Political Profile

[Labor Shall Rule]

Since we know this board is being watched I would suggest people to consider very carefully what personal information they are giving out with respect to names and locations.

- Hindsight20/20

I saw there was already a thread that was just like this, but it was less inclined to our revolutionary views -- asking questions that we would all give obvious answers to such as "Do you support the War in Iraq?" or "Do you support globalization?"

Name: Tom
Location: Erie, Pennsylvania
Class background: "Middle class"; petit-bourgeois since my mother owns a small business, but with a working class background since my grandfather was a steel mill worker, my other grandfather was a hired electrician, and my grandmother was a glass factory worker. My grandpa is a trade unionist; he has continued to work with the United Steel Workers of America throughout his life, so I was politically influenced by him and his involvement in the worker's movement.
Ethnic background: Polish and German

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: In What Is To Be Done, Lenin wrote "freedom of criticism means freedom for an opportunist trend in Social-Democracy, freedom to introduce bourgeois ideas and elements into socialism." On the other hand, I think lack of freedom of criticism means that no one can challenge the all powerful General Secretary as he and his bureaucracy takes control of the democratic centralist party and turns it into a centralist dictatorship. We have had just a few too many of those in the past, haven't we? I don't think we should repeat the experiment of party dictatorship.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: It would be best to agitate and organize within them as of right now, but we should create an independent working class organization that not only engages in collective bargaining with the management, but also pushes revolutionary objectives in order to further the political and economic position of the proletariat; acting as a sort of "school for socialism", by being a body that the workers can unrelentless flex on their bosses that assists in increasing their consciousness and inner-organization.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: If the workers have democratic control over the planners -- if they are subject to recall, do not have specialized privileges or higher salaries, etc.
Terrorism: If it is an action permeated by the workers as a whole.
National-liberation movements: No.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They are neither reactionary or revolutionary; their alliances depend on the impending situation, so I don't view them as neither a friend or an enemy in the class struggle. However, I don't think that they should be given an independent position.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Iraq War. Investments, loans and credit are, and the degree to which they are available to the average American depends a great deal on the degree to which the United States dominates the global capitalist economy. It will only take one major economic shock, such as this defeat in Iraq which seems almost inevitable to send the entire house of cards, and all of the illusions that make it appear to be an iron fortress, crashing down.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Civil War or the Russian Revolution.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Myasnikov, Shlyapnikov, Medvedev, Chelyshev, Kollontai, Trotsky, and Lenin.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was founded as a workers' state, but degenerated into a bureaucratic nightmare, that eventually restored capitalism.

[Forward Union]

Name: O'connell

Location: Enfield, England

Class background: Urm, working class. My Dad is a retired Factory worker, my Mum is a cook. Im trying to get a job in a bar at the moment.

Ethnic background: Irish/English

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

No

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

No

Working within current trade unions:

yes

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No

Central planning:

Absolutely not.

Terrorism:

In some instances, possibly.

National-liberation movements:

It depends on the stated aims of the specific movement. Most leftists seem to blindly support thrid world national-liberation movements, but what use is it for the working class to replace foreign bankers and statesmen with native ones?

If by nation we mean "geographic region" and we talking of the Liberation of the workers. Then I fully support it.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

Do I support them in what capacity?

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

Certainly the war in Iraq, for reasons stated.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Several places come to mind. St Georges Hill in England 1949. The First international before the split, or perhaps The free territories of Ukraine in the early 1900s.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Gerrard Wistanley, Max Stirner, Karl Marx, Mikhail Bakunin, Proudhon, Nestor Makhno (and other platformists) Francisco Ferrer, Durruti,

Charls Darwin, Sigmund Freud and Bertrand Russel.

[Matty_UK]

Name: Matt
Location: Newcastle, UK
Class background: proletarian, I guess, my dad used to be a factory worker but now he's a teacher. teacher is proletarian right? (and my mam is a librarian)
Ethnic background: unimportant....

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: I would support a political party made up of workers occupying factories, but I would NOT support a political party that owns all industry and lives off the surplus value.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: no.
Working within current trade unions: no, people must be encouraged to form truly democratic trade unions with no connection to the state and no bureaucracy.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": no
Central planning: as long as it's democratic, and the centre is a federal council
Terrorism: no....well, it depends how you define it but in the tradional sense, not at all.
National-liberation movements: yes, but critically
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: i think, by the time the proletariat is ready for revolution, the petit-bourgeoisie and the peasantry won't exist anymore, or will be negligible.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: the "great game" in the middle east. ultimately i think it boils down to a battle for control of oil resources between the USA and Russia+China, (see the Shanghai Co-operation Group) and I think this conflict is what defines our time.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: the paris commune
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Rosa Luxembourg, maybe...
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: failure of conventional bourgeois revolution lead to an alternative with a bourgeois collectivity running the show, and once a strong industrial sector was developed it began gradual reform into private ownership capitalism.

[la-troy]

Name: La-Troy
Location: Kingston, Jamaica
Class background: Complicated when it comes to me (I move around a lot between different relatives). I would say That I am lower class But i have lived in middle class households, petty bourgeois and also peasant. My mother from what i gather was a working class socialist which is weired regarding her level of education and resources available to her.
Ethnic background: African creole although you could say that I am mixed seeing that my grandfather can trace his roots to Chinese.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes to a extent has it can help to silence reactionaries and other such forces but it does present a new problem of a Extremely powerful state extremely open to corruption.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No. I plan to get involved in representational politics in the future.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": As a guy against violence no but as a realist seeing and knowing that it is necessary yes.
Working within current trade unions: I believe in working in them but most trade unions around me seem to do more harm than good.

Central planning: yes , sometimes even if the workers don't have complete control why? the workers are easily manipulated by reactionaries and their propaganda.

Terrorism: Again I am against all wars but wars geared towards the benefit of the working class hell yea.

National-liberation movements: If i support them yes.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: no real view on anything but mos important to me is the coming elections in my country. It has raised a question in my head: capitalism better than nothing ?

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Haitian Revolution and probably the Grenadian revolution.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Trotsky,Lenin, Tussaint and Marcus Garvey

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: pretty much the same as Red Dali.

[More Fire for the People]

Name: Edward or Marco [ both pseudonyms ]
Location: US
Class background: For the past three generations my family has been every class — peasants, proles, lumpenproles, and even bourgeois. My grandpa being the 'shining' example by going from peasant to lumpenprole to prole to bourgeois and then back to prole. My other grandpa and his wife and their whole lineage were peasants [ my great-great-grandfather was a Union soldier in a Confederate state probably for that reason ]. My dad and mom where both proles but my mom has been a member of the petty-bourgeoisie on occasion. I'm a student.

Ethnic background: Norman and Anglo-Saxon English, French, Welsh, Scots, Irish, German, Amerindian, Dutch, and who knows what else but mainly Welsh, Irish, and Amerindian.

Do you support?
A "vanguard" party: No. I support organization for purposes of education, agitation, social autonomy projects, mutual aid, workers' militia, workers' councils, strike committees, factory assemblies, soviets, etc. but never 'vanguard' organization.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.

Working within current trade unions: Only where they haven't been recuperated into the bourgeois apparatus.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": To an extent, yes.

Central planning: Central planning by the workers: yes. Central planning by 'planners' or bureaucrats: big fucking no.

Terrorism: Depends on your definition of terrorism. If you mean actions deemed terroristic by the bourgeois apparatus then yes on the basis that they are carried by workers for reasons of dislodging and dismantling the power of the bourgeois either by confronting their material forces or the spectacular forces.

National-liberation movements: Anti-colonial, anti-capitalist movements by workers and peasants of Third World countries :yes. Coup d'etat by mullahs, ex-Saddamists, nationalists bourgeoisie: no.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Only if they break with their class heritage. Peasants more so than the petty-bourgeoisie. Peasants are ravaged by capital but their solution to their problems is more land and better land and not the overthrow of the bourgeoisie. However, the communal living of the peasants provides a basis for the communization of agriculture. The Zapatistas represent an honest and open movement of the peasants in a truly revolutionary way.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The restructuring of global capital and neo-colonialism, the offensive of the bourgeois on the Islamic threat to capital, immigration, the new racism in America, the struggle of Blacks and Latinos in the USA, and ecological problems.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Reconstruction, The Russian Revolution & The German Revolution, or the Battle of Wounded Knee [ 1973 ].

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Nat Turner, Dragging Canoe, Hegel, Marx, Engels, John Brown, Harriet Tubman, Sitting Bull, Luxemburg, Serge, Gramsci, Gorter, Pannekoek, CNT-FAI, Fanon, Guevara, CLR James, Dunayevskaya, Sartre, Beauvoir, Debord, Malcolm X, Huey P., Hampton, Davis, Zapatistas, aufheben, News & Letters, and most of all: working class rebels everywhere.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: The February and October Revolutions were proletarian but the Bolsheviks degraded into Jacobins and provided the framework for the state-capitalist regime.

[Leo]

Name: ****

Location: Turkey.

Class background: Unemployed with unemployed family.

Ethnic background: Mostly Kurdish.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, but a party which can only appear in a revolutionary period, as a consequence of workers' struggles, a party which intervenes within the working class and within the organs of the working class, a party which never takes political power itself.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No

Working within current trade unions: No as all actually functioning trade unions are parts of the bourgeois state now.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.

Central planning: Yes to workers' central planning, no to hierarchical or bureaucratic planning.

Terrorism: No.

National-liberation movements: No.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Complicated question.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Decomposition in all it's aspects.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: October Revolution, Spartacist Revolution, May 68.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Luxemburg, Bordiga, Laverne.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State-capitalist, although the October Revolution was proletarian.

I'm pinning this thread, if anyone has any objections please send me a pm.

[Avtomat_Icaro]

Name: Avtomat Icaro...not too fond of putting my real name up here since the bourgeoise searches the internet for this kind of stuff.

Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Class background: My parents were artists, my father is pretty much a working class figure, my mother's family has some sort of aristocratic past, but right now they are somewhat upper middleclass, I guess you could put her in the intelligentia and not so much in the bourgeoise middle class since she is the leftist black sheep of the family.

Ethnic background: Peruvian (Spanish decent), Dutch (Hungarian/Russian background) so personally Im very much forced to create my own ethnic idendity, I guess Latin American European or sometihng.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Hmm I support Chavez and Morales, Castro in a limited way.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Not that interested in Western parliamentarian bodies...

Working within current trade unions: Sure why not?

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Che Guevara was the most communist man to have lived in my humble opinion. Sartre called him the most complete human being. Che Guevara's determination, idealism, and self sacrifice should be examples to all of us. As to "Focoism", its a military doctrine that only worked in Cuba due to other circumstances, looking back on it I would say that Che made mistakes in his implementations of guerilla warfare, however it is an important lesson that we had to learn.

Central planning: Not really, planning should be done on a more local level. Central planning should definately look more closely at local situation.

Terrorism: A mere military tactic...

National-liberation movements: Yes

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Same as the working class, if they are on our side its good, if they arent its bad. This would go for all classes and groups.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Leftist development in Latin America. (in my humble opinion) Hopefully we will see actual changes there for the better!

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Latin America in the 60s and 70s, to witness this revolutionary optimism.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Guevara, Trotsky, Meinhof, Foucault (to a limited degree), Lenin, Ho Chi Mihn, probably more...

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: I remember reading about Che Guevara being in the Soviet Union, dining with high ranking figures. When dinner arrived on expensive china plates Che simply said: "Is this how the proletariat lives in Russia?"

[luxemburg89]

Name: James, Jymi - one of those two lol

Location: Winchester, England

Class background: Working-class

Ethnic background: Welsh/English

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

Only if totally necessary, preferably no

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

No

Working within current trade unions:

I believe they are a good forum for workers' getting their voices across but I don't think a revolution will be born out of the trade unions as they are now.

Che Guevara and "Focoism":

I don't think that isolated acts, such as beating up one or two racists or one or two Capitalists (whilst most pleasurable to hear about) will inspire world revolution, but I think that increased pressure, at the right point, will have an adverse effect on the spirit of the working-class. However, I do support Ché lol.

Central planning:

no, not really as it has been in the past. The same as Leo Uilleann.

Terrorism:

Only worker-instigated. I don't believe that isolated acts of terrorism will encourage support for the movement - even in the working class
, although if it does raise proletarian spirit, I think I would support it.

National-liberation movements:

Only if it benefits world revolution. That is, I don't think Nationalist movements are going to benefit us. Perhaps it is better to favour separation if the countries are to unite again against the oppression of the previous country. For example Britain. If Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland were to separate from England only to unite and to inspire a revolution from within England then it may be positive, then England was to join with them and Britain becomes a workers state, then I would support it. However I believe 'National-Liberation' will lead to complete independence and nationalism - which I obviously don't support.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

I support trying to get them to support Proletarian Revolution and endorsing them into the working class. That is if the son/daughter of a shopkeeper was to favour an uprising of workers in the local factory against their oppressive employers then I would think favourably of them. If the son/daughter of a shopkeeper was to have dreams of becoming the factory owner then no I would not. I do support 'modernising' - for want of a better word - the peasantry into workers, if that's possible; and if that makes sense.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

I thought the Iraq War but the Gaza conflict comes leaping to mind.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

The day the Communist Manifesto was published. To be one of the first to read it. Failing that probably fighting Mussolini as part of the Italian Resistance, particulary on the day they hanged him :D

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Karl Marx, Percy Shelley, Friedrich Engels, Anatoly Lunacharsky, Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Hemingway and Orwell (if they count), and Rousseau a tiny bit.

[SonofRage]

Name: **
Location: New York City
Class background: Working class, both parents in unions. I work doing technical support for an internet company.

Ethnic background: Puerto Rican

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No. I do think we need anti-authoritarian organization. I generally support Platformist Anarchist groups, but I'm a member of Bring the Ruckus (http://www.bringtheruckus.org)

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.

Working within current trade unions: Sure, but we shouldn't be afraid of creating revolutionary alternatives. I'm a member of the Industrial Workers of the World.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.

Central planning: No.

Terrorism: No.

National-liberation movements: It depends. I don't think our native ruling class would be better than a foreign ruling class, but I"m all for a working class revolution liberating a nation from a foreign ruler.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They can really go either way.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Iraq war followed by the Immigrant Rights movement as a second (although, that's more of an American thing).


Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Now.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Bakunin, Nestor Mahkno, Rudolf Rocker, CLR James.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: I agree with the Marxist-Humanist analysis of the USSR as being State Capitalist.

[More Fire for the People]

Originally posted by "SonofRage"
What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Iraq war followed by the Immigrant Rights movement as a second (although, that's more of an American thing).
Actually, Blacks, Arabs, and Asians face the same problems in Europe that Latino immigrants face in America. I would consider it an international phenomenon of refugee emigration from territories of under-developed standards of living to nations of developed standards of living.

[Connolly]

Name: #

Location: Meath, Ireland

Class background: Working Class

Ethnic background: Arab & Irish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Usually, no, I dont. But politics on TV is boring without Joe Higgins.

Working within current trade unions: No, again, not usually. I think their structure will inherintly cause them to lose their representative qualities. New Unions should be created - Frankly - SIPTU are SHITE.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Rural Guerrilla warfare? Yeah, why not. If it works it works.

Central planning: No. Workers Councils.

Terrorism: Whats terrorism?

National-liberation movements: Yes

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Depends on the situation.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Nothing that comes to mind.

Where would you like to be in history; I suppose, now!

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Redstar2000 (cant leave him out - he's been a big influence).

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: A sham.

[Redmau5]

Name: Kevin

Location: Belfast, Ireland

Class background: Working-class. I was born in the area where the Northern Ireland troubles really exploded in 1969. Both my parents are working-class, and I currently work part-time in a betting shop.

Ethnic background: Irish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Not necessarily a party, but I do believe that a vanguard will inevitably form. I regard the vanguard as simply the most class conscious and therefore revolutionary sections of the working-class. Such revolutionary sections of society tend to form parties or similar organisations.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: I believe in using parliament as a platform to raise working-class issues which would otherwise go unnoticed. I am however totally opposed to ever entering government.

Working within current trade unions: I personally do not work within trade unions but I believe we should work with unions as they are mass working-class organisations. I support the establishement of genuine trade unions controlled by its rank and file members rather than bureaucrats.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": In certain conditions where a certain level of class-consciousness exists, yes. In places where the majority of people feel genuinely oppressed but are too afraid or apathetic to take up arms then 'Focalism' is a legetimate tactic.

Central planning: Yes. During any 'transitional' period when a state is still in existence, central planning is necessary. But all positions within the workers state must be rotated and all officials subject to democratic recall at any time. As Lenin said - “Under socialism all will govern in turn and will soon become accustomed to no one governing.”

Terrorism:I don't believe that killing individuals solves the problem. However, I often sympathise and understand why terrorists commit their acts.

National-liberation movements: Depends on the situation.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: During revolutionary periods in the past, have often been both revolutionary and reactionary. The peasantry today is particularly revolutionary in poor nations, while the petit-bourgeois will often side with the proletariat in struggles against big business.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The War in Iraq is easily the most important event in the world today. What is frightening is that it will probably be the most important event for many years to come. The conflict in the Middle-East is also as important as always. But an event I think is really important which isn't covered enough by the mainstream media is the rise of Leftism in Latin America.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: If I had to choose, I would probably want to be part of the International Brigades fighting fascism in Spain.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Lenin and Trotsky.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: The world's first workers' state, which was quickly strangled by an all encompassing bureaucratic octopus. The rigidness of Stalin's bureaucracy meant that the USSR was incapable of reform, and when such reform was ever attempted, the Soviet Union degenerated back to capitalism. Although it was a workers' state initially, I don't believe it ever really came close to establishing socialism.

[which doctor]

Name: *
Location: midwest, usa
Class background: father of petty-bourgeoisie background, currently in middle management, doesn't really own capital besides some stocks, so i guess petty-bourgeoisie, but it really depends who you ask, mother is of proletarian background, and holds proletarian job, i'm currently a part time (30 hours) wage slave and student
Ethnic background: non-anglo european (primarily french), ancestors in n. america since around 1600's

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: no
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: nada
Working within current trade unions: seeing as their main function is to act as a mediator between the bourgeoisie and proletariat, no
Che Guevara and "Focoism": no to focoism, and che is dead
Central planning: not personally, but i can see how it has some advantages, though i think due to current advances in technology decentralization can work just as good or better than centralization
Terrorism: terrorism is such a muddled word these days im not even going to answer this one
National-liberation movements: if they are aligned under class fronts
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: i think it really depends on the individual peasants or petty-bourgeosie, in most cases i think they would support a revolution once they came to their senses

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: i don't think there is a single "event"
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: chicago in the 1880s, paris may 1968, chicago 1920's, st louis commune 1877
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: a little bit of everyone
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: proletarian revolution quickly hijacked by opportunist bureaucrats and created state capitalist USSR, never a workers state

[Led Zeppelin]

Name: *
Location: Netherlands
Class background: Working class.
Ethnic background: Farsi and Kurdish.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, but it is not something you "support", it is some that is an objective fact.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, to be used as a podium to raise class-consciousness.
Working within current trade unions: Yes.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes, it nations where it can work due to material conditions.
Central planning: Yes.
Terrorism: In some situations, yes.
National-liberation movements: Yes.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Agricultural proletarians are allies in our struggle against capitalism, petty-bourgeois individuals who take a proletarian stance of the issue of revolution and reject their class-position, are to be supported.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Iraq war.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Russian Revolution.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Sartre.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was founded as a workers' state, but degenerated into a bureaucratic nightmare, that eventually restored capitalism.

[syndicat]

Name: Tom
Location: San Francisco, USA
Class background: Working class by origin. My father was an electrician, my mother an admimistrative assistant. Grew up with my grandmother, a retired garment factory worker. Went through the university, got a PhD. Work as writer.

Ethnic background: English, German, Welsh. Family in North America since before the American revolution.

Do you support?
A "vanguard" party: No. I support organization on the basis of a specific political perspective, yes, as well as mass organizations such as unions and community organizations. I believe activists of the political organization should work to assist self-management of the mass organizations, including developing the self-confidence and knowledge and skills of ordinary members to control their organization. The aim should not be for the political organization's activists to take power by gaining positions in a hierarchical structure but for the mass of the working class to gain power.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No, but do support tactical voting if it derives from the needs of a struggle.

Working within current trade unions: Yes, as long as this is feasible, but I favor the development of autonomous rank and file organization such as action committees, apart from the bureaucracy, and also support new self-managed unions being built from scratch in situations where this is feasible and makes strategic sense.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Probably not.

Central planning: No. I favor horizontal participatory planning. Central planning would be inconsistent with worker and community self-management.

Terrorism: Depends on your definition of terrorism. I wouldn't normally support small group armed struggle on the grounds that it would be substitutnionist. But I think militancy is legitimate even if it is illegal, as is self-defense.

National-liberation movements: I would oppose actions of imperialist states, and support actual movements of workers and peasants in colonized or dominated countries, as in the third world, but I would not support a "national liberation" political party's state-building project.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Peasants and self-employed, who are immediate producers, yes, but not small business class who have employees.

What, Who, and Where
What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Mass insurgencies from below, especially in third world countries, in response to neo-liberal globalization. Immigrant Latino struggle in USA, in workplaces and communities. Worker center movement and other inklings of grassroots worker organization in USA.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Spanish revolution of 1936, the early 1930s worker rebellion in the USA.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Not really follow any particular thinker or activist. People who i think have made important contributions include Marx, Bakunin, the Haymarket Martyrs, John Brown, Gramsci, Pannekoek, Durruti and the Nosotros, the Friends of Durruti, Bill Haywood, Ruth Garrett Millikan, Hahnel and Albert, the guild socialists, countless rebel workers.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Coordinator class regime derived from the central planning, managerialist and statist program of the Bolsheviks.

[Die Neue Zeit]

The funny thing is that this post should've been my intro thread awhile back. :D



Name: *****
Location: *****
Class background: Again, one person here said I was a prole, but I'd like more judgment calls:

1) Was until recently a wage earner
2) Currently work on a salaried basis (finance)
3) Never held a supervisory or management position because of relative lack of experience
4) I do own some $$$ in mutual funds, but it's MUCH LESS than $10K (between $0 and $10K, you're safe to bet that how much I have closer to the low end than the high one)
5) My parents were/are of petit-bourgeois background (I won't disclose more details), with experiences from supervision and management to small business to self-employment.

Ethnic background: Mixed Oriental

Do you support...

A "vanguard" party:

The Road to Power and International Organization (http://www.revleft.com/vb/road-power-and-t83963/index.html)

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: Unless they happen to be local trade unions, multinational trade unions, or national trade unions actively working towards becoming part of a greater, multinational whole, (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=74520), no.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.

Central planning:

Economics and Politics on the Day After the Social-Proletocratic Revolution (http://www.revleft.com/vb/economics-and-politics-t83454/index.html)

Terrorism: Depends on whether you're talking about al-Qaeda-style terrorism or something like the Soviet STATE's Red Terror (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=65548) (link)

National-liberation movements: Recently, I've become "attracted" to James Connolly's approach to this question, in that only those secessionist movements that promote and advance international socialist revolution are genuine national-liberation movements.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Revolutionary only for the revolutionary-social-democratic tasks (contrast those with ordinary bourgeois-democratic tasks, because there are differences)... on the peasantry:

http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=65638&st=0


Looking back at the disaster of Stalin's collectivization along the lines of the artel (not even collectivizing on the lines of proper agricultural communes, much less sovkhozy) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collectivization_in_the_USSR#Implementation), I look further back at the key Bolshevik mistakes that led to that policy in the first place: land redistribution and non-rectification.

I know what pre-renegade Kautsky said about "no socialist who is to be taken seriously has ever demanded that the farmers should be exappropriated, or that their goods should be confiscated," (http://www.marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1902/socrev/pt2-2.htm#s7), but there were so many landless peasants before October (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collectivization_in_the_USSR#Implementation).

...

The first Bolshevik mistake was the redistribution of land over "statification." In spite of this, War Communism did provide the opportunity to rectify the mistake, but the Bolsheviks did not seize it.

There were two chances right there to "industrialize" agriculture and turn the landless peasants into proletarians right on the spot. There was the chance right there to consolidate the majority of Russian agriculture into sovkhozy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovkhoz) (where the state was the actual owner, and where the farmers worked for a wage)!

Now, in today's world and in spite of the presence of so many family farms, increased efficiencies associated with industrial agriculture and negative profits for family farms are the key to implementing global sovkhozy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factory_farming#Role_in_food_production) (US government data in PDF linked to at the end of the wiki article) for this "commanding height" of the economy (per my stamocap thread).

More: http://www.rtis.com/touchstone/oct2004/21.html (a small-l "liberal Democrat" article on the hourglass-shaped US agriculture economy)

...

If I were to interpose my thoughts between the "democratic" measures and the "socialist" measures for a moment: industrial farming belongs in the middle of these two, given its implementation in developed capitalist countries. I only expand the sphere of what Lenin meant by "democratic" measures because even nationalized industrial farming by itself isn't socialist.

...

Related to these remarks is the route for modern Russia's agriculture, as someone said above in regards to joint-stock companies operating farms. How big is family farming in Russia? In regards to the cooperatives, can a socialist revolution in the near future actually expose the diseconomies of scale resulting from privatization, shred the remnants of kolkhozy, and finish the sovkhozy "revolution" started by Khrushchev, given the increased literacy levels and general passivity of the rural Russian populace?

...

Remember: given the illiteracy of vast elements of the peasantry (which Severian himself mentioned), it's not as if everyone of them could express an explicit desire to actually OWN the land. The passivity of at least some of them (NOT unlike today's Russia rife with positive sentiment towards Putin, mind you) would have provided the opportunity for sovkhozization, because at least some of them could have been content enough to see the landlords kicked out.

What, Who, and Where...

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=65105


Perhaps one of these days I'll actually tune in to Lou Dobbs once more, especially after a globalization discussion awhile back.

I have read about the phenomenon of the "shrinking middle class," but originally I dismissed it as temporary rubbish, only to find out that the shrinking happened far sooner than expected, and also correlates with this:

"Hourglass" corporate environment

1) Lots of small businesses below, filling in various niches, with the potential for cooperation between various small businesses where at least one party dominates a niche market...

2) "Shrinking middle": there has been an increasing trend to intentionally downsize to a small business even when profitable, because elements of the "shrinking middle" either get bought out by the biggies - or shrink to niche markets, possibly because of falling rates of profit.

3) The multinational monopolies (not used in the discussion, because of a general lack of knowledge about history repeating itself on the part of the class as a whole, which I happily kept to myself) and globalization ("outsourcing") of value chains

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: English Civil War, French Revolution, and "Red October" :)

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

(In descending order)

Karl Kautsky (towering above everyone else as the real founder of "Marxism," in spite of his frequent reductionism and pro-war stance: the merger formula of Marxism and the workers' movement, plus his being the original conceptualist of "freedom of discussion, unity in action" as evidenced by Lenin's Our Immediate Task and the Kautsky quotes in One Step Forward, Two Steps Back) then

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

Karl Marx (yes, the "renegade [...] and his disciple" before Marx, because of the merger formula, and because of the current paradigm of monopoly-capitalist relations that even he and Engels underestimated in Das Kapital, and it took Lenin to start connecting the dots between the theory of capital accumulation and crisis, the beginnings of a theory of monopoly capitalism, and the theory of imperialism (http://www.monthlyreview.org/0102jbf.htm)), Wilhelm Liebknecht (reiterating the need for the PRE-communist abolition of wage slavery), Amadeo Bordiga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadeo_Bordiga) (the concept of a singular international socialist party and the reiteration of Marx's labour-voucher socialist economy), Antonio Gramsci (hegemony and language), Rosa Luxemburg (spontaneity vs. organization), James Connolly (differentiating between mere secessionism and national liberation), and Michal Kalecki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micha%C5%82_Kalecki) (the Polish macroeconomist who beat Keynes to the finish line and who essentially completed Lenin's work by connecting the first theory to the second).

What was the class character of the Soviet state:

The Soviet state was founded as a state-capitalist but revolutionary-social-democratic "dictatorship" of the workers and poor peasantry (and probably other segments of the petit-bourgeoisie, too), but things got out of hand with the bureaucracy.

http://www.revleft.com/vb/showthread.php?t=66656


"Prerequisite" threads:

Stamocap (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=65240&view=findpost&p=1292297131)
Two Stalinisms?, State-based Stalinism vs. "Partyocracy" (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=69965)
The limitations of directly materialist analysis (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=72584)

In the usual debate regarding Stalin vs. his successors, ComradeOm brought up one particular aspect that hasn't been discussed much (and something which even I didn't consider in my thinking regarding Lenin vs. Stalin vs. Stalin's successors): primitive accumulation. (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=73002&view=findpost&p=1292420546)

So I went back to the three links above to find some cohesive attempt at analyzing the nature of the Soviet regime under various "leaders." In the third link above, I split the analysis of the superstructure into two parts: the "skeletal framework" (because without a strong framework, the whole building could still collapse on itself and become a pile of rubble above an otherwise strong base) and the "skin."

Going back to my remarks regarding "primitive stamocap" (first link), I can say that there was base continuity between the Bolsheviks and their bureaucratic successors, in the form of state capitalism (not that I "blame" Lenin as a "Leninist" myself, because Russia simply wasn't as ready for a proper socialist revolution as Trotsky thought). Alas, that also poses great challenges to the "degenerate workers' state" position. At best, Lenin acknowledged that Russia was "not actually a workers’ state but a workers’ and peasants’ state." (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1920/dec/30.htm) At worst, we all know the "left" criticisms regarding the prevalent one-man management systems put in place.

However, in terms of "framework" continuity, there was discontinuity between the Bolsheviks and their bureaucratic successors. While the former wanted the state capitalism to develop under a "revolutionary-democratic" framework, all the latter wanted a more bureaucratic approach instead (see the fourth link and my mention of one Moshe Lewin, plus all the usual Trotskyist stuff regarding "Bonapartism" under Stalin and his successors). At the very least, according to Lenin, workers' under "revolutionary democracy" (as opposed to under the DOTP) should exercise a "control" function against corruption and bureaucratic tendencies (investigations, audits). Under Stalin and his successors, the bureaucracy got more and more control without a real workers' "control" check, and the party itself became bureaucratized.

[RedAnarchist]

Name: Stephen
Location: Preston, Lancashire
Class background: Working class - descendant of coal miners, cotton mill workers, agricultural labourers etc
Ethnic background: mainly English (Norman/Anglo-Saxon), Irish, some Welsh, some distant French

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: Unions are ok but they are often too willing to work within the system and reform it rather than working to end the system
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No
Central planning: I don't understand
Terrorism: I consider terrorism to be an attack on civilians. Attacks on governments and parts of the army are not terrorism.
National-liberation movements: No
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: I support anyone who does not own the means of production.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: I think this would be the war on "terrorism".
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Spanish Civil War or Makhno's Ukraine
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: I don't really credit any historical figure really, although people like Makhno, Goldman, Malatesta and Bakunin are probably ones I would associate my views with most
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: At first an experiment in proletarian revolution, but soon turned into quite possibly the worst thing to happen to revolutionary leftism yet. I think that as the 21 century progresses and less people from the Cold War era are alive (this doesn't mean those that were born at the end, but those who lived at least 10 years of their adult life during the CW), the emotional connections will fade and I think that the shadow of the USSR wont be so big.

[Tower of Bebel]

[My third edit :D]

Name: Thomas
Location: Belgium (Flanders)
Class background: "middle class" or petit-bourgeois
Ethnic background: "Flemish" or Belgian

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes.

"[...] A vanguard is a goal, not a set of ideas. The goal of the vanguard is to coordinate the revolutionary conquest of power by the workers and their allies. Building a true vanguard will require correct ideas but these ideas can only emerge out of dialectical relationship with mass struggles. To artificially separate a revolutionary program from the mass movement is a guarantee that you will turn into a sectarian."

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes (my first respons was no).
Working within current trade unions: Yes (conditional).
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: Yes (no command economy).
National-liberation movements: Yes (conditional).
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: This depends on the actual class struggle.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The imperialist wars on oil and the crisis awaiting resurection
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The international revolutionary wave of 1917-1927
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Bebel, Kautsky, Connolly and Luxemburg.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: As the weakest chain of all capitalist countries, it had the potential to be the first "worker's state" founded during a world revolution, but it already degenerated at the beginning of the civil war. The Soviet-Union was more a workers' and famers' State.

[Bilan]

Name: Nick.

Location: Sydney, Down under.

Class background: Both parents come from very poor backgrounds, and same with my grandparents and so forth. On my mums side, I've got a radical background - my mum, grandmother and great grandmother were all communists and feminists.
My mum now is middle class. I live with her. and am seeking employment currently.

Ethnic background: Scottish/English/Australian, I suppose.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

Never.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Never.

Working within current trade unions:

Some, due to their more radical nature - such as the MUA - but not all.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No

Central planning:

No.

Terrorism:

possibly.

National-liberation movements:

*what urban spirit said sounded about right*

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

Im not sure.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

In the world, it would be the war, and the issues and repression surrounding it; in Australia, it would be either the results of the war, or the IR reforms.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Either in Free Ukraine, Paris 68, or Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Malatesta, Kropotkin, (not so much) Marx, Berkman, Goldman, Durruti, Cohn-Bendit, and Makhno.

[Comeback Kid]

Name: Chris

Location: Townsville, Down under. just north of where they are doing the Talisman Saber shit.

Class background: Rural/farming background. Working class, convict stock.
Dad is a draftsman in public sector, mum was financial cleck, now recptionist.

Ethnic background: Scottish/Irish/Australian.
Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

nope

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

nope

Working within current trade unions:

Certainly, current member of Liquior Hospitality and Misc Workers Union

Che Guevara and "Focoism":

Nope

Central planning:

Done with best intentions, will all stops against corruption and such, then it may be permissable

Terrorism:

Just a tactic used in capitalist wars, the working class fighting each other.
Certainly the ruling class will scream terrorist when we behead them in the street.
so be it.

National-liberation movements:

Nationalism is s scourge on society

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

what about them?

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

Sucess or failure of south american socialism, Islamism and its growth.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Paris 68 or Eureaka Stockade.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

The men and weomen on the ground, the working class, of every revolution since 1917.

[Jazzratt]

Name: Dan, Max, Gmervin, Dave and, on one occasion, Captain Minidick
Location: England
Class background: Proletarian
Ethnic background: What?

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No, we all know what kind of mess that makes of the whole affair.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Fuck no.
Working within current trade unions: Certainly, although they're somewhat limited.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Not really.
Central planning: What's being planned?
National-liberation movements: Which nation?
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Sections of, same for the lumpen.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Zionist occupation.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: None really, I don't like the idea of going backwards in time, the lack of technology would be insufferable.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: I don't know.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It started promisingly with the proletarian led soviets but soon degenerated with the forming of a new ruling class.

[The Author]

Name: X
Location: X
Class background: Proletarian
Ethnic background: Internationalist

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes. As long as that vanguard has a membership the majority of which are workers, and that this vanguard always pays attention to and learn from its proletarian base.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Without armed struggle, no. With armed struggle, yes as a step. But in the long run, abolishing the bourgeois democracy with socialist revolution is necessary for victory.
Working within current trade unions: Yes, it is the leadership of the trade unions that can be corrupt, but the trade unions are an important component in the working class struggle.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Che struggled for a righteous cause, and he must be upheld for that. Focoism, however, was a mistaken strategy as it did not concentrate on the objective material conditions which lead from evolution to revolution.
Central planning: Yes.
National-liberation movements: The vast majority of Africa, Asia, and Latin America were liberated from colonial occupation, but later became dependencies of the imperialist powers. Depending on the conditions of the country or countries involved, national-liberation is necessary in some instances, others the need to go to socialist revolution.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Yes, but the proletariat must lead the revolution, be it bourgeois-democratic, national-democratic, or socialist depending on the material conditions of the country concerned.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The "War on Terror," the "Iraq War," and the whole "New World Order" in general.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Soviet Union in the 1930s before the Great Patriotic War, and when Yuri Gagarin flew into outer space.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: The millions of toilers and oppressed throughout the centuries who fought to overthrow the old oppressors and march closer to freedom and equality and justice.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Socialist revolution in October 1917. Followed by Civil War. Followed by some capitalist reforms (New Economic Policy, NEP) to help the nascent Soviet Russia recover from the war. Creation of the Soviet Union in the early 1920s. Liquidation of the NEP and the beginning of the construction of socialism. Attempts by the counterrevolution to seize power of the proletarian dictatorship in the 1930s with assistance by the capitalist encirclement. Fight and defeat of fascism in the Great Patriotic War. Period of reconstruction and recovery, during which revisionism gained a foothold. After the death or removal of several Marxist-Leninists, counterrevolution ensued throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The Khrushchevites were overthrown in the 1960s, and the Brezhnevites did little to construct socialism in the USSR, allowing matters to stagnate. Opened the door to the Gorbachevites, who brought in liquidationist capitalist reforms. Finally, with 1991, the negation of the USSR. The Soviet Union was a shining example of the possibilities of the world proletariat in their struggles for a better life, and it will always serve as a valuable lesson for future generations of Communists and workers of what to fight for and how we can do it.

[Chicano Shamrock]

Name: I am Jack's Liver
Location: The City of Angels
Class background: La gente. I grew up looking at my dads lunch pale that had a sticker saying "Live Better, Work Union".
Ethnic background: I decline to state but I don't think it is too hard to figure out.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No. I feel that when a direct action group has a sister group that is in parliament the direct action group's actions are watered down.
Working within current trade unions: . Sure as long as it is not forgotten that the big unions like the AFL-CIO are not seeking the same ends that we are.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I can't honestly support a "communist" manager no matter how much battle they saw. As for Focoism I am not exactly sure what it is but I have seen it defined as small guerrilla groups doing things that inspire others to do the same. In that sense I don't see the difference between that and a group of people going out and participating in any other type of direct action. If I am horribly mistaken on what it is PM me and I will change this.
Central planning: I support worker and more importantly people's self management. Thus I am against central planning.
Terrorism: I don't think this was a good question to ask on a survey of leftists that is accessible by anyone.
National-liberation movements: Yes, I support movements that fend off colonialism and retain indigenous culture.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: I don't understand why I wouldn't support the peasantry and as long as the petit-bourgeois in question support the proletariat revolution I don't see why they can't be accepted.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: . Defining one most important thing is crazy. I think an important situation that is happening in today's world is worker hating worker in the form of anti-immigrant sentiment. I know it is nothing new but it is still important.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: In this scenario am I actually a character in the history or am I an invisible entity that gets to watch? Can I communicate with the people of that time? :D
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: I can't say that I would like to associate my views with someone of the past. That would mean my ideas are stagnant in time and that I can't think for myself.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Being almost completely ignorant on the subject I can not say. My personal feelings about people like Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin are that they were all elitist swine. I can hardly tell the difference between a Neo-Nazi with an over idealized picture of Hitler and a communist with Lenin draped in a red flag.

[Cult of Reason]

Name: See username
Location: Alternate between London and Winchester, UK.
Class background: Father worked with computers, most recently tech support for a tape archiving software company. Mother currently doing a PhD. I call that proletarian.
Ethnic background: 1:1 Icelandic:English.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Vanguards exist, but I am against the formation of an organisation of it that works towards getting power for itself.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: What would that achieve?

Working within current trade unions: Could get some temporary benefits for workers, that is all. Syndicalist unions? Useful, perhaps, for building class cnsciousness and for ideas to mingle and spread, but I do not think they can be inherently revolutionary, as to effectively work as a union they have to deal with the bourgeoisie.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": My impression, right or wrong, is that Che was an authoritarian bastard. I do not know what Focoism is.

Central planning: Depends what is meant by the term. However, katascopic planning is necessary for an efficient and sustainable future society. This would most likely be carried out with a federated model using recallable delegates to coordinate things they are "authorities" on.

Terrorism: Propaganda of the deed was a failure 100 years ago. I see no reason why it would succeed now.

National-liberation movements: I don't care. The areas where these movements arise, with a few exceptions, are sufficiently backward that there is no chance of anything resembling Communism in the near future in any significant way. Furthermore, a sustainable Communistic system needs large land areas with a significant spread of resources, while national liberation movements, if anything, would seperate areas into smaller units.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: In places where Communism is possible there are, for the most part, very few peasants, and those that exist are declining. As for petit-bourgeoisie, are they still relevant in any meaningful sense. Hasn't proletarianisation got most of them yet? For those that do exist, I think the majority would see their interests coinciding with the proletarians, so, to a degree, I support them.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Globalisation, particularly the decrease in significance of borders within contiguous landmasses, eg. EU enlargement and integration.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: July 19, Barcelona.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Pyotr Kropotkin, Howard Scott, Karl Marx, some others.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State Capitalist.

[Anton]

Name: Anton
Location: Nassau, Bahamas
Class background: Working Class, my mother is a doctor who refuses to work in the private sector and since i was born and grew up in the USSR and then Lithuania she didn't make almost anything. I guess now she's lower middle class, if that. I myself am workign a minimum wage job while in college. My father though i've never met him is a plumber.
Ethnic background: Jewish and Ukrainian

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No, but i guess past revolutions headed by one may deserve our partial support, Venezuela being in example.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: Yes, to a degree
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I'm studying this a bit more now but I would say no.
Central planning: If it includes direct democracy with recall and no privileges, i may support it to a degree.
Terrorism: Sometimes maybe.
National-liberation movements: Yes, to a degree
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: In revolutionary situations it may go either way
What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Umm... I'm not sure, maybe the war in Iraq as someone said.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Spanish Civil War
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Goldman, Kropotkin, Makhno
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State capitalism with benefits.

