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New light on April theses: n Letters and debate workern Populism’s moment Lars t Lih focuses on Lenin’s n Left unity in Italy polemic with Plekhanov n China Miéville: review No 1168 thursday August 31 2017 towards a Communist Party of the european Union £1/€1.10 OUR LADY OF THE TABLOIDS 2 weekly August 31 2017 1168 worker letters

Letters may have been Alongside this he rejected any political dumping various manure heaps of are betraying most needs of both than winning local parliamentary shortened because of support to the provisional government, deception and duplicity - in harness our domestic and the international elections. space. Some names critical or otherwise, and put forward with simple hypocrisy - as it did so. working class. Indeed, doing so Speakers at Compass events  may have been changed the perspective of “a patient, Here’s a selection. in arguably comparable manner to include Ed Balls, Derek Simpson, systematic and persistent explanation” Via appearances at the head of Corbynist Labour - even if not as Hilary Benn, Hazel Blears, Ed Opportunism that soviets are “the only possible form memorial services and marches outright poisonously as any ‘royal’ Miliband, Dave Prentis, Frances I attended the Communist Party of Great of revolutionary government”. Within for those who died in Barcelona’s families. O’Grady, Jon Cruddas, Jon Trickett Britain’s 2017 ‘Communist University’ about a month (according to Lih’s car-ramming attacks, the so-called Of course, we must dispatch all and Chuka Umunna. How to lose event - the first time I have done so in research) this was to manifest in the ‘king’ of Spain - alongside other of them to that proverbial dustbin elections, anyone? many years. Bolsheviks’ public use of ‘All power members of his ‘royal’ family - tried of history - both monarchists A July 6 YouGov poll gave Labour One item that kept coming up to the soviets!’ that replaced ‘For a to commandeer the raw emotions and reformist ‘social democrats’ 46% and the Tories 38%. Labour throughout the week was how to revolutionary democratic dictatorship of local Catalan as well as national alike. But simultaneously we must is ahead of the SNP in Scotland assess the significance of Lenin’s April of the proletariat and the peasantry’ as citizens; all of that on behalf of wider acknowledge partial responsibility (36%/31%). And that is surely down theses. CPGB comrades argued that, the main slogan regarding the nature state machinery. With somewhat for - and indeed feel all due shame to outright rejection of Compass while the theses did mark a change of state power. similar intent, back here in the UK our about - the part we’ve played in progressive alliances. in direction for the Bolsheviks in Perhaps the reader will at this mass media gave blanket coverage to permitting the continuation of both Gerry Downing 1917, it was just a minor adjustment point be wondering whether this two ‘princes’, telling us how much this utterly farcical farrago of our Socialist Fight among comrades all pretty much on discussion about political struggles in they miss their late mother, Diana, a own organisational fragmentation the same page and which was more the Bolshevik Party in 1917 has any so-called Princess of Wales. and that ultra-criminal crap of their Social being or less consistent with all that had relevance for politics today. I believe it Also here in the UK, Labour capitalist system. Tony Clark makes a curious comment gone before, especially in regard does and present the following related continued in its attempts to straddle In general terms, everything in the course of this running debate on to continuity of the slogan for a discussion at Communist University the canyon that lies between our presented here relates to how things the subject of energy policy (Letters, ‘revolutionary democratic dictatorship as evidence. parliamentary ‘democracy’ and currently stand, rather than with an August 10). It’s a bit off-topic, but of the proletariat and peasantry’. In a CU session on the rise of what anything even remotely close to true eye to any future, sensibly ‘evolved’ still worth a mention. To back this up, the CPGB make is being called ‘populism’, I recounted socialism - in this particular instance, or freshly reformulated communist According to him, Marxism is much of the recent work done by my experience in Ireland with Sinn by mildly modifying its posture and potential. In precisely that same flawed in its assumption that social academic historian Lars T Lih on Féin’s role in the anti-household/ policies on the 100% fraudulently context, no communist should being determines consciousness the degree of difference within the anti-water charges movement and contrived matter of Brexit. forget where ignoring truth, honesty (rather than the other way around). Bolsheviks concerning Lenin’s April more specifically my criticism of In pursuit of perpetuating their and objective facts ended up for It’s a bit like saying, says Tony, that theses. I have now read the five the Socialist Party’s refusal to take myths about ‘great days of empire’ the Stalinist USSR. If only those “when a person crosses the road the pieces on this question that Lih has a principled position of ruling out and all the rest, clearly the mass/ comrades from history had paid decision was made by his legs rather published so far (available on John participation in a government with the corporate media of Great Britain proper attention to the warnings from than his consciousness”. But I think Riddell’s blog - https://johnriddell. openly pro-capitalist Sinn Féin, as they still find value in deploying sickly Leon Trotsky and others, how very he has got the wrong end of the stick wordpress.com - as part of a projected do with what they understand to be the sentimentality. Also quite clearly, differently things might have turned and has misunderstood what is meant seven-piece series) and write this three main capitalist parties (Fianna the capitalist state machine in Spain out in relation to ‘globalisation’ for by “social being” in this context. I letter to highlight what seems to be a Fáil, Fine Gael and the Labour Party). has recognised a golden opportunity our socialist values; in connection would refer him to Peter Stillman’s significant problem with the narrative As I have detailed on my blog (https:// within Islamism’s murderous and with securing permanence for our useful article on ‘The myth of Marx’s being presented. revolutionaryprogramme.wordpress. nihilistic jihadist attacks to further Marxist-Leninist ideas and ideals. economic determinism’, in which The problem is that Lih and the com), the Socialist Party consider its own sordid, toxic agendas (most By way of a final note on Stillman observes: “Marx’s aphorism CPGB find themselves in opposition this to be a question of clever tactics. notably, by deflecting attention away developments whilst you met at - ‘It is not the consciousness of men to the central political figure Jack Conrad described my from far more substantial matters your Communist University, not that determines their being, but, on involved in this 1917 dispute, as understanding of working class - such as top-level banking and until statues of Karl Marx, VI Lenin, the contrary, their social being that outlined in Lenin’s Letters on tactics independence as a matter of principle, political corruption, the current king’s Leon Trotsky, Patrice Lumumba determines their consciousness’ - (www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/ which provided a framework for sister and brother-in-law recently and Thomas Sankara are standing in presents its assertion asymmetrically. works/1917/apr/x01.htm), written in making concrete political positions being investigated for fraud, etc). public spaces within Charlottesville Having denied the leftwing Hegelian the days immediately following his and actions, as being a “shibboleth” And the situation in respect of and other US cities will there have stance that consciousness determines presentation of the April theses. and instead, exactly like the Socialist Corbyn and McDonnell’s Labour been any meaningful change in that being, Marx reverses the terms, but Lenin provides the following Party in Ireland, presented such Party? Well, if you try to straddle the nation’s level of egalitarianism or adds ‘social’ - and ‘social being’ is context for writing Letters on tactics: decisions as merely tactical. fence between Britain’s notionally real democracy. That is to say, either not defined, but seems to be more “Both the theses and my report gave In what he somehow seemed to democratic parliamentary system and statues of those specific members extensive than merely forces (or rise to differences of opinion among think was a killer blow against my any true representation of the interests of humankind or directly equivalent forces and relations) of production the Bolsheviks themselves and the insistence on the principle of working of working people, inevitably your others who have come along in a and indeed as ‘social’ likely includes editors of Pravda. After a number class independence being a guide to genitals will receive serious damage meantime of class-conscious struggle consciousness” (www.marxists.org/ of consultations, we unanimously political programme, Conrad presented - even terminally so! and fully enlightened engagement. subject/marxmyths/peter-stillman/ concluded that it would be advisable his understanding of the “cross-class Nothing either surprising or Bruno Kretzschmar article.htm). openly to discuss our differences.” alliance” that he believes both made unexpected in any of that, some email To advance his argument, Tony As an aside, CPGB members and the Russian Revolution and constituted might think. But what does remain Clark gives us the example of the supporters might do well to note the initial revolutionary government. both surprising and unacceptable is Compass sudden collapse of the Soviet Union, Lenin’s emphasis on “openly” in This being the alliance between the the continued plodding, trundling John Beattie concludes his Morning which, “under Marxist leadership reference to this case, with the clear proletariat and the peasantry as a or otherwise head-banging and Star article, ‘Don’t believe the hype, [sic], failed to transform the implication that doing so was the codification of the slogan, ‘For the bludgeoning performance of 21st the SNP are not on the political left’, consciousness of the masses in the result of a democratic decision which revolutionary democratic dictatorship century communism. I use the term with: “This is why Labour’s journey direction of a democratic socialist presumably had gone the other way on of the proletariat and peasantry’ - ‘communism’, but, to be more back to the political left must stay society, making it easier for the other issues. which, as we see above, Lenin in 1917 accurate, surely we should call on course. This strategy will help us capitalist roaders to take over”. So how did Lenin describe the described as belonging in the “archive ourselves the multi-fragmented and expose the SNP’s conservatism and In other words, according to him, opposition that met his presentation of of old Bolsheviks”. thereby blurry image of its ghost. win back our Scottish working class the lack of socialist consciousness the April theses? “… we hear a clamour The CPGB link their narrative about No doubt these comments or heartlands” (August 19). This is in contributed to the demise of the Soviet of protest from people who readily the supposed “cross-class” nature of observations of mine are destined sharp contrast to the opinion piece by Union, because social ownership call themselves ‘old Bolsheviks’ …” the forces that made the Russian to be seen by many comrades as South West Surrey Compass leader of the means of production - ie, How did Lenin characterise the “old Revolution to the supposed continuity stemming from petty bourgeois Steve Williams (‘Sectarianism never being - does not automatically lead Bolsheviks” who were making this of Bolshevism around the slogan of the negativity, allied to non-Leninist results …’, August 21), where he to socialist consciousness. “clamour of protest”? He wrote: “The ‘revolutionary democratic dictatorship impatience. In any event, genuine advocates popular frontism. But this is nonsense for the simple person who now speaks only of a of the proletariat and peasantry’. This apologies if all this comes over Of his five examples, Podemos reason that there was no social ‘revolutionary democratic dictatorship is then used to justify their “extreme as super-critical and harsh - not has yet to face its moment of truth. ownership of the means of production of the proletariat and the peasantry’ tactical flexibility” approach to the to mention as ‘detached’ and Leon Blum in 1936 only led to the in the Soviet Union. What there was, is behind the times; consequently, he question of applying the principle of pompousness-imbued arrogance. French capitalist class capitulating to was (primarily) state ownership of has in effect gone over to the petty working class independence in the However, comrades, at least in the Nazis - ‘Better Hitler than Blum’ those means and state ownership has bourgeoisie against the proletarian here and now. my personal experience of life, was their slogan. Franco benefited no connection whatsoever with social class struggle; that person should So, for the CPGB, the mass uprising hard-nosed and thus unavoidably from the refusal of both Socialist ownership. Tony refers to Engels, be consigned to the archive of of the proletariat supported by the cruel truth, in conjunction with Party leaders, Largo Caballero and but Engels was very clear about the ‘Bolshevik’ pre-revolutionary antiques peasantry against bourgeois rule in rock-solid honesty, offer the only Juan Negrín (1936-39), to make distinction. (it may be called the archive of ‘old Russia in 1917 is supposedly directly viable method of escape for those a socialist revolution on Stalin’s Thus, in Socialism: utopian Bolsheviks’).” politically equivalent to popular trapped inside the suicidal vortex instructions, lest they frighten away and scientific, we find Engels And yet, throughout Communist frontist alliances between proletarian of a phony paradigm. Together they the ‘democratic imperialists’. Just dismissing “as a purely self-serving University, it was exactly the and bourgeois parties in 2017! provide the only pathway out of any before he allied with the not-so- falsification by the Manchesterite “revolutionary democratic dictatorship All this political mumbo-jumbo is weed-entangled garden - any dark democratic Adolph Hitler. And, the [laissez-faire] bourgeoisie” the of the proletariat and the peasantry” just an attempt to justify a rejection in jungle or lonely wilderness. Only least said about the abject political idea that state intervention in a slogan which the CPGB claimed was concrete political practice of working with those factors in full operation cowardice and capitulation of Syriza, system of free competition could a central expression of the unbroken class independence as a core principle is it possible for people to break free the better. be labelled ‘socialism’. The trend continuity of Bolshevik politics. We of revolutionary Marxism. A clearer from confines of their own making; We should have all listened to towards joint-stock companies, trusts can only imagine what Lenin would example of opportunism masking from prisons built at least partially to South West Surrey Compass and and, ultimately, state property, he have made of the idea that a political itself in an ahistorical reading of their own design. backed Dr Louise Irvine and we might wrote, “does not do away with the organisation in 2017 would still be Marxism is harder to imagine. Comrades: given that it’s have unseated Jeremy Hunt, not to capitalistic nature of the productive holding firm to this slogan, taken Alan Gibson difficult to know which of those mention Zac Goldsmith. Compass forces”. from what must now be a very old and Co Cork, Ireland is the most pertinent or simply a called for a progressive alliance with On the contrary: “The modern mouldy archive. most fair-minded description of our the Liberal Democrats and others. state, no matter what its form, is In his April theses, Lenin proposed Enlightened current circumstances, I’ll let those Local officers Steve Williams, Kate essentially a capitalist machine - the an orientation towards agricultural During your period ‘offline’ at the more experienced decide. What’s Townsend and Robert Park were state of the capitalists, the ideal labourers and the poor peasantry, Communist University 2017, the world absolutely undeniable, however, expelled. Steve, like many ‘moderate’ personification of the total national as against the peasantry as a whole. continued along its merry little way, is that in effect we communists members, has no perspective other capital. The more it proceeds to the BCM Box 928, London WC1N 3XX l 07704 903382 l www.weeklyworker.co.uk l [email protected] weekly 3 worker 1168 August 31 2017

