August 20 marks 80 years since the assassination of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky by a Stalinist agent in Mexico. The International Marxist Tendency is organising a rally to celebrate the life and ideas of Trotsky, which are today more relevant than ever.

Marxist University ended as it started: with tremendous revolutionary optimism! Over the course of the event, almost 6,500 people registered from more than 115 countries; the opening session was viewed 10,000 times; and almost 280,000 Euros was collected in donations. This was a truly historic event, with the highest level of political discussion anywhere. The school was a tremendous testament to the strength of genuine Marxist ideas and traditions, and to the revolutionary dedication of the comrades and supporters who made it possible.

The ideas of Marx have never been more relevant than they are today. This is reflected in the thirst for Marxist theory at the present time. In this article, Alan Woods deals with the main ideas of Karl Marx and their relevance to the crisis we're passing through today.

The July days in Russia in 1917 were crucial. Without the Bolshevik Party the outcome could have been a devastating defeat. The reaction could have gained more ground. Thanks to the Bolsheviks the events after the July days illustrated the weakness of the reaction and the role of the reformists and prepared the ground for the events up to October

Blood has flowed in the streets of Petrograd. A tragic chapter has been added to the Russian Revolution. Who is to blame? “The Bolsheviks,” says the man in the street, repeating what his newspapers tell him. The sum total of these tragic happenings is exhausted, as far as the bourgeoisie and the time-serving politicians are concerned, in the words: Arrest the ringleaders and disarm the masses. And the object of this action is to establish “revolutionary order”. The Social-Revolutionists and the Mensheviks, in arresting and disarming the Bolsheviks, are prepared to establish “order”. There is only one question: What kind of order, and for whom?

All over the world, lockdowns are being lifted. Amidst the biggest economic and social crisis in living memory, the ruling class is pushing a “return to normality” – before it is safe, while preparing new attacks on the working class. This pandemic is continuing to bring the rottenness and cynicism in capitalist society to the surface.