The podcast discusses China's transition from early capitalism to its contemporary socialist project, exploring topics such as economic reforms, market mechanisms, and the role of the state. It provides a historical overview of China's development, including the growth of its capitalist system and the challenges faced. The podcast also delves into the role of the Communist Party, workers' pursuit of economic interests, the concept of China's socialist market economy, and the class nature of the state in building a new social order.

The Biden administration, Pentagon and NATO allies are conducting a dangerous and reckless campaign against Russia — one that has the potential to turn into a catastrophe for the people of the United States, Russia, Ukraine and the world. The aim is to strengthen the U.S. position as the dominant world superpower, a thoroughly bipartisan goal. In recent months, Russia has been the object of intense media demonization designed to win over the U.S. public to support this campaign. The Party for Socialism and Liberation condemns the anti-Russia campaign and calls for an end to the imperialist NATO alliance. Read the full statement here: https://www.liberationnews.org/psl-statement-no-war-on-russia-abolish-nato/

Workers across the country are wondering with increasing desperation: Will the COVID crisis ever end? Two years after the first case of the virus was detected, society is becoming increasingly, bitterly divided over how to address this crucial question. All the while the death toll continues to mount. The situation is not hopeless. Although right wing demagogues have slowed the vaccination process and intensified the spread of the virus by sowing doubt about the most basic public health measures, it is still possible to end the pandemic. We can look at other countries for examples of why this is true. Socialist countries like China and Cuba have successfully contained COVID, despite huge difficulties. Even though it was the country where the virus struck first, China prevented its uncontrolled spread through a massive, centralized public health response that included guaranteeing workers the necessities of life like food and shelter. Adjusted for population size, the death toll in the United States is approximately 850 times higher than in China. Read the full article here: https://www.liberationnews.org/a-socialist-plan-to-defeat-covid-19/

This podcast explores Marx's theory of alienation and its impact on practical organizing. It discusses conflicting interpretations, the development of Marx's thought from his early manuscripts to his later work, and the concept of alienation in relation to human nature and capitalism. It also explores the importance of historically determined structures and the interconnectedness of things in Marx's theory.

As the Omicron variant causes record levels of infection in the United States, the end of the pandemic seems as far away as ever. But far from preparing a robust response to defeat the virus, the Biden administration is preparing to surrender and encourage the public to “learn to live with” COVID indefinitely. When the Party for Socialism and Liberation pointed out the fact that China has in fact succeeded at virtually eliminating deaths from the virus, we were attacked by far-right pundits like Ben Shapiro – who took the position that such a feat is essentially impossible and asserted that China’s achievement was just a massive falsification. Read the full article here: https://www.liberationnews.org/yes-there-really-were-only-two-covid-deaths-in-mainland-china-in-2021-heres-how-they-did-it/

Environmentalists have long stressed limits to human interaction with nature. It’s commonly argued that transgressing “natural limits” caused the environmental crises we face today. While this sentiment might direct our attention to the severity and scale of destabilizing contradictions in our relationship with nature, its underlying analysis is unable to grasp and overcome the root cause of these contradictions: capitalist production. A deeper and more critical understanding of society’s relation to nature under capitalism is needed. This article introduces Marxist conceptions of the relationship between capitalism and nature. It begins by examining the words “nature” and “production” and the different meanings and functions those terms serve, before turning to two different Marxist approaches to capitalism and nature: the metabolic rift and the production of nature. At the end, we emphasize how and why such approaches must inform organizing for environmental justice. Read the full article here: https://liberationschool.org/marxism-and-nature/