taking over of productive forces, the we are one global people, divided world proletariat. more does it actually become the by wealth, not race, and it is our Later in the film James Wan national capitalist, the more citizens political and moral duty to welcome combines tasks of the vanguard London Communist Forum does it exploit. The workers remain all migrants, whilst ensuring funding Leninist movement when he has Sunday September 3, 5pm: Weekly political report from CPGB wage-workers - proletarians. The travels with them to sustain services. ‘Hobbs’ (played by Dwayne ‘the Provisional Central Committee, Calthorpe Arms, 252 Grays Inn Road, capitalist relation is not done away We must stop demonising migrants People’s Champion’ Johnson) take London WC1. Followed by open discussion and reading group: study with. It is, rather, brought to a head. and give them safe passage. down a Predator drone (an obvious of August Nimtz’s Lenin’s electoral strategy from Marx and Engels But, brought to a head, it topples over. Pete McLaren and ingenious attack on imperialism’s through the revolution of 1905. This meeting: chapter 2, ‘Revolutionary State ownership of the productive Rugby role in Pakistan, that will be continuity’ (continued). forces is not the solution of the celebrated throughout the neocolonial Organised by CPGB: www.cpgb.org.uk; and Labour Party Marxists: conflict, but concealed within it are Fast and furious world), and uses the downed drone’s www.labourpartymarxists.org.uk. the technical conditions that form the It has come to the attention of the mini-gun against a stealth helicopter, McStrike protest elements of that solution.” undersigned that one of the most sent as an attempt to drown in blood Saturday September 2, 2pm to 4pm: Solidarity with the first ever UK That solution, contended Engels, crucial questions of today’s workers’ the intrepid Marxists at the centre of McDonald’s strike. Protest outside McDonald’s HQ, 11-59 High Road, “can only consist in the practical movement is criminally absent from the story. East Finchley, London N2. recognition of the social nature of the pages of the supposed radical However, the series never Organised by BFAWU: https://www.facebook.com/events/1746794358681863/. the modern forces of production, and press. That is the question of which confines itself to just taking on the therefore in the harmonising with the of the Fast and furious films is the imperialist states of the world, but Crafting peace socialised character of the means of most revolutionary. also attacking financial institutions. Saturday September 2, 11am to 6pm: Anti-war craft fair, Mill Hill production. And this can only come The lives and struggles of an In Fast 5 the gang, while pursued by Chapel, City Square, Leeds LS1. about by society openly and directly unlikely group of misfit DVD thieves, Reyes, a Brazilian cartel boss, and Organised by Leeds Coalition Against War: www.lcaw.co.uk. taking possession of the productive portrayed in the eight-part epic, the Diplomatic Security Service, Moment of disbelief forces which have outgrown all poses more clearly the question expropriate a bank vault by ripping Sunday September 3, 1.30pm: Book launch, the Old Bookshop, 8 control, except that of society as a of proletarian dictatorship than a it from a building. They then proceed High Street, Downham Market, Norfolk. whole.” million mealy-mouthed words about to smash the police vehicles in Featuring STWC member William Alderson’s Moment of disbelief - So, state ownership is here tweaking the capitalist system of pursuit with said vault. Where is poems on war, terrorism and refugees. very clearly being contrasted with production that passes for Marxism Alex Callinicos’s praise for such Organised by King’s Lynn Stop the War: www.facebook.com/ social ownership. State property is in much of the left today. revolutionary fortitude!? KingsLynnStoptheWar. actually a form of private property Enver Hoxha, when talking of the A list of victories against - namely the collective property art of Socialist Albania, proclaimed: capitalism (matched by no Trotskyite Stop arming Israel Monday September 4, 9am till late: Protest, Western Terrace, Excel of the capitalist class as a whole, “When you read them, hear them or organisation in the world ...) could be Centre, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16. which is distinguishable from the see them, you are seeing and feeling printed in the pages of your journal, Organised by Palestine Solidarity Campaign: individualised form of private the pulse of the life and struggle of but that would miss the overall themes www.palestinecampaign.org/events/stop-arming-israel-arms-fair-protest. property, such as normally obtains our people.” This is the sensation that of the films: the complete rejection in the west. For Marx and Engels, the most oppressed layers of society and breaking down of bourgeois Radical bargains the essence of private property, will feel when they are temporarily family relations, the Stakhanovite Saturday September 9, 11am to 3pm: Book sale of radical left and irrespective of what form it takes, transcended to voyeurs of the most determination of the heroes and the Marxist literature, Marx Memorial Library, 37A Clerkenwell Green, consists in the separation of the direct acute acts of class struggle ever adherence at all times to ‘Three Main London EC1. producers from the products of their portrayed on screen. It’s not just Rules of Discipline and Eight Points Organised by Marx Memorial Library: www.marx-memorial-library.org. labour, which, under capitalism, gives the sheer number of imperialist for Attention of the Chinese People’s rise to a system of wage-labour, such nations, Amerkkka, UKKK, etc that Liberation Army’. No to the arms trade Art exhibition, ExCeL Exhibition as existed in the Soviet Union, as are struggled against in the series, Nevertheless, for all their Saturday September 9, 10am: Centre, London Docklands, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, it does everywhere else in a global but also the resolve and proletarian revolutionary potential, the Fast and London E16. capitalist world. discipline of the actors on the stage furious films have never received the Organised by Art The Arms Fair: https://artthearmsfair.org. Of course, there was very little of the ‘revolution portrayed’. proper Marxist analysis which they support or even awareness of Take Furious 7. The gang disrupt deserve. It is one of the goals of this Stop the cuts an alternative to this system of a Emirati Prince’s decadent birthday letter to bring to notice the important Saturday September 9, 12 noon: March against budget cuts. Assemble generalised wage-labour called party; in a light comedy scene Roman lessons such films offer, especially to College Green, Park Street, Bristol BS1. capitalism within the Soviet Union (played by Tyrese Gibson) demonstrates many sections of workers who have Organised by Bristol People’s Assembly: www.facebook.com/ - or indeed unfortunately anywhere his ability to ruthlessly lampoon not been introduced to Marxism- BristolPeoplesAssembly. else in the world - and so it was hardly bourgeois culture. The excitement Leninism, but to also start the debate Scrap the pay cap surprising that neither could there doesn’t stop there, as our heroes of and analyse their merit. We hope Sunday September 10, 1pm: Rally at TUC Congress, Arundel Suite, be found there anything resembling labour destroy not only one of the this is not the last we will hear of Holiday Inn, 137 King’s Road, Brighton BN1. Confirmed speakers: social or common ownership of the world’s most wanton symbols of excess our favourite gang’s anti-capitalist John McDonnell, Mark Serwotka (PCS), Steve Gillan (POA), Ronnie means of production, which is what and inequality, a $3.4 million dollar actions. Draper (BFAWU), Sean Hoyle (RMT), Amy Murphy (Usdaw). the classical Marxian definition of sports car, but strike a blow against two Steffan Bateman Organised by National Shop Stewards Network: http://shopstewards.net. socialism is based upon in the first of Abu Dhabi’s skyscrapers, in what is Acting sectarian for the Fast and instance. not just one of world cinema’s greatest Furious Communist Party (One More Living with trauma Robin Cox scenes, but also a guide to action for the Trilogy faction) Tuesday September 12, 6.30pm: Meeting, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion email Square, London WC1. How to cope in Iraq. Organised by Tadhamun (Iraqi Women Solidarity): Safe passage http://solidarityiraq.blogspot.co.uk. The news of migrants found locally Summer Offensive Scottish campaign against Trident in a container is awful, very sad and Wednesday September 13, 7pm: Discussion opened by Scottish avoidable. It shows how desperate activists, Committee room 6, Council House, Victoria Square, people have become to jump onto an Stepping up to the plate Birmingham B1. overcrowded vehicle, knowing it is Organised by Birmingham Socialist Discussion Group: 07771 567496. illegal and dangerous. am pleased to report that the not entirely novel idea to this year’s Every day we see people trying ICPGB’s annual fundraising drive, SO - a sponsored shave and haircut! No to war to flee persecution and/or poverty by the Summer Offensive, raised a This added an extra £55 at the very Wednesday September 20, 6.30pm to 8.30pm: Rally, Marx Memorial cramming into boats in dangerous total of £26,580. This fell short last moment (‘before’ and ‘after’ Library, 37A Clerkenwell Green, London EC1. conditions. Increasing numbers of our £30,000 target, but in the photos are available for those who Organised by North London Stop the War: drown, which is appalling. As the circumstances was still a remark- want proof!). www.facebook.com/nlondon.stwc.7. fifth wealthiest nation in the world, we able achievement. As Weekly Worker editor, I know Social histories of the Russian Revolution have to do much, much more to join For a number of reasons the only too well what the Summer Thursday September 28, 6.30pm: Discussion meeting, Birkbeck, with other relatively wealthy nations SO lasted a mere seven weeks this Offensive means. Despite our University of London, 26 Russell Square, London WC1. ‘Taking in Europe, and elsewhere. We must year - as compared to the usual monthly fighting fund, the cash power: remaking the family, levelling wages, planning the economy’. provide the resources to enable safe two-month period, which has often we raise does little more than cover Speaker: Wendy Goldman. migration to replace these dangerous been extended by a couple of days our basic costs. But every year the Organised by Social Histories of the Russian Revolution: and often illegal forms of transport. to nine weeks. In other words, we money that we at the Weekly Worker https://socialhistories1917.wordpress.com. That would undermine the wicked should be more than pleased with receive from the SO gives us a ‘people smugglers’, who want to make the 2017 result. massive boost - not only in terms Tories out! quick profits out of other people’s Amongst the dozens of of much needed office equipment Sunday October 1, 12 noon: National demonstration on opening day misery, with no regard for their safety contributors, two stand out - and so on, but in providing the extra of Conservative Party conference. Assemble Castlefield Arena, Rice or well-being. comrades TB and YM both raised finance to cover such things as the Street, Manchester M3. People should be able to move just over £2,500. That includes extra printing costs for supplements Organised by People’s Assembly: www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk. freely and enjoy each other’s cultures; the cash that came in as a result and so on. It also provides a much Making a world without war or simply to move for work, or of their efforts, as well as what needed breathing space and allows Monday October 2, 7.30pm: Talk, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, to be with family. Of course, it they personally donated. Their for a little relief, when it comes London WC1. Speaker: Dr Scilla Elworthy. goes without saying that so-called achievements were recognised at to the constant demands on our Organised by Conway Hall Ethical Society: developed countries like Britain the August 18 celebratory meal, resources. https://conwayhall.org.uk/ethical-society. should automatically provide held at the end of Communist Every year we demand a lot of sanctuary to those fleeing from terror, University, as were those of many our members and supporters - and Capital and historical materialism Thursday October 5, 7pm: Lecture, Marx Memorial Library, 37A persecution or poverty. other comrades, including DG, who every year they step up to the Clerkenwell Green, London EC1. Marx’s approach to the analysis of Immigration has net benefits to still came up to the mark despite plate. 2017 has proved to be no capitalist society. Speaker: Dr Jonathan White (Theory and Struggle). host communities and countries, difficult personal circumstances. exception.l Organised by Marx Memorial Library: www.marx-memorial-library.org. including economic ones. Migrants I also ought to mention comrade Peter Manson put in more than they take out - a fact PK, who featured in my last column CPGB wills some people simply won’t accept. three weeks ago. His fundraising Fill in a standing order form Remember the CPGB and keep the struggle going. Put our party’s name Therefore, state resources can, and efforts had meant cutting out little (back page), donate via our and address, together with the amount you wish to leave, in your will. If must, follow migrants to ensure local things like a visit to the barber’s and website, or send cheques, you need further help, do not hesitate to contact us. services are expanded and no-one so we were pleased to introduce a payable to Weekly Worker locally suffers. At the end of the day, 4 weekly August 31 2017 1168 worker anniversary Our lady of the tabloids Twenty years on, Britain is still not over the death of Diana Spencer. Paul Demarty investigates the cult of the ‘people’s princess’ history to blood, lies and corruption. In the case of Diana, we are likewise dealing with wishful thinking, the wish for what is, in relative terms, a random and bloody demise to resolve itself into a neat picture, with good on one side and evil on the other. The truth is that the events of 20 years ago do not show the establishment acting in ruthlessly efficient concert, but rather in a state of disarray and desperately leaking authority. The result, ultimately, was a reconfiguration of the royal family’s public image. The queen remained more or less as she was, albeit more so - more taciturn, more the humble vessel of the glamour of state power, more dedicated to the letter of her ritual duties. She exists as a sort of self-parodic Victoria, whose reign she has just exceeded, in her puritanical dedication to the narrowest possible interpretation of her role. Charles continues to ride his hobby-horses and generally make a tit out of himself; we suspect that he is not inclined to listen to even the most A marriage made in hell sensible advice from Palace PR people. It is the grandsons who are the most t was 20 years ago today (assuming, throne - whose origins lie in the close biography of the princess, published to The opposite, of course, was also telling, for - as we on the left like to eager reader, that you are looking at association between the Roman church wide sensation in 1992, the ‘fairytale true. If Diana came off badly, she did say - the youth are the future. They have Ithis on the evening of publication) and monarchical absolutism at the time marriage’ gave way to the usual, ugly no worse than Charles, whose bizarre been more or less donated to the tabloid that Diana Spencer, princess of Wales, of the 1688 revolution, but can scarcely procedure of divorce, which - given the sex-talk with Parker Bowles was raked press which so hounded their mother. met a grisly end in a road tunnel in have much popularity today - must be stakes - took over four years. over in detail. Her charity work was Their every interview is trimmed and Paris. maintained anyway; the projection It is sometimes said, when a approvingly covered. And despite the scripted to perfection - we are reminded, Her death, along with lover, Dodi of continuity is essential, even when footballer is caught doing cocaine best efforts of the Palace press office, the alas, of the post-match interviews of Fayed, and their intoxicated, hapless it is continuity of a ‘revolutionary’ or saying something racist, that the displays of frailty played in her favour. well-trained footballers. The same driver, Henri Paul, was tragic in the stipulation. We even tolerate - how ‘back page has made the front page’. She was, after all, just like us. Future seven or eight banalities tumble forth. generic sense that all such incidents to put this - the various royal houses’ With the Diana saga, it was the society queens suffer from post-natal depression We have been treated of late to no end are. Yet the wider culture of Britain habit of pushing at the edges of the column that made the front page; the too, as it turns out. The royals, stuck