[Clarksist]

Name: Jonathan
Location:Middle America
Class background: Working Class
Ethnic background: This question fucking sucks

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No way. The Leninists have proven time and time again that they cannot lead a revolution that will work. However, the Anarchists and Libertarian Marxists haven't proven that they can lead a revolution. I believe, however, that a vanguard is the essence of Lenin's non-working class background. His entire ideology was based firmly on a reactionary petit-bourgeois view on Marxist revolution, and therefore, is of absolutely no interest to any logical person looking for theory on revolution.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Not when it comes to revolution, but I believe there is nothing wrong on pressuring political parties to sway to healthier environmental positions, or increase the rights of minorities. The thing is, under capitalism, the parties in power are bourgeois parties, but they need some form of legitimacy (even though its basically a completely defunct "democracy"). The legitimacy of bourgeois political parties is the participation of the working class in their rank and file, leading to slight concessions to win over the ignorant and weak. Why not exploit this to save the earth? Anything else is childish.
Working within current trade unions: I don't see the trade unions as a viable source of worker's power in the present state of profit sharing and "right to work" (puke) states. The real power of the working class must come from their own volition, not by some off-base quasi workers organization which only looks to normalize relations with the bourgeoisie, instead of changing the function of the working class in society as a whole.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Che Guevara was a charismatic entity, who is a good handsome face to kind of rally behind. In that respect, I feel he's given the movement some kind of easy entrance, a lot of frustrated kids are turned radical by his image and its proliferation. In regards to focoism, it is utter bullshit. I do believe that small groups of people can light the hearts of the masses on fire, but if they are violent, they are easily destroyed by bourgeois propaganda.
Central planning: Not central planning, but I would support a worker ran economic planning of some sort, if it is in the most libertarian of ways.
Terrorism: There is no way to answer that. Terrorism is a term that has been hijacked (no pun intended) by the bourgeoisie in order to create an Orwellian air of fear. If it was terrorism by the whole working class against the bourgeoisie, that might be a bit different.
National-liberation movements: Depends on the method of liberation.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: The petit-bourgeois is filthy in its reactionary ties and all-to-eager attitude towards fascism. The peasantry is under similar exploitation as the working class, and has even less clout, and thus they are easily as revolutionary if pressed.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The war in Iraq is tied with the unashamed blind eye towards the global warming threat.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Spanish Civil War, the hippie/yippie movement (specifically in direct connection to Abbie Hoffman), or almost any situationist get-together.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Guy Debord, hands down.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: I would say the actual idea of Soviets are the ultimate in worker control, but the actual state bureaucracy that came afterwards was a sort of bourgeois/state hybrid.

[chebol]

The Che question is badly thought out - it conflates everything Che ever said, wrote or did with a particular strategy that he tried out, badly.

How about "Do you support Che Guevara, and a combination of moral and material incentives for the creation of a new socialist human being?" Or whatever else...

[The Advent of Anarchy]

Name: Vladimir

Location: The United States

Class background: My parents are working class

Ethnic background: I don't see race. People tell me I'm white and I believe them because the police call me 'sir'.


Do you support?


A "vanguard" party: Yes. I support Marxism-Leninism Mao Zedong Thought.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No. Reformism doesn't change anything, and in some cases does harm.

Central planning: Central planning? Well, it depends. A command economy is the same thing as a participatory economy if the government is controlled by the working people. If it is a government is run by the masses of working people, then yeah. If it isn't, then absolutely not.

Terrorism: Terrorism is a derrogatory term placed upon a group by a government that opposes it. Therefore, I cannot give you a clear answers. Revolutionary Communist groups I support that are militant enough to fight in a revolution. They are not terrorists, but workers fighting for true freedom.

National-liberation movements: No.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Peasantry and petty bourgeoisie? Well, the former is able to fight loyally along side the proletariat and can be just as revolutionary. The latter is a piece of crap that is loyal only to the highest bidder. I don't trust them very much.


What, Who, and Where


What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: War of Terrorism, and the Naxalburi Revolution.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: WWII, to save Anne Frank and kick Hitler's ass.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Lenin, Mao, Stalin, and Zhou Enlai.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: 1917 to 1953 dictatorship of the proletariat and then socialist. From 1954-1991, it became a revisionist slimehole.

[Naxal]

Name: Phil
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Class background: Well, that depends. My parents are upper civil servants, but they have no power- they sell their labour in return for their salary. It's just that their labour is scarcer, thus they are paid more. However they are the welfare state poster-boy/girl: both come from heavily working class backgrounds and many habits have worn off on me, like the working class shame, repairing things and not wasting anything.
Ethnic background: Unimportant, but if you must know- Scottish, New Zealander, Irish (Protestant and Catholic, Ulster and the Republic- I'm a winner no matter what). My mother is Scottish, so I'm a half first generation New Zealander...which makes little sense.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: I prefer Unions and groups like autonomia in Italy
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No. Reformism seeks to maintain the Capitalist Structure by making it more bearable through modifying it slightly- you are either a reformist or a revolutionary- they are contradictions
Working within current trade unions: Good, though independent unions are better.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Definately not, though I admire the guy and Regis DeBray (Debray?) is an interesting writer.
Central planning: No. Self management and democratic workplaces.
Terrorism: Define terrorism and I'll tell you if I support it or not.
National-liberation movements: No.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: The peasantry are the most revolutionary force in the present day. The petit-bourgeoise are potentially revolutionary and can be brought 'into the fold' so to say.

What, Who, and Where?

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Uneven development and trade and the organisations, plans and governments who perpetuate it- the WTO, World Bank, IMF, the US goverment, the Japanese government, the Australian government, the British government, NAFTA etc etc.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Spanish Revolution.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: More, Rousseau, Cabet, Marx, Engels (more than Marx even), Sorel, Gransci, Mao, Althusser, Amin, Frank, Fanon, Negri, Cleaver, the EZLN (Marcos is only their 'voice', so he shouldn't be listed)
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: A state that was corrupt from the start and not a positive model for any part of the world. A vote for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil.

[BOZG]

Name: Stephen
Location: Dublin
Class background: Working class. Father is a salesman for a hardware company; Mother was a bank teller followed by working in a shop.
Ethnic background: According to Engels, I'm of a "carefree, cheerful, potato-eating child of nature" background.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, based on the most advanced and militant sections of the working class and able to play a role in raising the conscious of the entire class. A vanguard is necessary to lead a consolidated and successful revolution but regardless, it cannot do so without winning over the vast majority of the class to its ideas.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, as a platform for raising ideas, for appealing to workers and for demonstrating the limitations of parliamentary reform.
Working within current trade unions: Yes, absolutely necessary. While the idea of forming more militant, independent trade unions is ideal, it's not realistic. The vast majority of workers remain attached to the traditional unions. The role of revolutionaries is to intervene into these unions and encourage the rank-and-file members to fight against the union bureaucracy. At certain points, it can or will be necessary to break away from the leadership of some unions but that should be done by first actively intervening and winning over significant layers. Not breaking away with one man and a dog and trying to win over layers of workers later. Workers themselves must struggle against the bureaucracy and realise the limitations of their leadership through experience, not through the propaganda of other unions. While disagreeing with independent unions breaking away too early (which in many is a sign of cynicism and disillusionment in the strength of the organised trade union movement), I think it's absolutely necessary for revolutionaries to work in those unions if they have any significant base and to consistantly demand in the traditional trade unions, that they take action if independent unions are attacked.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I recognise Che's dedication and self-sacrifice towards revolutionary struggle and for fighting for the downtrodden and poor but I disagree with his tactics of guerrillaism and basing himself on the peasantry, rather than the working class.
Central planning: Yes, based on workers' democracy and the soviets. The co-ordination of resistance to capitalist counter-revolution and the co-ordination and usage of the vast resources of the earth demand democratic, centralised planning by the entire population, not federalised or localised groups.
National-liberation movements: I support the right to self-determination but I remain entirely critical of those movements that lead that struggle and the right to criticise any actions, elements or groups that seek to defeat or subject the working class base of national liberation movements. As James Connolly said "A slum is a slum, no matter what religion is practiced in it or what flag flies over it". The reality though, is that the only solution to the National Question today is socialist revolution. The struggles for national liberation on a capitalist basis are becoming null and void. The working class must fight for a socialist revolution to resolve the National Question.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:
The peasantry must play an auxillary role to the working class in any socialist revolution. Revolutions that base themselves on the peasantry or peasant armies will never develop into genuine socialist societies. Peasants themselves only develop a petit-bourgeois, individualist consciousness and will either fall behind the banner of the two great classes, the working class or the bourgeoisie. The workers must fight for the rights of the peasantry and pull them behind their banner.
The petit-bourgeoisie itself will always fracture in a revolutionary period. Its upper layers will go to the side of the big bourgeoisie and its lower layers will be pulled towards the workers. Like with the peasantry, the working class should fight to win over layers of the petit-bourgeoisie to its banner but must play the leading role. In revolutionary situations though, the working class should be aware that if a revolution fails and the "whip of counter-revolution" or fascism steps into the vacuum, the petit-bourgeoisie are the very basis for fascist reaction.


What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The effects of the Iraq & Lebanese wars and the provocations towards Iran but also the struggles going in Latin America which have the potential to develop towards revolution which will have huge repurcussions internationally.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Russian Revolution, May '68, Spain '36-'39, Chile 1973, Stonewall Riots
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, James P. Cannon (early stuff), James Connolly, Jim Larkin, some Robespierre (on the necessities of revolution, not the bourgeoisie)
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Originally, a transitional socialist society with clear remnants of capitalist economy but eventually becoming a degenerated workers' state because of the backwardness of the economy, isolation and the role of the bureaucracy.

[dannthraxxx]

Name: Dann
Location: US, KY.
Class background: Somewhere between poor-poverty. Working Class.
Ethnic background: Mutt.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No, not really. Although, at times I think it would help spread revolutionary ideas in some country and cause uprise.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Not at all.

Working within current trade unions: Umm, no. Trade Unions are seemingly failures in most cases. They may settle wage disputes in some cases, however, I think they almost always cave into Capitalist ways.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": I dont like this question.

Central planning: Depends.

Terrorism: Yes.

National-liberation movements: No.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: not really, it depends though.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The struggle in the middle east. Contempt and apathy. Struggles in South America and Africa. The "War on Drugs."

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: I'd rather be a part of the current world, I think we should stop living in the past and work towards our own history/futures. I feel the past has obviously failed miserably.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Bakunin, Malatesta, Nietzsche, and Francisco Ferrer.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Confused Chaos.

[Joje]

Name: Johan "Joje" Sjöholm
Location: Linköping, Sweden
Class background: White collar working class with a streak of petty bourgeois (like all Swedes today). My mother is an uneducated chronicly sick office-slave and my father is a highly educated technical salesman and middle level manager at Saab. They are divorced.
Ethnic background: Relevance? If it's necessary I'm a Svenne or Svensson as we say in Sweden, what the supremacists call "Proud Viking"... Asses.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No, it's been tried an it hasn't lasted, if it ever worked for that matter. A party could be necessary at times but not in the role of a vanguard but rather as a backup and a temporary solution and it should be disassembled as soon as the revolution begins.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, a broken representative half-democracy is better than no democracy at all.
Working within current trade unions: Yes, if there are no established radical ones (as SAC in Sweden or CNT in Spain).
Che Guevara and "Focoism": As a bleeding know-it-all, I must point out that it's called Focalism :P But on a serious note, no, I don't believe in Focalism (again, tried and failed, mainly because the discontent wasn't big enough to start with) and the importance of Che is mainly as an icon today.
Central planning: On some level maybe as long as there is direct democratic control over the planning.
Terrorism: No! But as a lot of things that isn't really terrorism is called terrorism today; yes. Or simply put, I support irregular guerilla warfare against invaders, but not bombing of civilians.
National-liberation movements: Yes, as long as they are nationalists and not supremacists or isolationists.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: In modern day Sweden where I live there is almost no true working class, our system of banks and pensions make us all petty bourgeois and the agricultural sector is mostly industrialised in character, if not in organization. Therefor I see Swedish class relations as a binary system, there are capitalists and there is the rest of us.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: US Foreign policy and all that it entails. The inability of the industrialized world to acknowledge the (positive) rights (mainly the right to not starve) of poor countries and people.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Spanish Civil War, the Zapatista upprising in Chiapas, Mexico or possibly the Cuban Revolution.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Kropotkin, Bakunin, Pannekoek, young Hinke Berggren and more recently Murray Bookchin. In some matters , Tito, Gramsci and other more traditionally associated with marxism.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State capitalist, Marxist definition.

[Herman]

Name: Herman. No surname. This is the internet. Everyone is watching.

Location: Many places. I will not say.

Class background: Peasantry, working class and now bourgeois.

Ethnic background: Unimportant.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes.

Working within current trade unions: Yes.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": I support Che Guevara. I do not support Focoism.

Central planning: Yes.

Terrorism: No.

National-liberation movements: Yes.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Yes.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Every event is equally important.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Paris Commune.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Pre-Khruschev - Working Class. After Khruschev - Bourgeois.

[Spirit of Spartacus]

Name?

Spirit of Spartacus
.

Location?

Pakistan
.

Class background?

Petit-bourgeois. My parents are middle-level civil servants. They don't own any means of production, they are salaried employees of the state. Reasonably well-paid by Pakistani standards, yet completely dependent on their own education and skills for a living.
.

Ethnic background?

I identify myself as a Punjabi, although part of my father's family belonged to India, and another part of his family belong to Afghanistan and even Iran. But this stuff is very complicated. By any standard, I am three-quarters Punjabi, and that's enough for me. :)
.

Do you support the concept of a "vanguard" party for the working-class?

Yes. As for centralism within the Party, that should be restricted, not absolute.
.


Do you support communist participation in bourgeois-democratic parliamentarian bodies:

Temporarily yes, while remaining true to revolutionary aims, maintaining a significant armed capability and at ALL costs avoiding reformist tendencies...example: the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
.


Do you support working within current trade unions:

Yes...infiltrate them and shift their rank-and-file membership towards a revolutionary stance. But trade unions cannot take the place of an organized Vanguard Party.
.

What is your opinion of Che Guevara and the theory of "Focoism"?

I agree with all of Che's political positions. I view him as a Marxist-Leninist and an anti-revisionist who criticized Khruschevite revisionism and called for Third World solidarity against the imperialist onslaught.
BUT, I disagree with Focoism as a strategy. There is no substitute for building a mass vanguard party of the workers and peasants.
Having said that, Focoism can work on a limited scale, given the material circumstances. I believe Focoism can be used on a tactical level within the wider strategic context of a People's War.
.

Do you support central planning of a socialist economy?

Certainly. But for a successful planned economy, workers must have democratic control over the central planning bureau, and planning must be based on feedback from below.
.

Do you support the use of terrorism to achieve revolutionary goals?

ANYTHING is permissible if it is done in the class interests of the workers and peasants. But as for "terrorism", that depends on how you define it.
Armed struggle must be carried out through guerilla tactics. Of course the class enemy must fear us, and so it is vital to terrorize the enemy. But conventional "terrorist" tactics, especially those which involve civilian casualties, should be discouraged.
My opposition to "terrorist" methods is not moral or ethical, it is purely from a military and political point of view. Terrorism has never succeeded in bringing about a working-class revolution. History and current events show that only organized, mass political action can liberate the working-class and bring about the dictatorship of the proletariat.
Armed struggle is a vital part of the revolutionary movement, but this armed struggle must consist of targeted guerrilla operations aimed at military targets or other representatives of the State. Attacking unarmed civilians, setting off bombs in public places and other activities of this sort are harmful to the revolutionary cause.
However, I don't consider attacks on the military or other State forces to be "terrorism". And if such attacks on the State are defined as "terrorism", they are still acceptable. :P
.

Do you support national-liberation movements?

Yes. These should be the first priority of the revolutionary communists everywhere in the world.
.

What do you think of the role of the peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie?

The peasantry in the Third World is indeed a revolutionary force.
As for the petit-bourgeoisie, some members of it are progressive, some are even revolutionary intellectuals...a significant majority will remain reactionary, however.
.

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today?

The ongoing Iraq War. It has clarified the anti-imperialist path which communists worldwide must follow, exposed the reactionary, brutal and treacherous nature of Imperialism. It has provided us with a platform on which to organize our fight against imperialism and the capitalist world-system.
.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in?

I would like to be in:

> October 1917, Russia.

> 1933, Germany (on the Communist side, fighting the rise of Nazism in Germany).

> May 1945, the Soviet Union victorious against Fascism.

> 1968, Pakistan...a time of intense class struggle and anti-imperialism.
.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

(While I associate my views with all of the people mentioned in this list, I have significant theoretical disagreements with some of them. I have tried to state those disagreements in brackets next to each name)

> Vladimir Lenin (I endorse his views fully: no disagreements that I can think of)

> Rosa Luxembourg (Among other things, I disagree with her stance on the national question)

> MN Roy (I criticize the reformist stance which he took later in his life)

> Alexandra Kollontai (I can't think of any disagreements, based on what I've read from her major works)

> Bhagat Singh (I endorse his views fully: no disagreements that I can think of)

> Kwame Nkrumah (I agree with most of his major theoretical positions, as well as his practical efforts in the fight against imperialism, his efforts to develop Ghana with emphasis on social justice, and his solidarity with other oppressed nations in Africa and elsewhere)

> Mao Zedong (I endorse his theoretical views fully, as well as most of his practical work as a revolutionary leader. However, I completely disagree with the ridiculous foreign policy blunders committed by Mao's government after 1956, using the ridiculous concept of "Soviet Social-Imperialism" as an excuse for outright opportunism)

> Che Guevara (I endorse his theoretical work fully, and also his practical efforts as a revolutionary leader. However, I don't think his concept of Focoism is a good strategy for a revolutionary struggle. In fact, it led to his own death)

> Fidel Castro (some minor disagreements here and there)
.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union?

It was a workers' state until the late 80s.

It was destroyed by a combination of the following:

> revisionism which crept in during the Khruschev era

> imperialist encirclement, which led to a disproportionately huge military budget, which strained the resources of the Soviet state far too much.

[Panda Tse Tung]

Name: N/A
Location: the Netherlands
Class background: Working Class
Ethnic background: Mostly Dutch, partly Huguenot

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, as i believe it is the task of a vanguard-party to make the working people's aware of their situation, and that they can change it (of course they are already aware of the situation, but they wont be able to place it in the right context. Unless they do lots of self-study which i don't expect of most workers.).
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, as a way to gain support.
Working within current trade unions: Yes, because that is (in the case of the Netherlands) where the majority of the class conscious working class are to be found.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I support Che Guevara, just not Focoism.
Central planning: Yes, from an economical point of view this is the best and most realistically applicable. I have studied other theories, but they are all flawed. For some reason Marxists aren't the bright economists they used to be.
Terrorism: Only to support a people's war.
National-liberation movements: Yes.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Depends on the country, in the Netherlands i wouldn't count on them too much. But in the majority of the third world they could just as well side with the proletariat.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Liberalization of our rights (the Lissabon-agenda). That is the most important one to me, probably not in the world. But I'm assuming thats what he meant with the question.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:
- Russia 1917
- China 1949
- Any country during it's liberation in 1945 (or earlier/later)
- Paris 1968
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Lin Biao, Che Guevara and Paul de Groot.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It has been a workers-state until the point it collapsed. Only from 1956 this workers-state was mostly under direct control of the bureaucracy, rather then the working classes themselves.

[Ol' Dirty]

If they can name you, they can own you.

[Joby]

Name: Paranoid Socialist

Location: Dallas

Class background: "Middle class"; Middle-Class living accomadations. I'm in school with a low-paying job.

Ethnic background: A lot of white stuff

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

No.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Yes. You're never going to get large amounts of support if you won't offer some immediate solutions to problems. Saying, "Oh support us and after a revolution everything will be great" will never be as effective as saying "Shorter work-week, higher pay, lower taxes for lower income, and free single-payer healthcare."

Working within current trade unions:

Yes, in theory. It'd be nice if the left picked up were it left off 60 years ago concerning support among trade unions.

Che Guevara and "Focoism":

Depends on the intepretation of "Focoism"

Central planning:

Yes, by democratic means at first. Eventually, almost everything should be done at a very local level.

Terrorism:

No. Target the system, not individual citizens in "scare tactics."

National-liberation movements:

Yes, if there the ones fighting for liberation. I'm not, however, for invading other peaceful countries.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

Depends on the definitions of "peasants" in a first world country, but we'd definitely show that they will benefit from change.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The Iraq War. People are starting to come around and say we shouldn't be there -- Not because we're losing, like the democrats play off of, but because it's wrong.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Locke, Eugene Debs, Che

What was the class character of the Soviet Union:

Almost anything but a workers-state.

[Revolution Until Victory]

Name: Revolution Until Victory

Class Background: Mother is a teacher, father is a marxist-leninist, civil servant.

Ethnic Background: Palestinian

A "vanguard" party: Yes

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, but with no compromise on any principles.

Working within current trade unions: No

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Che, defenatly. Focoism, if it works, yes.

Central planning: Yes

Terrorism: Don't think it's a good idea to have such a question in the current situation. If "terrorism" means scaring someone, they hell yes. If it means anything anti-imperialist, then again, yes. If it means hurting innocents, probably not.

National-liberation movements: Yes, no question abou it.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Depends on the situation. At times, reactionary, at times progressive and revolutionary.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

Colonialism, imperialism, and the opposition it faces.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:


Ho Chi Minh, Engles, Lenin, Mao, Marx, Che, among others.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in?

The siege of Tal al Za'tar Palestinian refugee camp in lebanon, when it was pounded during the Lebanese civil war by the racist right-wing lebanese facists and thier syrian, US and Zionist allies, while it was resisting by the Palestinian and lebanese leftists armed factions.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union:

State capitalist, but at first, working class.

[Faux Real]

Name: Your mum
Location: San Francisco, near the Castro district! <3

Class Background: Student prole. Mother = Nanny/Housecleaner, father who lives separately & never really provided much support = Insurance Company salesman

Ethnic Background: Nicaraguens&#233; (to break it down, dad is of North African/Arab decent, mum of Spanish decent)

A "vanguard" party: If there is no centralization of power, yes.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, with proper representation voted by the proletariat.

Working within current trade unions: Not as they stand today...

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes, I support his ideas and hair. Focoism? yes, sure, some places can apply his ideas.

Central planning: No, it's exclusive and detrimental to working-class liberation.

Terrorism: Attacks on reactionaries and class traitors when effective. Terrorism does not mean attacks on military targets.

National-liberation movements: Yes.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Those who do not stand in the way of liberation, yes.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Anything the USA sticks its nose into that will lead to capitalism's downfall. Namely the War on International Opposition to US Dominance and the current economic crises (a byproduct of the need for militant expenditures anyway).

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Gramsci, Malcom X, Leila Khaled, Salvador Allende, Pablo Neruda, Alfonso Fonseca, Ernesto Guevera, Ghassan Kanafani, & George Habash.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in? Latin America during the 70's, Civil War Spain, Islamic Spain, and the Civil Right's era.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Proletarian democracy until the ban of all other political parties except the Bolsheviks. Pro-world revolution worker's state until death of Lenin. Paranoid isolationist authoritarianism under Stalin. Revisionist welfare state under Kruschev until Gorby. Social-Democracy under Gorbachev.

[sp468732]

Name: Adam

Location: New Jersey, USA

Class background: I was adopted at birth, and my birth parents were both working class and young. My current parents are petit-bourgeois and working class. My mother is a elementary school teacher and active in her union while my father owns a small craft supply business inherited from his father.

Ethnic background: Mixed European

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes and no. Only to show liberals that there is no hope in reform when those parliamentary bodies fail. I know they can never get anything done.

Working within current trade unions: Unions can help bring about gradual change and win short term victories. However, the current state of unionism in the USA is pathetic. Unions need to evolve if they are to bring about a revolution.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.

Central planning: Only is it is horizontal and controlled democratically.

Terrorism: Killing, no. Property damage and sabotage, if it is used properly and at the right time.

National-liberation movements: No.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They are not our enemies, but not our friends yet. They can be brought over to our side with some effort.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: That&#39;s a tough one. 9/11, Iraq war, too many others to list

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Columbia University- 1968, France 1968, any and all other moments where people spoke out and shut down the system.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Emma Goldman, The "Tank Man" at Tiananmen Square, everyone who stepped out of line for freedom

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State-capitalist

[Coggeh]

Name: Kevin
Location:Eire ,Cork

Class Background: Working Class
Ethnic Background: Irish

A "vanguard" party:Yes

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, to raise consciousness with workers and to be used as a platform for defending workers rights.

Working within current trade unions:Trade unions can be a good way for organizing workers but with their Bureaucratic leadership they do not represent workers or their rights anymore .

Che Guevara and "Focoism":Yes and Don&#39;t know .

Central planning: Yes, based on workers&#39; democracy and the soviets. The co-ordination of resistance to capitalist counter-revolution and the co-ordination and usage of the vast resources of the earth demand democratic, centralised planning by the entire population, not federalised or localised groups.

Terrorism: When done by working class as a whole against the bourgeois in the name of the revolution yes.

National-liberation movements: Yes, all nations have the right to sovereignty although i don&#39;t stand along the ones that don&#39;t share marxist beliefs .

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Can be won over .
What, Who, and Where.....What

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: War in Iraq .

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:Marx,Lenin and Trotsky.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in? 1917 Russia

What was the class character of the Soviet Union:Workers state until the bureaucratic regime of Stalin created a stagnant deformed state that only naturally lead back to capitalism

[Asstrumpet]

Name: Derek
Location: new york city

Class Background: Middle/Proletariat, Living with Mom/Living with Dad. I&#39;m doing the latter now.
Ethnic Background: Puerto Rican, Honduran, and distantly Italian

A "vanguard" party: Yes.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: I suppose it is a method of Revolutionizing a government, though I, when it comes to Revolutionary tactics, Guevarist.

Working within current trade unions: Not current trade unions, they are bureaucratic and do not truly support the working Proletariat.

Che Guevara and "Focoism"- Yes and yes, though as far as I know it is just called "Foco"

Central Planning: Yes, in the case of worker&#39;s democracy.

Terrorism: When against the bourgeois. Usual terrorism is aimed at the civilians.

National liberation movements: With the support of the people and fighting the good fight, certainly.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeois: As far as I know (and I don&#39;t know much), these two differ greatly. Petit-bourgeois is the middle class. I guess I could support them, as they are not the rich and snotty Capitalists I hate so much, though most are Capitalists. The peasentry, definitely. They are Proletarian.

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The war in iraq.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, and in some cases Mao.

Where would you like to be in history: Saving Che in Bolivia.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Good gone bad.

[Idola Mentis]

Name: Simply glimpsing the first few syllables would drive you mad. MAD&#33;
Location: Oslo, Norway.

Class Background: Does it matter? If you think it does, kindly go fuck yourself with something spiky.
Anyway, small-scale farming/fishing, with some academics in recent years.
Ethnic Background: Norwegian.

A "vanguard" party: Conditional. Whatever works in a given time and place.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Conditional.

Working within current trade unions: Why not? Anything if it can do some good.

Che Guevara and "Focoism" Heroes of the past is all very nice and that. Yes for whatever may be learned from them by us, now.

Central Planning: Depends on the central. Generally, no.

Terrorism: Whore word. Can be used to mean anything you don&#39;t like. I&#39;m not getting stuck to that tarbaby.

National liberation movements: Depends on the ideology and who&#39;s paying for the party.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeois: What about them? Class is a complex thing. Just throwing out two aging and overused labels tells me nothing.

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: China.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Starting from Marcus Thrane, Jens Bjørneboe, Noam Chomsky, Michel Foucault.

Where would you like to be in history: Here.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Did it have one? Fascism with a pretty face, like any other state based on violence and coercion.

[abbielives!]

Name: It&#39;s a secret

Location: westcoast (formerly midwest)

Class Background: wage slaves

Ethnic Background: Danish+ Scottish

A "vanguard party: fuck that elitist shit

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: never voted IN MY LIFE

Working within current trade unions: i would rathe work with industrial unions

Che Guevara and "Focoism": i respect Che, but his theory is for shit

Central Planning: is support partipitory planning as in pareon

Terrorism: yes, unless you mean killing innocent civilians

National-liberation movements: in part

The peasantry and petit-boureois: as long as they want to bring the system down...

What is the most important event in the world today: Iraq

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Berkman, Machiavelli, Alfrado Bonanno(sp), Micheal Albert

Where would you like to be in history: Spain 1936

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: meet the new boss, same as the old boss

[spartan]

Name: spartan of course :)

Location: North Wales in the UK.

Class background: Working class.

Ethnic background: Anglo-Celtic.

A "vanguard" party: No because history has shown that, more often than not, it leads to a new ruling class/hierarchy.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Only if it leads to victory and the destruction of Bourgeoisie Democracy.

Working within current trade unions: Yes if it helps the cause.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": I like Che but not Focoism.

Central planning: To a degree but it should be completly under the control of the workers themselves not "representatives" (i.e. Bureaucrats) of the workers.

Terrorism: No as it more often than not leads to unnecessary deaths against the people who rely on for support (The Proletariat).

I do however believe that economic sabotage is far better as it attacks the economic structure of a country which is unlikely to cause deaths but make more people angry at the Capitalist system which cant provide basic services tothe people.

This would in turn lead to the material conditions necessary for a Socialist revolution to become a reality&#33;

I also believe that high profile assassinations of important enemy figures is perfectly acceptable as well.

National liberation movements: Only if they have the proletariats best intrests at heart and dont base their ideas on religion.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: If they agree with the struggle then, yes, let them contribute to our struggle by all means.

What is the most important event in the world today: China&#39;s rise to the top of the Capitalist world and Americas decline and also how the developing third world is going to deal with climate change.

What historical characters do you most associate yourself with: All the men and women who have struggled against tyranny and continue to do so to this day.
Where would you like to be in history: Ancient Greece, ancient Republican Rome, the French revolution and the Paris commune of 1871.

What was the class character of the soviet union: Centralised and planned economy, which was under the control of an un-Democratic Bureaucracy, who claimed to be the "vanguard" and "representatives" of the workers, but were in fact just a new ruling class who lived in bigger homes and had more money than your average worker so that they could have more luxurious things which workers had no access to.

The USSR basically invented Bureaucratic State Capitalism.

[violinist]

Name: The youth who loved the moon
Location: The far north.
Class background: Unimportant, but rather interesting. During the early years, upper-middle class. My parents were both educators so we were able to do fairly well, with them both being insanely hard workers. However, later years of union sympathy and attempts to relocate more funds towards actual educational infrastructure lowered them to middle class, and then lower class. At one point, we were living in a park ranger hut on the kindness of a forest ranger. We are now back to lower-middle class earnings. My history has more variation still with huge amounts of various leftist influence, including a socialist mystic, angry left-wing preacher, and a trade union organizer murdered by the bosses.

Ethnic background: Norweigan, German, Southern United States, Latvian, Lithuanian, Romanian, Polish, Estonian, English, Welsh, Scottish, Swedish, Danish. Whew.

Do you support:

A "vanguard" party: No. I understand the desire to fill your ranks with only the most revolutionary of the workers, but anyone who claims to speak for the many while represented by the few will invariably turn into a tyrant and dictator. It is either all of us or none of us.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Absolutely. We must sieze every chance, take every option. I do not believe voting changes much, but why give anyone another option to rule it over us?

Working within current trade unions: Certainly. There are many good people in the current unions, as well as some who seek only profit... But they are as good as any. Perhaps eventually, we will complete the IWW dream, however.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": It depends on the context.

Central planning: Not if we can avoid it. Centralization is easily corruptable... But it can have it&#39;s purposes. I only hope to take care that the easily seductive whisper of centralization does not become our vanguard party of the economy.

Terrorism: Sabotage, yes. An act that purposely seeks to cause violence to others or their kin simply on the basis of &#39;sparking the revolution&#39;: No. Violence is a twisting snake that bites the hand that feeds it. All revolutions borne of violence devour their own children.

National-liberation movements: Yes, although ideally, we will reach a state where there are no countries, no masters high or low.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Bundling workers into class groups based on job rather than wealth seems a bit dangerous to me. Many farmers and low-income peasants I have met are just as revolutionary or more than many &#39;proletariat&#39; I have met. But, I am against using class terminology when I can help it. Judge based on individual, rather than mass... A mass composed of individuals who nevertheless work together is the most dangerous kind, and what we need.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Everywhere that people have no free say over their government, where food is not on a table, where the only music is the sound of dominaters taking their unrighteous share... There is no single most important event. All is linked, and we must change all, or nothing.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: All would be fascinating, but I feel I am needed here, in the present.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Huey P. Long, Big Bill Haywood, Pete Seeger, Joe Hill, Upton Sinclair, Eugene Debs, Rosa Luxembourg, Emma Goldman, Karl Liebknecht, Utah Phillips, Helen Keller.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: All good ideas were quickly subsumed by the great Czars of Industry and Nationalism. I will not take sides or defend various characters... What happened in Russia was a tragedy, one with heroes and villains on many sides, but casualties all.

[Philosophical Materialist]

Name: Philosophical Materialist (for my own safety, I am not giving a name)

Location: County Durham, Britain

Class background: Working class.

Ethnic background: British/Irish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, a highly-political and conscious wing of the working class is essential to proletariat defence, struggle and working class rule. However the vanguard party must be extremely democratic and be answerable to the working class as a whole (and not the other way round).

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, but with recognition of the severe limitations of engaging in bourgeois parliamentarianism. Participating and agitating for &#39;the best of the worst&#39; in the parliamentary sphere is sometimes required when the very limited gains of social democracy and social liberalism come under attack from conservativism and neoliberalism.

Working within current trade unions: Yes, partly for the reasons described above. Trade Unions are of a limited revolutionary consciousness but they still play an important rôle in securing gains for workers under a hostile environment of pro-big business policies. Assisting workers&#39; struggles for better pay, conditions and job security within trade unions can bring solidarity and the potential for greater class agitation and consciousness with the presence of a highly-conscious socialist vanguard.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes, but limited. It is very difficult to apply this doctrine out of certain endemic circumstances, but this strategy for class confrontation and resistance must not be rejected totally.

Central planning: Yes, planning on a continent-wide, national, and regional scale is essential to provide all key sectors of the economy supplied with labour and raw materials. Without market mechanisms there is no generation of surplus value for capitalists, and central planning is a way to micromanage the economy so that production is efficient and costs are kept low whilst the workers are paid for as much as their labour as possible (sans labour credit, paid to the state in taxation for provision of governance and social services).

National-liberation movements: Yes, we must protect peoples from imperialism regardless of whether they are explicitly revolutionary socialist in character. In the case of a imperialist major power exerting onto a smaller reactionary capitalist power, we must above all support the working classes in both countries. Unfortunately this may involve limited assistance to the reactionary bourgeois government of the country subject to imperialist aggression, however assistance must only be provided when the defence of the working class is at stake.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: The peasantry is by its nature reactionary and lacks the consciousness to be at the forefront of a revolution. However, given the right situations, a highly-conscious section of the peasantry can develop and join the working class vanguard. The petit-bourgeoisie is a more complicated class, in that it is divided between aspirational reactionaries, liberals, and social democrats. Revolutionaries can spring from this group but they are a minority. This class will prefer the status quo over any transition to socialism, unless they are subject to bourgeois/ruling class oppression under particular economic circumstances and warfare, thus leading to radicalisation. Under a socialist system this class will be integrated into the proletariat much more successfully than the main bourgeoisie.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Iraq War.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Russia 1917

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Bertrand Russell, Lenin, Michel Foucault

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: The Soviet Union degenerated from a workers&#39; state, to a bureaucratic collectivist state over the course of its history. The pressures of hostile nations, Stalin&#39;s cult of personality, and the decrease in workers&#39; democracy (as a result of corruption, Stalinism, and bureaucratic reactions over fears of worker dissent leading to counter-revolution and state weakness in the face of hostile international powers), all served to handicap the Soviet Union in the growth of an overwhelming bureaucracy which parasitically siphoned some of the service and goods production via corruption.

[lombas]

Nice topic

[Random Precision]

Name: Bill
Location: United States
Class Background: Petit-bourgeois
Ethnic Background: Cracker

Do you support...?

A vanguard party: Absolutely, there cannot be a revolution without one. What we must make sure of is that the party is directly responsible to and controlled by the proletariat. We know what can happen otherwise.

Participation in parliamentary bodies: For purposes of generating mass support, and extracting reforms from the capitalist state, yes.

Working within current trade unions: Yes.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.

Central planning: Yes.

Terrorism: Not usually, but it is justifiable in settler colonies like Algeria and South Africa in the past, and Israel today.

National liberation struggles: Yes. National liberation is most definitely a victory for the working class, and often leads it to draw more revolutionary conclusions. It should be supported as a good first step for much of the world.

The peasants and petit-bourgeoisie: During a revolutionary situation, great numbers of them can be won over to the revolution. But, as classes they cannot have a revolutionary role and can only participate as individuals.

What, who and where?

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today? The crisis of American imperialism in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world. Also, the rise of the left in Latin America.

Where would you like to be in history, what historical event would you like to be in? The Russian Revolution and Civil War, the Spanish Revolution and Civil War, Europe/United States during the thirties, SDS before the split, etc.

What historical characters do you most associate with your views? Karl Marx, Frederick Engels, Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Victor Serge, Rosa Luxemburg, George Lukács, Alexandra Kollontai, Tony Cliff, George Orwell, Hal Draper, Malcolm X

What was the class character if the Soviet Union? I will quote from one of my favorite users here:


When the smoke of revolution cleared and the forces of reaction were wiped from the battlefields of Russia, the iron laws of capitalist development reasserted themselves. We call this Stalinism.

Stalinism proved that the essential class basis for capitalism is not a bourgeoisie based on private ownership and control of the means of production; but a modern proletariat, free from ownership or control of the means of production.

The bureaucracy acted as a proxy bourgeoisie, driving accumulation and modernizing social relations of production until it finally encumbered that development and thence transformed itself into a real bourgeoisie.

[Enragé]

Name: Dylan
Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
Class background: Higher working class (mother a teacher, father works at salvation army last i heard)
Ethnic background: Dutch, and way back german/austro-hungarian

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Every single decent revolutionary group (i.e they try to convince people, dont sit on their ass) is a vanguard, whether they call themselves so or not.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: In some circumstances yes, it can be used as a method of propagada. Under the current circumstances in the netherlands its however pretty much useless.
Oh and if the question is if i vote, yes i do. If you want a good example of how much abstentionism can suck, look at the government of Spain just before the Popular Front one (which came to be cuz the CNT abstained). Oh and the argument "you legitimise the power the state has over you" is rubbish, they have power over you regardless, best to influence it then dont you think, so that it at least doesnt suck as much as it couldve sucked.
Working within current trade unions: Yes, most definately.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No, guerilla warfare is not the way to conduct a revolution.
Central planning: No, or extremely limited.
Terrorism: If its useful, point is 99% of the time it is not (it scares people off, look at the RAF)
National-liberation movements: Yes.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Peasantry = Allies, petit-bourgeoisie = differs from person to person.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The nearing defeat of the imperialist stranglehold which the US has on the word, and the revival of the revolutionary left worldwide.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spanish Civil War, in either a CNT militia or a POUM militia.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Kropotkin, Gramsci, Luxemburg
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Honestly i couldnt care less, it was fucking shit and thats all there is to it.

[Luís Henrique]

Name: Luís Henrique (surprise, surprise&#33;)
Location: Brasília, Brazil
Class background: "Middle class"; more exactly the upper layers of the working class. Civil servant; mom and dad are engineers.

Ethnic background: Mongrel.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No. I support the working class organising in parties, and I don&#39;t think a vanguard is optional; it exists, whether we like it or not. But the idea that a particular party is "the" vanguard is wrong.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes.

Working within current trade unions: Yes.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.

Central planning: No.

Terrorism: No, because it is never an action permeated by the workers as a whole.

National-liberation movements: Depends.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Must be won to the cause of the proletariat.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The political crisis of American Imperialism.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Now; none.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Karl Marx, Rosa Luxemburg, Nikolai Bukharin, August Tallheimer, Andrés Nin.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: A bourgeois revolution conducted by the proletariat, due to the unwillingness of the Russian bourgeoisie.

Luís Henrique

[McCaine]

Name: Matthijs Krul
Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands
Class background: Academic upper middle class; my grandparents are millionaires, my parents are both full professors of history. Most of my family is involved in academia or education generally in some way.
Ethnic background: Dutch. A bit of (Slovakian) Ashkenazi from my mothers&#39; side.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Hard to say. In underdeveloped nations, probably. In developed nations, probably not. Depends on the circumstances and what kind of party it is. I think any serious &#39;vanguard&#39; party should be as democratic and &#39;big tent&#39; as possible though, as long as all members are committed to socialism in one way or another. I detest all forms of sectarianism.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Absolutely. It&#39;s ridiculous to throw away the way of legally and peacefully obtaining (some) power in liberal democratic systems. A major tactical and theoretical mistake in my opinion.
Working within current trade unions: Certainly support them over anti-union people at all times. But we must try to orient them towards the left as much as possible, democratize them, and if possible have them controlled by committed socialists. Better and easier to do this from within than without though.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: Yes, certainly. I&#39;m quite convinced of the historical evidence in favor of state planned economies. Nevertheless, like all economic management, it is a highly difficult operation and easily falls prey to unintended consequences (this goes for laissez-faire just as much). It&#39;s absolutely crucial for all people to be informed about radical political economics, and the do&#39;s and don&#39;ts of historical experience. But as long as that is the case, I support it.
Terrorism: Depends on the circumstances.
National-liberation movements: Only if that&#39;s the most progressive movement realistically available for popular support. To be co-opted whenever possible. Fortunately, history shows this often combines well with state capitalism, which is a good first step.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: In most of the developing world, it&#39;s utopian and silly to pretend you can get anywhere without the peasantry. In the developed world, they&#39;re mostly a burden and a barrier to reforms. In any case we must try to get rid of both classes through economic policy, but not through "dekulakization" or whatever. These policies can even be done within capitalist frameworks, like for example the policy of Sicco Mansholt. In any case I harbor no class ill will qua class.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: An odd question. I suppose the Iraq war, as it draws the most eyes. But I don&#39;t think this is a useful question.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Probably like most people here, the early USSR (1917-1928).
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: If we take &#39;historical characters&#39; here to refer to theorists of all kinds, as seems to be the intent: Engels, Marx, J.S. Mill, Rorty, Lenin, Wittgenstein. But I admire many valiant fighters for progressive policies and truthfulness, even if I have theoretical disagreements with them. I can even admire people that are politically reactionary if they are otherwise intellectually honest and intelligent, like W.F. Hermans.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: I&#39;m not sure what that means. But I support the USSR, with reservations, in the abovementioned period 1917-1928 (ok it was only called that from 1923 on, but you know what I mean), and I oppose it, with reservations, from 1928 on to 1985. I certainly don&#39;t think the USSR ever had a fully developed socialist society in any case.

[A Suvorov]

Name: Alexander

Location: Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Class background: "Middle class"; my birth father was in the Air Force (killed in air crash, 1967)- stepfather was an insurance salesman, and now works for computer manufacturer; mother worked in my old high school office. I am a 12-year military vet (4 in the US Marines, 8 in the US Army) and now work in Hospital Administration

Ethnic background: Scot/English and German

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, if those involved are truly dedicated to THE PARTY and not working for personal power.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.

Working within current trade unions: Learn from their experience, perhaps as members of current unions, but lay the groundwork for new unions post-Revolution.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.

