Towards building an International Revolutionary Marxists’ Tendency (Part 3-final)
The Necessity of Marxists’ Convergence
Towards building an International Revolutionary Marxists’ Tendency (Part 3)
Components of Marxists’ Convergence
?What are the components of Marxists’ Convergence
First component: Marxist socialism is a science. It is neither an aspiration, nor a social model, nor a fixed ideology, nor a predetermined design to be imposed from above. Marxist socialism, like any other science, is based on a specific analysis of exiting reality that is dynamic. Marxist socialism is based on a programme for the transformation of capitalist society. Marxist socialism starts from the living practice and the critical-revolutionary critique of the oppressed masses of their society, and codifies a programme for the transformation of the present society into a new society. Marxist socialism is in fact the science of the comprehension and transformation of capitalist society. It is the science for dismantling the capitalist mode of production and replacing it with the new socialist mode of production for the benefit and social welfare of all the people of the world (in a socialist formation, social classes and therefore the state, have disappeared and the law of value does not operate, commodities are replaced by use-values and the products of labour. The ownership of the means of production in society takes on a social and collective character, supervision over the society’s affairs is democratic and done by the people).
Scientific socialism is rational. It does not start from a utopia. It does not have a set formula for the liberation of humanity. Marx says: We are witnessing today that the workers’ struggle is ending in socialism because of the logic of the struggle. Socialism emerges from the heart of the labour movement. The proletariat transforms itself in the process of its continuous class battles. The proletariat that we see today, that in some of the elitists’ opinion is “uneducated” and “dispirited”, according to Marx, will “in its continuous class battles” reach consciousness and will become “fit for political domination”.
Marx explains that by starting with the present bitter realities in society, we must recognise what sorts of tendencies exist within it and what direction they are taking. The tendencies that want to go further than the present situation should be reinforced by the intervention of the communists (who today would be organised in the workers’ vanguard party). On the basis of which demands that are realised in today’s class life, can we support the working class in gaining the ability for class domination through continuous battles. Marxist socialism is scientific because we need to make these developments according to the present situation.
Second component: Marxist socialism is connected to the labour movement and forms itself from below, and does not recognise the pretentious intellectual “elites” and “theoreticians” who have nothing to do with the labour movement. Marxist socialism condemns elitism. It rejects the intellectuals who suppose they can make decisions on behalf of the exploited masses and play the role of the educator, without even having been educated in the class struggle themselves. Marxism in its origin, basically believes in the principle of the workers’ self-liberation. Marx is correct to say that “the emancipation of the working classes must be conquered by the working classes themselves.” Marxism respects the individual creativity and innovation of the workers and everyone in society. Marxist socialism considers the class position as the only fundamental difference, and not differences in nationality, language, race, religion, gender, sexuality, disability and so on. Genuine Marxism does not believe that socialist consciousness is brought to the working class from the outside of this class, by some intellectuals. In direct opposition to the belief of the traditional left, Marxism believes that socialist consciousness emerges from within of the working class itself, and the practical leaders of the workers are their genuine leaders, not the pompous saviours, who have actually no contact with the labour movement but consider themselves the guardians of the working class.
Marxism is based on socialism from below and is not elitist. The revolutionary vanguard that Marx has in mind, absolutely did not mean that some individuals from outside the class, impose themselves on the labour movement and take political power.
Beginning with the critical-revolutionary practices of the exploited masses and everyone involved in social production, Marxism intended to advance society to socialism. The social engineering and model-building that some “scientists” and “professors” have put forward, are against this view. Marx states that we must build socialist society based on the the critical-revolutionary practice of the real human beings. Marxist socialism builds from below and has nothing to do with the dictatorship of charitable individuals from above. Marxism does not believe in a monolithic and ideological human being. Marx believed that the only way to reach socialism was for human beings to take control of their fate in all areas, including the economic sphere. Socialism covers the revolutionary transformation of all aspects of civil society. Certainly, it is the struggles of the working class that historically move this objective forward, but the picture of socialist society that it draws for us is: the withering away of all classes in society (including the proletariat itself). The proletariat’s revolutionary dictatorship is a means for the withering away of classes. That means all human beings reaching socialist society, and not just the working class. The working class is the only class with the revolutionary prognosis, simply because the working class reaches this conclusion through the logic of its struggles.