of confessions that they were - heaven marks the anniversary not for that incest taboo, in service to the idea that comings and goings of the aristocracy now with their male descendants in a forefend - rather put out by the sudden reason, plainly enough. A BBC radio the nobility of the national character is is a peculiarly English fixture in the broken home, despised the woman who death of their mother. Nothing about documentary stretched credulity when somehow present in concentrate form middlebrow press, of which we are so had caused so much chaos; but, as her them will ever surprise us. it was announced as the story of the in royal blood (even though they are rightly ashamed, but the gossip about tabloid audience grew, so tabloid readers The point is that, whereas Diana was “most extraordinary life of the 20th ‘all German’ ... ). The moral turpitude countesses, baronets and debutantes is began to take sides: with her. able to play the tabloid celebrity game, century” - picture Lady Di, towering in of George and William is a problem usually a world away from the pap-snaps The result was the spectacular however perilously, as a way of gaining influence above Lenin, Freud, Stalin, because it pierces the moral veil: the and romantic speculation of tabloid scenes of mass hysteria that greeted a power base against the family in which Hitler and innumerable other singular monarchy is revealed to be much like celebrity gossip. The divorce of the her death, which took even the tabloids she had become trapped, today that same figures in an eventful period - yet we can us - hostage to the appetites of the flesh century changed that, at least in the case by surprise. Rapidly they fell into family has essentially sold her children almost imagine it an innocent accident and all that. of the royal family. line; Tony Blair delivered his famous to be the willing servants of the same on the part of the continuity announcers. Diana, in contrast, succeeded in the ‘people’s princess’ spiel; Elton John media apparatus. Its sordid behaviour The cult of Diana Spencer has, in public mind because she was ‘just like Dianolatry hit number one with a hastily rewritten with respect to Diana, and more or less 20 short years, persisted stubbornly us’. The question of how she gets to be To be a celebrity in the sights of the ‘Candle in the wind’. We cannot merely every celebrity significant enough to in the national ideology. In the end, just like us is hardly an uninteresting British gutter press is a schizophrenic put this down to ‘bread-and-circuses’- merit tabloid notice, seems not to bother it is no surprise; for what her death one. This is, on the face of it, a peculiar calling. Stars flip violently from heroes type rote patriotism: Diana was too the royals, who are happy to cling on accomplished is no less than the fusion view of things. Not all of us are born into to villains, seemingly over the course of despised by her own class for that. A to whatever dignity is afforded them in of the contemporary form of celebrity a family with a 200-year-old earldom; weeks. A heartfelt tell-all, in aid of some genuine spontaneous element arose here, these cynical times. On this front, the culture with the British monarchy - a plenty of us fail our school exams, charity or another, will be given extensive reminiscent of the irrational fondness of media won and, while its power - or rather odd thing to be martyred for but not many do so at an exclusive and seemingly respectful coverage, fully peasant rebellions in feudal monarchies rather its appearance of very great indeed - but more immortality than most private school, and fewer yet proceed vetted and agreed by one’s ‘people’; on for this or that pretender to the throne, power - has been badly shaken these people will enjoy. from there to finishing school in some the other hand, perceived indiscretions who would sweep away the vicious past few years, there is still life in the remote corner of the Alps. It is to our (sex and drugs, especially) bring forth lords and do right by the common old dog yet. Time immemorial great advantage and benefit, moreover, moralistic finger-wagging and sometimes folk. Conspiracy theories proliferated Lurking in the background here is It is, of course, true that the royals have that we are not typically coerced into torrents of bile. - why, even the Weekly Worker’s own a larger historical pattern, whereby always been celebrities of one sort marriage with the Prince of Wales. Freud described religion as the correspondent, Jack Conrad, told readers hegemonic capitalist powers, when or another, and particularly since the Though the wedding was a major public result of the primal horde’s guilt for that “when I heard the news of her death, they are supplanted, are forced first Victorian era, when the grandeur of event, Diana was not yet the Lady Di we overthrowing the alpha-male, and, I frankly admit my initial suspicion was onto the ground of total subservience empire was projected in part through know today; merely a strikingly young, while his speculations on this point are that MI5 - or some other shadowy arm of to finance capital, and from thence - the perceived personal virtues of the saucer-eyed Sloane. worthless as anthropology, something the state - had bumped [her] off”, though when even the bankers have tired of crown: in contrast to the savagery of the What changed was, of course, the similar seems to be at work in the tabloid he concluded that such an arrangement fading glory - to the tedious afterlife colonial natives, Victoria was supposed long and messy divorce, imperfectly and middlebrow press’s two-decade run was “highly improbable”.1 of tourism. This process is most clearly to represent temperance and civilisation; concealed by the Palace, but whose of uninterrupted Dianolatry; this is the visible, unsurprisingly, where it is and her austere Protestant virtues were details leaked out, drip by drip. The very picture of bad conscience. Now How they live now most complete. Take Venice, once a hailed, by English Toryism at least, as an marriage seems to have been a sham that she is reinvented as a secular saint, Such speculations are still rife, and still dominant trading power, then a money antidote to the popery and radical ferment from the get-go. Charles agreed to it only no paper will say anything bad about promoted by the more desperate sections laundry, and now - and for the last 200 of the continent (not to mention Ireland). when he was forbidden from making a Diana, but she was routinely pilloried of the gutter press. What lies behind years or more - a sinking pile of trinkets Before that, the sexual incontinence queen-in-waiting out of the divorced when she was alive. them is, after a fashion, the same stuff for the amusement of city breakers. of George IV and the life in sin of his Camilla Parker-Bowles. Kings needed Her sins were many. She was that lies behind the conspiracy theories There, we predict, stands London, brother, William IV, were the subject virgin brides. Diana was sold to him criticised for speaking openly about surrounding John F Kennedy. a decade or two hence. Or perhaps of public scandal-mongering, as was as a brood-mare, and fulfilled her side the dismal experience of marriage to In that case, there is a need, on the less: the possibility of a catastrophic the notorious madness of their father, of the ‘bargain’, producing two male Charles, and the malignant character part of many millions of Americans, outcome from Brexit negotiations is George III. And the pattern continued in heirs; Charles continued on with the of the royal family in general. She especially among those old enough equally the possibility of a very sharp the last century - we need only mention woman who actually interested him was blamed for the breakdown in the to remember the event first-hand, to ‘leg down’ in this process. Edward and Mrs Simpson. (and with stubbornly promoting the marriage - she was too thick to satisfy believe that America had faced a fork in Dead she may be, but Britain will What all these have in common, eccentric opinions that bored everyone that great mind of our time, Charles the road, and might have taken the path be in ever greater need of photogenic however, is a particular fetishism else). It did not take long, under those Windsor; she blew hot and cold; and that led it away from its catastrophic martyrs like Diana, and we predict a of the monarchy, very typical of circumstances, for his wife to find - what else? - she was mad! When she war in Vietnam, and obviated the need long afterlife for her l constitutional monarchies in general, physical satisfaction in the company of owned up to a history of severe mental for a Nixon in reaction to the crippling as a symbolic representation of the other men, one of whom - James Hewitt illness, publicity-seeking psychiatrists of American liberalism in the jungles Notes 1. ‘Death of a troublesome princess’ Weekly antique moral inheritance of the country. - turned his charm into the mother of all were found to give us a long-distance of Indochina, but was prevented from Worker September 4 1997. In this light, to take one example, the kiss-and-tell stories. Between Hewitt’s diagnosis of borderline personality doing so by certain men in black hats, prohibition against Catholics taking the actions and Andrew Morton’s famous disorder. who diverted the course of national [email protected] weekly 5 worker 1168 August 31 2017 analysis Understanding the ‘populist moment’ Populism has been used as a catch-all definition covering everyone from Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders to Evo Morales and Rodrigo Duterte. But what is populism and what is its historical background? Kevin Bean gives some answers opulism’ was the word of parties continue to hold the line against the year in 2016 and has ‘the populist threat’? l continued to make the ‘P 1 headlines in 2017. Politicians as Notes radically different as Donald Trump 1. This is an edited version of the first part of a talk given at the CPGB’s 2017 Communist University. and Bernie Sanders in the United This article will introduce the topic and consider States, and movements as diverse as the historical context for the development of Podemos in Spain and Germany’s populism, while the following article will examine Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), the implications for the future trajectory of politics. 2. ‘What is populism?’ The Economist December have frequently been labelled ‘popu- 19 2016: www.economist.com/blogs/economist- list’ by commentators and political explains/2016/12/economist-explains-18. opponents. In stretching the term to 3. M Broening, ‘The rise of populism in Europe: include the Bolivian left leader, Evo can the center hold?’ Foreign Affairs June 3 2016. 4. Eg, Bagehot, ‘A tale of two cities’ The Economist Morales, and the Philippines president, February 20 2016; J Pacewicz, ‘Here’s the real Rodrigo Duterte, in its own motley reason Rust Belt cities and towns voted for Trump’ collection of populist politicians, The The Washington Post December 20 2016. Economist shares the widely-held view 5. P Rimbert, ‘Un barrage pent en cacher un autre’ Le Monde Diplomatique June 2017. A similar that populism expresses “a rejection analysis also emerged after the US presidential of the political establishment” and as election, when research showed that both Trump such presents a serious, if ill-defined, and Sanders appealed to similar groups of voters threat to the status quo in the USA and and that some who had voted for Sanders in the 2 primaries switched to Trump in preference to Europe. Clinton in the general election. See D Kurtzleben, It has been suggested that one of the ‘Here’s how many Bernie Sanders’ supporters significant features of these disparate ultimately voted for Trump’ NPR August 24 2017: popular revolts against the elites is www.npr.org/2017/08/24/545812242/1-in-10- sanders-primary-voters-ended-up-supporting- their relatively sudden emergence and Something in common: Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, Viktor Orbán trump-survey-finds. rapid growth, as a result of an appeal 6. ‘What is populism?’ The Economist December to previously unrepresented voters or reveal more about those who use people’ in various forms became powerful framework, remained important in 19 2016: www.economist.com/blogs/economist- ‘socially excluded’ groups.3 Supporters it than those being described.9 The and positive ideological themes in the American politics throughout the 20th explains/2016/12/economist-explains-18. 7. For a recent example of this type of argument see of Brexit, for example, have been popularity of ‘populism’ in political great 17th and 18th century English, century. Politicians of all stripes from Z Williams, ‘Totalitarianism in the age of Trump: 15 widely described as disaffected, ‘left- and academic commentary in the early American and French revolutions. FDR and Huey Long in the 1930s lessons from Hannah Arendt’ The Guardian behind’ voters living in ‘post-industrial 21st century clearly reflects fears that However, as those revolutions also to George Wallace in the 1950s and February 1 2017. areas’, whilst Trump’s presidential bourgeois democracy is seriously showed, ‘the people’ could be identified 1960s made use of populist rhetoric 8. Eg, HDS Greenway, ‘Seeds of fascism sprout anew in Trump’s America’ Boston Globe and Mail triumph has been similarly attributed to threatened in the face of the developing in a less elevated fashion as ‘the mob’, to position themselves on the side of June 6 2017: 10 20 the anger and alienation of voters in the capitalist crisis. Following Brexit ill-educated, emotionally immature ‘the average American’. In a similar 9. M D’Eramo, ‘Populism and the new oligarchy’ USA’s Rust Belt states.4 Commentators and Trump’s presidential victory of and easily swayed by demagogues.16 vein, albeit supposedly from the left, New Left Review July-August 2013. covering the 2017 French presidential 2016, many serious commentators In particular, the French Revolution the Occupy movement of 2011-12 drew 10. The growth of opposition to the European Union from the early 2000s provided the necessity elections provided an added refinement appeared to believe that popular added to ruling class dread of the ‘dark on long-established populist tropes, for an explanation of this ‘new’ phenomenon, to this analysis, arguing that Marine Le discontent with out-of-touch political masses’, which were to remain a constant with its claims to represent the ‘99%’ whilst the work of Cas Mudde did much to bring Pen of the rightwing National Front and and financial elites had reached such a threat throughout the 19th century. For against the Wall Street financial elite.21 the term into popular usage amongst academics Jean-Luc Mélenchon of the leftwing La level that the established technocratic many sociologists and psychologists If the United States provides in this period. See C Mudde Populist radical right parties in Europe Cambridge 2007 and C France Insoumise (France Unbowed) politics and managerial parties of these anxieties were heightened by the some of the best known models of Mudde, ‘The populist radical right: a pathological movement were fishing in the same both left and right might disintegrate experience of fascism in the 20th century. populism, Europe and South America normalcy’ West European Politics 2010, 33 (6). electoral pool for support amongst “the in the face of new challenges from The literature of collective psychosis, saw the development of other types 11. See, for example, a series of articles on ‘the enraged and disengaged” and were thus below.11 Similarly before Emmanuel crowd behaviour and charismatic of national-popular movements and Europopulists’ in the Financial Times August 15 2017: www.ft.com/europopulists. merely right and left variants of the Macron’s presidential victory and the political leadership, as it developed parties during the late 19th and 20th 12. A-S. Chassany, ‘The French town that shows 5 same populist politics. “astounding landslide” for his ‘centrist’ from the 1890s, also became obsessed centuries. From Ireland and Portugal how Marine Le Pen could win’ Financial Times As The Economist puts it, La République En Marche, the media by fear of the masses.17 through to Poland and Hungary in April 10 2017. “populism’s belief that the people had been filled with dire predictions This period also coincided with the 1920s and 1930s, populist parties 13. M Wolf, ‘The economic origins of the populist surge’ Financial Times June 27 2017. are always right is bad news for two that the populist tide was sweeping all the initial development of populism emerged as political actors, identifying 14. The classical origins of the idea of ‘the people’, 12 elements of liberal democracy: the before it. in its modern sense in the 1880s and ‘the people’ with their small-farmer as used in the French Revolution, is discussed rights of minorities and the rule of However, Macron’s victory - 1890s in movements such as the base and championing agrarian and (in different ways) by J Israel A revolution of the law”.6 In other words, not