Central planning: As a Communist I advocate for democratic centralism, as long as the leading commissars are accountable to, and subject to recall by, the National Convention

Terrorism: As a political statement, no- the only attacks I would support are those taken against infrastructure, not civilians. However, if faced with military intervention, guerilla-style tactics are not out of the question (again, avoiding the alienation of the public whose support we would be trying to win to &#39;our&#39; side).

National-liberation movements: Depending on the end-game plan- is the &#39;new&#39; nation simply to be a repeat of the last petty dictatorship, or a truly progressive body?

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Useful to those who can manipulate them the best.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Obviously, the current Middle Eastern conflict. Unless contained, it will spread and the overall world situation will deteriorate to the logical conclusion: USA vs. The World as everyone takes on the US over control of natural resources (read: OIL). My pick for winner? The World, hands down, with the US public left with hell to pay for their lack of foresight and common sense in choosing leaders.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Russian Revolution, The Great Patriotic War (at Stalingrad), or the American Revolution

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: I wold have to say, off the cuff, most likely Lenin and Trotsky- with a nod toward learning from the actions of Stalin with respect to the gaining of power (but not his aplication of it)

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was founded as a workers&#39; state, but under Stalin and his successors degenerated into a bureaucratic nightmare that eventually restored capitalism and led to its downfall.

[Cooler Reds Will Prevail]

Name: Sebastian

Location: Sacramento, CA

Class background: Growing up, I suppose petit-bourgeoisie would be the best way to put it... My parents are both upper-level civil servants in their respective fields, so neither of them own any means of production. I am, myself, proletarian by choice.

Ethnic background: Mexican and a mix of other Western European ethnicities.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Absolutely, the masses need a strong organization with strong, proletarian leadership.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No. If voting changed anything, it would be illegal. Working within the bourgeois institutions accomplishes nothing unless the vast majority of the movement is vested outside of these institutions.

Working within current trade unions: Working with them for progressive change is fine, but they are not revolutionary in character and would have to be replaced once those alliances are no longer necessary. They are only useful to us while we are not in a revolutionary situation.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": I&#39;m on the fence with this one. I don&#39;t think that a small guerrilla force can realistically win any war in modern conditions, but it can be used as a rallying base for more people to get involved in the movement and, from there, create a large enough force to actually be able to take power.

Central planning: Yes.

Terrorism: Depends on the situation... Normally I&#39;d say no, but there are circumstances where I would be ambivalent or moderately supportive of it as long as it is not perpetrated against a potential base of support for the movement.

National-liberation movements: Once again, depends on the situation. Most of the time, yes, but with caution as to their motives.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: The peasantry is a potentially revolutionary class depending on the nation in question and I generally agree with the Maoist analysis of the class as a whole. The petit-bourgeoisie is a potential base for support, but in general does not have a revolutionary character though there can be leftist elements within it that may be inclined toward the masses.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Iraq War and the potential U.S. war with Iran.

Where would you like to be in history: what historical event would you like to be in: The Chinese or Cuban revolutions, assuming I spoke Mandarin for the former. Also the Black Panther Party&#39;s height of popularity.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Huey P. Newton, Mao Zedong, Vladimir Lenin, Jose Carlos Mariategui, and Fidel Castro&#39;s more modern understanding of imperialism.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: On the right track at first but unfortunately Lenin had two very unfit successors vying for power after him. Stalin came around before any institutions could be made for the people to hold the Party more accountable, and we saw the results of that failure in 91 and, obviously, way before that.

[Comrade Nadezhda]

Name: Nadia
Location: Madison, WI, United States
Class background: working-class. my father sold products for various companies most of my life. he lost his job a few times because of buy-outs. every 2 years he would get a new job. my mother worked at various places - for a while she worked in a factory, after that she had a similar job as my father did, sales. when my sister was born she had to leave her job which was not easy. the strangest part is that my uncle (my father&#39;s brother) is very wealthy. he owned stock and was involved in an investor group and he gained millions. he used to give money to my parents - and eventually my father worked for him for a period of nearly 2 years- that was before i left home. but he still supported capitalism( mostly because of the wealth my uncle attained), for the mostpart my relatives were of the working-class.

Ethnic background: German, Hungarian, Norwegian, French

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, I do. A vanguard party is necessary to not only have a successful revolution but to create awareness among the members of the working-class of the exploitation and subordinate forces that exist in capitalist society.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No

Working within current trade unions: No

Che Guevara and "Focoism": yes in nations where conditions make it possible.

Central planning: yes, it is necessary

Terrorism: depends on what is meant by "terrorism". not if terrorism if it is defined as something like "Al Qaeda"

National-liberation movements: if socialist revolution cannot occur in the country, than yes.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:
in order for peasants and the petit-bourgeoisie to have a role in the revolution they must seek proletarian democracy and not bourgeois democracy, otherwise that is how counter-revolution develops as a threat.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: the potential revolutionary situations in Latin America

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: the russian revolution

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

I. Lenin (theory of imperialism, monopoly capitalism, etc)
II. Marx (reason for the order being that it was Lenin who joined Marx&#39;s theory of capital with the beginning of the monopoly stage of capitalism and imperialism)

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: the soviet union was founded as a worker&#39;s state and was that until Lenin&#39;s death.

[Red Scare]

Name: Sean
Location: Burlington, Vermont
Class background: Middle Class.
Ethnic background: Irish, Scottish, French, Swedish, and Norwegian

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes and no. Since I am luxembergist I am very critical of the idea, as long as it was extremely democratic, without any leaders, then yes.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: Yes, in the interest of the workers.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes and no. I have heard rumors about Che being stalinist, but I guess I support him. His image has been used in capitalistic ways too much, maybe he should not have posed for so many pictures...
Central planning: No
Terrorism: To liberate workers
National-liberation movements: Yes and no...
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: I guess I support the peasantry and the petit-bourgeoisie sometimes.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The US&#39;s imperialism in other countries.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spanish Civil War
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Luxemberg, Bakunin, Engels, Trotsky
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It had tainted orgins and ended up being a huge beauricratic mess...

[Organic Revolution]

Name: Collin

Location: Portland, Oregon

Class background: Working class. Mom is a nurse, no idea what my dad does.

Ethnic background: French/Polish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

God no.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Nope

Working within current trade unions:

Only the IWW, anything else is defeatism.

Che Guevara and "Focoism":

Nope

Central planning:

God no

Terrorism:

Depends on who is the target, what is the target, and why.

National-liberation movements:

Depends on the politics and stated aims and goals of the movement. I dont, however, blindly support national movements without taking a look at what they are.


The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

What do you mean by that? Peasants have been quite a revolutionary body, but what do you mean, how do I support them?

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

Iraq war probably.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Makhnovia (revolutionary Ukraine), Seattle, or any large summit protest, May 1968 in Paris, or the jura

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Bakunin, Kropotkin, Goldman, Metzger, Makhno

[YSR]

Name: Brendan
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Class background: Student/worker, child of middle class workers
Ethnic background: anti-white Irish-American

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.

Working within current trade unions: Only as a dual-card strategy with revolutionary unions. I am a member of the IWW.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Guerrilla warfare in traditional terms is a losing strategy against the modern state. Many more innocents are killed.
Central planning: No. Inefficient and impossible to work.

Terrorism: Only culturally.

National-liberation movements: Insofar as they are of a national and not state orientation, yes. But critically.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Peasantry: yes. Petit-bourgeois: no.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The rapid decentralization of capital and reconcentration in the form of what Hardt and Negri have called the post-modern "Empire".

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The unknown future.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Andre Breton, Petr Kropotkin, Emma Goldman, Joe Hill, Franklin Rosemont.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State-bourgeois.

[Muted Faith]

Name: Justin.
Location: USA.

Class Background: Inner City Proletarian, all my life. This low level of society led me to Marxism at a young age.
Ethnic Background: Norwegian, Swedish, German, and I think distantly Italian.

Vanguard Party? No thanks. The working class can organize without a party dictatorship following the revolt.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies? No.
Working within current labour unions? Only those created for revolutionary causes, such as the Wobblies. And I suppose a normal union could be a place to organize but only to recruit, not as a revolutionary vehicle.
Che Guevara and "Focoism"? No.
Central Planning? No. No State altogether for me.

Terrorism? No, it&#39;s unneccassary to the cause anyway. Terrorism invokes terror in the people and is used to instate fear, thus it is called terrorism. Violence against the Bourgeois, such as assassination? Also a no. The only who need to be hurt are the counterrevolutionaries directly, the bourgeois will bring about its own fall.
National-liberation movements? If created for the sole purpose of revolution, of course. What people don&#39;t seem to understand is that revolutionaries must only use...um...duh...REVOLUTIONARY organizations.
Peasentry and petit-bourgeois? All who subscribe to Marxism can be a Revolutionary, their class does not matter. All who oppose us will fall, all who do not will be victorious and lead great lives in Socialism.

What is the most important contemporary event? The rise of Capitalism, the rise that will approach it&#39;s fall. We need only wait for class warfare.
Where would you like to be in history? In the future, in post-revolutionary society. If you mean the past (as the meaning of history is indeed what is written), the Paris Commune.
What historical characters do you most associate your views with? Marx, Luxemburg, Engels, Chuck Norris.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union? Not cool.

[Entrails Konfetti]

Name: Tom
Location: South Eastern most United States

Class background: Mother is an editor for a small local newspaper, father is a telemarketer, they are divorced. I work part-time at a thrift-store moving furniture, maintance, loading and unloading trucks, I go to school at a community college, grants and scholarships pay entirely for my books and tuition. I want to be a teacher. Working-class, but not blue-collar.

Ethnic background: French, British

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, but it shouldn&#39;t take political power. Its purpose is to raise Socialist conscious, draw lessons from the past, highlight objectives. It has to be the expression of the revolutionary-working class or it is nothing.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.

Working within current trade unions: No, and if I were to go into why I would end up writing 20 pages.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.

Central planning: On the condition its the actions of the workers councils. And all representatives are subject to recall. Centralization of the workers councils are necessary as it coordinates plans and production.

Terrorism: No. Yes to Soldiers Soviets, and Workers Militias.

National-liberation movements: No.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: The peasantry as a whole can&#39;t formulate revolution, as they are an expression of arcane societies. But they can unite under the banner of the revolutionary proletariat. However, as individuals they have to be aware of what a socialist society will bring forth, that is the end of the peasant lifestyle. The pette-bourgeoisie can either side with the proletariat or the reaction, its up to the individual pette-bourgeois. They are very much in the same position as the peasantry.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today
The overactive production in technology-- so much is produced, and its getting harder and harder for the capitalists to profit, because they are always updating their constant capital. The stock holders are having a hard time making good investments. The banks are having a hard time making profit off interest rates,
With production technology sending workers out of production jobs, they go to service work where they are paid alot less. So we see the way the capitalist is making surplus is by paying workers less. Meanwhile these proxy wars force tax-rates up higher. Inflation is making the dollar deprreciate, and they don&#39;t want to keep wages up with inflation-- while the dollar is going to have a hardtime circulating around the world. As for these proxy wars, we see another imperialist block forming, mainly that of Russia and China. US wants to go to war with Iran, Russia will back Iran-- which means so will China. Russia and China both have finance capital, they are rising to imperialism. The stage is being set for another world war.

Where would you like to be in history; Russian Revolution, Germany 1918, Spain 36.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels,
Luxemburg, Pannekoek, Mattick (but I disagree with that a party should only propigate and aggitate among the workers, nor do I believe that state capitalism is progressive), Reed, Debs (on socialism and race), Lenin (on the not bowing to economism and spontinaety).

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was a workers revolution, but state capitalist because of its CYA policies (support nationalists and pinkos), the cutting away of the soviets from power, the isolation, the heavy bueaucratization of the party.

[Marsella]

Name: Mars

Location: N/A

Class background: Full time worker.

A "vanguard" party: No

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Depends on context.

Working within current trade unions: Depends which ones.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Focoism? Not another -ism&#33;

Terrorism: Depends

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Depends on context.

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

I would have to say the future of America. But China&#39;s path is also of interest. These two countries will have a resounding effect on all other countries future choices.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

I think that currently we live in one of the most potentially dynamic times. Especially in the next odd 50 years.

Apart from that, perhaps England in the depression or the 1917 revolution.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Marx, Engels, Luxembourg.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Centrally Planned Economy or &#39;State Capitalism.&#39;

[redarmyfaction38]

name dean

location plymouth

class background working class

a vanguard party of course, as long it&#39;s made up of the politically aware members of my class

participation in parliamentasry politics only if it is for propaganda reasons and clearly explained to the voter as such

working withincurrent trade unions you have to, how else are you gonna come in copntact with the the most forward elements amongst trade union activists

che i can comment on, love him to bits, focaism haven&#39;t a clue and probably don&#39;t want to be "£enlightened".

terrorism, one mans terrorist is another msans freedomfighter, depends whose side your on


the soviet union..... well.... despite uncle joe stalin.....despite the productive power wasted on trying to compete witgh the xcapitalist powers on theirterms, uncle joe, managed, somehow to defeat hitler, rebuild the soviet economy and become the worlds 2nd most powerful world power.
all the benefits of a planned economy, even when managed by a psychopath.

[Red Rebel]

Name: Red Rebel
Location: University Park, Pennsylvania
Class background: Working Class, there are only 2 classes.
Ethnic background: Doesn&#39;t matter, I&#39;m white though.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Communists need to utilize ever available means to seize control even if it means participating in the bourgeoisie elections.
Working within current trade unions: Collective bargaining is a great way for workers to get their grievences with the employer heard; however, at least in the USA, our labour laws are shitty. As previously stated, we need to utilize every option to confront our class enemies.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes, working with the community but fighting for the community is a superior idea to having a massive people&#39;s war.
Central planning: If the workers can still control and operate the workplace and have their voices be heard centrally, yes.
Terrorism: No. It is counter-productive on all levels.
National-liberation movements: People&#39;s have the right to self-determination, yes.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Peasantry, yes. Petit-bourgeoise, possibly.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: It is the same as always, wage slavery, class antagonism, the commodification of labour and the alienation of the worker from his labour.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: There is no better time than the present.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Lenin, Guevara, Freire, Castro, Debs, Tito, and I am sure I am missing a shit load of others.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Originally a worker&#39;s state but eventually became a degenerate worker&#39;s state.

[lvleph]

Name: lvleph (if you searched hard enough you probably could find out)
Location: somewhere in the USA (again probably could search, besides the forum registers our ips)
Class background: Working Class, my mother worked in medical transcription as a single parent. We lived on less than &#036;15k at one point. But I have since received a master&#39;s degree and make decent money. However, I recently quit my job to pursue a PhD (broke again).
Ethnic background: Not sure the relevance, but English/Scottish/Irish/German.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: That is a hard one. I don&#39;t like to legitimize the system, but I also don&#39;t want to allow it to run amok. Yeah, I know my vote doesn&#39;t count, but it makes me feel better.
Working within current trade unions: No, they are just corrupt, but I suppose one can make an effort to change that and motivate others in the union.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": In certain situations it may be necessary.
Central planning: No.
Terrorism: All militaries use it and war is terrorism. I don&#39;t really support war, but sometimes it is a necessary evil.
National-liberation movements: hmmm
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: To some extent.
What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: War on terrorism&#33; (AKA oppression)
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: That is too hard to answer.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Bakunin, Gandhi, and a list of others that have influenced me.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Corruption

[RedStaredRevolution]

Name:
Location: North Carolina
Class background: Based on income I would be middle class. Based on relation to the means of production my dad and I would be working class and my mom peti-bourgeois (owns a small business).
Ethnic background: White

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No. When revolutionary politics start messing with parliamentary politics the party usually ends up losing all its "revolutionaryness" to gain more popular support.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Dont actually know that much about "Focoism". Never actually even heard of it before
Central planning: I tend to favor a more decentralized outlook on things.
Terrorism: No. It&#39;s counter-productive and distances the people from us.
Working within current trade unions: Yes. I think trade unions are very important to the movement and can help plan economiclly before the fall of capitalism. Many of the unions today are run by the bourgeois however and those must be changed ASAP.
National-liberation movements: Depends.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Both have revoltuionary potential but both also have the potential to join the other side as well.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: class struggle
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Spanish Revolution with the Anarchists.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Zapata, Kropotkin, etc.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It had great potential in the very beginning but quickly became completely state controlled and lost all signs of reaching communism.

[Lenin II]

Name: X

Location: USA

Class background: mainly working class, though it is a bit complicated. My father was a systems engineer for 15 years, and my mother used to be a nurse. My father moved between careers now, and works in a brick factory, though he is a supervisor, not a worker, and at the same time does not own the production. Our family has mainly been absorbed into the proletariat.

Ethnic background: I don't supposed "American" (in the sense of being from the United States) counts, as everyone there is from somewhere else. My genetic makeup is almost entirely Scottish.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Only in very exact circumstances. While I thought parliamentarianism might lend credence to the claims of any Marxist leader elected, such as Hugo Chavez, it seems as if the neo-liberal democracy form is inherantly corrupt and bourgeoisie. That said, worker's democracy is very important, therefore a political party and a congress is essential.

Working within current trade unions: No. Though they fight for worker's rights, they are reformist in nature, as they fail to recognize the cause of the problem rather than just the symptoms.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": I support wholeheartedly the idea of small guerrilla bands, but Che's theories are a bit too Maoist for me. They focus on the rural peasantry at the expense of the urban population, which is less reactionary and more revolutionary. That said, guerrillas must often hide out in rural areas as opposed to urban, until their numbers are large enough to start an insurrection. But the revolution MUST happen in the cities with the support of the working class.

Central planning: Absolutely. A centrally planned economy is essential to the success of the workers' state.

Terrorism: It is an effective legitimate tactic of warfare, and revolution is a war. The bourgeoisie only respect authority that punishes and kills.

National-liberation movements: That term is rather vague. I'm assuming that means radical factions and the theory of permanent revolution. Yes, I do think we should not hold back any revolutionary movements active in other nations. Although we should have the greatest respect for the material conditions of each nation, in general there can be no "bad" or poorly times socialist revolution.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Of course it depends on the conditions, but overall the answer would be yes. These classes tend to be more reactionary, but can easily be swayed to the side of revolution given ideological education and the incentive to overthrow an oppressive ruling class. The petit-bourgeisie in my nation are being more and more absorbed into the proletariat classes by the economic downturn, and thus these days are far more on our side.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: American imperialism running amok in the middle east and the development of socialist revolution in Venezuela and Nepal.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: There is surely no more historical and important time than right now, when the age of capitalism is in its last hours. But if i had to choose the past--the Cuban Revolution or the Russian Bolshevik Revolution.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Stalin, Mao and Enver Hoxha

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: A wonderous event in the history of the world, and the very first worker's state. It was a wonderful blessing that inspired a movement worldwide. The Soviet character will never die.

[Comrade Rage]

Name: COMRADE CRUM
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Class background: Working class/Poor (Unemployed)
Ethnic background: German

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Local Only
Working within current trade unions: IWW only
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Che yes, &#39;Focoism&#39; ?
Central planning: Yes
Terrorism: Yes
National-liberation movements: No
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: No. Believer in Stalin&#39;s liquidation of the kulaks in USSR.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Dollar Collapse
Where would you like to be in history; Within shooting range of Hitler.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Enver Hoxha, Josef Stalin, Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Proletarian state.

__________________________________________________ _____________
Political Compass:
Economic Left/Right: [|___________________] -10.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: [_________|__________] 1.95

[Zhou]

Name: Zhou, of course.
Location: NYC.
Class background: By income and relation to the means of production, I am and my family is proletarian.
Ethnic Background: Puerto Rican and African and I&#39;ve got brown skin, though why it matters puzzles me.

Do you support?

A vanguard party: Yes, I do.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Contextually, leaning towards "No".

Working within current trade unions: Well, perhaps not current unions, but a union itself is an ideal concentration of workers and therefore an okay way to spread Marxist ideas, but I think further action should be organized elsewhere.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": I approve of Che, kinda, but I have several disputes with him; and I have little to no idea what Focoism is.

Central planning: Simply put, I believe the economy should be planned by the people in councils along the lines of Soviets, and not a State (excepting during a transition period, which would be composed of workers anyway). I think it would be best if I took a post I made in the Young Comrades Forums in which I explain my economic position in great detail:


I discussed with JWG, a Mod here, on the Soviet-Empire forums, my economic position. The thread was entitled "Working Communist Society" in which we were asked to post a model of our ideal Communist society and in response to the original poster I give the basics:

"Basically, I wish for a workers-up socialist economy based on Lenin&#39;s statement "An equal amount of products for an equal amount of labour" which is based on the more egalitarian "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs" written by Karl Marx himself. While I agree with Marxian economics, I follow the Leninist extension.

I guess it would be necessary to go into detail and analyze the statement at hand. "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs." This was written by Karl Marx in his Critique of the Gotha Programme and the idea stressed in documents such as The Communist Manifesto and various other works.

It has also been offered as "An equal amount of products for an equal amount of labour," by Vladimir Lenin. Lenin&#39;s idea is distinct from the original proposed by Marx, in which things are given to all based on need, arguing that products should be given according to labour, which would also create a spirit of self-sufficiency as well as worker cooperation in-case of a shortage of goods and the allocation of resources in response. Personally, I agree with the Leninist sentiment fully. Here is my further analysis and explanation.

Lenin argues that the worker, as the most useful gear of society (the laborer, the producer, the reason goods are in our societies), should be treated the best. The hardest workers, meaning those who contribute to society most, not necessarily one who gives the most backbreaking labour, should be supplied by themselves and the community mutually, and the hard worker should supply the community and themselves in turn. This would ensure the people rely on themselves as well as the community , because sometimes a complete egalitarianism is dooomed to fail if all rely on each other and not themselves in some way or another. "

The original poster&#39;s second question was, "In the communist society, how will the &#39;need&#39; be distinguished from the &#39;want&#39;? This is something I&#39;ve wondered. How do we define someone&#39;s need, and how do we regulate that they don&#39;t take what they want?" To which I replied:

"The Soviets (don&#39;t think of Stalin, it&#39;s simply the Leninist term for "Democratic Council") would determine one&#39;s economic rations and based on labour. These soviets would be generally federalist in organization, but all in the community would be a member of the Council and possess democracy and democratic power.

Therefore, if there is a member of society who doesn&#39;t want to work and wishes for the society to cater to him simply because it is a socialist society, he will not be catered to. That would be unfair to the true contributors of society. "Men love to reap what they have never sown"- Lenin, and he also argues to fix this through the economic rationing determined by Soviets, democracy, and labour. There&#39;s a catchphrase among Leninists; labour Shall Rule. "

JWG joins the discussion here. He asks, "What if the person in society can&#39;t work? How will he be given a share through his labour?" I replied to this:

"Those unable to work, I believe, would be catered to by the community and not themselves, thusly they would get what they need, but unfortunately no further luxury, because there is just far too many people to supply fully and equally; therefore we need to get resources to those who contribute, are useful; and get enough resources to those who need it.And even though this person cannot physically work, any contribution they can give to profit society (for the meaning of labour to Lenin was not simply performed with nothing more than the hammer, or the sickle) would count them in as a worker. "

He also asks, "Also, how do we determine those who abuse the system, falsely claiming disability or inability to work to leech off the community?" To which I add:

"The Soviets and the fellow, honest workers (as these workers make up the Soviets anyway) would kmow as there would be some sort of emphasis on cooperation in workplaces to ensure leeches do not get their share. These leeches must contribute to others as well as being self-sufficient, or they should not expect society&#39;s support. "

He further offers inquiry when replying with, "Once someone leeching of the community was identified, what would the response be in your opinion? Death?"
To which I said:

"Of course not. You have to understand each member of society is getting 50% of their products from the community, and the other 50% from themselves. If they do not contribute to the community, the community does not contribute to them. Therefore, leeches, when exposed and excluded from communal distribution of goods, would be forced to live off of themselves. Therefore, hardworking, honest people, the core of society and its actions, benefit the highest. "

Our conversation ends there with a "Thank you. What you described sounds reasonable and effective."

In conclusion, my economic thought can be summed up in this way: If you are a hardworking, honest person, you will receive the support of society and yourself. If you are not hardworking or honest, you will be left to only receive your own support. If you are will not work, as an able-bodied individual... we can&#39;t help ya there, buddy. Peace.

Basically, yeah, I support planned economies, but planned by the people in Soviets cooperatively.

Terrorism: Assuming this implies against the bourgeois, I suppose so. I&#39;d call it "Militant Action", however, as Terrorism is usually used to instill terror into a people or opposing group of people.

National-Liberation Movements: Contextually. Whatever is in the best interests of the revolution and working class.

The peasentry and petit-bourgeois: Yes to the peasentry (it is a class of revolutionary potential, but if it is too small in whatever country the urban proletariat can, of course, be utilized) and no to the petty-bourgeois.

What, Who, and Where?

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The struggles of the working class.

Where would you like to be in history: Nowhere, thanks. Fuck hypothetical time travel; history is full of injustice. Sure, there have been times when people had tastes of socialism, but only tastes; I don&#39;t want to try it, I want to be free forever. Instead, analyze the past, learn from mistakes, let lessons learned make in you new and lasting strengths, and look forward to the future.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: V.I. Lenin, Karl Marx, Mao Tse-Tung, Friedrich Engels.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: As a Leninist, I view the Soviet Union as a jolly good try but a try full of fallacy right off from the start. First of all, either way, Lenin&#39;s successor would have successfully fucked up the Soviet Union, though Trotsky may have fucked it up a bit less, and there lies an immediate dillema; my full critiques expound, found below.

There are many faults, even in the time of Lenin. The first was Lenin&#39;s choice to make the Soviet Union a State of Soviets, rather than a transition period of democratic Soviets. The first huge mistake was not correctly executing a dictatorship of the proletariat and abolishing the governing body.

Lenin must have decided late in his life that he was some form of State-Socialist, as we can observe from The State and Revolution and other works such as What is to be Done? , Lenin was no fan of Statism and never actually declared otherwise. All in all, the Soviet Union being a State of Socialist (not Communist) Soviet Republics, was a large and maybe the largest fault, and the next fault I describe would never have been a dilemma had there been no position of leadership.

Next, was the rise of Stalin and the downfall of Trotsky and the real Leninists in general. Now, as I said, even under Trotsky the Soviet Union may have been doomed to fail, but I&#39;m sure hope would have been much more apparent. Even if you are a Stalinist, you have to realize that Stalin was a State-Socialist with some sort of Leninist flare, but just a little. He, of course, believed in a strong government and basically Imperialism as far as conquest; we can see these conquests were forceful when Tito resisted Soviet control in Yugoslavia.

Next, there was the state-capitalist transition of Khrushchev, Gorbachev, and Yeltsin, who enforced free-marketeer policies and led to the Soviet Union&#39;s breakup in 1991. However, I do have a little bit of insight on this based on historical studies in Marx&#39;s works:

The Soviet Union, as a State and therefore a failed attempt at Communism by the people, and based on historical cycles mapped out by Marx that you should already know about so don&#39;t ask me, perhaps when socialism was executed by communism wasn&#39;t, the cycle itself had to revert back to the former stage; capitalism. Perhaps it needs to be tried again, with the right principles. Perhaps history has shown us the Soviet Union for humanity to learn from it&#39;s mistakes; perhaps revolution is not far away. Not specifically in Russia, anywhere; I believe that revolution is not unrealistic even now, Marx has told us history will bring us communism; I believe it tried to in 1917 and it wants to try again.

As a Socialist and in conclusion, I view the Soviet Union as a positive idea at its core and in the beginning, but a sad failure as the only shot so far at true Communist society.

Political Compass Scores:

Economic Left/Right: -10.0
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian:-6.0

[Tweecore]

Name: *
Location: Australia
Class background: Lower-middle class
Ethnic background: Anglo

Do you support?

A vanguard party: Yes. A vanguard party is necessary to cohere workers around socialist politics, and to organise them into revolutionary action.
Participation in parliamentary bodies: Not for the purpose of winning government and enacting reforms. Parliamentary bodies may be "hijacked" for the purpose of raising the profile of a vanguard party, provided this is a peripheral tactic which does not interfere with the party&#39;s basic activities.
Working within current trade union: Yes. Trade unions are the means by which workers are organised in the workplace. The task for socialists is to participate in trade unions as members (and delegates where possible), to argue for militancy, and to recruit class conscious workers to socialism.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No. The emancipation of the working class must be the act of the working class itself. Bands of guerrillas are no substitute for masses of workers.
Central planning: Yes. Workers&#39; councils are the means by which workers democratically plan the fulfilment of their needs. Central co-ordination is necessary in and after the struggle. It flows from the ends that the means be democratic: decision-making must take place democratically from the bottom up; all delegates must be democratically elected and instantly recallable.
Terrorism: All political violence may be labeled "terrorism". I support the self-defence of emancipated workers against counter-revolution. I support the self-defence of oppressed nationalities against imperialism. I support the physical confrontation of fascists by and on behalf of the oppressed.
National liberation movements: Yes. Military support for a national liberation movement does not imply political support for its leadership. In any case, any defeat for imperialism is a victory for the international working class - socialists in oppressor nations must be revolutionary-defeatist without reservation.
The peasantry and the petit-bourgeoisie: The middle classes must be won to the side of the revolution. This will not happen through the concession of working class demands. It will happen as the inevitability of working class victory becomes apparent to all and sundry.

What, Who and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Iraq War. The Iraqi resistance is delivering the US - and consequently, its imperialist brethren - a defeat from which there may be no recovery.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The decade leading up to WWI in Germany. If a party of genuine revolutionaries had split from the reformist SPD in time for the German Revolution, then the Russian Revolution - and thus the 20th Century - could have been saved.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: The October Revolution created the world&#39;s first workers&#39; state in Russia. It was immediately beset on all sides by counter-revolution, and forced to undertake desperate self-defensive measures. Due to the failure of the revolution to spread to Germany and beyond, these measures could not succeed. A new ruling class evolved from opportunist elements within the Bolshevik Party. By the end of the 1920s, the counter-revolution had been completed, and Russia was state-capitalist. By the end of the 1980s, a series of reforms had been completed, and Russia was private-capitalist.

[Holden Caulfield]

im sorry to ruin this pop quiz... i love the way the working class people (of who i myself strongly belong) answer the question just with their class maybe a parents job

those who arent working class are like &#39;..ummm..well its complicated, i suppose im "middle class"&#39;

im all for the bourgosie, as this is what they are, caring for the views of the little people, but doesnt being dictate conscience?

[jake williams]

Most leftists seem to blindly support thrid world national-liberation movements, but what use is it for the working class to replace foreign bankers and statesmen with native ones?
From a fair degree of personal experience - to a not insignificant extent in post-apartheid South Africa, there was (of course in part) a replacement of some of the white elite with a mixed or sometimes even black elite (the latter mostly political).

This is an improvement.

Indeed, similar things can be said about the American woman's movement - the male elite was partially replaced by a mixed elite. This is a definite and clear improvement for reasons I would think would be obvious, even though the society as a whole is horrible and unacceptable, and needs to be changed.


Going on though.

Name: Jamie Burnett

Location: Guelph (near Toronto), Canada

Class background: Urk. On my dad's side (which, not having lived with him since I was 4 and not having seen him since I was 10, is pretty insignificant, but still)... he grew up rural, like worked on the family farm, with his three siblings and alcoholic parents/father. That said, I think all or almost all of them ended up getting university education - albeit my dad and one of his daughters (half-sister), at least, in agribusiness/agriculture/agrisomethingorother (the university down the street is one of the biggest agricultural/food science/whatever universities in Canada).

My mom... maternal grandfather was pretty regular white trash out of the depression (and I wouldn't describe him as such if I didn't have reasons to despise him), my mom's mom was the daughter of Finnish immigrants and grew up on a ridiculously poor farm in the middle of nowhere, northern Ontario. She ended up raising her four kids alone working in a factory.

My mom ended up getting a sociology degree, and then raising ME alone, and has worked in the same retail position making, like a buck and a half above minimum wage, for most of my life. I'm pretty sure she's never had another job while I've been sentient.

Ethnic background: Finnish/Scottish/Irish mostly, the latter part the regular blend in these parts.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: It's complicated. While elitism is bad, some people are always going to be more interested, or sometimes even more capable, in involving themselves in politics. This is okay, as long as they don't have any delusions about their own fantasticness because of it, as long as it doesn't get out of hand.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: What? OH! Are you saying do I support "working in the system", like, am I going to support candidates running for office in basically a status-quoish government? Generally no.

Working within current trade unions: I think it's too much of a mixed story to give a generalized answer

Che Guevara and "Focoism": I don't know enough to comment, to be honest.

Central planning: We'd have to clarify a lot. In some senses yes, in some senses no. I don't think we should ever have a Leader or a Party that makes all the decisions for everyone and everything. But I think it's obvious that an economy left to its own devices, or a "market" economy, (between which there are similarities and differences I think), just doesn't serve the interests of people in general, and really is catastrophic. So there have to be mechanisms, not just of correcting the grossest of iniquities, but really insuring that economies are means rather than ends. You know, help people, rather than harming them.

Terrorism: It's a military tactic. It has specific characteristics that I think give it certain causes but also a very high burden of justification, and it needs to be recognized that at best it's a least horrible option (like military options always are), and I think the situations are rare if any that it's even that.

National-liberation movements: On one hand I despise nationalism, on the other hand I despise colonialism and oppression. The fact is that a great deal of national liberation movement questions (i.e. Palestine, South Africa) have very obvious answers, because the ruling party is brutally oppressing the native population. Whether the Nation itself, however, is justification, I think it's a difficult question.

People as individuals, and within cultures, should have a lot of autonomy, I mean, I'm not the sort of relativist that says that every culture or cultural value is equal, but that said it's both immoral and impractical for us to just decide that there's a Way and that's what everyone will do.

So it does depend on the specific case, I think, but the fact is that most cases I've seen, the answer's clear for partly separate reasons.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: I support people in general, think they should be happy, generally think they should be alive even. Depends what they're doing, though. If capitalists want to stop being capitalists, then I don't by nature have any problems with them (though a lot of them, of course, hold disgusting ideas). If they want to keep doing what they're doing, I'll oppose that, but I think even then you can't say the only option is to kill them, I think it's extremely unlikely in most cases that that's what has to happen. When we start talking about other classes, the same principles hold.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: There are a couple bubbles which, if they follow my hunches, might be big news. I mean, military action in Iran would be way bigger news than Iraq, but we have no idea where that's going yet, a couple months ago I would've said it was critical, now it's still a big deal but less of one. And I'm starting to think in a couple decades we might see real news in India. I don't know though, it's hard to say.

I don't know if it's an "event", but the mix of oil and climate change are pretty terrifying. That might be the biggest issue.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The 60s. The world was doing things then. Now it isn't.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: I don't know. I'm not really big on "I agree with this guy and that guy" as a fundamental component of my political being and activity.

[Kitskits]

Name: You guess.
Location: Thessaloniki, Greece.
Class background: Proletarian
Ethnic background: Greek.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Definately yes. I don't believe that every worker has the same capacity for politics and the same capacity for materialism and the same capacity for understanding.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Being anti-reformist to the core, I would say no. But participating in parliamentarian bodies doesn't NECESSARILY deprive the action of it's revolutionary nature. I mean, chavez participated but the revolutionary potential IS there.
Working within current trade unions: Some yes, some no. Generally I've got a negative opinion.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I don't really know much but from what I read I support it.
Central planning: Economically YES. Politically yes but not to a degree when it becomes fascism.
Terrorism: Surely yes.
National-liberation movements: If they are pure national-liberation movements without class character I oppose them.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Depends on which side they choose to be with.


What, Who, and Where


What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Iraq.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The 60's, October revolution
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Luxemburg, probably Trotsky at some timesWhat was the class character of the Soviet Union: After Lenin it got fucked up, after Stalin it got capitalist too.

[Red Economist]

Name: John
Location: Aberystwyth, Wales, UK

Class background: Middle class, Parents worked in Education system in Art and Photography (heavily intellectual/bureaucratic background). all of my other relatives are involved in finance (I think insurance) and industry... (one is an old fashioned capitalist)

Ethnic background: English, French (an ancestor ran away from the paris commune, and another group won the battle of hastings). possibly some very distant Jewish decent...

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

I support the Proletarian intellegentisa and Bureaucracy leading the Proletariat to victory in a socialist revolution- since that's the only way socialism is possible, I would prefer a mass party and a mass movement; so no. (although not entirely sure).

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

yes. but only to organise coalitions and opposition against right-wing policies and promote the alternatives. the same principle applies to what I think of the UN, (roughly a bourgeosise parliament). the EU (with it's anti-nationalisation laws) is no however.

getting elected into government would be desirable- then transforming/abolishing it to meet the needs of a workers state.

but it's not always possible.

Working within current trade unions: most certainly. trade unions and co-operatives. we need more powerful trade unions and more co-operatives, especially to educate the workers and fund the movement as a whole.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": never actually heard of focoism, but i know very little about Che- although the T-shirts always look good. (typical middle class consumerisrt attitude there...)

Central planning: central co-ordination of economic activity; yes, centralised bureaucratic top-down planning; no. there must be worker's councils and consumer co-operatives if an economy is to work for the public rather than the public bureaucracy.

Terrorism: terrorism is the action of people who have given up living. only revolution or massive social pressure can ever work (and the latter only in the short run)...
the one exception i would say is terrorism against Nazi Germany. assasinating a 'Hitler' was probably the only thing I would ever support.

National-liberation movements: any attack on imperialism, provided it is by the working people is a good start. so yes.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: very useful to promote Democracy and Decentralisation- when they aren't defending big bussiness and Private Property. it's a tough one...

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The slow beginings of economic recession- what else can i say, I'm an economics student!

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

in the USSR under Gorbachev- because I think gorbachev should have succeeded, he was just very impatient/forced by circumstances. had the USSR had computer technologies they could have reformed the worst excesses of the bureaucracy away and still kept some form of socialism in Russia- Gorbachev may still have been in power today...

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Trotsky, J.K.Galbraith (American Liberal economist who died last year), Gorbachev and Marx. (and unfortunatley Napoleon to a certain degree).

What was the class character of the Soviet Union:

socialist/Workers state. but more precisely one run by the political and economic bureaucracy- trying to oppress and persuade the workers to accept bureaucracy. under lenin it was a union of intellectuals and bureaucrats- until stalin purged the intellectuals out...(e.g Trotsky)

[Red Economist]

please forgive... I balls up the editing and got a second one instead... opps!

[Springmeester]

Name: Springmeester
Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
Class background: Working Class/Petit-bourgeois
Ethnic background: Dutch

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Only as a tribune for the class struggle
Working within current trade unions: The unions are the natural organization of the working classes; communists will have to work within the unions to promote socialism and revolution
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Depends on geographical, economic and social conditions
Central planning: Yes, based on a economy that obeys to human needs.
Terrorism: No, mass-action, demonstrations, strikes, etc.
National-liberation movements: To some extend.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Get them to support the proletarian cause.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq...
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Right here, Right now.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Karl Marx & Vladimir Lenin.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: First socialist state in history but destroyed form within by the revisionist bureaucracy.

[Labor Shall Rule]

I'll edit this so it asks more questions. If anybody has any good questions that I could put in this, please send them to me via-message.

[p1nkfl0yd]

Name: Matt
Location: Vancouver, BC
Class background: Lower middle class
Ethnic background: German, Russian (ironic, eh), English and Scottish

Do you support?
A "vanguard" party: The people need to be united to start a revolution, and a vanguard party is the best option. However, after that revolution has been attained, it should be up to the citizens to control their own destiny, not the Party.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: In developed countries, yes. If there is ever to be a revolution in Canada, Britain, U.S., etc, it will not be violent, but rather through the ballot box.
Working within current trade unions: Yes.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: Yes.
Terrorism: It is not terrorism if it is supported by the majority. But if you're talking about ETA or the Shining Path, then no.
National-liberation movements: Yes, as long as they remain left-nationalist.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: We're all equal. They all serve a purpose.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Oppression of all kinds, whether it be war, famine, genocide, sexism, racism, homophobia, religious intolerance, etc.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The War of 1812, the Russian Revolution, the Paris Commune, the Spanish Civil War, World War II.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Trotsky, Lenin, Luxemburg, Tito, Huey Newton, Einstein, Chomsky, Ho Chi Minh.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Began as a democratic worker's state (in the middle of a brutal Civil War) but went downhill quickly after the death of Lenin and expulsion of Trotsky. This is not to say I didn't support the USSR and its proxies at later points in history (Eastern Front, Vietnam War, Vietnamese-Cambodian War, Angolan Civil War), but it was essentially state-capitalist.

[Faux Real]

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: In developed countries, yes. If there is ever to be a revolution in Canada, Britain, U.S., etc, it will not be violent, but rather through the ballot box.
How did you arrive to this conclusion?

[p1nkfl0yd]

How did you arrive to this conclusion?

These countries are far more developed democratically than those of, say, Cuba in '59 or Russia in 1917. The people would not accept violent revolution, unless, of course, the bourgeois resisted with force (I imagine Blackwater USA would lead that pack). First off, I don't see a socialist revolution in America's near future anyhow. But I just see socialists being elected in these countries, not coming to power by shelling the legislative branches of government. Even in South America, where countries are far less developed than ours are, socialists are being elected to power! Look at Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia now, and even Chile back in '70.

Hopefully that was a decent enough explanation. This isn't to say that a violent revolution is inconcievable (it'd be more likely in the US), but I just think it'd be a greater chance of a democratic revolution.

[Colonello Buendia]

Name: Naio

Location: Bearsden Glasgow

Class background: lower middle class, dad worked for the Olympic commitee of of Italy

Ethnic background: Italian/Irish/Scot

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

No

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

No

Working within current trade unions:

IWW and such I could work with.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No

Central planning:

HELL NO!!

Terrorism:

In some instances, possibly.

National-liberation movements:

really does depend, in the middle east it's mostly religious groups using national liberation as a front
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

explain?

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
war in Iraq, the thing to unite the left

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Spanish Civil war, with the CNT or Cable Street
What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

bit of Marx, Rudolf Rocker. George Orwell
Charls Darwin, Sigmund Freud and Bertrand Russel.

[professorchaos]

Name: Jeffrey
Location: Seaville, New Jersey
Class background: Upper-middle class. My father is a manager of multiple Coca-Cola branches.
Ethnic background: English and Irish.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: It's fine to have a party to voice revolutionary concerns in an environment which includes a state, but a party platform cannot represent the beliefs of all its members and cannot carry out a revolution.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Why not?
Working within current trade unions: Yes.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: No.
Terrorism: No. Violence is never acceptable.
National-liberation movements: If the majority of the people support such action.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: We are all victims of the system. Work to promote ideology and get them on our side if they're not already.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Everything is equally important.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: This moment, right now.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Gandhi, Marx, Angela Davis, Chomsky, Jesus, RATM (shut up), Huey Freeman/Newton, Dr. King, Kropotkin, Proudhon, Buddha
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Started reasonably well but went south quickly with political suppression, capitalist reforms, bureaucracy, greed, inefficiency, and hierarchy.

