic. Labour Cannot Emancipate Itself In The White Skin When In The Black It Is Branded.” (Capital, Chapter 10, “The Working Day," P. 414)
“The Direct, Natural. And Necessary Relation Of Person To Person Is The Relation Of Man To Woman…. From This Relationship One Can Judge Man’s Whole Level Of Development.” (Economic And Philosophic Manuscripts Of 1844, “Private Property And Communism”, P. 295-96 In Vol 3 Of Marx Engels Collected Works)
Facilitator: ICSS Member Urszula Wislanka.

Sun, Apr 21, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Uyghurs And Communists, Two Views
Uyghurs Live Primarily In The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Of The People’s Republic Of China, Also Known As Chinese Turkistan, Which. Along With Tibet, Has Seen Considerable  Tension And Unrest. We Will Have Two Views Of The Situation, From David Makofsky, Long Time Resident In Beijing, Xinjiang, And Turkey And ICSS Member Eugene Ruyle. We Hope To Have Ample Time For Questions And Discussion Of This Complex And Controversial Topic.
Facilitator: ICSS Member Raj Sahai
For Preliminary Background Material, Email Cuyleruyle@Mac.Com

Sun, Apr 14, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
The Primary Route In 2020
  In 2015 Prior To The Sanders Candidacy Tom Gallagher Authored A Political Pamphlet Entitled, The Primary Route: How The 99% Take On The Military Industrial Complex. This Short And Engaging Examination Of Third Party Efforts And Primary Challenges Was Prescient In Predicting The Power Of Bernie Sanders Candidacy In The 2016 Democratic Primary. Now Over Two Years After The Election Of Donald Trump And Heading Into 2020 Gallagher Once Again Examines The Political Feasibility Of The Primary Route In Building A Socialist Current In America.
  Would Active Participation In The Presidential Primary Race Advance The Development Of A Serious American Electoral Left? Before 2016, The Jury Was Out On This Question. The Argument For Involvement In The Presidential Process Was That, While Success Might Be More Likely In House Or Senate Races (And Certainly In State Or Local Races), A Presidential Candidacy Offered A Breadth Of Opportunity That The Lower Level Races Simply Did Not. Only The Presidential Election Process Provides A Political Forum Involving The Entire Nation – A Debate And Discussion About Where The Country Is At And Where It Wants To Go, Whose Importance Far Surpasses That Of Any Other Event In The Normal American Political Cycle. And The Argument For Participation Specifically In The Primaries (And Caucuses) – As Opposed To A “Third Party” Run – Rests On The Fact That The Primaries Offer A “Safe” Option, A Situation Where Candidates Of The Left Are Less Likely To See Their Message Overshadowed By The Perceived Danger Of Their Efforts Ultimately Making Matters Worse By Inadvertently Helping To Elect A Republican – A Debate That Has Continued For Nearly Twenty Years Since Ralph Nader’s 2000 Run. After The Bernie Sanders Campaign, The Question Of The Value Of Taking The Primary Route Would Appear To Be Settled.
  In The Process Of Taking Some Unusually “Big Issues” – Universal Health Insurance, A Minimum Wage That Is Actually A Living Wage, The History Of U.S. Overthrows Of Democratically Elected Governments, Etc. – Right Into America’s Living Rooms In The Debates, The Sanders Campaign Arguably Revolutionized The Entire Process, And Certainly Offered Much Of The Country Its First Taste Of “Democratic Socialism,” That Is “Democratic Socialism” As Defined By A Friend Rather Than A Foe. The National Political Debate Now Included A Perspective Known Throughout Virtually All Of The Free World – But Previously Not Here.
  The Question Of The Moment Is Whether This Breakthrough Will Ultimately Prove To Be Just A One-Off Historical Anomaly Or The Beginning Of A Lasting Sea Change In American Politics. Will The Future Include An American Left Consistently Able To Navigate The Often Murky Challenges Of Real World Politics? Or Does It Fall Back To Its Traditional, Largely Non-Participant Critique, Generally Delivered From The Margins?
  Tom Gallagher Is A Former Member Of The Massachusetts House Of Representatives, A Bernie Sanders Delegate To The 2016 Democratic Convention. And Current Member Of The Progressive Democrats Of America, And The Democratic Socialists Of America.

In 2015 Prior To The Sanders Candidacy, Tom Gallagher Authored A Political Pamphlet Entitled, The Primary Route: How The 99% Take On The Military Industrial Complex. This Short And Engaging Examination Of Third Party Efforts And Primary Challenges Was Prescient In Predicting The Power Of The Bernie Sanders Candidacy In The 2016 Democratic Primary. Now Over Two Years After The Election Of Donald Trump And Heading Into 2020 Gallagher Once Again Examines The Political Feasibility Of The Primary Route In Building A Socialist Current In America.
   Tom Gallagher Is A Former Member Of The Massachusetts House Of Representatives, A Bernie Sanders Delegate To The 2016 Democratic Convention. And Current Member Of The Progressive Democrats Of America, And The Democratic Socialists Of America.
Facilitator: ICSS Member Eugene Ruyle
For A Preview, Seehttps://Portside.Org/2019-03-25/Primary-Route-Pathway-Democratic-Socialists

Sun, Apr 7, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital
This Is Part Of A Continuing Discussion Of Capital, Reading, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967). We’ve Finished Chapter One (After One Year) And Are Now Working Our Way Through Chapter 2: The Process Of Exchange, P. 178.

Sun, Mar 31, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Democratic Socialism: An Impossible Dream?
Is Industrial Civilization Compatible With Economic Democracy, Or Is Democratic Socialism Impossible In A Globalized Industrial Society?  This Presentation Will Examine The Powerful Material Conditions That Have Frustrated Every Effort To Replace Capitalism With Genuine Democratic Socialism.  Hopefully, This Will Become The Starting Point For A Discussion About What Kinds Of Energy Sources And Technologies Are Most Conducive To Democratic Control.
Strongly Suggested Background Reading:
Democratic Socialism: The Impossible Dream
Https://Www.Counterpunch.Org/2018/11/30/Democratic-Socialism-The-Impossible-Dream/
Why Did Socialism Fail?
Https://Www.Counterpunch.Org/2019/02/01/Why-Did-Socialism-Fail/
Craig Collins, Ph.D. Is The Author Of Toxic Loopholes (Cambridge University Press), Which Examines America’s Dysfunctional System Of Environmental Protection. He Teaches Political Science And Environmental Law At California State University East Bay And Was A Founding Member Of The Green Party Of California. His Forthcoming Books: Marx & Mother Nature And Rising From The Ruins: Catabolic Capitalism & Green Resistance Reformulate Marx’s Theory Of History & Social Change And Examine The Emerging Struggle To Replace Catabolic Capitalism With A Thriving, Just, Ecologically Resilient Society.

Sun, Mar 24, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
The Political-Military Ideology Of The Democratic People's Republic Of Korea (DPRK/North Korea)
   U.S. Marxists Are Often Unfamiliar With The Reigning Ideology Of The DPRK, For Example, Believing It To Be Marxism-Leninism.  The Ideology, At Least Since The 1970s, Has Been Kimilsungism-Kimjungilism, Or Juche (Self-Reliance) And Songun (Military First). This Presentation Will Cover The Content Of These Ideologies And The Historical Conditions Under Which They Arose, Including The Rejection Of Marxism-Leninism For DPRK's Socialist Development. The Armed Liberation Struggles Against Japanese And US Imperialism, Especially From The 1930s To 1990s, Are The Context For DPRK Ideology.  Also Briefly Examined Is Kim Jong Un's Contemporary Ideological Addition Of Byungun (Parallel Development Of Nuclear Forces And Economic Development). 
   The Presenter, Al Sargis, Founder-Director Of The Friedrich Engels Institute Of Marxist War And Military Analysis (FEIMWAMA), Has Studied Socialist Militaries In The USSR/Russia, GDR, PRC, SRV And DPRK.  He Has Made Presentations On These Matters To Military Science And Social Science Research Institutes And Universities In China.

Sun, Mar 17, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Stalin: Waiting For ... The Truth!
Grover Furr’s Critique Of Kotkin's Biography Of Stalin,
“Stalin: Waiting For Hitler, 1929-1941”
   Our Comrade Grover Will Fly In From New Jersey To Give Us A Detailed And Devastating Critique Of Stephen Kotkin's Biography Of Stalin, Volume 2. “Stalin: Waiting For Hitler, 1929-1941” ( 2017). Grover Will Kotkin’s Falsehoods On Stalin And The Soviet Union.
   Copies Of Grover's New Book Will Be Available At His Talk At The Special Price Of $20 Per Copy.   Grover Has Put The Preface To His Book Online So That You Can Read It And Get An Idea Of What His Book, And His Talk, Will Be About:
Https://Msuweb.Montclair.Edu/~Furrg/Research/Readmefirst.Html

Sun, Mar 10, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Twenty First Century Socialism:
A Framework For Scientific Analysis
No Longer A Utopian Dream, Socialism Has Been In Existence For A Century, Yet There Have Been Few Attempts Of Understand Socialism In A Scientific Manner. In This Talk, ICSS Member Eugene E Ruyle, Emeritus Professor Of Anthropology At Cal State Long Beach, Will Use The Scientific Socialism Of Marx, Engels, And Lenin As A Framework For Understanding The First Hundred Years Of Socialism And What This Means For The Global Future Of Humanity.
NOTE: While I Support The Bolivarian Revolution Of Hugo Chavez And Other Latin American Leaders, This Program Will NOT Focus Particularly On The ‘Socialism Of The 21st Century” As Espoused By Various Left Intellectuals. Instead, It Will Follow Our Earlier Program On Twentieth Century Socialism And Look At The Global Situation Of Socialism In The Twenty First Century, Focusing Primarily On Socialism With Chinese Characteristics And Bernie-Style Socialism In America.

Sun, Mar 3, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital
This Is Part Of A Continuing Discussion Of Capital, Reading, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967). After One Year, We’ve Finished Chapter One And Will Now Start On Chapter 2: The Process Of Exchange, P. 178.

Sun, Feb 24, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Dissent, Resistance, Insurrection And Mutiny: A Survey Of Military Organization And Revolt
A Follow-Up To The Discussion On Engels' War And Military Thought, This Will Primarily Cover 19-21st Century Struggles Within The Military Against Imperialist Wars And For Socialist Revolution And A New Military.  While The Focus Will Be On Specific Instances, A Key Emphasis Is The Role Of Socialist Organizations In These Struggles.  Some Historical Patterns And Lesson Are Indicated From These Many, But Little Know Instances.  Working Class Insurrections Will Also Be Briefly Examined.  While The "Big" Military Revolts Such As During The Three Russian Revolutions And The Vietnam War Are Briefly Delved Into, The Many More Unfamiliar Struggles Will Also Be Covered.  An Example Of The Latter Are The Experiences Of The 2nd International's Organizing Within The Military Against Anti-Labor Repression And Colonial Wars.  Suggestions For Socialists Are Made For Their Contemporary Military Work.
The Presenter, Al Sargis, Founder-Director Of The Friedrich Engels Institute Of Marxist War And Military Analysis (FEIMWAMA), Served A Hitch In The Marines Before Doing Anti-War Work Among Soldiers And Sailors During The Vietnam War.