only do alongside a series of electoral setbacks Farmers’ Alliances and the People’s rural interests against urban elites mind: radical enlightenment and the intellectual 18 22 origins of modern democracy Princeton 2010 and populist ideas originate far beyond for the AfD, the UK Independence Party in the USA. These largely and finance capital. In many newly S Wahnich In defence of the terror: liberty or death conventional politics, but the leaders Party, Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom rural movements arose in a period established states, these parties also in the French Revolution London 2012. and parties that espouse populism must (PVV) in the Netherlands, the Austrian when primary agricultural producers played an important role in nation- 15. See, amongst many other histories of these be seen as unrestrained ‘outsiders’ in Freedom Party (FPÖ), and Beppe and related social strata were being building through mobilising and revolutions, E Hazan A people’s history of the French Revolution London 2014; and J Rees The revolt against the established order. Grillo’s Five Star Movement (M5S) squeezed by an intensification of politicising recently enfranchised rural Leveller Revolution: radical political organisation 23 Fears that these ‘outsiders’ might get in Italy, amongst others - seems to market relationships and capitalist populations. Similar patterns were in England, 1640-1650 London 2016. their hands on the state machine and suggest that the worst fears of both the production. Framing political conflict also evident in movements in former 16. The classic account, which continues to shape govern in the supposed interests of their commentariat and bourgeois politicians as a struggle between ‘the elite’ and colonial and semi-colonial countries, views of the French Revolution and revolution in general is E Burke Reflections on the revolution in supporters - ‘the people’ - underlies have failed to materialise in 2017. ‘the people’, they identified the elite such as Peronism in Argentina. In these France London 2012. much contemporary commentary on Even so, the sense of unease that these with corrupt, urban-based politicians, cases populist movements also drew 17. Gustave Le Bon’s 1896 influential account The populist movements. movements created has not subsided corporate and financial power, and support from the cities, where recently crowd: a study of the popular mind (London 2012) Superficially, these assessments and forthcoming parliamentary other parasitic ‘special interests’, urbanised workers still retained social was only the first of a whole school that stressed the irrational and primitive nature of ‘the popular appear to be a rehash of the old thesis elections in Germany, Italy, Austria, who exploited ‘the people’ both links with the countryside and initially mind’. Bowdlerised versions of Freud’s ideas on 19 that the ‘extremes’ of left and right share Norway and the Czech Republic economically and politically. The identified as plebeians rather than the unconscious and the nature of man in mass common, totalitarian characteristics and could still throw up some surprises for conflict often took the form of a culture class-conscious workers.24 society only added to these fears of ‘the masses’ ultimately present the same authoritarian establishment politicians. Moreover, war, between those who defended Similar questions about the nature of and ‘populist politics’. 7 18. See S Hahn A nation without borders: the threat to liberal democracy. Similarly, in an understanding that these populist the stability of tradition against the populism and its relationship to forms United States and its world in an age of civil wars equating Donald Trump’s rabble-rousing currents in their various forms reflect uncertainties of modernising change. of state-building and the reconstitution 1830-1910 London 2016, chapter 12. speeches and incoherent tweets with a a much deeper crisis in the capitalist In this narrative ‘the people’ - often of national-popular politics have also 19. Some elements of these politics can be found nascent fascism, the rather strained political and economic system remains defined as small working farmers been posed recently in eastern Europe in John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel The grapes of wrath. The 1940 film adaptation by John Ford, comparison between contemporary strong amongst academics, bourgeois and small-town artisans - were often in the aftermath of the collapse of in presenting a sympathetic image of Roosevelt’s political turmoil and the rise of Nazism commentators and political leaders in seen as the productive backbone of Stalinism. The re-emergence of populist ‘new deal’, also showed the continued resonance of in the 1930s has become commonplace the developed world.13 society, embodying the essence of the parties in the 1990s, particularly the populist themes in American politics and society. in the more excitable sections of the nation. Politically, class distinctions electoral success enjoyed by Orban’s 20. In Orson Welles’ 1941 film Citizen Kane media.8 between petty rural property-owners Fidesz in Hungary and the Polish Law Charles Kane’s newspapers and election campaign The history of an speeches reflect this populist rhetoric and It is easy to dismiss these fears and the urban-based working class and Justice Party, add a further element identification with the ‘common man’. as hysterical exaggerations or to elusive idea could be both consciously obscured to the discussion on populist politics 21. A Jamieson, ‘Occupy Wall Street reunites five argue against the liberal equation The idea of ‘the people’ and their and subsumed under the banner of and its relationship to older forms of years later: “It never ended for most of us”’ The 25 Guardian September 19 2016. of inchoate leftist currents such as relationship to democracy has always ‘the people’, giving populism a certain nationalism and fascism. 22. For one view of this relationship in Ireland see Podemos with Trump’s reactionary been ambiguous in the history of social force in some western and In the light of these international K Allen Fianna Fáil and Irish Labour: 1926 to the ‘redneck’ base. However, the reasons bourgeois politics and continues to be southern US states in the late 19th and historical perspectives my next present London 1997. why these very different movements so today. In the early modern period century. article will go on to explore further 23. See A Gella The development of class structure in Eastern Europe: Poland and her southern are defined as part of the same ‘populist many theorists, using the classical Despite its agrarian radicalism the relationship between populism and neighbours New York 1989. moment’ bears further investigation. language of ‘plebeians versus patricians’, and democratic language, American the various political, economic and 24. D James Resistance and integration: Peronism As Marco D’Eramo notes, populist defined ‘the people’ positively and even populism was generally hostile to cultural facets of the contemporary and the Argentine working class, 1946-1976 movements never define themselves ennobled them during the revolutionary explicitly class-based politics and crisis. Having apparently dodged the Cambridge 1993. 25. For a summary of some recent academic as ‘populist’. It is a description used political struggle between democracy socialism, preferring instead to uphold populist bullet in France and elsewhere debates see H Kriesi and TS Pappas (eds) European 14 by others as an insult rather than as and aristocracy. Thus ‘the general will’ small-scale capitalism and the nation in western Europe so far in 2017, can populism in the shadow of the great recession a tool for analysis and, as such, may of the demos and ‘the sovereignty of the as its ideal. Populism, as an ideological the ruling class and their political London 2015. 6 weekly August 31 2017 1168 worker ItALy Pisapia’s deadly embrace How productive will Italy’s latest ‘left unity’ project turn out to be? Toby Abse investigates he recent attempt to unify the parliamentary presence - 42 deputies intermittent press speculation about of the current SI, which is now both Civica, led by Anna Falcone. This groups to the left of Matteo and 16 senators. Whilst it has remained a further split in the PD at some point a parliamentary group and a proper was set up in June, and plans to hold tRenzi’s Partito Democratico part of the parliamentary majority soon. political party with branches and formal local meetings in a large number of (PD), which started with the gathering sustaining Paolo Gentiloni, the current Since I have provided quite a membership. cities over the weekend of September of around 5,000 people in Rome’s PD prime minister, the MDP could wipe lengthy exposition of the MDP’s However, the fusion of the remnants 30-October 1. Given the instrumental Piazza Santi Apostoli on July 1, seems out Gentiloni’s narrow majority in the strengths, something needs to be of SEL with the former PD left has not use of the rhetoric of movementism, to have ended in failure - allegedly senate this autumn, should he and his said about its principal weakness - its resulted in the creation of a force larger horizontalism and civismo (public because of a falling-out over the public finance minister, Pier Carlo Padoan, put association with Massimo D’Alema. than the original SEL at the time of the spirit) by Pisapia’s clique, it is embrace between Giuliano Pisapia, forward the kind of neoliberal austerity The 68-year-old D’Alema has been February 2013 general election, when interesting that the one group that the former Rifondazione Comunista budget that is widely expected. a professional politician for his it entered parliament via an electoral is sincere about such notions rejects deputy and then mayor of Milan The MDP’s less widely used entire adult life, starting off as an pact with the PD. The problem, as so Pisapia and his personality cult: (2011-16), and the ultra-Renzian alternative title - Articolo 1 - is an official in the PCI’s youth movement, often happens in Italy, is that a large according to Falcone, “Personalism Maria Elena Boschi1 at the Milanese explicit reference to article 1 of the before playing a leading role in the number of the parliamentarians elected is a grave political error. It is a way to Festa de l’Unità on July 21. Italian constitution of 1948, which liquidation of the party in 1989-91. on SEL’s 2013 list had split to the right degrade and mortify politics and drive Although it is likely that this states: “This republic is based on He subsequently played a major role in response to Vendola’s left turn, after people away.” Falcone also pointed out ostentatious public display of labour”. The MDP has repeatedly in all the PCI’s successor organisations SEL’s electoral pact with the PD in 2013 that “Today the PD is not a party of the affection, which made the evening emphasised that it wants to overturn - Partito Demcratico della Sinistra failed to produce a left government, left. It embraced Blairism when it had news headlines on the principal state Renzi’s Jobs Act and restore workers’ (PDS), Democratici di Sinistra (DS) and the PD formed a coalition with already failed”.3 television channel, will be remembered rights of the kind embodied in the and ultimately the PD, at one stage forces to its right instead. Some for decades by many with no great now repealed article 18 of the 1970 as party leader and another as prime shameless opportunists have defected Conditions knowledge of, or indeed any interest Workers’ Statute; that it supports a minister (1998-2000). to the PD - most notoriously Gennaro Whilst Pisapia’s abrupt cancellation of in, Pisapia’s politics, its political more progressive taxation system The one thing he has never been, Migliore, once a close associate of a planned meeting on July 25 with the significance is more debatable. In in terms of both income and up until this year at least, is a figure Fausto Bertinotti in the heyday of MDP’s Roberto Speranza to discuss reality, the apparent failure of the property; and that it wants more identified with the left wing of any Rifondazione Comunista (PRC), further steps to turn the Insieme project unity project was probably inevitable, public investment to kick-start the of these post-communist parties. He who has become an ultra-Renzian. into something more concrete may given the extremely vague nature of the economy - in short, the MDP has a was far more inclined to compromise Others have preferred the slightly more have owed something to his intense proposed organisation and its reliance, clear left social democratic programme with Berlusconi than any of his major moderate version of social democracy annoyance at any criticism of his not on a clear political programme, but roughly equivalent to Jeremy Corbyn’s colleagues in the PDS or DS. His offered by the MDP to the more very public embrace of Boschi, there on what was in effect a leadership cult 2017 election manifesto, as opposed recent vociferous opposition to Renzi’s intransigent and oppositional version are deeper divisions between the two around Giuliano Pisapia. to the programmatic vacuum of authoritarian attempt at constitutional offered by SI. sides. Pisapia’s narrow clique seems to The provisional name devised by Pisapia’s Campo Progressista. Renzi’s reform in 2016 was, as many observers SI, unlike the MDP, is not part be demanding that the MDP dissolve Pisapia for what seemed to be intended Berlusconian emphasis on cutting pointed out, in marked contrast to of Gentiloni’s majority, even if it itself in September; that the new as a new electoral combination rather taxes, reiterated in a speech in late his enthusiastic cooperation with sometimes votes with him if it regards organisation should not have anything as than a genuine political party - July, is utterly incompatible with this. Berlusconi over a similar proposal in a measure as supportable. It is certainly ‘old-fashioned’ as formal membership; Insieme (Together) - always appeared The poor PD results in the June 1996-98. open in principle to an electoral pact that there should be no primaries to meaningless and absurd. Indeed, it was local elections have led to further His unscrupulous scheming is with groups to its left - such as the choose its candidates; that D’Alema as lacking in political content as George defections to the MDP amongst local notorious - he definitely played a role PRC - for the 2018 general election, must not be a candidate under any Galloway’s chosen designation for his and regional councillors in a number in toppling Romano Prodi from the just as it was to joining the Lista Tsipras circumstances; and that SI, Coalizione electoral vehicle, Respect. Pisapia’s of localities, ranging from the ‘red premiership in 1998, and is widely for the 2014 European election. Whilst Civica and other organisations to the political modus operandi is all too regions’ of Tuscany and Emilia to suspected of being the organiser SI does not rule out joint work with the left of MDP should be automatically reminiscent of Galloway: the same Puglia in the south. Although the PD behind the treachery of the 101 PD MDP, it is far more wary of Giuliano excluded from the project, whilst obscure lack of any belief in internal democracy has a far higher paper membership parliamentarians, whose failure to Pisapia - indeed many rank-and-file Christian Democratic fragments, which or collective decision-making; the than the MDP, the MDP is recruiting vote for Prodi as president of the members, who feel he has travelled a had fallen out with Renzi, should be same abrupt, opportunist zigzags; the key activists - what the old Partito republic in 2013 paved the way for long way to the right since the days of welcomed into the new ‘centre-left’. same reliance on an inner circle of Comunista Italiano (PCI) would have Giorgio Napolitano’s re-election his involvement with them in first the Pisapia’s bag-carriers may say they sycophants with no real political or called ‘cadres’. The MDP has quite for an unprecedented second term. PRC and then SEL, detest him. do not want to be “a party of 20,000” social weight of their own, who derive deliberately aimed to build up a proper Nonetheless, D’Alema’s suitability Of course, there are other (presumably a fairly accurate estimate their authority by responding to their membership structure with local as a candidate in next year’s groupings to the left of the PD, apart of the MDP’s strength), but one master’s every whim. branches in as many localities as it can. parliamentary election is really a from the MDP and SI. Pippo Civati, suspects Pisapia’s personal following It may well be that some of those This is in marked contrast to Pisapia’s matter for the MDP (or for the voters who split from the PD more or less in the absence of the organised cadres who gravitated towards Pisapia on Campo Progressista, which combines in any potential primary of the united contemporaneously with the original of the MDP would be insufficient to July 1 were looking for an Italian vague movementist rhetoric with a very left) - and Pisapia’s attempt to impose SI, after an