Evolution of class consciousness in the USSR

[Reznov]

So, I read a brief history of the Soviet Union and its founding and eventual collapse.

The question I have is, is how did the proletariat and class consciousness evolve from Lenin and subsequent buildup to the Soviet Union to the eventual collapse?

Did the workers have more solidarity with one another during Lenin's time? Did Soviet citizens lose sight of themselves being workers of the world intent on ending Capitalism? What did the average Soviet citizen see themself as in the world scale? What were they taught in schools?

[RedMarxist]

This link should be helpful:

http://www.milford.k12.il.us/MHSsite/students/studentproj/animal/historicalevents/education.htm

[L.A.P.]

Your source fails.


Marxism states that one should achieve freedom through giving up the self to benefit the state.

[RedMarxist]

my source fails? How bout you give me a source?

[Astarte]

So, I read a brief history of the Soviet Union and its founding and eventual collapse.

The question I have is, is how did the proletariat and class consciousness evolve from Lenin and subsequent buildup to the Soviet Union to the eventual collapse?

Did the workers have more solidarity with one another during Lenin's time? Did Soviet citizens lose sight of themselves being workers of the world intent on ending Capitalism? What did the average Soviet citizen see themself as in the world scale? What were they taught in schools?

I do not think the majority of Soviets ever lost "faith" in socialism even towards the end. Solidarity in Poland, if I remember correctly accepted socialism, but just wanted more workers' democracy, In Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968 also, the revolts were not about re-establishing capitalism but gaining workers' democracy and direct control over the planning of the economy.

When you look at these movements, and think of how Trotsky, Djilas, Wittfogel and many more describe the Soviet bureaucracy as either a new ruling "clique" as Trotsky did, or a "New Class" as Milovan Djilas and Karl Wittfogel, and at the same time realize the workers of these states as a trend do not reject socialism, but the bureaucracy, it is clear as to how their class consciousness developed - instinctually - that is despite being told day after day they were living in a socialist society moving towards classlessness (which was obviously not true) the workers of the USSR saw through the BS ,acted like any oppressed class and rose up...

http://www.marxist.com/History-old/realredoctober900.html

I read the above article years ago, I am not so sure how well Sablin qualifies as a "worker" though, being a military officer and Party member, but I guess he was a bit like Winston from Orwell's 1984.

In 1989, during Tiananmen square, when the demonstrators built a paper-mache statue of Liberty it was also not because they wanted capitalism, but rather were displaying an archetypal ideal of "Freedom" as an inspiration against the bureaucracy.