Martin Empson
@resolutereader.bsky.social
One man's odyssey through the world of books. Author of 'Land & Labour', 'Kill All the Gentlemen', 'Socialism or Extinction', "The Time of the Harvest has Come!" Interested in Marxism, history, ecology, revolution. SWP.
The right want us to "embrace death". Monbiot excellent here. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Murderous heat, an endangered food supply, decimated landscapes: embrace the Mediterranean life | George Monbiot
As climate disaster stares us in the face, the radical right says ‘Embrace the Mediterranean life’. Embrace death, more like it, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
theguardian.com
This new book is giving the horrific reality of contemporary capitalist driven climate change a scientific grounding in deep geological time.
Anyone among my followers able to recommend a book about the prehistory of Malta?
Another book review today, this time a new edition of a classic collection of writings analysing fascism and discussing the United Front strategy to stop it. A book for these dangerous times. Leon Trotsky's "Fascism, Stalinism & the United Front". resolutereader.blogspot.com/2026/08/leon...
Leon Trotsky - Fascism, Stalinism & the United Front
In the early 1930s, as fascism in Germany grew from strength to strength, the great Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky wrote a series of pa...
resolutereader.blogspot.com
My latest book review looks at George Clare's autobiographical account his time with the British military de-nazifying Berlin in 1946-1947. A disappointing book.
Last night we watched "The Night of the Hunter" (1955) a superbly creepy film, with Robert Mitchum as a serial killer preying on widows and children. A box office failure at time of release, its reached classic status in the years since.
"Scientists say the blazes could mark a shift in southern Europe’s fire patterns: after decades of relative quiet, the region’s fire regime is starting to resemble that of notoriously combustible places such as California" www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Fires in Europe are breaking records: here’s what the future holds
Countries such as Spain and France can expect fire regimes more like those of California as climate change favours hot, dry conditions, scientists suggest.
nature.com
Tonight I finished watching The Big Country (1958). Long on my watchlist, it's a little over long, but Gregory Peck does a good job as the man trying to stop a feud turning to all out war. Julie Simmons and him have great chemistry and the landscape is breathtaking - and big. Heston is great too.
"I am forced to spend the day... working for my daily bread. So only the night remains for real work and then I am often disturbed by feeling unwell..." Karl Marx to Ferdinand Lassalle, Dec 21 1857
I am absolutely gobsmacked to hear of this threat to Jodrell Bank. I hope there is a massive fight across the university sector to defend this unique research centre and the people who work there. www.theguardian.com/science/2026...
Jodrell Bank Observatory facing closure after major funder cuts support
Scientists say decision is blow to UK astronomy as deep space observatory is home to world-leading facilities
theguardian.com
My latest book review looks at a new book by Socialist Worker's editor Tomáš Tengely-Evans exploring contemporary imperialism and the classical Marxist tradition: "Death Rides Out: Imperialism in the 21st Century" resolutereader.blogspot.com/2026/07/toma...
Tomáš Tengely-Evans - Death Rides Out: Imperialism in the 21st Century
As Socialist Worker editor Tomáš Tengely-Evans has had to cover more than their share of imperialist conflict and the threat of such conflic...
resolutereader.blogspot.com
The lengths the British state will go to to protect one of their own are extraordinary. The SpyCops evidence that week has been heartbreaking and shocking. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
How the Met police spent £2.5m hiding spycop from former partner
Spycops inquiry has revealed how Helen Steel was secretly monitored in her search for undercover officer who deceived her into relationship
theguardian.com
Biggest ever Trans+ Pride in London as state ramps up attacks 🏳️⚧️‘Andy Burnham needs to stand up to the transphobes who do not represent the majority’ socialistworker.co.uk/lgbt/trans-p...
Biggest ever Trans+ Pride in London as state ramps up attacks
The streets of London were filled with blue, white and pink flags on Saturday as some 150,000 people joined London's Trans+ Pride March.
socialistworker.co.uk
I've been caring for my mum. To escape worldly troubles last night we watched Paul Newman and Diane Cilento in Hombre (1967); a superb western thats all about the Civil Rights struggle. Including who can drink at bars and ride inside stagecoaches with white people.
Unison member? Vote yes for action. Stand up for wages and services. Enough is enough.
UNISON Local Government@unisonlg.bsky.social · 2w ago💷 The cost of food, energy and water continues to put pressure on household budgets. Council and school workers shouldn't be expected to absorb yet another squeeze on living standards. Your ballot is your chance to have a say. 📬 Vote YES and return your ballot paper as soon as possible.
🚨 Council and school workers in England and Wales ☎️ Not received a ballot paper? Call 0800 0857 857 to check and get a replacement ballot paper sent out to you. Open till midnight.