Sun, Feb 17, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
No Coup, No Sanctions, No War!
U.S. Hands Off Venezuela!
NOTE: Given The Crisis Over Venezuela, Mehmet Has Asked That We Replace Scheduled Talk, “Turkey At The Cross Roads Of Imperialism,” Which Will Be Rescheduled For Another Time.
   On January 22^nd Mike Pence Made A Phone Call To Opposition Politician Juan Guaido, Essentially Offering Him The Presidency Of Venezuela.  The Next Day, Guaido Swore An Oath In Which He Appointed Himself "Interim President Of Venezuela."  Minutes Later, Donald Trump Officially Recognized That Self-Appointment, In Effect Instigating A Coup Against The Elected Bolivarian Government Of Nicholas Maduro.  Since Then, The Mainstream Corporate Media Has Been Supporting The Coup, Flooding The Air Waves And Internet With Stories About Chaos, Poverty, Corruption, And Violence In Venezuela, Exclusively Covering Anti-Government Marches, And Showing Clips Of World Leaders Calling For The Overthrow Of The Venezuelan Government.
   Yet In A Poll Conducted A Little More Than A Week Before, 81% Of Venezuelans Had Never Even Heard Of The 35-Year-Old Guaido!  Not Mentioned In These News Reports Are The Extremely Popular Education, Health Care, And Housing Programs Provided By The Venezuelan Government, That The U.S. Government Has Imposed Draconian Economic Sanctions On Venezuela, And That The U.S. Has Openly Spent Tens Of Millions Of Dollars Supporting Violent Opposition Groups.  Also Not Mentioned Is That Despite All Of This, Maduro Won Re-Election In May And Thousands Have Been Marching Throughout Venezuela In Support Of The Government Since The Attempted Coup; Almost Every Day.
   Donald Trump Has Threatened To Use "All Options, Including Military" Against Venezuela, A Country With The World’s Largest Proven Oil Reserves That John Bolton Has Openly Said Best Belong In The Hands Of American Oil Companies.  The Attack On Venezuela Foreshadows Forthcoming Attacks On Cuba, Iran, And Nicaragua, As Well As Attacks On Anyone Here In The U.S. Who Dares To Oppose This Drive For Domination And Destruction Of Yet Another Country.
   Come To A Presentation And Discussion To Find Out What's Really Happening In Venezuela. Speakers: Alicia Jrapko, Task Force On The Americas; Mehmet Bayram, Independent Journalist, Allan Miller, Economist, Activist & Writer.

Sun, Feb 10, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
The Continuing Struggle At People’s Park In Berkeley
People's Park Is A Landmark Of Great Civic And Historic Significance For The Bay Area, The State Of California, And The World. Through The Course Of Its Almost 50 Years Of History, There Have Been Waves Of Conflict Including Police Repression, Riots, Martial Law, And Murder Of Activists As The University Of California Has Pushed Its Plans To Develop Dormitories On The Site. Yet Activists Have Continued Their Struggle For The Park To Stay A Free And Open Space To Remain In Perpetuity As A Haven For Free Speech Activities, Including The Sharing Of Food, Clothing And Other Services For The Homeless And Downtrodden. Most Recently, Six Activists Were Arrested At 5am On The Morning Of Wednesday, Jan 16 While Defending The Remaining Trees In A Tree-Sit Action. We Have Invited Members Of The People's Park Committee To Lead Our Discussion Of This Struggle.

Sun, Feb 3, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital
This Is Part Of A Continuing Discussion Of Capital, Reading, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967). We Started At The Beginning Of Chapter 1: The Commodity, On P. 125, So Far, We’ve Reached P. 173, In The Fetishism Of The Commodity And Its Secret.

Sun, Jan 27, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Engels As Revolutionary Warrior: An Introduction To His War And Military Thought
Friedrich Engels' Analysis Of War And The Military Comprises The Largest Single Proportion Of His Writings.  Despite Its Enormity, This Body Of Work, Its Origins In His Own Military And Revolutionary Experiences And The Lessons He Drew, Are Among The Least Studied By U.S. Marxists.  This Presentation Will Cover What Stimulated Engels To Devote So Much Time And Effort To This Task, As Well As Some Of His Major Analysis And Conclusions. Specifically, What Led Engels To Become The Founder Of Marxist War And Military Theory, Some Of His Main Ideas On War/Anti-War, Militarism/Anti-Militarism, Role Of The Military In Anti-War Activities And Contemporary Implications Of His Analysis.
The Presenter Is Al Sargis, Founder-Director Of The Friedrich Engels Institute Of Marxist War And Military Analysis (FEIMWAMA) And A Student Of Marxist-Leninist Military Science, Particularly Engels' Contribution To It.

Sun, Jan 20, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
The International Communist Movement And The World Working Class, Chinese Views. 
We Are Hosting A Delegation Of Comrades From The Chinese Communist Party, All Faculty Members Of Central China Normal University In Wuhan, One Of The Top Ten Universities In China. They Visiting The Bay Area To Get To Know The Problems Of U.S. Society And Politics Better. They Will Also Speak At Our Forum. The Delegation Includes:
   1.  Tang Min, Professor, President Of School Of Politics And International Studies, CCNU, A  Famous Chinese Expert In The Research Of Chinese Rural Governance, National Problems.
   2. Zhong Detao,  Executive Vice President Of Party School Of CCNU, Professor Of School Of Marxism, CCNU, A Famous Chinese Expert In The Research Of History Of CPC And The Political Party System Of CPC.
    3. Zhou Huaping, Associate Professor, Center For Marxist Parties In Foreign Countries Of CCNU, Specialized In The Research Of European Communist Movement And Italian Communist Parties. 
    4. Pan Guangwei, Doctor, Office Director Of School Of Politics And International Studies, CCNU, Specialized In The Research Of The Construction Of Communist Party In The Universities. 
    5. Yu Weihai, Professor, Dean Of Center For Marxist Parties In Foreign Countries Of CCNU, Specializing In The Researches Of The Communist Movement And The World Communist Parties. 
They Will Discuss Three Topics At Least: History And System Of CPC, Communist Movement, Chinese Rural Governance And National Problem. After Their Talk, Our Guests Will Respond To Questions And Comments From The Audience.
ICSS Member Gary Hicks Will Chair The Meeting.

Sun, Jan 13, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
With Both Marx And Jesus: Liberation Psychology And The Refugee Question – Reflections By Adrianne Aron
Derived From Liberation Theology And Developed By A Jesuit Priest In El Salvador, Liberation Psychology Became The Most Effective Of All Methodologies For Helping Central American Refugees Fleeing From State Terrorism Wrought By U.S. Imperialism. The Catholic Bishops’ “Preferential Option For The Poor” That Guided The Radical Religious Movement Of The 1970s And ‘80s In Latin America Paved The Way For Psychology To Break Its Attachments To The Elites And Bourgeois Elements It Had Always Served In Places Like El Salvador And Honduras (And The United States), And Begin For The First Time To Try To Understand The Psychological Effects Of Oppression. (Martín-Baró, The Founder Of Liberation Psychology, Asks: What Does “Motivation” Look Like From The Point Of View Of A Woman Who Sells Fruit In The Marketplace?)
   As People Began Fleeing The Extreme Violence In Central America And Were Seeking Political Asylum In The United States, Liberation Psychology Provided A Way For North American Psychologists To Put A Political And Historical Context Around The “Disorders” Of The Traumatized Refugees, And To Interpret Their Psychological Conditions To Both The Judges Of Immigration Court Who Were Hearing Their Asylum Cases, And To The Suffering Individuals Themselves, Who Felt They Were Losing Their Minds. In North American Psychology This Was A Significant Departure From The Dominant Paradigms Of Behaviorism (Which Unabashedly Holds Conformity To The Mean As The Desirable Achievement Of “Normal”), And Freudian Psychology, Which Attributes Pathology To Personal And Interpersonal Conditions But Does Not Consider Structural Conditions Such As Capitalist Social Organization As Contributors To Breakdowns In Mental Health. (Fanon Is Not Widely Known In The U.S.) With Liberation Psychology, North American Psychologists Could Use Their Professional Interviewing Skills To Win The Trust Of Traumatized Clients, And Their Credentials And Academic Skills To Win The Respect Of Doubting Judges. Most Significantly, They Could Use Their Own Sense Of Justice—And A Wish To Promote Justice—To Inform Their Psychological Work, Whether Their Basis For This Commitment Was In Religion, Marxism, Or Any Ethical Standard Whatsoever. 
Suggested Reading: Writings For A Liberation Psychology: Essays Of Ignacio Martín-Baró (Aron And Corne, Eds., Harvard University Press, 1994, 1996)
Human Rights And Wrongs (By Adrianne Aron, Sunshot Press, 2018)
   Adrianne Aron Is A Bilingual Liberation Psychologist In Berkeley. Her Psychological Evaluation Of A Persecuted Salvadoran Student Leader In 1985 Opened The Possibility For Central Americans To Win Asylum In The U.S. (At A Time When 98% Of All Salvadoran Applications, And 99% Of Guatemalan Applications, Were Being Denied). Human Rights And Wrongs, Winner Of The Sunshot Nonfiction Prize, Is Being Nominated For The PEN/Galbraith Award
Info:  Www.Adriannearon.Com

Sun, Jan 6, 2019: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital
This Is Part Of A Continuing Discussion Of Capital, Reading, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967). We Started At The Beginning Of Chapter 1: The Commodity, On P. 125, So Far, We’ve Reached P. 171, In The Fetishism Of The Commodity And Its Secret.

Sun, Jan 6, 2019: 12:45-1:45 Pm
Planning Session
We Get Together After The Morning Session On The First Sunday Of Every Month To Discuss Things In General And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Also, Please Review Our Web Site To Familiarize Yourself With Our Current Proposals. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome.

Sun, Dec 30, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Year End Retreat On How To Advance Our Struggle.
Time To Get Together And Discuss How To Advance Our Struggle To Build Socialism. Gene Will Begin By Telling The Story Of How The Samurai Of Choshu In Japan, After Waiting 250 Years, Overthrew The Hated Rule Of The Tokugawa Shogunate In 1868 Which Laid The Basis For Japan's Own Imperialist Exploits Which Assured It An Independent National Development.

Sun, Dec 23, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Seasonal Holiday Break
WE WILL NOT MEET ON THE SUNDAY BEFORE THE HOLIDAY.

