[Marxism] The last revolution????

["Nestor Gorojovsky" <nestorgoro@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Respuesta a:"Marxism Digest, Vol 29, Issue 62"
Enviado por:marxism-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Con fecha:24 Mar 2006, a las 20:19

> Can someone help me? I was wondering when was the last left-wing
> revolution - and i don't mean a coup d'etat or an electoral victory
> (i.e. i don't mean Chavez, Morales, Aristide or Mandela) no matter how
> deep the changes. Was it the Sandinistas?
> 

I guess I can help you, but maybe not in the way you expect to be 
helped.

If you want to know about the last time a vocally self-defined 
socialist group took power and attempted to thoroughly transform 
social relations by use of State power, maybe the Sandinistas are the 
ones you are looking after.  People more involved with Nicaragua than 
yours truly, and on this mailing list there are many (to begin with, 
the list administrator), may however provide a better insight.

But IMHO this magic spell "revolution" is an ambiguous definition.

Think of "Revolution and counter-revolution in Germany", by Engels.  
The whole book begins with the peasants of Thomas Münzer and traces 
the red thread along centuries of German history.

A recent film by a disilussioned Argentinean leftist was called 
"Revolution is an endless dream".  Truth is that "revolution is an 
endless event".

If you think of the "revolution" as an abstract, watertight process 
insulating politics from mistakes and eventual failures (even blood 
drenched failures such as those we have been having in Latin America 
for decades), and if you think that the adscription of its leadership 
to some "socialist" or "Marxist" mantra will prove the key to box 
your political movement into that haven of safety, then I am afraid 
there has never been such a revolution.  

If, conversely, you understand "revolution" as the expression of the 
active side of the bid for a better future for humankind in the  
general process of historic development, then you will have to open 
up your mind, and analyze where are the seeds of socialism in the 
movements that took "Chavez, Morales, Aristide or Mandela" to power.  
May I add Kirchner (or even Lula) too.  May I add Humala tomorrow.  

From that point of view (which was Engels's and not only his), the 
last revolution will probably take place the day the Universe cools 
down forever.  In the meantime, it is up to you , to me, to all of 
us, to change the answer to your question.

Este correo lo ha enviado
Néstor Miguel Gorojovsky
nestorgoro@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[No necesariamente es su autor]
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"La patria tiene que ser la dignidad arriba y el regocijo abajo".
Aparicio Saravia
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