“Municipal Socialism” or Bolshevism? What a Communist-Led City Government Could Do

As the American socialist movement gains momentum, those who dedicate themselves to the fight for a socialist future must ask themselves what kind of strategy is necessary. Is it possible to better the situation of the working class by working with the capitalists? Or will this require an all-out struggle against them?

Marxists are not opposed to participating in elections or elected offices to better the position of the working class and to put forward our program. But bourgeois elections are not the only arena for the class struggle. Marxists in elected office must use their positions to lead the working class in struggling for a better future against the bosses, and must make clear that the only way to preserve any gains is by overthrowing capitalism altogether.

This discussion will examine the victory of Zohran Mamdani in New York City, his mayorship so far, and draw on the experience of the Marxist-led Liverpool City Council in the 1980s to show what is possible for Marxists in elected office, armed with an independent, working-class program and a revolutionary perspective.

This discussion will be introduced by Tom Trottier, a leading member of the RCA.

Reading list:

Articles

• When Communists Ran the Liverpool City Council – RCA
• Liverpool: A City that dared to fight – Peter Taaffe and Tony Mulhearn
• Zohran Mamdani Wins: What’s Next in the Fight against the Billionaires? – RCA
• Zohran Mamdani Stuns Establishment: Is This a Step Toward a Socialist NYC? – Abadie Ludlam
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Podcasts/Videos

• Liverpool in the 1980s – how to fight the cuts – Mike Hogan
• The Rise and Fall of Social Democracy – Fred Weston

Books

• Ted Grant – The Permanent Revolutionary. Chapter Nine: How Militant Was Destroyed – Alan Woods
• The Bending Cross: A Biography of Eugene V. Debs – Ray Ginger
• State and Revolution –  V. I. Lenin

Additional Reading

• Zohran Mamdani and Ada Colau: Lessons of the Spanish Left-wing City Councils – Paolo Tomaselli
• Sewer socialism – Wikipedia
• Mayoralty of Bernie Sanders – Wikipedia