Revolutionary Qualities

[ComradeMan]

Found this online- would be interesting to discuss the points raised.

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The Grenada Revolution Online
http://www.thegrenadarevolutiononline.com/revoqualities.html
QUALITIES OF A REVOLUTIONARY
A Co-ordinating Council of Delegates Document, circa 1975

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[Ele'ill]

So basically be a nice person




Although a lot of people stop learning- that has to do with economic position and past educational experience regardless if one is going to want to learn through institutionalized academia or 'free lance'

[Decolonize The Left]

The truth is that human beings are too complex and diverse to be fit into a set code of action in order to qualify as a 'revolutionary.' Furthermore, people change according to experiences and conditions, so we cannot expect any revolutionary to always be (as Mari3l put it succinctly above) a 'nice person.'

All we can hope for as a definitive guide to the qualities of a revolutionary is to understand the workings of capitalism and use this knowledge to pursue the liberation of the working class. If we want the maximum number of people to be revolutionaries, we should be prepared to allow and support a diversity of people and attitudes in this pursuit.

- August

[ComradeMan]

The truth is that human beings are too complex and diverse to be fit into a set code of action in order to qualify as a 'revolutionary.' Furthermore, people change according to experiences and conditions, so we cannot expect any revolutionary to always be (as Mari3l put it succinctly above) a 'nice person.'

All we can hope for as a definitive guide to the qualities of a revolutionary is to understand the workings of capitalism and use this knowledge to pursue the liberation of the working class. If we want the maximum number of people to be revolutionaries, we should be prepared to allow and support a diversity of people and attitudes in this pursuit.

- August

I hear what you are saying but I think it was an interesting insight into the thoughts of a historical revolutionary movement. It does also make you think about a lot of stuff that goes on here and elsewhere too from a revolutionary perspective.

[Revolution starts with U]

I think it goes without saying that we have to be the change we want to see; hard working, dedicated, intelligent and learned individuals dedicated to uplifting and empowering the many disparate people's in the world. All for one, one for all.
But I didn't really see anything about being out on the front lines.

[ComradeMan]

I think it goes without saying that we have to be the change we want to see; hard working, dedicated, intelligent and learned individuals dedicated to uplifting and empowering the many disparate people's in the world. All for one, one for all.
But I didn't really see anything about being out on the front lines.

What do you mean about being on the front lines?

[Thug Lessons]

The truth is that human beings are too complex and diverse to be fit into a set code of action in order to qualify as a 'revolutionary.' Furthermore, people change according to experiences and conditions, so we cannot expect any revolutionary to always be (as Mari3l put it succinctly above) a 'nice person.'

All we can hope for as a definitive guide to the qualities of a revolutionary is to understand the workings of capitalism and use this knowledge to pursue the liberation of the working class. If we want the maximum number of people to be revolutionaries, we should be prepared to allow and support a diversity of people and attitudes in this pursuit.

- August
That tells us nothing at all about what attitudes, personality traits or beliefs lead to the development of successful revolutionaries. Not that we can necessarily investigate a question like that scientifically, but platitudes along these lines lead nowhere. We should either offer practical suggestions or write the question off entirely.

[Revolution starts with U]

I mean, I didn't see any mention of actually getting out and protesting, striking, boycotting, etc. It seemed to imply that just feeling or acting like a revolutionary is good enough, you don't have to actually do anything revolutionary.
And that is a lesson I think we all could implement a little better.

[Barry Lyndon]

Some of this is lifted verbatim from Mao's 'combat Liberalism' essay.

[RED DAVE]

Truth is, the New Jewel Movement was thoroughly stalinized and eventually ended up self-destructing. The US used this as an excuse to invade the island:


The New Joint Endeavor for Welfare, Education, and Liberation, or New JEWEL Movement, was a Marxist Leninist vanguard political party in the Caribbean island nation of Grenada. The movement conducted a successful revolution in 1979 and ruled the country by decree until being deposed in 1983.
...

In 1983, a dispute developed within the NJM. Bishop, while popular with the people of Grenada, had strong critics within the NJM party and the army. His critics, led by deputy prime minister Bernard Coard, attempted to convince Bishop to enter into a power-sharing agreement with Coard where they would be co-equal rulers of the country. Bishop rejected this. The split at the top level of the NJM led to serious political problems within the party and the government. Eventually Coard ordered Bishop to be put under house arrest.

The removal of Bishop, who was very popular in the country, led to demonstrations in various parts of the country. The demonstrations grew to a point where Bishop was eventually freed by them.[clarification needed] In unclear circumstances, Bishop made his way to the army headquarters. Eventually a military force from elsewhere in Grenada arrived at the army headquarters and fighting broke out, and many civilians were killed in the process. At the end of the fighting, Bishop and seven others including government ministers, one of whom was pregnant, were lined up in a courtyard against a wall for a considerable period of time. They, including the pregnant Creft[clarification needed] who begged for her life and that of her unborn child, were afterwards murdered by a firing squad.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenada_Revolution

RED DAVE

[ComradeMan]

Truth is, the New Jewel Movement was thoroughly stalinized and eventually ended up self-destructing. The US used this as an excuse to invade the island:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenada_Revolution

RED DAVE

Not doubting you there Dave but I would like some more sources, I am suspicious of wikipedia at times and don't regard it as reliable source- hell even Wikipedia does not seem to regard wikipedia as a usable source!:D

The NJM was a bizarre affair indeed. Makes me laugh that the Queen of England was (briefly) against the US invasion- so that makes her an honoured member of RevLeft? LOL!!!!!!

It would be interesting to get more info on Grenada.

[RED DAVE]

This pretty much confirms wikipedia:

http://www.hfienberg.com/irtheory/grenada.html

I had friends who spent time on Grenada during the New Jewel regime. The were starry-eyed about building socialism on one island. The more they talked about what was going on, the surer I was that disaster was imminent.

RED DAVE

[ComradeMan]

This pretty much confirms wikipedia:

http://www.hfienberg.com/irtheory/grenada.html

I had friends who spent time on Grenada during the New Jewel regime. The were starry-eyed about building socialism on one island. The more they talked about what was going on, the surer I was that disaster was imminent.

RED DAVE


Depressing isn't it.
:(

[mikelepore]

Of all those prescriptions, I'll bet that self-criticism is the most difficult one.

I once knew a Marxist (of my own faction) who said, "Whenever I check my own views through the process of self-criticism, I always find out that I was right."

[RED DAVE]

Of all those prescriptions, I'll bet that self-criticism is the most difficult one.

I once knew a Marxist (of my own faction) who said, "Whenever I check my own views through the process of self-criticism, I always find out that I was right."Exactly, and from the "overly muscular" tone of the statement on self-criticism in the OP, you can pretty much tell it's bullshit.


"If we have shortcomings, we are not afraid to have them pointed out and criticised, because we serve the people. Anyone, no matter who, may point out our shortcomings. If he is right we will correct them. If what he proposes will benefit the people, we will act upon it."RED DAVE

[Jazzratt]

I think it's an unrealistic demand to expect me to be both honest and humble. I'd either have to lie to remain humble or tell the truth and be arrogant. :lol:

Seriously though the construction of a moral code for the revoultionary seems like the product of idealism. The point is the working class emancipating and destroying itself through struggle and while that might take a certain amount of being nice (or at least not being total arseholes) to one another the personalities really should just take a back seat.