The Race for the White House

Cambridge SWSS  meeting

Monday 5th November// 7pm
Erasmus Room, Queens' College
The Race for the White House
with Megan Trudell (Socialist Activist)

Obama has disappointed many in over the last 4 years, failing to close Guantanmo Bay, and continuing with the war on terror. Yet many will voting for him on 6th November, as the prospect of Romney and the Republicans being in power is much worse. But is there any real difference between the choices on offer? Megan Trudell will introduce a discussion on what the outcome of this election will mean for the future of politics in the United States and internationally.

Erasmus Room @ Queens. Enter via Porters Lodge, over the bridge, across the courtyard and to the right up the stairs. Unfortunately the room is not wheelchair accessible. Ring 07821177250 if you need directions.

By Any Means Necessary: Malcolm X and the fight against racism

Cambridge SWSS  meeting

Monday 15th October // 7pm
Erasmus Room, Queens' College
By Any Means Necessary: Malcolm X and the fight against racism
with Weyman Bennett  (Joint National Secretary, Unite Against Fascism)

Malcolm X is unquestionably one of the great icons of the Black Power Movement. His emergence in the mid-1960s sparked one of the most exciting and dramatic episodes in the history of black struggle in the United States. Weyman Bennett (Joint Secretary, Unite Against Fascism) will discuss the legacy of Malcolm X and how not even the bullets of an assassin’s gun could put an end to the growing radicalism that he inspired.

Erasmus Room @ Queens. Enter via Porters Lodge, over the bridge, across the courtyard and to the right up the stairs. Unfortunately the room is not wheelchair accessible. Ring 07821177250 if you need directions.

Thousands march against austerity

SWSS block on the demo

Cambridge students joined hundreds of thousands of others to protest against the actions of the Tory government on the “For a future that works” demonstration called by the TUC yesterday. The march saw over 150,000 people (official TUC figures) take to the streets of London with many thousands more joining demonstrations in Glasgow and Belfast.

In workplaces across Cambridge trade unions organised coaches for their members to travel down to the demonstration, joining huge blocks formed of members of individual unions. Two coaches of Unite members joined the 10,000 strong contingent towards the front of the march, as well as coaches from Unison, PCS, NUT and UCU.

RMT placard calling for further action

Other groups also held feeder marches and actions., including a climate block leaving from St Paul's which called for support for the million climate jobs campaign, and Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC) who occupied the road at the end of the demo, blocking the way to Park Lane.

The numbers and spirit on the march demonstrate that the anger and desire for action which, in numerous cases the trade union bureaucracy have tried to stifle and sell out after the magnificent mass strike on November 30th last year, has far from dissipated. People know we need to take on the Tories and that we have the power to do it. Ed Milliband was booed when he said labour would make cuts, but when trade union leaders talked about a general strike, they were drowned out with applause. The march yesterday won't, on its own, stop the government, but a general strike could.

The militant education block, which Cambridge students joined, showed the kind of spirit we need to bring to the NUS demonstration on the 21st November. The previous NUS protest in 2010, which CUSU organised 10 coaches of students to travel down to was the spark which ignited widespread strikes and protests against cuts and austerity. Over the next month we need to ensure that this is also a huge demonstration to defend the future of education!

Cuts, abortion rights and family values - Are the Tories a threat to women?

Cambridge SWSS  meeting

Monday 22nd October // 7pm
Erasmus Room, Queens' College
Cuts, abortion rights and family values - Are the Tories a threat to women?
with Jen Wilkinson (Socialist Activist)
 
Women, particularly black and LGBT women are being disproportionately affected by the Tory cuts. There is also a propaganda campaign underway over abortion access in Britain. Right wing bigots are trying to create the impression that the law is too liberal and access to abortion is too easy. In this meeting, Jen Wilkinson will talk to us about how and why the Tory cuts hit women the hardest, why abortion rights are so important and what we can do to fight back.

Erasmus Room @ Queens. Enter via Porters Lodge, over the bridge, across the courtyard and to the right up the stairs. Unfortunately the room is not wheelchair accessible.

Unravalling Capitalism: An introduction to Marxist Economics

Cambridge SWSS  meeting

Monday 15th October // 7pm
Erasmus Room, Queens' College
Unravelling Capitalism: an introduction to Marxist economics 
with Joseph Choonara (author Unravelling Capitalism: an introduction to Marxist Political Economy)

Joseph Choonara, author of Unravelling Capitalism: an introduction to Marxist Political Economy, will introduce Marx’s approach to understanding capitalism - developed above all in the three volumes of Capital. He will also outline how this can be applied to capitalism as it has developed since Marx’s time, particularly with reference to the crisis we are facing today.

The meeting will take place in the Erasmus Room of Queen's college, access via the Visitor's entrance on Queen's Lane. Through the courtyard, upstairs. There will be signs giving directions to the room.

Some videos on this topic from MARXISM 2012

1. Profit and Exploitation

2. Accumulation: The motor of Capitalism

3. What causes crises?

 

Why Marx Was Right

Come along to the first SWSS meeting of term!

Monday 8th October // 7pm
Erasmus Room, Queens' College
Why Marx Was Right
with Alex Callincos (King's College London, author The Revolutionary Ideas of Karl Marx) 

Karl Marx is one of a handful of people who fundamentally changed the way we see the world. His ideas have always been controversial and misunderstood. Today’s world has been rocked by major capitalist crises, revolutions and revolts from the Arab Spring to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Alex Callinicos is Professor of European Studies at King’s College University and the author of Bonfire of Illusions: The Twin Crises of the Liberal World and The Revolutionary Ideas of Karl Marx. He will be discussing Marx’s ideas and explaining why, ultimately, Marx was right.

Meeting will take place in the Erasmus Room of Queen's college, access via the Visitor's entrance on Queen's Lane. Through the courtyard, upstairs. There will be signs giving directions to the room.