Compass:
Economic Left/Right: -7.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -8.36

[victim77]

Name: Pat Byrne

Location: NL, Canada

Class background: middle class

Ethnic background: Irish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

No

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

No

Working within current trade unions:
Yes, in my opinion it is the only chance we have for a revolution



Che Guevara and "Focoism": No

Central planning:

no

Terrorism:

No

National-liberation movements:

yes

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:
no

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The so called "War on Terror"

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Spanish Revolution

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Rudolf Rocker

[Encrypted Soldier]

Name: Alex
Location: USA
Class background: Middle class. I have a lot of "academic" and noble ancestors on my mother's side and a lot of working class people on my father's side. Both my parents are from Poland (if you're wondering about the "noble blood" part, lol). Currently, my mother is a teacher at a major university while my father is a pit boss at a casino. So consider me to be a petite bourgeoisie.
Ethnic background: Polish with some distant German blood mixed in with possibly some kind of Mongolian/Tatar judging by the way my great-grandma's family looked.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: If that means a small group of people who rule via a one-party system, then no. Although there should be some kind of leading organization in a revolution, a multi-party democracy should be established, with constitutional guidelines preventing government from reverting back to capitalism.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, though we should not sacrifice our principles in doing so. By participating in government, we can get the word out and begin changing things for the better of workers.
Working within current trade unions: Yes, we should do that to help get the word out and to improve the temporary condition of the worker.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes.
Central planning: Yes. However, this central planning has to have a check. First of all, prices need to follow the supply/demand. Use your google-fu and look up Oskar Lange and market socialism. Two powerful ideas. Also, industries should be controlled more by worker's committees.
Terrorism: No. No people's movement should instigate acts of terrorism against the people it should be fighting for.
National-liberation movements: Yes. Nationalism (of the James Connolly sort) and socialism go hand in hand.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Matters if they side with us or not.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Israel's continued imperialistic rule over parts of the Middle East and most of the first world's foreign policy.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spanish Civil War.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Oskar Lange, James Connolly, Marx, Lenin.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Stalin ruined it. Lenin wasn't the best for it, but the USSR still had a chance to become a good socialist state until Stalin had to f*ck everything up.

[BIG BROTHER]

Name: Jose Francisco
Location: Santa Clara, California
Class background: bourgeois:( from my dad's side of the family, since our ancestors were rich landlords, and a lot of my relatives from his side of the family are rich.

From my mother's side of the family petit burgoise, proleriats, and peasants. My mom basically comes from a really poor family, they used to live up in mountains and varely managed to survive.
Ethnic background:Mexican
Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: If other options aren't posible or don't prove practical then yes, bu I'm not a big fan of them.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, in order to help the workers in imediate needs, but of course the armed revolution will always be an option too.
Working within current trade unions: Yes
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes, not on all scnerios though.
Central planning: As long as nobody gets privileges, and its subject to the workers control.
Terrorism:Never.
National-liberation movements: Yes, as long as they get corrupted.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Life in Mexico has showed me that the peasantry can be far more miserable at times than the proleriat, and the petit-bourgeoisie are both opressed and opresors, so yes, but we should be careful with the petit-bourgeosie.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
The coming elections of the US, since it will decided who is the world's next opresor.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: 1521 when the Spanish and Mexica(Aztec) clashed p.s. I know the Aztecs were also imperialist opresors in case you think I have some unrealistic, nationalist, romantic idea about them.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Ernesto "Che" Guevara, Jesus Christ, Simon Bolivar, Jose Marti.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was founded as a workers' state, but due to many factors including lust of power, economic problems and etc it turned into a degenerated worker's state

[Labor Shall Rule]

My positions have changed, so here we go

Name: Tom
Location: Erie, Pennsylvania
Class background: "Middle class"; my mother is a professor of nursing at a local university, and my father is on disability.
Ethnic background: Polish and German
What do you consider yourself: A Marxist-Leninist-Maoist.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: A necessary prerequisite to a successful revolution.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: If the situation permits it. Lenin, in a Letter to Sylvia Pankhurst, made clear his position on working within parliamentarian bodies.


Therefore, systematically to prepare the working masses for this, to explain to them in advance the importance of Soviet power, to conduct propaganda and agitation for it—all this is the absolute duty of the worker who wants to be a revolutionary in deeds. But we Russians fulfilled that task, operating in the parliamentary arena, too. In the tsarist, fake, landowners’ Duma our representatives knew how to carry on revolutionary and republican propaganda. In just the same way Soviet propaganda can and must be carried on in and from within bourgeois parliaments.

In other words, it's a measure of revealing how the bourgeois 'democratic' order can not suit to their needs, and it is an inevitable step in many revolutionary situations where the capitalist class has not yet fully matured. In the United States, Europe, and Japan, there is no nascent caste of bourgeois, but imperialist monopoly capital. Under this material and historical condition, parties that call for 'participation in parliament' will find themselves plauged with reformism and opportunism, and will swiftly exhaust their resources.

Working within current trade unions: There needs to be trade union education, but otherwise, I don't think that parties should be 'working' within trade unions. Only 10% of the labor force is unionized, most of which is white, 'blue collar' workers who are materially 'better off' than the super-exploited African and Hispanic working class, and as so, they have an ideology that reflects their social position. They are often more reactionary than most workers.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Che Guevara was a brave anti-imperialist and an undying figure of internationalism, but at the same time, he was an adventurist. 'Focoism' was only applicable to the Cuban Revolution, where Batista's army and security forces were disorganized and scattered.
Central planning: Yes, but only under the condition that it is built from the bottom and up.
Terrorism: Generally a individualist tactic that can do more harm than good, but if it is used against oppressors and reactionaries, then sure.
National-liberation movements: Yes, to push to proletarian Soviet power, you must first scrap the comprador and landowning class, which is what all 'national-liberation' movements have been directed against.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They are neither reactionary or revolutionary; their alliances depend on the impending situation, so I don't view them as neither a friend or an enemy in the class struggle. However, I don't think that they should be given an independent position.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Iraq War. Investments, loans and credit are, and the degree to which they are available to the average American depends a great deal on the degree to which the United States dominates the global capitalist economy. It will only take one major economic shock, such as this defeat in Iraq which seems almost inevitable to send the entire house of cards, and all of the illusions that make it appear to be an iron fortress, crashing down.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The American Civil War.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Mao, Du Bois, Malcolm X, among many others.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was founded as a workers' state, but degenerated into state capitalism.

[Raisa]

[quote=Wat Tyler;938732]Name: this is a long name..........

Location: Depends

Class background: gypsy and lumpen proliteriat....
can we invent a better word then lumpen proliteriat?
Ethnic background: Mediterranean and Latin

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes I do. Because from experiance with alot of my own disenfranchised people, we want to see some shit we can get behind that has an office we can go to or a meeting with organization. I DO support a vanguard party.



Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Yes, while the movement should be revolutionary I dont see the problem with a peice of it getting into the government or city government to show people that they mean buisness. We want to see professionalism and power.

Working within current trade unions:
A little bit, more so then being in parliament or the government, because the people can inspire workers to raise their standards of compensation and ownership of their labor, especially if we can get them in a union.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Of course I support Che Guevara, and we should focus on people like him's acheivements because he was a real person and if he can do it so can we. But leader worship? NO. I dont want to see one picture of a party leader on the fucking wall. I hate taht shit.

Central planning:

Somewhat but not really. There should be a central committee of dedicated members incase we cant handle things democratically at one time or another in the struggle.

Terrorism:
Not really. People dont need to be scared of freedom.


National-liberation movements:

YES. We need to support the emancipation of the workers of the world, however.....how can some workers in the world even imagine about economic liberation when their real opressive upperclass is in another country?

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

Yeah, if they support the proliteriat's liberation. If not then fuck them.
Decide which shoe fits and wear it, damn it! they have the same opressors as we do grandly and if they want to be blind and enjoin themselves to someone who doesnt care if they live or die, thats too bad for them.


What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The same one that always is. People are actually starving! Babies are being born addicted to drugs. Slavery in all of its forms is still the most pressing event of the world today.


Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

I think that this time right now is the most historic shit ever. But to be in the 70's may be nice because living was cheaper and easyer and alot of it was the same shit going on.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings), Frantz Fanon, Lenin, Malcom X.

[Xiao Banfa]

Name: XB

Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Class background: Prole and a Bourgie.

Ethnic background: Irish, Scot, Wales, Inglan

Do you support?
A "vanguard" party: Sometimes. In most of the industrialised world, we need a broad left party.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Absolutely. But that's just one front.

Working within current trade unions: In my country, all I can speak for, fuck yeah. Yes you have to compromise but if revolutionaries desert these organisations, the workers are fucked.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes to Che (his integrity and politics) no to his millitary strategy.

Central planning: HELL YES!

Terrorism: NEVER

National-liberation movements: Yes. You're not going to get workers liberation if you're a colony of another nation-state. It's a no-brainer.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Yes! In my country at least, for some industries. It does depend, however, on the size.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
The rise of the right in the industrialised nations. Destroying right-wing hegemony is of central importance.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: One of the liberations of a european city in the 2nd world war.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Marx, Keynes (some), GDH Cole, Lenin, Castro, Gramsci and more.
That's just the political ones

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Degenerated workers' state.

[LudicrousCommunistDancer]

Name: Why the hell would I give out private info on the internet?
Location: Unfortunately Amerikkka

Class background: Proletariat
Ethnic background: I don't see why this matters.

Do you support?
A "vanguard" party: Never.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Never.
Working within current trade unions: Never.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Never.

Central planning: Never.
Terrorism: Never.

National-liberation movements: Never.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: I'll take what I can get.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
The capitalist mode of production is the only important "event." Everything else is just the side effects.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Big Bang;)
What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Marx, Kropotkin, Debord, Jorn.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State capitalist.

[spartan]

Name: Erich Honecker.

Location: East Berlin, DDR.

Class background: Proletarian.

Ethnic background: German Caucasian.

Do you support?
A "vanguard" party: Essential as long as i am leader of it.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Not in a Capitalist state.

Working within current trade unions: Yes but they must be suppressed once the party gains power.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Neither.

Central planning: Essential.

Terrorism: Only against the Bourgeois.

National-liberation movements: Yes.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Yes but only as long as they are urbanised and made into Proletariats after the revolution.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Me losing power and the collapse of the Soviet bloc.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Battle of Berlin witnessing Hitler blow his head off.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin and myself.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Glorious workers Republic.

[shorelinetrance]

Name: Matthew

Location: Sask, canada.

Class background: proletarian, mother works for a call center making a meager living, never met my dad, only father figure was my grandpa and he still works at a pressman.

Ethnic background: Welsh 100&#37;

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

yes

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:
no

Working within current trade unions:

yes

Che Guevara and "Focoism": yes

Central planning:

yes

Terrorism:
always.

National-liberation movements:

depends.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:
i don't know.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
iraq, shining example of imperalism

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

the leader of the revolution har har har, just kidding.

no idea.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
a bit of everyone.

[praxis1966]

Name: Nevin
Location: Panama City, FL
Class Background: I suppose you could say petit bourgesie. Although my parents are, educationally speaking, at the upper echelons of the social strata in addition to being homeowners, I wouldn't call them bourgois in the classical sense. Being that they are both in public education with their stated ambition as helping the poor educate themselves, I doubt one could consider them 'exploiters,' as it were. At any rate, prior to the current generation, my family was primarily comprised of skilled tradesmen and laborers. Therefore, in the historical sense, my class background is primarily proletariat.
Ethnic Background: Irish and German-American

Do you support...

A "vanguard" party: Certainly not. The older I become, the more disillusioned with party politics I become. Even the leftist ones, near as I can tell, eventually become in one way or another ethically and idealogically bankrupt.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes and no. In some circumstances it is useful, though in general diametrically opposed to how I feel about the current state of democracy in the country in which I reside.

Working within trade unions: Wholeheartedly. I am of the mind that this is the most immediate and direct way to effect real change in the lives of real people. However, I do have my criticisms of the modern labor movement.

Che Guevarra and Focoism: Yes and no. While in certain circumstances these ideologies are valid and have their time and place, I am not so naive as to think them universally applicable.

Central planning: Ambivalent.

Terrorism: No. By definition, terrorism is an attack on civilian non-combatants. It is, therefore, counterproductive to any liberatory struggle since such tactics contribute readily to the effective demonization of their perpetrators.

National-liberation movements: Unequivically yes. Personally, I think too many of us on the left readily paint national liberation struggles with the broad brush of ethnocentric chauvanism (and there inevitably will be some of that in these types of struggles). More often than not, however, these struggles are born from a place of oppression and a desire for self-determination. Besides, to at once oppose imperialism, colonialism, and national-liberation movements is inherently hippocritical.

Peasantry and petit-bourgesie: Depends. "You through ball against me, I throw ball against you."--Roberto Benigni in Jarmusch's Down by Law.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: It's hard to say. While on the one hand I'd like to say the war in Iraq, I'm not so sure. At least insofar as the U$ is concerned, the real defining issue of our generation may be the economy. Currently, all the economic indicators have given proof positive of a recession with no end in site and a contuing downward spiral. Personally, I'm kind of hoping that the whole thing will tailspin into a depression. If nothing else, it would make our arguments that much easier to make.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Off the top of my head, the protests/riots outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago,1968, the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, Haymarket Square on May 4, 1886, St. Petersburg in November 1917... I could do this all day.

What historical characters do you most associate your views with: In terms of authors, probably Rudolf Rocker, Emile Pouget, Antonio Gramsci, and Paolo Freire. In terms of activists, Emma Goldman, Helen Keller, James Connolly, W.E.B. DuBois, Bobby Seale, Sojourner Truth, and Malcom X.

[Left Turn]

Name: Tim

Location: Burnaby, British Columbia

Class Background: Working class. However, my father made a pretty decent living as a medical physicist. My paternal Grandfather was a BC Provincial police officer, and then, after the BC provincial police disbanded in 1950, he worked for the Department of Motor Vehicles. My maternal grandfather worked as an elementary school teacher, and later as an elementary school principal.

Ethnic Background: English/Irish

Do You Support?

A Vanguard Party: No.

Participation in Parlimentary bodies: Yes

Working within current trade unions: I definitely support unions in so much as they fight to achieve better pay and working conditions for their members. However, I believe in the need to oppose ‘business unionism’. I also believe in pushing motions within unions on various basic political causes (ie. motions to declare a union anti-war, motions to oppose the wars/occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, Motions against Israeli occupation/agression in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, ect.), and I believe in allying ourselves on various issues with any union leaders that have good stands on specific issues.

Che Guvera and “Focoism”: Che Guevera was revolutionary, but I don't support "Focoism" in the context of any current struggles against Capitalism.

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today? The war in Afghanistan; the ecological crisis; the revolutionary process in Latin America, especially the revolutions in Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia.

Central Planning: Yes and no. I believe in economic democracy. Part and parcel of this is local control over much economic activity through the use of ‘community councils’ such as exist in Venezuela. However, there are some sectors of the economy, which, due to economies of scale, may be better run directly through the government using central planning.

Terrorism: No

National Liberation Movements: I support the right of all peoples to self-determination. However, I am critical of the leadership of national liberation movements if they ally themselves too closely with US imperialism.

The peasantry and the petty-bourgeoisie: Depends what is meants by “petty-bourgeoisie”, and whether this is taken to mean “social-democratic” political parties. I do vote for the NDP here in Canda, due to the absence of any political parties to the left of them that run in my riding. I also don’t believe in voting for marginal political parties. However, support for social democratic political parties must be critical. I do believe is important to me to support individual members of the NDP when they take what I believe are principled, revolutionary positions on issues (any issue has a principled left position that one can take on it).

Where would you like to be in history; what historical events would you like to be in: The anti-Vietnam war movement.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to? Marx, Engels, Bakhunin, Rosa Luxembourg, Gramsci, Trotsky.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Bureaucratically degenerated workers state. After WWII, also an Imperialist power.

[Keyser]

Name: Claude Mynott

Location: London, Britain

Class Background: White collar working class. I am an English teacher at a language school for foreign students and workers.

Ethnic Background: Caucasian British. My family background is a mixture from all over Europe, I have French, Dutch, Scottish, Irish, English, Czech and Austrian blood ties.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes. A communist party must be an organised, disciplined, principled revolutionary vanguard party made up of the most militant, able and determined members of the working class and based on firm Marxist-Leninist politics in opposition to all forms of revsionism, reformism, liquidationism and opportunism.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: For the purposes of propaganda and bringing communist politics to the widest audience possible, standing in elections can have it's uses.

If communists are elected to parliament, they should always take the wage of an average worker and refuse any further payments and expense accounts. But the final task of overthrowing the capitalist class and the bourgeois state can only be done via the revolutionary overthrow of the state and bourgeois society. Social democracy and attempts to establish socialism by votes or parliamentary decree (eg; Salvador Allende's government in Chile) are political dead ends for the working class and communists.

Working within current trade unions: Yes, for defending the living conditions, working conditions, social rights and political rights of the working class and society. But trade unions cannot be used as a tool for revolutionary change (despite what anarcho-syndicalists and council communists will say), given the fact that they were never established for the purpose of revolution.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": It may have it's uses in anti-imperialist struggles in the 'third world' and I will not dogmatically support or oppose it. Each country has different circumstances and Focoism may be useful in some of those countries.

Ideally the guerrilla struggle will be led by a vanguard party, either a revolutionary anti-imperialist or a communist vanguard party. Without a two front struggle, both a political strugle and a military/armed struggle, weaknesses will emerge and the possibilities for failure will be that much greater. Che Guevara's biggest mistake in his 1966-67 Bolivian campaign was to simply start an armed struggle by a very small and isolated group, without first developing a political base of support amongst Bolivia's working class and it's peasantry.

Had he had done this, the Bolivia of today might have been a socialist Bolivia.

Central planning: Yes, provided that the working class and the communist party are the joint authors of any central plan and the central plan works to further the process of the socialisation of the economy and reduce all factors of political, economic and social inequality between the working class and all other classes.

Terrorism: Like with Focoism, I believe that it may be useful in certain circumstances and in certain countries. I do not dogmatically oppose or support it, the decision to carry out such actions must be a tactical one taken after long consideration of all possibilities.

National-liberation movements: I fully support them if they struggle against the power and domination of global capitalist imperialism.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Both these classes have a opportunistic element to them, in that they will tend to side with which ever social class is stronger and appears to be winning the class struggle. In times of reaction, they tend to side with the bourgeoisie and in pre-revolutionary times, they have in the past come over to the side of the working class when they finally see the strong possibility of a working class victory.

However, any alliance with the peasantry and the petit-bourgeoisie must be done on the basis that these two classes are led by the working class and that these two classes accept the leadership of the working class for waging the revolution and upon the victory of revolution, they accept the leading role of the working class in a socialist society (ie; the dictatorship of the proletariat).

What, Who, and Where?

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Imperialism. If the imperialism of global capitalism is defeated, then and only then will we see socialist revolutions not only in the 'third world' but also in the industrialised capitalist countries too, a big leap forward considering the near absence of communist politics and working class organisation that we see in 'first world' countries today.

Also important is the struggle against revisionism (anti-Leninism/anti-materialism/market socialism/reformism etc...) and all anti-Marxist and anti-Leninist trends and ideologies that parade themselves as revolutionary, communist and Marxist, whilst going against everything that is communist and Marxist in their actions, policies and theories.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: I am perfectly happy being in the here and now. We may be living in reactionary times of low levels of class struggle, but I do not find that circumstance to be demoralising in anyway, simply that we all have much work to do in our politics.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Alexandra Kollontai, Antonio Gramsci, Enver Hoxha.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: From 1917 to the late 1950's, the USSR was a socialist state and a socialist society, run jointly by the working class and a genuinly authentic communist party (the CPSU). From the late 1950's onwards, revisionism took hold of the USSR and by introducing market policies in the economy and weakening the collectivist and proletarian character of the USSR, the era from the late 1950's up until 1991 was one of decay and a process of moving away from genuine socialism to bureaucratic socialism and eventually this led to the reactionary counter-revolution and capitalist restoration of 1991.

Ultimately, the reasons that caused the revisionist decay and collapse of the USSR were materialistic. The USSR being isolated and surrounded by hostile and aggressive capitalist and imperialist powers and having to industrialise at breakneck speed, as the USSR did not have the same level of industrialisation and economic development as countries like Britain and Germany did in 1917. It was these materialistic conditions and circumstances which made possible the growth of revisionism within the CPSU and the conclusive and logical outcome of such revisionism, the restoration of capitalism by counter-revolution in the former USSR.

[non-vio-resist]

Name: Alex

Location: Louisville, KY

Class Background: Middle Class: The son of a nurse and a high school teacher.
Ethnic Background: English/Irish/German

Do You Support?

A Vanguard Party: When the State exists? Yes, but only if it is democratically formed and it was clear throughout it's existence that the people wanted the party to exist. When the State is gone? No. With the state's abolition there will be no need for parties.

Participation in Parlimentary bodies: I think if good leftists/progressives find their way through the cracks, a la George Galloway, Bernie Sanders, and Dennis Kucinich, then those voices are needed. However the likelihood of honest anarchists/socialists/communists getting through the corrupt corporatized political maze is unlikely, especially in the "global North.". So, the answer would be "yes" if revolutionary figures could find their way into parliamentary bodies.

Working within current trade unions: In the states, many unions have become terribly regressive groups of male chauvinist white nationalists. I have known individuals, for example, who have worked for certain unions driving a "foreign" model car to the sight only to have the tires slashed and the windows smashed because it wasn't an American car. With that said, in concept, a trade having a union can work to mobilize workers and organize strikes if the worker is being oppressed, ie, the trade union can stand up for the proletariat and against the capitalist expropriator. I stand behind workers movements that are democratic and egalitarian, eg, any anarco-syndicalist movement, the IWW, etc. So, the question is complicated and I would have to be selective as to which unions I support. Yes and No.

Che Guvera and “Focoism”: As an anarchist, he is not my cup of tea but he fought against imperialism and toppled a brutal capitalist tyrant. This should not be ignored. He was also homophobic and violent and was quite sympathetic to Stalin, which should not be ignored either. Ultimately I would say "no" but he did some great things for the proletariat in Cuba.

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today?
The corporatist war against the middle east, euphemistically called the war on terror. I think Sasha Cohen nailed it on the head when, as Borat, he called it the war of terror. Quite accurate.

Central Planning: Yes, once again, if this is decided democratically and is controlled primarily be the people, ie, particapatory economics. I would say no if the planning is arbitrarily decided by a dictator. If it is the people's will, though, I do not see a problem with it.
Terrorism: No. Governments are the worst terrorists the world has seen. In theory, if there is no government in a stateless society, the likelihood of terrorism occurring would be small. Chickens come home to roost periodically, as Malcom X said. If, like the United States, terrorists run the country, then, at times, other terrorists will strike the U.S., eg.

National Liberation Movements: Yes and No. I hate to give these answers so much but lets be realistic: there are awful national lib. movements and noble national lib. movements. Take a look at al qaida. This was a per se national liberation movement of Afghanistan that sided with U.S. imperialism They were funded by the empire and grew into a force that has now affected American citizens. Blowback generally occurs when the US empire funds a dangerous group of radical fundamentalists. However, when we look at another example, Palestine, the citizens depend on what they can to fight aggresion, apartheid, and imperialism, so they depend on national liberation movements that are no bed of roses, eg, Hamas, Hezbollah, et al. They need Hamas and Hezbollah. Whatever one thinks about those groups, and I don't think terribly wonderful thoughts of either, but they are standing up to state-sponsered Israeli terrorism, US/Israeli (same) imperialism, and apartheid. Unfortunately for Palestine, that is all they have at the moment.
The peasantry and the petty-bourgeoisie: Boy, these are complicated questions. I think people from any class can contribute to revolutionary causes. I think people from any class or economic bracket can contribute ideas but I support something analogous to parecon (participatory economics) that would make these terms irrelevant.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical events would you like to be in: Now is an important time as corporate fascists are currently acting as if they own the world. I think I can contribute now and I would stay here. The 60's, while flawed, seemed like a great period to be an activist. Most importantly were the anti-war movements and the Civil Rights movement where people took direct action.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to? Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Tariq Ali, Karl Marx, Mikhail Bakunin, John Dewey, Gandhi, Dr. King, Norman Finkelstein, Eugene Debs, Michal Albert etc. I know some of my "historical figures" could be disputed as to whether they are, in fact, historical. Nonetheless, that's a start.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: As an anarchist, my view of the USSR is not favorable. Anyone who silences their opposition through murder and labor camps is irrelevant, despite the good that they've done, IMO. Totalitarianism strains have always ran through Russia, though. State socialism or state capitalism (the latter being closer to the class character of the Soviet Union) is only legitimate when these things are democratically determined.

[wes]

Name: Wes
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Class background: Working class. My mother is a secratary and my father for most the years I new him was a maintanance man. I grew up in rual east tennessee where my great grandfather was a union organizer at the Alcoa Aluminum plant and spelter.

Ethnic background: Scot-Irish, German, Welsh, French

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, as a party of workers as laid out by Lenin.


Participation in parliamentarian bodies: as a tatic to give a revolutionay program a wider auidince exp; the Bolshiviks and the Duma.


Working within current trade unions: Yes, they are organizations of workers an must be transformed into revolutionary organizations by the workers withen them.


Che Guevara and "Focoism": Che I support as a revolutionary. Guarilla Warfare however is a tatic to be used by the working class and it`s leadership not an the road to revolution on its own.

Central planning: Under a workers government.


Terrorism: What is considerd Terrorism is a class qustion. The cops busting up a strike is an act of terrorism aginst workers, Workers going on strike is terrorism aginst capitalists.

National-liberation movements: I fully support the right of nations to self determination which includes the Black Nation in the United States.


The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: The worker peasent alliance as stated by lenin is still relivent today. The middle class can play both a revolutionary role and a reactionary role. It is improtant for workers to win over the lower petit-bourgeoisie.



What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The Iraq and afghan wars, the events in nepal, the protest by truckers, and the strikes by immigrant workers.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The present more than any other time.


What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engles, Lenin, Che, Sankara, and the cuban soldiers who died a cuito cunovale (spelling?).

[wes]

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engles, Lenin, Che, Sankara, and the cuban soldiers who died a cuito cunovale (spelling?).

Oh and Malcolm X

[More Fire for the People]

Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Don't let a tornado suck you up before the revolution... and don't spend all your people's funds on meth and strip clubs. :lol:

[The Advent of Anarchy]

Name: Militant Valiant Liberation

Location: Imagi-Nation

Class background: Parent: Middle Class (income based) Me: Proletariat (Dishwasher)

Ethnic background: Irish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

No. Look at the Soviet Union.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

No

Working within current trade unions:

I would work with the IWW, but not much else.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No

Central planning:

No way. Central planning is only of good use when you're using it to increase the supply of S'mores Pop-Tarts.

Terrorism:

There is no such thing as Terrorism. It's a derrogatory term used to describe militant (not necessarily revolutionary) movements that you don't like.

National-liberation movements:

No more nationalism. Liberation yes. National Liberation NO. National Liberation sways people to love their country which pushes them away from the path to the Communist World Society we need.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

No. The peasantry is currently being destroyed as a class in the countries where it still exists, and the petty bourgeois can swing in either directions in the revolution. They're the bisexual class of the revolution, and I like the proletariat.

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The War in the Middle East and Zionist Occupation of Palestine.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

The place and time where the creator of Bottled Water first came up with Bottled Water. I'd shoot him.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Karl Marx and Lewis Black.

[Bastable]

Name: unimportant
Location: Australia

Class background: Lower Middle.

Ethnic background: Caucasian?

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No, they achieve nothing.

Working within current trade unions: Trade Unions don't seem to be particularly 'revolutionary' anymore, so no.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No

Central planning: No

Terrorism: Terrorism alienates us from the working class, so no.

National-liberation movements: Generally no.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: As long as they join us, yes.

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The struggle for communism?

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: It would have been interesting to be at the Paris Commune.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: A lot of what Marx had to say was quite good, Kropotkin had a lot of good to say too.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Generally not ideal.

[Kropotesta]

Name: Mr J

Location: East Anglia- England

Class background: Working

Ethnic background: White Brit

Do you support?
A "vanguard" party: Na blud

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Maybe for LOLZ but no.

Working within current trade unions: Yes

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No

Central planning: No way Jose!

Terrorism: Depends

National-liberation movements: National states need to be abolished, not 'liberated'

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Both can be of use but I don't support eithers economic positioning

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
The power struggles in the middle east

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Political historical? hmm.....Paris '68? Don't know.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Kropotkin, Malatesta, Marx
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Abit shit. State captialism

[joe_the_red]

Name: Joe

Location: USA until June '08 -> will be Canada (Victoria, BC)

Class background: Proletariat. My father was a chef, my mother has a degree in counciling and education, but is unable to use it because of disability.

Ethnic background: Irish, German and Czech

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

I consider myself a bit of a realist... as long as there are professional enemy militaries, we need professional revolutionaries that can train and prepare our brothers and sisters for the revolution. But I feel that caution should be taken in this, because these professional revolutionaries (which I consider myself working towards becoming) should not allow themselves to 'rise to power'. I feel that it is a job that needs to be done, and when the job is done, if political leadership is the next course, it must be limited power, we must limit it ourselves, immediately.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

No

Working within current trade unions:

Trade Unions can be a way to get justice for workers who alone would not stand much chance against the capitalist/fascist aristocracy's lawyers and contingencies. Unfortunately I think some of them have a tendency of becoming corrupt.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": There is a time and a place for "focos". It can be a useful tactic when needed, because the capitalists do a similar tactic with economics. A "guerrilla economic and political attack", so to speak, where the big businesses in charge of everything buy out all of the small businesses and own everything, and gradually "convince" the people through deception to vote away their rights out of fear and desire for "security".

Central planning:

Only if the government has very limited powers, and the people have the ability to remove corrupt government immediately, not just in writing, but in fact.

Terrorism:

I dislike the word terrorism. Capitalists call anyone who is opposed to their ideas terrorists. To me, terrorism is only performed by the capitalist/fascist/imperialist regimes trying to control the people of the world. It's the United States trying to conquer Iraq, it's "Israel" living in the homes that rightly belong to Palestinians and missile attacking refugee camps where peoples' lives are difficult enough as it is. So, in other words, I absolutely do not support terrorism, because I feel it is a capitalist tool for empire-building. Freedom fighters are not terrorists.

National-liberation movements:

All peoples should be able to have sovereignty over themselves. I will state that I do not consider capitalists to be people, to me, they are parasites, and any movement meant to topple their imperialistic control over another people is worthy of support, unless it is the capitalists trying to overthrow a just state working its way towards communism.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

I am unsure of what this particular section is asking for, but I will say this and hope it is relevant and understood: I support the people of this world, that their lives be better, that they be equal and have all the opportunity for happiness and success (not in the capitalist dollar amount sense, but a more legitimate sense).

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The United States attempt to take over the Middle-East and give rise to the North American World Empire. Iraq is only one stepping stone in the United States' plans. Mark my words, they are only using this for training and to get bases for their attacks on the rest of that area, to coerce the world to take orders from the U.S. Think about it, the "Middle-East" is the centre of the European, Asian and African continents. The U.S. will have an easier time "liberating" African nations, coercing European nations to take their orders, and invading China. I'm just glad that the United States military is not as tough as they claim to be. Spending the most money does not mean they have the best equipment and training in the world, I know from experience.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Fighting for Irish independence from the British Empire.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Marx, Engels, Lenin, Connolly, Ho Chi Minh


Additionally I would like to add that I consider this a great thread. It opens several topics for potential discussion at once. And it's an easy place to go to see what others believe and why, depending on the depth of explanation given. Cheers. -Joe

[Peacekeeper]

Name: XXXXXXXX

Location: Seattle Area

Class background: Working Class

Ethnic background: European-American

Do you support?
A "vanguard" party: Yes

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Not if it means giving up revolutionary aspirations.

Working within current trade unions: Yes

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Not in heavily industrialized countries.

Central planning: Absolutely.

Terrorism: This depends on your definition of terrorism.

National-liberation movements: Yes

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Yes for peasantry, and leniency should be shown towards most of the petit-bourgeoisie.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
Israeli Zionism/Fascism and genocide against the Palestinian people.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Cuba, late 1950's.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Marx, Lenin, Mao, Stalin.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Pre-Khrushchev/Revisionism: a conservative socialist state. Post-Stalin: A Revisionist morass of capitalistic "reforms."

[hekmatista]

Name: Let's not make it too easy.

Location: Reno
Class background: Parents were public school teachers, white collar workers; I am medical, skilled worker.
Ethnic background: Slavic

Do you support?
A "vanguard" party: Depends on the historical "moment"
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: It would take some convincing
Working within current trade unions: Go where the workers are concentrated

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Not as main approach

Central planning: With a lot of flexible feedback
Terrorism: No

National-liberation movements: Proletariat must keep its own perspective and organization within same
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Unstable temporary allies
What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
Impending war of USA on Iran and workers' response to same in both countries and worldwide

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Easter 1916
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Connolly, Lenin/Luxembourg, Monsoor Hekmat
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: A genuine proletarian revolution led by a Party which gradually lost its own proletarian character between 1924 and 1931 at the latest, resulting in state capitalism.

[Cybersomatix]

Name: Däv
Location: Portland, Oregon
Class background: Working class. Father was a roofer. Mother was a coalminers daughter.
Ethnic background: Cherokee & West African from my dad's side... Mohawk, German & Irish from my Mom's side.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: In so far as I don't believe in centrally cohesive revolutions, I find the question a bit limiting. That is, I believe that various organized groups should take initiative where they can and act in the name of class struggle independently of the majority. I do not, however, believe that in doing so, they've any right to represent the working class as a whole. I suppose I could say yes, if in their definition of "vanguard party", one was inclusive of Network-centric autonomous movements. Otherwise, not at all.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: The Bureaucracy is expanding to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy, no? I think putting decent people into positions of power would be great if we could find positions of power more compelling to decent people.
Working within current trade unions: I was a wobbly for all of 6 months once... I didn't see the point.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I like a lot of the ideas of Che Guevara, but Focoism is a failed military tactic which can only work on limited levels for a short amount of time. Still, I think can be applied to more modified approaches which bear more tactical veracity and is, as such, valuable.
Central planning: Depends on the scale and the operation. I believe in the division of labor. Sometimes planning gigs need streamlining. Sometimes they don't.
Terrorism: Doesn't exist.
National-liberation movements: I don't take a general stance in agreement or disagreement with national liberation movements. While I disagree with the notion of national sovereignty, I see the value in bringing the scale of a state down to a smaller and more local population. In a sense, national liberation struggles, when successful, spread a greater degree of sovereignty to a larger group of individuals.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Notions not particularly applicable in the modern west (where I live), I've not given them any thought. It would be my presumption that these people should be judged by their merit, not by their class.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: 1) The efforts of the Great powers (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States) to effectuate geo-strategic control over the globe. 2) Agriculture subsidies in the global north driving up global food prices by reducing aggregate supply in the face of rapidly growing aggregate demand. 3) Oil consumption.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Now. Here.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: None.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: I don't understand the question. I believe the Soviet system to be one of state capitalism, however. Run by an aging bureaucracy of men bent on consolidating power through rampant cronyism. I also believe that the same cronies have continued to maintain power in post-soviet Russia just ask Putin and the Russian elite.

[Wake Up]

Name: Allan
Location: London
Class background: Middle class parents. Mother is a virologist and father is a lawyer. Both are liberals and good people. They gave me a strong sense of pragmatism above anything else, the sense to do what right. Grandfather was a D-Day veteran and gasworker/union rep. Apart from this I have little physical connection to the working class. Doesn't make my beliefs any less relevent however...
Ethnic background: Scottish/English

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: To some extent yes. A vanguard party carries the risk of becoming all-powerful. However I believe a vanguard party is necessary to implement the revolutions ideas. A mob is not a revolution.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes. We will not be able to match the man-power and resources of the capitalists, to begin with. Therefore guerilla tactics are crucial. Focoism cannot be sustained however.
Central planning: Again a mob is not a revolution. The central planners must be accountable.
Terrorism: No. Terrorism is cowardly and does a revolution no favours. There are more effective ways of advertising.
National-liberation movements: No.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: It is understandable that many people simply can not be bothered. Status-quo is easy. However they are not our enemies, we must find a way to harness them.

What, Who, and Where
What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Energy sources - oil etc

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: RIght here, right now.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to:Che
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Revolution gone wrong. A warning to others how not to do it.

[KrazyRabidSheep]

Name: Sean
Location: Belfast/St. Louis
Class background: Working class, grew up near-poverty
Ethnic background: Irish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: I vote, but nothing more.
Working within current trade unions: Some.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes.
Central planning: If the central planning is directly controlled by the people (only by a true democracy): yes
Terrorism: No. I support freedom fighters. Terrorism is a term coined by the opposition of said freedom fighters.
National-liberation movements: No.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Undecided.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The easy answer would be Iraq, the truthful answer would be I don't know.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Right now. Are you kidding? Today IS history. The social, technological, and political changes in the world are happening at an unprecedented pace. I want to stick around and see how things play out.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Jeremy Bentham, Ernesto Guevara.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It started out as an untried experiment. With all of the unknowns and variables I believe it is commendable that the Soviet Union did as well as it did for as long. However, bottom line, it did not do well enough and ended in utter failure. It did not end in vain; the Soviet Union's successes and failures can be observed and (hopefully) prevented or avoided in the future.

[victim77]

Name: Pat

Location: Canada

Class background: Upper-middle Class

Ethnic background: Irish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

Nope

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Yes if its Direct Democracy and not Representative Democracy

Working within current trade unions:

Yes

Che Guevara and "Focoism": somewhat

Central planning:

Nope

Terrorism:

Terrorism is a very broad word and has multiple definitions but I support it when human life is not endangered.

National-liberation movements:

No we should have international Liberation

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

Better than supporting the elite Bourgeoisie such as Wal-Mart

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

Everything going on in the Middle East.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:
The Spanish Civil war fighting for the CNT-FAI

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Rudolf Rocker

[Mala Tha Testa]

Name: Nick
Location: Ohio, US
Class background: income wise - middle class; means of production wise - proletarian
Ethnic background: Polish, Irish, Native American

Do you support?
A "vanguard" party: only it's absolutely nessicary

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: nope

Working within current trade unions: a little

Che Guevara and "Focoism": sort of

Central Planning: yeah, but only by the workers

Terrorism: some

National-liberation movements: if used for the liberation of all people, not just certain ethnic groups

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: for the most part

What, Who, and Where?
What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: countinued American imperialism

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Battle of Wounded Knee(1973), Spanish Civil War, Russian Revolution, the Paris Commune

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Karl Marx, Frederick Engles, Rosa Luxemburg, Vladimir Lenin

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: proletarian early on(pre-WWII), it became crappy it's later years(after WWII mostly), due to it's imperialism into Eastern Europe

[Holden Caulfield]

Name: Holden Caulfield

Location: England

Class background: Working, so very working

Ethnic background: English (?)

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

yes, if i had the chance to force benaficial changes i would, a vanguard is necessary in times of low class consciousness and as a becon for the the working class

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

yes, they can be 'infiltrated' through entryism or we can stand in elections to push change and to show the people that we are fighting in their corner on a grander scale, plus it stops pricks like the BNP getting into power

Working within current trade unions:

Yes, the leadership would need a kick to the left though

Che Guevara and "Focoism": yes however this is not ideal, but the sucess of vanguardism, and the sucesses of maoism show that focoism can be an effective tool, socialism by any means necessary

Central planning:

yes so long as it it deeply rooted in democracy

Terrorism:

i support terrorism on legitamate targets such as the IRA employed in the very early days but not terrorism for publicity and 'terror' like the IRA's acts became

National-liberation movements:

depend on the circumstances entirely, but i would support national liberation against imperialist powers if it would increase standards of living

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

yes, even though i know of no peasants we are equally opressed, it is the hammer and sickle for a reason you know, the petit can be my friends if they want to be my friends i doubt they would be and i would mind fighting them either

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

?? maoists in India and that area, and American imperialist policies

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Germany 1919-23, or the Spanish Civil War with my POUM-y pals

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Karl Marx, derr

What was the class character of the Soviet Union:

buggered after Lenin died,

[Module]

Name: Imogen
Location: Sydney, Australia.
Class background: Middle class - My mother is a teacher, father is an IT manager for some company.
Ethnic background: English/Welsh (Err ... British)

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: It used to be a flat out no .. now... Generally yes.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No. (Not now, obviously)
Working within current trade unions: Well ... I think it depends on the trade union, and probably what form this 'working' takes.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I would 'support' it, yes.
Central planning: I think it depends. It would have to be, as others have mentioned, controlled by the workers to the greatest extent. It should be used as a 'tactic', a means to an end but definitely not as a 'basis' of any plan of action. It needs to be as democratic as possible.
Terrorism: Generally no, though it depends.
National-liberation movements: Generally no, though it depends. :p
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Do I support them? If they support the revolutionary left.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: United States imperialism. More an 'issue' than an event, but I'm sure you can think of a multitude of events which have occoured as a result.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Germany 1919 - 1933.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: I'll be terribly unoriginal. Karl Marx.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Began as a proletarian revolution, became a state capitalist bureaucracy.

[xAtlasx]

Name: Atlas

Location: :Las Vegas

Class background: My father was a petty criminal, my mother was constantly unemployed. When I was 4 I was given over to my grandparents. My Grandmother was a Waitress her whole life, my grandfather was a truck driver. Overall, we kept a lower class income.

Ethnic background: Mestizo

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

No. Experiment in Party dictatorship didn't turn out well did it?

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

No

Working within current trade unions:

Current Trade Unions could be used as an organizing force in a post-capitalist world, but currently they are beholden to the upper class and in need of reform

Che Guevara and "Focoism":

Yes. A resistance force of any kind would be necessary as a focal point for any successful revolution.

Central planning:

Central planning will only lead to some monstrous form of a state

Terrorism:

There is no such thing as terrorism.

National-liberation movements:

Movements which seek to destroy totalitarianism or dismantle the capitalist machine? Yes absolutely, but movements of state worship or "nationalism"? Absolutely not!


