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ahorbinskiBibliographic Data: Stalin, Josef V. The Foundations of Leninism. Beijing: Foreign Language Press, 1965.
Main Argument: "Leninism is Marxism of the era of imperialism and proletarian revolution" (2). Moreover, the "exceptionally militant and exceptionally revolutionary character of Leninism" is attributable to two factors: 1) "that Leninism emerged from the proletarian revolution"; and 2) "that it grew and became strong in clashes with the opportunism of the Second International, the fight against which was and remains an essential preliminary condition for a successful fight against capitalism" (3).
Chapter 1: Argument, Sources, Examples Three contradictions of imperialism: 1) contradiction between labor and capital--"imperialism is the omnipotence of the monopolist trusts and syndicates, of the banks and the financial oligarchy, in the industrial countries" (4); 2) "contradiction among the various financial groups and imperialist powers in their struggle for sources of raw materials, for foreign territory" (5); 3) "contradiction between the handful of ruling, 'civilized' nations and the hundreds of millions of the colonial and dependent peoples of the world" (ibid)--like Notting Hill, imperialism creates its own enemies [NB JVS means the proletariat specifically]. The revolution occurred in Russia because in Russia contradictions of imperialism were barest and worst and because Russia had the most revolutionary proletariat. Leninism was bound to arise there because the revolution had to be secured internationally as well.
Chapter 2: Argument, Sources, Examples The Second International was wrong, wrong, and did I mention wrong? Also, Leninism advocates the (re)union of theory and practice through the testing of both as well as the reorganization of all Party work along revolutionary lines, and the self-criticism of cadres to make them as revolutionary as possible.
Chapter 3: Argument, Sources, Examples Revolutionary theory is essential for the revolution, and Lenin's theory of the proletarian revolution follows from three theses: "the domination of finance capital in the advanced capitalist countries" (conclusion: "intensification of the revolutionary crisis within the capitalist countries"); "the increase in the export of capital to the colonies and dependent countries" (conclusion: "intensification of the revolutionary crisis in the colonial countries"); "the monopolistic possession of "spheres of influence" and colonies" (conclusion: "that under imperialism wars cannot be averted, and that a coalition between the proletarian revolution in Europe and the colonial revolution in the East in a united world front of revolution against the world front of imperialism is inevitable") (26-27). Thus, according to Lenin, "imperialism is the eve of the socialist revolution" (qtd. 28). Upshot: "the proletarian revolution must be regarded primarily as the result of the development of the contradictions within the world system of imperialism, as the result of the breaking of the chain of the world imperialist front in one country or another" (29).
Chapter 4: Argument, Sources, Examples 1) the dictatorship of the proletariat as the instrument of the proletarian revolution; 2) the dictatorship of the proletariat as the rule of the proletariat over the bourgeoisie; 3) Soviet power as the state form of the dictatorship of the proletariat. 3 proceeds from the fact that "the dictatorship of the proletariat cannot be 'complete; democracy, democracy for all," and "it cannot arise as the result of the peaceful development of bourgeois society and of bourgeois democracy" (47-48).
Other points
# The masses of laboring peasants = the reserve of the proletariat.
# Contradictions of imperialism are the two causes of communism; all colonies must be liberated and all proletariats must overcome their national differences for the overthrow of imperialism.
# The Party is the advanced detachment of the working class and the organized detachment of the working class. In this era of open revolutions, it has acquired paramount importance. The Party is the highest form of class organization of the proletariat. The Party is the instrument of the dictatorship of the proletariat. The Party is the embodiment of unity of will, unity incompatible with the existence of factions. Finally, the Party becomes strong by purging itself of opportunist elements.
# "The combination of Russian revolutionary sweep with American efficiency is the essence of Leninism in Party and state work. This combination alone produces the type of the Leninist worker, the style of Leninism in work" (125).
Critical assessment: Reading this is kind of like looking through a funhouse mirror at the history of the 20thC. I could, without too much effort, transpose a lot of what Stalin is saying here into arguments that Ken Pomeranz and many others have made--the refreshing thing, in many ways, is how much Lenin and Stalin got right, even as they were, in so many other horrible and tragic ways, utterly utterly wrong. NB, however, that Mao is not the person who introduced the peasantry as a revolutionary reserve into Marxism; that is Lenin, which Stalin reinforces here.