Sun, Dec 16, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
The Rolling Catastrophe Of The American Body Politic
   What Have Things Come To When Arch Racist Jeff Sessions And Deep State Spooks Are Canonized As By Self-Identified Liberals And Leftists As Bulwarks Against Fascism? When All Mainstream "Opposition" Politics Can Be Summarized In A Single Word: Trump. And When The Midterm Elections Ignored Deepening Impoverishment At Home, Endless Wars Abroad, And Climate Catastrophe – Let Alone The Tax Cut For The Superrich – Instead Focusing On The "Threat" Posed By (Take Your Pick) Immigrant Workers And The Russians.
   The Majority Of Eligible Voters Sat Out The Midterm Spectacle, Simply Not Bothering With Politicians Awash In Ever More Obscene Tsunamis Of Corporate Cash. Meanwhile, Both The Economy And The Polity Have Become More Concentrated And Less Democratic With An Ever-Wealthier Elite Perched Atop Of An Ever-Growing Surveillance State, Mass Incarceration, And Censored Media On The Internet.
   Economist Allan Miller, Green Party Congressional Candidate Laura Wells, And Peace And Freedom Party Central Committee Member Roger Harris Will Try To Inject Reason To The Rant, Followed By Robust Questions And Commentary. ICSS Member Raj Sahai Will Facilitate.

Sun, Dec 9, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
AN HOBGOBLIN HAUNTS THE GLOBE, THE HOBGOBLIN OF KOMMUNISM!
                                                Or
                                   GOTHICK MARXISM
We'll Watch A Video Of Radical Sci/Fi Author China Mieville Explicate Gothic Marxism. Margaret Cohen (Author Of PROFANE ILLUMINATION)  And David Mcnally (Author Of MONSTERS OF THE MARKET) Are Fellow Travelers ...Also, Courtesy Of JACOBIN MAGAZINE, An Inspiring Story And New Battle-Cry: " When The Children Seized Power, They All Agreed: MORE BATS!"

Sun, Dec 2, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital, Chapter One
This Is Part Of A Continuing Discussion Of Chapter One, Reading, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967). We Started At The Beginning Of Chapter 1: The Commodity, On P. 125, So Far, We’ve Reached P. P. 165, In (4) The Fetishism Of The Commodity And Its Secret

Sun, Dec 2, 2018: 12:45-1:45 Pm
Planning Session
We Get Together After The Morning Session On The First Sunday Of Every Month To Discuss Things In General And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome

Sun, Nov 25, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Thanksgiving Break – OPEN, Gene Will Be Out Of Town, But Someone Can Still Speak In Our Slot.

Sun, Nov 18, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
After The 2018 Midterm: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t.
We Are Inviting Some Knowledgeable Comrades To Lead Our Discussion Of Whether And How The Recent Elections Have Impacted Our Struggles In Various Areas, Including Foreign Policy, Immigration, Gender Relations, Jobs, Education, Human Rights, And More. Probable Speakers Include Tom Gallagher, Progressive Democrats Of America, Gary Hicks, CP-USA And CCDS, Gerald Smith, Oscar Grant Committee, Urzsula Wislanka And Ron Kelch, News & Letters, Gloria Lariva Or Another Member Of PSL. ICSS Member Gene Ruyle Will Faciltate.

Sun, Nov 11, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital, Volume One
This Is Part Of A Continuing Discussion Of Volume One, Reading, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967). We Started At The Beginning Of Chapter 1: The Commodity, On P. 125, So Far, We’ve Reached P. 163 (4) The Fetishism Of The Commodity And Its Secret

Sun, Nov 4, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
How The US Left Can Resist The New Forms Of US Imperialism
What Is Common To LBJ’s “Falling Dominoes,” Carter’s “Humanitarian Intervention,” Reagan’s “Shining City,” G. H. W. Bush’s “What We Say Goes,” G. W. Bush’s “God’s Mission,” Obama’s “Indispensable Country,” And Trump’s Contradictory Statements? It Is Imperialism In Different Garbs, Adopted To The Decaying Capitalism Over The Past 40 Years.
Raj Sahai Has Studied Marx And Lenin For 25 Years, Written On Soviet History, And Has Been An Anti-War Activist Since The 1960s. He Will Use Leninist Critique Of Imperialism To Show That Those On The Left Who Seek Ouster Of Progressive States In Weaker Countries, To Reach Their Goal Of Liberation Of The Masses Of These Countries So As They Could Move Towards Some Form Of Libertarian Communism, Are Grievously Mistaken.
Rick Sterling Is A Member Of Syrian Solidarity Movement, Has Been To Syria Twice, And Has Written And Spoken Extensively On The War And Politics In Syria And The Middle East. He Will Explain What Is Really Happening In Syria Over The Past Seven Years.
Roger Harris Is Member Of The Anti-Imperialist Human Rights Group, The Task Force On The Americas. His Recent Essays Appear In Counter-Punch And Other Sites. He Will Present A Solidarity Model For Supporting Social Movements, While Focusing On The Need To Resist US Imperialism.
ICSS Member Charles Andrews Will Be Our Moderator.

Sun, Nov 4, 2018: 12:45-1:45 Pm
Planning Session
We Get Together After The Morning Session On The First Sunday Of Every Month To Discuss Things In General And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome

Sun, Oct 28, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Hardships Imposed On The Venezuelan People By US-Canadian Sanctions.
As Part Of A Campaign To Educate The Public And Organize A Stronger Movement Against Ongoing – And Ever Increasing – US And Canadian Sanctions And Intervention On The Venezuelan People, The Alliance For Global Justice Is Organizing A National Speaking Tour By Dr. Steve Ellner, Who Has Taught At Several U.S. And Latin American Universities. 

Sun, Oct 21, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Kavanaugh
Our Planning Committee Suggested That We Schedule Time For Folks To Express Their Thoughts And Feelings About The Kaganaugh Hearings And Confirmation, Especially Utilizing Marxist And Feminist Perspectives. Earlier This Year, We Decided To Leave Some Open Space In Our Schedule To Allow Time To Discuss Current Issues As They Develop. Folks Who Want To Make A Brief (5-15 Minute) Presentation On The Topic, Please Send A Brief Proposal (Title Only) To Gene (Cuyleruyle At Mac Dot Com) By Thursday, Oct 18.

Sun, Oct 14, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Red-Green Revolution: The Politics And Technology Of Ecosocialism.

Part Of A Book Tour By Victor Wallis (Phd In Political Science, Columbia, 1970, Teaches At Berklee College Of Music
“Finally, We Have The Definitive Work On Ecosocialism With Red-Green Revolution. Victor Wallis Brings His Brilliant Editorial Skills To Writing A Highly Readable, Compelling, And Essential Book, A Must Read For Everyone Who Cares About The Fate Of The Earth In This Era Of Capitalist Implosion With Socialism No Longer A Possible Alternative, But Rather A Requirement For Survival.” -- Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz (Author Of An Indigenous Peoples' History Of The United States)

Sun, Oct 7, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
The Analysis And Fight Against Fascism.
Our Comrade, Elazar Friedman, Visiting From Idaho, Will Apply Leninist Theory To The Understanding And Methods Of Defense To Defeat Fascism Before It Takes State Power. The United Front Method Will Be Applied To The US Antifascist Actions From The 1939 Madison Square Garden Mobilization Against The German Bund And The 1946 Minneapolis Teamster Fight Against The Silver Shirts. To The 1979 Greensboro Massacre Of The CWP Organizers By A United Racist Front Of Nazis And Klan And More Contemporary Actions In Charlottesville And The Bay Area. We Will Also Discuss Questions Of Free Speech For Fascists, Of Debating Fascists, Of Attempting To Have The Police Stop The Fascists Through The Capitalist State. We Will Contrast Mass Union Based Antifascist United Front Mobilization With Small Group Adventuristic And Dangerous Undisciplined Confrontations That Expect The Police To Be Neutral.

NOTE: Following Elazar’s Talk, Our Regular Monthly Planning Session (12:45-1:45pm) Will Include A Discussion Of Anti-Fascist Security At The Library And Elsewhere.

Sun, Oct 7, 2018: 12:45-1:45 Pm
Planning Session
We Get Together After The Morning Session On The First Sunday Of Every Month To Discuss Things In General And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome

Sun, Sep 30, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital, Chapter One
This Is Part Of A Continuing Discussion Of Chapter One, Reading, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967). We Started At The Beginning Of Chapter 1: The Commodity, On P. 125, So Far, We’ve Reached P. 160 [Chap. I. 3.(C) (3) The Development Of The Relative And Equivalent Forms Of Value: Their Interdependence.

Sun, Sep 23, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
The Attack On Julian Assange, Democratic Rights, Labor & Imperialist War
The Effort By The US Government To Continue To Attempt To Arrest Whistleblower And Journalist Julian Assange Is A Threat To All Labor And Free Speech Rights. He Has Exposed The Criminal Activities Of Government And Corporate Crooks  As Well As The Corrupt Democratic Party Who Manipulated The Results Of The Last Election. They Want To Shut Him Up To Silence All Whistleblowers And Journalists.
Moderator:
Steve Zeltzer KPFA Workweek Radio KPFA
Speakers:
Nozomi Hayase, Journalist And Author
Anne Garrison, San Francisco Bayview And Black Agenda Report
Randy Credico, WBAI Radio Host And Journalist

Sun, Sep 16, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Sailing For A Nuclear Free World
Come Learn About The Golden Rule, The 30 Ft Wooden Ketch That Tried To Sail Into The Nuclear Test Zone In The Pacific To Prevent Atmospheric Nuclear Weapons Testing In 1958. The Coast Guard Intervened And Arrested The Crew, But Their Courage Ignited A Movement That Led To The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Now Fully Restored By Veterans For Peace, The Golden Rule Is Making Waves Again As It Sails To Hawaii, Guam, Okinawa, Korea, And Japan With Its Message Of A World Free Of Nuclear Weapons

See:
Http://Www.Vfpgoldenruleproject.Org
Https://News.Nationalgeographic.Com/2015/06/150619-Golden-Rule-Ketch-Restoration-Nuclear-Weapons/

Sun, Sep 9, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Say It Ain't So Nicaragua
To Read Some Of The “Analysis” Of The Left One Would Think That The Recent Uprisings In Nicaragua Are All A Part Of A Well-Orchestrated Campaign From The Same Old Enemies That The Frente Sandinista Had During The 1980’s And The Ones That The Left Has In The Region Since Way Before That.  Those Right-Wing Actors Sure Are Still Busy And It Is Easy To Look At Their Fingerprints On Other Latin American Internal Affairs, Especially In Venezuela.
Are Events In Nicaragua Another CIA Plot?
NO, But The CIA Is Trying To Shape Events And Always Has.
Understanding Nicaragua Today Is Sort Of Like Being Involved In A Family Break Up That Involves A Lot Of Denial.  Just As One’s Ex Will Downplay That Part Where A Fist Was Slammed On The Table And A Door Was Slammed During A Stomp Off, Many On The Left Are Looking For All Kinds Of Reasons Not To Believe That The Government Of Daniel Ortega Is The Source Of Its Own Problems.  Don Macleay, Who Fought With The Sandinistas In The Contra War Of The 80’s, Will Be Our Featured Speaker. NOTE: This Will Be Run As A Town Forum, With Over Half Of The Time Reserved For A Respectful Discussion Including As Many Voices As Possible. ICSS Member Gene Ruyle Will Moderate. Readings: Don Macleay, Https://Progressive.Org/Dispatches/Nicaraguan-Protests-Are-Genuine-Issues-Diverse-180512/  Roger Harris, Https://Mltoday.Com/Regime-Change-In-Nicaragua/

Sun, Sep 2, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital, Chapter One
This Will Be Our Seventh Session. We Are Continuing Our Discussion Of Chapter One, Reading, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967). We Started At The Beginning Of Chapter 1: The Commodity, On P. 125, So Far, We’ve Reached P. 154. [Chap. I. 3.(B) The Total Or Expanded Form Of Value.

