Jordan Humphreys
Marxists have always understood that capitalism relies on both the exploitation of workers at the point of production and the development of a complex web of oppressive institutions and ideologies. This is why we have been on the front lines of struggles against oppression and injustice from the outset. There is another tradition in the workers’ movement, one which argues that dealing with ‘divisive’ issues such as racism or women’s oppression is a distraction, and that the left should focus instead on what unites us. This has been articulated recently in the opposition of Bhaskar Sunkara, editor of Jacobin, to reparations, and in Bernie Sanders’ attacks on immigrants and support for strong border controls. This session will critique these approaches and show how the left can unite workers at the same time as highlighting the specific demands of the oppressed.