2022 has seen a resurgence of crisis and class struggle like never before—including here in Canada. Fightback is here to provide a Marxist, working-class analysis of events, as well as the theory that we need to understand developments in the class struggle.
We will continue to provide the clear and timely analysis that our readers have come to expect in 2023. If you support us, you can subscribe to our fortnightly paper here.
As we look forward to the new year, here are some of our most popular articles of 2022.
The so-called ‘Freedom’ Convoy
2022 began with the so-called “Freedom Convoy” descending upon Ottawa. Throughout it all, Fightback was the only one putting forward an explanation of why the anti-vax movement was a creature born from the failures of bourgeois governments in fighting the pandemic, and the only one calling for a working-class response to the far right. This made our articles on the convoy some of our most popular of the year.
Anti-vax convoy misdirection of truckers’ anger
Deliberate sabotage of Ottawa ‘Freedom Convoy’ counter-demo by aristocracy of labour
‘Freedom Convoy’ a warning to the labour movement
CUPE Ontario strike
The year ended with remarkable developments in the Canadian class struggle. When the Ontario government overrode the constitution to take away the right of CUPE education workers to go on strike, the labour movement responded with the threat of an illegal general strike. This proved, for the first time, that militant strike action can defeat back-to-work legislation. However, this historic win was followed by CUPE leadership accepting a bad deal that left many workers angry. Fightback followed these developments every step of the way, and these are some of our most popular articles on the topic:
Victory to Ontario education workers! Defy back-to-work-legislation! Strike until victory!
General strike threat defeats back-to-work legislation, but workers’ contract unresolved
OSBCU recommends deal that ‘badly sucks’: Vote no!
Workers angry at CUPE school board deal
Ukraine
Internationally, 2022 saw big events in country after country, including revolutionary movements in Sri Lanka and Iran. However, our most popular international article by far was on the war in Ukraine, where we put forward an independent class position, recognizing that for socialists, our enemies are the capitalists at home.
The Ukrainian war: An internationalist class position – IMT statement
How to abolish the monarchy in Canada
The death of Queen Elizabeth II in September was not the solemn and unifying event that the ruling class no doubt wanted it to be. Rather, for many it raised the question of why the monarchy still exists, and what we can do to get rid of it. Many found their answer in our 2021 article on how to abolish the monarchy:
How to abolish the monarchy in Canada
Marxist theory
Our readers come to Fightback not just to read about the crisis of capitalism, but to understand how to fight it. It is only Marxist theory that offers the clarity of perspectives and tactics needed for the revolutionary overthrow of capitalism. We make this case against other ideas that are popular in the movement, and these articles on theory continue to be popular in the years after they were first published. Our most read articles on theory, with good reason, are:
Marxism vs. identity politics, and Decolonization doesn’t mean anything
Revolution not reconciliation
The ideas of Marxism are applied in our 2020 document Revolution not reconciliation: Indigenous struggle and the fight for socialism. The oppression of Indigenous people is one of the defining features of Canadian capitalism, and a vital question for any Canadian Marxist to understand. It is fitting, then, that the document continues to be one of our most read articles. This is an issue that we have consistently written about over the years; other articles on Indigenous struggle that were particularly popular in 2022 include The 1990 Oka crisis: Lessons for today and our four-part series on Louis Riel and the Métis Revolution.
For revolutionary optimism in 2023
Given the state of the world in 2022, it is no surprise that many young people have fallen into “doomerism”, a sense of pessimism born out of the decay of capitalist society. However, if there is one thing that Marxism teaches us, it is that the collective power of the working class can change the world. For those who are looking for revolutionary optimism, we recommend our popular article Doomerism in service of the capitalists.
