I'd like to discuss the structure of Leninist form of organization and how it can lead to either a restoration of capitalism or exerts itself as a dictatorship over the proletariat and how that can be avoided.
But here's the rub. There are forces in high positions of leadership in the party and state that push and fight for a bourgeois line. By bourgeois line, I mean an outlook and policies that seek to expand the kinds of inequalities that characterize capitalism. I mean an outlook and policies that seek to restrict the initiative of the masses. And these forces in high leadership who push a bourgeois line will be strategically positioned to implement their program: to institute policies and to restructure economic and social relations in a capitalist direction. |
There should be no reason whatsoever, that any one person or groups of people, should be "strategically positioned" to implement their programs to restructure economic and social relations in a capitalist direction!
If the structure of the organization is of the Leninist form , then that structure in of itself, due to its hierarchy and non-participatory nature, will thwart a true proletariat revolutionary movement, due to it's exclusion of the working class!
In fact, this very structure, is the reason why forces can become "strategically positioned" in high positions of leadership to wield a larger influence in the direction of society and the revolutionary movement.
Because Leninist forms of organizations do no incorporate a democratic process in which workers and consumers jointly plan their endeavors, this obviously excludes ordinary workers and consumers from participating in any economic decision making process.
As a result, a Leninist party usually ends up implementing a centrally planned economy. This is in essence bureaucratic management of the the economy and other spheres of society.
This leads to a monopoly on decision making, as well as other tasks (and former bourgeois perks).
However, this whole threat of forces carrying a bourgeois line can be completely avoided.
How so?
Throw the whole Leninist vanguard party model out the window.
It's a just a breeding ground for the restoration of capitalism.
The Revolutionary Betrayed: The Sequel
Instead, we need a form of organization where the working class are in direct control of the movement. By implementing Participatory Allocation, and participatory or decentralized economics in general, we can avoid any threat of "forces in high leadership".
Joe Smoe wants to institute zones for capitalist investment in a participatory society? Good luck getting that one passed buddy. Something like that isn't a neighborhood, ward, city, state or region decision. So good luck with having the majority of society voting to restore capitalism.
There is little to no chance to consolidate power for the eventual development of or re-development of Capitalism.
Society will be egalitarian and participatory.
3 comments:
This is a strong logical attack on the vanguard party.
Not only that, but it links up how the vanguard party typically leads to centrally planned economy.
As for the 'new' organisation where the working class are in control of the means of production, that may take the form of worker councils.
One other means of decision making is 'demarchy.'
'Throw the whole Leninist vanguard party model out the window.'
I agree!
And allow me to prove how this is a hopeless straw man.
The Marxist tendency (there is no such thing as "libertarian Marxists" or any of that bullshit) sees the need for a political vanguard party that can unite the revolutionary forces around a revolutionary program to make revolution. In a time when the masses are spontaneously protesting and struggling against the system, the party sews together these struggles into one while always pointing towards the necessity of seizure of power and the ultimate transformation to communism. True vanguard parties are the ones that develop their, theory, action, and line, from the masses (or in applying the mass line in other words) where the party brings together these scattered and unsystematic ideas and transforms them into systematic ideas which are then given back to the masses to take up.
Different experiences in ones life lead to different developments and levels in struggle. I mean, such leaders like Huey P. Newton or Eugene Debs became hugely adored people because of what the put forward, because they were serving the basic interests of working people. This is how great leaders come into being, and they are the greatest asset of a revolutionary movement, along with the vanguard party.
The purpose of the vanguard party is to prepare for, and execute revolution, not become a new clique of exploiters. This is best exemplified by the victory of the Russian Socialist Revolution, where the workers and peasants rallied around "land, bread, and piece" thus uniting a force that ultimately led to the seizure of power by the masses under the leadership of the communist party.
The leadership of the communist party does not mean that there is a new class of exploiters, it means that such leadership is crucial in the transformation of social relation, production relations, ideas, etc., as well as giving way to the masses' complete takeover and running of society.
All these things show why such a communist vanguard is pivotal and essential to revolution, and why there ultimately cannot be a revolution without such an organization.
The fact of the matter is that if there is not communist proletarian leadership to lead the way forward, that void will be filled by other reactionary, bourgeois forces that will lead back to the old society.
Lets take a look at the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China. Mao stood next to the workers, peasants, and students in the struggle to advance socialism by means of ousting the "communist" in Party leadership that were really putting forward lines and programs that could lead back to capitalism (and we see with the revisionist coup in China in 1976 how fucked China is now).
So, the point here is that there will be communist leadership in socialist society, and it is absolutely indispensable. For one, it unites the proletariat, it points the correct way forward, and inspires people to act.
There is nothing logical in this argument; it is the typical anti-marxist idealist viewpoint.
Thanks for the comment vivid visionary, i truely appreciate and welcome it. I'll reply to your criticisms and concerns not here, but in another blog post, so that others may read and judge for themselves.
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