Resurrection of the Marxist old guard

[jdhoch]

For the first time since 1989, on 13 October, Czech communists have won elections in two regions, and their party is now hoping to extend its influence in general elections slated for 2014. However, reporting from the Karlovy Vary region, the weekly Respekt remarks that the communists have barely changed since the heyday of the single party.

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http://www.systemiccapital.com/resur...ist-old-guard/

[Lucretia]

Well, if they call themselves communists, then surely they must be communists, right, CPUSA member? By the way, how did voting for Obama feel this time around? Better or worse than four years ago?

[Weezer]

I can smell the revolution from here!

I mean, if they can prove themselves revolutionary, I'm all for it. But I really doubt they will live up to any expectations of a revolutionary.

[Ostrinski]

I think one of the reasons that communists do better electorally in the former eastern bloc is Soviet nostalgia/conservatism rather than a desire for a socialist future. In that sense it's not revolutionary because it is a vote for the good ol' days rather than a vote for worker's emancipation. And as we know, the eastern bloc regimes were counter revolutionary states run by counter revolutionary administrations, so any attempt to replicate them should be at least looked upon with nuance by communists.

[sixdollarchampagne]

Because of the Prague Spring, 1968 (an attempt at liberalizing the regime in Czechoslovakia), it would be interesting to know which Czech communists are meant by the expression in the news report, "the Marxist old guard." So are the "Marxist old guard," the liberalizers represented by the unfortunate Alexander Dubček (himself a Slovak, who was removed from the leadership in 1968, to be succeeded by the pro-Russian Gustáv Husák, who accepted the Soviet invasion of his country in 1968), or by the hardliners who, beginning with Husák, reversed the attempts at "socialism with a human face" (which must mean, I am guessing, less repression, more freedom of expression)?

Once, years later, I happened to meet a Czech in a bar, we got to talking, and he said that the Stalinists had to crush the Prague Spring, because the attempts at liberalization united workers and students against the ruling bureaucracy. So, conceivably, in a Czechoslovakia with more freedom of expression, the workers could have emerged as a self-conscious political force against bureaucratic rule, maybe. Who knows?

I ask, because Dubček's legacy, though nothing like Trotskyism, is honorable, I believe, but those who ousted him were obvious thought-controlling, repressing Stalinists, as anyone who listened to Radio Prague's English-language broadcasts after Dubček was thrown out of the leadership, will remember.

[hetz]

Well, if they call themselves communists, then surely they must be communists, right, CPUSA member? By the way, how did voting for Obama feel this time around? Better or worse than four years ago?

Yeah but do you know anything about the Czech party in question?
I mean we've all heard about CPUSA, but what is the Czech Communist Party like?

I ask, because Dubček's legacy, though nothing like Trotskyism, is honorable

I think one of the reasons that communists do better electorally in the former eastern bloc is Soviet nostalgia/conservatism rather than a desire for a socialist future.

Maybe, but communist and "communist" parties are very weak to practically non-existent in most "Eastern Block" countries, with the exception of Czech Republic.

[ind_com]

These Marxist old guards are so opposed to capitalism that they are being allowed to fight in elections and win, by the bourgeoisie, who could easily crush any opposition.

[Crimson Commissar]

I think one of the reasons that communists do better electorally in the former eastern bloc is Soviet nostalgia/conservatism rather than a desire for a socialist future. In that sense it's not revolutionary because it is a vote for the good ol' days rather than a vote for worker's emancipation. And as we know, the eastern bloc regimes were counter revolutionary states run by counter revolutionary administrations, so any attempt to replicate them should be at least looked upon with nuance by communists.

Counter-revolutionary? Jesus, 23 years of neo-liberal propaganda really got to you, didn't it?

It's uncertain whether the CPBM really stands for Communism in the same way the old Communist Party of Czechoslovakia did, but the fact that such a noticable number of Czechs are willing to vote for a party that openly labels itself "Communist" is still a great sign. It shows they've been able to overcome the reactionary and anti-Leftist bile that is spouted around in the ex-Eastern Bloc states at last. Hopefully a step towards the re-establishment of Socialism in Czechia.