unsuccessful challenge to get the Campo Progressista through Bernie Sanders or Jeremy Corbyn, opaque top-down structure. It is worth a pre-emptive veto against D’Alema, Renzi for the PD leadership in 2013, any likely electoral threshold. Renzi but he does not seem to be a consistent noting that the MDP even organised to which I will return later in this has a small group known as Possibile, may ultimately find it very useful to leftwing social democrat or somebody rival festivals in competition with article, was bound to be regarded as which works under the SI umbrella incorporate Pisapia and some of his capable of galvanising a youthful the PD’s Feste de l’Unità2 in quite a unacceptable by the MDP leadership. in parliament, but is not an organic fan club into a joint list as left cover mass movement of the kind we have number of places in the red regions part of that party. The PRC still exists, for the PD, provided he does not have seen in the UK or US. Nor is he even this summer. sinistra Italiana but it is a shadow of its former self. to make any genuine concessions on a charismatic left populist like Jean- Although justice minister Andrea The MDP is not the only left opposition It lost all of its parliamentarians in his neoliberal programme of lower Luc Mélenchon in France or Pablo Orlando, Renzi’s principal challenger to Renzi’s PD with representation in the 2008 general election, and most taxes and reduced employment rights, Iglesias in Spain, both of whom are in this year’s PD primary (leadership parliament. The other substantial grouping of its local councillors in subsequent and perhaps the self-important and capable of challenging all the neoliberal contest), has emphasised the need to is Sinistra Italiana (SI). The original SI contests. Moreover, it no longer has a slippery former mayor intends to follow mainstream parties from a distinctly stay in the PD to fight to change Renzi’s was the product of an earlier and much national daily paper, and gets very little this course. radical, if ideologically incoherent, neoliberal policies, he is well aware that smaller split from the PD - its first mainstream media publicity. In any event, the MDP would position. many of his own followers - including incarnation was a purely parliamentary For what it is worth, Corriere della be very foolish to accept Pisapia’s The launch in March of Pisapia’s some key figures in his home city of group that united a handful of former PD Sera’s opinion polls, which group the intolerable conditions - so far it has Campo Progressista did nothing to La Spezia, who defected to the leftwingers with Nichi Vendola’s PRC along with the left populist Italia emphasised that SI should be included clarify the already confused situation MDP in July - have Sinistra Ecologia Libertà dei Valori, the Verdi (Greens) in any unity project. An MDP-SI fusion amongst the fragmented forces to thrown in the (SEL). However, SEL and Rivoluzione Civile (a without Pisapia, and ideally open the left of the PD. Indeed, Campo towel and there dissolved itself at its group which started off as in principle to forces further to the Progressista - as lacking in any clear has been congress earlier this an electoral cartel in the left, would provide us with far better programme as Insieme was to be a year, and Vendola’s 2013 general election), opportunities l few months later - might even have supporters have in recent months been intended as a wrecking operation became the consistently given the Notes aimed at weakening the strongest leading group four groups a combined 1 . Boschi was the minister in Renzi’s government left challenge to Renzi (in electoral total of 1%. most publicly associated with his unsuccessful attempt to undermine Italy’s 1948 constitution. terms at least) - the social democratic The more sectarian left She has also been widely accused of a conflict of Articolo 1- Movimento Democratico groups like the hard-line, interest, being involved in bailing out the Banca e Progressista (MDP). orthodox Trotskyist Partito Etruria, a bank on whose board of directors her Comunista dei Lavoratori, father served, at one point as vice-president. 2 . L’Unità is now definitely defunct as a daily Left split and the Stalinist Partito paper, so the PD”s continuing use of the phrase The MDP was the product of a Comunista, both of Feste de l’Unità, inherited from the PCI, has significant left split from the which sometimes been the object of widespread mockery. Renzi’s PD in February, when Renzi contest elections, contempt for anything connected with the old PCI tradition - so alien to his own Christian provoked figures such as Pierluigi would have Democratic background - was well illustrated Bersani, his predecessor as PD absolutely no interest by the Unità saga over the last couple of years. secretary, into leaving the PD in any left unity After allowing the old paper to go into liquidation, rather than continuing their project, regardless presumably because it still gave space to minority views, he revived it with a reduced staff and a losing battle to reverse Renzi’s of its programmatic dogmatic editorial line full of vicious swipes neoliberal policies inside an basis. However, one against his opponents. However, even this did organisation in which the space group that may be not satisfy him, and the paper was allowed to go for serious political debate, as involved in such a bankrupt a second time. Renzi has now created distinct from popularity contests, process, but is very an online paper for the PD, significantly called Public: Maria elena Boschi Democratica, wiping out the last taint of Antonio seemed to be disappearing. wary of Pisapia, Gramsci. The MDP has a substantial and Giuliano Pisapia is the Coalizione 3 . Il Manifesto August 20. weekly 7 worker 1168 August 31 2017 1917

Peasants vital to Russian Revolution: ‘Still with you’ - Anne Bobroff-Hajal Lenin glosses the April theses In this fifth part of his series, Lars T Lih focuses on Lenin’s April 21 1917 Pravda article, ‘A basic question’ n April 1917, Lenin was churning days later, on April 7, they were his point about anarchism, Plekhanov bourgeoisie’. Thus it was essentially is not justifiable, but rather “an insane out articles for Pravda at an published in Pravda. In this article, looks back to the first congress of the synonymous with narod, the people. and extremely harmful attempt to sow Ialarming rate. One such article is after presenting the theses, Lenin International in 1889. At this congress, Before proceeding, we can draw anarchistic confusion and division ‘A basic question’, written on April snapped at Plekhanov for describing his the anarchists called for instant socialist a few lessons just from looking at within the Russian land”. 20 and published the next day. This arrival speech as “raving”. In response, revolution and dismissed the Marxists Plekhanov’s critique. First, Plekhanov’s Let us now ask ourselves: how article later made its way into Lenin’s Plekhanov pointed out that it was as “opportunists” who were content instant condemnation of the April will Lenin respond to this argument? Collected works, where it is easily not he, but a reporter from Edinstvo, with measly reforms like the eight- theses was at least partly based on a A number of possibilities suggest available today. It is in no way a who had been present at the speech hour day. But the Marxists decisively clear misunderstanding, since Lenin themselves. He might reject hidden or undiscovered document - - nevertheless, now that he had read rejected the profoundly unrealistic obviously did not believe that Russia Plekhanov’s assertion about the and yet, in the context of a new look the theses, he himself was perfectly utopianism of the anarchists - just was solely responsible for the war. absence of the objective conditions at the events of spring 1917, ‘A basic willing to endorse the characterisation. as the Russian workers should reject But, when we read in secondary for socialism in Russia in 1917. Or he question’ becomes a remarkable and A raving madman has no sense of time Lenin today. accounts that Plekhanov and others might deny that socialism had to wait revealing document. I have therefore or place; similarly, Lenin’s programme At this point, Plekhanov makes a rejected the theses as the ravings of until objective conditions are present. newly translated it and provided a had no connection with Russia in 1917, crucial move in his argument: if the a madman, the assumption seems to In both these cases, Lenin would commentary. but only with some abstract never-never objective conditions for socialism are be that these critics were responding indeed be rearming the party with a Officially, this article is a land, where socialism was already not present, then there also exists no to Lenin’s actual argument, which vengeance. At the cost of rejecting rejoinder to a critique of the April objectively possible. Plekhanov then rationale for a “seizure” of the political they immediately and accurately the basic tenets of so-called ‘Second theses by Georgy Plekhanov that was embarked on an extensive refutation vlast (power) by the workers and poor understood. International Marxism’ in general and published on April 20 (a translation of of the theses.2 peasants. Second, Plekhanov moves very old Bolshevism in particular, he would Plekhanov’s article will be found in Plekhanov’s analysis is almost Socialist politics, based on the quickly from highfalutin assertions then be able to proclaim the socialist the appendix below). In reality, Lenin exclusively focused on the first thesis, teachings of Marx, has, of course, its about “the objective conditions of character of the revolution. is less interested in refuting Plekhanov the one that rejects ‘revolutionary logic, he argues. If capitalism has not socialism” to his desired political Alternatively, Lenin could assert that than in reassuring Bolshevik praktiki defencism’. Much of his critique is yet attained in any given country its conclusion of “support in solidarity” Plekhanov completely misunderstood (the mid-level activists who did the based on a clear misinterpretation highest point - the point at which it for the actually existing Provisional his argument: Lenin called for soviet hands-on ‘practical’ work of the party). - although, to be fair, Plekhanov’s becomes an obstacle for the further government. But, of course, there power not because he assumed the Sergei Bagdatev was a Bolshevik reading might fit Lenin’s words well development of productive forces - then are a myriad of motivations for socialist character of the revolution, praktik who was also an ardent enough if you knew nothing at all about it is absurd to summon the workers, opposing and even overthrowing the but simply because the seizure of advocate of soviet power; part 4 of his general views. Plekhanov argues both urban and rural, and the poorest government led by Prince Lvov that political power by the toiling masses this series saw him expressing his that Lenin assigns all blame for the part of the peasants to overthrow it. If it had nothing to do with “overthrowing is justified and even mandated by misgivings that some aspects of Lenin’s present war to Russia’s imperialism is absurd to summon the elements just capitalism”. Long before Lenin’s basic democratic principles. In this April theses might hamper the drive to and for this reason portrays Germany named to overthrow capitalism, then it April theses, Pravda had asserted case, there is no radical break either establish soviet power.1 His underlying as an innocent victim. According to is no less absurd to summon them to the that the Provisional government with old Bolshevism or international worry was about the class basis of the Lenin (says Plekhanov), we should all seizure of the political vlast. could not satisfy the essential needs ‘revolutionary social democracy’ and ongoing revolution: was Lenin really humbly apologise to Germany. In support of this conclusion, of the workers and peasants, and thus no need to rearm the party. saying that we do not need the peasant In the same opening thesis, Lenin Plekhanov cites the famous epigram therefore the “full satisfaction of their Having considered these different as an ally, as implied by the April theses demands that “a complete break be by Engels: there is no greater tragedy demands is possible only when full and possibilities, let us turn to ‘A basic and various other comments? In ‘A effected in actual fact with all capitalist than for a class to take power before complete vlast [vsia polnota vlasti] is question’ and observe how Lenin basic question’, Lenin emphatically interests”. Plekhanov seizes on these its time. Plekhanov seems almost to be in their own hands” (editorial of March proceeds. responded to this worry: ‘No, that words to demonstrate that Lenin must saying that a majority of the population 14, drafted by Kamenev). isn’t what I meant - that isn’t what I be thinking of full socialism, since he should not have sovereignty until the Third, is it not fair to say that Lenin’s refutation meant at all!’ denies that the capitalists have any objective conditions for socialism are Plekhanov’s interpretation is also Lenin begins by asking why Plekhanov legitimate interests. Plekhanov also present. the prevailing interpretation today? fixates on the anarchist-Marxist clash in quotes thesis 8: “It is not our immediate A week after the appearance of According to Plekhanov, Lenin is 1889 and ignores the Basel manifesto, Plekhanov on task to ‘introduce’ socialism, but this article, Plekhanov repeated the calling for a seizure of political power passed unanimously by an emergency Lenin’s ‘ravings’ only to bring social production and gist of his argument in a short article by the “toiling masses” that can only congress of the Second International Back in the 1880s, Plekhanov was a the distribution of products at once entitled ‘To the students’. Since this be justified by socialist revolution. that was convened in 1912 to protest pioneer in popularising Marx’s message under the supervision [kontrol] of the article is the official inspiration for He therefore needed to trash earlier against the war. The manifesto mandated and applying it to Russian conditions, Soviets of Worker Deputies.”3 This ‘A basic question’, I have provided a Bolshevik doctrine and replace it proletarian revolution if war should break thus earning the title of ‘the father of thesis, he says, represents Lenin’s sop translation in the appendix. As before, with an anti-Marxist ‘anarchism’. In out - at least, that is how the Bolsheviks Russian Marxism’. Since then, he had to his Marxist conscience, especially Plekhanov condemns those who “call Plekhanov’s version of the ‘rearming’ read it. I have written elsewhere of the always played a significant role in since state kontrol of production and the Russian toiling masses to the narrative, of course, Lenin’s rearming fundamental importance of the Basel Russian social democracy, although one distribution is perfectly compatible seizure of the political vlast, since of the party is profoundly to be manifesto to Bolshevism from 1912 to that was often far from constructive. with capitalism, as the present war this can only make sense, given the regretted. 