This page is a record. Click here for the current Red Spark Statement.

Imperialism – with its endless wars, exploitation, structures of servitude and humiliation – is at odds with the needs of humanity and the planet. As socialists, we argue that this system can be defeated when ordinary people take power into their own hands and build a new future.

At its founding conference in August 2022, the Red Ant Collective was established with the purpose of re-building anti-imperialist Marxism in Australia. It also adopted a founding statement of principles and perspectives (below).

The Statement expresses, very briefly, the political reasons why the founding members of the Collective took the decision to set it up – including why we didn’t instead simply join one or another of the existing socialist organisations in Australia.

If you want to be involved, get in contact today at: redant.communication@gmail.com or fill in the form here.

1. Red Ant Statement of Principles and Perspectives
2. Red Ant membership structure
3. Friends of Red Ant

Red Ant Statement of Principles and Perspectives

Red Ant is a small group of activists who share a perspective of socialism and internationalist Marxism. We believe that capitalism is a failed system and must be overthrown by a revolutionary movement based on the power of the working class. A successful revolutionary movement in a rich country like Australia must be founded on an outlook and practice of anti-imperialism.

The world is starkly polarised between a small group of rich countries and the vast majority of societies that comprise the Global South, including many poorer former socialist countries.

The rich countries continuously struggle to maintain not only their own individual country’s capacity to exploit, but the existing structures of global divide and exploitation. It is these rich countries, that economically dominate the global capitalist economy, benefit from the exploitation of the poor countries and endeavour to maintain this global status quo, which are the true imperialist societies today.

In recent years, the United States, Australia, and other imperialist states have massively escalated their hostility towards China and Russia, both of which remain vastly poorer than the rich countries and which are systematically exploited by imperialist capital. This follows a long history of imperialist hostility to many Global South societies who either rejected capitalism for socialism, or simply tried to take an independent path.

The cold war atmosphere resulting from this new wave of hostilities has seen increased militarism as well as attacks on dissenting voices. The reasons for, and effects of this escalating imperialist aggression, are critical developments that we urgently seek to understand.

We fiercely defend the Cuban and Venezuelan revolutions against organised counter-revolutionary mobilisations and oppose Australia’s imperialist aggression and warmongering against China.

Red Ant sees the liberation of women not only as a question of rights, but as central to the fight to overthrow capitalism. This is because the oppression of women is inseparably linked to private ownership over the means of production, that is, to the core structure of capitalist social relations. For this reason, we stand for the view that complete women’s liberation cannot be achieved without socialism and no victory for socialism is possible without the liberation of women.

Red Ant stands in solidarity with the struggles of indigenous peoples in Australia. Indigenous people, as the original custodians of this land, cared for country and lived in harmony with the natural environment for tens of thousands of years. The success of socialism depends on rebuilding the connection of human development with the environment, and we believe this can only be done with respect to elders past and present. We also recognise the historical genocide of indigenous people in Australia and seek to further campaigns for indigenous social justice.

Red Ant is committed to building a mass-based climate justice movement. We do not think that the capitalist system can be made to stop its environmental destruction, nor resolve the environmental crises already unfolding. Our environment can only be safeguarded and restored in a socialist society.

At the same time, we strongly reject the defeatist and disorienting idea that it is impossible to win significant environmental reforms and concessions from capitalist governments, including in Australia. It is urgent that we continue putting pressure on the government to introduce a series of concrete, immediate measures that will reduce carbon emissions and mitigate other forms of environmental destruction, such as “no new fossil fuel projects!”

We would like to do much more than we are able to at the moment. That is only possible if there are more people who share these perspectives and want to get involved in the project.

The Red Ant Structure

The highest decision-making body is the Red Ant Collective which takes decisions by simple majority vote. The conditions of membership for the collective are:

1. Members agree with the Red Ant Statement of Principles and Perspectives
2. Members endeavour to be involved in Red Ant activities
3. Members pay monthly dues (the amount decided by the member)

The Red Ant Political Committee is empowered to make decisions between Red Ant Collective meetings in accordance with perspectives set by the Collective. The Red Ant Political Committee (PC) is elected by the Red Ant Collective and re-elected at each in-person National Conference of the Red Ant Collective or at any Red Ant Collective meeting. All elected PC members have voice, but only EC members residing in Australia have a vote on the PC.

Friends of Red Ant

People who are sympathetic and supportive of Red Ant’s politics but feel they cannot currently commit to the project of building a new group are encouraged to join Friends of Red Ant.

Friends of Red Ant:

1. Are in general agreement with the spirit of Red Ant’s Statement of Principles and Perspectives
2. Contribute regular dues in accordance with what they deem possible
3. To the best of their ability and situation, support and attend Red Ant public events and activities
4. Do not have the rights of members to participate in Red Ant’s decision-making processes