Today the climate crisis and humanity’s broader relationship to non-human nature are among the most important questions for the Left to grapple with. However, even among socialists the Marxist theory of ecology is not widely known or discussed. This session will seek to introduce people to the ‘Theory of the Metabolic Rift’ and its application…
Join Federation member Tom Smith in a public discussion about the significance of 2022’s parliament occupation. In the present moment, the Parliament protests serve as an indicator of the interregnum. This protest, characterized by its diverse ideological factions, serves as an expression of popular discontent, particularly concerning government mandates and perceived overreach. The COVID-19 pandemic…
The Wellington Socialist Society is pleased to once again welcome writer and historian Tony Simpson to Bedlam & Squalor for the highly relevant talk ‘Waitangi – Colonial Capital Comes to New Zealand’. When Tony first encountered the Treaty in the 1970’s he was puzzled by certain aspects of its text and context. Over the succeeding…
“The reform of consciousness consists only in making the world aware of its own consciousness, in awakening it out of its dream about itself, in explaining to it the meaning of its own actions… Hence, our motto must be: reform of consciousness not through dogmas, but by analysing the mystical consciousness that is unintelligible to…
“And if universal suffrage had offered no other advantage than that it allowed us to count our numbers every three years; that by the regularly established, unexpectedly rapid rise in the number of our votes it increased in equal measure the workers’ certainty of victory and the dismay of their opponents, and so became our…
Kia ora, neighbours. The Wellington Socialist Society brings to you, the good people of Wellington, a bonus event this June. How lucky. Chlöe Swarbrick is taking some time off her regularly scheduled sausage-making at Parliament to come down to Bedlam & Squalor so she can share some reflections over a pint or two on her…
“On the way from mythology to logistics thought has lost the element of self-reflection and today machinery disables men even as it nurtures them.” ― Theodor Adorno, Dialectic of Enlightenment Join the Wellington Socialist Society for a conversation with Canadian author and journalist Paris Marx, as we delve into his groundbreaking work on the tech…
The Canterbury Socialist Society is very excited to announce the schedule for our programme for the next four months (May through August), the “Winter of Discontent“. To celebrate reaching 100 members in the Federation of Socialist Societies we have organised a minimum of 16 free public events over the next four months. These include: public lectures and discussions,…
PLEASE NOTE: Over the winter months we are adjusting our start time by half an hour so that attendees are not out so late in the evening. Take care to note the difference start time if you don’t want to miss significant portions of the event! ——————————————————– “But it gave me no satisfaction at all…
“…we need something far more vulgar, far more dangerous and far more banal at the same time: a political party, for such an organisation for the international organisation of the working class in this farmyard presupposes something that can contest power where it apparently resides. This is, unfortunately, the House of Parliament where ugly and…