The Left needs to get over its anti-communism, part 1/3 with Youri Smouter and Arto Artinian

“On the Barricades” s06e40

This weekend we have a 3-part release of “On the Barricades” with two of our regular guests, Youri Smouter of 1+1 and Arto Artinian, a Bulgarian-raised professor of sociology in the US. These two bring broad experience and knowledge from the socialist movement and study of its history and sociology, from both sides of world. Along with hosts Maria Cernat and Boyan Stanislavski, they are tackling the massively important question of the current state of the so-called Left or “socialist” movement, which has various reactionary trends which we’ve discussed on our show at length previously.

But today the focus is on anti-communism, an ideological fetter that has served the existing capitalist order especially in the West historically, and which now dominates in Eastern Europe, in some form. What is the nature of this problem, looking historically and at the present balance of forces globally and locally? How do we overcome it, and what is the role of education (and education on what)? Or is the fight against liberal influence in the Left impossible?