Sun, Sep 2, 2018: 12:45-1:45 Pm
Planning Session
We Get Together After The Morning Session On The First Sunday Of Every Month To Discuss Things In General And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Also, Please Review Our Web Site To Familiarize Yourself With Our Current Proposals. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome.

Sun, Aug 26, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Against Assad: Anarchist And Marxist-Humanist Voices
As Anarchists, It Is Our Job To Organize Independent Of The Self-Appointed Anti-War Leadership, And To Work To Build An Alternative. An Anarchist Alternative Would Be Ruthlessly Single-Standard In Is Opposition To War—Which Means Sayng No To Assad And Putin As Well As Trump, And Offering Solidarity To The Anti-Authoritarian Currents In The Syrian Revolution. Not Betraying Them By Acquiescing With Their Oppressors. ICSS Members Lew Finzel And Ron Kelch, Will Make The Case.

Sun, Aug 19, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Zapatistas
Since Their Dramatic Entry Onto The World Stage In 1994, The Zapatistas Have Continued To Inspire Marxists And Anarchists Alike. Two Members Of The Chiapas Support Committee, Maryann Tenuto-Sanchez  And Arnoldo Garcia, Will Discuss 3 Aspects Of Zapatismo: Its Origins, Structure And Current Project.

Sun, Aug 12, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Memorial Session In Honor Of John Murcko
We Will Get Together To Remember The Life And Achievements Of Our Valued Comrade. John Murcko Devoted His Life To The Struggle Against Imperialism And For The Working Class And Socialism. Raj Sahai Will Be Organizing This And Leading Our Discussion.

Sun, Aug 5, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
What’s Happening In Nicaragua
   For Over Two Decades, Nicaragua Was The Safest Country In Latin America. Its President Daniel Ortega Had The Highest Approval Rating Of Any Chief Of State In The Entire Hemisphere. Social Indices Were On The Rise, With Literacy, Small Businesses Promotion, Free Public Education, Poverty Reduction, And Economic Growth Among The Highest In The Americas.
   Then On April 18 Things Suddenly Changed Dramatically. Triggered By A Minor Adjustment To The Social Security Program, Rightwing Elements Provoked Violence, Which Has Escalated With A Death Toll Of Over 200. The Extreme Opposition Is Intent On Escalating The Conflict To Paralyze And Overthrow The Elected Government
   This Is Within The Larger Context Of The US Targeting Independent And Progressive Governments. The US Has Poured Millions Into Nicaraguan Private Non-Governmental Organizations (Ngos) In What Is Called “Democracy Promotion” But May Be Better Understood As Regime Change Training. Even Sources Hostile To The Ortega Government Admit US Involvement In The Current Unrest.
   To Explain The Latest Developments In Nicaragua, Our Speaker Is Camilo Mejía, Who Has Flown Out From Miami To Join Us. Camilo Is A Nicaraguan And A Peace Hero. After Serving A Combat Tour In The US Army In Iraq In 2004, He Became A War Resistor And Was Sent To Prison. He Is The Author Of Road From Ar Ramadi: The Private Rebellion Of Staff Sergeant Mejía.
   Camilo Mejía Was Recognized By Amnesty International As A Prisoner Of Conscience And Was Awarded By Refuse And Resist With Its Courageous Resister Award. He Was Also The Recipient Of The Peace Abbey Courage Of Conscience Award And Received Global Exchange’s Young Leader Award. He Is A Peace Activist And Speaker Who Has Written About What Is Happening In His Native Nicaragua (Https://Tinyurl.Com/Yd6ugxg2).

Sun, Aug 5, 2018: 12:45-1:45 Pm
Planning Session
We Get Together After The Morning Session On The First Sunday Of Every Month To Discuss Things In General And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome

Sun, Jul 29, 2018: 11:30 Am To 1:30 Pm
The Mystery Of The Katyn Massacre: The Evidence, The Solution.
Our Comrade, Grover Furr, Will Discuss This Book, His Latest, To Be Published Around June 1.  Grover Writes, “I Have Studied All The Evidence, All The Books And Reports Since 1943 That Deal With The Katyn Massacre, And All The Authoritative Works By Anticommunist Authors That Are Now Accepted As Definitive. And I Solve "The Mystery Of The Katyn Massacre" By The Evidence. This Is A Fascinating Journey Through 75 Years Of Historical Lying, Falsification, And Forgery. Katyn Is Far And Away The Best Documented "Crime Of Stalin." So A Study Of It Should Be Of Interest To Everyone: Anticommunists As Well As Communists, Trotskyists As Well As "Stalinists" (I Do Not Recognize This Term), Polish Nationalists As Well As Proletarian Internationalists.”

Sun, Jul 22,  2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital, Chapter One
This Will Be Our Fifth Session. We Are Continuing Our Discussion Of Chapter One. We Will Read, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967). In Our Last Session, We Started At P. 147. [ Chap. I. 3.(A) (2) (Iii) The Equivalent Form.
NOTE: The Session On Twentieth First Century Socialism, By Eugene Ruyle, Orginally Scheduled For This Date, Has Been Postponed.

Sun, Jul 15, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital, Chapter One
This Will Be Our Fifth Session. We Are Continuing Our Discussion Of Chapter One. We Will Read, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967). In Our Last Session, We Got To P. 147. [ Chap. I. 3.(A) (2) (Iii) The Equivalent Form.

Sun, Jul 8, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Venezuela Resists US Empire
The Venezuelan People Reelected Nicolás Maduro For A Second Presidential Term. A US-Backed Political Tide Of Reaction Had Been Bucked, Which Had Swept Away Previously Left-Leaning Latin American Governments – Often By Extra-Parliamentary Means – In Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Honduras, And Even Ecuador. The US And The Rightwing Opposition In Venezuela Had Demanded An Election Boycott And Maduro’s Resignation. Defying Them, The Popular Classes Voted As A Form Of Resistance In What They Proudly Told Us Was A “Celebration Of Democracy.” Hugo Chávez’s Bolivarian Revolution Was Again Affirmed As Was Chávez’s Successor, Nicolás Maduro. 
Our Speaker, Roger Harris, Was In Venezuela As An Election Observer For Both Of Maduro's Election. He Will Be Showing A PPT Of His Recent Visit To Venezuela.  Roger Is On The Board Of The Anti-Imperialist Human Rights Organization, The Task Force On The Americas.

Sun, Jul 1, 2018: 12:45-1:45 Pm
Planning Session
We Get Together After The Morning Session On The First Sunday Of Every Month To Discuss Things In General And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome

Sun, Jul 1, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
How To Celebrate July 4th: William Blake, The American Revolution And The Idea Of Freedom
The Great English Poet William Blake's Creative Imagination Addressed Both The Greatness And Limits Of The 1776 American Revolution. Karl Marx Singled It Out In Capital As The Precursor To The Great French Revolution, Though More Recently Its Importance Is Diminished By Some To A Mere Counterrevolutionary Institutionalization Of Slavery. Yet The Enlightenment Ideals That Helped To Shape 1776 Not Only Animated The French Revolution Of 1789 But Also The Black Jacobins Of The Haitian Revolution Of 1791-1804. The Latter Have Been Singled Out As The Inspiration For Hegel's Foundational Master/Slave Dialectic. The Master/Slave Paradigm Has Been A Critical Take Off Point For Liberatory Thought From Kojeve And Sartre To Fanon And Debeauvoir. We Want To Revisit How And If Blake, Who Was Forever Breaking "Mind Forged Manacles," Anticipated And Deepened In The Idea Of Freedom In Hegel And Marx.    
Discussion By Lew Finzel And Ron Kelch

Sun, Jun 24, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital, Chapter One
This Will Be Our Fourth Session. We Are Continuing Our Reading And Discussion Of Chapter One. Last Time, We Got Into Section 3· The Value-Form, Or Exchange-Value, About Page 138 Of The Penguin Edition (1967).

Sun, Jun 17, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
The Abolition Of War
An Anthropological Perspective
   Two Centuries Ago, Those Who Sought To Abolish Slavery Were Subjected To Ridicule And Scorn. Slavery Had Always Existed And Was Part Of Human Nature, Even Sanctioned By The Bible. Undeterred, The Abolitionist Succeeded. Slavery Has Been Abolished, And The Idea That Some Men Can Own Other Human Beings As Property Is Universally Opposed, At Least, In Polite Company.
   In Our Quest For Peace, We Must Confront Similar Opposition. Haven't Men Always Gone Off To War? Aren't Humans Innately Violent? How Else Can We Protect Our Way Of Life And Our Values From Those Who Would Destroy Them?
   This Workshop, Presented By Eugene E Ruyle, Emeritus Professor Of Anthropology At Cal State Long Beach, Will Address Such Issues By Drawing Upon Modern Anthropological Fact And Theory As Informed By The Materialist Approach Of Marx And Engels.  It Is Hoped That Participants Will Emerge With A Clearer Understanding That Another World Is Not Only Possible But Necessary, A World In Which War Will Be Found Only, To Paraphrase Engels, In The Museum Of Antiquities, Next To The Spinning Wheel And The Bronze Ax.

Sun, Jun 10, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Contemporary Russia And The Struggle To Build Communism
   Russia In The 20th Century Was The Site Of Enormous Upheavals   The Bolshevik Revolution, The Massive Industrialization, The Great Patriotic War, The Cold War, The Breakup Of The Soviet Union, And The Yeltsin Era.  The Putin Presidency (2000-Present) Poses Particularly Difficult Political And Theoretical Problems For Imperialists And Marxists Alike.  To Review Imperialism’s (U.S.) Incessant Lying Attacks On Ex-USSR/Putin, See This Source; Https://Consortiumnews.Com/2018/02/06/Understanding-Russia-Un-Demonizing-Putin
   For 30 Years Sharon Tennison, With High Marks For Her Work In Particular By Some Left-Ists, Talked To Soviets/Russians And U.S. Americans To Try To Bring Them Together, To Prevent Mutual Atomic Bombing. Her Work Took A Surprising Turn, One That Needs Examination By Us. Her Report Is The Power Of Impossible Ideas: Ordinary Citizens' Extraordinary Efforts To Avert International Crises.
   Two ICSS Members Will Examine These Factors From A Marxist Perspective. Presentations By ICSS Members Richard Fallenbaum, A Retired Tech Worker, And Norma Harrison, A Woman, Mother, Public School Teacher, Wife, Electronics Journey-One, Realtor.

