What's the relationship between labour struggles against capitalism and Indigenous struggles against colonialism? How has Marxist and communist theory traditionally tried to understand this relationship? This episode of Living the Dream from The Word With Struggle Street examines these questions by looking at the Communist Party of Australia in the 1920s and 30s and its relationship, or lack there of, with Indigenous struggles.
CPA Banner circa 1982 courtesy National Museum of Australia
In this episode Dave(@withsobersenses) and Jon (@jonpiccini) chat with Padraic Gibson (@paddygibson) about his research into the Communist Party of Australia and its early, or lack there of, engagement with Indigenous struggles in the 1920s and 30s. Not only is the history fascinating but Paddy also really digs into what was wrong with socialist and communist thought at the time, and the inheritance of Marx and Engel’s work, that made it hard for the CPA to connect with these struggles. How and why did this change? And how do these concerns play out today?
Sadly Jon’s internet dropped out 15 or 20 minutes into the conversation
Paddy is a member of Solidarity and his work can be found there.
Paddy would like to acknowledge that the history about the links between the Garvyist movement and Aboriginal activists in Australia in the 1920s he talks about comes from John Maynard’s book Fight for Liberty and Freedom
Paddy was nominated as an interviewee by John Passant when John donated to Living the Dream. Thanks John!
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