Question on class consciousness

[Subversive Pessimist]

Why is it exactly that the necessary combination of circumstances generate a sudden and dramatic upsurge in class consciousness in the working class?

[bunk]

For you, everbody here and all leftists around the world to form organisations or join existing ones.

[The Feral Underclass]

Originally posted by [email protected] 24 2004, 09:51 PM
For you, everbody here and all leftists around the worls to form organistaions or join existing ones.
I like you :)

This is exactly it. Everyone needs to get out and be apart of movements which are fighting for class consciousness.

[Subversive Pessimist]

Thanks, but my question was really about why, when something dramatic suddenly happends, that a lot of people turn to radical politics. I don't have many examples, but let's say: The Vietnam war, and The May-June revolt in France, 1968..

[VukBZ2005]

May 1968 - The Situationist Movement Started as a result of the Conditions in
French Society at the time. But it took a bigger perspective when the students
Occupied the Sorbonne and launched street demonstrations against police
brutality against the students which lead to the General Strike - The Largest
Strike in History.

On Class Consciousness - It has to do with the prevailing Material Conditions
in Society at that time - Because if Material Conditions grant it, there could
be a Proletarian Revolution or the Attempt of one.

[bunk]

Originally posted by [email protected] 24 2004, 08:08 PM
Thanks, but my question was really about why, when something dramatic suddenly happends, that a lot of people turn to radical politics. I don't have many examples, but let's say: The Vietnam war, and The May-June revolt in France, 1968..
I guess just when a capitalist power makes a mistake and provides ammunition for us leftists but even if that does happen it is likely nothing triggered from it will work unless we have organisation.

[redstar2000]

Why is it exactly that the necessary combination of circumstances generate a sudden and dramatic upsurge in class consciousness in the working class?

No one knows.

One can "explain" historical events after they've happened...but no one knows why seemingly very similar circumstances don't necessarily lead to similar outcomes.

To put it crudely, while history seems "orderly" at the macro-level...it appears to be chaotic at the micro-level.

There seem to be huge numbers of "weak causes" that determine the details of history. Only when you "pull back" and look at the "big picture" can you see the "big causes" that determine the over-all shape of things.

This is not an "academic" matter. You will find that many Leninists will claim to be able to "predict the future" in useful detail. They will tell you that "we must do X or the revolution will be lost" or "we must not do Y because if we do that, then the revolution will be lost". They frequently claim to be able to divide the revolutionary process into "stages" and that they "know" what the "next stage" is or will be. (To buttress these claims, they assert that their "mastery of dialectics" allows them to see the future more clearly than others.)

Needless to say, they are blowing smoke out of their ass.

All that can really be said with certainty is that the "background" of class struggle that always takes place in class societies occasionally "erupts" like a volcano...and it is completely unpredictable.

:redstar2000:

The Redstar2000 Papers (http://www.redstar2000papers.fightcapitalism.net)
A site about communist ideas

[encore]

I'd say that everything which we hacve experienced, as a species, has been the result of some outspoken individual, or a group of them. These black sheep inspire more people which equals a massive surge in class conciousness. The true revolution won't come until the polarization of the classed becomes so apperent that all of the proliteriates become consious of the class division at the same time.

[rahul]

yeah

people just run towards communism / revolution when they find themselves in trouble with cappies

[bunk]

Originally posted by [email protected] 26 2004, 09:07 PM
yeah

people just run towards communism / revolution when they find themselves in trouble with cappies
is this sarcastic? I truly don't tink that once they dissent from capitalism they will turn to communism unless the communists have active organisations pushing their ideas.

[STI]

If we're being "good commies", we're actively opposing all forms of capitalist hegemony now and attempting to help the workers "understand" communism and class consciousness. When "the time is right", they'll turn to communism.