The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

I could see the peasantry working hand in hand with the proletariat in a revolution as well as in the new society

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The events in the middle East, from the imperial moves of "Israel" into Gaza and the U.S. invasion of Iraq, to the assaults on the P.K.K. by those responsible for Genocide, the Middle East will be the focal point for determining the future path of the world.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

The Spanish Revolution of 36'

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Proudhon, Kropotkin, Schopenhauer. Nietzsche

What was the class character of the Soviet Union:

THe Soviet Union turned from a popular revolution into party dictatorship with terribly misguided views of itself

[OI OI OI]

Name: Diego
Location: Canada
Class background:Working class

Ethnic background: World

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes (we need to have flexible tactics as marxists)
Working within current trade unions: Although there is a trade union bureaucracy which is reactionary I think we should work with the rank and file workers
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No
Central planning: If the workers have democratic control over the planners -- if they are subject to recall, do not have specialized privileges or higher salaries, etc.
Terrorism: No
National-liberation movements: Yes
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: We should ally with the proletariat in order for the revolution to be successfull but they cannot carry a revolution on their own. We should win them over and wipe them out in the process for communism. I do not mean ohysically wipe them out(kill them) but wipe them out as a class(they both belong to the middle class)
What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
The Venezuelan Revolution
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: May 68
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Lenin, Engels, Trotsky
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Degenerated workers state

[DancingLarry]

Name: Larry

Location: Western Massachusetts, USA

Class background: Born into the petty bourgeois. By my teens we were pretty much "the ruined petty bourgeois", which means more or less lumpen.

Ethnic background: Honky-American

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

A really bad idea.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Only for short-term tactical purposes.

Working within current trade unions:

Why not, you have to start somewhere. As long as it doesn't become some kind of be-all and end-all, a more militant labor movement is a necessary part of class struggle.

Che Guevara and "Focoism":

I don't know enough about the theory of "focoism" to speak to it specifically. However,in the US, which is where I'll always be, any sort of "armed radicalism" is essentially a suicidal act.

Central planning:

An even worse idea than "vanguard party".

Terrorism:

Define "terrorism".

National-liberation movements:

Limited critical support as long as they are in conflict with the organized forces of imperialism.


The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

One of my biggest point, the increasing irrelevance of the traditional definitions of classes which have completely failed to keep pace with vast and radical changes in the organization and character of production and labor over the past 50 years, at least in the advanced capitalist countries. At this point the terms proletarian, peasant and in many cases petit bourgeois have been largely rendered meaningless.

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The triumph of finance capital over industrial capital in the context of a fully realized globalized imperialist political economy.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

The Paris Commune.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Haywood, Goldmann.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union:

Neo-feudal.

[Yes]

Name: ??

Location: Maine, USA

Class background: Blue collar, middle class

Ethnic background: Slovene and Polish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

Yes

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:
Undecided

Working within current trade unions:
Yes

Che Guevara and "Focoism":
No

Central planning:
Yes

Terrorism:
Yes, but no civilian deaths.

National-liberation movements:
Yes


The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:
Peasantry: Probably
Petit-Bourgeoisie: A chance for redemption, but generally no.

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
The Iran situation

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:
Petrograd 1917

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Lenin, maybe.

[Norseman]

Name: *****
Location: San Jose, California
Class background: Proletarian. Me and my family have to work for capitalists for a living. According to one of my dad's former bosses, he was worth 10 times as much as he was paid. I'm trying to work for people directly and cut the capitalists out of the loop. It saves a lot on taxes, and it's better for everyone.
Ethnic background: Norwegian, Danish, English, and Finnish.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Not exactly. I support people doing what they can to change society. I would support a directly democratic party; wannabe dictators can GTFO.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Only to subvert them and transform them into direct democracies.
Working within current trade unions: There aren't nearly enough, and they're nearly powerless. I prefer the development of worker's cooperatives, to cut capitalists out of the loop entirely.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I think it would fail miserably, but if it was demonstrably successful I would join in a heartbeat. I think it's better to earn the alliance of the military and police forces, either by political campaigns directed at them, or by infiltrating them en masse.
Central planning: If the planning is done and implemented by a direct democracy, sure. Otherwise, hell no.
Terrorism: Attacks that leave innocent killed and maimed, no. Attacks that only affect murderers and state-supported terrorists, sure.
National-liberation movements: Yes, please.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They're ruthlessly exploited like the rest of us by corporatist states. They would benefit from a revolution as much as everyone except those who exploit entire countries. The petit-bourgeoisie shouldn't exist as a class. People should refuse to work for the bourgeoisie as much as possible. That would make their capital worthless, since there would be no workers, renters or debtors to make it valuable. That would make it easy for workers to sieze it without argument.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The riots and protests in China. Something like 60,000 of them every year, if I recall correctly. Chinese people, in many ways, seem to be living on the verge of real communist revolution. The extreme capitalism of China has left huge portions of the country with nothing to lose in a revolution. People working in conditions of near slavery remain essential to the capitalist economy of China. Many of them work so long that they have no time to appreciate the value of their money. Materialism cannot take root among impoverished and overworked people.

A few months ago, a man was tortured by police in Shanghai. A few days after that, he went back to the police station and stabbed 6 police officers to death, and injured 19 others. There was a riot because the police captured him. If ever there was a society that could turn to anarchy without warning, China is it.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Catalonia, 1936.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: George Orwell, Karl Marx, Rudolf Rocker, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State capitalist. As soon as one person is given ownership of an entire country, that becomes the worst kind of capitalism imaginable.

[Acorn]

Name: Abu

Location: Memphis, TN

Class background: One of the lucky few. Middle-Class, White-Collar Managments types. Pappa Works at an Industrial Textile Factory, Momma works at a Bank.

Ethnic background: A Myriad of European Nations comingaling in a huge, pastey, white orgy. Plus, 1/4 Native American.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Perhaps. In simple terms, the Vangaurd party is just the agent of the revolution, personified by a Political Party. Depending upon the Intending outcome of the revolution, a Vanguard party could prove quite effective & needed.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Hmm.. That would depend on how you define a parlimentarian body. I would obviously cooparate with the Representative sof the People, but the establishment of a revolutionary Senate, so-to-say, may become cumbersome.

Working within current trade unions: Yes. The Unions are the people. Businesses should be run by the workers, & the workers have Unions, & the Unions should become agents of representation in any form of government that arises, therefore ensuring the prosperity of the Producers.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": it is possible. But unlikely.

Central planning: It depends, obviously. if there was to be a Vanguard party, then Central planning would be disasterous. But if a comittiee of unions were to set about the task of cooperateing to ensure disasterous economic downturns don't occur as a result of ignorance amoungst the producers, then yes.

Terrorism: Terrorism is unacceptable. Terrorism is a tactic designed to instill fear in the hearts of others. That is not our purpose. Our purpose is to show them that they don't have to be afraid.

National-liberation movements: We are attempting to liberate ourselves, that is what all movements attempt to do.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: they are with us, especially the peasentry (farmers, agriculturalists, ect.) The Petit-bourgeoisie can be with us, if they as individuals so choose.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: An Event? the Iraqi & Afghani War.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The 3rd Punic War; The Seige of Carthage.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Trotsky, DeLeon.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: For the first months, the country was ruled by Soviets (Councils) & there was peace. But, With the Buerocracy becoming entrenched, ineffeciant, & inhumane, (as they so often do) The State collapsed into a totalitarian Statist-Capitalist regime.

[Lamanov]

Location: Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Class background: Middle class.
Ethnic background: Serb, in Bosnia.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No. Direct action only.
Working within current trade unions: Unions (yellow, bureaucratic) can't be "used". They're bureaucratic mediator bodies. We should work with rank-and-file membership.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: Direct-democratic planning by workers' councils. It should be "centralised" in the sense of uniting in common endeavor, but through direct democracy. Plans have to be made by consensus and approved by the constituents and participants.
Terrorism: Against urban guerrilla and guerrilla in general. I approve working class violence against the state machinery and the bosses.
National-liberation movements: No. I'm an internationalist.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Peasants, land owning or not, should be considered workers, unless they employ wage labor.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The rise of strikes.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Here and now. If I had to choose, I'd have to say Spain 1936, when subjective action - even action of individuals - was extremely important to subsequent events.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Golos Truda (Maximoff), FORA, AAUD-E (Otto Ruhle), Friends of Durruti, Guy Debord, Solidarity group (Brinton, Jones).
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Bureaucratic state capitalism. Right from the start.

[Comrade Raz]

Name: John
Location: Elephant & Castle, Londo
Class background: My father is petty-bourgeois, owning a small business with no employees. My mother is a proletarian in the service sector.
Ethnic background: Welsh

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: In certain situations, when operating under highly tyrannical regimes etc but as a rule i would argue there are better structures of party organisation.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Not as a substitute to revolution, but to complement it
Working within current trade unions: Yes, but not as the main focus
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Where applicable, but generally not
Central planning: If the workers have democratic control over the planners -- if they are subject to recall, do not have specialized privileges or higher salaries, etc.
Terrorism: Potentially, if the attacks are not directed at civilians, but at representatives of the bourgeois establishment
National-liberation movements: I would support their victory in conflict with imperilism, but always from a highly critical perspective.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Dependant on circumstance
What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Iraq War/threatened attacks on Iran, and generally the imperilaist policies of the US.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: now?? or Russia 1917
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was founded as a workers' state, but degenerated into a bureaucratic nightmare, that eventually restored capitalism.

[Goose]

Name: Chris
Location: UK
Class background: Lower middle class. Family were all miners, but me dad went to uni and me mam worked in admin.

Ethnic background: English/French

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No, unless I run it. That'd be fine.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: Strikes me they're run by the same ****s that run the country now. All playing the same silly game. No.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes
Central planning: It strikes me that the state is not going to dissolve overnight into a perfectly planned workers syndicate
Terrorism: Where does terrorism start and freedom fighting begin?
National-liberation movements: No.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They're a fact, and quite frankly one that is unlikely to become revolutionary. In a currrent western 'democracy', were revolution to occur, they would have to be told what to do. Let's face it, we can't rely on the workers as they're all in fucking India and China. Did anyone on here read past vol II of Das Kapital?

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Russia/NATO. Oh, and them little Georgian tits. Could be interesting.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Cuban Revolution.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Sorel, Shakespeare, Pinter, Luxemburg, Trotsky, Engels, SArtre, Ionesceu, Castro, Chavez.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State capitalism. Nice idea at the start, became Red Robbo's vision of a bureaucratic demagoguey.

[Comrade Pumblechook]

Name: James

Location: Southern England

Class background: Dad's an Odd Jobs man with a car dealership, mums a vetenary nurse. Mainly a working class background, though there is a guy on my dad's side that was known as 'John the Bastard' on account of his mis-treating his workers....
Definately Working class, though the family never goes wanting.

Ethnic background: English/Welsh

Do you support?

A Vanguard Party? Undecided on this issue. On one hand, i recognise that it may be needed to spread the revolution worldwide, protect it, and organise it in the immediate aftermath.

However, i'm concerned of the ability power has to corrupt.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Only to promote Socialism, not as a revolutionary means.

Working within current trade unions: For the time being. Need serious re-constructing and bringing under workers control.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": It's all very romantic.

Central planning: Yes, so long as the representatives are subject to instant re-call and no job perks, i.e higher wage.

Terrorism: So long as it's not against civilian targets, and is for the good of the working class, on behalf of the working class.

National-liberation movements: Only against Fascism.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They're possible allies in the revolution, but should not be put before the Working class. Not trustworthy, but potentially useful.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Credit Crunch. With Global Capitalism falling in on itself, it presents the Labour movement with an opportunity to seize the agenda and strike a few blows.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Either the founding of the IRA, in the Socialist wing, or in the 1945 Atlee government. That, or the obvious answer of the Russian Revolution.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx and Trotsky.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Started as a workers state, but fast, and almost inevitably, fell into a one country dictatorship. Didn't stand a chance without world revolution.

[Pirate Utopian]

I thought I did this before, but I guess I didnt... oh well...

Name: Hidde
Location: Holland
Class background: Mainstream: middle class, Marxist: Prole
Ethnic background: Whitey

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Hellz no!
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Maybe just to make it a sham, like a joke party, Jello Biafra did something like it. But not seriously.
Working within current trade unions: Certain ones maybe, most are shit.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": It seems pretty bad idea, but it really depends on the conditions.
Central planning: NO!
Terrorism: Killing of innocents? never. Propaganda of the deed? yes.
National-liberation movements: Liberate people from nation-states.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Individual members of these groups will have to see who's side their on. No real opinion on these intire classes as revolutionaries.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The war of terror.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Paris, May 1968.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Karl Marx, Mikhail Bakunin, Max Stirner, Black Panther Party, Alfredo M. Bonanno, Johann Most, Guy Debord.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State capitalist.

[Vendetta]

Name: Max
Location: South Carolina
Class background: Working class, mom's a teacher, dad's a mechanic, and I am a lowly fast food worker.
Ethnic background: Irish-American with a Croat great-granddad.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: Yes, mostly.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Not generally, but I won't put it away as undoable.
Central planning: Depends on the situation.
Terrorism: On legitimate targets and not civilians.
National-liberation movements: Depends on the group.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Depends.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Iraq War.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spain, circa 1936.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Erhm...Marx, Orwell, Huey Newton, Kropotkin, a couple of others
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Betrayed revolution

[Gleb]

Name: Not going to get that one.
Location: Pirkanmaa, Finland
Class background: Middle class.
Ethnic background: Finnish

A "vanguard" party: More bureaucrats? No thanks, mammy!
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Participation in parliament can be useful; voting for the "lesser evil" can sometimes actually prove itself to be useful way to fight against most reactionary forces. I tend to vote for the local enviromentalist, social liberal party which is one of the loudest supporters for e.g. gay rights here in Finland, while they clearly aren't a socialist party.
Working within current trade unions: Working with the current trade unions can be useful to improve the overall situation but still: no revolutionary goals, no actual use in the long scale.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: No.
Terrorism: This is bad one, considering that word "terrorism" doesn't have a one, clear definition. I'm going with the typical one and saying no, as random violence creates more problems than solves.
National-liberation movements: This also depends. It depends on other causes of the movement more than national liberation itself.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Peasants are doers, workers, they have my sympathies. When it comes to the petit-bourgeoisie, well, it's more about the individual than the class individual belongs in. I'm not really fond of class-based politics and to me, revolutionary is a revolutionary no matter how much cashie her or she earns per month.

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: American crusade in the Middle East.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: the Russian Revolution, Barcelona '36
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Several liberal and socialist authors across the field, from Marx and Trotsky to Bukharin and Proudhon
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Means of productions in hands of bureaucratic party officers? Check. No worker's democracy? Check. Omnipresent state? Check. Not my cake, I can say that.

[Comrade B]

Name: Tobas
Location: Walla Walla, WA. The Empire.
Class background: Father was extraordinarily poor as a kid and grew up in the most mafia controlled part of Queens, managed to get a PhD in Art History. Mother was working class. Her family moved to the US post fall of Nazism. She managed to earn a PhD in German. I was raised middle class.
Ethnic background: Half German, quarter Italian, quarter Irish Scottish or French (history gets muddled there)

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: yes
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: yes
Working within current trade unions: yes
Che Guevara and "Focoism": yes
Central planning: aye
Terrorism: pending on the target, yes. Against the larger civilian population no, against the ruling class members, yes.
National-liberation movements: depends on what kind. Definitely not those for religious leadership.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Neither counter-revolutionary or revolutionary. Those upset with the system will support the movement. Those who do not will be ignored. Those who oppose it will be fought.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Political reform in South America. If the countries are completely reformed, true socialist states will be examples to the world of what they could have.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Spanish Civil War
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Leon Trotsky I suppose...
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: The Soviet Union was a disaster that harmed the reputation of communism and stopped true communism internationally.

[RedScare]

Name: Alex
Location: Suburbs of Washington DC
Class background: Middle Class, my parents run a small book store, I'm only a student.
Ethnic background: British Isles - French

Do you support

A "vanguard" party: Yes, but I think it needs to be constantly on gaurd for corruption and those who would seize power for themselves.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Somewhat. Very rarely can meaningful change be gotten out of it, but it can happen, such as how the Maoist came to power in Nepal
Working within current trade unions: I honestly don't have enough experience with unions to pass a judgment on the issue.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Depends on the situation in the country.
Central planning: So long as it's under worker's democratic control, yes.
Terrorism: No. I will never support killing innocents for the express purpose of causing fear.
National-liberation movements: Quite often, although sometimes the national liberation movement is too reactionary, such as the way Kosovo played out, or how Tibet might play out.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They can both be turned to the revolutionary cause, so why not go for it?

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The shit storm brewing in the Middle East, from Israel vs Iran to the border tensions in Pakistan. The way it pans out will define foreign policy, at for the United States, for many years to come.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Paris Commune, Spanish Civil War, Russian Revolution, German Revolution
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, a little Mao, a little Alinsky, a bit of Che and Castro
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It started out well, but I feel Stalin's taking power started it's decline, and the total collapse began under Brezhnev. Stalin created a bloated, self-serving bureaucracy that dominated the country and prohibited worker's control. I think deformed workers state probably fits the description best.

[RadicalRadical]

....

[Wakizashi the Bolshevik]

Name: Brecht
Location:Maaseik, Belgium
Class background: Probably Middle Class: I live in good material circumstances, both my parents are teachers and make a good living.
My transformation into Communism comes entirely from myself and my political studies.
Ethnic background: No idea, probably German (not the German from modern day Germany, but the German ethnicity). Some of my ancestors (4 or 5 generations ago) came from Holland.
Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: As my nickname already makes clear, I'm a Bolshevik, a follower of Lenin's principles. I support lenins idea of the vanguard party.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, if necessary and if the parlemantarians either don't accept the parlemantarian's wage, or give the most of the money to the Party and keep a wage comparible to that of a common worker (we do this with the chairman of the Belgian Labour Party (PVDA), although he's not in parliament)
Working within current trade unions: Yes, this organs are supposed to represent the Workers. The PVDA works closely with the Socialist trade union.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I support Che Guevara. Don't know focoism.
Central planning: I support democratic centralism and centralized government.
Terrorism: If it does not target innocent People.
National-liberation movements: Only if it fights against imperialism.
I oppose the idea of fighting out of nationalism.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: The peasantry is a very important source of Revolutionary power. It's very important that we get the peasants on our side.
The petit bourgeois are no homogenous group of people in their political stance. We have to get the honest and revolutionary ones of them behind us, and spread propaganda under the petit bourgeois members.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
The financial crisis: capitalism is starting to crash once more!
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The October Revolution
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro, Che Guevara, ...
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was a magnificent example of power to the Masses and of Socialism.
The treason against Communism made by Kruschev and Gorbachev caused it to collapse.

[Charles Xavier]

Name: *****
Location: Ontario, Canada
Class background: Working Class
Ethnic background: *******

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes
Working within current trade unions: Yes
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Depends on the National situation in a country nothing is cut and dry.
Central planning: Yes
Terrorism: No.
National-liberation movements: Yes (but not petty-bourgeioisie nationalism).
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: The peasantry must be won over patiently and the small business owners, lawyers and professionals should be won over too, they have skills we can use.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Manufacturing Crisis
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Post-War Europe
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Karl Marx, Fredrich Engels, Vladmir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Georgi Dimitrov, Jose Carlos Mariategui, Tupac Amaru II, Fidel Castro, Tim Buck, Gabriel Dumont, Lois Riel, Running Bull, Tecumseh, Tupac Katari.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Workers state till the end however communist party was comprimised by opportunists in the late 1950s. Why just sell out for longer vacation when you can get a lot more?

[Post-Something]

Name: Munir
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Class background: Father works for the NHS. Mother is a housewife
Ethnic background: Palestinian/British

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Depends.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes
Working within current trade unions: Yes
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I think some countries can accomodate those tactics. Mostly not though.
Central planning: Yes to some degree.
Terrorism: Define "Terrorism".
National-liberation movements: Yes
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: I think the peasantry are a source of real power, and with the petit-bourgeoisie, it really depends.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The economic crisis, Globablisation, Hegemony.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Russian revolution, but that's gone now.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Trotsky, Gramsci, Laclau, Mouffe, Zizeck.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was founded as a workers' state, but degenerated into a bureaucratic nightmare, that eventually restored capitalism.

[timbaly]

Name: timbaly
Location: New York
Class background: Father owns small business - Mother is a substitute teacher
Ethnic background: Western European/Italian/West African

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Tolerable to a certain degree, but can not truly sustain a revolution. It can help spearhead but should not rule thereafter.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No
Working within current trade unions: Yes
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No
Central planning: No
Terrorism: No
National-liberation movements: Yes if they are not right-wing, fascist or religious based
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Both, they are hurt by the larger social order as well.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The shift in economic power from the United States to China
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Now
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Chomsky, Du Bois (not so much the later years), does redstar2000 count?:D
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Hypocritical and stratified.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Name: Steve
Location: Slough, England
Class background: Both parental units were working class at last ident.
Ethnic background: White British, but you never know...

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No. It is predicated on the ridiculous idea that human will can overcome material conditions.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: I'm thinking it would depend on the union in question.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": There may be times and places where it is appropriate, I feel I cannot make a blanket decision either way.
Central planning: Not in the sense that the words are traditionally used, but I do support global coordination with an eye to the overall picture. Decentralisation is desirable for political power, but it has the annoying tendency to cross-infect unrelated matters concerning society.
Terrorism: No. By attacking civilians one attacks a potential base of support. I do not consider attacks on police, scabs, and mercenaries (so-called "civilian contractors", especially in Iraq) to be terrorism.
National-liberation movements: There are an awful lot of different movements that could be labelled "national-liberation". I am ambivalent to them as a whole. On one hand, self-determination is important. On the other hand, nationalism has a tendency to corrupt revolutionary movements.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: I support the peasantry only insofar as leads to their proletarianisation. As for the petit-bourgeouis, they are sometimes presented as the "human face" of capitalism and hence are useful to the bourgeoisie for spreading middle-class ideologies such as Marxism-Leninism, Fascism, Right-wing nationalism, and libertarianism. So as a class, no.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: We live in interesting times. First the Iraq War, now the economic crisis, and tomorrow perhaps a shift in global power away from the US. Maybe China will take the US' place? We'll find out soon enough.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: I'm tempted to say the Paris Commune of 1871, but I fear I would not be able to change history. Instead, I'll stick with not being a Cassandra and remaining in the present times. But it would be interesting to see what the future holds.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: I take whatever seems to work from pretty much anyone. I suppose Karl Marx is one of my biggest influences.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Credit where credit's due; the SU was actually pretty egalitarian in it's initial stages. But it fairly quickly became bureaucratised and stratified.

[graaaaaagh]

Name: Aaron
Location: Houston, Texas
Class background: Petit-bourgoisie and working class
Ethnic background: German, Native American, Czechoslovakian, Irish, French

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Absolutely not.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: IWW
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Eh.
Central planning: Planning maybe, but not central planning
Terrorism: No.
National-liberation movements: Liberation yes. Nationalism no.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Indifferent in many ways

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Iraq War.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Now.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Piotr Kropotkin, Mikhail Bakunin, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Erich Fromm, Michael Albert, Robin Hahnel, and Karl Marx to a very small degree.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: To say the workers owned the means of production would be very ignorant. Rather like in capitalism, a small managerial class had ultimate control.

[JohnnyC]

Name: Johnny

Location: Belgrade, Planet Earth, Universe

Class background: Unemployed, proletarian background.

Ethnic background: We are all humans, other unimportant things that divide us are irrelevant to me.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

No

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

No

Working within current trade unions:

No

Che Guevara and "Focoism":

No

Central planning:

No

Terrorism:

No

National-liberation movements:

No

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

It depends on many different factors...

What, Who, and Where?

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

Financial crisis, Iraq war.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Paris Commune, Spanish Civil War, Russian revolution.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Marx, Engels, Pannekoek, Luxembourg, Gorter ...

[NerdVincent]

Name: Vincent P.
Location: Quebec, Canada

Class background: Dad is working as a tech in mines, mom has been cashier in banks for years. Some years has ben financially "tighter" than others, but we have an overall confortable life.

Ethnic background: French Canadian

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No

Working within current trade unions: Why not? But not especially.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Not much. I'm for a "Gandhi" guerilla, not a "Che" guerilla.

Central planning: Yes

Terrorism: No.

National-liberation movements: Depends of their way of doing and what kind of government they want.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: As long as they support us.

What, Who, and Where That, him, there.

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The economic crisis.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: In the following years, in the middle of the fall of capitalism.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Spinoza, Sartre, bits of Nietzsche, Marx, Kropotkin, Rousseau...

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: I HATE soviet union. Nothing more than state capitalism and massacres spoiling the name of communism.

[RedSabine]

Name: Yunus Ali

Location: East Texas

Class background: Working class. My father has been (in my lifetime) a mechanic, aluminum mill worker, roofing worker, mechanic again, and now starving artist. My mother is a school teacher.

Ethnic background: Scottish, english, french, and cherokee
Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: no, it has to be a grassroots organization

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: sometimes

Working within current trade unions: same as above

Che Guevara and "Focoism": not really, as guerillaism tends to focus on the peasantry which is more reactionary. But it could be helpful.

Central planning: if it is democratically controlled, but I also think that there should be some small-level independant industry.

Terrorism: Not against people, but against symbols or strategic buildings, then perhaps.

National-liberation movements: Yes. I think that there has to be a working-class angle, though.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: As long as they support us.

What, Who, and Where What?

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The economic crisis right now.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: In the next 5-35 years when capitalism is overthrown.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Karl Marx, Luxembourg, trotsky (somewhat), and cole duncan. Him the most.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: The failure of both Leninist theory and ill-timing. A total failure, not to mention it sullied the name of communism to an extent (although that is slowly fading).

[Oneironaut]

Name: ******

Location: Omaha, Nebraska/ St. Louis, MO

Class Background: Proletarian with petit-bourgeois elements.

Ethnic Background: French/ Cherokee indian

A Vanguard Party: Not in the traditional sense. I could support a party that intervened for workers' interests but not take power.

Participation in parliamentary politics: Not a chance.

Working with trade unions: I am a member of a local laborers' trade union.

Che Guevara/Focoism: Not too much anymore.

Central planning: In the traditional sense, no. I support radically democratic worker cooperation.

Terrorism: The great majority of cases no.

National-liberation Movements: Only if it has an internationalist perspective within.

Peasantry and Petit-Bourgeois: I'm not particularly concerned about them. I feel like they will side with us.

The most important contemporary event: The economic crisis.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: I don't know- maybe the Spanish civil war?

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: I think we have learned essential lessons from the Soviet Union. It was an attempt at a workers' state that degenerated rather quickly.

[JacobVardy]

Name: Jacob Vardy

Location: Redfern, Sydney, Australia

Class background: Labourer

Ethnic background: Rromany (calling me a Gypsy is worth a smack in the chops)

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No, never. Vanguard parties seam to always perpetuate themselves into a ruling elite

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes. The amelioration of the conditions of the working classes must triumph over stratergey. No labourer would support the possible end of wage servitude over a certain eight hour day.

Working within current trade unions: Only with ‘rank and file’ tickets. Democratic unions. Revolutionists must convince us that it is worth our time and effort.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Only as a military tactic. If and when politically appropriate. That said, I’ve always been attracted to the slogan of “One, Two, Many Vietnams”.

Central planning: If and when it can be done collectively and co-operatively.


Terrorism: Again, a military tactic. When and where politically feasible.

National-liberation movements: Always. Communities must always governen themselves. National communities are the most familiar form of community so this is where self government is most likely to arise. Outside rule almost always leads to injustice.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: No class is inherently revolutionary. It depends on place and circumstance.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Global warming. Climate change is a factor of capitalism and requires non-capitalist solutions. However, better fascism than the end of civilisation.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Green Bans campaign of the Builders and Labourers Federation (NSW). It’s the only one where I know the people and places involved and so thus can make a decision.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Jack Mundey. Oliver Cromwell (only because he had a king executed and banned Christmas)

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Who cares? It made life better for most of its citizens and killed a lot of other citizens. Lets take the good bits and move on to our own communities.

Poison of Choice: Red wine, by the cask.


Post Scriptum:
To everyone who has complained about the questions or the categories –TFL! Just make up your own. This is no damn beurocratic dictatotship!

[Junius]

A Vanguard Party: Not a choice, a historical fact. The role it should play is another thing, as is the role of the working class.

Participation in parliamentary politics: No.

Working with trade unions: No.

Che Guevara/Focoism: No.

Central planning: I don't think you can characterize a communist economy with two words...but sure.

Terrorism: No.

National-liberation Movements: No.

Peasantry and Petit-Bourgeois: No.

The most important contemporary event: Economic crises, all wars.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Maybe with the Italian Left post WW1, or the German Revolution?

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Luxemburg, Bordiga, Pannekoek, Gilles Duavé, various other Left Communists.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State capitalist.

[Prairie Fire]

Name: Prairie Fire

Location: Wouldn't you like to know


Class background: Proletarian/lower-strata petty bourgeoisie

Ethnic background: Metis, French/aboriginal

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:
Absolutely; A vanguard party is the difference between a riot and a revolution.


Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

As a tactic of realpolitik, perhaps. Some gains can be made in favour of the workers to alleviate certain pains, but a capitalist parliament can not be reformed into socialism. In the long run, the proletariat can not emancipate themselves by weilding the bourgeois state apparatus, only by smashing it and replacing it.


Working within current trade unions:

Yes, but within reason:



The most important organizations of the masses are the trade-unions.

Generally speaking, in the capitalist and revisionist countries today, these organizations serve the bourgeoisie, revisionism, to keep the proletariat and all the working masses in bondage. In his time, Engels said that the trade unions in Britain had been transformed from organizations which terrified the bourgeoisie intoorganizations which served capital.

The trade union organizations have bound the worker with a thousand threads, with a thousand coils of the chain of enslavement, so that when the isolated worker revolts, he can easily be suppressed. The opportunist trade-union leaders work so that the revolts of the workers of one or more enterprises, who go on strike or hold demonstrations, are kept under control and assume only an economic character. The worker aristocracy works very hard to manipulate things in this direction. In the capitalist countries, this aristocracy plays a major role in eroding, suppressing, and misleading the revolt of the masses and has long become a fire brigade to quell the flames of the revolution...

...Therefore, to free itself from capitalism, it is essential for the proletariat of every country to shake off the yoke of the trade-unions dominated by the bourgeoisie and opportunists, as well as that of any kind of social-democratic and revisionist organization or party. All these organisms support the owning class in various ways and try to create the illusion that "they are a great force", that they are a brake, that they can impose themselves on the big capitalists allegedly in favour of the proletariat. This is nothing but a big fraud.

The proletariat has to smash these organisms. But how? It must destroy them by fighting the leadership of these trade-unions, by rising against their treacherous connections with the bourgeoisie, by breaking up the "calm", the "social peace" which they want to establish, a "peace" which is disguised with the alleged revolts against the owning class which the unions engage in from time to time.

It is possible to work to destroy these tradeunions by getting into them in order to fight and erode them from within and oppose their unjust decisions and actions. This activity must involve the biggest and most powerful groups possible of workers in the factories. In every case the aim must be to achieve a steel unity of the proletariat in the fight not only against the employers but also against their agents, the trade-union bosses. The forceful exposure of all the traitor elements at the head of trade-unions, of the bourgeois degeneration of the trade-union leadership and the reformist trade-unions in general, frees the workers from many illusions they still have about this leadership and these trade-unions.

While infiltrating the existing trade-unions, the Marxist-Leninists never descend to the tradeunionist, reformist, anarcho-syndicalist, revisionist positions, which characterize the leadership of these trade-unions. They never become partners with the revisionists and the other bourgeois and opportunist parties in the leadership of tradeunions. Their aim is to expose the bourgeois character and reactionary role which the tradeunions, in general, have today in the capitalist and revisionist countries, to undermine these organizations in order to open the way to the setting up of genuine proletarian trade-unions.- Enver Hoxha, Imperialism and the Revolution,1978



Che Guevara and "Focoism":


Che Guevera was a devoted Marxist-Leninist who took many principled stands, but his tactics often materialized as adventurism and drifted towards romantic idealism, resulting in his inability to mobilize workers and other oppressed classes in many countries.

Central planning:

Of course. When people have needs, it stands to reason that meeting these needs involves planning.

Terrorism:

"Terrorism" is an objective phrase; certainly the progressive and revolutionary forces must not take measures that are un-necesary, but in a hypothetical conflict, the methods and actions of each organization will reflect their class objectives.

That said, having an organization that fights divorced of the working people, is not a battle for socialism.

National-liberation movements:

Within reason, and depending on circumstances. Certainly all nations have a right to self-determination, up to and including the right of political secession.

That said, not all national liberation movements have the same ideological content, goals and aspirations.
While the struggle for national independence represents a qualitative change in the distribution of political power within a country, the socialist revolution must coincide with or follow the national liberation movement. A national bourgeoisie is not necesarily preferable to a foriegn imperialist bourgeoisie.


The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

They play a revolutionary role only under the leadership of the proletariat.
After revolution is achieved, they tend to cease to play a revolutionary role.




Mao Tsetung did not base himself on the Marxist-Leninist theory which teaches us that the peasantry, the petty-bourgeoisie in general, is vacillating. Of course, the poor and middle peasantry play an important role in the revolution and must become the close ally of the proletariat.

But the peasant class, the petty-bourgeoisie, cannot lead the proletariat in the revolution...

... Experience shows that the peasantry can play its revolutionary role only if it acts in alliance with the proletariat and under its leadership. This was proved in our country during the National Liberation War.

The Albanian peasantry was the main force of our revolution, however it was the working class, despite its very small numbers, which led the peasantry, because the Marxist-Leninist ideology, the ideology of the proletariat, embodied in the Communist Party, today the Party of Labour, the vanguard of the working class, was the leadership of the revolution. That is why we triumphed not only in the National Liberation War, but also in the construction of socialism.
Enver Hoxha, Imperialism and the Revolution, 1978

The petty bourgeosie chaffe under the thumb of the big bourgeosie, but remember that they are usually employers themselves. After the competition of the big bourgeoisie is removed by revolution, why would the petty bourgeoisie be inclined to socialize their own buisness?

The Peasantry (although few countries have peasantry anymore,), grow crops and surrender a portion of their crops to a landlord, who owns the land that they work. Because of their circumstances, generally the peasanrty just want their plot of land to work in peace, as generally this class is geared towards self sustenance.

Neither one of these classes is in the position to lead the push for socialism. The proletariat, on the other hand, who do not own any means of production and rely on social production with others in order to survive, are in a position that their goals can only be met by acting together with others in the same position as them, and achieveing social goals for all.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The global economic crisis of Capitalism, the wars of aggression abroad (Iraq,Afghanistan,Haiti,Somalia, some incursions into Pahkistan and Syria,etc), the farce of United States parliamentary democracy, etc.

I mentioned several events, because they are connected and symptoms of the same problem.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Any past historical event woul dmost likely have played out the same with or with out me.

This time period is where I am needed, as most likely our world is not going to get less interesting, and world problems will only get more dire.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Karl Marx, Friederich Engels, V.I. Lenin, J.V. Stalin, Enver Hoxha.

To some extent: Bill Bland, Hardial Bains, Huey P Newton, Malcolm X, Kim Il Sung

What was the class character of the Soviet Union:
The class character of the Soviet Union was not static through-out it's history. It began as a workers state, it was reclaimed as a social-imperialist state.

[Incendiarism]

Name: Justin
Location: South Texas
Class background: Working class. My father is a construction worker and my mother was a cashier. I'm a part time worker at a restaurant for the moment.
Ethnic background: Amerindian/European

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Well, it's an interesting theory and contains some considerable insights, but it should definitely be tailored according to the developments of the revolution and country.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: Radical unions only, but unions such as the IWW should focus outside of raising wages, which they are terribly guilty of.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Che's a pretty cool guy.
Central planning: I prefer decentralized planning, but in the case it is not possible the planning bureau should have limitations and checks set by the workers.
Terrorism: Individual acts do nothing.
National-liberation movements: Maybe.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: As long as they are under the leadership of the workers.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Russia climbing back into the world politics scene
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Spanish Civil War.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: I take my views from a variety of theorists, but the most notable one is Peter Kropotkin.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: socialist

[ZeroNowhere]

Name: Varg Vikernes? Well, maybe not.
Location: Singapore, Singapore.
Class background:My parents are pretty much in the higher-income section of the working class.
Ethnic background: Human.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: It depends completely on what you mean by 'vanguard party'.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: What do you mean?
Working within current trade unions: I don't mind, but I also support the creation of a Socialist Industrial Union. Workers can participate in both if they wish, it'll probably be necessary at the beginning, at least.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: If the workers have democratic control over the planners -- if they are subject to recall, do not have specialized privileges or higher salaries, etc. I'm also for plant councils, etc, to decentralize things, though I also support an all-industrial council meeting the above requirements..
Terrorism: No.
National-liberation movements: No.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: What about them? If they decide to help a counterrevolution, then that's their problem. Still, workers shouldn't do anything too drastic that will effect the peasants after taking power (though honestly, most 'peasants' are in proletarian conditions anyhow).

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The crisis, probably.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: It's a tough question, really. Around now, I suppose.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx and De Leon.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State capitalism.

[Q]

I think I never replied inhere, might aswell do that :lol:

Name: Q-collective
Location: The Netherlands
Class background: Student coming from a poor background.
Ethnic background: Dutch I guess.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Not in its Stalinist sense. But if you define the vanguard party as a party of the most militant a politically aware layers of the working class, then a definite yes.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes. However not in a reformistic sense but as a stage to spread socialist ideas and point to the limits and corruption of the parliament.
Working within current trade unions: Yes. The trade unions are the organisations of the working class to fight on a class background. That is not to say I don't have critique on the leadership of many trade-unions that only sit there for a nice career.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No idea what "focoism" means, but I don't support Che's ideas on guerilla's. Instead I think the working class can only be successful when it consciously abolishes capitalism by its own mass action and organisation.
Central planning: Yes. Capitalism has offered us a highly decentralised world economy. Socialism starts where capitalism finishes, in other words on a higher plane of production. Centralised planning is therefore vital. But also democratic input from the workfloor is just as vital.
Terrorism: No, never.
National-liberation movements: Depends. I do not support organisations like Hamas or Hezbollah that are reactionary in nature. I do support any and all mass movements of the working class on a progressive program for liberation and self-determination, including the right of independance.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: In underdeveloped nations these elements are needed for a successful revolution, however they cannot take a leading role in it. Only the working class can.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The economic crisis that'll have far reaching social and political consequences for years to come.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: If I could take with me the knowledge that I have now, it would be the Russian and German revolutions. If not, then I guess this is a fine historical epoch.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky and Luxemburg.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: A degenerated workers state.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Name: I have yet to reveal my real name on this site, and I'm not about to start.

Location: Currently in New York, USA.

Class background: Proletariat and petite-bourgeoisie.

Ethnic background: Mostly English, Welsh, German, Irish, and French Canadian.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.

Working within current trade unions: Yes.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.

Central planning: It depends on exactly what you mean by "central planning".

Terrorism: No. (Although the word as it's used today is meaningless rhetoric.)

National-liberation movements: No.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Support them how, exactly...?

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The economic crisis, by far.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

General Strike of 1877, Paris Commune, Italy circa 1920 and 1969, Spain circa 1935.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Michael Bakunin, Errico Malatesta, Rudolf Rocker, Max Stirner, Emma Goldman, and Eugene V. Debs.

[Monkey Riding Dragon]

Name: Red Dragon Rider

Location: Vermont, USA

Class background: I was born into a middle class farm family. These days, I'm a member of the urban working class.

Ethnic background: A combination of English and...waaaaaaaaaay back there...Spanish, to the best of my knowledge. My ancestors on my dad's side of the family actually came over to the Americas on the Pinta.

Do you support...

A "vanguard" party? Yes, a vanguard party structured on the basis of democratic centralism is indespensable!

Participation in parliamentarian bodies? No. There is no good reason I've heard yet as to why communists should have anything to do with bourgeois elections except to point out that they don't work and why they don't work, and that can be done externally.

Working within current trade unions? No. I think this has been one of the biggest mistakes the communist movement has, to varying degrees, embraced historically. As far as I can tell, to the degree this approach is relied upon, it yields a narrow economist outlook. (An outlook, that is, which equates the price workers receive for their labor to degrees of socialism. Or which, similarly, equates the size of industry to degrees of socialism. This is one of the roots of the heavy industry fetish that permeated the Stalin era and yes of Deng Xiaoping Theory.) It also seems to me that trade unionism also fails to organize and mobilize all positive factors for revolution...including many people at the very base of society who either lack union representation or are unemployed, besides, of course, non-proletarian strata. The sole purpose of the vanguard party should be to make and hasten forward revolution (including throughout the whole transitory period that is socialism, which is a revolutionary transition process). That means carrying out and leading independent political resistance to the main ways that, at any given point, the system is oppressing people. And, within that, it's not that we should be unwilling to support worker actions against their employers, but that we should do so on the condition that these actions are actually of a revolutionary trajectory, not simply "bread and butter" matters.

Che Guevara and "Focoism"? Admittedly, I need to do more studying on this particular subject matter to give an informed answer.

Central planning? Socialist planning is a must for any society to call itself socialist.

Terrorism? Our tactics, like our morality, need to be in line with our goals. We therefore should not attack oppressed people we're trying to liberate, if that's what's meant by this.

National-liberation movements? I unconditionally support the right to full self-determination. That doesn't mean, however, that I throw my support behind every such movement. I only support (genuinely) communist liberation currents. As for currents that are simply national in scope (e.g. 'black nationalisms'), I don't agree with those. Revolutionary struggles must be internationalist to be worth getting with because only internationalism can lead to the liberation of all of humanity. Further, communists should pursue revolutionary seizures of power over the largest areas possible at any given juncture (including potentially multi-national victories), while respecting the right of oppressed nations encompassed in that to opt out from this if they wish and have full self-determination up to and including national independence.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie? They constitute a vital component of the proletarian dictatorship, without whose support the revolution cannot succeed. Lenin defines the proletarian dictatorship as follows, quote:

"The dictatorship of the proletariat is a special form of class alliance between the proletariat, the vanguard of the working people, and the numerous non-proletarian strata of working people (the petty bourgeoisie, the small proprietors, the peasantry, the intelligentsia, etc.), or the majority of these; it is an alliance against capital, an alliance aiming at the complete overthrow of capital, at the complete suppression of the resistance of the bourgeoisie and of any attempt on its part at restoration, an alliance aiming at the final establishment and consolidation of socialism."

