Hosted by the Platypus Affiliated Society.

In the mid-19th century, Marx and Engels famously observed in the Communist Manifesto that a 'specter' was haunting Europe— the specter of Communism. 160 years later, it is 'Marxism' itself that haunts us.

In the 21st century, it seems that the Left abandoned Marxism as a path to freedom. But Marx critically intervened in his own moment and emboldened leftists to challenge society; is the Left not tasked with this today? Has the Left resolved the problems posed by Marx, and thus moved on?

For more information, please contact Brian Hioe: bch250@nyu.edu

Die Podiumsdiskussion “What’s left of the Left? Zur Situation der radikalen Linke in den USA” (August 2011), einer Zusammenarbeit zwischen Platypus und UmsGanze, ist nun online und kann hier angehört oder heruntergeladen werden: 

On Wednesday September 14th, 2011 in New York City, Platypus hosted a dialogue with Sebastian Traenkle, editor of the influential German left journal Phase II revolving around what does contemporary landscape of left politics look like in Germany and the United States? What are the points of convergence and departure that shape left politics in these two countries? What might we learn from one another? This conversation will touch on the legacy of 9-11, the Anti-Deutsch milieu, popular anticapitalism versus value critique, the relative prominence of the Marxist and anarchist traditions, and the contentious differences in orientation towards the Israel-Palestine conflict, among other themes.

This event is part of the transatlantic dialogue series initiated by the Platypus Affiliated Society which aims to rebuild an emancipatory internationalism.

A Teach-In on the Communist Manifesto
Tuesday, September 27 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Dalhousie University, Council Chambers, SUB

Audio: Click to download mp3

In the mid-19th century, Marx and Engels famously observed in the Communist Manifesto that a ‘specter’ was haunting Europe—the specter of Communism. 160 years later, it is ‘Marxism’ itself that haunts us.

In the 21st century, it seems that the Left abandoned Marxism as a path to freedom. But Marx critically intervened in his own moment and emboldened leftists to challenge society; is the Left not tasked with this today? Has the Left resolved the problems posed by Marx, and thus moved on? Does Marxism even matter?

Panelists (in speaking order): Jerzy Sobotta (Frankfurt), Haseeb Ahmed (Maastricht), Watson Ladd, (Chicago), Pam C. Nogales C. (New York)

Poduimsdiskussion: Hosting the conversation on the death of the Left.
The panel will present on the recent history of the Left in the U.S. through the history of the emergence and activities of our new student organization, the Platypus Affiliated Society. Platypus was established in 2006 in response to the failure of the Iraq anti-war movement. We formed an organization dedicated to âhosting the conversationâ on the death of the Left internationally, seeking to present more directly questions and problems from the history of Marxism, as guide to why and how the world has arrived at its present state. We find the most interesting and deepest questions and problems of modern history to be raised by Marxism, but not exclusively so. We hope to help clear or at least call critical attention to the present and historical ideological obstacles to the potential for forming a cosmopolitan Left as a truly progressive-emancipatory force.
The panel will include speakers from New York, Chicago, Boston/Maastricht and Frankfurt.

Poduimsdiskussion: Hosting the conversation on the death of the Left.
Die Veranstaltung wird die neuere Geschichte der Linken in den USA anhand der Entstehung und den Aktivitäten der neuen studentischen Organisation, the Platypus Affiliated Society, zum Gegenstand haben. Platypus wurde 2006 als Antwort auf die Niederlage der Anti-Irakkrieg-Bewegung gegründet. Wir haben eine Organisation geschaffen, welche es sich zum Hauptanliegen gemacht hat, die Diskussion über den Tod der Linken zu anzustoßen und so direkter die Fragen und Probleme aus der Geschichte des Marxismus aufzuwerfen, um zu verstehen, wie und warum die Welt zu ihrem gegenwärtigem Zustand gelangt ist. Wir glauben, dass die interessantesten und tiefsten Probleme moderner Geschichte, nicht ausschließlich aber vor allem durch den Marxismus angesprochen wurden. Wir hoffen, gegenwärtige und historische ideologische Hindernisse für eine potentielle Entstehung einer kosmopolitischen Linken – als einer tatsächlich progressiv-emanzipatorischen Kraft – aus dem Weg zu räumen, oder zumindest kritisch ins Bewusstsein zu rufen.
Der Panel besteht aus Sprecherinnen und Sprechern aus New York, Chicago, Boston/Maastricht und Frankfurt. (Die Veranstaltung findet auf englisch statt.) 
IVI (Bockenheim) • Kettenhofweg 130 • Frankfurt am Main
Sonntag, 28. August 2011, 18:00 (IVI)