Colin Barker
revolutionary reflections | Value, force, many states and other problems: part...
In the third and final part of his essay on violence and capitalist social relations, Colin Barker insists that capitalist states cannot be theorised without recognising their multiplicity.
revolutionary reflections | Value, force, many states and other problems: part...
In the second part of his essay on how violence and coercion are written into the core of capitalist social relations, Colin Barker explores how states modify the law of value.
revolutionary reflections | Value, force, many states and other problems: part...
The first part of Colin Barker's essay looking at how violence and coercion are written into the core of capitalist social relations
revolutionary reflections | Notes on Capital and the State: part 3
In the concluding part of our serialisation of his 1978 essay on the state in capitalist society, Colin Barker considers the theory of the Permanent Arms Economy.
revolutionary reflections | Notes on Capital and the State: part 2
In the second of a three part series Colin Barker continues his investigation into the relationship between capital and the state.
revolutionary reflections | Notes on Capital and the State: part 1
The relationship between the state and capital is a major problem in Marxist theory. In the first of a three part series Colin Barker investigates how Marxists have addressed this question.
‘It was like a rocket: a fantastic display’: Reflections on May...
In a speech to Manchester rs21, Colin Barker reflects on the “madness of May ‘68”, when, for a brief moment, everything seemed possible.
revolutionary reflections | The Roberts-Arundel strike
A never-before-seen pamphlet dating from 1968 tells the fascinating true story of the Stockport Roberts-Arundel textile strike.
Social Reproduction Theory: going beyond Marx’s Capital
Colin Barker of Manchester rs21 spoke on 'Social Reproduction Theory: Remapping Class, Recentering Oppression' at the recent Historical Materialism conference in London.
revolutionary reflections | ‘The movement as a whole’ – Waves and...
Colin Barker provides a framework for revolutionaries to think about their engagement in the politics of social movements.
Latest articles
China ends Hong Kong autonomy
Beijing hopes that the imposition of the 'National Security Law' will mean the end of the democratic movement in Hong Kong. Colin Sparks argues that they are likely to be disappointed.
The Black Lives Matter movement in 2020: results and prospects
Jaswinder Blackwell-Pal considers the situation of the BLM movement in Britain and argues for centring the politics of abolition and anti-imperialist solidarity.
The British left must stand in solidarity with Palestinians
Max Stein argues for vocal solidarity with Palestinians as the annexation of the West Bank goes ahead.
Artivists at Work
Artivists at Work was formed in response to the government's handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Here's a round-up of highlights from June and details of how to get involved.
Leave Labour with a plan
For the thousands leaving Labour, the key is not just to leave, writes Colin Wilson – it’s to leave with a plan to build something different.
Solidarity on the streets of London and Manchester
People protested to stand against the Tories' attacks on trans rights and to demand justice for Shukri Abdi. The two causes found each other on the streets.
The Fairplay Committee
Mitch Mitchell recounts the legacy of the Fairplay Committee, a group aiming to improve the conditions of black workers in the music industry.
Rising up against ‘the science’
The latest relaxation of the lockdown is a political rather than a scientific decision, and it will put thousands of lives at risk without a fully functioning Test, Trace and Isolate system.
Anti-racism and re-building union strength
Liverpool dockers fought a valiant campaign in the 1990s to defend their jobs from an anti-union crackdown. Now they are rebuilding their union with fighting and internationalist traditions.
Anti-racism, solidarity and the language of our movement
Arjun Mahadevan shares his perspective on political education coming from a place of solidarity.
Highlights
Whose side are you on?
The Black Lives Matter protests have come up against police and the far right in the streets. Starmer’s Labour Party has taken the side of the cops.
Video: Black Lives Matter
Black activists in Britain talk about the response to the murder of George Floyd, underlying racism and economic factors, links with the pandemic and how we build anti-racist solidarity.
Johnson’s 1 June plans in tatters – how do we build our strength?
Rob Owen argues that the NEU has won a convincing, but not complete, victory over the government and addresses how we develop workplace organisation in the coming weeks.
Trans rights and ‘gender ideology’ in Hungary
The Hungarian parliament has passed new legislation that will eradicate any recognition of transgender people. Hanna Gál situates the new developments in the context of the far-right ruling parties’ hostility to ‘gender ideology’ and argues for a trans-inclusive feminist fightback.
Debt in a time of coronavirus
Video: How has coronavirus boosted household debt, the impact on working-class people and on the capitalist economy, and the possibilities for campaigning and resistance?