ICC public meeting - World wars, capitalism’s decline, and the internationalist response

The International Communist Current is organising a day-long public meeting in London on October 10 2015. There will be two sessions:

• 11am to 1 pm: We will be showing a new film produced by a close sympathiser, Mark Hayes, whose film ‘How the working class put an end to the First World War’ was shown at last year’s meeting. The new film will show that the so-called ‘Good War’ of 1939-45 was in reality another imperialist massacre in direct continuity with the one in 1914-18.  The film will be followed by a short presentation and a period of discussion which we hope will draw out its main themes – in particular, what the two world wars tell us about the historical epoch in which we live.  For us, the barbarity of the Second World War provides clear confirmation that capitalism has, for the past century, been a socially regressive mode of production, a system in decline. However we are aware that many who identify themselves as revolutionaries reject this analysis and we encourage them to come to the meeting and put forward their point of view.
   
• 2pm to 5pm: 2015 is not only the ‘anniversary’ of the end of the Second World War but also the centenary of two key events in the development of an internationalist struggle against the 1914-18 war: the Zimmerwald Conference, which brought together the different political tendencies of the workers’ movement opposed to the war, and the publication of Rosa Luxemburg’s Junius Pamphlet, which in our view represents the clearest analysis of the origins and significance of the world conflict. Our presentation will look not only at the internationalist opposition to World War One, but also at those rare groups who remained loyal to proletarian principles in the period leading up and during the Second World War, in contrast to those former working class currents – in particular a large part of the Trotskyists and the anarchists – who failed this crucial test.  The discussion will also seek to examine the tasks facing revolutionary internationalists today.

Venue: The Lucas Arms, 245A Gray's Inn Rd, London, WC1X 8QY

The event is free but we welcome contributions to the cost of the room and food.