World Perspectives

The dead end of capitalismThe world has entered a protracted period of turmoil and crisis at all levels, which is being expressed by a crisis in world relations, wars, austerity, increasing misery and obscene accumulation of wealth in a few hands. We have also been witnessing the sudden eruption of the class struggle, insurrectionary movements and revolutions in one country after another, as the objective conditions are forcing millions of people to seek solutions to the intolerable burden that capitalism is placing upon us. 

What are the processes at play on a world scale that are determining this scenario? Trotsky once said that theory is the superiority of foresight over astonishment. The sudden, violent manifestations of popular discontent always take the bourgeoisie and its hired “experts” by surprise. The shallow empiricists of the bourgeoisie only look at the surface of events (the “facts”). They do not trouble themselves to look beneath the surface to uncover the deeper processes that are at work everywhere.

Marxist theory is a powerful guide to action for revolutionaries. In order for it to be applied, it is necessary to assess scientifically what are the fundamental processes at play and how they are likely to be reflected into the consciousness of all classes. This task is fulfilled by a constant appraisal of our analyses and forecasts, which have to be contrasted against the events as they develop in order to arm the most-advanced layers: those who are striving for the victory of socialist revolution, with a clear understanding of the perspectives and tasks. 

The documents in this section are the result of worldwide discussions throughout the IMT and have been adopted by our world congresses. These documents represent tools for sharpening our understanding of how the world situation is changing, and the tasks arising from this.

In this opening speech from the 2020 International Marxist University, Alan Woods (editor of In Defence of Marxism) discusses the historic significance of the coronavirus crisis and the perspectives for world revolution.

The speech we publish today was given at a meeting of the leadership of the International Marxist Tendency, held yesterday by video link with the participation of comrades from 25 different countries. The IMT is a Marxist revolutionary organisation with sections all over the world. Read more about us and how you can join!

Watch Fred Weston (editor of marxist.com) discussing the world situation as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. While the bourgeois are trying to blame the current social and economic turmoil on the virus alone, it was in fact just the trigger for a crisis prepared in the last period. This video was recorded during an internal meeting of the IMT in Britain. 

In the past three weeks, stock markets such as the Dow Jones and the FTSE in London have lost more than 25 percent of their values. Meanwhile the world economy has been grinding to a halt. Unemployment is creeping up in one country after another. Capitalism is in a crisis on a world scale. The ruling class is blaming the crisis on the novel coronavirus. But this virus is only bringing to the surface contradictions which have been building up for decades within the capitalist system.

We present the International Marxist Tendency's world perspectives for 2018: as debated, amended and agreed upon by delegates at our 2018 World Congress. The following is the IMT's analysis of the current situation in world politics, and predictions about where we are headed.

In this talk from the 2018 IMT World Congress, Alan Woods (editor of In Defence of Marxism) discusses the perspectives for world revolution. Alan emphasises the volatility and turbulence seen on a world scale, with the situation – and consciousness – changing in a matter of days on the basis of events.

Donald Trump welcomed the New Year in his own inimitable manner: surrounded by his social and political clan in the opulent surroundings of his exclusive Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, accompanied by a representative gathering of all segments of US society – from movie stars to billionaires.

Speaking at the recent World School of the International Marxist Tendency, held at the end of July 2017, Alan Woods - editor of In Defence of Marxism, www.marxist.com - discusses the current turbulence and volatility in the global economic, political, and social situation. From the crisis in the Middle East, to the election of Trump, and the rise of the Corbyn movement in Britain: everywhere the old order is crumbling and a process of polarisation and radicalisation is taking place.

The following document was discussed and approved at the recent congress of Lal Salaam, the Pakistani section of the IMT.

The following draft document was discussed at the World Congress of the International Marxist Tendency in July 2016. The main aim of the document is to define the main economic, social and political trends in the world today and to develop a perspective for the class struggle in the next period. The document was originally drafted in October 2015. [You can read the final version of the document, which was passed at the congress here as

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We begin today the publication of the IMT’s analysis of the world situation. This is a draft document that is the basis of discussion within the Tendency and will be voted on with possible amendments at this year’s world congress of the IMT. Part One deals with the general crisis of world capitalism, to be followed by an analysis of specific areas of the world.

The discussions on World Perspectives are the foundations from which everything else flows in terms of the perspectives and work in each country, our priorities, tasks, etc. The instability on a world scale has only deepened since the World Perspectives document was drafted, in the autumn of 2009. But the main lines of the perspectives have been entirely confirmed by the march of events. The following is a summary of the main points in the lead-off given by Alan Woods at the 2010 World Congress on the basis of notes taken by delegates.

The discussions on World Perspectives are the foundations from which everything else flows in terms of the perspectives and work in each country, our priorities, tasks, etc. The instability on a world scale has only deepened since the World Perspectives document was drafted, in the autumn of 2009. But the main lines of the perspectives have been entirely confirmed by the march of events. This is a recording of the lead-off given by Alan Woods at the 2010 World Congress.

This document on World Perspectives, first drafted in November 2007, was discussed, amended and approved at the World Congress of the International Marxist Tendency at the beginning of August.