Sun, Jun 3, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Tito: Yugoslavia's Mao, Giap And Che (PART TWO)
This Will Be A Continuation Of Al Sargis’s Talk On Feb 18, 2018: Tito's Ideas And Practice Of National Liberation Strategy, Revolutionary War And Guerilla Warfare Are Not As Well Known Among US Socialists As Are Those Of Mao, Giap And Che.   However, Tito's Theory And Practice Are On Par, And In Some Respects Even Exceed, Those Of His More Familiar Counterparts.  This Presentation Will Focus On Tito, But, As A Secondary Focus, Will Also Compare Some Biographical, Theoretical And Applied Aspects Of All 4 Marxists.  Their Contributions To Marxist War And Military Theory Will Be Highlighted, Rather Than Discussing The Respective  Revolutionary Societies That Followed Liberation. Our Presenter, Al Sargis, Is Founder Of The Friedrich Engels Institute Of Marxist War And Military Analysis (FEIMWAMA)

Sun, Jun 3, 2018: 12:45-1:45 Pm
Planning Session
We Get Together After The Morning Session On The First Sunday Of Every Month To Discuss Things In General And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome

Sun, May 27, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Trotsky’s Theory Of Fascism 
Our Comrade, Elazar Friedman, Will Be Back In Town To Celebrate His 85^th Birthday And Discuss Trotsky’s Theory Of Fascism. He Will Cover:
1.) The Contribution Of Clara Zetkin In 1923 Addressed To The ECCI Will Be An Important Source That Strongly Influenced Trotsky 
Reprising Her Elements Of The Newly Evolved Aspects Of Fascism Differing From Previous Right Wing Dictatorships Will Lay The Foundation For Trotsky's Comprehensive Model. 
2.) Ernest Mandel In His Intro To Trotsky's Struggle Against Fascism In Germany Posits 6 Dynamically Inter-Related Elements That Compose Trotsky's Evolutionary Model Of Fascism. These Will Be Summarized And Compared To The Models Employed At The Time By The Comintern And The KPD 
Trotsky Struggled Might An Main To Apprise The Working Class Movements In Germany Of The Deadly Menace Of Nazi Fascism And To Correct The Suicidal Adventurist Positions Devolving From The Comintern Such As SPD Being The Principal Social Fascist Enemy And The Distortions Of Lenin's Position On United Front ( Ultimatist United Front From Below) Trying To Bypass That Most Of The German Working Class Was In SPD Led Unions And Organizational SPD -KPD United Front Against Fascism Were Needed. 
The Dimitrov Speech In 1935 To The 7th Congress Of The ECCI And His Dialogue With Stalin Criticizing The Dictate On Social Fascism Will Be Discussed And The Flip Flop To The Opportunist Class Collaborationist Popular Fronts That Paved The Way To Fascist Victory Rather Than Stopping Fascism.

Sun, May 20, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Kurds In The Eye Of A Storm
The Kurdish People -- Divided Among Turkey, Syria, Iraq, And Iran -- Have Found Themselves On The Frontlines Of The Fight Against ISIS In The Aftermath Of Still More Intense Wars That Had Raged Around Them In All Four Countries For Decades. While Being Battered By The Storm, Emerging Out Of Its Eye Are Some Pioneering Social Experiments And Some Surprising Alliances.
   Sharat G. Lin, Who Has Visited All Of These Countries, Is A Political Economist, Expert On Labor Migration, And The Middle East. He Is A Research Fellow And Past President At The San Jose Peace And Justice Center, And On The Board Of Advisors Of The Initiative For Equality (Ife).

Sun, May 13, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital, Chapter 1
This Will Be Our Third Session. We Are Continuing Our Discussion Of Chapter One. We Will Read, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967). As I Recall, Last Time, We Got Through Section 1 And Into Section 2: The Two-Fold Character Of The Labour Embodied In Commodities.

Sunday, May 6, 2018
Karl Marx Bicentennial Forum Cancelled
(But Another Marx Bicentennial Event Is Scheduled For Saturday At The Starry Plough, With Two ICSS Members Speaking, Gary Hicks And Eugene Ruyle.)
   We Have Decided To Cancel Our Planned Karl Marx Forum Due To Threats Of Disruption. Instead. We Will Hold An Expanded Planning Session From 11am To 1pm In Order To Discuss How To Deal With Such Disruptions In An Open, Democratic Manner. We Will Discuss, Specifically, Complaints About Two, Or Possibly Three, Of Our Speakers. We Will Also Re-Visit Our Mission Statement (On Our Web Page, Icssmarx.Org), How To Implement Our Mission, And Our Relationship To The Broader Working Class Struggle For Socialism.

Sun, May 6, 2018: 11am-1pm
Planning Session
Normally, We Get Together After The Morning Session On The First Sunday Of Every Month To Discuss Things In General And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Month, However, We Have An Unusal Situation (As Described Above) And Will Take Longer Than Usual. Even So, This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome

Sun, Apr 29, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Friedrich Engels And Socialist Organizing In The Military 
Both Marx And Engels Advocated Organizing In The Military To Prevent The Army From Participating In 3 Major Concerns:  Crushing Working-Class Actions, Fighting In Imperialist Wars And Siding With The Capitalist State In Revolutionary Situations.  Engels Developed Concrete Ideas Along These Lines Which Were Carried Out, To Varying Degrees Of Success, In The 2nd And 3rd Internationals And Into Recent Times.   This Presentation Will Cover Engels' Theory And Its Subsequent Application By The Socialist Movement, Especially From The 1870s Through The 1970s.   The Introduction Will Include A Brief Summary Of The Marxist Theory Of War And The Military, Followed By Engels' Analysis And Specific Historical Examples Of Socialist Activities Among The Military.  Indicated Will Be The Rich Experiences Of This Endeavor--Both Positive And Negative--Which Are Little Known Among Most U.S. Socialists.  Finally, Some Implications For The Present Will Be Touched Upon.
Our Presenter, Al Sargis, Is Founder Of The Friedrich Engels Institute Of Marxist War And Military Analysis (FEIMWAMA).

Sun, Apr 22, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Twentieth Century Socialism:
A Framework For Scientific Analysis
No Longer A Utopian Dream, Socialism Has Been In Existence For A Century, Yet There Have Been Few Attempts Of Understand Socialism In A Scientific Manner. In This Talk, ICSS Member Eugene E Ruyle, Emeritus Professor Of Anthropology At Cal State Long Beach, Will Use The Scientific Socialism Of Marx, Engels, And Lenin As A Framework For Understanding The First Hundred Years Of Socialism And What This Means For The Global Future Of Humanity..

Sun, Apr 15, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Ancient Dialectics
Lew Finzel And The History Of Dialectics Presents: The Case Of Heraclitus: A Lecture On This Pre-Socratic Philosopher.
"You Can Never Step Into The Same River Twice..."

Sun, Apr 8, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
International Women's Day, 2018: #Metoo World-Wide And Across Societies, From Hollywood To Prisons In The U.S.
Whether In Iran Demonstrating Against The Compulsion To Wear Head Scarves, Or In Poland Threatening The Regime Posed To Pass The Most Draconian Abortion Law, Or In The U.S. Leading The Largest Opposition To Trump And Trumpism, Women's Sustained Actions Strive To Bring About A New World. Every Aspect Of Women's Struggle Is Reflected And Deepened In The Experiences And Ideas Of Women Prisoners. Does Marx's View That The Man/Woman Relation Is The Most Fundamental Speak To Today's Reality? Speaker Will Be Urszula Wislanka, Marxist Humanist Activist With California Coalition For Women Prisoners And Pelican Bay Hunger Strike Support Coalition.

Sun, Apr 1, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital, Vol 1, Chapter 1
This Will Be Our Second Session. We Had So Much Fun At The First One, We Decided To Continue Our Discussion Of Chapter One. We Will Read, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967). As I Recall, Last Time, We Got Through About 3 Pages, From P. 125 To About P. 128.

Sun, Apr 1, 2018: 1-2 Pm
Planning Session
We Get Together After The Morning Session On The First Sunday Of Every Month To Discuss Things In General And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome

Sun, Mar 25, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Ten Years (1966-76) Of The Great Struggles Of The Argentinian Working Class.
Subject: During The Period Of 1966-76 The Argentinian Labor Movement Was Organized Was Organized Around Militant Leadership, Free From The Ties To The Peronist Party And Around A Big Struggle Against Military Dictators And, Ultimately, Against The Very Peronist Government.
 Workers Coordinating Committees Were Formed Which Disputed The Leadership To The Peronist Labor Bureaucracy; Occupation Of Factories Spread Out All Over The Country And General Strikes Took Over Cities For Several Days, Beating Back The Repressive Forces And , In Turn, Reversing Anti-Labor Measures. So, What Happen To It?. Come To Find Out.
Our Speaker, Antonio Trossero, Is An Argentinian Metal Worker And Labor Organizer. In 1976 Antonio Was Arrested By The Peronist Government And He Spent Five Years In Jail During The Military Dictatorship; Exiled To The United States, He Continued His Life Of A Proletarian Here.

Sun, Mar 18, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Capital, Vol 1, Chapter 1
Before We Even Start, Let’s Remember Marx’s Warning To “Those Readers Who Zealously Seek The Truth. There Is No Royal Road To Science, And Only Those Who Do Not Dread The Fatiguing Climb Of Its Steep Paths Have A Chance Of Gaining Its Luminous Summits.” Our Discussion Will Get As For Into Chapter One As Possible. We Will Read, Paragraph By Paragraph From The Penguin Edition (1967)

Sun, Mar 11, 2018: 11:30 Am To 1:30 Pm
Leon Trotsky’s Collaboration With Germany And Japan.
Grover Furr Will Discuss His New Book, Which Argues: At The Moscow Trials Of 1937 And 1938, Some Of Leon Trotsky's Followers Accused Trotsky Of Secretly Conspiring With Nazi Germany And Fascist Japan. Since Nikita Khrushchev's "Secret Speech" Of 1956 Attacking Stalin, These Charges Have Been Routinely Dismissed As False By Soviet, Russian, And Western Historians. But We Know Now That Khrushchev Was Lying! Grover Furr Asks The Question: What Is The Evidence That Trotsky Conspired With The Germans And Japanese? How Should This Evidence Be Analyzed And Interpreted? In This Book, Furr Conducts An Expert, Objective Study Of The Evidence. He Concludes That Trotsky Did Indeed Collaborate With The Germans And Japanese. The Proof That Trotsky Was Guilty Of Collaboration With The Nazis And Japanese Dramatically Changes Our Understanding Of Soviet History Of The 1930s And Of Joseph Stalin's Role.