The proletarian dictatorship is defined by the orientation and objective of liberating all of humanity, which encompasses the elimination of class distinctions. The proletariat wants to go out of existence, not to go into a "workers' state" of the orientation and objective that "The first will be last and the last will be first"! Lenin's definition implies a class alliance defined by political line (what it's "aiming at"), not an exclusionary thing. The line is the important thing, not what class background you come from. Anyone who rejects this principle of leadership by political line, as far as I'm concerned, is not a communist. Yes, this includes Trotsky.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today?

The economic crisis and the fascist direction of U.S. politics. A combination of those two things. I'm cheating! :D

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in?

The Cultural Revolution: The farthest advance to date toward communism.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to?

Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, and Mao Tsetung. :star2:

BONUS SUMMARY!

Specifically, with respect to "my brand" of Maoism :star2:, I agree with the principles of a broad united front under the leadership of the proletariat (not simply proletarians) in the form of leadership by political line (as in including people from all social strata), the two-line struggle against revisionism and opportunism, that socialism must be a revolutionary process characterized by existing as not only an open society, but a radically open society...and also with the principle that making revolution and/or hastening that forward (as applicable in the given situation) is the only correct purpose of the vanguard party, as well as that every opening for revolution must be pursued (implying most likely generally country-by-country seizures of power; I do NOT believe in waiting around for just the right moment when "everyone's ready" across the globe), that you cannot get from this society to communism without transforming the Four Alls, that socialist countries can and must de-link themselves in an overall way from the world capitalist economy, that there have been no remaining socialist countries since 1976, that we are now entering a new stage of socialist revolution, and that revolution in the U.S. will come by way of urban rebellion. I also believe that the communist movement must separate itself from the labor movement. That's not to say that we should separate from the working class, of course(!), but I definitely think that the so-called "bread and butter" fixation yields a narrow economist outlook; an outlook, that is, which equates things like the size of industry or the price workers receive for their labor with degrees of socialism. That's been a major problem the communist movement has suffered from for a very long time. Going "forward" by way of latching on to the labor movement also fails to mobilize all positive factors, including many of the lowest-string workers at the very base of society, who probably possess no union or are unemployed. Instead, the communist movement must organize and mobilize independent political resistance to the main ways the system is oppressing people at any given point to successfully hasten forward socialist revolution. Further, all this must be characterized by dialectical back-and-forth processes, both within the party and between the party and the masses of people. Oh, and I also flat reject identity politics because they're far too narrow. Finally, I respect the right of oppressed nations to full self-determination, but also, while respecting that, would hope for the largest revolutionary victory possible at any given junction, including multi-national ones, where possible.

[The Intransigent Faction]

Name: Brad

Location: Mississauga, Ontario (Canada).

Class background: My dad works as an accountant for a relatively small company that makes paint (not exactly a major corporation), and my mom stays at home. Their backgrounds were almost the same. My mom's dad was an accountant before retiring, and my grandma was/is an author (not self-published at this stage though). My dad actually grew up in a rural area with several siblings and my grandpa (my dad's mom died when my dad was still quite young). My grandpa's not anywhere near the super-rich, but he's at least upper-middle class. He sold the farm and is now living in an apartment.

Ethnic background: British and German, predominantly at least.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes. With exploitation of labour and resources on a global scale by multinational corporations and bourgeois governments almost everywhere, I see it as inevitable that some workers will be pushed harder into class consciousness than others, as made evident by the labour aristocracy within the West itself. There will inevitably be a vanguard to lead the world toward Communism, because certain areas of the world will inevitably be more revolutionary if current trends continue with regard to international exploitation of labour & resources. An anarchist-led revolution in an isolated area or even small divided areas of the world wouldn't last, because the revolution would degenerate into adventurist-driven chaos. hence, we have seen no successful Anarchist revolution (by successful I mean one that has even begun to establish a classless,stateless) society to date.
As Engels said, "The state is not 'abolished'. It withers away." I could rant on, but I'll save it and just not for the sake of the survey that this is my position. Socialism is a necessary transition stage to organize the proletariat against bourgeois influence from outside and within. You cannot simply have a violent revolution and suddenly expect the bourgeois to disappear.
In other words, a resounding YES!!!

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: I'm unsure about this one. If support could be rallied through this body for revolutionary purposes, simply because being in said parliamentarian body is a good way to get publicity...I mean, I don't support working for refomist parties, but I certainly feel that trying to encourage reformists to see the just nature of the Communist cause as preferable to the idealistic isolation that has not helped the movement thus far.

Working within current trade unions: Yes. Working with trade unions is one way to integrate Communists into anti-bourgeois communities. This is not to say "integrate" in a way that Communist participants would lose their revolutionary spark, but to reassure workers everywhere that true concern about the injustice of the Capitalist system. We must show that revolutionary ideals don't have to come from what they may perceive as an isolated fringe group, but rather a group of radical yet correct people who represent interests that workers in general, not just an isolated movement, should support as an alternative to their current life of struggle and destitution.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": I'm not sure about Focoism, but I do support Che Guevara, although he could be somewhat adventurist in terms of his actions.

Central planning: In terms of democratic centralism, "freedom of discussion, unity of action". It depends largely on circumstances. There are cases where I support a de-centralized effort, but only where it can be ensured that a truly revolutionary proletariat emerges victorious, and is neither overzealous nor passive. Parts of the Chinese Red Guard, from Beijing, were overzealous. I'd have to refresh my memory on some of this, but what I can say is that central planning should be either minimal or substantial, depending on however much is necessary to ensure that what starts as a revolution does not degenerate into unorganized chaos.

Terrorism: "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." In other words, it depends on the circumstances, but in general yes, if violent resistance is necessary in such cases as resistance to U.S. occupation, or years ago in the form of an attempted coup against the traitor revisionist & reformist Gorbachev, then I would be supportive.

National-liberation movements: I don't support nationalism, but it depends on the nature of the movement. The FLQ here in Canada (Front de Liberation du Québec) is a notable example that I would support. This movement sought to secede the lone French province of Québec from Confederation (our Union equivalent, pretty much) and establish a Socialist state. Unfortunately, problems arise when nationalism comes first, but if it helps to weaken and de-centralize a corrupt bourgeois state, then I wouldn't see that as a terrible turn of events from a revolutionary perspective.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Well we should certainly make a distinction.Depending on the circumstance, the petty bourgeois can be a necessary ally to fight against a greater foreign imperialist threat, but generally I would not trust the petty bourgeois without significant measures taken to ensure their cooperation. I do not see why the peasantry can't be consideredrevolutionary. There is an urban-rural divide, but one would hope that this divide tends to result from divisions and prejudices between workers encouraged by Capitalism. I should review this. I'm not entirely sure, but it sounds to me like something that could just as well depend on circumstances.
---Actually, after having read what Red dragon rider said, I concur.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: I don't know if a single event can be isolated as most important. That seems a little narrow in the present downward spiral of a Capitalist society. Corporate bailouts and the Iraq/Afghan wars are certainly significant, though.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Bolshevik Revolution or the Cultural Revolution. Better yet, I'd like to be in a revolutionary event that will become part of history, am I right, comrades?

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and in some ways, Hoxha...After thinking it over, I could also include Hardial Bains and Kim il Sung. Yet, more importantly, as has been stated by at least one other that I'm aware of, I would throw full support behind the revolutionary working class that carried out the Bolshevik Revolution, and many involved in the Cultural Revolution.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was a workers' state from 1917 until 1950, whereupon it was gripped by revisionist reformists and dragged down under the guises of first "de-Stalinization", then "glasnost" and "perestroika", to it's collapse and current nationalistic Capitalist state.

[Monkey Riding Dragon]

Somehow or other, it seems I left out the class character of the Soviet Union:

The Soviet Union was a the first socialist country in history. It remained socialist into the mid-1950s, at which point strong revisionist tendencies took political power. However, there were some mistakes in this first go right from the start and mistakes in particular began to significantly pile up on top of one-another after 1934. After 1934, we no longer hear about revolution from the Soviet Communist Party and we start observing increasing degrees of paranoia about a Nazi invasion from the leadership (namely Stalin) and this, in turn, negatively impacts decisions subsequently made, including those impacting political line. Among the major mistakes: narrow economism, "purges", the patriotic framing of World War II, subordinating the world communist movement to the defense needs of the Soviet Union, and so on. By the end of the war, there wasn't much socialism left, really.

Beyond the concentrated leap by Krushchev and Co., the Soviet Union was a social-imperialist country (socialist in name, but capitalist-imperialist in reality). Gradually, as it became practical, this took on increasingly overt and acute forms. It was not a "degenerated workers' state" with redeeming value.

[Andropov]

Name: Ian

Location: The Irish free state

Class background: Probably lower middle class, father works in the construction industry and the mother is a teacher. But both came from desperate poverty, think small farm in 1950s west of Ireland.

Ethnic background: Irish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

Absolutely

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

If it benefits the Proletariat in the short term.

Working within current trade unions:

Yes

Che Guevara and "Focoism":

Yes

Central planning:

Indeed

Terrorism:

Define terrorism and the situation involved?

National-liberation movements:

Absolutely

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

Yes, a broad national liberation front.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The world economic recession

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

On the streets on Dublin in 1913

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Seamus Costello, James Connolly, Jim Larkin, Karl Marx, Lenin, Castro, Che, Wolfe Tone

[bolshevik butcher]

Name: Ewan

Location: Glasgow

Class background: 'Proletarian'- Both my parents work in the public sector.

Ethnic background: Scottish/English/Ukranian

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

Yes, the working class needs to build a solid political leadership to carry out a revolution. History has shown that only through a revolutionary party will it be able to take and hold power.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Yes, as a means to an end. Elections and parliamentary bodies can be useful tools for propaganda and passing progressive reforms but their use should not be elevated above the class struggle itself.

Working within current trade unions:

Yes, as socialists we have to work where the working class is not where we would like it to be.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Che Guevara was a genuine communist but the ideas of focoism/guerillaism were misplaced. Only under the leadership of the working class and through the active participation of the masses can a genuine socialist revolution take place.

Central planning:

Depends on context. I support a democratic planned economy under the control of the working class. That will obviously involve a degree of centralisation- running a railway system for instance involves a degree of centralisation by nescessity. However I oppose the bueraucratic planning of the stalinist reigemes.

Terrorism:

I oppose the tactics of individual terrorism as at best inpatient and in practise always leading to the replacement of the mass action of the working class by a small band of often heroic indivudials who are never the less unable to carry out the transofrmation in society they are fighting for.

National-liberation movements:

It depends on context, broadly I would say that I oppose imperialism as the most reactionary face of captialism and a display that the economic conditions nescesary for a socialist revolution are in place. I do not see genuine national liberation for the ex-colonial countries or other national oppressed countries (eg Ireland) taking place within the confines of capitalism and view national liberation as therefore a nescessary task of the socialist revolution.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

Allies of the proletariat who can play an important role in supporting the socialist revolution but due to their individualist nature give their realtionship to the productive forces cannot lead the revolution and take the place of the working class.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The economic crisis that has plunged world capitalism in turmoil and openly exposed all the contradictions contained within it.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Many seem tempting, Red Clydeside in 1919 or the Russian Revolution- to view a successful socialist revolution.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky in terms of theory, also the additions of the British Marxists Ted Grant and Alan Woods. Theory is in essence though the lessons of the struggles of the past and it is the example of struggles from the earliest in Britain and in pariticular the successes and failures of the Russian revolution and more contemporary struggles that I base my views on.

[BobKKKindle$]

Name: ---

Location: ---

Class background: Middle Class

Ethnic background: English/Lithuanian

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

Yes, the need for a vanguard party derives from the uneven consciousness of the working class.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Yes, not because we are under the illusion that parliament can provide meaningful social change, but because being part of a bourgeois legislature allows us to gain access to a platform which can be used to promote our ideas and expose the failures of capitalism.

Working within current trade unions:

Yes, but at the same time we should also fight against union bureaucrats and agitate for greater internal democracy.

Che Guevara and "Focoism":

No, socialist revolutions are not made by gangs of guerrillas fighting in the jungle, but only through the collective action of the working class.

Central planning:

Yes, but "central planning" does not mean allowing a small group of bureaucrats to make decisions on behalf of the rest of society - any form of planning must be based on collective decision-making at a grassroots level.

Terrorism:

Terrorism is not an effective way or overthrowing capitalism or even raising political consciousness. However, at the same time we should be aware of how the bourgeois media can twist the meaning of terrorism to designate the activities of any militant group as "terrorist" and encourage discrimination against Muslim populations, and should always be ready to point out that most terrorist attacks are not committed by political organizations, but by bourgeois states.

National-liberation movements:

Unconditional but critical support for all national-liberation movements. Supporting these movements is necessary to break the ideological links between the working class and the bourgeoisie in nations which carry out imperialist attacks, and imperialism sustains the capitalist system by providing an outlet for capital as well as goods which cannot be sold to the domestic market.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

In underdeveloped countries, the proletariat is too weak to carry out the revolution on its own and so must form an alliance with the peasantry, but because the peasantry is heterogeneous and spread over a large geographical area only the proletariat is capable of leading the revolution, and the aims of the revolution must always be based on the class interests of the proletariat, and not of any other social group. Members of the "petit-bourgeoisie" should be allowed to join revolutionary movements and even the vanguard party on an individual basis, but as noted above, the leadership of the proletariat should always remain central.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The ongoing economic crisis, the resistance struggle in Iraq, the revolutionary experiments in Latin America - all of these events are interlinked.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

The Russian Revolution in 1917, the student movements of the 1960s, the ANL struggles against the National Front in the 1970/80s.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Marx, Engels, Rosa Luxemburg, Trotsky, Tony Cliff, Andre Gunder Frank, Rousseau.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union:

The Soviet Union was the first workers state in history, but degenerated due to a combination of external pressures, in the form of imperialist invasion and the attempts of the reactionary armies to reverse the gains of the social revolution, and mistakes committed by the Bolshevik party, in the form of restrictions on free expression, and the ban on factions at the 10th party congress. The process of degeneration transformed the Soviet Union into a state-capitalist regime under which a class of bureaucrats owned the means of production through the state and accumulated personal wealth at the expense of the working population.

[Valeofruin]

Name: R. Gillis

Location: Northeast Pennsylvania

Class background: Worker- Dishwasher; Family- Dad: Wastewater treatment plant operater turned Contractor, Mother- Disabled/ blinded, secretary.

Ethnic background: German/Icelandic

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

Absolutely, GLORY TO LENIN!

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Absolutely, however only so long as said participation never loses sight of our revolutionary goals and message.

Working within current trade unions:

Yes, we'll need tours of their offices, for the change of management.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": A bit

Central planning:

You gotta be kidding me? Who calls themself a Marxist and doesn't support central planning?

Terrorism:

Without question.

National-liberation movements:

Break the chain of Imperialism, promote national liberation movements where appropriate. However be wary of Reaction, there are in some cases movements worthy of neither or respect nor support.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

Only as an ally, a reserve of the proletariat. The small farmer needs to be won over to the side of the proletariat, and the Petit-Bourgeois needs to be re-educated and taught to work within the proletariat dictatorship.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The Global Financial Crisis/ Recession

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

The Soviet Union at around 1921 till 1956- 57 of course, at which point if im still alive ill be doing whatever I can to get my hind into Albania.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Karl Marx, Frederick Engels, V I Lenin, J V Stalin, Enver Hoxha.

[Victor]

Name: Victor
Location: Massachusetts
Class background: former grocery store cashier, now a grad student
Ethnic background: English, Welsh, German

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, I base my conception of the vanguard on Lenin's practice from 1898-1924. I think that that Che, Mao, Gramsci and Trotsky also had a lot to add on vanguard practice.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, but only as a propaganda forum. I don't think the peaceful road to socialism actually works (Allende and Spain).
Working within current trade unions: Absolutely if that's where the workers are.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes, depending on the conditions a guerrilla war may be a valid method of struggle.
Central planning: certainly, but you also have to have workers' power at the point of production.
Terrorism: No, it doesn't seem to work all that well. A Marxist involves the workers and oppressed, terrorism separates from them.
National-liberation movements: Yes, I'm a major backer of Irish Republican Socialism and the Palestinian struggle.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Sure, but I'd prefer proletariat leadership.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Iraq War, Venezuela, Nepal, US Financial Crisis and the continuing Israeli occupation.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Russian Revolution, Spanish Civil War (POUM), May 68 (Paris!)
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Mao, Gramsci, Connolly, Hal Draper, Victor Serge, Lukacs, Rosa Luxemburg, William Hinton, Ernest Mandel, Che Guevara:)
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: degenerated workers state, but I'm open to other ideas on the subject.

[scarletghoul]

Name: scarletghoul
Location: ghoulston, norfolk
Class background: family is poor but with middle-class tendencies.
Ethnic background: misc caucasion, tiny part oriental but dont know what it is lol

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: no
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes. as long as one's oppinions are not altered in order to participate.
Working within current trade unions: yes
Che Guevara and "Focoism": dont mind
Central planning: no
Terrorism: this word has lost all meaning
National-liberation movements: yes in principle but not in everything they do
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Umm, I like some of them? I don't judge people by class. From a revolutionary class perspective they are necessary though

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
European integration, if it succeeds, from a historical perspective. Also the rise of the PRC and americas wars in iraq and afghanistan are both very important because they also affect the global power balance.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: now...
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Michiro Endo, Mao (but I'm not a Maoist), cant think of any others, and these 2 are not really the same as me, my thought isnt exactly unique but isnt based on the thought of others
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: crap


Also, I suggest adding more questions. Everyone suggest some

[Woland]

Name: GMK
Location: Europe
Class background: Intelligentsia, before that, workers/int. (in the Soviet Union, so not really a class), and before that, peasantry. My great-grandfather was accused of being a kulak because he was a slightly wealthier than his neighbours. He got 2 years in a labor camp (a pretty lenient sentence) and they took away a cow. It was BS, really.
Ethnic background: Russian.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes! Of course I do.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: A difficult question, but if it does not hurt the party, then maybe.
Working within current trade unions: With the workers, not corrupt unions.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I respect Che Guevara; ''Focoism''? Well, where it can be successful, ofcourse =P
Central planning: Yes, definitely!!
Terrorism: No
National-liberation movements: Yes, groups like the Zapatistas.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They really dont like us... not really.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Financial crisis, US imperialism, the comeback of socialism(so to say).
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Paris Commune, October Revolution, Spanish Civil War, Soviet Union in the 1970's. Any other Socialist uprisings and revolutions.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Lots and lots of people. Can't mention them all. Ofcourse people like Marx and Lenin though.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: The Soviet Union had its setbacks, but it was socialist.

[Sprocket Hole]

Name: *

Location: Midwestern US

Class background: I am unemployed, and my mother supports a large family alone. Although she is a management position, her pay and who she supports could definitely be described as "barely above the poverty line"

Ethnic background: Swedish, Native American

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

Simply, no

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Absolutely not

Working within current trade unions: '

Some

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No

Central planning:

No!

Terrorism:

No.

National-liberation movements:

With an analysis, yes. I mean if it was bourgeoisie, a coup, reactionary, etc.. then no.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

I do not know enough to conclude. Stating that they are nonetheless people, they could or could not support revolutionary movements (peasantry probably more than petite's).

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The power struggles in the middle east, the financial crises(es), bailouts, neo liberalism.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

The present

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Debord (among other Situationists), Kropotkin, Marx, Proudon,

[Monkey Riding Dragon]

UPDATE TO MY PROFILE:

Having read up on "focoism", it's now official that I flat reject it. "Focoism" argues essentially that you can get to socialism without communist leadership. This implies, in addition to the other reasons existing for this, that I must also reject "Guevarism".

[Chapter 24]

Name: Zac
Location: Illinois
Class background: Working class background, parents are both workers
Ethnic background: Irish, Austrian, Dutch, German, Polish, Russian, Romanian, Hungarian
Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: As a party represented by workers that leads the revolution, yes. But during the revolutionary period they should not lead the dictatorship - that is the job of the proletariat as a whole.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Absolutely not.
Working within current trade unions: Organize with them, but lead a seperate organization.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": If it should prove necessary in building a guerrilla war against the oppressors, then yes.
Central planning: If it is subject to worker's control over the planners
Terrorism: I don't support it but I understand that terrorism is the result of certain conditions and it's not a one-sided issue.
National-liberation movements: Yes, but only if afterwards a strong socialist base is built during the following democratic and socialist revolutions.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They vary depending on the context of the situation. If the proletariat forms an alliance with either or both groups then the proletariat should still lead the revolution, not the peasantry or petit-bourgeoisie.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The "War on Terrorism".
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The German Revolution
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Mainly Marx, Lenin. Might elaborate on this later.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Founded as a worker's state, later led by a bureaucractic caste that made many fundamental flaws, despite still leading a proletarian state.

[8bit]

Name: Pete
Location: Murphysboro, Illinois
Class background: Middle class... My family mostly works within the government. My mother is a teacher, my father is a computer administrator at a local Jr. Collage. My step mother is a librarian. All the work I've done has been for my highschool. I plan to work some more for my highschool over this next summer as an IT guy, and then do the same thing in college... but for said university.
Ethnic background: Irish, German, Lithuanian, Russian.... half Irish, half Jewish basically.

Do you support...

A "vanguard" party: No.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: I assume by this you mean participation in pseudo-Democratic Capitalist governments which exist todayin most industrialized nations? Then, Yes. You must work within the system to change it.
Working within current trade unions:


It would be best to agitate and organize within them as of right now, but we should create an independent working class organization that not only engages in collective bargaining with the management, but also pushes revolutionary objectives in order to further the political and economic position of the proletariat; acting as a sort of "school for socialism", by being a body that the workers can unrelentless flex on their bosses that assists in increasing their consciousness and inner-organization.

Uh. Yeah, basically that.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No. The revolution will be a peaceful one, fueled by intelligence, rather than brute force.
Central planning: In pure communism all economic planing is central. However, the center is the entire population, and economic planing will have nothing to do with distribution of funds, as there would be no funds, instead it would have to do with designing production standards, figuring out means of distribution, etc...
Terrorism: No. Again, the revolution will be a peaceful transition.
National-liberation movements: No. We need Unity, not independence.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: By peasantry, you mean the lumpen? It really depends on the mindset. If they work with the freedom of their comrades in mind, and without the intention of simply stripping others of their capital then I consider them representative of the proletariat.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: anti-internet piracy/the whithering of net-neutrality. The Internet is a portal to an extremely efficient and productive source of ideas and work force which are willing to work towards a more social future. We remove the intricacy of the Internet we have today, we remove a huge amount of that base and slow down progress quite a bit.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Right here, right now...
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Siddhartha Gautama, Anselme Bellegarrigue, Peter Kropotkin, Jello Biafra, Richard Stallman, Linus Torvalds....
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It began as a Socialist movement, but reversed itself towards Capitalism shortly after Stalin took hold.

[Kibbutznik]

Name: Jordan
Location: Montana, USA
Class background: Working class. My dad work's in small food factory here in Bozeman, and my mother is a CNA at a local hospital.
Ethnic background: Polish, Czech, Ashkenazi, French

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No. Party vanguards and democratic centralism have been an unmitigated disaster the world over. Such conspiratorial organisational methods are only dependable when revolutionary activity is illegal, and opposition to the established order must be terrorist in nature.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: I believe that there is a potential to work within current trade unions and make some real progress towards socialism. But that work should involve subverting the pro-business hierarchy that is so prevalent, particularly in American trade unions.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: I don't consider the type of state capitalism/bureaucratic collectivism that is typified by the USSR to be socialist in anyway.
Terrorism: Only in certain circumstances that make violence the only means of resistance
National-liberation movements: Yes
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: These words are practically meaningless in the First World. We don't have a major class of small landowners in the United States. The vast majority of farming land are owned by large corporations. And the petit-bourgeosie is a meaningless lumping together of people with conflicting class interests. Small business owners aren't likely to be our allies, but we still have a possibility of making professionals into our allies.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The current financial crisis. This sharp economic recession will provide the genesis of a renewal in the socialist movement, both in the United States and the rest of the world.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The 1950s-70s in the United States. The Civil Rights movement and the growth of the New Left.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Karl Marx, Mikhail Bakunin, Peter Kropotkin, Errico Malatesta, Eugene Debs, Paul Mattick, Erich Fromm, Michael Harrington, Emma Goldman, Angela Davis
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: This is complicated, and perhaps someday I'll elaborate in length. There was a brief flowering of socialism in Russia around the time of the February and October revolution. However, as time went on, the democratic centralist nature of the Bolshevik Party led to increasing centralisation. Combined with the pressures of the Civil War, the worker's were robbed of the control of the means of production by the party apparatchiks. Finally, with Kronstadt, it was clear that socialism was dead in Russia. The material gains made by the Soviet Union, while impressive, have come at an incalculable price. The USSR has been an unmitigated disaster for socialist movements everywhere.

[Invincible Summer]

Name: Dan
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Class background: "Middle class"; my father is a professor and researcher at a nuclear physics research place, my mother stays at home, although they both came from poor backgrounds. I'm a university student.
Ethnic background: Chinese

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: I am conflicted on this: I understand the need to arouse class consciousness in the working class, but at the same time, I am definitely not comfortable with the idea of a Party a la the Bolsheviks. Democratic centralism is not democracy, in my opinion.

I suppose that's more of a "no."
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No. How can you change the system while playing by its rules?
Working within current trade unions: Generally, yes. However, the union leaders must be dealt with - they mostly do nothing but make their union members docile and wait for the capitalist system to benefit them.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I'm not all too familiar with "Focoism," but from what I understand, it could be somewhat useful in a certain context.
Central planning: Only if it is through democratic worker's councils
Terrorism: Against civilians, no. But against "valid" targets (I suppose like the "propaganda of the deed",) then yes.
National-liberation movements: No. Nationalism is detrimental to class struggle.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Not sure how to answer this. I suppose as long as they will support the struggle then it doesn't matter what "class" they belong to.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Economic Crisis.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spanish Civil War, Russian Revolution, the Weather Underground
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Goldman, Bakunin, Kropotkin, some Trotsky and some Chomsky
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Started out well, then all kinds of shit hit the fan and became the black mark for Communism.

[F9]

Name: Fuserg9
Location: Cyprus
Class background: petit bourgeois, probably, father works for government, and mother worker!
Ethnic background: Ehmmm, dont know:pID says greek-cypriot, however a lot(and when say a lot i mean a LOT)other "races" passed over cyprus after greeks did, so an ethnic background isnt an easy question!

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Hell NO.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No again!Why support the current system and state participate within it?

Working within current trade unions:Hmmm, i am leaning to a no!I dont like the way they act, nor their "leadership" possitions and how they seperate workers!

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Che was a good intention person, but with not so good leftist ideas and knoweledge, however i like his passion for liberation and equality, but mostly for his "fighting" character who liked to be in the front line of fires!Now on a guerrilla war or revolution, i am not so possitive on it, because i dont think it could lead us to much!

Central planning: NO
Terrorism: NO
National-liberation movements: NO
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Hmmm, maybe, if they want to join the revolution let them be!I am not cable(as noone is) to reject people to participate in "the" revolution!

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Riots in Greece
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spanish Civil War,Politechnio Uprising on 17N, and currently in greece with the riots!
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Kropotkin,Malatesta
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Piece of shit....?

[zider]

Name: Jason
Location: Bristol, England
Class background: working class. from a single-parent family, money was very tight when I was growing up.
Ethnic background: hmmm, is this revleft or scumfront :confused:, not sure it really matters.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: Yes to protect jobs, wages and conditions, but not as a revolutionary tool.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No
Central planning: No
Terrorism: Yes if there is no other alternative way to fight back. No civillian targets though.
National-liberation movements: Reluctantly yes, but I am new to Anarchism so I expect my perspective on this will change as I read and develope my ideas.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: why not, the more the merrier :D. Usually their interests are closer to the working class than the ruling class.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Environmental crisis
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Germany in the 1920's and 30's, fighting the rise of Nationalism
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: most probably Bookchin, but as I've said I am new to Anarchism.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: state capitalist. whenever I hear about the Soviet Union I can't help but think about kronstadt.

[Mike666]

Name: Mike
Location: UK
Class background: lower-middle class

Ethnic background: western european

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: no
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: yes
Working within current trade unions: yes
Che Guevara and "Focoism": probably not
Central planning: to a small extent
Terrorism: no
National-liberation movements: no, I'd prefer if there were no countries.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: yes

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: the credit crisis
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: I'm not sure I'd personally like to be back anywhere, but 1917 Russia might have been exciting because of the potential there was for the people to take control and create a truly fair society.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Rosa Luxemburg, Clement Attlee.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: The Bolsheviks hijacked the peoples' revolution and created an authoritarian state-capitalist society which betrayed true socialism.

[RedSonRising]

Name: Eduardo
Location: Long Island, New York
Class background: Petit Bourgoise. My Father works for Telephonics as a software engineer, and my mother is a teacher in a bilingual program.

Ethnic background: Colombian (first generation North American)

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

Possibly, but with small central authority.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Not at this present time, no.

Working within current trade unions:

In the scope of a larger movement, yes.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Certain elements of the theory on militancy are useful, but I would not take such an isolated course of action.

Central planning:

Only for the most basic and universal material needs, and even then only on a regional basis.

Terrorism:

Militant sabotage and possibly class warfare, but nothing that invokes terror onto the people.

National-liberation movements:

Yes, though with popular support only of course.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

Yes; in the end any type of worker, white collar or blue collar, should be in charge of their own workplace in my opinion, before the transformation into a communal society, which I think is far off.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

I would say violence, on all scales; from domestic violence to war, I think that the majority of violence is unjustified and the result of many problems.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

The Cuban Revolution.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Che Guevara, Noam Chomsky, Leon Trotsky, Hugo Chavez (to some extent).

[mykittyhasaboner]

Name: mykittyhasaboner
Location: South Florida
Class background:Proletarian

Ethnic background: Human

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

Yes.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Not really, no.
Working within current trade unions:

Depends if the union is class conscious or not.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes, but I don't advocate it as a primary method of organization or direct action.

Central planning: Yes, as well as decentralized planning. Well find out what works best through trial and error.


Terrorism:

Terrorism as in "lets go hi jack a plane!"- no. "Terrorism" as in class warfare, and mass militancy? Definitely.

National-liberation movements:

Yes, popular national liberation movements against imperialism/colonialism are the most effective method of expelling the occupiers.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

Of course, but they aren't revolutionary as the proletariat.
What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The impending global economic meltdown, coupled with the increased militancy and social rebellion. Revolutionary movements in Nepal, the Philippines, and India.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Europe during the first half of the 20th century, Cuban Revolution.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Marx, Engels, Lenin, Mao, Che, Luxembourg, Gramsci, Bookchin

[Merces]

Name: Jake

Location: Canada

Class background: Both my folks were lower class when they arrived to Canada and now we're middle class. Currently Iam an anthropology student and part time worker so Iam def lower class :)

Ethnic background: Polish/Russian

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: NOPE

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: nOPE


Working within current trade unions: No my boss is cool.


Che Guevara and "Focoism": :lol:

Central planning: Can't stick well to conformity also due to my parents growing up in communsit poland and the soviet union. Well :lol: I mean geez, the theory explains itself.

Terrorism: A terrorist is a terorrist. Plain and simple.

National-liberation movements:
From laziness and the liberation of the soul to pursue what you want

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

Erhhh a common liking to one another.
What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

World economy

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Sex drugs and rock n roll


What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Aristotle, Marquis de sade, Aleister Crowley, Lao Tzu,

[Crux]

Name:
Location: Sweden
Class background: Workingclass, as I grew up with my mother. I guess my father would be intelligensia/middle class.
Ethnic background: Swedish and some generations back Sapmi.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: I believe the vanguard as is to some extent already exists. And I do support the organization of the vanguard, so yes.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: I am opposed to "electoralism" but not participation as such.
Working within current trade unions: Certainly. Fight the beuracracy!
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I have an appreciation for some of Che Guevaras ideas, but I am not really in favour of guerillaism and so on.
Central planning: If the workers have democratic control over the planners -- if they are subject to recall, do not have specialized privileges or higher salaries, etc.
Terrorism: Not indvidual terrorism, no.
National-liberation movements: Yes
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Yes, in so far as they take the revolutionary path. There is no independent classconsciousness of these layer and they are dependent on the leadership of the workingclass.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
The economic collapse.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Civil War or the Russian Revolution.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Luxembourg, Trotsky
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: After the mid to late 1920's it was a degenerated worker's state.

[NecroCommie]

Name: Simo
Location: Espoo, Finland
Class background: Middle class family, though like many others in finland, moving into my own household demoted me into the lower(st) classes.
Ethnic background: Finnish/Saame (Sami in english?)

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Absolutely
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: To a certain extent, one should always prioritize long term goals of the proletariat though.
Working within current trade unions: Trade unions are a tool of class peace and therefore enemies of the working class
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I guess... Not a big fan, but at least they are not capitalist
Central planning: Yes. Personally, i am convinced that central planning is the only way to cheat the invisible hand of the capitalist system.
Terrorism: Only if aimed at capitalists and their sympathisers with 100% accuracy
National-liberation movements: If they can improve the welfare of the vast majority, why not. If the movement drives for a socialist/anarchist revolution, absolutely. If the movement is driven by nationalist/right wing agenda, they are to be chrushed without remorse.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: If I understood the question correctly (my english vocabulary failed) then I would prefer to take them as individual cases. If one is opressed by the capitalist system, and is willing to fight against it, then I will support him/her.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The market crisis.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Finnish civil war 1918. My life for the working class!
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: V.I. Lenin, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels (In few isolated cases Chairman Mao)
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: During what era and policy? Lenin - a pre-socialist state with great potential and average workin class rights. Stalin - Though paranoia and the purges were a vast mistake and interventionism is not a good thing, no one could have brought the central planning system to similar successes. We can learn alot from Stalin, in both good and bad ways. Hrutsev - (how does one spell that name?) Though the state was in many regards better than any extremely capitalist state, I would have done things differently. Gorbatshev? - A vile revisionist puppet of the capital. We shall speak his name no more.

[griffjam]

...

[Glorious Union]

Name: Whatever people call me.
Location: Texas, USA
Class background: Middle Class, but only because my dad puts in massive amounts of overtime at the workshop he works at.
Ethnic background: Mom is French/German, Dad is English/Russian

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:
No.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies:
No.
Working within current trade unions:
To an extent.
Che Guevara and "Focoism":
No, it is not as productive or succesful as certain other methods can be.
Central planning:
With equality amongst those in power and democratic elections.
Terrorism: Yes, to a certain extent.
National-liberation movements: Yes.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Freedom means nothing without equality amongst the classes, but uneven distribution of wealth is good so long as it does not go past a certain extent.



What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The so called "War on Terror"
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Defence of Stalingrad or the fall of Berlin. (WW2)
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Well, none in particular. I am pretty unique and base my opinions mostly on what I think of by myself.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: A glorious attempt at communism that failed miserably and fell back into the oblivion of capitalism. Ultimately doomed from the start, the Soviet Union was a grand foothold for communism worldwide.

[StalinFanboy]

Name: lol no
Location: California
Class background: Working Class/Petit-Bourgeoise
Ethnic background: German, Dutch, Irish, Native American

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:
Hell no.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies:
No.
Working within current trade unions:
No sir.
Che Guevara and "Focoism":
Not a fan.
Central planning:
Nope, nope, nope.
Terrorism: Sounds sexy
National-liberation movements: No
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Let 'em join if they're down. Fuck 'em if they aren't. (wtf at last kids post)



What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Riots in Greece and in Oakland, ca
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spanish Civil War or the Gunpowder Plot
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Bakunin, Malatesta, Sacco and Vanzetti lolz
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Bourgeois as fuck. Stalinists can suck it.

[Greenman]

Name: greenman:D
Location: Midlands, England
Class background: "White collar" pen-pushing, key-tapping, babbling-on worker
Ethnic background: The guilt tripping one.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:
Nope.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies:
We cannot afford to abandon the electoral field to reaction and let them pretend we don't exist. On the other hand, power corrupts, the system is designed to co-opt and corrupt - so it takes a saint-like or utterly committed person to resist. Recallable delegation is usually preferable to representation anyhow. The real show is elsewhere than official politics.
Working within current trade unions:
I'm a Wob dual carder.
Che Guevara and "Focoism":
Not a fan.
Central planning:
Some things need central planning (democratically agreed and with recallable delegation ideally). Many things do not.
Terrorism: No. But the establishment have a habit of describing anything they don't like as terrorism. I see no problem with NVDA, strikes, occupations, militant anti-fascism etc etc - all of which may provoke a violent response and require self defence.
National-liberation movements: I sympathise with the Connolly position, but reject romanticisation and uncritical positions.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Not many peasants in these parts, but they can play a crucial role elsewhere. Plenty of petit-bourgeoisie around here - a dangerous class. Best to win over as many as possible.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
The global economic situation and the developing understanding of climate change.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: As the people I mostly sympathize with, mostly lost, or only gained compromised victories I would prefer to be in the future where our side win!
What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Lilburne, Winstanley, Morris, Joe Hill, Debs, Sylvia Pankhurst, Connolly, Luxemburg, Peirats, Pestana, Pannekoek, Cardan/Castoriadis. It is best not to idealise, but to learn from successes and failures, brilliance and mistakes.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Brief period of working class rule mingled with Party dictatorship degenerating to individual dictatorship, replaced by nomenklatura rule degenerating to gangster capitalism. The class character of a nation, society or economy is not defined by legal titles to ownership or political rhetoric but by the nature of the economy and who ultimately controls it. Then again, we could all argue interminably over the question of surplus value in Russia 1917-89 to no great benefit.;) Semantics.

[Circle E Society]

Name: Nunya
Location: Northeast US
Class background: Working Class
Ethnic background: Caucasian with some Native American

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:
Absolutely not
Participation in parliamentarian bodies:
Never
Working within current trade unions:
I.W.W.
Che Guevara and "Focoism":
pfft
Central planning:
no way
Terrorism: Put in different terms perchance
National-liberation movements: Nationalism is silly
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They are oppressed peoples so of course.


What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Greece, Iceland prior to elections, Climate Change
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spanish Civil War, Commune Du Paris
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Sacco and Vanzetti, Emma Goldman, Others.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Authoritarian.

[couch13]

Name: Chris
Location: Seattle, WA
Class background: Peti Bourgousie as a kid. Proletariat now.
Ethnic background: German, Norweign, Senecan

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes. "The Communists, therefore, are on the one hand, practically, the most advanced and resolute section of the working-class parties of every country, that section which pushes forward all others; on the other hand, theoretically, they have over the great mass of the proletariat the advantage of clearly understanding the line of march, the conditions, and the ultimate general results of the proletarian movement." The Communist Manifesto
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No
Working within current trade unions: Yes, while the leadership tends to be reactionary, the rank and file tends to be more revolutionary.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No, MASS INSURRECTION IS NOT POPULAR SUPPORT!!!!!!!!!
Central planning: No, local planning. However, central power during the early stages should have democratic override if necessary. All represtentatives are instantly recallable.
Terrorism: No, its inherently individual based.
National-liberation movements: Yes, throwing off some chains of oppression gives the workers more confidence.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They may join the revolution, but must cast away any old ideologies for one of working class power.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Republic Workers strike. It foreshadows movements to come.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Russian Revolution.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Trotsky, Cliff and Lenin.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State Capitalist.

[GeezAF]

Name: Geeza/whatever you feel like calling me - names are a superficial thing.
Location: Rural Cambridgeshire

Ethnic background: British, Czech, Irish

But who gives a fuck?

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No, ends and means are inseparable; an authoritarian party can only lead to an authoritarian society no matter how libertarian its aims are.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Nope, the state is nothing more than organised, legitimized violence. To take part in government is to take part in murder.
Working within current trade unions: If you want, but I find them to be a bit impotent. Ok if you get fired illegally or something but the union executive will always cosy up to the management and the law. The real fighting unions are the syndicalist, rank and file unions like the IWW.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Dolphin sex???
Central planning: Is undemocratic and a bourgeois invention. Thus it stinks of their class interests.
Terrorism: Depends what you define it as. If it has popular support and seeks only to inspire terror in the bourgeoisie then yes. But individual acts of violence against the ruling-class which go against public opinion, while being technically justified as a form of retaliation, is, in the bigger picture, wholly unproductive and detrimental to the movement.
National-liberation movements: Not if it implies that mutually antagonistic classes have a common national interest. This may damage the revolutionary movement as the workers will feel that the 'war has been won'. Grassroots nat-lib movements have my support as long as they are shaking off an imperial bourgeoisie and, at the same time, resisting the creation of a new, native ruling class.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: If their hearts are in the fight, why not?

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The economic fuck-up. Duh. And of course, the Greek riots as they show that ordinary people can resist, fight back and bring the state to its knees, encouraging an atmosphere of anti-authoritarianism and anti-capitalism which may highlight class antagonisms.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Spanish Revolution
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Kropotkin, Malatesta, Durruti, Goldman, but also, in a small way, Luxemburg - not because of her politics as per se (I am no marxist, I am a libertarian communist) but because of her criticism of Leninist beaurocracy and her faith in workers' democracy and REAL proletarian revolution as opposed to the coup of a party leadership.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: An unpopular, state capitalist, quasi-fascist dictatorship installed undemocratically through a vanguardist coup d'etat.

[Janine Melnitz]

Name: R. Lafonte
Location: United $nake$ of Amerikkka
Class background: Proletarian
Ethnic background: Black/white

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:
Absolutely -- but the ultra-leftists aren't totally wrong in their criticisms of contemporary "Leninist" parties. Most appear to the working class as sinister cabals, creepy cults or pathetic jokes, and this isn't just because of bourgeois ideology; a lot of it is due to how the party is organized. Unnecessary insularity, secrecy, uniformity; if you look at actual historical documents rather than dogmatically adhering to "Leninist principles", the Bolsheviks didn't really operate this way before or during the revolution.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:
The potential benefits are minimal, but sometimes worth pursuing

Working within current trade unions:
With the rank and file, against the union bosses

Che Guevara and "Focoism":
Che was a great guy and all, but foquismo is idealist and ineffectual

Central planning:
Absolutely

Terrorism:
Best avoided (but it works)

National-liberation movements:
I apologize for having no clear theoretical position on these. I like most of them? I don't like a few of them.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:
Don't count on them (esp. the latter), don't let them lead, and abolish quickly after the revolution; under these conditions they can be great allies


What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
Global warming, economic crisis

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:
History's just fuel

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Shulamith Firestone, Marx, Hegel, Lukacs, Lenin, Huey P. Newton

What was the class character of the Soviet Union:
When? I really can't say what it was after things went wrong -- the StateCap theory is silly; calling it a "workers'" state, degenerated or otherwise, seems almost obscene; then you have a bunch of catchphrases with no real theoretical substance at all: "social-imperialist", "bureaucratic collectivist" etc. "Coordinatorist", for Christ's sake. It was some strange monster and we still haven't charted its anatomy. I like to think it was still progressive, but have no grounds for saying that (not knowing what it was).

