Michael Kidron
Encyclopedia
Michael Kidron was a revolutionary thinker and cartographer. He was part of the leadership of the International Socialists (forerunners of the SWP
) through the 1960s and 1970s. He is perhaps best remembered for his visually arresting The State Of The World Atlas.
to a family of Zionists
. He became a leading theoretician of the Socialist Review Group (SRG) which he joined on emigrating to Britain
. He took up doctoral studies at Balliol College, Oxford
in 1955. In the early years of the SRG he was to be found in the extended family of Tony Cliff
(Ygael Gluckstein) which was the informal core of the group. He would also serve as editor and writer on various group publications through these years.
It is Kidron's name that appears as publisher of the first public edition of Cliff's central work State Capitalism in Russia which was published in 1955. A small pamphlet on automation
appeared in 1956, which although not dissimilar to the ideas of the Johnson-Forest Tendency
or Socialisme ou Barbarie
, did not simply dismiss existing workers organisations as these tended to do. From then on Kidron was a major source of theoretical writing within the SRG and later the Socialist Workers Party.
had been temporarily stabilized by the production of arms, which acted as a counter tendency to the falling rate of profit
. Crisis, then, was not eliminated from the system, but merely postponed. This came at a time when other tendencies were emblazoning their publications with banner headlines proclaiming that capitalism had entered its final crisis. Related to this was the conception that state capitalism was a distinct period within the imperialist stage of capitalism and not simply a new label to be plastered upon the Russian state.
These ideas and experience of the workers movement in Britain were to develop a deeply rooted understanding in Kidron's writings that the revolutionary movement must be democratic in order to fit the working class to rule. The PAE also meant that this analysis was reflected in the understanding of the IS that the 'locus of reformism' had moved from parliamentary bodies to the shop floor. In short workers were seeking gains through localized class struggle at the point of production where the institution of the elected and recallable shop steward was key. The task of revolutionaries was to generalize and politicize such struggles.
Kidron was critical of the move within IS to a more traditionally democratic centralist
structure in the wake of the events of 1968, and as IS grew, he moved away from its core, both physically, obtaining an academic post in Kingston upon Hull
, and politically. Nonetheless, he took no direct part in the factional struggle which saw a split in the central IS cadre in 1975.
as so many former revolutionaries would during the downturn of class struggle that marked the eighties. Yet following a debate in the pages of the International Socialism Journal with Chris Harman
, who defended what is now the traditional IS position, he was to leave active revolutionary politics.
Closely associated with Pluto Press
since the early 1970s (the IS had helped set up the company in its first period), his talents were expended on works like State of the World Atlas, and The War Atlas (with Dan Smith). Kidron remained a Marxist committed to changing the world and therefore understood the necessity of developing a theoretical understanding of how the world works precisely in order to change it. His final article appeared in the Autumn 2002 issue of the International Socialism Journal on The Decline of Capitalism, and spoke of a sure and certain knowledge that another world is not just possible but demanded. As ever, the revolutionary role of the working class in the core countries of capitalism was reasserted and the goal of a communist society reaffirmed.
Kidron died on 25 March 2003.
Socialist Workers Party (Britain)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far left party in Britain founded by Tony Cliff. The SWP's student section has groups at a number of universities...
) through the 1960s and 1970s. He is perhaps best remembered for his visually arresting The State Of The World Atlas.
Early life and career
Kidron was born on 20 September 1930, in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to a family of Zionists
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
. He became a leading theoretician of the Socialist Review Group (SRG) which he joined on emigrating to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He took up doctoral studies at Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
in 1955. In the early years of the SRG he was to be found in the extended family of Tony Cliff
Tony Cliff
Tony Cliff , was a Trotskyist who was a founding member of the Socialist Review Group which went on to become the Socialist Workers Party...
(Ygael Gluckstein) which was the informal core of the group. He would also serve as editor and writer on various group publications through these years.