Sun, Mar 4, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
The History Of Dialectics
ICSS Member Lew Finzel Will Present The Next In His Series THE HISTORY OF DIALECTICS: The Death Of God Theology Of Thomas J.J. Altizer. Altizer Considers Many Thinkers Including Blake, Hegel, And Nietzsche, With A Look At The Western Epic Tradition From Homer To Joyce.

Sun, Mar 4, 2018: 1-2 Pm
Planning Session
We Get Together After The Morning Session On The First Sunday Of Every Month To Discuss Things In General And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome.

Sun, Feb 25, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
The Silk Road, Belt & Road Initiatives, Socialism With Chinese Characteristics, And Labor
This Forum Will Look At The Economic Policies Of The Chinese Government In China And Internationally And What This Means For The World Economy And The Working Class In China And The World.
Video With Speakers, Including:
Charles Andrews, Researcher, Author Of The Hollow Colossus About The Economic Decay Of U.S. Imperialism, Will Examine The Current State Of The Accumulation Process In China;
Steve Zeltzer, KPFA Workweek Radio, Documentary Videographer Will The Global Road, Belt And Road Initiatives And The Working Class.
Professor George Wright, Will Speak On The Rise Of China And The International Implications For World Politics And The Crisis Of US Imperialism
Moderator: Gene Ruyle
For More Information: Steve Zeltzer <Lvpsf@Igc.Org>, (415) 282-1908.
Video Available At: Https://Youtu.Be/Epouowuzkbq

Sun, Feb 18, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Tito: Yugoslavia's Mao, Giap And Che
Tito's Ideas And Practice Of National Liberation Strategy, Revolutionary War And Guerilla Warfare Are Not As Well Know Among US Socialists As Are Those Of Mao, Giap And Che.   However, Tito's Theory And Practice Are On Par, And In Some Respects Even Exceed, Those Of His More Familiar Counterparts.  This Presentation Will Focus On Tito, But, As A Secondary Focus, Will Also Compare Some Biographical, Theoretical And Applied Aspects Of All 4 Marxists.  Their Contributions To Marxist War And Military Theory Will Be Highlighted, Rather Than Discussing The Respective  Revolutionary Societies That Followed Liberation. Our Presenter, Al Sargis, Presenter, Is Founder Of The Friedrich Engels Institute Of Marxist War And Military Analysis (FEIMWAMA)

Sun, Feb 11, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Round Table Discussion: Building The Anti-War Movement
Remember Vietnam? Nixon Wanted To End It With Nuclear Weapons, But He Said He Couldn’t Because Of The Anti-War Movement. What Happened To That Movement And How Can We Bring It Back? We’ll Have An Open Round Table Discussion Of This Topic, Everyone Can Speak Contact Gene ASAP If You Have A Prepared Statement To Make (First Come, First Served).

Sun, Feb 4, 2018: 12:30-1:30 Pm
Planning Session
We Get Together After Our Morning Session On The First Sunday Of Every Month To Discuss The Current State Of Class Struggle And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome.

Sun, Feb 4, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Remembering Stalingrad,
   The Battle Of Stalingrad, August 1942-February 1943, Was The Battle That Was To World War 2 The International Gettysburg Of That Conflict. That Is, The Outcome Of The Battle Put The World On Notice That One Side Of The Axis Versus Soviet/"Allies" Military Encounter Was Going To Win The Great Patriotic War/ World War 2. Before That Six-Month Battle, The Question Of Victory Was Highly Questionable, Even With The Recent Entry Of The US Into The Conflagration. 
   Gary Hicks Will Attempt To Narrate The Relationship Of That Battle To The Four Struggles...At Once Political, Theoretical, Ideological, And Organizational ... Of That World War: Between The Axis And Soviet/"Allies"; For National Liberation/Anticolonial/National Salvation; For The Liberation Of Eastern Europe From Fascist Occupation; And For The Resistance To Nazi Occupation/ Restoration Of Bourgeois Democratic Institutions In Western Europe.

Jan 28, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Stalin’s Ghost Haunts Capitalism: A Riposte To Stephen Kotkin’s Stalin: Waiting For Hitler, 1929-1941, By Raj Sahai
   Princeton University Historian Stephen Kotkin Is Writing A Monumental 3-Volume Biography Of Joseph Stalin. Kotkin’is The Latest In A Large Number Of Books On Stalin, Starting With Isaac Deutscher In 1949, So Why Yet Another Book On Stalin? Kotkin Says Stalin Represents A ҇Old Standardӡin Ґersonal Dictatorshipӭ And More Archival Documents Are Now Accessible, So Now A Definitive Biography Of Stalin Can Finally Be Written. Published In 2015, Volume-1 Was Titled Stalin: Paradoxes Of Power 1878 - 1928ծ Volume-2, Published In November 2017, Is Titled ԓTalin: Waiting For Hitler, 1929 Р1941ծ In This Kotkin Describes In Great Detail The Three Major Developments In This Crucial 12-Year Period: Collectivization Of Agriculture 1929-1933; The Great Purge1936-1938; And Diplomacy And The Molotov-Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact Signed In August 1939.  Germany Invaded U.S.S.R. On The Early Morning Of June 22, 1941.
   Stalin’s Ghost Haunts The U.S. Ruling Class Today, As The Specter Of Communism Did European Rulers In 1848. Over The Past Three Decades, The Lives Of The Majority Of Workers In The US Have Become Increasingly More Precarious Due To Automation And Export Of Industrial Jobs To Low Wage Countries That Have Reduced Industrial Well-Paid Jobs And Pushed The Workforce Towards Low Wage, Often Temporary Work. Presidential Election In 2016 Showed A Significant Section Of The U.S. Population Beginning To Take A Second Look At Socialism. The Other Developing Trend Is White-Nationalism Рin Another Word, Fascism.
   In This Talk Raj Sahai Will Examine Kotkin’s Anti-Communist Theses And His Conclusions On The Soviet History Of This Crucial Period.

Sun, Jan 21, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Understanding The Chinese Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution Of 1966-79 Is One Of The Most Misunderstood Events Of Modern History. David Ewing Of The U.S. China Peoples Friendship Association, Who Spent Time In China During This Period, Will Help Us Clarify Our Thinking About This Important Event.

Sun, Jan 14, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Pacifism And Christopher Caudwell
ICSS Member Gary Hicks Will Discuss Pacifism And The Work Of British Marxist Writer, Thinker And Poet, Christopher Caudwell (1907-37). Caudwell, A Member Of The British Communist Party, Was Killed In The Battle Of Jarama Valley In The Anti-Fascist Struggle Against Franco In Spain. His Major Works, Including Studies In A Dying Culture, Were Published Posthumously.

Sun, Jan 7, 2018: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Planning Session For 2018
Time To Get Together, Review The Past Year, Discuss Our Mission, And Plan The Schedule For Our Sunday Morning At The Marxist Library Forums. This Is An Open Meeting. Everyone Is Welcome To Help Plan Our Future Sessions. Please Come With Suggestions And Concrete Plans. Newcomers And Old Timers Welcome.

Sun, Dec 31, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
No Forum. (HOLIDAY BREAK)

Sun, Dec 24, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
ALL I WANT FOR XMAS IS INSURRECTION!
Lew Finzel Will Give Us A Reading Of 'TIS THE SEASON, A Short Story By The Weird Fiction Writer (And Fire-Breathing Radical) China Mieville.

Sun, Dec 17, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Communist China, Cultural Revolution,& China Today
The Maoist Revolution In China Was Part Of The Second Great Wave Of Sustained Revolution. We Will Take A Look At The Communist Revolution In China In Retrospect From Its Rise To Its Fall. What Were China's Communists Achievements? What Were The Failures? What Was The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution? Did Mao Really Kill Millions? What About The Famine? What About Art And Literature? What About Tibet? Who Was Mao? Is China Still Communist Today? Plus More, Including A Questions & Answers Segment.
Speakers: Carlos Ximenez, Leading Tight Communist Organization

Sun, Dec 10, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
North Korea: The Land Of The Soft Spoken Women
Mehmet Bayram Made His Bucket List Come True When He Visited The Mysterious Land Of North Korea.  His Visit Coincided With The 7th Congress Of The Workers' Party Of Korea, An Event Not Held Since 1980.  He Will Share His Experience And Photographs During The Time He Was In The Democratic Peoples' Republic Of Korea.  Daily Lives, Human Faces, Personal Interactions With North Koreans Will Be The Topic Of The Presentation.

Sun, Dec 3, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Russian Revolution Centennial:
            Guillermo Herrera: The Status Of Minority Nations Within The USSR
ABSTRACT: The Status Of National Minorities Within The Constituent Republics Of The USSR Is A Standard Of Human Rights As Compared To "Jim Crow" USA And British Empire. In 3 Parts: 1) The Russian Empire; 2) The Stalin Era (1927 To 1953); 3) The Post-Stalin Era (1954 To 1991)
            Antonio Trossero: A Trotskyist View Of The Russian Revolution
ABSTRACT: This Presentation Will Address Three Issues: 1. Trotsky-Lenin: Two Projects For A Revolution, 2. How An Obtuse Element Like Josip Stalin Was Able To Hijack The Communist Party? 3. There's No Legacy Left From The Russian Revolution, Just A Valuable Lesson For The World's Proletariat.
Antonio Trossero Is An Argentinian Metalworker And Labor Organizer Who Participated In The "Rosariazo" Of September Of 1969, When The Metalworkers Took Over The City Of Rosario For Three Days And 56 Buses And Trolleys That Tried To Run, In Spite Of The Strike, Were Burnt.

In 1975 Antonio Was Active In The 60 Days Strike Of The Metalworkers Of Villa Constitucin, When All The Leaders Of His Union Were Jailed. In 1976 Antonio Was Arrested By The Peronist Government And He Spent Five Years In Jail During The Military Dictatorship; Exiled To The United States, He Continued His Life Of A Proletarian Here.

Sun, Nov 26, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
THANKSGIVING BREAK: NO FORUM

Sun, Nov 19, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Russian Revolution Centennial:
Round Table With All Speakers.
Our Panelists Will Lead An Open Discussion, Giving Everyone An Opportunity To Share Their Thoughts On The Russian Revolution.

