Video: MHI’s Panels at Left Forum 2018

 
by MHI

 
Marxist-Humanist Initiative (MHI) sponsored three panels at this year’s Left Forum, the largest “left” conference in the U.S., which was held in New York City on June 1-3.

Although this year’s Left Forum theme was “Towards a New Strategy for the Left,” MHI neither centers its tasks on strategies nor directs “the left” what to do. Rather, we think the real left is not those who designate themselves to strategize and lead, but rather is the massive Resistance to Trumpism and other grass-roots movements around the world. Our perspective is to engage with mass movements continuously in developing both practice and theory.

The complete videos of our panels–presentations and discussion–are below. Discussion in the comments section below this article is most welcome.

We are a small organization with very limited resources. The cost of hiring a videographer to produce these videos took a big chunk out of our budget. Please donate generously to help us defray the cost.

 
The speakers and presentations at the MHI-sponsored panels are:

Combatting White Nationalism: Lessons from Marx (Saturday, June 2, 12 noon to 1:50 p.m.)

• Anne Jaclard, opening remarks
• Chris Gilligan: Open Borders: the Internationalist Challenge to White Nationalism
• Brendan Cooney: White Nationalism, a Pre-Existing Condition
• Ravi Bali: How can Marxist theory inform and learn from anti-racist struggles?
• Andrew Kliman: Comments on the Discussion by the Author

 
 
Has “the Left” Accommodated Trump (and Putin)? A Debate (Saturday, June 2, 4:00 to 4:50 p.m.)

• Ravi Bali, opening remarks
• Daphne Lawless: The Red-Brown Zombie Plague
• Brendan Cooney: Strange Bedfellows: when “Leftists” become Apologists for Trumpism
• Chris Cutrone: Why I Wish Hillary had Won: Distractions of Anti-Trump-ism
• Anne Jaclard: Left-Firstism Isn’t Left. It Threatens the Movements for Self-Emancipation.
• Bill Weinberg: Syria and Betrayal within the Anti-War Movement

 
 
Can Marx’s humanist philosophy of emancipation assist the Resistance and other battles against Trumpism? If so, how? (Sunday, June 3, 2:00 to 3:50 p.m.)

• Brendan Cooney, opening remarks
• Michael Dola: Some Philosophic Dimensions of the New Women’s and Youth Movements
• Andrew Kliman: Permanent Resistance to Trumpism and Marx’s Philosophy of “Revolution in Permanence”
• Ravi Bali: The Imaginative Leap–Considering all Matters from the Vantage Point of a Future Free Society
• Anne Jaclard: Working Out a Direction from Principles, Particularly Support for the Resistance’s Own Self-Development