Avakian on Ethics, History, and Politics

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A new book is appearing called:

Marxism and the Call of the Future:
Conversations on Ethics, History, and Politics


It is is a wide- ranging dialogue between two provocative thinkers: Bob Avakian, Chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party, and Bill Martin, a radical social theorist and professor of philosophy at DePaul University in Chicago. The two address the relevance and challenges before Marxism in the contemporary world; imperialism and the state of world humanity; secularism and religion; animal rights; the prospects for revolution; and much more. They discuss philosophers like Heidegger, Sartre, and Derrida—and along the way make contact with diverse figures like Tecumseh and Bob Dylan.

One chapter has already been published online.

The link is here: http://rwor.org/a/1265/avakian-martin-book-ad.htm

It deals with "Calculation, Classes and Categorical Imperatives"

What struck me is how it raises the question of "can people make revolution simply based on their interests"

Any thoughts on this exchange?

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by Avakian
And making a revolution requires all kinds of sacrifices—not just the most extreme of giving your life but all kinds of other sacrifices that run counter to your interests or even your needs in the narrowest sense. You could never make a revolution or motivate people to make a revolution on the basis of anything other than the most sweeping kind of vision of a whole different way that society not only should be but could be—and understanding that you have to strive to bring it into being.

Well, yes and no (a common response on my part to Avakian's musings).

Yes, the vision must be there...but if the reality fails to materialize fairly quickly, people will get pissed off in a hurry.

And then you're back to prisons and labor camps again. :o

Trying to "wing it" with little more than sacrificial rhetoric (like the Maoists used in China) will simply build a mass base in support of the restoration of capitalism.

Sacrifices must pay off and quickly...or the masses will be very upset.

I can't help but wonder, though, why Avakian would be talking about this sort of thing at all. Lenin, Stalin, and Mao used sacrificial rhetoric because they had no choice...their countries were very backward and undeveloped.

It seems to me that Avakian is still following an approach that's been demonstrated to be obsolete...there's simply no such thing as "building socialism" in backward and underdeveloped countries.

That model "makes no sense" in advanced capitalist countries.

In my opinion, proletarian revolution in countries like ours will involve little more than temporary dislocations...which will be more than offset by the visible emergence of a new and very different kind of society.

"Ideals" are all well and good...but seeing it happen right before your eyes is much more convincing.

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[Discarded Wobbly Pop]

Redstar,

You will have to agree though that when it comes to the west and the masses' dependence on the consumer lifestyle, it would be follish in hiding that some sacrifices are going to need to take place.

Edit: Duh.... I guess on second thought, that should go without saying, and the fact the he puts so much emphasis on it does lead one to wonder doesn't it?

Damn I've really gotta learn to think more before I post. :P