Wed, Nov 15, 2017: 7-9 Pm
Chinese Left Activists: China And Thes Russian Revolution: Maoist Perspectives
Our Comrade, Sui Hin Lee, Is Bringing A Delegation Of Young Chinese Activists In A Tour Of The United States.  They Will Discuss Their Views, Mostly Maoist, Of The Russian Revolution And Its Centennial.
Sui Hin Lee Will Translate And Facilitate,

Sun, Nov 12, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Russian Revolution Centennial:
          October Revolution 100 - Why Does It Matter Https://Www.Youtube.Com/Watch?V=Rbbguy3lu_0&Feature=Em-Subs_Digest
Gary Hicks Wasnմ Able To Give His Paper Due To Illness, So We Substituted A Selection From This Video. Gary Will Present His Paper In A Later Session.
          Raj Sahai: Dawn Of A New Era: The Russian Revolution And The World
ABSTRACT: The Presentation Will Argue That: The February And October 1917 Russian Revolutions Together Heralded A New Era For Humanity, Not Just For The Multi-Ethnic Peoples Of The Russian Empire. It Ended Monarchy As An Institution Governing Society All Over The World, Which End Was Heralded In The French Revolution Of 1789 But Which Remained Incomplete. It Began The End Of Colonial Ownership Of The Worldճ Countries In Asia And Africa By The Rich Handful Of European Countries. It Made The Masses As Active Agents: Makers Of History On A Global Scale. It Ushered In The Era Of Liberationɴhe World Will Never Be Same Againɓocialism Is The Future Of The World Despite The Present Reaction Personified By Trumpism. (117 Words)
Raj Sahai Is A Socialist & Anti-Imperialist War Activist, And A Member Of ICSS.
Moderator: Lew Finzel

Sun, Nov 5, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

Russian Revolution Centennial
            Lew Finzel & Urszula Wislanka: China Mievilleճ Ҏctober:Ӡbook Review In Two Parts

ABSTRACT: Ҏctober Is Still Ground Zero For Arguments About Fundamental Radical Social Change. Its Degradation Was Not A Given, Was Not Written In Any Stars.Ӎ Уhina Mieville, October. Science Fiction Writer, China Mieville, Has Just Published October (Verso Press: London, New York, 2017), A Story Of The 1917 Russian Revolution From February To October. Unusually, October Does Not Make The Revolution A Background For An Adventure Or Love Story. The Revolution Itself, Contradictory As It Was, Is The Main Character Of The Book. As With Any Look At History, The Point Is Not To Re-Live The Past, But To See What Can We Learn From It. What Do We Learn From 1917 For Today?

Lew Finzel Will Introduce China Mieville As A Science Fiction/Fantasy Writer.

Urszula Wislanka Will Take Up Several Of The Contradictions And Ask Where We Stand On Those Questions Now.

Moderator: Raj Sahai

Sun, Oct 29, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

Russian Revolution Centennial
            Richard Becker: The Bolsheviks In Power: Three Indispensable Tasks

ABSTRACT: Following The Seizure Of Power, The Bolsheviks Were Confronted With Three Immense And Immediate Tasks: Building The New Red Army To Defend The Soviet Republic Against A War Of Annihilation By The Imperialist Countries And Domestic Counter-Revolutionaries; Addressing A Deep Economic Crisis And Widespread Hunger; And, Reorganizing The Left-Wing Of The World Working Class Movement On A Revolutionary Basis Through The Communist International. How Did The Revolution Survive Against Seemingly Overwhelming Odds?

            Ron Kelch: A Marxist-Humanist Perspective: Lenin And Russian Revolution, Especially "What Happens After?"

ABSTRACT: One Hundred Years Ago Russian Workers And Peasant Masses Shook The World As They Overthrew The Tsar's Regime And Established A New Order. What Can Today's Movement, Searching For Revolutionary New Beginnings In The Face Of The Totality Of The Present Crisis, Learn From That History? Weighing Heavily On Today's Mind Is How Events Unfolded In The Russian Revolution And Revolutions Since. Indeed, The Question, "What Happens After The Conquest Of Power?", Preoccupied Lenin As He Struggled To Realize His Vision Of A New Society, In Which He Sought To Bring Everyone "To A Man, Woman And Child" Into Running The State And Society. Let's Examine The Uniqueness And Limits Of Lenin's Philosophic Preparation For Revolution And Especially Lenin's Struggles After The Revolution From The 1920-21 Trade Union Debate To His 1922-23 Testament.

Moderator: Lew Finzel

Sun, Oct 22, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Russian Revolution Centennial
            Eugene E Ruyle: The Russian Revolution: A Scientific Approach
NOTE: Guillermo Herrera Was Unable To Give His Talk On Ҕhe Status Of Minority Nations Within The USSR,Ӎ Due To The North Bay Fires, So We Substituted A Talk By Gene Ruyle.
ABSTRACT; The Russian Revolution Gave Birth To The Soviet Union, Which Remained A Socialist Country Until It Was Overthrown By A Counter-Revolution In 1991. Unfortunately, Many On The Left Approach This Period Through Sectarian Eyes And Reject It Because It Does Not Correspond To Their Pre-Conceptions About What They Think Should Have Happened. This Paper Recommends A Scientific Approach That Is Both Dialectical And Materialist, Seeking To Understand What Actually Happened, Why It Happened, And The Results.
            Anthony D'Agostino: WWII As The Triumph Of The Russian Revolution.
ABSTRACT: Some Reflections On Historians' Views About The Russian Revolution. Special Reference To Stalin's 1946 Speech On The Causes Of The Victory Of The USSR Over Fascism In World War Two. The Role Of The Five Year Plans.  Can The Capitalist States Combine Against The USSR?  Was Henry Wallace (And Oliver Stone) Right?
Moderator: Lew Finzel

Sun, Oct 15, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Russian Revolution Centennial
Moderator: Raj Sahai
         Sharat G. Lin: Centennial Legacies Of The Russian Revolution: Triumphs, Flaws, And Alternatives
ABSTRACT: The Russian Revolution Remains Arguably The Single Most Important Event Of The Past Century, Casting Its Legacy On Every Revolutionary Social Experiment On The Planet, Carrying Lessons For The Struggle For The Survival Of The Revolution, Creating An Alternative Advanced Socio-Economic Model To Capitalism, Providing An Umbrella For National Liberation Movements To Throw Off Colonialism, Shaping The Balance Of Forces To The Present Day, And Setting A Pattern Of Democratic Centralism.  Each And Every One Of These Aspects Had Its Triumphs And Its Flaws.
   Sharat G. Lin, Phd Is A Research Fellow At The San Jos Peace And Justice Center And An Advisor To The Initiative For Equality.  He Writes And Lectures On Global Political Economy, Labor Migration, The Middle East, South Asia, And Public Health.
Related Article:
Sharat G. Lin, "On The Ninetieth Anniversary Of The Russian Revolution: Why Socialism Did Not Fail", Monthly Review, 29 October 2007
Https://Mronline.Org/2007/10/29/On-The-Ninetieth-Anniversary-Of-The-Russian-Revolution-Why-Socialism-Did-Not-Fail/
         Gerald Smith: Art And The Russian Revolution
ABSTRACT: The Russian Revolution Led To A Burst Of Artistic Creativity. Gerald Smith, A Member Of The Creative Lens Collective, Will Discuss Various Aspects Of This Revolutionary Period In Artistic History.

Sun, Oct 8, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

Russian Revolution & The Moscow Trials

What The Evidence Showed

   In The Western World, And It Includes A Majority Those Who Identify Themselves As Marxists, It Is An Article Of Faith Today That The Three 1936, 1937 & 1938 Moscow Trials Of High Party And State Officials And The Military Court Martial Of Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevsky And 7 Other High Level Commanders Were ҋAngaroo Courtӡaffairs; That The Defendants In These Three Trials, A Total Of 68, Were Innocent Of The Charges To Which Most If Not All Themselves Admitted. 

   Some Of These Defendants Were Posthumously Rehabilitated By Khrushchevճ Commission And The Rest By Gorbachevճ Commission, Set Up To Examine These Men, With The Notable Exception Of Leon Trotsky. These Men, It Is Prevailing Wisdom, Were Eliminated So That Stalin Could Be The Absolute Dictator Of The USSR Or That He Was A Paranoid Leader Who Damaged His Own Party, State And The Military Just As The USSR Was Facing A Determined Enemy In Hitlerճ Nazi Germany. But What Does The Evidence Show? We Will Examine That In This Presentation By Following The Development Of The Revolution From 1903 Onwards Thru These Trials.

   Raj Sahai Is A Researcher Long Associated With NPML And Has Spent The Past 26 Years Studying The History Of The USSR, In Particular The History Of 1903 Thru 1956.

Sun, Oct 1, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

The UN Treaty To Ban The Bomb

As The US Threatened North Korea, 122 Countries Voted To Ban Nuclear Weapons. Andrew Lichterman, A Senior Research Analyst At The Oakland-Based Western States Legal Foundation And An Observer During The UN Negotiations For The Treaty, Will Give Us A Report-Back And His Observations On Their Significance In The Broader Context Of Work For Peace And Disarmament.

Sun, Sep 24, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
The Other Slavery
   ICSS Member Elazar Friedman Provides Us His Review Of The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story Of Indian Enslavement In America (By Andrs Resndez, 2016). As The LA Times Remarked, Ҕo Think About The Enslavement Of Indians Over The Last 500 Years Can Help Us Think About The Ways In Which People Are Enslaved Today.ӼB Style='Mso-Bidi-Font-Weight: Normal'>
   Elazar Writes: The Received Wisdom Of US /Canadian Scholarship On The Decimation Of Native Americans Is As Bad As The Spanish ,Portuguese And Later The English Were The Near Extermination Of The Indigenous Peoples Was Caused By  Diseases Harbored By Europeans Against Which The Indigenous Peoples Had No Immunity. 
   It Was No Ones Fault, That Is A " No Harm No Foul" Approach To Colonization Those Bourgeois Scholars That Give Import To Slavery Cite Pre-Existing Indigenous Slavery But Do Not Show How European Slave Traffic Reconfigured This Autochthonous Slavery Into The More Pernicious Mercantile Capitalist Slavery As Does Resendez.
   The Talk Will Cover A Portion Of His Book On The Caribbean Debacle, ,North America, And The Interwoven Mexican Slavery.
   I Will Not Cover Central And South America Except Tangentially.
   Two Other Books Will Provide Background For The Resendez Reprise To Whit ,  A Merican Holocaust Bydavid E  Stannard And Ward Churchill's A  Little Matter Of Genocide
   My Goal Is To Demonstrate The Integral Relationship Between The Native American Slavery And Black Slavery In The US.

Sun, Sep 17 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

The Historical Context & Experience Of Soviet Women Soldiers In The Great Patriotic War (WWII): A Talk By Al Sargis

    While This Will Focus On WWII, There Will Also Be An Overview Of Women In Combat Historically, Russian Women Combatants In WWI, The Revolution And Civil War, And 1930s Soviet War Preparation.  This Will Set The Context For Understanding Soviet Women Soldiers In WWII.  Not Many People Know That Russian Women Fought In Relatively Large Numbers, Compared With Other Countries, In WWI And That After The Revolution Soviet Russia Was The First Country To Officially Endorse And Recruit Women Into The Red Army In Both Combat And Support Roles.  This Was Enthusiastically Promoted By Lenin, As Well As Female Bolsheviks. A Little Known Fact: Women Fought On BOTH Sides During The Storming Of The Winter Palace!

