Panel discussion: The Legacy of 1968

The Freedom Socialist Party is pleased to invite you to this panel discussion hosted by the the Melbourne Chapter of the Platypus Affiliated Society. The 1960s were a period of social upheaval that spanned the entire globe. The “New” Left that emerged reached for Marxism to help it navigate the politics of this decade. Platypus asks: How was this Marxism inherited and transformed? Did it succeed, or did it discover new problems?

Alison Thorne, speaking for the Freedom Socialist Party, will make the case that this dynamic period confirms our analysis that leadership comes from the most oppressed. There’s also much to be learnt by understanding why the working class upheaval subsided, having failed to topple capitalism.

Thorne, a lifelong Marxist feminist and founder of the Melbourne chapter of Radical Women, will be joined by Andy Blunden and Arthur Dent. Blunden, who is today a Hegel scholar, was the first draft card burner in Melbourne in 1966 and later a member of the Workers Revolutionary Party. Dent, an orthodox Maoist, was a leader of the Red Eureka Movement in the 1970’s.

Meeting room 1, Victorian Trades Hall Council, entrance via Victoria Street. A livestream of the event will be available over Zoom.

The event is free, but please register for tickets at www.eventbrite.com.au/e/panel-discussion-the-legacy-of-1968-tickets-636090492787

For more information contact pas1917melbourne@gmail.com