[LOLseph Stalin]

Name: You cops...
Location: Canada
Class background: Working class. My mom lives in poverty, my dad works in construction, and I have a part-time job while attending high school.
Ethnic background: Russian and Austrian

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: yes
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: yes
Working within current trade unions: yes
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: Yes, if the system is strictly democratic and nobody involved has special privilages over everybody else.
Terrorism: No
National-liberation movements: No.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: If they're willing to help in our struggle i'll support them. If not, no.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The war on terror. Is it ethical? Is it justified? Also, the recession is important for class struggle...
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Can I be everywhere? I'm such a history geek. xD
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Degenerated worker's state

[Rjevan]

Name: Arne
Location: Germany
Class background: Middle class, my parents are both civil servants.
Ethnic background: German with distant Russian and French ancestors.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, absolutely!
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Generally yes.
Working within current trade unions: Yes, we must show the workers that we aren't spaced-out intellectuals, who only care about theoretical discussions but not about the workers.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Generally no, but it depends on the country.
Central planning: Yes.
Terrorism: Depends on the situation.
National-liberation movements: If the "national" isn't the main thing, yes.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: No...not really.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The financial crisis, Israel and US imperialism.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Since I love history I would like to be in many places like the whole 19th century, the Paris Commune, the October Revolution and generally in the Soviet Union since the 1940's. The GDR would also be ok. But I also like it here. ;)
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Bebel, Luxemburg, Lenin, Stalin
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It wasn't perfect, but still, it was a socialist state and it was a workers state until the 1950's.

[ibn Bruce]

Name: Will

Location: Sydney

Class background: Originally working class, recently middle-class intelligentsia. Grew up in a ghetto in South Auckland while my parents job shared a part time job. Travelled a lot while they looked for work. They are settled now and our financial position has improved with it.

Ethnic background: White. Scandinavian/Irish/British.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Of the Liberal Democratic state? No.

Working within current trade unions: If it gives gains then yes.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.

Central planning: No.

Terrorism: Strict rules of warfare, terror only as a weapon of war against military target, not against civilian populace.

National-liberation movements: as National is the defining term, it is conditional.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Again, conditional.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The collapsing US economy and climate change.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The year 1, Hijrah.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: The Rasul'Allah sws, Abu Bakr as-Sadiq ra, Imam Shafi'i, Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari, Imam Al-Ghazzali, Ahmed Sirhindi, Malcolm X.

[Killfacer]

Name: Killfacer
Location: UK
Class background: Brought up by my single mum, but we were never REALLY poor.
Ethnic background: White, european.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Fuck no
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Op to a point
Working within current trade unions: Yes, but not the ones we have now
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Nay
Central planning: No!!!!!!
Terrorism: No way
National-liberation movements: Occasionally
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: I couldn't give a flying fuck what class people are from, as long as they are chipping in. Don't really have peasants in the UK, these classifications are a tad meaningless.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
Bit of a vauge question. I guess extremist islam VS the West.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spanish Civil war, fighting with the anarchists.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: I guess someone like Durruti, but i'm not really sure.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: A proper shit hole.

[Kernewek]

Name: Nathan

Location: London

Class background: working class, dad did whatever work he could get and my mum's done various office jobs, really hard up when I was a kid but things got better when I was a teenager

Ethnic background: Cornish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: no

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: it's a means to an end

Working within current trade unions: Yes, although our unions have been a bit of a joke since Thatcher

Che Guevara and "Focoism": no

Central planning: yes

Terrorism: only if there's no other way

National-liberation movements: yes

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: I've lived in an industrialised nation my whole life, as Killfacer said, we don't have peasants
got nowt against the middle class

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
economic crisis

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: russian revolution, rise of fascism in italy and germany, chinese revolution, miners strikes, reunification of germany, fall of the ussr

I'd loved to have seen the whole 20th century really

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: George Orwell

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: kicked out the old ruling class, then the working class suffered under the new ruling class

[Anobstantia]

First of all, I'm not a communist - I'm not as familiar with most of these questions as many of you are.

Name: Marcus
Location: Sweden, in a medium sized town, about a 100k people.
Class background: Pretty much been living in a regular, well payed, worker family. My dad worked as a cop, and later on became an investigator for a company. My mum has been working at the hospital for quite a while now, and just started a small "business", massaging. Whether or not that makes me a petit-bourgeois I don't know, at least I've been living as a regular worker my entire life; economically I haven't been spoiled, neither poor.
Ethnic background: Almost a 100% Swedish, though my grandmother has Finnish parents, which would make me 25% Finnish as well. I've been living in Sweden my entire life though, of course not suffering from racial prejudice against me at all.
Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: I haven't been thinking too much about revolutionary theory to be honest. Worth to mention is that I'm an Anarchist, though I'm currently more in to gradualistic revolutions rather than "violent" and quick ones. Probably because of my studies of Individualist Anarchism. A vanguard party could probably lead "its" people into an era of Socialism, yes - as long as you assume they don't get corrupt from all the power they'd get. I assume shifting of positions would take place etc?
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Now or later on? I wouldn't hinder anyone from doing it now, but as society changes toward anarchy/statelessness I would kinda prefer if the parliaments didn't exist at all ;)
Working within current trade unions: Trade unions are often symbiotic, thus you always have to benefit from one another. Whether you like the other part or not you will almost always economically benefit more by trading more and vice versa. The choice is between sacrifice or benefit, and it's hard. I don't think this sacrifice is enough, nor a good method achieving Socialism either. Thus I support it until anyone gives me a good explanation of this.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Never heard of either.
Central planning: In a society, I'd say no, as it requires a state (which means coercion, force etc) - thus it's almost everything I'm against. If the current establishment is stubborn about keeping Capitalism, then I would prefer some protective regulations (so that we don't end up in a true capitalistic society on the brink to oligocracy). Another strategy would be to not protect at all, thus forcing the workers into taking action (which is often discussed, welfare states being counterrevolutionary etc). In the long run, I'd say no, central planning is coercion and monopolization.
Terrorism: I don't like the term "terrorism", as I think of it as something made up by capitalists to make people a bit distanced to it (and scared for that matter). I don't really support direct action either, the thing is that I'm a supporter of equal liberty. In our state ruled world that uses coercion, aggression and invasion as methods to prevent "crime" - I think we should have the right to do the same (supposing that we would strive for equal liberty). The problem is the current violencemonopoly, a privilege claimed by the state, and accepted by the people.
National-liberation movements: Not really.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They have my support as they've not grown the size where they are harmful for workers nor consumers.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
Probably the birth of Adam Smith, without him we wouldn't see the existence of Socialism. Many would probably oppose this fact, but the truth is that "Wealth of Nations" and the ideas of Smith inspired several icons (such as Marx, Proudhon, Warren). Adam Smith was the first to define the labor theory of value and other thoughts important to Socialism. The problem is that his thoughts ALSO have led to the domination of vulgar libertarianism in this world, as preceded by the true libertarians such as libertarian socialists. Without Adam Smith, modern politics probably wouldn't exist at all. If that's a good or bad thing I do not know, the industrialization and birth of the capitalist class was inevitable anyway in my opinion.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Hard to say... I'm not that type of thinker.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Tucker, Proudhon, Warren, Carson etc.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: The only thing I need to say is that things didn't really turn out as was hoped for.

[Emily]

Name: Emily
Location: London
Class background: Working class. Parents working class. Grandparents middle-class, but didn't start off that way. Grandfather in the Iraqi Communist Party. Pretty much everyone in my family a leftie.
Ethnic background: Mixed. Iraqi, English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, Jordanian, Canadian, Indian, Egyptian.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Well... perhaps.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: Of course
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: No
Terrorism: Depends on the circumstance, as well as what you define 'Terrorism'
National-liberation movements: No.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Its more if they support the revolution.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: 9/11. It revealed just how vulnerable the West really is, as well as was the thing that started many things.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: French Revolution, Spanish Revolution, Russian Revolution. I wouldn't mind being a pirate in the 17th Century too :D
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Trotsky, Lenin, Luxembourg, Ibarruri.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Early days, it was brilliant. Then, the proverbial crap hit the fan. :(

[Poison]

Name: Yvette
Location: Sacramento, California
Class background: Middle class, I guess? Came from a very poor family, grew up surrounded by illegal immigrants from Mexico, and slowly moved to less poor suburbs. I'm in college and unemployed so not sure what class that makes me, but my family is middle class.
Ethnic background: Belgian/French Canadian on both sides. A little German.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No, no, no, no, no. I am very against the idea of a vanguard party.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Not sure what this means exactly, but maybe?
Working within current trade unions: Yes, excluding corrupt unions of course. Unions bring workers together and recognize that employers do not care about the needs of their workers.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Che, yes overall, despite a few complaints with him. No clue what Focoism is.
Central planning: Only if the planning is done by workers themselves, and even then, maybe.
Terrorism: If it targets civilians or other "innocents", no, unless there was some incredibly good reason that I can't imagine. Not only would I find it horrible but I don't imagine it helping--striking fear into the hearts of the working class would only serve to push them towards the "safe", authority figure. And I can't imagine how we can claim to care about the working class if we attack them. However, actions against buildings or the like I have no problem with.
National-liberation movements: Not sure. Depends.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They're human beings, why not? I support the bourgeoisie as well, just not their position. I hope for them to be liberated as well, just as you might hope for a criminal who is pushed my society into doing bad things to no longer have to or want to.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The current economic depression. I have my fingers crossed for capitalism collapsing in on itself.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spanish Civil War in Catalonia. Otherwise right here, right now.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Not sure offhand.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: The original post that I'm copying from, the answer echoes my thoughts exactly: It was founded as a workers' state, but degenerated into a bureaucratic nightmare, that eventually restored capitalism.

[Blackscare]

Name: Joseph

Location: Long Island, New York

Class background: Grew up raised by a single mom who always struggled to stay afloat. She worked as a claims adjuster for insurance companies and over the years was layed off many times as companies folded or cut back on after another. She worked two jobs for a long time while she was married to my bastard step-dad who refused to work and drank himself to death. I now live with my dad, he's a carpenter and he's been having trouble this winter (as he does every winter, it's the way it is in the trades), but it's even worse these days because this economic situation keeps getting worse. So yea, pretty working class background.

Ethnic background: in order of greatest percentage to least; Danish, Italian, Irish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No

Working within current trade unions: If they can be radicalized

Che Guevara and "Focoism": I'm not sure but I guess that refers to the practice of fighting small guerrilla wars to inspire revolution, so my answer would be NO.

Central planning: No

Terrorism: Not against civilians of any type, it's wrong and more importantly is awful PR for a movement.

National-liberation movements: Well, I support any region's right to self rule rather than domination by a larger power, but not when it takes on nationalist elements.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Pro-peasantry because they are a productive working class every bit as important as the proletariat, anti petit-bourgeoisie


What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Economic collapse

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Catalonia during the Spanish civil war.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Nestor Makhno

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: In what era? I don't like it in any, really, but I'd say it was a state-capitalist society and certainly the wrong route to follow.

[Brother No. 1]

Name: Mark

edit - I removed your middle and last name for security purposes. - RedAnarchist

Location: Bedford,Texas

Class backround: My mother has been a middle class woman all her life. My Father is a proletariat and has been a proletariat all his life. From his time in the Polish Peoples Republic to now in Capitalist America.

Ethnic background: Half Polish Half Irish


Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes



Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No

Working within current trade unions: With the workers not the Unions that are corrupted by the Capitlaists.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Depends which country but Che yes.


Central planning: Yes


Terrorism: Since it harms civilains. No.


National-liberation movements: Yes like the Zapatistas or something related to that.


The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Peasantry yes but a on the petit-Bourgeosise I'm not so sure.
What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: the failing of the "Pure Capitalist" Economy in America.



Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Either Stalin's or Lenin's CCCP and Mao's China. i would love to be in the Chinese or Russian Revolution.


What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Karl Marx,Engles, Joseph Stalin.Mao-Tse Tung,Vladimir Lenin, Castro,Che,and Hohax.




What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It depends what Era. During the Lenin-Stalin eras it was a Socialist state. After Stalin it was basicly a Revisionist mess and had Capitalist Restoridation but still a bit Socialist.

[Bright Banana Beard]

Name: Richard

Location: Naples, FL

Class background: Raised by a mother, a housekeeper and a ex-step-father, a retired mechanic. They are immigrant.

Ethnic background: El Salvadoran and Honduran


Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes as long it is not some authoritarian cultist.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Only as a mean to raise class consciousness.

Working within current trade unions: No I am too young

Che Guevara and "Focoism": If it is only a viable option.

Central planning: Yes, as long it does allow local planning.

Terrorism: Depends what you define it as.

National-liberation movements: Depends.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: No

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Continuity of the horrendous capitalism.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: I would love to be in CNT of Spanish Civil War.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Kropotkin, Marx, Lenin, Hoxha

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was socialist until the secret speech.

[RedAnarchist]

Name: Mark

edit - I removed your middle and last name for security purposes. - RedAnarchist

Location: Bedford,Texas



I've edited your post because you aren't supposed to give out your full name on the forum.

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

Name: Me
Location: Dallas, TX (if you are in the area, we should drink. Though I lost my car a little while back :crying:)
Class background: Middle
Ethnic background: Italian, Irish, German, and some others who all got on the boat way back in the day.
Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes.
Working within current trade unions: I am a member of one, but I don't see it as a Leftist group.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": In America? No.
Central planning: In certain aspects, for the short-term future.
Terrorism: No.
National-liberation movements: Depends.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: In some aspects, I do feel a little better shopping for my groceries at a local shop versus Wal-Mart.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Can't say. Obviously the current financial crisis has the potential to be a world changing event, if, say, people stop buying Dollars.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Conquering the world with Alexander or serving under Augustus.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Paine, Jefferson, Marx, Lincoln, Debs, and Hunter Thompson.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State Capitalism, or maybe better phrased as State Feudalism run by a nobility managing the serfs.

[Weezer]

Name: E. Fulmer

Location: Tustin, California

Class background: Somewhere between Working Class and Middle Class

Ethnic background: Swedish, German, Possibly Dutch, Finnish, Spanish, Danish, American

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

Eh.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

No

Working within current trade unions:

Yes

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No on Guevara, yes on Focoism.

Central planning:

No plz.
Terrorism:

I have no wish to kill innocents.

National-liberation movements:

I support the liberation of countries, yes.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The Middle East, obviously.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

In political terms, Catalonia, Spanish Civil War, Free Territories of Ukraine, Pre-Stalin USSR.

In non-political terms, the UK during the Romantic Era, 20th Century, Ancient Greece

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Pierre Joesph Proudhon, Leon Trotsky, Socrates, Plato

[tehpevis]

Name: Michael
Location: San Angelo, TX
Class background: Working Class
Ethnic background: French, English, West African, LOTS of American Indian & Irish, etc. To sum it up, I just say "everything except for Hispanic & Asian". But, what does it matter? We're all human beings.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Depends on the nation. For instance, in the U.S. and U.K., yes, because I dont forsee a revolution in these countries for quite some time now.
Working within current trade unions: Yes
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Che: One of my heroes. Focoism: Whatever works in overthrowing the Bourgeois

Central planning: Depends on the size of the country and which phase of socialism/communism it's in. In the final, true form of Anarchist Communism, no. during the Transitional stage, it's a must.
Terrorism: Generally, no, but desperate times mean desperate measures.
National-liberation movements: Only if the group is left wing and progressive, i.e., Zapaistas: Yes. Al-Qaida: No. These can be of help to us in the Revolutions, but then again, communism is international.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Whoever dosen't actively exploit the proletariat.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The economic collapse; & Russia-China-US-etc. relations (the Imperialist Rivalries)
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Paris Commune of 1871, Soviet Union circa. 1924, the Spartakasbund Revolution in Germany.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Noam Chomsky, Che Guevara, small bits of Lenin & Trotsky.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: At any given time, somewhere between the Transitional Socialist Stage and a centralised, Stalinist Dictatorship.

[Stranger Than Paradise]

Name: Louis
Location: London, England
Class background: Both parents are working class. Born into a poor family, I am now what would be described as middle class

Ethnic background: Planet Earth

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: NoParticipation in parliamentarian bodies: No, for the same reasons I disagree with a vanguard party, hierarchy and power. No liberation can come about through vanguards or centralised governments.
Working within current trade unions: Yes, One Big Union FTW!
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No
Central planning: No, the centralisation of power is a aspect of today's society I want to end.
Terrorism: Nah
National-liberation movements: No, they are bourgeoisie.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Peasants for sure, some petit's will side with us, some won't

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Probably the worldwide economic crisis.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spanish Civil War 1936 in one of the Anarchist militias.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Mikhail Bakunin, Piotr Kropotkin, Errico Malatesta, Emma Goldman, Buenaventura Durruti, Alex Berkman
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State Capitalist from the moment that the Bolsheviks took the power from the soviets

[Jack]

Name: Jack
Location: Eastern Connecticut
Class background: Working class, parents worked in a factory when I was born, mom worked 9 months pregnant in a paper mill. Single mom since I was 2, but I had alot of interaction with other classes. My mother dated a rich guy for about 3 years before he became controlling, during that time I went over to the Rockefellers(!) and had dinner, as well as a bunch of other bourgeoisie I've come to hate.

Ethnic background: (from most to least) Irish, German, Polish, Scottish, Cherokee

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: Yes but I perfer to work with explicitly or largely anarchist/libertarian groups. Semi-platformist bastard.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.

Central planning: No

Terrorism: Against civilians, no. Against bourgeois and the state, well that's not really "terrorism"

National-liberation movements: Basque, Irish, and Palestinian-Yes
Tamil, Catalan, Corsican and a whole list of others-No

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Peasantry aren't relavent as a class outside Asia. Petit bourgeois are useless.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
Sweatshop labor.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spanish Revolution (obviously), Russia 1905/17, German Revolution
What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Kropotkin, Makhno, (Lucy) Parsons
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Bakunin was right!

[heylelshalem]

Name: my working alias is heylel shalem
Location:
Class background: i was the son of a methodist preacher who spent his whole life doing his best to help the poor..his father was a relatively wealthy buisnessman. so i am from a burgeois ie college educated family but I am working class for the most part..ie i make my living doing labor and have done a lot of production work, day labor, and such.
Ethnic background: german and itallion.
Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: not educated enough on the issue to make a statement

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: i think that the existing corruption can be dealt with effectively enough...hopefully enough to merge them all into a universal union.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: no
Terrorism: sometimes its necessary to make strikes against the state or corporate imperialists to get their attention. i prefer more abby hoffmans methods over actual acts of violence..memetics can work better then bombs and bullets most of the tim.

National-liberation movements: yes
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: i very vocal about the rights of the working class and the disabled poor.
revolutionary; im a ideas type of revolutionary and i have commited acts of resistance against pig opression.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: the current fall of the capitalist system
Where would you like to be in history; a revolutionary memeticist setting viruses in the colletive concious to liberate humanity from corporate emperialism
what historical event would you like to be in: the fall of the new rome. :P
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: abby hoffman, rasputin,

[Klaus]

Name: Klaus
Location: Capital District, New York
Class background: Proletarian; "middle class"
Ethnic background: German-Polish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: In general, yes

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Depends on the parliamentarian body. In general, yes; if Sinn Fein and the IRA can work together, a Communist Party can work with a militant proletariat.

Working within current trade unions: Yes, although they are a travesty in the US.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Why not?

Central planning: No.

Terrorism: No.

National-liberation movements: Depends on the nation in question and its circumstances. Had the attempted coup against Chavez succeeded, I would have supported restoring the legitimate government. I wouldn't, however, support China "liberating" Australia, for instance.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Why not? Again, this comes down to circumstances.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: the global financial crisis

Where would you like to be in history; Emperor Julian's reign.

what historical event would you like to be in: Dunno, although going back to save the Emperor Julian's life sounds good.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, a few doses of Trotsky and Mao, the Dalai Lama (who's been open about being something of a Marxist.

[Glorious Union]

I have decided to edit mine, as things have changed over time.


Name: Whatever people call me.
Location: Texas, USA
Class background: Middle Class, but only because my dad puts in massive amounts of overtime at the workshop he works at.
Ethnic background: Russian/Mongolian. Because I said so.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:
Yes.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies:
No.
Working within current trade unions:
No, being that the entire governmental process and its institutions needs to be changed the existance of current trade unions would be entirely irrelevant.
Che Guevara and "Focoism":
No, just no.
Central planning:
Managment and cooperation is required, so yes.
Terrorism: No. Scaring people into following you or an organization is a sure way to turn off even more people from our cause.
National-liberation movements: Yes.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Freedom means nothing without equality amongst the classes, but uneven distribution of wealth is good so long as it does not go past a certain extent.



What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: China. Not necisarily an event, but a series of events...I think they are turning out to be the worl's next greatest superpower, and I am watching their progress with much interest.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Defence of Stalingrad or the fall of Berlin. (WW2)
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Lenin mostly, but also Stalin to a certain extent.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: A glorious attempt at communism that failed miserably and fell back into the oblivion of capitalism. Ultimately doomed from the start, the Soviet Union was a grand foothold for communism worldwide.[/quote]

[Monkey Riding Dragon]

I think an update of my profile might be in order.

Name: Red Dragon Rider (or Red or RDR for short).
Location: Vermont, USA
Class background: I come from a family of smalltime farmers and, now "independent", I exist as a member of the urban working class.
Ethnic background: English mainly. Way way back there. Let's just say stereotypical white, female "American".

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, a revolutionary vanguard party is indispensable in the fight for socialism and communism.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No. Participation in the parliamentary circus can only advance the lie that presents these elections as a real option for the exploited. Now my position comes not from a "left communist" standpoint of calling for election boycotts or 'ignoring elections'. Elections, as Lenin pointed out, are opportunities to revolutionize masses. Calling on people to boycott elections is like calling on people to avoid going on strike: it only convinces them that you are removed from their immediate needs and concerns. Communists should not consider voting or not voting a dividing-line question. The struggle on the topic of bourgeois elections shouldn't be in the realm of telling people what course of action to take, but rather should be in the realm of ideas: showing that these elections don't work for the exploited and oppressed and why they don't. This can be done through a whole host of means, including the party newspaper as well as through interventions in political conventions, debates, victory parties, inaugural addresses, etc.

Working within current trade unions: I'm in favor of a separation of the communist movement from the labor movement. There has been far too much workerism in the history of the history of the world communist movement and it has certainly been a big part of yielding economist attitudes (e.g. developing the productive forces = socialism, higher living standards = socialism, etc.). Think: Are these the terms that can actually lead anywhere meaningful? Or are these terms that restrict thinking to the level of "me and my co-workers" or even to "me and my living standards"? That approach to the world corresponds to the petty bourgeois aim of becoming a capitalist one's self. The struggle for revolution, socialism, and communism relies on building independent, political resistance. That understanding should apply fully at every stage, meaning that an all-sided approach to resistance and other mass work must continually be applied: an approach that reflects communist principles of liberating all of humanity, not one which corresponds to the advancement of one's self as an individual or small 'identity' group. Socialism isn't about the celebration of wealth or about one section of the masses "getting their turn" to lord it over the rest. The proletariat doesn't want to rule society forever, it wants to go out of existence! That implies the elimination of all class distinctions, along with the thorough transformation of all the production relations on which those class distinctions rest, the thorough transformation of all the social relations that go along with those production relations, and the revolutionizing of all the old ideas that go along with those social relations; in short, the emancipation of all of humanity from all forms of exploitation and oppression. Again, the way in which struggle, even before the arrival at power, is carried out has to reflect that communist principle of emancipating all of the masses and ultimately all of humanity: it must be all-sided, not one-sided, as labor and other 'identity' struggles are.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No. A vanguard party is indispensable to the fight for a socialist and ultimately communist society and world. A "vanguard army" leaves no room for theoretical development, divorcing 'Marxism' from scientific development. Moreover, objective conditions are required before revolution can be had. Mass support for the principle of revolutionary violence has to be achieved first or else you'll only alienate the masses and/or wind up getting ground up and crushed by the powerful armed forces of the enemy. "Che" was an adventurist, not a real communist, and his theories reflected that fact. (In relation to this, it's worth pointing out that Cuba has never been a genuinely socialist country (http://revcom.us/a/056/cubahist-en.html).)

Central planning: Social planning is absolutely essential to getting to a new, emancipated world. I think there should be a lot of decentralization within the overall approach. A correct approach increasingly brings the masses themselves more and more fully into the process.

Terrorism: IF by "terrorism" we mean, for example, guerilla warfare, then yes, I support it in the right circumstances. But the way in which communists conduct revolutionary warfare should also reflect communist principles. Whereas communists are aiming to emancipate humanity, they should refrain from targeting those masses they're trying to win over.

National-liberation movements: Yes, you can unite with these so long as they're historically progressive movements (and not the likes of, say, Al Qaeda or other fundamentalist crap). Even reactionary parties and groups can potentially be united with in these struggles, though, toward specific goals, as long as those goals actually advance the cause of getting to revolution and socialism in the context.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Lenin had this to say in defining the revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat, quote:

(Italics added by me for emphasis.)

"The dictatorship of the proletariat is a special form of class alliance between the proletariat, the vanguard of the working people, and the numerous non-proletarian strata of working people (the petty bourgeoisie, the small proprietors, the peasantry, the intelligentsia, etc.), or the majority of these; it is an alliance against capital, an alliance aiming at the complete overthrow of capital, at the complete suppression of the resistance of the bourgeoisie and of any attempt on its part at restoration, an alliance aiming at the final establishment and consolidation of socialism."

Lenin, in other words, defined the revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat by the political line it took up (what it was "aiming at"), not by the class background of its membership, as is often mistakenly believed. Again, the proletariat seeks to go out of existence (which it can only do by liberating the planet from all oppressive and exploitative relations) not to "get its turn" to lord over the rest of society. This goes into the question of whether the dictatorship of the proletariat should be understood narrowly as a workers' government or broadly as a people's republic. (I hope I've adequately implied the correct answer.) We shouldn't be sectarian or individualist. That only, as Marx pointed out in his Critique of the Gotha Programme, forfeits these vital non-proletarian strata to the enemy, helping to doom the proletariat's chances of victory.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: No one event. Rather, the general trend toward authoritarian government and higher and higher degrees of militarism in the U.S. (the 'belly of the beast' at present), and the global economic crisis. Also, the development that the majority of the world's population now lives in urban areas (half of this majority in shantytowns). This latter new development has profound implications for how to properly go about the revolutionary struggle in portions of the Third World.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Cultural Revolution in China (1966-1976). (http://revcom.us/a/139/STRS-en.html)

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Overwhelmingly: Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Tsetung, and Bob Avakian.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: The Soviet Union was a socialist country until the mid-1950s that took up a mainly correct and positive line up to 1934 (although there were methodological errors right from the start). From 1934, the leadership of the Communist Party (namely Stalin) came to be overwhelmingly concerned with the looming threat of war with Nazi Germany and, as an understandable but nevertheless inexcusable result of that and other external (as well as some real internal) threats, began to make increasingly serious mistakes in the areas of nationalism (e.g. subjugating the world communist movement to the defense needs of the Soviet Union, framing World War 2 as a "Great Patriotic War", etc.) determinism (e.g. the infamous Theory of Productive Forces), and reification (e.g. the expansion of the wrong-headed concept of "class truth" to get Soviet society generally moving in lock step). These mistakes didn't cause the counterrevolution, but contributed to its ability to gain a foothold in the halls of power. The counterrevolution arose mainly out of World War 2, with the emergence of an underground capitalist economy (often known as the "black market") that found traction in the one-man management system and was ultimately able to gain political influence in the realm of ideas. Whereas a general atmosphere in which people were afraid to raise dissenting opinions had been created, this prevented the replenishment of the revolutionary ranks by preventing the party from getting at the objective (not "class") truth of things. The qualitative leap to power of the new exploiting class was the rise of Krushchev, with his line of abandoning the revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat. From that point forward, the USSR was a social-imperialist country: a nation that was socialist in name, but characterized by capitalist imperialism in reality.

[teenagebricks]

Name: Jacob
Location: Great Britain
Class background: Working class, raised by a single parent on minimum wage.
Ethnic background: English and French, as far as I am aware.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, but I'll accept that most of them are ultimately destined to fail, I'd support one while actively seeking an alternative.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Generally no, but perhaps exceptions can be made in extreme circumstances.
Working within current trade unions: I'll say no, but it really depends on the union.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": In theory. I'm a big fan of Che as a human being, but I can't say much for some of his methods.
Central planning: Yes.
Terrorism: It depends on what your definition of the word is, terrorism is a method.
National-liberation movements: Sometimes they are necessary.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: If they support me.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Afghanistan.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Spanish Civil War.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Lenin, Trotsky, early Castro, Robin Hood.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Before the war it was a pretty desirable workers' state, after the war I don't think it was deserving of its name or colours.

[Patchd]

Location: Sheffield, Britain
Class background: Working class, mum's a single parent, dad moved to America with a new family and owns a small business I think and doesn't support me. My mum works in a small office getting £14k annually, which is shit, can't afford the mortgage etc...

Before coming to uni lived in a squat and worked in a gay bar, hoorah!
Ethnic background: English, Welsh, Chinese-Thai

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: Only on the basis that we should agitate within them, not to gain positions within the unions, or see them as viable revolutionary organs. Perhaps in regions of the world where some trade unions are still revolutionary I would support them, but in Britain, I don't see trade unions as a reclaimable organ of workers' control, in addition, I reject the notion that the working class should split themselves along lines regarding skills, or jobs. Organising in an Industrial union is a far better option.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: Nope.
Terrorism: No, terrorism usually involves the working class being affected negatively in one way or another, even if the working class of one region is propagating this "terrorism".
National-liberation movements: No.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Depends what we mean when I say I support them. I guess on one level yes, and on another no. Yes, I support the peasantry and petty bourgeois against imperialist attack.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Well, now I can say the upcoming economic crisis, which has led to large and violent G20 protests, workplace occupations, student occupations, and in Guadalope led to trade unions calling a general strike to implement a workers' democracy.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Greece 2008/2009
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: None.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Couldn't give a flying shit, although I reject the term State Capitalism, and wouldn't call it a deformed/degenerated workers state either. I simply haven't given this much thought after I dropped my Trotskyist politics.

[JFMLenin]

Name: Jal
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Class background: "Lower-Upper Class": My dad is a prominent player in international relations and the US government, he makes over $350,000 a year. My mom is a high-school graduate stay-at-home mom, but she's trying to start up her own home-business. My family is quite solidly bourgeois capitalist, unlike me, obviously.
Ethnic background: 1/4 German, 1/4 Swedish, 1/4 Croatian, 1/8 Dutch, 1/16 Irish-Scottish, 1/32 British, 1/32 Welsh.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, it is necessary for the organization of one national voice and for effective action.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Universal parliamentarian participation, rule by all peoples, yet with a centrally powerful party government.
Working within current trade unions: Pan-industrial unionization, but with trade-specific sub-divisions.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: Yes.
Terrorism: No, terrorism first against innocents can never be tolerated, and second is merely individual action which does not work towards the goal of a unified national (nation-wide, not nationalistic) workers' revolution.
National-liberation movements: Yes, but in the spirit of freedom from tyranny, not nationalism.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Yes, so long as they hold to the ideas of the revolution.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The economic crisis. It is laying the foundation for a second American Revolution and perhaps even a second American Civil War. I give America as it currently is 20-80 years. Perhaps 100, but by then you're just whipping a dead horse.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Russian Revolution, WWII, various Middle Eastern revolutions
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Jesus, Dalai Lama, Siddhartha Gautama (Gautama Buddha), Confucius
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It originally was a true socialist state; however, after Stalin took power, and particularly after WWII, it eventually turned into state-capitalism and decayed into what could no longer be called socialism. Though Stalin did spread socialism.

[Hoxhaist]

Name: Hoxhaist
Location: Florida and college in NY
Class background: father is ex-military from working class Irish neighborhood, son of a mailman, mother is daughter of smalltown Iowa plumber
Ethnic background: English, Irish, Norwegian
Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: absolutely and whole-heartedly
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: participation is only acceptable to prevent fascism or rightist domination
Working within current trade unions: yes as long as the vanguard spurs the union to action
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes, I have read his treatises and speeches and Cuba proved him correct but he bit off more than he could chew in the DRC and Bolivia
Central planning: Yes.
Terrorism: only action down by crowds lead by the vanguard
National-liberation movements: only when a National Question is involved because ethnic chauvinism is dangerous and to be avoided as much as possible
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: allies are allies
What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Palestine
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: early Socialist Albania.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Che Guevara, Hoxha.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: under Stalin it was building socialism but Khruschev took over before it was complete so Stalin's work was undone. although Khruschev's social-imperialist empire that he created (Cuba and others) now have a chance to develop true Marxism-Leninism

[Brother No. 1]

true communist state

sorry comrade but there has never been a Communist state. the CCCP was Socialist unitll 1953 for me.

[JFMLenin]

sorry comrade but there has never been a Communist state. the CCCP was Socialist unitll 1953 for me.
Ok, my apologies, a nation on the path to becoming a true communist state.

[Brother No. 1]

No problem this site is for learning and debating.

[commyrebel]

Name: Anthony
Location: Los Angles, California
Class background: Working class, raised by Construction worker and dental assistant
Ethnic background: German, Native american and irish
Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: NO but could be used for grounds to continued to a better one
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Maybe
Working within current trade unions: no,
Che Guevara and "Focoism": some of his stuff was good and some bad
Central planning: Yes.
Terrorism: As long as it doesn't kill innocents and its for the revolution
National-liberation movements: Yes for they are a part of the revolution.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: depends but probably maybe

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: the war and of corse the patriot act.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The hippie era or the russian revolution
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Lenin,
What was the class character of the Soviet Union:It did have its good times but it had bad times after Lenin

[DreamWeaver]

Name: DreamWeaver
Location: Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Class background: Working class, raised by working class people in public-sector jobs.
Ethnic background: Not important, let's not get racist here.
Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No, power is poison. We can organize without a vanguard.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, until there is enough social unrest that enables revolution.
Working within current trade unions: Yes, they could use some more radical elements over here.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Totally for arming the people, against the limitations that Guevara has in his theory.
Central planning: No, freemarket in a non-capitalist society.
Terrorism: Terrrism is done out of weakness. Fear is not a tool I want to use, and fuck all you stalinists who think it's okay.
National-liberation movements: No, often they are driven by nationalist feelings, this opens up a perfect window for a fascist regime to be installed if the revolution fails.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: I support all who are oppressed, even petit-bourgeoisie. Let's change the system together, so that people don't have to oppress or be oppressed.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The global economical depression. It proves why capitalism is wrong and will give us idealogical ammunition for the rest of our lives. It might even provide grounds for a revolution in some countries.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Paris Commune. Getting rid of aristocracy and the church by executing everyone combined with installing a soviet and an armed people is fucking awesome. Also the first ' government' to legalise homosexuality and to give the wealth back to the people
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Kropotkin, Bakunin, Malatesta.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union:Lenin created a Socialist state with good intentions. It's too bad that it never turned into a communist state and that Stalin was Lenin's successor.

[LeninBalls]

Name: Aaron
Location: Ireland
Class background: Working class, living with single unemployed mother, father lives on the other side of town building roads
Ethnic background: Irish, Spanish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes.
Working within current trade unions: Why not.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes.
Central planning: Yes.
Terrorism: Define "terrorism".
National-liberation movements: Yes
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:WITH US OR AGAINST US

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The recession, Afghanistan
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spanish Civil War, Paris Commune, Russian Revolution 1917
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was cool for a while, but it became lame

[RedAnarchist]

Name: Anthony
Location: Los Angles, California
Class background: Working class, raised by Construction worker and dental assistant
Ethnic background: German, Native american and irish
Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: NO but could be used for grounds to continued to a better one
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Maybe
Working within current trade unions: no,
Che Guevara and "Focoism": some of his stuff was good and some bad
Central planning: Yes.
Terrorism: As long as it doesn't kill innocents and its for the revolution
National-liberation movements: Yes for they are a part of the revolution.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: depends but probably maybe

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: the war and of corse the patriot act.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The hippie era or the russian revolution
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Lenin,
What was the class character of the Soviet Union:It did have its good times but it had bad times after Lenin

I've removed your surname from your post for security reasons.

[CHEtheLIBERATOR]

Name:Names are bourgeoise to imprison us into idividualism
Location:the planet earth
Class background:"middle class", parents have bounced around jobs,dad has been a petit bourgeoise and mom has been a proleteriat,bourgeoise and is currently a petit bourgeoise.I myself am a profesional revolutionary so I'm classless.
Ethnic background:Mullato with small bits of mixed native american

Do you support?

A vanguard party:yes
Participation in parlaimentarian bodies:Never
Working within current trade unions:no
Che Guevara and focalism:Definately
Central planning:If it's done by the working class
Terrorism:Most of the time no
National-liberation movements:yes
The peasantry and petit bougeoise:Peasantry is as revolutionary as the proleteriat.Petit bourgeoise has very little revolutionary stake.

[CHEtheLIBERATOR]

What,Who,Where


What is the most important contemporary event today:Imperialism it is the reason for all our current problems
Where would you like to be in history:The Russian Revolution
What historical characters do you most associate your views with:Jesus,Marx,Engels,Satre,Lenin,Trotsky,Che,Kau tsky
What was the class character of the soviet union:Founded as a pure workers state,it became a Red fascist state during Stalin era,after Stalin a Deformed workers state

[fashbasher 5000]

Name: Morgan
Location: Shuffling between Vancouver and Calgary, Canada
Class background: Bourgeois? My father is a rich corporate lawyer.
Ethnic background: Irish, Scottish, Swedish, French, Syrian, Angolan, etc. Mongrel, to put it simply.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: To some extent. Obviously some people will be more effective and/or more visible demonstrators than others but I do not support vesting authority in a vanguard party.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: Again, to some extent. Most modern first world unions are bloated and reactionary, but if they can be reformed then I say go for it.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes, but I am again against political authority being given to the foquistas.
Central planning: No.
Terrorism: Depends on your definition. I will never support harming nonbelligerents for any reason, but my definition of a belligerent is broader than most.
National-liberation movements: With a grain of salt.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Case by case.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: I don't know that I can pick just one event. The political balance of the Middle East in general is going to have profound implications for years to come.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Spanish Civil War
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Bakunin, more than anyone else.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: The Soviet experiment was always bound for failure. Does it matter?

[Brother No. 1]

it became a Red fascist state during Stalin era

Red Facist?? Is there such a thing as a Red Facist?

[LOLseph Stalin]

Red Facist?? Is there such a thing as a Red Facist?

Apperently so, but I think he's talking about Nationalistic COmmunism. It resembled Fascism in the sense that it was more on the nationalistic side rather than internationalist.

[Monkey Riding Dragon]

That's called social-democracy. (Or juche, take your pick.) In any event, of course I would disagree with the notion in question. But my views have already been stated. :D

[Brother No. 1]

Apperently so, but I think he's talking about Nationalistic COmmunism.

No he is saying that Stalin was a "Red Facist" and in his mind "Red Facist leader=Red Facist state." Which the =fail for Stalin=/= Facism and the USSR in Stalins time =/= Facist state.

[marxistcritic]

Name:Dante

Location:Little town in Montana

Class background:Working class

Ethnic background:Sicilian, Irish, Finnish, Polish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:
Yes
Participation in parliamentarian bodies:
No
Working within current trade unions:
Yes
Che Guevara and "Focoism":
No
Central planning:
No
Terrorism:
Depends on the reason
National-liberation movements:
No
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:
Sometimes
What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
The North Korean sattelite launch over the Pacific right now
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to
be in:
The 1948 Paris Commune period
What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Karl Marx, Charles Darwin

[Sort It Out Frosty]

Name: Frosty Jack
Location: off the coast of Greenland
Class background: pre-fuedal lumpen/petty-mystic
Ethnic background: Finnish and Orkneys Viking

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Hell no. The proof of the pudding is in the eating and Lenin's theory has in practice left a mountain of bodies across the 20th century. Never again. As a wise man once said, "We aint here to represent the working class. We are the working class and we are here to REPRESENT!" :thumbup1: Or as the 1st International Workingmen's Association put it before the beardy German geezer showed up - "The liberation of the working class is the task of the working class itself."

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: If you mean attractive young politicians, yes. :w00t: If by "parliamentarian bodies" you mean the institutions of bourgeois "democracy", hell no.

Working within current trade unions: Sure. But trade unions are limited... Trade union bureaucracies are outright counter-revolutionary and anti-worker. You wouldn't believe the pencil-pushing scum in the International Amalgamated Lightkeepers Union. Fucking hell...

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No fucking idea mate... If you're asking whether I got the lefty fetish for Che "Shoot 'Em Up" Guevara, then no. Missionary toffs preaching to working people and then murdering the ones they disagree with (e.g. the Cuban anarchists) ent my idea of a laugh.

Central planning: ...Is a fetish of the managerial/bureaucratic class. Nuff said.

Terrorism: Is a tricky term.

National-liberation movements: Life is complex. In the fight for a libertarian socialist society based on economic and political direct-democracy, I think we must support the liberation movements against the imperialist powers and capitalist nation-states. We must support the absolute right to political and social independence. We demand absolute freedom for all, except where that freedom curtails that of others. A good resource to check out is the pamphlet "National Liberation & Imperialism" by the South African anarchist group Zabalaza Anarchist Commust Front (ZACF).

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Party like its 1699!

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The seizure of land by elites, continuing the process of primitive accumulation that is necessary for the capitalist mode of production and began in England with the Parliamentary Enclosures. Nowadays the enclosures particularly continue in Africa, South America (and everyplace else!). As Marx said - "the expropriation of the mass of the people from the soil forms the basis of the capitalist mode of production".

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: This Saturday, when I'm free off work. :thumbup1:

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Gen. Ned Ludd, Gerrard Winstanley, Mike Bakunin, Bill Morris, Eddy Horner & Harry Roberts

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Managerial form of state-capitalism. D'oh!

I love quizzes. Did I win?

[Kollentsky]

Name: Karl
Location: City of Steel
Class background: 1st generation Middle-Class
Ethnic background: Wiganish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: In the absence of a vaguard party, I support the idea of a vanguard party in principle.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Only inasfar as said participation is used as agitation for the mass movement, and not as an ends in itself

Working within current trade unions: To push them beyond the boundaries of their bureaucratic shells, yes.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.

Central planning: Can't work under capitalism. Can work for major utilities and staple production under communism.

Terrorism: Is desperation in the absence of a class movement.

