Re: [Marxism] The two souls of socialism

[Jscotlive@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 20/08/2005 03:05:52 GMT Daylight Time,
rrubinelli@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

It's  been awhile since I've read S&R, but I can't recall Lenin  saying
anything like that- like the workers aren't equipped to take power  until
after the revolution.  I've looked through the old copy I have,  briefly,
and don't see it, but I do see Lenin almost "carried away" with  exactly
the opposite-- with the  notions that within 24 hours of  taking over the
state and economic machinery, the workers will be able to  institute a
real democracy,  capable of real equality, with real  participation.  See
Chapter V parts 2,3,4.



Reply:

My mistake. He said it in his theses on the introduction of the NEP.


'That is why we must, in connection with the New Economic Policy, ceaselessly
 propagate the idea that political education calls for raising the level of
culture at all costs. The ability to read and write must be made to serve the
purpose of raising the cultural level; the peasants must be able to use the
ability to read and write for the improvement of their farms and their
state.'
Lenin realised that the proletariat, in the state it was in after the
revolution and civil war, was unequipped to take control of the Soviet economy  
and
state power. He brought in foreign specialists and brought back some of the
old bureacrats from the Tsarist regime to help develop industry and the
country's productive forces. He changed the role of the trade unions from  that 
of
representing the interests of the proletariat and  representing those interests
vis-a-vis the government to vice  versa.
In terms of revolution, by definition if it isn't supported by the masses
then it can never succeed. We're not talking about coups, but about popular
revolutions which, as a process in themselves, require the participation of the
masses. Every experience to date, excepting the Paris Commune, has fit into
the category of socialism from above. The Paris Commune failed because it was
unable to defend its gains against the counter revolution. The first priority
of  any revolution is to defend against counter revolution, which is the stage
that  Cuba for example has never been able to develop beyond due to the
pressure  exerted upon it by US Imperialism.
No socialist economy or system up to now has.
J

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