   Of Course Women Always Get The Short End, But Among Russian Revolutionaries From 1860 On They Played  Prominent, Including Leadership, Roles In The Various Organizations--Terrorist, Anarchist And Marxist.  This Was In Contrast With Other European Revolutionary Movements During The Same Period Where They Were Sometimes Prominent, But Never In The Numbers And Consistency As In Russia.  This Partially Explains Their Capacity For Participation In Coming Revolutions And Wars.

   Our Speaker Will Be Al Sargis, Coordinator, Friedrich Engels Institute Of Marxist War And Military Analysis

Sun, Sep 10, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
The Plot To Scapegoat Russia
How The CIA And The Deep State Have Conspired To Vilify Russia
The Ciaճ Infiltration And Shaping Of The Media, Which Began In The 1950s, Successfully Continues Today, As ԲealityՠIs Manufactured, While Լspan Class=Grame>Real TruthՠIs Murdered And Buried.Ӡauthor Daniel Kovalik Will Discuss His New Book On This Topic.

Sun, Sep 3, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

Yes To Marxism In America, Part 2

In Response To Last Weekճ "No To Marxism In America" Rally By Neo-Fascists In Downtown Berkeley (Practically Next Door), We Will Continue Our Reading Of  The Communist Manifesto, With Special Attention Paid To The Rising Threat Of Fascism In Trumpճ America And How To Stop It. In Preparation, Participants Are Urged To Read, Or Re-Read, This Important Document.

Sun, Aug 27, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

Yes To Marxism In America

In Response To A "No To Marxism In America" Rally Planned By Neo-Fascists For Sunday Afternoon, Aug. 27, In Downtown Berkeley (Practically Next Door), We Will Continue Our Reading Of  The Communist Manifesto, With Special Attention Paid To The Rising Threat Of Fascism In Trumpճ America And How To Stop It. In Preparation, Participants Are Urged To Read, Or Re-Read, This Important Document.

Sun, Aug 20, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

Lenin On The State

As Lenin Observed, Ҹou Are Not Likely To Find Another Question Which Has Been So Confused, Deliberately And Unwittingly, By Representatives Of Bourgeois Science, Philosophy, Jurisprudence, Political Economy And Journalism, As The Question Of The State.ӠICSS Researcher Gary Hicks Will Discuss Leninճ Views On The State Based On His Lecture To Students At The Sverdlov University In July 1919, As Well As His Classic, State And Revolution.

Sun, Aug 13, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

Essentials Of Scientific Socialism: A Continuing Series

҃Larity About The Aims And Problems Of Socialism Is Of Greatest Significance In Our Age Of Transition.Ӡeinsteinճ Comment Remains True In Our Age Of Transition, When The Growing Interest In Socialism Is Matched By A Growing Confusion About Socialism. This Workshop, Led By A Researcher At The ICSS, Gene Ruyle, Will Focus On Study And Discussion Of The Classics Of Scientific Socialism. This Week, We Will Continue With Our Annual Reading Of The Communist Manifesto, With Special Attention Paid To The Centennial Of The Russian Revolution, 1917-2017. In Preparation, Participants Are Urged To Read, Or Re-Read, This Important Document.

Sun, Aug 6, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

Pacifism And Christopher Caudwell

On This 72^nd Anniversary Of The Atomic Bombing Of Hiroshima, ICSS Member Gary Hicks Will Discuss Pacifism And The Work Of British Marxist Writer, Thinker And Poet, Christopher Caudwell (1907-37). Caudwell, A Member Of The British Communist Party, Was Killed In The Battle Of Jarama Valley In The Anti-Fascist Struggle Against Franco In Spain. His Major Works, Including Studies In A Dying Culture, Were Published Posthumously.

NOTE:  This Was Postponed Due To Garyճ Illness, But We Had An Interesting Group Discussion On The Topic In His Absence.

Sun, Jul 30, 2017: 11:30 Am To 1:30 Pm

Yezhov Vs. Stalin:

The Truth About Mass Repressions And The So-Called 'Great Terror' In The USSR 

Professor Grover Furr Will Talk About His New Book, Yezhov Vs. Stalin,  The First Accurate Account Of The So-Called ҇Reat Terrorӡin The Soviet Union In 1937-1938. In This Book, Grover Furr Answers The Central Questions Concerning The Mass Repressions Known As The Ҽspan Class=Spelle>EzhovshchinaӍ Or, By Anticommunists, The ҇Reat Terror.ӼO:P>

Sun, Jul 23, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

How NATO Destroyed Socialism In Yugoslavia

After Viewing Two 30 Min Videos, Ҙugoslavia - The Good Old Days Of Tito-Style Communismӡand ҎATO Targets,ӠICSS Member Eugene Ruyle Will Lead A Discussion The Contemporary Relevance Of These Videos.

Sun, Jul 16, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

Marx & Mother Nature:

An Eco-Materialist Critique Of Historical Materialism

For Many People, The Last 150 Years Of Capitalist Growth & The Demise Of One Ҳocialistӡexperiment After Another Has Discredited Marxism. But A Reformulation Of Marx & EngelsՠMaterialist Method Of Analysis In Light Of This History Can Produce Some Valuable Answers To Vital Questions That Confound Those Who Continue To Work Toward Replacing Capitalism With A More Humane Social Order. Our Speaker Will Be Craig Collins, Who Teaches Political Science At CSU East Bay.

Sun, Jul 9, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
The Comintern And The National Question In The US And South Africa
ICSS Member Gary Hicks Will Discuss The Role The Comintern Played In Developing The National/Colonial Question In The Development Of The US And South African Communist Parties.

Sun, Jul 2, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Portrait Of The Soviet Union:
Part Three, The Caucasus
According To The LA Times (1988), "Portrait Of The Soviet Union" May Be Ted Turner's Ңrowning Achievement,Ӡҡ Seven-Hour Documentary Of Panoramic Sweep,Ӡsurely Ҵhe Most Beautiful And Comprehensive Cultural History Of Old Russia And The Soviet Union Ever To Appear On American TV.Ӡthis Is Part 3, Covering The Caucasus Region. We Will Show Others As Time Permits.

Sun, Jun 25, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
1967 Assault On The U.S.S. Liberty
This Month Marks The 50th Anniversary Of The Attack On The USS Liberty An Unarmed U.S. Naval Vessel Which Was Intercepting Communications At The Height Of The Six-Day War When It Came Under Direct Israeli Aerial And Naval Assault, Leaving 34 Americans Dead And 174 Wounded. Though This Was Among The Worst Attacks In History Against A Noncombatant U.S. Naval Vessel, The Incident Remains Shrouded In Secrecy. Don Pageler, A Survivor Of The Attack, Will Speak. Co-Sponsored By Veterans For Peace, East Bay Chapter 162.  For Background, Read The Account By Ray Mcgovern In Common Dreams (2014) At: Https://Www.Commondreams.Org/Views/2014/06/08/Leaving-Uss-Liberty-Crew-Behind
As Well As The 2017 Article In The Intercept, At
Https://Theintercept.Com/2017/06/06/Fifty-Years-Later-Nsa-Keeps-Details-Of-Israels-Uss-Liberty-Attack-Secret/ 

Sun, Jun 18, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Stalin: Anarchism Or Socialism?  1906-1907
ICSS Member Gary Hicks Will Discuss This Important Essay From 1906-07, In Which Stalin Notes That Marxism And Anarchism Ҡre Waging A Fierce Struggle Against Each Other, Both Are Trying To Present Themselves To The Proletariat As Genuinely Socialist Doctrines, And, Of Course, A Study And Comparison Of The Two Will Be Far More Interesting For The Reader.Ӡthe Article Is Widely Available, Including On The Stalin Internet Archive At <Https://Www.Marxists.Org/Reference/Archive/Stalin/Works/1906/12/X01.Htm>

Sun, Jun 11, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Reading Stalinճ ҆Oundations Of Leninismӡ(1924)
Nobody Reads Stalin Anymore, And Thatճ A Great Loss For The Left. This Little Book Describes Why Leninism May Best Be Described As Marxism In The Era Of Imperialism And Socialist Revolution. Our Discussion Will Be Led By ICSS Member Eugene E Ruyle, An Independent Marxist And Author Of Ғethinking Marxist Anthropologyӡand Other Works.  The Article Is Widely Available, Including On The Stalin Internet Archive At
<Https://Www.Marxists.Org/Reference/Archive/Stalin/Works/1924/Foundations-Leninism/Index.Htm>

Sun, Jun 4, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

Creativity And Artistic Ferment In The Early Years Of The Soviet Union: The Case Of Chagall.

Lew Finzel Will Discuss This Important Topic.

Sun, May 28, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

Gene May Well Be Gone, But Someone Can Still Present.

Sun, May 21, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

How To Fight Fascism And How Not To

The Recent Confrontations Over Ҧree Speechӡin Berkeley, On Campus And Downtown, Have Attracted National And Even International Attention. We Have Invited Two Local Activists, Gerald Smith And Frank Runninghorse, To Explore This Situation With Us.

Sun, May 14, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm
Korea On The Brink?  Perspectives On The Korea Crisis.
US/Korea Relations Are Now On The Brink Of Open Conflict, "Two Trains Headed For A Collision." This Presentation Will Look At The Situation From A Historical And Global Geopolitical Perspective, And Evaluate Possibilities For Both Peace And War, As South Korea Transitions To A New Leader, North Korea Persists In Keeping Its Arsenal, And The US Pendulates From "Strategic Patience" To "Tactical Impatience" And "Deadly Bluster.Ӡspeaker Will Be A Visiting Scholar And Journalist On Korea.

Sun, May 7, 2017: 10:30 Am To 12:30 Pm

All The Feels: The Politics Of Emotion And Social Change.

   From Liberal Snowflakes, To Proto-Fascist Tyrants Melting Down Like Toddlers, To Fabulous Femmes With All The Feels, Are We Witnessing The Undoing Of The Supremacy Of Cartesian Reason And Its Suppression And Derision Of Emotion?  Or, Are We Rather Entering An Era Of New Emotional Scrutiny And Social Control?  Can Honoring Emotions, And The Material Bodies In Which They Are Born Support Us To Connect, Achieve Deeper Solidarity And Build Movements That Really Move, Or Will Increased Emotionality Simply Be More Terrain To Be Plundered For Coercion? 

   Using Marxist Theories Of Alienation, Commodity Fetishization And Reification As A Points Of Departure And Integrating The Work Of Contemporary Marxists, Critical Theorists And Neuroscientists Рwith A Critical Lens To The Both The Liberatory And Oppressive Or Reifying Potential Of Science Рthis Talk Will Address These Questions And Core Themes. Speaker Will Be Mordecai Cohen Ettinger, Founder, Health Justice Commons.

Sun, Apr 30, 2017: 10:30 Am To Noon
May Day: American Roots Of The International WorkersՠDay
This Yearճ May Day Is On Monday, May 1, 2017, To Prepare Ourselves We Will Review The American Origins Of This International WorkersՠDay, And Show Some Videos Of May Day Celebration. We Will Break Early, At Noon, To Discuss How The ICSS Can Contribute To The Coming Class Struggles.