National-liberation movements: Defend national liberation movements against Imperialism - but critically. Work within them to push their aims internationally, and to discourage reactionary nationalism.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: need to be absorbed into The Class

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Global Recession, a series of events unfolding, beyond the boundaries of which will shape our immediate political future.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: I'm where I am, that's all that matters

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: I'm just one big ball of cliche. You don't need to hear that guff.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: State-Capitalist Bureaucratic elite

[21st Century Kropotkinist]

Name: 21st Century Kropotkinist
Location: U.S.
Class background: The son of a nurse and a high-school teacher--in the U.S., this is considered middle-class, though I would classify them, as Emma Goldman would, as the "intellectual proletariat."
Ethnic background: anglo-saxon, i.e., Euro-mut.
Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No. I support no party, as I am against the existence of the State. But I especially do not support a bureaucracy that must "lead" the "stupid"working masses.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: In theory, I would say no, but if bottom-up movements achieve reform that is necessary to feed poor people or get health-care access to everyone, this is certainly the "less-worse" option. It's of course a capitalist's playground, and big industry controls most "parliamentarian bodies," but sometimes these power structures feel pressured to act.
Working within current trade unions: Again, yes, because we're dealing with the "less-worse" option. Unfortunately, if you don't participate in these stagnant, reformist, nationalist, bourgeoisie-appeasing institutions, then you have no line of defense against capitalism. I support fully radical, anti-capitalist, anti-State unions that support worker's control, a la the IWW.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I certainly support Che's idea that there are no liberators and people must liberate themselves. But that was just his lofty rhetoric. Che was ultimately corrupted by his own Leninism. So, absolutely not.

Central planning: Not in any realm of life.

Terrorism: No. Not by leftists and not by government. Now, I support revolution, and this can sometimes mean using force, but this is usually self-defense. Propaganda-by-deed usually solves nothing; it's an emotional act to kill an individual. But, to dismantle an oppressive system:that's revolution.

National-liberation movements: Well, this is tricky. I mean, I think we should all support people who are oppressed, based on those grounds. Now, to use an example like the Israeli/Palestine conflict, I'm in favor of the "No-State" solution certainly. But we have to ask ourselves, what is the situation? There is an imperialist country that acts as if it owns the world who aids, disproportionately, one middle east country, i.e., Israel, with weapons and other aid, and ignores the apartheid and, in fact genocidal practices used on the Palestinians. I think an ethical choice is supporting Palestinians right to defend themselves against imperialists. However, as an anti-authoritarian, it is the lesser-of-two evils, but life's full of contradictions.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: As far as my class-analysis, I would consider neither the bourgeoisie, and hence, part of the broad range of working-class. I think either one of Marx's "other" classes can have revolutionary potential.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

Really, all problems are directly linked to the State and capital. So, if you say imperialist policy in the middle east, then it's because of surplus value potential. If you say climate change is the most important issue, well it's important. But environmental degradation is caused, again, by capitalists earning surplus value. If you say Latin America's left-turn is significant, it has to do with a rejection of organinizing the planet so as capitalists can exploit the labor of the proletariat. If one says that the most important issue is nuclear war, again, war has its root in capitalists reaching a creshendo called imperialism, in a word. If one says the most important current event is the fact that 25,000 people, mostly children starve to death daily, well, that certainly has merit. But its roots are in the fake scarcity created by capitalism.

All of these current events are of dire importance, but it does not happen in a vacuum. The most important current event is the fact that capitalism, left to its own vices, fails, and the State exists to prevent this from happening. So, capital and the State that provides its life support are the true blockades of freedom.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Oh, I don't know if I'd want to be anywhere else. But I think the beginning stages of the Russian Revolution and the Krondstat uprising would've been exciting ( pre-Bolsheviks). Also, the Spanish revolution with the anarcho-syndicalists represents a conflict I would have participated in. And the Paris Commune, 1848, as well as Paris 1968, have been painted as exciting times of hope.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Emma Goldman, Peter Kropotkin, Mikhail Bakunin, (certain elements of) Karl Marx, Rosa Luxemberg, Errico Malatesta, Rudolf Rocker, and millions of women and men who remain nameless that fought for working-class revolution. Chomsky's also been very formative for me, though I don't know if he'd yet be called historical.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Well, it certainly wasn't socialist. Socialism means that the workers actually have contol of the means of production. Since the Bolsheviks were an unaccountable regime and the State owned the means of production, i.e., the state became an unnacountable monopoly, and an impervious one at that, well, that sounds a great deal like capitalism. Of course, like many, I identify the USSR as state-capitalist. Just wanted to articulate my reasons why instead of simply saying it.

[Monkey Riding Dragon]

I guess times like these would mark an excellent opportunity to add another category to this quiz:

What is your view on North Korea?

Here's my formal answer: To begin with, it helps to understand what kind of country North Korea is. Essentially, North Korea is a feudal monarchy hiding behind a thin veil of socialist rhetoric. It's present monarch is Kim Jong Il. It's present state religion is officially called juche (although this appears to be in a state of transition into songun). North Koreans commonly believe that Kim Il Sung created the world and that Kim Jong Il can control the weather. The former of these especially is viewed as a type of god. (For example, officially, Kim Il Sung (now deceased) occupies the office of "Eternal President". Many would instinctively conclude that this is a metaphoric, honorary title. In fact, it is meant very literally. Likewise, the official North Korean calendar revolves around his date of birth, much like the Gregorian calendar revolves around the ostensible birth time of Jesus of Nazareth.) Presently, the government is headed up by the military under the songun (military-first) policy, which has recently been called, in official media, a new ideology in its own right. According to the current official ideology/state religion, juche, the nation of Korea will exist forever. Kim Jong Il has written (contrary to previous statements by his predecessor and father, Kim Il Sung), that juche is a philosophy original to North Korea and not a "creative application" of Marxism. This makes the regime centered in Pyongyang the only one on Earth that claims to be communist and yet non-Marxist.

Contrary to popular belief, North Korea is far from isolationist. In the immediate aftermath of World War 2, a socialist camp briefly emerged onto the world scene amid the revolutionary atmosphere. Korea was swept up in this as well, and its northern half (defended briefly by the Soviet Union) saw the arising of a socialist trend. The southern portion of the country (occupied by the United States), by contrast, was never allowed to form its own government, but rather was maintained as a direct U.S. military dictatorship for three years, after which point it became a less direct U.S. military dictatorship. The socialist-led North led the people of all of Korea in rebellion against the ongoing U.S. occupation and domination from 1950 to 1953. America responded by sending in massive numbers of its own troops and leading a UN effort ostensibly to defend the "sovereignty" of the South. This BS was quickly exposed when, upon reaching the dividing line between the North and the South, the U.S.-led forces crossed over into Northern territory in an attempt to overthrow the North Korean government. After occupying most of the Korean Peninsula, leading forces in the U.S. military proposed to continue pressing northward and invade now-revolutionary China. At this point, Chinese forces poured across the border in support of North Korea and the rebelling Korean people generally, driving the U.S. and UN forces back across the dividing line and deep into Southern territory, at which point America redoubled its efforts. The war was fought to a standstill until, in 1953, a truce was agreed upon that largely left the status quo ante bellum in effect. Shortly after this conflict, the Soviet Union made the leap back into capitalism in the form of social-imperialism (maintaining socialism in name, but being characterized by imperialism in reality), resulting in a split between the Soviet Union and revolutionary China. In this conflict, North Korea decided not to formally take sides, but rather to supposedly develop its own "independent" and "self-reliant" position in the world. This was later shaped into a formal ideology (and later religion, as I've pointed out), juche. The practical effect of this move was to abandon the socialist camp and continue in de facto dependence on Soviet social-imperialism for development. Despite its efforts at trade diversification (which ultimately drove the regime into bankruptcy by 1980, and is an entirely different thing from actual self-reliance), Pyongyang remained economically chained to the Soviet Union until the latter's collapse in 1991. Ever since losing this key trade patron, North Korea has been in a perpetual state of economic crisis. For much of the 1990s, an enormous epidemic of starvation swept the country. By the end of the 1990s, this ebbed somewhat as the now-capitalist China agreed to somewhat fill in the USSR's previous role as trade patron. Pyongyang is seeking these days to basically emulate the Chinese model of capitalist 'development' by way of chaining itself ever more closely to imperialism. But the imperialist forces, still led by the United States, largely oppose this and instead single-mindedly pursue the overthrow of North Korea's government through a whole plethora of avenues, including economic isolation.

Now let's get into this nuclear issue. This is, of course, the main thing we hear about North Korea in the news here in the imperialist countries. Pyongyang pursues nuclear blackmail of sorts out of the necessities of being a semi-feudal nation faced with economic isolation, as described above. The regime has repeatedly tried to use the development of nuclear weaponry as political leverage to force open the closed proverbial economic doors of the imperialists. We have seen this in the denuclearization deals it has thus far signed. The terms of each agreement have been essentially the same: North Korea to dismantle all of its nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons programs and completely abandon the development of all nuclear power in exchange for: 1) nuclear weapons-free status for the whole Korean Peninsula, 2) a package of humanitarian aid and finite shipments of fuel oil to 'compensate' (wink wink) for the loss of nuclear power, and 3) a non-aggression agreement from the United States and the normalization of diplomatic relations with the U.S. The U.S. has three times now agreed to such a deal and three times now sabotaged said deal. Kim Jong Il is tiring of playing this game and is now, clearly in desperation, escalating the regime's blackmail. His obvious aim is, as usual, to pressure for concessions. But China is exhibiting opposition to some of these more recent moves on Pyongyang's part. North Korea can't afford to alienate its principle trade patron, yet may be doing so.

North Korea has most recently withdrawn itself from the 1953 truce that halted the Korean War's fighting and plainly threatened immediate military action if South Korea acts as a U.S. police force and attempts to search and seize cargoes destined for North Korea, which it has already pledged to do. The imminent possibility of war on the Korean Peninsula is very real. It isn't particularly likely, however, that North Korea would survive any full-scale war against the U.S. and its puppet regime in the South, especially without the support of China to fall back on. It is possible that the days of Kim Jong Il's rule are numbered.

(The rest of my profile can be viewed on page 10.)

[pierrotlefou]

Name: pierrot le fou
Location: U.S.
Class background: son of lower middle class government workers outside of DC. Lower class education (the area is mostly african american, thus, underfunded and ignored)
Ethnic background: german
Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:
It has it's flaws but it could work better than the corporatocracy in america.
Working within current trade unions: to some extent.
Che Guevara and "Focoism":no

Central planning: no

Terrorism: No. Terrorism is malicious and has no revolutionary use but terrorism differs from violence as a form of revolt of the oppressed.
National-liberation movements: depends. They are all different.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: not in the us

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
The emergence of hyper-consumerism.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: france in 68. In the US around that time too. Maybe we could have got the revolution going while it still had momentum.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: sartre, chomsky, adorno

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: fooled.

[GiantBear91]

Name: Joey
Location: North Carolina
Class background: Lower-Middle class
Ethnic background: German, Indian, Irish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Only if it truly nessecery
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Only if it truly nessecery
Working within current trade unions: I don't have a concrete opinion on that just yet.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": actually yes I do. So yes :)
Central planning: I don't have a concrete opinion on that just yet.
Terrorism: I do not support real terrorism(the bush administration/our capitalist nation)
National-liberation movements: Again, only if it truly nessecery
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: I don't have a concrete opinion on that just yet.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Zapatistas in Mexico, The Iraq war, and Any type of revolutionary movement for a just cause that is taking place as of now.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Cuban Revolution, And The Zapatista movement in 1994
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, and some of Guevaras ideals.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: To be honest I did not really support the Soviet Union... It had way to many dictators and no true Communist leaders. However, I do respect the Russian Revolution.

[SecondLife]

Location: ex-USSR

Class background: no class, unemployed

Ethnic background: no ethnic, my home and ethnic is still USSR

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes. Actually people classify - monkeys and vanguards.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes

Working within current trade unions: No

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes

Central planning: Yes

Terrorism: Yes, not myself

National-liberation movements: No

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: No

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

No such event

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

USSR

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Mao Zedong

[rosa-rl]

Name: Rosa Harris
Location: Atlanta Ga
Class background: proletarian, my father worked in sewing factories and later as a Professor of Physics in Albany Ga and my mother was a hair dresser but I’ve only worked proletarian jobs
Ethnic background: Romani (Gypsy)

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: A vanguard party is necessary to leading a Communist Revolution however I do not support the concept of a party state
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: in some cases
Working within current trade unions: anywhere that revolutionaries work brings us closer to revolution BUT the current trade unions will not be the center of Communist activity that leads to revolution
Che Guevara and "Focoism": no
Central planning: central planning is necessary to liberating the productive forces
Terrorism: never
National-liberation movements: yes, but critically
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: they have to be won over to at least neutrality to be able to move forward

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: this depends on how you define an event. In the sense Badiou uses the term the current crisis developing in the US and in the world as a whole has a defining effect however there has not been an event at this point – currently.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Badiou and Althusser
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was a proletarian dictatorship until the time that Stalin died although Stalin made many fatal errors that contributed to the loss of power of the prol and the rise of the new bourgeoisie.

[Il Medico]

Name: Ed/Jack
Location: Florida
Class background: Father is from a petit-bourgeois family(His father was an electrician with his own business, his mother a stay at home mom), now unemployed though low rung management/proletarian for last 25 years. My Mother is from proletarian background (her father was a cook and her mother unemployed), worked odd jobs, now an at home mom. I've been proletarian all my life, work for a newspaper.
Ethnic background: Italian, Irish, Scottish, German.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No. I support a vanguard in the sense of class conscious militants organizing and agitating toward mass action by the working class though.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No.
Working within current trade unions: Militants should, in my opinion, organize workers within Unions, but Unions themselves are a reactionary apparatus of the capitalist state.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: No.
Terrorism: No.
National-liberation movements: No, replacing the foreign bourgeois with the local bourgeois does nothing towards the abolition of the capitalist system.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: The Peasantry are a class ally imo. The petit-bourgeoisie will most likely side with the bourgeoisie.
What, Who, and Where
What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The world-wide economic strife, the imperialist wars raging in the mid-east, and the revolutionary struggles in places like India, Nepal, and Greece.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Spanish Civil War is a favorite. May 1968 Paris is another. World War One would be interesting as well, 1917 Russian Revolution, etc.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, and Rosa Luxemberg.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Capitalist.

[Comrade Ian]

Name: Ian

Location: Santa Cruz, California & San Francisco, California

Class background: Right now my Dad is self-employed, but barely so, I get financial aid from the government for school because my background is poor enough that my EFC is 0

Ethnic background: Most of Europe + Some Mexican

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

What/How do you define Vanguard? I consider myself in the tradition of Lenin, as in the sort of tradition portrayed by scholars like Lars T. Lih and Alexander Rabinowitch. I don't think Leninism is perfect but I think it is a foundation from which to figure out how to organize and build a revolutionary party almost a century later.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Yes, but with many caveats.

Working within current trade unions:

Absolutely

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No

Central planning:

Depends

Terrorism:

Depends, Usually not.

National-liberation movements:

I support the struggle of nations against Imperialism, and see their liberation from Imperialism as helpful to overthrowing the sources of Imperialism from within. I do not see them as Socialist however and their may be exceptions.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

Umm, ???

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The Global Financial Crisis

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Me, right now, cause the time I'm living in is when shit is going to go down and by the end of my life I expect to be able to see if we will be headed for Socialism or Barbarism.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Luxembourg, Hal Draper, George Orwell, ~Tony Cliff

[More Fire for the People]

Class background: Right now my Dad is self-employed, but barely so, I get financial aid from the government for school because my background is poor enough that my EFC is 0
I love how when FAFSA reports an EFC of 0 to school that school automatically makes students go through verification. It's like they don't believe that someone can really have an EFC of 0. After all this is America, and there no such thing as poor people here! [/sarcasm]

[Il Medico]

After all this is America, and there no such thing as poor people here! [/sarcasm]
I wish.

[Comrade Ian]

Yea, I had to fill out like 3 extra forms and turn them in personally, was a pain in the ass.

[Rood]

Name: Bob
Location: Netherlands
Class background: Working class, my mom works at ikea and me dad is a artist.

Do you support?
Rood, youth socialist party

Ethnic background: Dutch, French


A "vanguard" party:
Yes
Participation in parliamentarian bodies:
Yes
Working within current trade unions:
Yes
Che Guevara and "Focoism":
No
Central planning:
Yes
Terrorism:
Don't like to spread fear, instead have a message of hope
National-liberation movements:
No
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:
Sometimes
What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
Iran and elections
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to
be in:
1950, holland, communist pary..
What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Karl Marx, Trotsky but to be honnest i need to read alot

[Qayin]

Name: Alex

Location: AZ

Class background: Prole

Ethnic background: Irish,Yugoslavian

Do you support?
A "vanguard" party:

No.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

No.

Working within current trade unions:

No.

Che Guevara and "Focoism":

No.

Central planning:

No.

Terrorism:

Yes.

National-liberation movements:

No.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

Peasantry should be brought up to the Prole class.
If the petit will join our side then sure

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The Global Financial Crisis

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

May 68

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

None.

[Anarkiwi]

Name: ShaneWaihape
Location: Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand, Aotearoa
Class background: Working and Lower(Beneficiary Class)
Ethnic background: Maori,French,English,Deli
Do you support?
A "vanguard" party: No
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No
Working within current trade unions: Yes but only rank and file members
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes
Central planning: No
Terrorism: No
National-liberation movements: Yes
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Peasentry are Proletariat
petit-bourgeoisie are me=revolutionary
What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
War on terrorisim or the lie of the war on terrorisim
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spanish civil war killing stalinist or when there was no politics
What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Marx,Lennin,Stuart Christie,Hone Heke Ngapua.

[h0m0revolutionary]

Name: Ste
Location: Liverpool, UK
Class background: Working
Ethnic background: Caucasion (Irish)
Do you support?
A "vanguard" party: No
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No
Working within current trade unions: Yes but only rank and file members
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No
Central planning: No
Terrorism: Revolution by any means necessary. That doesn't have to include ritualistic revenge slaughter of millions like some suggest :/.
National-liberation movements: No - they would have it that natioan identity is stronger than class identity, class solidairty transcends national boundaries.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: In so far as they're potential allies in the war against capital, yes.
What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
The decimation of the Middle East (and elsewhere) for the benefit of US/UK capital
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Stonewall riots :D or France 68'
What historical characters do you most associate your views to:
Malatesta, Krotopkin, Goldman

[Stranger Than Paradise]

Peasantry should be brought up to the Prole class.
Im a petit-bourgeoisie and I fully support
revolutionary leftism.


I doubt you are actually petit bourgeois you may come from that background but I don't think that class description relates to you as an individual.

[Manzil]

Name: Dan
Location: Southampton, UK
Class background: Working class, parents are uni-educated wage slaves
Ethnic background: English, Irish, Jewish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Generally-speaking.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes.
Working within current trade unions: Yes.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: To the extent it is required.
Terrorism: No. Destruction of property, certainly.
National-liberation movements: When it serves the international proletarian cause.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Sometimes-useful allies; historical cul de sac.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The globalisation of capitalism and integration of the entire planet into a single world market under a common ruling class, and the consequent need for international solidarity and organisation by the working class.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Paris, 1968. Decisively less bloody than 1871.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Complicated, but state capitalist from 1928 onwards.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Gramsci, Trotsky.

[narcomprom]

Location: Europe
Class background: déclassé
Ethnic background: urban student

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes.
Working within current trade unions: Yes.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No. I'm not an elitist.
Central planning: is reality. We just need different, democratic, centers.
Terrorism: is a political tool used by every side which the means to.
National-liberation movements: No.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Asia mostly entering the capitalist phase of development.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: future communism ;)
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: ... was well summarised in 1984 - 1.the old guard, the nobility of feudalism or the "old money" of capitalism, "the inner party" 2.yuppie suckup cynics, "the outer party". 3.a meritocratic elite - officers, scientists, entertainers 4. The rest: educated and uneducated urban workers, rural workers and kolkhoz slaves.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: anyone uncorrupted by power.:cool:

[Sarah Palin]

Name: Philip
Location: North-Western New Jersey
Class background: Middle Class; My father is a teacher, my mother used to be an artist, On my father's side, he is a third generation Italian immigrant, his father was a teacher but then retired and became ULTRA-conservative after making some money on stocks. On my mother's side, her father started a business but willed it to his 2 sons. So we are not a wealthy family.
Ethnic background: Italian and German

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Nooooo
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No, for a successful society we need direct democracy.
Working within current trade unions: Yes, they need to be made much more radical.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: If workers control 100% of the planning, in a democratic fashion.
Terrorism: As a means to bring about radical leftist change, and so that only the bourgeoise are punished.
National-liberation movements: No.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: If the bourgeoise become powerful enough to make them full on proletariat, they could help with a revolution, if not, whatevs.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
Hard to say. I'll have to go with the current economic collapse. While I wished it was the collapse of capitalism that Marx had predicted, it became clear that the bourgeoise would dance around it and try to make the most money while using taxpayer money to prop up their own companies. I don't know what else to say about. Hopefully conservatives will do something that sheds light on them as the anti-worker racist fascists they are, and workers rebel against them.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: American Civil War, French Revolution, Russian Revolution, and fighting with the Shining Path in their prime.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, W.E.B Dubois, Trotsky, Lenin, Allende, Eugene Debs, Rosa Luxembourg, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn,
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Started out with the right ideas and then got a little off track and hit its lowest point with Gorbachev. He was just horrible.

[Misanthrope]

Name: William
Location: Illinois
Class background: Middle class, mother is worker
Ethnic background: Icelandic, Polish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Hell no.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No. Rather, collectivize into worker's councils and forcefully defend rights.
Working within current trade unions: Yes
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No
Central planning: No
Terrorism: Against capitalist class in defense of the working class, yes. Against the state, yes.
National-liberation movements: No, imperialist by nature.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They decide (strongly agree with Apikoros^)

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:
Economic crisis, imperialism in general.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Spanish Civil War
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Bakunin, Proudohn, Luxemburg, Chomsky
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: state capitalist, anti-worker.

[Durruti's Ghost]

Name: Richard
Location: Tennessee, United States
Class background: Complicated; has fluctuated between proletarian and petit-bourgeois.
Ethnic background: Irish, Dutch, Cherokee.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: No, although I do support social movements to put pressure on parliamentarian bodies.
Working within current trade unions: Yes, in order to radicalize them. However, I believe that a new union (the IWW or something like it) should be organized simultaneously, and that this union should play a major part in the revolution.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No. I believe he was a great revolutionary (as were Lenin and Castro), but I do not support his ideology or his tactics.
Central planning: Only in a highly federated manner based on free association. Also, the workers have the right to recall the planners at any time, they must be rotated out regularly, they must not have special privileges...etc.
Terrorism: I don't know what this word means. If it means violence perpetrated against the capitalists or the State in defense of the working class that actually will have a positive effect, yes. If it means mindless bombings, attacks that endanger fellow workers, etc., no.
National-liberation movements: While I sympathize with the working classes of oppressed nations, such movements are typically bourgeois in nature, so no.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: If they support the workers, yes. If they support the capitalists, no.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: United States imperialism in Southwest Asia.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Paris Commune, the Russian Revolution, or the Spanish Revolution.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Kropotkin, Rocker, Malatesta, de Cleyre, Bakunin with reservations, Proudhon with reservations, Marx with reservations, Paine with reservations.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was an initially promising example of state socialism that quickly degenerated into state capitalism.

[ChrisK]

Name: Chris

Location: Spokane

Class background: Both parents grew up working class, I grew up middle class, thanks to my dad.

Ethnic background: Northern European barbarians (celts and germanic peoples) and Iroquois.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

Depends on your definition of vanguard party. Lenins yes in certain circumstances (such as Russia in 1902). Stalins fuck no.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Yep, make things hard on the cappies as much as possible. Even if it means working in their system.

Working within current trade unions:

Yes, they help rank-and-file workers engage in strikes, even if they have shitty conservative leaders.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": No, never, nope, nein.

Central planning:

Why the hell would I want that?

Terrorism:

No more than focoism.

National-liberation movements:

Self-determination is always important and it weakens imperialist powers.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

Peasantry: Sure, why not?
Petit-bourgeoisie: So long as we are willing to bend our heads to the working class and admit that they are the creators of revolution and they are to have the power after the revolution AND so long as we don't think the working class stupid then yes.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

The economic crisis that is effecting the whole world.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

Russia in 1921 to smack all of them in the face and scream, "THE WORKERS OPPOSITION IS RIGHT, LISTEN TO THEM! AND STOP TALKING ABOUT DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM, SHOW SOME RESPECT FOR YOUR INTELLIGENCE!"

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Marx, Lenin, Trotsky, Cliff, Draper and Alexandra Kollontai

[Axle]

Name: Tony
Location: Michigan
Class background: Middle class. My father's an union autoworker and my mother's an office manager.
Ethnic background: My family is mainly from Europe.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, though it should be abolished after socialism is secured.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, but it should eventually be replaced with full, direct democracy.
Working within current trade unions: I support forming new and more radical trade unions because too many current ones have been compromised.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes
Central planning: Yes, but only along the lines of total worker control.
Terrorism: Yes, to a point.
National-liberation movements: Yes, but only as long as imperialism, and by extension, capitalism, exists.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Do they side with the people or Capitalism?

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: There's only one even holding sway over every last person in the world: the global economic meltdown.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Revolutions...be it American, French, Russian, Cuban, Spanish, Chinese...
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Ho Chi Minh and some others.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Proto-socialist on the path to true socialism before the beaurocracy took over and destroyed most of the progress.

[The-Red-Pen]

Name: Dont worry about it

Location: Planet earth third rock from the sun.

Class background: Grew up Middle class now lower middle class.
Ethnic background: Scot and Perto Rican

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: It's the 21ist century some new must be made for out modern times.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:I honestly have no idea how it works but most nations use them these days.

Working within current trade unions: They need to be rebuilt due to coruption but they are better then not having them.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Che as a soldier and traveler nothing more.

Central planning: Doesnt work
Terrorism:If done right it is a most powerful weapon but only when it is needed never when it's not.
National-liberation movements: No.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:There are the same these days.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today? The economy, the reason is simple now is our time my freinds the people are mad nothing is getting done. The goverment says the economy is getting better but from first hand I can tell you all it is not. It's time to put aside ideaology and work as one.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Fall of the Roman Republic rise of Gaius Julius Caesar and the civil war to follow.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:My own.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union:Founded as a workers state and after that it shit the fan and went all the way to the Right. :scared:

[Die Rote Fahne]

Name: Tim
Location: Atlantic Canada
Class background: Working/Lower-middle class. Both parents are of the proletariat variety. I am currently a proletariat, working as a cashier.
Ethnic background: Swedish, German, English, Jewish, Irish, Welsh

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: If need be.

Working within current trade unions: Yes

Che Guevara and "Focoism": Yes and I think so.

Central planning: Yes. With stipulations.

Terrorism:No.
National-liberation movements: Unsure.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They are neither reactionary or revolutionary; their alliances depend on the impending situation, so I don't view them as neither a friend or an enemy in the class struggle. However, I don't think that they should be given an independent position.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The Iraq/Afghanistan Wars.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Spanish Revolution/Civil War.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Connolly, Orwell, Chomsky (not exactly historical), Zinn (One again not exactly historical).

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: I will use Marx as a judge. The place was not ready for a revolution.

[RHIZOMES]

I'm sure I filled this out before but when I did I'm also pretty sure I had completely different views, so here's the revised one.

Name: Eli
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Class background: Lower middle-class, raised by a single mother who worked as a primary school and later special needs teacher, dad was an artist who committed suicide at an early age.
Ethnic background: Danish and British

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: A good idea but you need to be careful with how it is structured and what type of people you let in.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, but not to pass reforms as much as a platform to agitate for workers rights and socialist revolution.
Working within current trade unions: Depends on the trade union, in New Zealand we have a very significant union called Unite Union which is very militant and most of it's organizers are radicals of some kind. It is solely responsible for the minimum wage being raised from $8 to $12 and we are currently campaigning for it to be raised to $15.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": Depends on the circumstances, revolutions do not have a fixed formula.
Central planning: Of course, but the workers must have the right to recall the planners as they see fit and obviously there should be massive democracy
Terrorism: A word invented by the state to differentiate state violence from violence against the state, and to provide a moral stigma to groups that do so. There are however many groups which are labelled "terrorist" which do completely atrocious things, but so does the state.
National-liberation movements: Yes. Defeats against imperialism are progressive.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Depends on the circumstances if they are allies or not. In New Zealand the rural farmers are capitalists and the petit-bourgeoisie hold plenty of reactionary views against the working class but I dunno.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The recession. Millions of workers losing their jobs and there are fightbacks against austerity measures imposed by the bourgeoisie every day. However I do not think it is the "end of capitalism" like some more hopeful millenialist leftists are saying.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: The Russian Revolution or May 68
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Huey P. Newton and Mao.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was a workers state which became swamped by careerist bureaucrats and capitalist-wannabe revisionists. No matter which year you think it happened, 1924... 1956... it happened. I find the whole analysis of "AND THEN STALIN/KHRUSCHEV CAME INTO POWER AND IT ALL WENT TO HELL" a bit simplistic, I think it slowly degraded over time, not due to EVUL STALINISTS but due to some inherent flaws in the way the Soviet government was structured.

[mykittyhasaboner]

Arizona Bay inspired me to do the same.

Name: mykittyhasaboner
Location: lump of water logged shit, sand, palm trees, hurricanes and overcrowded suburbs
Class background: Working class. Parents are regretful immigrants to the land of the free.
Ethnic background: Everyone in my family is from somewhere in Yugoslavia. Except me. I was born and raised on the lump (actually its more of an appendage) of shit I just mentioned.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Of course. There is no way you can effectively carry out a revolution without a centralized revolutionary communist organization at the head of any given revolutionary situation/worker's movement.

Participation in parliamentarian bodies: In some countries it's a valid tactical approach of promoting revolution as well as agitating for reforms, but in the US I don't think it has any desired effect besides a possible increase in membership of this or that party.

Working within current trade unions: Trade unions have no practical or very well known existence where I live, so I can't speak of working with any unions from firsthand experience. Though I would support working within current unions, preferably ones that aren't excessively bureaucratic and well worthless. There are probably many ways to gain from working through trade unions to organize and struggle amongst workers.

Che Guevara and "Focoism": In it's own respective conditions, that is Cuba in the late 50's, it was particularly effective. I think the strategy is workable in underdeveloped countries, but you run the risk of alienating yourself from workers, even poor peasants in the countryside.

Central planning: There is absolutely no reason to oppose democratic, centralized planning of large industry and otherwise national/international scale economic sectors. However it is largely flawed to rely on centralized planning alone, decentralized planning is not anti-thetical to central bodies.

Terrorism: Terrorism is largely misused and devoid of any real meaning. I don't support spontaneous destructive acts like car bombs or plane hijacking for example, but at the same time revolutionary workers can be easily referred to as "terrorists" in which case "GO TERRORISTS!!!".

National-liberation movements: It is the most practical and effective method of combating imperialism and occupation.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Where I live, the petit-bourgeoisie are largely divided and eclectic in their class nature. Small business owners or self employed persons are common here, and many of them live primarily from their own labor. Many of them would gain a lot more than they would lose from socialist revolution, in my opinion anyways.

The closest thing to the peasantry that exists here are small farmers who haven't been totally bankrupted and fucked by the huge monopoly on agriculture in Florida. They are allies in everyway possible. Most people who rely on selling their crop are undocumented immigrants and can't get a job at one of the larger corporate farms.



What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Nepal, the only thing closest to an all out socialist revolution in the 21st century. The situation in India and the Philippines strike me as very significant as well. However for us in the "first world", it's definitely (here comes another buzz word) "the recession". Even though most of the analysis of all this economic downturn has largely been dominated by the already dominant liberal corporate media, for the first time in my life have I seen everybody I know actually give a damn about economic and political events/problems. It may play a part in smearing the left (what with all the Obama is a Marxist crap) but it may have also given the left the backdrop we need in order to present our case to the working classes, and actually make gains in our struggle.

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: This answer will stay the same as my first "Political Profile": Europe in the first half of the 20th century. That is if I didn't die halfway through or something.

What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Hoxha (hehe see what I did there?), Castro #1 and #2, Che, Gramsci, Luxembourg, Bookchin...I'm sure there are many more names I could put here, but these are the ones that stand out the most. I can't be arsed to think of everyone who has significantly influenced me politically.

What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was the first socialist worker's state, and retained at least the most basic gains of the October revolution until it's dissolution; quite rightly evidenced by the situation following 1991. In my opinion, the Soviet Union was still moving progressively towards socialism until some time after world war II, probably in the late 50's when a gradual trend of ideological and economic reforms played a part in transforming the Soviet economy from one run according to need into one that gradually relied more and more as profit as the regulator of production. This has more to do with rooted flaws in the Soviet system as well as foreign intervention than specific individuals in the Soviet state. Though capitalism was not restored in the Soviet Union until 1991, serious economic contradictions in the Soviet Union were never fully resolved.

[The Bear]

Name: Luka
Location: Podgorica , Yugoslavia
Class background: Middle class probably , grandfather was member of agency of national security for socialist yugoslavia , shortly UDBA , grandmother was a worker for small bussines... One parent is employee in one of the state services, and one is having a small private bussines
Ethnic background: Yugoslavian

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:Yes but it must be consist of workers , who acctually do work, not bureaucrats
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: I dont strongly support it but its fine
Working within current trade unions: Trade unions are different in many countries so its hard to give answer.. in my country for example , unions are completely state controlled
Che Guevara and "Focoism": It makes sense... as long as such organisations have support of people and esspecially urban working class
Central planning: Depends ... cant give straight yes or no
Terrorism: No... terrorism gets support only from sectarians
National-liberation movements: Only if they are lead by left wing and againts countries that really do opress the members of that nation
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Peasantry are key for revolution , they should be educated and convinced to join revolution, acctually i consider peasants working class , but not farm owners and other estates owners. colectivisation ftw... PB are people who adapted to capitalism... they should be also educated to join revolutionary ways and support workers , and everything else that goes with accepting socialist ways

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Failiure of capitalism
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: None
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx , Engels , Lenin
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Centralised Democratic socialist state untill Stallin , Centralised Mess after during and after Stallin

[bellyscratch]

Name: Ninja Dave
Location: Sunderland, UK
Class background: Working class. Dad works in a local chemical plant and my mum used to do various part-time work like cleaning, bar maid, cook, child minding, before she died because of her alcoholism.
Ethnic background: White English

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No, I think it is an outdated concept.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: I personally wouldn't take part in it, but I'm not against it entirely
Working within current trade unions: I think this is a vital aspect of the revolutionary movement. Workers need to be organised in the workplace and revolutionaries should use the existing means to do so, while putting their revolutionary point of view forward.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I think capitalism is too advanced now for this to happen.
Central planning: No, I think a decentralised planning system is needed, but a structure where these locales can come together and make bigger decisions via delegates.
Terrorism: No, if it is aimed attacking innocent civilians and has no revolutionary mass movement to back it up. Maybe otherwise, but not a definite yes, depends on the situation.
National-liberation movements: Yes, but not uncritical support. A socialist point of view should always be put forward to these movements, but not oppressed nations should always have the right to decide their own future.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Peasantry are important where there are large peasant populations, obviously. Petit-bourgeois shouldn't be discouraged from joining a movement if they are obviously dedicated to the cause.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: I think both the economic and environmental crisis are the most important.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: I do admire quite a few, but would rather live in the present than the past.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: A wide scope really. Marx, Berkman, Luxemburg, Makhno, Rocker, Gramsci
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It quickly became a bureaucratic regime and then went onto become state capitalist.

[bailey_187]

Name: Bailey_187
Location: Milton Keynes
Class background: Labour aristocracy - why lie? Hilarious how some people try to pass teachers etc as "Proletariat"
Ethnic background: English/Irish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes but dont rely on it
Working within current trade unions: Yes
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I dont think it would work in the UK but i would be pleased to be proven wrong.
Central planning: Yes, of course
Terrorism: It depends
National-liberation movements: When they are progressive.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: They can be useful allies

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: The economy, gaining strength of Maoists movements in Asia, sucess of Socialist (but revisionist) China
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: Cultural Revolution.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx-Engles-Lenin-Stalin-Mao. But im not a Maoist, just agree with many of his contribution to Marxism-Leninism. I also agree with a lot of what Enver Hoxha did/said/wrote.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: Was the worlds first Socialist state, owned and run by the working class and until the 60s the demonstrated the superiority of this. After the death of Stalin the USSR took quantitative steps to capitalism and end the Dictatoship of the Proletariat but remained Socialist (albeit revisionist) and kept the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat (albeit weakened) until the qualitative leaps it took in 1987-91, restoring capitalism fully. The black market that arose from poor policies in Krushchev and Brezhnev years created a class whose interests lay in private property and free markets. This class lead the restoration of Capitalism.

[Orange Juche]

Name: MeetingPeopleIsEasy
Location: Upstate NY, USA
Class background: Working Class
Ethnic background: Predominately English, Slovak, and Italian. Though theres Dutch, German, Irish, and Native American fractioned in there as well.

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: No.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes. Not as a means to a final end, but progressive social democratic policies being implemented can improve the quality of life for the working class. If my voting can influence whether or not there are reforms that at least guarantee health care for everyone, or a living wage, for example, I figure I might as well. Though when I vote, it's third party. Ralph Nader for example. I don't see this as part of a slow progression to a free and just society, I don't believe in the "small steps for change" nonsense. But if it (even on a very minor scale) can improve the life of the average oppressed person, I see no reason not to. I just keep in mind not to rely on it as the means to the end.
Working within current trade unions: Yes and no. No in terms of reliance on reformist corporate Democrats, and no interms of not having a democratic (syndicalist) end goal. Yes in terms of trying to radicalize them, and yes in terms of generally fighting for better working standards and conditions.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": I'm not a fan of Che Guevara. In terms of Focioism, I believe nonviolence should be the primary attempt at liberation and that all actions of violence should be only defensive (I am not a pacifist). Violence is a form of coercive oppression, and I see coercive oppression as a means to ending oppression to be oxymoronical and unworkable.
Central planning: No.
Terrorism: No, regardless of the ideology behind it. The key part of the word is "terror." True freedom and true democracy should be a product of creativity and a love (and strong belief) of freedom. Not on instilling fear or an interest of oppressing others (whether it be with the fear from the violence, or the violence itself).
National-liberation movements: No.
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Depends on whose side they are on.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: American Imperialism, particularly "my" government's interests and interventions in the Middle East. Especially our relationship with Israel.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: I'd have liked to been around in the days of the Paris Commune.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Kropotkin. Bookchin. Goldman. Chomsky. Zinn.
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: An illusion of being a representative body for the working class, while in fact only replacing the bourgeois with a new and oppressive political class. A bunch of corrupt, beaurocratic nonsense.

[Mephisto]

Name: Sascha (22)
Location: Jena, Germany
Class background: I was raised up in a more or less typical working class family, now I'm a university student.
Ethnic background: German



Do you support?

A "vanguard" party: Yes, definitely. I'm convinced that a succesful proletarian revolution can only be achieved, when we build up a strong, revolutionary vanguard party, following the democratic centralist concept. But besides things like the unity in action, this principles necessarily include free speech for every comrade, inside and outside the party, and the right to form internal factions.
Participation in parliamentarian bodies: Yes, but not for the misbelief of change through so called "democratic reforms", but to use the parliament as a tribune for the promoting of revolutionary ideas and to give the non-parliamantarian opposition a well-heard voice within society. To break it down: Parliaments are dunghills, but a clever rooster gets on it anyway, in order to be seen better.
Working within current trade unions: The labour movement faces the serious problem that the mass trade unions are bureaucraticised and it's leaderships are hand in glove with the bosses.
Albeit this, I think it is necessary for revolutionaries to work within these unions to agitate base activists which are directly connected to the concrete class struggles and in order to build up a class war orientated opposition within the unions. By this I think it is possible to weaken the bureaucracy within the unions and to establish leaderships of revolutionary socialists, at least on regional levels and in the factories and workplaces.
Che Guevara and "Focoism": No.
Central planning: Yes, of course. Communism can not mean to fall back into primitivist village communities. There must be a central planning of society and the economy, but it inevitable must stand under the full democratic control of the working class and it's institutions (firstly of course, the councils).
Terrorism: An answer here is not easy. I, of course, reject individualist terrorism, dedicated to the misbelief of weakening the system by eliminating single capitalists or politicians. But there certainly are situations in which so called terrorism is necessary and right, e.g. the sabotage of military industries in fascist Germany during WWII.
National-liberation movements: Yes, if they are progressive, revolutionary, internationalist and socialist in nature. I do not support reactionary forces, like racists and right wing nationalists (e.g. UCK) or religious fundamentalists (e.g. Hamas). But I do support left-wing republicanism in Ireland, Catalonia and the Basque Country, for example, and I accredit the right of such movements to fight for liberation militantly as well. The former anticolonial struggles in the Third World are other examples for supportworthy national-liberation movements .
The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie: Neither reactionary nor revolutionary. No revolutionary movement can base itself upon these social stratums, but the working class and it's organizations have the task to electrify their progressive elements as well.

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today: Hard to say, really.
Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in: There are many events I'd like to experience "live" from a historician‘s point of view: The Russian Revolutions, The Novembre Revolution in Germany, the Spanish Civil War... But in the end we live here and now and this is where and when we are to fight for the revolution.
What historical characters do you most associate your views to: Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky are the first and foremost important, but there still quite others. Only a few: Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht, Alexander Woronski, Antonio Gramsci...
What was the class character of the Soviet Union: It was founded by a proletarian revolution and degenerated to a bureaucratic dictatorship when Stalin and his Accomplices came to power, advantaged by the isolation of the young Soviet Union.

[Olerud]

Name: Gareth

Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Class background: Father lectures Aerospace at Uni and mother works for Tesco. Lower Middle Class.

Ethnic background: Scottish

Do you support?

A "vanguard" party:

YES

Participation in parliamentarian bodies:

Only if a revolution is not possible

Working within current trade unions:

yes

Che Guevara and "Focoism":

Yes

Central planning:

Yes

Terrorism:

Only in liberation of the people

National-liberation movements:

See above ^^ However much research must be done before i support a movement.

The peasantry and petit-bourgeoisie:

support them in what capacity?

What, Who, and Where

What is the most important contemporary event in the world today:

the war in Iraq

Where would you like to be in history; what historical event would you like to be in:

October Revolution

What historical characters do you most associate your views to:

Marx, Lenin, Huey Newton and Stalin. :)