Meta notes: Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains.
Main Argument: "Leninism is Marxism of the era of imperialism and proletarian revolution" (2). Moreover, the "exceptionally militant and exceptionally revolutionary character of Leninism" is attributable to two factors: 1) "that Leninism emerged from the proletarian revolution"; and 2) "that it grew and became strong in clashes with the opportunism of the Second International, the fight against which was and remains an essential preliminary condition for a successful fight against capitalism" (3).
Chapter 1: Argument, Sources, Examples Three contradictions of imperialism: 1) contradiction between labor and capital--"imperialism is the omnipotence of the monopolist trusts and syndicates, of the banks and the financial oligarchy, in the industrial countries" (4); 2) "contradiction among the various financial groups and imperialist powers in their struggle for sources of raw materials, for foreign territory" (5); 3) "contradiction between the handful of ruling, 'civilized' nations and the hundreds of millions of the colonial and dependent peoples of the world" (ibid)--like Notting Hill, imperialism creates its own enemies [NB JVS means the proletariat specifically]. The revolution occurred in Russia because in Russia contradictions of imperialism were barest and worst and because Russia had the most revolutionary proletariat. Leninism was bound to arise there because the revolution had to be secured internationally as well.
Chapter 2: Argument, Sources, Examples The Second International was wrong, wrong, and did I mention wrong? Also, Leninism advocates the (re)union of theory and practice through the testing of both as well as the reorganization of all Party work along revolutionary lines, and the self-criticism of cadres to make them as revolutionary as possible.
Chapter 3: Argument, Sources, Examples Revolutionary theory is essential for the revolution, and Lenin's theory of the proletarian revolution follows from three theses: "the domination of finance capital in the advanced capitalist countries" (conclusion: "intensification of the revolutionary crisis within the capitalist countries"); "the increase in the export of capital to the colonies and dependent countries" (conclusion: "intensification of the revolutionary crisis in the colonial countries"); "the monopolistic possession of "spheres of influence" and colonies" (conclusion: "that under imperialism wars cannot be averted, and that a coalition between the proletarian revolution in Europe and the colonial revolution in the East in a united world front of revolution against the world front of imperialism is inevitable") (26-27). Thus, according to Lenin, "imperialism is the eve of the socialist revolution" (qtd. 28). Upshot: "the proletarian revolution must be regarded primarily as the result of the development of the contradictions within the world system of imperialism, as the result of the breaking of the chain of the world imperialist front in one country or another" (29).
Chapter 4: Argument, Sources, Examples 1) the dictatorship of the proletariat as the instrument of the proletarian revolution; 2) the dictatorship of the proletariat as the rule of the proletariat over the bourgeoisie; 3) Soviet power as the state form of the dictatorship of the proletariat. 3 proceeds from the fact that "the dictatorship of the proletariat cannot be 'complete; democracy, democracy for all," and "it cannot arise as the result of the peaceful development of bourgeois society and of bourgeois democracy" (47-48).
Other points
# The masses of laboring peasants = the reserve of the proletariat.
# Contradictions of imperialism are the two causes of communism; all colonies must be liberated and all proletariats must overcome their national differences for the overthrow of imperialism.
# The Party is the advanced detachment of the working class and the organized detachment of the working class. In this era of open revolutions, it has acquired paramount importance. The Party is the highest form of class organization of the proletariat. The Party is the instrument of the dictatorship of the proletariat. The Party is the embodiment of unity of will, unity incompatible with the existence of factions. Finally, the Party becomes strong by purging itself of opportunist elements.
# "The combination of Russian revolutionary sweep with American efficiency is the essence of Leninism in Party and state work. This combination alone produces the type of the Leninist worker, the style of Leninism in work" (125).
Critical assessment: Reading this is kind of like looking through a funhouse mirror at the history of the 20thC. I could, without too much effort, transpose a lot of what Stalin is saying here into arguments that Ken Pomeranz and many others have made--the refreshing thing, in many ways, is how much Lenin and Stalin got right, even as they were, in so many other horrible and tragic ways, utterly utterly wrong. NB, however, that Mao is not the person who introduced the peasantry as a revolutionary reserve into Marxism; that is Lenin, which Stalin reinforces here.
Meta notes: Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-02-21 00:10 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-02-21 00:24 (UTC)---L.