El Partido por el Socialismo y la Liberación se une a millones de personas en todo el país para expresar nuestra completa indignación por la absolución de Kyle Rittenhouse de todos los cargos. Una vez más, el sistema judicial de Estados Unidos ha funcionado para proteger a un asesino racista, que salió a las calles de Kenosha el 25 de agosto de 2020 para hacerle guerra a la gente que protestaba por los disparos de la policía a Jacob Blake, un hombre negro de 29 años. El veredicto es un exasperante recordatorio de la naturaleza fundamentalmente supremacista blanca del sistema legal capitalista de Estados Unidos. La absolución de Rittenhouse tiene ramificaciones tremendamente peligrosas. En efecto, otorga una licencia para matar a los vigilantes de la derecha, que ahora se sentirán aún más facultados para aterrorizar a la gente en nombre de la “ley y el orden”. Existe una larga y mortífera tradición de violencia de tipo miliciano de extrema derecha en Estados Unidos, y esta amenaza ha recibido ahora un enorme impulso por parte del Estado. El tribunal canguro presidido por el juez Bruce Schroeder fue una vergüenza, y aumentó en gran medida las posibilidades de que Rittenhouse fuera absuelto por el jurado, compuesto casi todo de personas blancas. El proceso estuvo amañado desde el principio, y se volvió más y más absurdo con cada día que pasaba. Lea el artículo completo: https://www.liberationnews.org/declaracion-del-psl-la-absolucion-de-rittenhouse-otorga-a-los-vigilantes-racistas-una-licencia-para-matar/

Después de pasar semanas llevando a cabo negociaciones en la trastienda con el senador Joe Manchin, la senadora Krysten Sinema y otros demócratas de derechas en el Congreso sobre el presupuesto del programa social, el gobierno de Biden anunció ayer un “marco” que abandona algunos de los elementos más importantes de la propuesta original. Como parte de la capitulación de la administración ante los derechistas, ha acordado recortar a la mitad la asignación total a los programas sociales: de 3,5 billones de dólares a 1,75 billones. La vergonzosa rendición de Biden se debe al enfoque fundamental que adoptó en esta lucha. En lugar de tratar de presionar lo más posible a los defensores de la derecha dentro de su propio partido, Biden sólo expresó la más leve de las críticas. Biden comentó en un acto público en Baltimore la semana pasada: “Joe [Manchin] no es un mal tipo. Es un amigo”. Y Biden efectivamente trató a Manchin como un amigo, accediendo a sus demandas de recortar del presupuesto una amplia gama de programas que habrían proporcionado un gran alivio a los trabajadores. Esto incluye la eliminación completa de las bajas familiares y por enfermedad pagadas. Estados Unidos es el único país rico del mundo que no garantiza este tipo de permisos, que inicialmente se habrían fijado en 12 semanas. La gratuidad de los colegios comunitarios también ha sido totalmente eliminada en el nuevo marco de Biden. El Programa de Rendimiento de Electricidad Limpia, quizás el componente climático más crucial de la propuesta original, ha sido eliminado para complacer a los capitalistas de la industria del carbón que matan el planeta. El CEPP (en inglés) habría invertido 150.000 millones de dólares para facilitar la transición a una economía neutra en carbono. Lea el artículo completo aquí: https://www.liberationnews.org/los-democratas-de-derecha-recortan-el-presupuesto-del-programa-social-despues-de-que-biden-se-niegue-a-luchar/

The Russian revolution marked the beginning of a new period in human history. It was the first time that the oppressed were able to come to power – to take power and hold onto power. It truly had a transforming effect on the world. In this part of this series, we will lay the basis for later discussing what was to become the most famous split in political history: what is known as the Trotsky-Stalin split. We have to keep in mind that these names do not represent just individuals, but political groupings and political strata. This part is on the early years of the revolution, after the revolutionary seizure of power in 1917. Read the full article here: https://liberationschool.org/early-years-of-the-russian-revolution/

The Party for Socialism and Liberation joins with millions of people across the country in expressing our complete outrage at the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse on all charges. Once again, the U.S. court system has functioned to protect a racist murderer, who went out into the streets of Kenosha on August 25, 2020 to wage war on people protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man. The verdict is an infuriating reminder of the fundamentally white supremacist nature of the capitalist legal system in the United States. The acquittal of Rittenhouse has tremendously dangerous ramifications. It effectively hands a license to kill to right wing vigilantes, who will now feel even more empowered to terrorize people in the name of “law and order”. There is a long and deadly tradition of far right militia-type violence in the United States, and this threat has now been given a huge boost by the state. The kangaroo court presided over by Judge Bruce Schroeder was a disgrace, and greatly enhanced Rittenhouse’s chances of acquittal by the nearly all-white jury. The process was rigged from the start, and grew more and more absurd with each passing day. Read the full statement here: https://www.liberationnews.org/psl-statement-rittenhouse-acquittal-hands-racist-vigilantes-a-license-to-kill/