[Comrade #138672]

These Marxist old guards are so opposed to capitalism that they are being allowed to fight in elections and win, by the bourgeoisie, who could easily crush any opposition.

Good point. If I were bourgeois, I'd call myself a "Communist" to use their nostalgia in my advantage.

[l'Enfermé]

Resurrection of the "Marxist" old guard? The "Marxist" old guard of the Soviet Union and its puppet states became the bourgeoisie new guard when Stalinism collapsed.

[Sea]

Well, if they call themselves communists, then surely they must be communists, right, CPUSA member? By the way, how did voting for Obama feel this time around? Better or worse than four years ago?

I like this because it totally contributes to the thread.

[Ostrinski]

Counter-revolutionary? Jesus, 23 years of neo-liberal propaganda really got to you, didn't it?

Yeah all that neoliberal propaganda trying to make us believe that the Stalinist regimes weren't actually upholding communist goals!

[GoddessCleoLover]

If I were Czech I might vote for the CPBM as a protest against the neoliberal hegemony of Czech politics, but I suspect they represent nostalgia rather than proletarian revolution. People in the former GDR turn out to hear Egon Krenz give lectures about the gold old days and many Russians still vote for Gennady Zyuganov and the KPRF, but one ought not base a revolutionary movement upon nostalgia.

[Mass Grave Aesthetics]

I´ve heard Czech people describe them as a nostalgic and nationalistic social- democrats. So it´s the same deal as most of those ex- ruling "communist" parties in eastern europe and... well 99% of the reformist left in europe actually. The difference is the left in western europe is nostalgic about keynesian welfere state interventionism instead.

[GoddessCleoLover]

Nostalgia is a powerful human emotion and has proven to be a useful vote-getter, but I doubt that it will lead to revolution.

[Ler]

The title made me snicker a bit - Though admittedly, I was expecting some the topic to be about the glorious birth of some brand new 6-person 'People's revolutionary guard' or something along those lines. I think the question as to whether we should regard those eastern European communist parties as genuine socialist movements is actually kind of a good one, and one which I am very much on the fence about. While there are no doubt many genuine socialists in the movements, as another posted previously pointed out, they are dominated by reactionaries, and many of them (As in, all that I am aware of) make no real attempt to hide the strong elements of nationalism that exist in their ranks. Personally, I'd be surprised if at least one of those 'Old guard' parties don't get elected in the next 10-20 years, and when that happens, I guess we'll see for ourselves just how genuine they are, and just hope they don't end up fucking things up for the rest of us in the struggle.

[GoddessCleoLover]

Given the track record of "communism" in eastern Europe don't see any "old guard" parties winning elections outright, far more likely one would share power with a social democratic party. The end result this time would be more likely to be that the CP would tail after the social democrats.

[Crux]

There is a zombie shambling through eastern europe...

[Ismail]

So, conceivably, in a Czechoslovakia with more freedom of expression, the workers could have emerged as a self-conscious political force against bureaucratic rule, maybe. Who knows?

I ask, because Dubček's legacy, though nothing like Trotskyism, is honorable, I believe, but those who ousted him were obvious thought-controlling, repressing Stalinists, as anyone who listened to Radio Prague's English-language broadcasts after Dubček was thrown out of the leadership, will remember.

Dubček's legacy isn't "honorable," he was another Nagy; his "socialism with a human face" was social-democracy (by 1989 he was praising Sweden as a model country) and he himself was praised by the Soviet revisionists until, as with Nagy a decade earlier, he moved too far to the right for their liking. He was then replaced by Husák who (like Kádár) was so "Stalinist" he was, you know, on the receiving end of "Stalinist repression" in the early 50's and after 1956 was rehabilitated.

The Soviet invasion was a move that demonstrated that the USSR had indeed become a social-imperialist superpower, but the forces of "Prague Spring" were little more than liberals and pro-Soviet lackeys riding on their coattails.