International Viewpoint - online socialist magazine

Maricarmen, the general strike and the threat of an electoral victory for the reactionary bloc

Jaime Pastor — 2026-10-12T07:05:01Z

“Preparing for the General Strike on November 11 requires the greatest possible unity of action among the organising bodies to establish neighbourhood, workplace, and campus committees across the country—as has already been proposed by the Tenants' Union and various other trade union, feminist, environmental, and social organisations.”

- IVP621 - October 2026 / Spanish state, Public services

A Working-Class Marxist Who Faced the Apocalypse

Duncan Chapel — 2026-10-11T08:53:18Z

“Alan Thornett, who has died aged 89, was the best-known militant in the British car industry during the decade when the industry settled the fate of British trade unionism.”

- In Memoriam - Obituaries and appreciations / Britain, Obituary, Fourth International, Trade unions/workplace organizing

Mamdani Condemns ICE Shooting in NYC and Israel's Genocide, but Faces Criticism from the Left

Dan La Botz — 2026-10-11T06:26:46Z

Last week was the end of the New York City's honeymoon with Mayor Zohran Mamdani as he confronted controversies over the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shooting of an immigrant.

- IVP621 - October 2026 / United States (USA)

The start of an unprecedented movement in France

Antoine Larrache, Elsa Collonges — 2026-10-10T07:34:29Z

The day of action on 6 October was exceptional. With over 90 per cent of universities blockaded, according to the Union étudiante, and 1,800 secondary schools blockaded, according to the Union syndicale lycéenne, the movement is, from the outset, stronger than the 2006 movement against the CPE – the last major, successful youth movement. The future of this movement is perhaps even more significant.

- IVP621 - October 2026 / France, Youth and student movements

World Social Forum: the failure of NGOization

Antoine Larrache — 2026-10-09T07:52:05Z

The 17th World Social Forum was held in Benin in early August. While it remains an irreplaceable forum for debate, this session was a failure in terms of both numbers and political participation.

- IVP621 - October 2026 / Global Justice movement, Benin

Lula and the race for a turnaround

Michael Löwy — 2026-10-08T11:45:38Z

The first round defeated the left. Michael Löwy warns: democracy is at risk and, however contradictory, Lula is the only option for stopping fascism's “suicide train.” Braking it means buying time to build other political horizons.

- IVP621 - October 2026 / Brazil

Workers will fight for their self-interest

Kim Moody — 2026-10-07T13:16:25Z

“Socialism is the rule of the working class. Planning is an instrument of the democratic workers' state for organizing production for human need under its collective political and social rule and the transition to a classless society.”

- Features / Marxism, Strategy

The governments of the new right and Trumpism in Latin America

Eduardo Lucita — 2026-10-07T12:27:01Z

Perhaps paraphrasing Marx and Engels in the Communist Manifesto, when they described the revolutionary process that swept through Europe at the end of the 1940s as a spectre, we could describe the counter-revolutionary cycle that is sweeping through Our America in these 2020s as a phantom, albeit of the opposite kind .

- Features / Latin America

Burnham – the resilience of Labourism

Dave Kellaway — 2026-10-07T10:55:54Z

Labour leader Andy Burnham made his first leader's speech to Labour Party conference on 29 September 2026. It was warmly received. Following this Dave Kellaway discusses how there is still some life left in 'Old Labour' policies.
Some organisations and individual commentators in the movement define Andy Burnham as ‘Starmer continuity', ‘Starmer 2.0' or use the phrase ‘new boss same as the old boss'. His conference speech and actions since taking office shows that this sort of analysis is (…)

- IVP621 - October 2026 / Britain

Class, the protests: Notes on the social explosion over housing

Juanjo Álvarez, Rául Camargo — 2026-10-06T05:22:18Z

“The social tension that housing introduces into the lives of the majority has become political tension thanks to the successful intervention of the Tenants' Union, the eviction of Maricarmen as a foundational event and the pressure in the street. Today, Spanish politics is inevitably moving towards another moment and the vote in Congress is a step in that transition.”

- IVP621 - October 2026 / Spanish state