Third component: Marxist socialism is completely democratic. It believes in independent labour organisations and democratic rights for everyone. It stands for the right to organise factions and the right to express opinions for everyone in society. Genuine Marxism believes that the process of transition from capitalism to socialism will not be possible without observing and applying a democracy that is very much superior to the superficial democracy of the bourgeoisie. It means that political democracy, merged with economic democracy (for everyone in society to have political and economic equality), exists. Freedom of speech, press and democratic rights will be for all the people, and not just for the party, a small number of individuals or a special class. Marxist socialism demands no kind of superiority and discrimination with recourse to force and “dictatorship” in the society. The concept of the “dictatorship of the proletariat” by Marx has been distorted by the bourgeoisie and petty-bourgeoisie, specifically by the Stalinists. What Marx meant by the “dictatorship of the proletariat” state was not for the proletarian state to enforce “dictatorship” (with today’s distorted concept of despotism by the bourgeoisie and Stalinism). He meant it to have the “right to veto” and not to impose despotism. In other words, this phrase is the highest form of democracy that ever existed in history. Unlike bourgeois democracy which is exactly dictatorship and imposition of the minority’s will upon the majority of the exploited people in society, reinforcing the workers’ democracy (the revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat) is the only form of government that can respect the rights of all people, including those opposed to it. However, after the capitalist state has been toppled and the transition period from capitalism to socialism has begun, the new workers’ state (soviet government), will stand up against a small minority’s preparation for a comeback and its repressive apparatus (police and intelligence networks), and will resolutely defend the rights obtained by the majority in society and will not allow the return of capitalism and its repressive apparatus.
Marxist socialism is democratic. Socialism cannot be realised with bayonets. Marxist socialism believes in workers’ independent organisations. Marx was one of the first socialists to defend workers’ independent organisations, i.e., trade unions. Although they try to improve the present situation, these unions are the only organisations that allow the workers to take a step forward in their consciousness. Marxism believes in conscious interventions. The concept of “vanguard” from Lenin’s point of view is not for some to take over the workers’ movement and call themselves “leaders”, “professors” and “elites” and try to educate everybody else, but to have a good understanding and assessment of the present situation and tendencies, meaning with a scientific analysis and understanding the communist vanguards work within the movement and take it step-by-step forward towards the socialist revolution. This is what Marx meant by “vanguard”: to intervene in the present situation and around workers’ demands and tries to help them in their next step. The vanguard communists stand in the front row of the anti-capitalism front and have the most resolute elements and their only advantage is the fact that they realise the perspective and the final objective. Marx stated that the communists do not build a separate movement from the working class. They intervene in that movement as they find it but with the right to organise as a tendency or faction and democratic criticism.
In the First International, the right to tendency was accepted: the supporters of Proudhon, Bakunin and even the European socialists argued against Marx. Everyone’s rights were officially recognised.
All of humanity should have the right to intervene, not only the working class. While the political revolution means the conquest of political power by the proletariat and workers’ councils, but the social revolution on the path to socialism must be done by all the people; this is not possible unless everyone in society intervenes in making decisions and power is spread among all the various layers of toilers in society.
Fourth component: Marxist socialism is radical and revolutionary. It takes workers’ liberation beyond the legal framework. It stands for smashing the capitalist state apparatus. It looks for political struggles in the streets, in strikes and revolutions, and not behind the closed doors of the intellectuals’ gatherings that are totally out of touch with the current anti-capitalist movements. The Marxist socialists stand for the preparation of the working class for general strikes and arming the masses for the mass insurrection and overthrowing the capitalist state.
Revolutionary Marxism believes in mass movements. Revolution is nothing but having the masses come on to the streets. Marxism believes in going beyond the existing legal institutions and smashing the state apparatus. Marx drew the following lessons from the Paris Commune in 1871: using the existing state apparatus, the masses cannot reach socialism. The proletariat must smash the state apparatus of the bourgeoisie. Marxism believes that the legislative, judiciary and executive must become integrated. The legislators must implement the law, and not some bureaucrats, professors and intellectuals. In other words, the state bureaucracy must be abolished. Marx stated that the free assemblies of the masses of independent producers should organise society. The Russian revolution of 1917 formed this kind of government through organising the workers’ soviets.
Marxism also believes that economically socialism is not a national matter and it must be built at the international level. Marx claimed that if socialism is not built on the international level, then it will “return to the old filth”, because the bourgeoisie is an international phenomenon. If communism is not established on the international level, then it will mean the distribution of poverty. The workers’ socialist revolution can even occur in an underdeveloped country, but building socialism must be achieved at the international level.
Objectively, the self-emancipation of the proletariat has been an actuality since the early twentieth century. Therefore, the task of building an international that can lead the proletarian revolution in many countries is a pressing task and has been for decades. But it is imperative that we re-asses our organisational methods as well as theoretical and political positions in order to avoid making the same mistakes yet again. We must not seek a quick solution. This task can only be completed when it is based on the correct method of patiently preparing the proletarian vanguard for seizing power. To make the subjective factor – a revolutionary Marxist international – an actuality we must fuse our historical gains and lessons with the living struggles of the proletariat and its exploited and oppressed allies. We must be ready to consign to history anything that can hinder or misdirect those struggles from the strategy of genuine proletarian self-emancipation
September 2021
آخرین دیدگاه ها