Spectacle Archive

Murray Bookchin Video Biography 03 - 1995

Introduction

Third part of the Murray Bookchin interviews conducted by Mark Saunders in 1995. The project was to explore the development of Murray's politics through his personal experiences.

Murray was reticent to engage in anything that smacked of the personality cult but his biography covers key points in the development of radical politics and sets in context the "Social Ecology" of his later life.

The Bells! Bells have been added to this version as a dongle to prevent unauthorised use. The original version is clear of bells and of a high quality.

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Credits

Date: May 1995
Location: Burlington, Vermont, USA
City: Vermont
Crew: Mark Saunders
Original Format - colour, hi8, 11 mins
Language versions - english
Useful link: - http://www.spectacle.co.uk/...

Ordering Information

If you would like to request a viewing copy of this video, please click the email link below. You can find out more information about ordering in the distribution section.
Order Catalogue No. MB007:32 - BITC - en - pal via email

Further Details


Timecode / Relevent information and links


33:07 Party/League Regulations

33:20 Leon Trotsky’s history of the Russian Revolution

The full (english translated) text of "The History of the Russian Revolution" is avaliable to read at Marxists.org: History of the Russian Revolution

33:38 Bolshevik leaders (/Moscow trials)

33:48 Anarchic streak

34:07 Seventh World Congress

"The Comintern (Communist International) held seven World Congresses, the first in March 1919 and the last in 1935. As of 1928 it was estimated that the organization had 583,105 members, excluding its Soviet membership.

The seventh *(Seventh World Congress) and last congress of the Comintern was held in 1935 and officially endorsed the Popular Front against fascism."
Summary From Wikipedia: Comintern. Section: From the Fifth to the Seventh World Congress

34:10 The popular Front line

General

"A popular front is a broad coalition of different political groupings, often made up of leftists and centrists who are united by opposition to another group"

Specific

"In addition to the general definition, the term "popular front" also has a specific meaning in the history of Europe and the United States during the 1930s, and in the history of Communism and the Communist Party. The term "national front", similar in name but describing a different form of ruling, using ostensibly non-Communist parties which were in fact controlled by and subservient to the Communist party as part of a "coalition", was used in Central and Eastern Europe during the Cold War."
Summary From Wikipedia: popular Front

34:21 Marxist non-collaboration

"Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

Any political practice or theory that is based on an interpretation of the works of Marx and Engels may be called Marxism. There is still a presence of Marxist approaches in academic fields of research; these include anthropology, media studies, Theatre, history, economics[1], literary criticism, aesthetics and philosophy.

The constitution of the Communist Parties and Communist states was grounded in Marxism; the basic difference between Communism in general and Marxism, is that Communism aims at the realization of a "Communist society", while Marxism is a theoretical-practical framework based on the analysis of "the conflicts between the powerful and the subjugated".
Summary from Wikipedia: Marxism

Marxist FAQ

34:37 Anarchist (none in the area)

(see above)

35:07 Peter Kropotkin, history of the French revolution

"Peter Kropotkin was one of Russia's foremost anarchists and one of the first advocates of anarchist communism: the model of society he advocated for most of his life was that of a communalist society free from central government."
Summary From Wikipedia: Peter Kropotkin

36:06 IWMA (International Workingmen's Association)

"International Workingmen's Association, later called the First International was founded in 1864. Among those in attendance was a not well known representative of the German workers to the conference, a refugee named Karl Marx."

"Marx's gradual withdrawal from the International to work on Das Kapital, this marked the beginning of the end of the First International. In 1876, the IWMA disbanded.

On September 15th, anarchists from different countries met in Saint-Imier. The anarchists continued having congresses in this group until 1877. "
Infoshop OpenwWiki: International Workingmen's Association

Documents of the International Workingmen's Association

36:46 Young Communists League (returned)
(see above)

36:47 Spanish Civil war (outbreak)
(see above)

37:12 Liberals

US Politics:

- Liberal typically refers to one supporting social liberalism, or one opposing conservative or social conservatives positions. - Liberalism is a political ideology that seeks to maximize individual liberties

UK Politics:

Liberal in the United Kingdom may refer to opposing both conservative and socialist positions, particularly those of economic protectionists and authoritarians.

37:18 Anarchist Syndicalist movement in Spain

"Anarcho-syndicalism had some influence in Spain during the Civil War and a little, but not so much as the government thought" Summary From Answers.com: Political Dictionary: anarcho-syndicalism

SYNDICALIST HISTORY



37:26 A revolution

A Revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.

37:29 Communists “fighting for democracy against fascism”

37:35 Newsreels broadcasting the ‘Internationale’

Definition: ‘The Internationale’:

“International socialist anthem (Also the anthem of USSR until 1944, and the anthem of many left-wing organisations” - wiki / List of Socialist songs

37:42 Revolution

37:45 Fascism / Democracy

37:56 Communist literature / Bourgeoisie periodicals

38:06 Anarchist Syndicalist

(see above)

 

38:19 Stalinism (didn’t support)

(see part 1)



38:21 Young Communist league

(see part 1)

 



38: 34 International brigades

"he International Brigades were Republican military units in the Spanish Civil War, formed of many non-state sponsored volunteers of different countries who traveled to Spain, to fight for the republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939. "

Summary From Wikipedia: International Brigades

The International Brigades (Veterans' Stories)

38:30 Spain (Campaign to help)

38:37 Spanish Loyalists

38:39 Republicans

"Second Spanish Republic was the system of government in Spain between April 14, 1931, when King Alfonso XIII left the country, and April 1, 1939, when the last of the Government's Republican (republicanas) forces surrendered to Nationalist (nacionales) rebels led by Francisco Franco, after the Spanish Civil War. "

Summary From Wikipedia: Second Spanish Republic


38:43 Revolutionaries

38:48 Moscow Trials

(see part 1)

 

38:55 Lenin (closest friends/ collaborators denounced)

39:04 May Uprising/ Barcelona


The Tragic Week in May

39:10 Daily Worker

(see part 2)


39:14 Anarchist Syndicalist

(see above)


39:20 Communists

(see part 1)


39:23 Anarchist Barcelona

39:29 Capitalist Press

(see part 1: 'capitalism')


39:34 Communists

39:37 Stalinists

39:42 Trotskyists

(see part 2)


40:00 Labour Movement

40:18 Northern New Jersey

40:20 CIO

40:26 Trade Unions

"Trade Unions have as their main purpose the representation of employees, including collective bargaining, with employers and is organised on a national basis by industry, by sector, by occupation or by enterprise - or all, when they are called 'general' unions..eg Transport & General Workers Union, General & Municipal Workers Union."

Defination from Epaw

40:35 New York City

40:53 New Jersey Central Railroad / Bayonne / Harrison, New jersey

41:01 CIO

41:16 Labour

42:00 Police Force / violence

42:30 Memorial Day Massacre of 1937

"  The Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC)  organized a peaceful protest that was to take place on Memorial Day in 1937. 

The SWOC was attempting to organize the steel workers into an industrial union.   When the company refused to recognize the union the workers went out on strike. 
The police move forward at the crowd, they began to club and beat them to the ground.  They then started to arrest peopleand throw them into patrol wagons.  Some were seriouly wounded. 

The Memorial Day Massacre of 1937 took the lives of 10 steel workers and injured 105."

Summary From East Side: Memorial Day Massacre

Illanois Labour History - Memorial Day Massacre

42:38 Republic Steel Plant

42:40 Chicago

42:52 Strike

43:07 Young Communists League

(see part 1)

43:15 CIO (newly formed)

43:21: Socialists and Communists

43:29 Stalinism

(see part 1)

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