Video: MHI Panel for the REAL LEFT-Forum–Marxist-Humanist Perspectives on the Life-and-Death Battle Against Trumpism

 
by MHI

 
Marxist-Humanist Initiative (MHI) presents two panel discussions that were originally scheduled for the Left Forum 2020 conference, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis. We call these two panels “The REAL LEFT-Forum.” The panel here focuses on MHI’s perspectives on battling Trump and Trumpism. Our second panel is entitled “The Poverty of Populism: a Marxist-Humanist Critique of Redistributionist Politics.” This panel was recorded remotely on August 1, 2020.

 

 
 
“Marxist-Humanist Perspectives on the Life-and-Death Battle Against Trumpism”

The panelists and their presentations are (in order, with timestamps):

• Anne Jaclard: “Desperation is Driving the Trumpite Republican Party. Prepare for the Worst” (5:59)
• Adam Plante: “Defending Liberal Democracy” (26:58)
• Ravi Bali: “Trumpism, Labourism, and Nationalism” (42:42)
• Chair: Ralph Keller

The video includes opening remarks by the chair of the session, the panelists’ presentations, and comments by the panelists (1:03:20) on each other’s presentations.

In the first paper, Anne Jaclard examines US demographic trends and argues that they explain the Republican Party’s hard-right turn against democracy, causing the party to engage in extreme voter suppression, halt all immigration, and threaten birth-right and naturalized citizenship. Adam Plante follows up by arguing for the need to defend liberal democracy against authoritarianism, and slamming so-called leftists who denigrate liberal democracy as unimportant. He maintains that democracy is a necessary platform for the fight to establish socialism. Ravi Bali concludes the panel by comparing nativism in the UK and the US, arguing that Corbyn-style social democracy has failed to confront reactionary xenophobia. He contrasts the Labour Party to the on-going Movement for Black Lives in the UK.

 
 
Listen to a Discussion of this Panel

On August 9, 2020, MHI recorded a discussion among a few members, supporters, and friends of the organization about these papers.

 
We strongly encourage you to post comments on the video and discussion below this article, and to engage in a dialogue with us. Don’t forget to watch our other panel too.

 
You may also be interested in the Left Forum panels we put on last year, which you can find here.