1917.4 For our present purposes, we note During the war, he became an ardent had shown. presence of the objective conditions Plekhanov refuted Lenin by means that Lenin is far from rejecting ‘Second defencist of a pronounced anti-German Plekhanov now moves in for the needed for social revolution”. In of the following syllogism: International Marxism’ - rather, he is bent. After the February revolution, kill: if Lenin’s rejection of all capitalist this formulation, Plekhanov uses a  Major premise: the seizure of political arguing that the necessary objective he returned to Russia only a few days interests only makes sense under term that clearly refers to a majority power by the toiling masses is only conditions for socialist revolution are before Lenin and promptly founded full socialism, and if the objective of the population: “the toilers” or justifiable if the objective conditions present - in western Europe, as shown a newspaper - Edinstvo (Unity) - that conditions for socialism are not present, “toiling masses” (trudiashchiesia). for socialism are present. by an authoritative statement by the took up a position on the extreme right then Lenin is no more than an anarchist This rather ungainly term had a definite  Minor premise: the objective conditions highest body of the Second International. of the socialist spectrum. who rejects the basic principles of meaning in Russian social democratic for socialism are not present in Russia Lenin then goes on to say in essence: When Lenin arrived in Russia, he Marxism - the same basic principles discourse and referred to everybody in 1917. of course I am not proposing socialism first read out his theses at a meeting that earlier, when he was still a Marxist, who lived by physical labour: that is,  Conclusion: Lenin’s call for a seizure in Russia at the present time! Russian of social democratic activists; a few he defended with energy. To illustrate workers, peasants and the urban ‘petty of political power by the toiling masses peasants are small owners; they are 8 weekly August 31 2017 1168 worker 1917 therefore not socialists; they constitute newspaper article dated April 9-12. arising out of the 1905 revolution was they can rely on gradual measures aims such as confiscation of gentry the majority of the country; socialism Lenin did not bother to respond. On a central part of the Bolshevik outlook to pull the muzhik [peasant] along land; a democratic peace; effective cannot be enforced against the majority. April 20, Plekhanov issued a short before, during and after the revolution behind the working class. response to the national economic To suggest otherwise would truly be squib that repeated a central charge of 1917. ‘A basic question’ is an For Lenin did not see the peasantry crisis; protecting revolutionary raving. But (continues Lenin) does this from his earlier analysis. This time application of hegemony to the political as an inevitable foe intent on smashing institutions against attack; and finally state of affairs have anything to do with Lenin hit back with a major statement. dynamics of 1917. There is a direct all our skulls, but as a potential ally - more and more prominent, as the the “basic question” now facing Russia: Why? The timing gives us the answer. line between the outlook expressed in who will sometimes grumble and year progressed - creating a ‘tough- who should have the political vlast? Of The Petrograd city conference was in this article and Lenin’s final articles will now and then cause the working minded vlast’ that could effectively course not! We Bolsheviks are fighting session (the conference ran from April from early 1923, particularly ‘On class some unpleasantness, but who govern the country. Among these aims, for full democracy, and democracy - 14 to April 22). Almost immediately revolution’. Bukharin insists on the must potentially be brought around the specific measures that Lenin saw as even as defined by the wretches at Rech afterward, an all-Russian party continuity of outlook from the 1905 to the proletarian cause, so that it is steps toward socialism did not become (the newspaper of the liberal Kadet party conference was scheduled to begin its revolution on: one of the component forces in our a prominent part of the Bolshevik and its leader, Paul Miliukov) - means work; its dates are April 24 through 29. struggle for a proletarian economic message - they were, so to speak, majority rule, does it not? By April 20, Lenin had heard from The arguments among us [Russian regime. the fine print backing up the general Lenin then begins to expound his own Petrograd activists such as Bagdatev social democrats before the war], promise to tackle the economic crisis. new idea of “steps toward socialism”. about their misgivings, and he knew as is known, boiled down to a Bukharin finds the same logic in the Traditionally, social democrats saw To do this, he makes a distinction he was likely to hear more of the same considerable degree to the question scenario for the future sketched out by the peasants as an obstacle to direct between two sections of the narod: from Bolsheviks further afield at the of the worker-peasant bloc, of an Lenin in his final articles: socialist transformation (although a the socialist masses (proletarian and upcoming conference. He therefore alliance between the working class and worthy ally in accomplishing the hugely semi-proletarian) and the non-socialist decided (we may assume) to seize the the peasantry, and of the hegemony of If we keep to the line of the worker- ambitious ‘minimum programme’), masses (the ‘toiling masses’ proper). opportunity presented by Plekhanov’s the proletariat in this ‘alliance’ or peasant bloc, we will endure. Just since ‘petty-bourgeois’ peasants were The mission of the socialist proletariat squib in order to clarify his stand ‘bloc’. Now, in the eighth year of don’t be foolish, just don’t make big deemed unlikely to support socialism. to provide political leadership for the and avoid unnecessary confusion. our revolution and our dictatorship, mistakes, just take the greatest care Trotsky’s ‘permanent revolution’ whole narod had always been the Somewhere, perhaps in What is to we clearly see the enormity of this on this very point, just don’t shout scenario of 1905-07, for example, is heart of old Bolshevism’s ‘hegemony’ be done?, Lenin states his preference problem, which for the first time was unnecessarily at the muzhik, and based on the assumption that peasant scenario. This mission is the main for setting forth his views in attack given clear foundations by Vladimir pursue a policy that will preserve resistance will bring down a socialist motivation Lenin gives here for his mode, so that he would often wait Ilich [Lenin] and which later became the proletariat’s role as leader. regime unless it received help from “steps toward socialism”: these measures until a suitable target presented itself. one of the cornerstones both of the abroad. Lenin’s ‘A basic question’ will “enhance the role, significance and By yelling at Plekhanov, Lenin could theoretical and practical structure reflects this standard view of the influence upon the population especially avoid being either too offensive or too of Bolshevism. Only at the present Conclusions peasant as only a partial ally - and yet, by the city workers, as the vanguard of defensive with his own followers. The time has this question come up in all The world would be a better place if in hindsight, we can see that it marks the proletarians and semi-proletarians subtext was: Plekhanov has clearly its enormous dimensions. the attention now given to Lenin’s a crucial shift in perspective. The of town and country”. misinterpreted my views - don’t you epigrammatic, enigmatic April theses emphasis now is not on limitations, but To illustrate his vision of the relation do the same! Bukharin uses ‘leadership’ (rukovodstvo) was transferred to the straightforward rather on how far forward the proletariat between the ongoing revolution and This subtext target accounts for the as a synonym for ‘hegemony’. Owing to and plain-spoken gloss found in ‘A can go with peasant support. This shift socialist transformation, Lenin points to large parts of Lenin’s article that have the constraints of the Lenin cult, Bukharin basic question’. Lenin’s article from in emphasis marked the beginning three examples of the kind of measure little direct connection with anything cannot be explicit about Kautsky’s role mid-April 1917 makes three big points. of some crucial developments in the he has in mind: nationalisation of the said by Plekhanov. When Plekhanov in the elaboration of the hegemony First, soviet power - the “seizure of the Bolshevik outlook. land, merger of all local banks into one talked about objective conditions, for scenario (see No2 in the present series6) political vlast by the toiling masses” - is In 1917, Lenin argued that peasants national bank, creation of a compulsory example, he had in mind principally and therefore over-emphasises Lenin’s justified and indeed mandated by basic could and would support preliminary sugar syndicate. According to Lenin, the level of productive forces, and his originality. Nevertheless, Bukharin democratic principles. Second, a crucial steps toward socialism, although these measures all have the following articles attacking Lenin say nothing shows the roots of NEP-era policies political goal is expanding as much as rapid progress in genuine socialist features in common: about the peasants. In contrast, Lenin’s in the older debates of Russian social possible “the role, significance and transformation in Russia remained  They are not socialist measures per article talks about the peasants more or democracy. Bukharin’s banner-word for influence upon the population especially dependent on help from the west se, but in fact completely compatible less from beginning to end. NEP was the “link” or smychka between by the city workers, as the vanguard of European proletariat, armed with state with capitalism (as Bagdatev put it, As we have seen in part 4 of this peasant and worker, but in this article the proletarians and semi-proletarians power after a revolution. By the end these measures are part of the minimum series, the central misgiving of Lenin’s he ties this word and this concept firmly of town and country”. Third, certain of 1919, the Bolsheviks were starting programme). “Would [land nationalisation] friendly Bolshevik critics was the status to the hegemony scenario central to specific policy measures are recommended to wake up and smell the coffee about be a socialist revolution? No. It is still a of the peasant ally. We can thus decode Bolshevism before, during and after the on the grounds that they will obtain European revolution: there was not bourgeois revolution.” Looking ahead, Lenin’s message to his party comrades revolution. Bukharin also points to the majority peasant support, as well as going to be one in the near future. Lenin envisages these measures carried as follows: worldwide dimension of hegemony: the increase the leadership potential of On the other hand, 1919 also saw out by a “democratic peasant state”. leadership of the European proletariat the proletariat. the Bolsheviks beginning to focus  These are not wild, utopian measures Are you worried that I am unaware vis-à-vis the peasantry in the colonies. Earlier we observed that if Lenin on a long-term partnership with the put forward by an “anarchist” out of that the current revolution, whatever The hegemony scenario was central felt compelled to proclaim the socialist ‘middle peasant’ - a term barely used touch with reality. They have long been label we choose to give it, embodies to three distinct stages of the revolution character of the revolution, he had two in 1917. The social base for socialist advocated by moderate socialists and our longstanding Bolshevik vision (Bukharin’s emphasis throughout): choices in responding to Plekhanov: he construction was thus undergoing a non-socialists alike. Indeed, the tsarist of the proletariat leading the peasant could argue either that the objective drastic displacement. government itself resorted to sugar majority? Don’t be worried - I am  Prior to the seizure of power, the conditions for socialist revolution were By the time he wrote his final syndicates. perfectly aware that Russia is a peasant working class must have the support present in Russia in spring 1917 or that articles in early 1923, Lenin envisaged  These measures can and will be country. I certainly do not argue that of the peasantry in the struggle against socialist revolution did not depend on a slow but steady progress toward supported by the peasantry. That is, we have to win the peasants over to the capitalists and landlords. objective conditions, as understood by socialism in Russia, even without the Lenin rejects any misapprehension that ‘our point of view’ - that is, wait until  After the seizure of power, the earlier Marxists. Lenin made neither help of the European proletariat-in- his “steps toward socialism” implies a they are committed socialists - before proletariat must secure for itself the argument - instead, he aggressively power, but relying on the support of break with the peasants. fighting for soviet power. support of a considerable section of argued the opposite. Russia’s peasant the Russian peasantry. This final vision  Such measures will increase the The activists further tell me they the peasantry in the civil war, right up majority showed that the objective can be seen as a natural evolution leadership potential of the socialist are not sure whether my enthusiasm to the moment when the proletarian conditions were not present. This from original old Bolshevism’s wager proletariat among the narod. Lenin shows for ‘steps toward socialism’ means dictatorship has been consolidated. circumstance removed socialism on hegemony: that is, on the socialist that he is far from abandoning the pre-war that I reject the need for peasant  And after that? Can we really from the immediate agenda, since proletariat as a leader of the narod. hegemony scenario of class leadership. allies. Again, don’t be worried! The limit ourselves to regarding the “establishing socialism against the will Lenin’s ‘A basic question’, written at Lenin ends his article by invoking measures I have in mind are bound peasantry only as cannon-fodder in of the majority” is an absurdity. a crucial juncture in Bolshevik history, the traditional Bolshevik scenario of to appeal to the peasants - in fact, the fight against the capitalists and Looking back to old Bolshevism, can help us understand the logic of this international revolution: a “genuine they will also strengthen the class the large landlords? No. Once and as it took shape during and after long-term evolution l transition to socialism” will be possible leadership that is the heart of our for all, we must understand the full the revolution of 1905, ‘A basic in Russia after (and only after) a socialist shared Bolshevik vision. logic of this ‘no’. After its victory, the question’ justifies Mikhail Kalinin’s This article was originally revolution in Europe. proletariat must at all costs live side statement in April that “the method of published at https:// To sum up: like most historians today, To sum up: the praktiki asked for by side with the peasantry, for the thinking [in Lenin’s theses] remains johnriddell.wordpress.com. Plekhanov pictured the April theses clarification, and Lenin’s ‘A basic peasantry represents the majority of an old Bolshevik one that can cope as a radical break with Marxism as he question’ was aimed at providing the population, with great economic with the peculiarities of the present Notes understood it and as Lenin himself had exactly that. and social weight … It must be realised revolution”. The logic behind the 1. ‘Thirteen to two’ Weekly Worker supplement, understood it in the past. Lenin is at that the proletariat has no choice hegemony scenario of old Bolshevism July 27 2017. 2. G Plekhanov, ‘On Lenin’s theses: why ravings pains to refute this picture: his vision Bukharin on ‘A in this. It is compelled, as it builds was that the socialist proletariat can sometimes be of interest’, published of steps toward socialism is not radical, socialism, to carry the peasantry with - precisely because of its socialist in Edinstvo April 9-12; text taken from G but rather consistent with international basic question’ it. The proletariat must learn to do convictions - was called upon to lead Plekhanov God na Rodine Paris 1921, Vol 1, ‘revolutionary social democracy’, with When I drafted this commentary on this, for, unless it does so, it will not the Russian narod in accomplishing pp19-29. 3. Note that in the April theses Lenin talks about old Bolshevism’s hegemony scenario, Lenin’s article, I was unaware of any other be able to maintain its rule. goals that were non-socialist, but “soviets of worker deputies” - that is, the theses do and with common sense. writer who had given any attention to it. vitally necessary for historical not yet reflect the basic political reality of “soviets As it turns out, in 1924 Nikolai Bukharin To document his point that hegemony progress. The constant in this scenario of worker and soldier deputies” (see Nos 3 and 4 quoted it at length and drew essentially was still operative after the February is the idea of class leadership, while in this series for further comment). Lenin’s target 4. ‘“A new era of war and revolution”: Lenin, the same conclusions as I have. More than revolution, Bukharin, like ourselves, the identification of specific policy Kautsky, Hegel and the outbreak of World War I’, audience any other Bolshevik leader, Bukharin turned to the article, ‘A basic question’. goals remains open-ended. The policy in A Anievas (ed) Cataclysm 1914: the First So far, I have analysed Lenin’s article made it his business to set out the basic After giving a long citation (the passage is measures Lenin advocated as steps World War and the making of modern world more or less according to its official self- ideological rationale of the Bolshevik indicated in the appendix), he comments: toward socialism were therefore no politics Leiden 2014, pp366-412. The Basel manifesto was reprinted in Pravda in March 1917, description as a refutation of Plekhanov. party/state - its constitutional principles, break with the logic of the hegemony prior to Lenin’s arrival. Yet, when we set this article against the one might say. This particular article Let’s turn our attention to Lenin’s scenario; as Vladimir Nevsky put it, 5. N Bukharin, ‘The theory of permanent backdrop of the discussion going on in is one of his many mid-20s polemical approach to the question. He asks “Lenin’s position [in the April theses] revolution’, originally published in Pravda Bolshevik circles during the two April attacks on the party opposition, yet we constantly: what is “the peasant” was the natural development of the December 28 1924; a translated text can be found in FC Corney (ed) Trotsky’s challenge: the conferences (city and all-Russian), we can easily abstract from these attacks saying? This is no accident. On doctrine that he had worked out long ‘literary discussion’ of 1924 and the fight for the will easily see that the real aim of his in order to bring out crucial aspects of the contrary, this reveals a great ago in the previous periods of the Bolshevik revolution Brill 2016, pp514-54. I have article is to reassure Bolshevik praktiki the party’s deeply-felt image.5 revolutionary clear-headedness that history of our party.”7 modified this translation slightly after consulting and to allay their misgivings about the Relevant to the present commentary is typical of the proletarian leader In 1917, ‘All power to the soviets!’ the original text in Pravda. 6. ‘All power to the soviets’ Weekly Worker May 4 April theses. and to my whole series on ‘All power [vozhd]. [The Bolsheviks must act] was an effective slogan because soviet 2017. Plekhanov’s first extensive analysis to the soviets!’ are the following so that they will not to be severed power was the means to so many 7. V Nevskii Istoriia RKP(b): kratkii of the April theses was published in a conclusions: the hegemony scenario from the peasant base, so that diverse ends: traditional revolutionary ocherk (1926) St Petersburg 2009, pp502. weekly 9 worker 1168 August 31 2017 APPeNDIX Lenin refutes a misreading of the April theses 1. G Plekhanov, ‘To the Association [artel] of Socialist Students, in answer to an invitation for a rally celebrating May 1’ (from Edinstvo, April 17 1917) ear comrades! the international proletariat. representatives from many enlightenment and organisation scientific method, to bring all Education helps us investigate in the depths of the working I greatly regret that capitalist countries that stood then this as often as possible to the class. Dmy poor health - I phenomena and evaluate on a higher level of economic attention of those who need to hope, only temporary - does them historically. Since I development than Russia has Today, among us, this is know it. The task of the parties not allow me to express my am speaking with people attained today. The anarchists forgotten by people who call of the left in Russia consists of support in person. But nothing who are working to improve proposed to the congress that the Russian toiling masses the systematic strengthening can be done about it and I am their education, I permit it call the proletariat to social to the seizure of the political of the positions achieved compelled to limit myself to myself to bring your attention revolution. The congress, in vlast, since this can only make by the revolution that has talking with you in written the following remarkable which Marxists had a majority, sense, given the presence just taken place. To achieve form. The adhesion of as many circumstance: invited the proletariat to work for of the objective conditions these tasks, they should not people of higher education as The decision to celebrate the eight-hour day. It understood needed for social revolution. overthrow the Provisional possible is very important for May 1 was taken by the Paris that the social - to be more These conditions do not yet government - as some political the liberation movement of International Socialist Congress exact, the socialist - revolution exist, and it behoves you, fanatics wish - but support it in 1889. At this Congress were presupposed a long work of who are familiar with the in solidarity l 2. Lenin’s reply: ‘A basic question1 (How the socialists who have gone over to the bourgeoisie argue)’ Pravda April 21 1917

Mr Plekhanov illustrates this kind of who says anything about establishing proletarians and semi-proletarians. Would this be a socialist measure? argument very well. In his First of May socialism against the will of the majority? We shall explain the difference to the No, this is not yet socialism. letter to the Association of Socialist Mr Plekhanov has got mixed up in the ex-Marxist, Mr Plekhanov. Further. Can the majority of the Students published in today’s Rech most ludicrous fashion at the very outset. [The passage quoted by Nikolai peasants in Russia declare in favour of [Kadet/liberal], Delo Naroda [SR], To find himself in a ridiculous Bukharin, discussed in my commentary, the syndicate of sugar manufacturers and Edinstvo [Plekhanov’s newspaper], position is the very least punishment begins here.] Can the majority of the passing into the hands of the government, he writes: a man can suffer, who, following the peasants in Russia demand and carry out under the supervision [kontrol] of the example of the capitalist press, creates an the nationalisation of the land? Certainly workers and peasants, and the price of It (the International Socialist Congress ‘enemy’ of his own imagination instead Convenient target: it can. Would this be a socialist sugar being lowered? of 1889) understood that the social - to of quoting the exact words of this or that Georgi Plekhanov - revolution? No. It is still a bourgeois It certainly can, for this would benefit be more exact, the socialist - revolution political opponent. former Marxist turned revolution, for the nationalisation the majority of the narod. presupposed a long work of enlight- Further. In whose hands should “the social chauvinist of the land is a measure that is not Is such a measure possible enment and organisation in the depths political vlast” be, even from the point incompatible with the existence of economically? It is fully possible [The of the working class. of view of a vulgar bourgeois democrat capitalism. At the same time, it is a passage quoted by Bukharin ends here], Today, among us, this is forgotten from Rech [the official newspaper of blow to private ownership of the most since the sugar syndicate has not only by people who call the Russian toiling the liberal Kadet party]? In the hands important means of production. Such a developed economically into a single masses to the seizure of the political of the majority of the population. Do blow would strengthen the proletarians industrial organism on a state-wide vlast, since this can only make sense, the “Russian toiling masses”, so ineptly and semi-proletarians far more than was scale, but it was already under tsarism given the presence of the objective discussed by our muddled social- the case during the revolutions of the subject to supervision by the ‘state’ (that conditions needed for social revolution. chauvinist, constitute the majority of 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. is, bureaucrats serving the capitalists). These conditions do not yet exist … the population in Russia? Undoubtedly Further. Can the majority of the Would the taking over of the syndicate they do - the overwhelming majority! peasants in Russia declare for the merging into the hands of a democratic-bourgeois/ And so on in the same strain, right up to How then, without betraying of all the banks into one, in a way that peasant state be a socialist measure? an appeal for “support in solidarity” of democracy - even democracy as will ensure that there will be a branch No, this would not yet be socialism. the Provisional government. understood by a Miliukov - can one of a single nationwide state bank in Mr Plekhanov could have easily This argument of Mr Plekhanov is be opposed to the “seizure of the each village? convinced himself of that if he had the typical argument of a small group of political vlast” by the “Russian It can, because the recalled the well-known axioms of ‘has-beens’ who call themselves social toiling masses”? convenience and advantage for Marxism. democrats. And because it is typical it is The deeper into the wood, the the narod of such a measure The question is: would such worth dealing with at length. thicker the tangles. Each step in our are unquestionable. Even the measures as the merging of the banks First of all, is it reasonable or honest analysis opens up new abysses of ‘defencists’ could be for such a and turning over the sugar manufacturing to quote the First Congress of the Second confusion in Mr Plekhanov’s ideas. measure, as it would heighten syndicate to a democratic peasant International and not the last one? The social chauvinist is against the Russia’s capacity for ‘defence’ government enhance or diminish the The First Congress of the Second political vlast passing to the majority enormously. role, significance and influence of the International (1889-1914) took place of the population in Russia! Is it economically possible proletarians and semi-proletarians among in 1889; the last, in Basel, in 1912. The Mr Plekhanov is talking about to carry out such a merger of all the general mass of the population? Basel manifesto, adopted unanimously something he doesn’t understand. the banks immediately? Without They would undoubtedly enhance by all, speaks precisely, definitely, He has also confused - though Marx a doubt, it is fully possible. them, for those measures do not arise directly and clearly (so that not even the as far back as 1875 made a point of from small producers; they are made Plekhanovs can twist the sense of it) of warning against such confusion - the possible by those ‘objective conditions’ a proletarian revolution, and furthermore, “toiling masses” with the mass of which were still lacking in 1889, but speaks of it precisely in connection with which already exist now. the very war that broke out in 1914. Such measures would inevitably It is not difficult to understand why enhance the role, significance and those socialists who have gone over to influence upon the population especially the bourgeoisie need to ‘forget’ the Basel by the city workers, as the vanguard of manifesto as a whole, or this, the most the proletarians and semi-proletarians of important part of it. town and country. Secondly, the seizure of political After such measures, further steps power by “the Russian toiling masses”, towards socialism in Russia will writes our author, would “only make become fully possible, and - given sense, given the presence of the objective the aid to the workers here that will conditions needed for social revolution”. come from the more advanced and This is a muddle, not an idea. experienced workers of western Even if we grant that the word Europe, who have broken with ‘social’ here is a misprint for ‘socialist’, the west-European Plekhanovs this is not the only muddle. What - Russia’s genuine transition to classes do the Russian toiling masses socialism would be inevitable, and consist of? Everybody knows that the success of such a transition would they consist of workers and peasants. be assured. Which of these classes is in the This is how every Marxist and every majority? The peasants. Who are socialist who has not gone over to the these peasants, as far as their class side of ‘their own’ national bourgeoisie position is concerned? Small or very should argue l small proprietors. The question arises: if the small proprietors constitute the Notes majority of the population and if the 1. ‘A basic question’ (literally, ‘One of the basic objective conditions for socialism are questions’ - Odin iz korennykh voprosov), VI Lenin CW Vol 31, pp300-03. Another translation lacking, then how can the majority is available on the Marxists Internet Archive: of the population declare in favour of www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/ socialism? Who can say anything or apr/20g.htm. 10 weekly August 31 2017 1168 worker review

Giving 1917 real meaning

his is a wonderful, scintillating German territory on their way back book: it makes a fateful year China Miéville October: the story of the Russian to Russia. Martov, apparently, was Tin world history come alive, in Revolution Verso, 2017, pp369, £18.99 instrumental in arranging, via the the sense that all significant actors in Swiss authorities, this safe passage in the drama and upheaval of Russia in exchange for the release of German 1917 come under the spotlight and and Austrian internees in Russia are displayed in action. As with all the divided into the so-called Mensheviks Reed’s classic Ten days that shook the (p88). Lenin demanded that there best historical writing, we get to feel (‘minority’) and Bolsheviks (‘majority’) world (first published in 1919). Not only did they flout laws and should be no passport controls, stops the enveloping atmosphere of the times - these names refer back to the party’s What comes through, crucially, intimidate the authorities wherever or investigations along the way, and and places, and what it was like to live Second Congress held in exile in 1903, is the immense power of the popular they possibly could: there were also that there would be no enquiry into the through the events. (The author visited and do not reflect the degree of mass forces which swept onto the political direct acts of violence. The state flour passengers’ details - all this because he Russia for the purpose of writing this support and influence in early 1917 of stage like a dam bursting in 1917 - a trader who did not want to offer them was aware that collaboration with the book, and acknowledges help from what are by now two distinct parties. trinity of workers (spurred on by the his goods at discounted price was enemy could be construed as treason there). Anarchists appear in their usual form women of Petrograd on International beaten by a band of soldiers’ wives, (as it later was). Following a short historical as “groups springing up” (the phrase Women’s Day, now celebrated on March and the pristav, the local police chief, On March 21 the German introduction extending from tsar seems to have originated with Michael 8 annually), soldiers and peasants - once who wanted to hurry to his help, embassy accepted his terms, and Peter the Great, who reigned from Bakunin). Also, less dramatically, Leon they began to move in concert. escaped the same fate by a hair’s 28 individuals, including Lenin, 1682 to 1725, through to the two-man Trotsky’s relatively small following, breadth (p115). Krupskaya, Zinoviev, Zlata Lilina murder of the sinister monk, Rasputin, the so-called Interdistrict Organisation Dual power (mother of Zinoviev’s young son, in December 1916, we are treated (Mezhrainontsy), gets its fair share of Rather than go through the narrative, There is some useful discussion of Stefan), Karl Radek and Inessa to nine months of 1917 - February coverage. which would spoil things for those dvoyevlastie (dual power) - the balance Armand, set out from Zurich. At to October - in which the dramatis Leading individuals, of course, wishing to read the book, let us look from February onwards between the the Swiss border they transferred personae make their entrances and feature prominently - Nicholas II at a number of important themes and Committee of the Duma, out of which to a two-coach train - one full of play their parts. Key individuals are (reigned 1894-1917), his brother, the topics that China Miéville covers - the came the Provisional government, and the Russians and the other for the used to illustrate the social classes in grand duke Michael, other famous role of women, dual power, the ‘sealed Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ Deputies, German escort. Stops did take place, interaction - the nobility, bourgeoisie, political names of the time, such as train’, Lenin in 1917 (and the left’s which, as a revival of the institution however, and it appears that the workers and the vast peasant majority. Alexander Guchkov (Octobrist), Pavel unintentionally comic tradition), the July of 1905, prepared its own plans. The passengers attracted the attention More diffuse groupings are not Milyukov, founder of the Kadet party Days, October and its legacy to 1941, antagonism between the two was the of Social Democrats eager to meet forgotten - women, the non-Russian and foreign minister in the Provisional Alexandra Kollontai and, last but not basis of the dual power. Early on, the Lenin, who apparently asked his nationalities, the ‘intelligentsia’, writers government, holding office from March least, the European dimension. question of military discipline was raised: companions to tell one persistent and artists (the last two sparingly, but 2 to April 29; Mikhail Rodzianko, a The author judiciously quotes trade unionist to “go to the devil’s seemingly mentioned where relevant co-founder of the Octobrists; Kerensky; Kollontai, on her return to Russia, as ... the soviet put together a draft grandmother” (p104). The passengers to the narrative). Institutions are given Victor Chernov of the SRs; Social saying: “But wasn’t it we women, with resolution. It stressed that soldiers’ travelled via Stuttgart, Frankfurt and due attention - the army and navy Democrats, such as the Georgians, our grumbling about hunger, about the committees were important. It proposed Berlin, eventually reaching the north (from generals down to infantrymen, Nikolai Chkheidze and Irakli Tsereteli; disorganisation in Russian life, about our soviet democracy within units, German coast at Sassnitz, where they from admirals to sailors); the Russian Julius (Yulii) Martov; Alexandra poverty and the sufferings born of the combined with military discipline transferred to a Swedish steamer. Orthodox Church gets a mention, but no Kollontai; Lenin and Trotsky; Zinoviev war, who awakened a popular wrath?” on duty. The soldiers, the gathering Landing at Trelleborg on Sweden’s more. Above all the councils (soviets) (Lenin’s old comrade); and the eventual (p94). She underlined the fact that the urged, should send representatives to southern coast, they then proceeded in their various shapes and guises are notorious ruler of the USSR, Josef revolution started on International the duma’s military commission, and to Stockholm and thence by sleighs given due weight - predominantly Vissarionovich Djugashvili, better Women’s Day: “And didn’t we women recognise its authority - in so far as across to Finland (p106). the Petrograd Soviet, which acquired known as Stalin. Even Lenin’s faithful go first out to the streets in order to it did not deviate from the opinion of This account given by Miéville “delegates countrywide” on becoming comrade Vladimir Bonch-Bruyevich struggle with our brothers for freedom, the soviet (p68 - original emphasis). appears to clear up the mystery in the the All-Russian Soviet of Workers’ - the name is surely unforgettably and even if necessary to die for it?” matter: perhaps a better description and Soldiers’ Deputies in March 1917 quintessentially Russian - gets coverage. (“With our brothers” - the words evoke “In so far as” in Russian is postol’ku- would be ‘secret train’. (p105).1 Generals Mikhail Alekseev, Aleksei the beginning of original communism, poskol’ku - “a formulation key to dual Upon arriving at Petrograd’s Political parties and movements Brusilov and Lavr Kornilov play leading as depicted in the work of Chris Knight, power, and its contradictions” (p84). Finland station on April 3, Lenin also play their roles: the proto-fascist roles militarily and politically. Camilla Power, Ian Watts, Jerome Naturally this situation was began to intervene in his customary Black Hundreds2; the ‘Octobrists’, The sweep and detail of the narrative Lewis et al in the Radical Anthropology inherently unstable, as recognised energetic fashion, following a warm supporters of tsar Nicholas’s October is most impressive, but, above all, the Group.) both by the Octobrist leader, Guchkov welcome from assembled Bolsheviks. 