Yo.

[Neo Bolshevik]

Hey, I'm Neo Bolshevik (obviously). I've been looking for a half decent place to meet likeminded socialists and discuss this fascinatingly insane age of capitalism. Um, I'm 20 years old, male, university student, I live in Australia. I've read Lenin's State and Revolution and What is to be Done?, Antonio Gramsci's Selections from the Prison Notebooks, The Communist Manifesto and a chunk of Das Kapital. I don't really have a position on the whole Stalin vs. Trotsky episode, in case anyone is wondering.

Anyway. Just thought I'd say hi.

[Black Dagger]

Welcome to revleft :)

Out of curiosity, why do you refer to yourself as a neo-bolshevik? What do you mean by this term?

[Sugar Hill Kevis]

welcome comrade

[Neo Bolshevik]

Originally posted by Black [email protected] 12 2006, 02:16 PM
Welcome to revleft :)

Out of curiosity, why do you refer to yourself as a neo-bolshevik? What do you mean by this term?
Why Neo Bolshevik?

Bolshevism was born out of the conflict between Lenin's cadre of revolutionaries and a large number of reformist social democrats. I don't believe there's much questioning that Lenin's vanguardist approach was the best method to ensure socialism in Russia, but vanguardism + Marxism = Bolshevism. We've come a long way since Lenin. There's the various developments within Marxism such as Stalinist 'socialism in one country', Trotsky's 'permanent revolution', Gramsci's sociology, Althusser's views on identity, the various critiques of modern society put foward by the Frankfurt School, the revolutionary concepts in guerilla warfare of Che Guevara and Mao Tse Tung. I think, if development towards socialism is to run smoothly, it will require a vanguard - the bourgeois did not overthrow the aristocracy in France all together, but were led by certain elements, a vanguard - but one that is well educated in the various streams of Marxism, and the ability to apply different strategies in different countries, and vary tactics according to different situations.

[Black Dagger]

Why not just use the term, Marxist-Leninist?

[Neo Bolshevik]

Originally posted by Black [email protected] 12 2006, 02:58 PM
Why not just use the term, Marxist-Leninist?
Because Lenin was only the beginning. A great man, to be sure - possibly the greatest leader Marxism has ever had. Marx and Engels, obviously, are the genesis point of Marxism - but why should we tie ourselves to one specific leader in our tradition? Why not Marixt-Trotskyism? Or Marxist-Maoism? Do you see my point?

Also, Marxism will need a new vanguard if the coming historical transformation is to play out smoothly.

[Si Pinto]

On behalf of the people who don't care what you call youself.

Welcome comrade.

[TC]

Because Trotsky and Mao only advanced new tactical and strategic political ideas, and analysis of specific existing states and power dynamics.

Lenin on the other hand, updated and advanced the general theoretical basis by which capitalism is understood, he didn't just analyize specific material conditions like Trotsky and Mao, rather he provided new ways of analyizing all material conditions like Marx did...

...While you can deny the effectiveness of any one of Marx or Trotsky or Lenin or Mao's specific analysis, specific policies, specific strategies, you cannot deny the truth in Marx's system for evaluating human social behavior except with Lenin's improvements, and i don't think anyone after Marx and Lenin, except possibly Sartre and Marcuse, have significantly updated the methodological framework that they created.

[Black Dagger]

Because Lenin was only the beginning. A great man, to be sure - possibly the greatest leader Marxism has ever had. Marx and Engels, obviously, are the genesis point of Marxism - but why should we tie ourselves to one specific leader in our tradition? Why not Marixt-Trotskyism? Or Marxist-Maoism? Do you see my point?

I do see your point, but in that case, why not just refer to yourself as a marxist?

[Neo Bolshevik]

Because I've already registered under this name.

Christ. Chill, dude. :lol:

[Black Dagger]

I'm not angry/annoyed or anything, just curious :)

[More Fire for the People]

Welcome. You remind me of bit actaully. Have you read any of Zizek's works? If not, I recommend you do but keep in mind that he sometimes spins off in an idealist direction.

[Neo Bolshevik]

Originally posted by Black [email protected] 12 2006, 03:33 PM
I'm not angry/annoyed or anything, just curious :)
Sure thing. If it helps, I also believe Marxism is not enough.


Welcome. You remind me of bit actaully. Have you read any of Zizek's works? If not, I recommend you do but keep in mind that he sometimes spins off in an idealist direction.

A bit of what? I haven't read Zizek's works. I'll look into it when I return to university on Monday. What does he write about, specifically?

[More Fire for the People]

Wow. I didn't write that right. I meant "you remind me of me a bit". Zizek's works mainly pertain to the 'critique of ideology'. He relies heavily on psychoanalysis to demonstrate the various ways we interpret the world. Zizek at wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zizek).

[rioters bloc]

welcome yo :)

whereabouts in australia do you live? i'm in sydney.

[Che_Anarki]

Originally posted by Neo [email protected] 12 2006, 02:04 PM
Hey, I'm Neo Bolshevik (obviously). I've been looking for a half decent place to meet likeminded socialists and discuss this fascinatingly insane age of capitalism. Um, I'm 20 years old, male, university student, I live in Australia. I've read Lenin's State and Revolution and What is to be Done?, Antonio Gramsci's Selections from the Prison Notebooks, The Communist Manifesto and a chunk of Das Kapital. I don't really have a position on the whole Stalin vs. Trotsky episode, in case anyone is wondering.

Anyway. Just thought I'd say hi.
Hey. I'm new also. If you know Serbian you can use one of this sites.
They are most about anarkysm but there is comunism also.
kontrapunkt.info
freedomfight.org (i think it's org i'm not shure)
inicijativa.org
socfront.com