The memorable year 1968 – a momentous year for the left and the newly radicalising young people of the time, and an almost historical, legendary year for the young rebels of today. A popular slogan was coined at the time: “We are the people our parents warned us about!” Well, they’re still the people your parents are warning you about, except for those parents who themselves were part of it at the time, who radicalised then, and kept their ideals and fire and hopes alive.

The Communist Manifesto ushered in a new epoch in human history. It described and projected the process of change from capitalism to socialism, the coming to power of the working class. That’s a process still taking place.

Perhaps around the Xmas dinner table this year, being quizzed by parents you haven’t seen for many months, or an aunt you haven’t seen for years, comrades have been met by a familiar refrain:

You’re a socialist? How could you be a socialist today?

Leon Trotsky was one of the outstanding Marxist revolutionaries of the 20th century. A leading figure in the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party from the time of its second congress in 1903, after joining the Bolsheviks in July 1917, Trotsky rapidly became one of its central leaders. When the Bolsheviks won a majority in the Petrograd soviet (council) of workers’ and soldiers’ deputies, Trotsky was elected its president and in that capacity headed the organisation of the insurrection of November 7 (October 25 in the tsarist calendar).

The Democratic Socialist Party was formed in 1972 by leaders of the revolutionary socialist organisation Resistance. In forming the DSP, they set out to build a revolutionary Marxist party that could win the Australian working class to the perspective or a revolutionary overthrow of capitalist rule and the organisation of a classless, socialist society.

The Communist Manifestois the most famous of all documents produced by the socialist movement. It appeared in February 1848, on the eve of an explosion of popular revolutionary struggles in France and Germany – revolutionary mass movements that the Manifesto had foreseen.

The immensely successful Asia Pacific Solidarity Conference, held in Sydney on April 10-13, was an historic event for the left, both for Australia and the region.

More than 750 people participated. In addition to Australian activists, there were 67 representatives from Asian, Pacific, European, Latin American and United States left parties and other organisations.

In early October, Italy’s Party of Communist Refoundation (PRC) withdrew its support for the ruling Olive Tree coalition government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi because of the cuts contained in the government’s draft 1997-98 budget. However, after much debate the party reversed its decision and, in exchange for equality of treatment for blue- and white-collar workers in the pension system and a government commitment to introduce a 35-hour week in 2001, reversed its decision. Green Left Weekly’s JOHN PERCY spoke to PRC national executive member FRANCO TURIGLIATTO about the crisis. Turigliatto also edits Bandiera Rossa, a magazine orienting to the left of the PRC.

Varanasi – Waving red flags, chanting slogans and singing revolutionary songs, 50,000 peasants and workers assembled for an inspiring rally to conclude the sixth congress of the Communist Party of India Marxist-Leninist (Liberation), held in Varanasi (Benares) October 20-26. They had come by train, bus and on foot, camping overnight at several locations around the city.

In his report to the 15th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, held two weeks ago, CPC general secretary Jiang Zemin said that the theme of the congress was to “hold high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory for an all-round advancement of the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics to the 21st century”. Indeed, the official title of his report was “Hold High the Great Banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory for an All-Round Advancement of the Cause of Building Socialism With Chinese Characteristics to the 21st Century”.