Elect Marx
26th December 2004, 09:24
Originally posted by
[email protected] 26 2004, 06:16 AM
Because people are divided and dominated by class.
What about socialism?
Communism is the ultimate goal of socialism. When all people are educated to the point where they understand the need to produce and care for their environment/society and the social conditions are set to allow everyone to act as individuals in a community with respect for those that respect the community the transition is complete.
Why not just keep socialism and work for that one hundred percent, instead of just keeping it as a phase?
Because socialism is a phase of repressing reactionary tactics and ending class oppression. If the social structure is not progressing in this direction, it is not socialism and if the process is complete, it has become communism.
People won't be exploited under a socialist society, would they?
The idea is to stop oppression in this phase. The socialist action should be acting against counter-revolutionary abuses.
Can't that happen with socialism alone?
I think I have covered that. I can always expand if you need elaboration.
How are you supposed to educate people?
Well, by writing this now, I should be reaching a few people. In demonstrations and protests, I reach a few people. I also reach people in discussions and in organizations that protect human rights. There are so many ways to convey the message of struggle and unity to people.
"How" seems to be the biggest question as well as the most important. As I see it, there are two methods in building this movement: organizing the left and reaching people completely outside of the leftist community. Basically you need to spread an understanding of class oppression and with that effort, also destroy the mechanisms of the ruling class that enforce ignorance (prejudicial thinking for the most part).
Even people in the Third World are 'more then occupied' with just bringing food on the table than revolutionary theory. When is that change going to happen in this world? Obviously, communists are not very popular. When do you think we will be?
This depends on our efforts to reach these (the most deprived) people. I do not know if you are familiar with the "pyramid of self actualization" (I don't know if that is phrased right) but the desperate circumstances they face are a great mechanism of ruling class control. Providing for the most basic human rights of the people should really be a high priority of all leftists. When people have the means to search for the root or their problems, they do, unless they are held back by their prejudice an a warped sort of admiration for authoritarian domination. Also, by supporting human rights, we should gain the support of the people but due to ruling class propaganda, our efforts become confused. This is why we must break the misinformation devices of the ruling class.
We will be popular when we can unite the left against the ruling class and gain the means to bring our movement to the public. I don't know how to estimate the current ability of the left and how it will impact all of the facets of society. All we can really do is to each work on our own level and as leftists, bring our strengths to one another, as well as finding the areas of society which to approach, which best advance our cause.
...what if most people just want to sit home, watch television, and eat french fries? What if they don't give a shit if people respect or care about them?
Then we are and always have been doomed. This issue has been addressed so many times... if people's natural instinct was to waste thier lives, I don't see how we could ever make any advancements. The simple fact that large groups of people organize around the causes they deem important (non-selfish causes), demonstrates that people care enough to spend their time bettering society and I don't see why this trait would be rare in people.
So basically what you are saying is that all the socialist states have to wait for the capitalist nations (who probably DOES NOT want to be socialist)? That sounds more like a Trotsky theory then anything else.
No, not at all. I am saying that any socialist nations should have a broad base and work within other countries, actively reaching out to the people.
And why do you believe it is impossible to create a communist society while there still are capitalist nations?
Because they would imprison us, infiltrate us, bomb us and exploit us as they do now. Capitalism must be entirely abolished to transition into communism.
In this phase counterrevolutionaries will be suppressed when they commit crimes against anyone.
Who is going to supress them, and where does the line go between critcizing the government and 'counterrevolutionary activity'?
Good question! I say criticize all you like. “Counterrevolutionary activity” is when you attack the people in general, if you threaten or mistreat anyone for reactionary purposes. The point is to act on the failures you see. The form must be a sort of community democracy. You see reactionary action, you take action. Weather you can imprison the criminals within your community or must call upon some sort of voluntary force that would protect against the horrific weapons capitalists use.
I rambled on a lot, I find it hard to keep focuss on such abstract subject matter but I hope I mostly answered your questions.