Sunday September 28th (2pm ET, 11am PT) - Zoom
"Trump and the New Authoritarianism"
by Marx21
It is now clear even to the mainstream press that the Trump administration is moving in an increasingly authoritarian direction. This is happening amidst a global crisis of hegemony for the traditional order. Yet voting for Democrats or other guardians of the dissolving status quo will not stop the growth of the far right, as we have seen here during the Biden years, and internationally.
The Trump administration is a unique mixture of a slash and grab for the rich and an enacting of Trump’s seemingly irrational and far-right impulses without ruling class consensus. The "Big Beautiful Bill" was an extreme version of the typical ruling class wish list (shredding regulations, cutting corporate taxes, slashing public services while funding cops and the military), now increasingly unpopular. Yet the extent of ICE raids, deployment of National Guard, quixotic tariff regimes, and the open authoritarian rhetoric and personal vindictiveness is a new phenomenon.
Following the collapse of the traditional Republican Party into a follower of Trumpism, we have seen corporations, major media, and Universities fall in line behind Trump’s orders. But we have been involved in effective resistance, if not yet powerful enough to turn things around nationally. The Trump project is filled with contradictions, raising questions:
Are we on the road to fascism? How is Trump connected to an international growth in authoritarianism and the far right? How are trends in the global economy contributing to this trend? Can reactionary resentments continue to bind Trump’s MAGA followers to him while their living standards decline and the ultra-rich benefit even more? How can the resistance to Trump incorporate the power of the organized working class?
We live in troubling times, and the future is uncertain, but we can collectively analyze the forces at play and strategize the most effective resistance. Come join a short presentation and open discussion on "Trump and the New Authoritarianism," on Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9132004856
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Members and friends of Marx21 are also taking part in a study group, now reading The Meaning of Marxism. On October 12 we will be reading chapters 4 and 5, on Marxist economics (a substantial but accessible discussion of the labor theory of value, exploitation, competition, and capitalist economic crisis). Feel free to attend, even if you have not been at the previous sessions. Same time, same Marx21 Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9132004856
Finally, Marx21 members will be taking part in the No Kings Day protests nationwide on October 18, joining with others against Trump's authoritarianism and attempting to bring a socialist and working-class voice.
We can briefly discuss this at our meeting this Sunday, hope to see you there. - Marx21 U.S.
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