UNISON Local Government@unisonlg.bsky.social · 2w ago💷 The cost of food, energy and water continues to put pressure on household budgets. Council and school workers shouldn't be expected to absorb yet another squeeze on living standards. Your ballot is your chance to have a say. 📬 Vote YES and return your ballot paper as soon as possible.
Excellent piece on settler colonialism. Explores settler colonialism by Europeans in North America.
Settler colonialism and indigenous resistance : from Little Big Horn to today • International Socialism
On 25 June 1876, 150 years ago, forces of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes led by military chiefs Crazy Horse and Gall—and inspired by Sitting Bull’s overall spiritual guidance and lea...
isj.org.uk
My latest book review covers the final volume of Bryan D. Palmer's radical history of Canada. The book is "Capitalism, Colonialism & Crises: The Remaking of Modern Canada 1960-2025" covering the period up to last year. Revolutionary history for a new left. resolutereader.blogspot.com/2026/07/brya...
Bryan D. Palmer - Capitalism, Colonialism & Crises: The Remaking of Modern Canada 1960-2025
The third volume of Bryan D. Palmer's trilogy on the history of Canada brings the account right up to the present date. Indeed, so recent is...
resolutereader.blogspot.com
Campaigners tell Burnham we need an end to arms sales and North Sea oil and gas 🛢️Some trade union leaders support Burnham’s plans for more oil and gas drilling—but not all workers in the industry agree socialistworker.co.uk/environment/...
Campaigners tell Burnham we need an end to arms sales and North Sea oil and gas
Andy Burnham says Labour got it “wrong” in its response to Israel’s launching of genocide in Gaza after pressure from the Palestine solidarity movement.
socialistworker.co.uk
This is a very interesting book for those interested in radical peasant movements.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists asked me to write about 13 films that I thought were essential to understanding the nuclear age… and so I did! And now I am ready for everyone to tell me how wrong I am to have missed their favorite film, which is understandable. thebulletin.org/premium/2026...
Thirteen films that are essential to understanding the nuclear age
A chronological list of the best nuclear Doomsday films shows how the nuclear perspective unfolded from the earliest days to the present.
thebulletin.org
Local government workers deserve more than a 3.3% pay rise. After years of pay being eroded in real terms; I am proud to vote YES to industrial action in Unison's strike ballot. Make sure you vote Yes too.
My interest in the history of Indigenous resistance, colonialism and Marxism has led me to writing this engagement with settler colonialism and some of its authors. It uses the anniversary of the Battle of the Little Big Horn as a jumping off point. isj.org.uk/settler-colo...
Settler colonialism and indigenous resistance : from Little Big Horn to today • International Socialism
On 25 June 1876, 150 years ago, forces of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes led by military chiefs Crazy Horse and Gall—and inspired by Sitting Bull’s overall spiritual guidance and lea...
isj.org.uk
Is your workplace boiling? Here’s how to shut it down ⭐️Simon Hester is a former Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector. Here's his advice on how to deal with bosses making you work during the heatwave socialistworker.co.uk/news/is-your...
Is your workplace boiling? Here’s how to shut it down
Simon Hester is a former Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector. Here's his advice on how to deal with bosses making you work in the heat
socialistworker.co.uk
"Some of the people who died will have read articles in the press playing down the severity of the heatwaves – believed them, and acted accordingly." greenerjobsalliance.co.uk/how-hot-is-t...
How hot is too hot? - Greener Jobs Alliance
greenerjobsalliance.co.uk
"To insist that fascism is already here, or to deny the very possibility of its coming to power – amounts politically to one and the same thing. By ignoring the specific nature of fascism, the will to fight against it becomes inevitably paralysed." Trotsky, 1932.
My article on Marx's vision and its distortions, highlighting a reprint of John Molyneux's book The Real Marxist Tradition
Socialist Worker@socialistworker.bsky.social · 3w agoWhat is the true Marxist tradition? ⭐Martin Empson explains how Marxism’s vision of equality and democracy has been distorted. He has written an introduction to the new edition of What is the Real Marxist Tradition? socialistworker.co.uk/in-depth/wha...
Something I wrote on the distortions of Marx and Engels' core ideas socialistworker.co.uk/in-depth/wha...
What is the true Marxist tradition? - Socialist Worker
Martin Empson explains how Marxism’s vision of equality and democracy has been distorted
socialistworker.co.uk
Latest book review covers vol. II of Bryan D. Palmer's trilogy on Canadian history. A fine account of the intersection between colonialism and capitalist evolution, and the resistance of workers' and the oppressed. resolutereader.blogspot.com/2026/07/brya...
Bryan D. Palmer - Capitalism & Colonialism: The Making of Modern Canada 1890-1960
Volume two of Bryan D. Palmer's trilogy on the history of Canada begins where the previous book left off. But, as Palmer immediately notes, ...
resolutereader.blogspot.com