It is Kidron's name that appears as publisher of the first public edition of Cliff's central work State Capitalism in Russia which was published in 1955. A small pamphlet on automation
Automation
Automation is the use of control systems and information technologies to reduce the need for human work in the production of goods and services. In the scope of industrialization, automation is a step beyond mechanization...
appeared in 1956, which although not dissimilar to the ideas of the Johnson-Forest Tendency
Johnson-Forest Tendency
The Johnson–Forest tendency, sometimes called the Johnsonites, refers to a radical left tendency in the United States associated with Marxist theorists C.L.R. James and Raya Dunayevskaya, who used the pseudonyms J.R. Johnson and Freddie Forest respectively...
or Socialisme ou Barbarie
Socialisme ou Barbarie
Socialisme ou Barbarie was a French-based radical libertarian socialist group of the post-World War II period . It existed from 1948 until 1965...
, did not simply dismiss existing workers organisations as these tended to do. From then on Kidron was a major source of theoretical writing within the SRG and later the Socialist Workers Party.
Economic writings
Among Kidron's many writings were Western Capitalism Since the War and Capitalism and Theory. His main contribution was to develop the theory of the permanent arms economy, which argued that capitalismCapitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
had been temporarily stabilized by the production of arms, which acted as a counter tendency to the falling rate of profit
Tendency of the rate of profit to fall
The tendency of the rate of profit to fall is a hypothesis in economics and political economy, most famously expounded by Karl Marx in chapter 13 of Das Kapital Vol. 3. It was generally accepted in the 19th century...
. Crisis, then, was not eliminated from the system, but merely postponed. This came at a time when other tendencies were emblazoning their publications with banner headlines proclaiming that capitalism had entered its final crisis. Related to this was the conception that state capitalism was a distinct period within the imperialist stage of capitalism and not simply a new label to be plastered upon the Russian state.
These ideas and experience of the workers movement in Britain were to develop a deeply rooted understanding in Kidron's writings that the revolutionary movement must be democratic in order to fit the working class to rule. The PAE also meant that this analysis was reflected in the understanding of the IS that the 'locus of reformism' had moved from parliamentary bodies to the shop floor. In short workers were seeking gains through localized class struggle at the point of production where the institution of the elected and recallable shop steward was key. The task of revolutionaries was to generalize and politicize such struggles.
Kidron was critical of the move within IS to a more traditionally democratic centralist
Democratic centralism
Democratic centralism is the name given to the principles of internal organization used by Leninist political parties, and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for any Leninist policy inside a political party...
structure in the wake of the events of 1968, and as IS grew, he moved away from its core, both physically, obtaining an academic post in Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, and politically. Nonetheless, he took no direct part in the factional struggle which saw a split in the central IS cadre in 1975.
Later work
Kidron's last major articles in the International Socialism journal cast doubt on his own earlier work, but without renouncing MarxismMarxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
as so many former revolutionaries would during the downturn of class struggle that marked the eighties. Yet following a debate in the pages of the International Socialism Journal with Chris Harman
Chris Harman
Chris Harman was a British journalist and political activist, and a member of the Central Committee of the Socialist Workers Party...
, who defended what is now the traditional IS position, he was to leave active revolutionary politics.
Closely associated with Pluto Press
Pluto Press
Pluto Press is a radical, progressive, independent publisher based in London. Pluto Press specialises in "progressive, critical perspectives in politics and the social sciences", and describes itself as "one of the world’s leading radical publishers". It has published authors such as Noam Chomsky,...
since the early 1970s (the IS had helped set up the company in its first period), his talents were expended on works like State of the World Atlas, and The War Atlas (with Dan Smith). Kidron remained a Marxist committed to changing the world and therefore understood the necessity of developing a theoretical understanding of how the world works precisely in order to change it. His final article appeared in the Autumn 2002 issue of the International Socialism Journal on The Decline of Capitalism, and spoke of a sure and certain knowledge that another world is not just possible but demanded. As ever, the revolutionary role of the working class in the core countries of capitalism was reasserted and the goal of a communist society reaffirmed.
Kidron died on 25 March 2003.
External links
- Michael Kidron Internet Archive
- Failing growth and rampant costs: two ghosts in the machine of modern capitalism by Michael Kidron, 2002
- Michael Kidron (1930-2003) by Ian Birchall
- Michael Kidron - Permanent legacy by Chris Harman
- Marxist Political Economy and the Crisis (1974 speech)