ROSS IF MARXIST theory is to be of any use it has to be a means of enabling us to understand what makes classes and groups in society act in a certain way.
It is no use just contemplating things — we leave that to the academics what we need to do is change things.
That is why we need a theory which shows which social forces are goin g the direction think is needed, and theretore must be supported, and which social forces are against our aims, and must be opposed. As Marx put it, what is their 'law of motion'.
Marxism teaches
that we must be on the side ment. This is say it has.
ment. it has always been on the side of the exploited and the oppressed When the underdogs fight back Lnel exploitation they weaken the power of the ruling casses. and courage all other oppressed groups to oppose their exploitation.
This is why Marx was on the side of the North in the US civil war and why he said that one of his Luca heroes was Spartacus, the leader of the Part three of our new series by JOHN slave revolt ancient Kome. A future socialist society will recognise the heroic and inspiring struggle of Toussaint L' Ouverwho led the black slaves of Haiti, in the first successful slave revolt history.
The largest single crime of all in class society ha: been the oppressior women. For thousands of years they have been subjected to physical, psychological and legal oppression, abuse and often torture.
Ruling classes have attempted to educate women in particular, and society in general, that they are inferior to men. Anyone who has led a fight against such oppression whether it be on the vote, birth control, the right of women to exercise their own sexuality is supported by the marxist movement for doing that Every form of exploitation opposed by marxists. It fights the bar barism of capitalist war. revolts against when it allows people to refuses to spend enough money on medical care.
Marxism condemns a of society which allows four million people Britain to be unable to find job to support themselves. It is the fight these denials of human rights which is the very embodiment of marxism. And marxism unhesitatingly places itself on the side of all those who tion exploitation and oppression. This is what Marx and Engels called marxism the Communist Manifesto they wrote 'Communists have no interests separate and those of the avall working class as a whole. They do not set up any sec. tarian principles of their UWIl. by which to shape and mould the proletarian movement.
The Communists are distinguished other working class parties by this only i) In the national struggles of the proletarians of the different countries, they point out and bring to the fore the interests of the proletariat, independent of all nationality; ii) in the various stages of development which the struggle of the working class against the bourgeoisie has to pass through, they always and everywhere represent the interests of the movement as a whole 'The theoretical CONclusions of the Communists are in no wav bas. ed on ideas or principles that have been invented or discovered, by this or that would-be universal press, in general terms, acspringing an existing class struggle, from a historical movement going on under our very eyes Engels explained what marxism really about when he replied to a critic called Heinzen. Engels wrote Heinzen imagines communism 1s a certain which proceeds form a definite theoretical principle as its core and draws further conclusions from that. Heinzen is very much Tolstaker Com munism is not a doctrine but a movement; it proceeds not from principles but from facts..
Engels went on to ex plain insofar as it is a theory, is the theoretical expression of the position of the pro letariat in this (class) strug gle and the theoretical of the condisummalon tions for the liberation of the proletariat.
In the Communist Manifesto there appears perhaps the best definition of what is marxism, and why we need revolutionary ideas. It reads: "The Com hand, practically the most advanced and resolute section of the working class parties of every country, that section which pushes forward all the others; on olner hand, theoretically, they have proletariat the advantage Socialist Challenge