John Maclean, born on this day in 1879, was a Scottish schoolteacher and revolutionary Marxist, sometimes referred to as "Scotland's Lenin". His Marxist evening-classes produced many of the activists who became instrumental in the Clyde revolts during and after WWI. MacLean was appointed both an Honorary President of the first Congress of Soviets and Soviet Consul to Scotland in recognition of his consistent socialist position on the imperialist war and his tireless work in support of the Bolshevik revolution.

Maclean's revolutionary politics were well-known, and in 1915, he was arrested under the Defence of the Realm Act and fired from his job as a primary school teacher. As a consequence, he became a full-time Marxist lecturer and organizer, educating other Glaswegian workers in Marxist theory.

Maclean supported Irish independence on an anti-imperialist basis, describing the Irish War of Independence as "The Irish fight for freedom" and even condoning the assassination of a magistrate, Alan Bell. He saw the war in Ireland as strengthening the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, arguing that "Irish Sinn Féiners, who make no profession of socialism or communism...are doing more to help Russia and the revolution than all we professed Marxian Bolsheviks in Britain".

MacLean was at odds with much of the British left and dismissive of the newly-formed Communist Party of Great Britain. He had already turned his back on economism and the syndicalism favoured by the Clyde Workers’ Committee, had recognised the nature of British imperialism and come to the conclusion that revolution could only come about through the destruction of the British Empire.

Maclean was also noted for his outspoken opposition to World War I, and, in 1918, he was arrested for sedition. During the trial, Maclean gave the now legendary "speech from the dock", expounding on his position. He was sentenced to five years' penal servitude, but was released after the November armistice.

In captivity, Maclean had been on hunger strike, and prolonged force-feeding had permanently affected his health. He collapsed during a speech and died of pneumonia, aged forty-four.

"I have taken up unconstitutional action at this time because of the abnormal circumstances and because precedent has been given by the British government. I am a socialist, and have been fighting and will fight for an absolute reconstruction of society for the benefit of all. I am proud of my conduct. I have squared my conduct with my intellect, and if everyone had done so this war would not have taken place...

...I appeal exclusively to [the working class] because they and they only can bring about the time when the whole world will be in one brotherhood, on a sound economic foundation. That, and that alone, can be the means of bringing about a re-organisation of society. That can only be obtained when the people of the world get the world, and retain the world." -

--John MacLean, from the "Dock Speech"

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Previous answer

50123

19742

49876

11111

74293

The last cross number puzzle

last one I swear

Across

  1. Square of a prime number

  2. Half the highest common factor of 10 Down and 11 Down

  3. Cube of a square

  4. Square root of 1 Across

  5. A symmetrical square (same left to right as right to left)

  6. Larger by 1 than 9 Down

  7. Five times as large as 8 Across

  8. Square of a number larger by 1 than 13 Across

Down

  1. Smaller by 8 than the smallest integer which, when divided by 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 has remainders 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

  2. Number whose digit sum is 29

  3. Prime nmber

4 Prime factor of 11 Down

  1. Quadrupled product of one-tenth 15 Across and 13 Across

  2. Twice 4 Down

  3. 11 Down reversed

  4. Square root of 10 Across

  5. Multiple of the highest prime factor of 13 Across

So last number cross puzzle so have fun :soviet-heart: and dm @Wmill dm the answer.

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    • Nagarjuna [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Class struggle in America is the same as anywhere else!

      Ehhh

        • Nagarjuna [he/him]
          ·
          3 years ago

          I would say that large sections of the working class have been bought off with the spoils of imperialism. Mostly in the form of consistent food, cheap consumer goods, and jobs that allow workers to rise into the ranks of a petty bourgeoisie.

          Also, the working class is heavily stratified by race. Mexican farm workers are whole worlds apart from unemployed black felons are worlds apart from Asian nurses are worlds apart from white coders, get it? That makes class solidarity a lot harder, especially when white people think the hyper exploitation of other races is "because of their culture."

          Then there's the issue where this country was built on stolen land and a lot of families can trace their wealth back to post civil war land grants, meaning that white workers and indigenous people are in class struggle over land.

          I know shit isn't great in Europe, but I think this is a configuration of challenges unique to the US, if not in kind, at least in degree.

        • Nagarjuna [he/him]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Oh. And the fact that 1 in a 1000 people have been to jail, and in many communities like 1 in 5 have been to jail just wears on community bonds and psyches and makes solidarity really fucking hard, and just the threat is chilling.

    • DeathToBritain [she/her, they/them]
      ·
      3 years ago

      I strongly disagree. 'there are no “unique” conditions! Class struggle in America is the same as anywhere else!' is so broad. the geography, the settler history, the mode of production, all of these things will produce, and require, an 'American socialism'. you can't just apply the same thinking to everywhere and try to force a square peg into a round hole. America is very different to France, or Britain, or China, and each require their own interpretation of how to create institutions to build socialism