What will happen to the ruling class?...

[Dr Mindbender]

I've never seen this one debated here before, but I apologise in advance if it's already been posted. Assuming that members of the beourgiouse are still standing, after the dust settles, what will we do with them? I know there is the temptation to just put a bullet in them right away, but morally that would lower us to their level. I would be in favour of rehabilitating them into constructive roles, and those who refuse to co-operate should maybe be put into compulsory house-arrest or some sort of re-education. What are your theories?

[Janus]

Assuming that members of the beourgiouse are still standing, after the dust settles, what will we do with them?
Nothing, they are no longer bourgeois because they no longer have control of the means of production. We just need to make sure to keep it that way.

Discussed here:
What should be done with the bourgeois after the revolution? (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=57417&hl=+what++bourgeois)
revolution and capitalists (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=43890&hl=capitalists)
What is to be done with the bourgeois? (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=59001&hl=+what++done++bourgeois)

[which doctor]

There would be no ruling class, simply because they would have been deprived of their means to rule. Of course there would be some members of the former ruling class, but they will just have to learn to adapt to this new classless society just like the rest of us.

[apathy maybe]

Exactly, after the revolution, the old ruling classes will have been deprived of power. Without control over armed forces, without control over parts of the economy or the media, this minority of people will become just like everyone else...

Of course, it is important then to prevent the creating of a new ruling class, who claim that they need to suppress the remains of the old.

[Dr Mindbender]

Maybe i should have rephrased the thread along the lines of ''what to do about beourgiouse counter-revolution'' although few in number, A desperate beast is at its most dangerous when backed into a corner and they are unlikely to take defeat lying down. They would probably have support among the petit beourgiouse and the fascists who no doubt would be willing to pick up a gun for them... Do you beleive it is essential to have the army on our side, particularly in a country like the UK where the military's main purpose is the protection of the monarchy?
Assuming the revolution is successful what margin for discourse should we provide the reactionary lobby with?

[Rawthentic]

Of course, it is important then to prevent the creating of a new ruling class, who claim that they need to suppress the remains of the old.
Yup, the working class as a whole must suppress them.

[apathy maybe]

Sorry, I guess I should clarify what I mean by "ruling class"...

I use the term to describe a minority, as I don't believe that a majority could constitute a ruling class in any meaningful sense. You could have the situation in a geographical area where (for example) a "racial" majority suppressed a "racial" minority, however, the majority would not be the ruling class, rather the ruling class would be made up of people from within that majority.

Similarly, I don't think you can say that you can have a working class ruling class. Rather, any ruling class would be comprised of people from the working class, who then rule equally over both the former rulers and the rest of the working class.

Anyway, the whole discussion is moot. As after any revolution there would not be the need for a ruling class, of any kind (the working class organised as the ruling class or a minority thus). The former rules will all have fled, been shot or integrated into the new society.

Any resistance would be dealt with by the remains of the revolutionary militias, and any sabotage by the new peoples courts.

So, even if it is possible to organise the entire working class as a ruling class (which I think is bullshit), it would not be needed. Rather, there would be no ruling class, any discontents would be dealt with the usual way.

[Janus]

A desperate beast is at its most dangerous when backed into a corner and they are unlikely to take defeat lying down. They would probably have support among the petit beourgiouse and the fascists who no doubt would be willing to pick up a gun for them...
In which case, they need to and will be stopped. However, it's really only the ex-bourgeois (first generation) that we'd need to really worry about.


Assuming the revolution is successful what margin for discourse should we provide the reactionary lobby with?
They can speak and proselytize as much as they want, however they'll only get an audience if things don't work out which is what we should worry ourselves with rather than their suppression.