1905 Manifesto (the court party); the masses of ordinary men and women, Comrade Miéville describes a - who complained that the Provisional In the car that drove him from the Constitutional Democrats (‘Kadets’, non-Russian peoples, workers and procession to the Tauride Palace on government wielded no real power, station he asked Kamenev: “What’s from kah, deh, the sounds of the initial peasants, not only feature as actors, March 19, when a diverse crowd of while the soviet controlled such things this you’re writing in Pravda? We letters of their name in Russian), the but are recorded from time to time 40,000 demonstrators demanded that as troops, railway and postal and saw several issues and really swore at party of the “liberal bourgeoisie”; the as speaking - and shouting, where women be given the right to vote. telegraphic services - and by Leon you” (p108). Through to June he stuck Socialist Revolutionary Party (SRs), necessary. And he touches on the role of the Trotsky.3 to his basic position of justifying the main pro-peasant grouping; and in We are treated to a series of soldatki - soldiers’ wives - who took an uncompromising opposition their wake the Trudoviks (pro-peasant panoramic shots of those nine months; independent action. For example, in Lenin’s return to the Provisional government by populist, their main spokesman being they bring the events beautifully into Kherson province early in the year they The book gives useful information on “patiently explaining” that the real the lawyer, Alexander Kerensky). focus in a way that does not seem to forced their way into certain homes, the so-called ‘sealed train’. in which root of the crisis was “the pilfering Then we have the Social Democrats, have been done in English since John ‘requisitioning’ luxuries: Lenin and some other comrades crossed of the bourgeoisie” (p143). Comrade weekly 11 worker 1168 August 31 2017 What we fight for n Without organisation the Miéville quotes his interjection at the (p182), but the struggle overall was instructs all party organisations Stalin’s main initiatives - the push for working class is nothing; with First All-Russian Congress of Soviets still not conclusive. At this point to be guided accordingly and to ‘socialism in one country’ (a complete the highest form of organisation of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies Pacel Perverzev, the minister of consider and decide all practical denial of Marx’s world revolution it is everything. (held from June 3-24) on June 4, justice, announced he had evidence questions from this viewpoint. perspective), the forcible defeat of when the Menshevik leader, Tsereteli, purporting to prove that Lenin was a the Left Opposition, and the speech n There exists no real Communist outlined a policy for a possible all- German spy (p179). The situation was by Stalin in 1931, where he said: “We Party today. There are many socialist government, but declared instantly transformed - the rumour Epilogue have 10 years to catch up with the so-called ‘parties’ on the left. In that no party was advocating such: being spread by “the sensationalist China Miéville’s final chapter (pp305- west - either we do it or they will crush reality they are confessional sects. hard-right rag Zhivoye Slovo (‘The 20) gives us a fleeting glance over the us”. In contrast to all the above, there Members who disagree with the “There is,” he said, “no political Living Word’ - no prizes for naming fortunes of the new Soviet state, when, is (as necessary) a brief mention of the prescribed ‘line’ are expected to party in Russia which at the present the current British equivalent on October 25, Lenin, addressing the moves towards socialism in other parts gag themselves in public. Either time would say ‘Give us power’”. newspaper). Warrants went out for the Congress of Soviets, declared: “We of Europe - Germany 1918-23, Austria that or face expulsion. To which from the depths of the arrest of Lenin, Zinoviev, Kamenev, shall now proceed to construct the 1918-19, Hungary 1919, Italy 1919-20 n Communists operate according room an immediate heckle came Kollontai, Anatoly Lunacharsky … socialist order.”4 (the ‘two red years’). to the principles of democratic back: “There is such a party,” and Trotsky, who had demanded There would appear to be 17 distinct It is a pity that there is no mention centralism. Through ongoing debate shouted Lenin (p143). flamboyantly that his name be added events listed in this epilogue - all would of Alexandra Kollontai’s comments on we seek to achieve unity in action to the list (p189). Criminal gangs be worth looking at separately, but why the Left Opposition lost the political and a common world outlook. As However, Lenin is not treated in the raised their heads, issuing their own space is short. We are informed, inter battle with Stalin.5 Kollontai says: long as they support agreed actions, book as some uniquely charismatic warning against “street justice” alia, of the Left SRs’ decision to join members should have the right to sage, who had the answer to every (pp191-92). Kerensky underlined the the new government in December 1917 Now we are in a period of construction speak openly and form temporary political problem. On the occasion of trend of events by replacing Brusilov (p308). The long awaited Constituent and we need not only unity in our or permanent factions. an attempt to evict a group of anarchists as Russia’s commander-in-chief by Assembly refuses to endorse the actions, but unity in our thinking. n Communists oppose all impe- from a villa they were occupying, and the more rightwing Kornilov around Bolshevik-led regime, but is dispersed The masses instinctively understand rialist wars and occupations but a demonstration was called in the July 15-16 (pp194-95). and fails to provide an effective rallying this. That is why they are so opposed constantly strive to bring to the fore face of Tsereteli’s determination to Kornilov’s rise and his rivalry point for what for a while looks like an to the Opposition. The Opposition the fundamental question–ending war suppress it, together with threats by the with Kerensky as potential exhausted counterrevolution. destroys the cohesion of the collective; is bound up with ending capitalism. Black Hundreds, Lenin at first urged rightwing dictator of Russia are well The treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March a cohesion that has been built up with n Communists are internationalists. that the party should participate. But documented, and there seems no point 3 1918) detonates the resignation of such difficulty (p313). Everywhere we strive for the closest then he swung round to supporting a in going into a detailed discussion the Left SRs from the government unity and agreement of working class proposal that it be cancelled. “The fact of Miéville’s treatment of the topic This is followed by a denunciation by Lastly, Trotsky is usefully quoted on and progressive parties of all countries. is that Lenin had blinked,” comments here. Suffice it to say that Kornilov the SR heroine, Maria Spiridonova, of 1905, to the effect that: “Without the We oppose every manifestation comrade Miéville (p151). was defeated militarily and arrested. food requisitioning by the state (p309) direct state support of the European of national sectionalism. It is an Lenin even abstained when the vote We can pick up the tale on the and the ostensible Left SR uprising proletariat, the working class of Russia internationalist duty to uphold the was called - very uncharacteristic. morning of October 10, as the in June 1918 (I hope to discuss this cannot remain in power and convert its principle, ‘One state, one party’. This provoked a comment from Igor author’s action-packed retelling of in a forthcoming piece on Europe temporary domination into a lasting Naumov, a member of the Bolshevik the drama reaches its climax. The between the first and second world socialistic dictatorship” (pp29-30). n The working class must be delegation to the Soviet: “If the Bolshevik CC meets in Nikolai wars, together with a number of further This judgement has been proven organised globally. Without a global cancellation was correct, when did Sukhanov’s flat, attended by 12 out events listed in the book). A discussion correct, although not in the way many Communist Party, a Communist we make a mistake?” This affords of 21 members, including Lenin follows of the armed actions of the observers expected - the rule of the International, the struggle against Miéville the opportunity to point in disguise as “a clean-shaven, Czechoslovak Legion in May 1918, workers was undermined from within. capital is weakened and lacks to a well-known left tradition - bespectacled, grey-haired man - the civil war (1918-21) - Miéville Trotsky reiterated his concern with coordination. exaggeration of successes and refusal ‘every bit like a Lutheran minister’, gives a succinct and accurate résumé the European revolution many times n Communists have no interest ever to acknowledge mistakes. He Alexandra Kollontai remembered” of why the Whites lost, the unspeakable after: eg, in War and the International apart from the working class quotes “the vinegary humorist”, (p261 - photos of Lenin as himself suffering of the Russian people at this (1915) through to The revolution as a whole. They differ only in Nadezhda Teffi, to the effect that “If and as “Konstantin Petrovich Ivanov” time (pp311-12), the institution of betrayed (1936), where, explaining recognising the importance of Lenin were to talk about a meeting are reproduced in the book). the Cheka (red secret police) led by that Europe suffers because it is split Marxism as a guide to practice. at which he, Zinoviev, Kamenev and We are told on p263 that “Lenin Feliks Dzerzhinsky, who is quoted up into numerous national states, he That theory is no dogma, but five horses were present, he would wanted insurrection the next day”. as saying at the end of 1918, while declared: “The task of the European must be constantly added to and say ‘There were eight of us’” (p152). He may have wanted it then, but drunk: “I have spilt so much blood I no proletariat is not the perpetuation of enriched. Likewise during the July Days, at the resolution he drafted (quoted on longer have any right to live” (p312). boundaries, but, on the contrary, their n Capitalism in its ceaseless a certain point when the Bolshevik p262) does not set a date - how could It is recorded that a Cheka newspaper revolutionary abolition; not the status search for profit puts the future leaders were debating what to do, it? It reads: called for the use of torture against quo, but the Socialist United States of 6 of humanity at risk. Capitalism is word reached them that the armed enemies of the revolution, whereupon Europe.” synonymous with war, pollution, masses were approaching, eager to The CC acknowledges the the Soviet authorities closed the organ In conclusion, I would recommend a exploitation and crisis. As a global establish soviet power. This prompted international situation as it affects down (ibid). reading, in conjunction with the book’s system capitalism can only be someone to ask in astonishment: the Russian Revolution … as well The 1921 ban on factions in the epilogue, of an article by Al Richardson superseded globally. “Without the sanction of the central as the military situation … and the Communist Party is duly noted; which appeared in What Next? (No6, n committee?” (p173). (The late Labour fact that the proletarian party has likewise what has been called ‘Lenin’s 1997, pp26-28), which argues that the The capitalist class will never MP and broadcaster, Brian Walden, gained majorities in the soviets - all last struggle’ (the title of a book by Bolshevik revolution may be thought of willingly allow their wealth and is reported to have said in the early this, coupled with the peasant Moshe Lewin) is mentioned briefly. as premature, with its anomalous state power to be taken away by a 1960s, “I would be in favour of a insurrection and the swing of popular The so-called ‘Lenin testament’ is form, but that the question can only parliamentary vote. revolution if I could control it”.) confidence to our party, and, finally, very briefly alluded to, about the need ultimately be decided by the ongoing n We will use the most militant the obvious preparation for a second to remove Stalin as party general class struggle. methods objective circumstances July Days Kornilovschina [Kornilov affair] secretary. Lenin’s death in 1924 (p313) A measure of the worth of China allow to achieve a federal republic The July Days (especially July 3 and … makes armed insurrection the leads to the emergence of a grotesque Miéville’s book is that, given a basic of England, Scotland and Wales, 4) were the most critical period in order of the day … Recognising Lenin cult (which his wife in particular knowledge of the events, which can a united, federal Ireland and a 1917 for the Bolsheviks up to that that an armed uprising is inevitable objected to). easily be got from John Reed’s Ten United States of Europe. time, and China Miéville discusses and the time fully ripe, the CC The rest of the list comprises days that shook the world, everyone n Communists favour industrial them extensively (pp167-97). can gain by reading it l unions. Bureaucracy and class This chapter is particularly useful, Chris Gray compromise must be fought and as such moments have occurred the trade unions transformed into more than once in a revolutionary Notes schools for communism. situation (eg, Germany 1919 and 1. A good deal of information on the soviets is given in the index, p359 (Petrograd) and on n Communists are champions of 1921; Portugal 1975), where a section pp365-66 (general). the oppressed. Women’s oppression, of the population is anxious to take 2. The term ‘White Hundreds’ was used in mediaeval Russia to designate the privileged combating racism and chauvinism, action, but does not have sufficient and the struggle for peace and support for that to succeed. The nobility and wealthy merchants; by contrast, active supporters of such organisations as the ecological sustainability are just revolutionary party, therefore, has to Union of Russian People (of 1905 provenance) as much working class questions try to hold its supporters back, so as to were definitely not usually nobles or merchants: hence they became known as ‘Black Hundreds’. as pay, trade union rights and allow time for larger masses to be won demands for high-quality health, over. A street demonstration began on This information is from O Figes A people’s tragedy London 1997, p195. See also DC Rawson housing and education. July 3 and turned violent. Marchers Russian rightists and the revolution of 1905 overturned trams, revolutionary Cambridge 1995, and W Laqueur Black Hundred: n Socialism represents victory soldiers set up machine gun posts on the rise of the extreme right in Russia London in the battle for democracy. It the bridges of the Neva, and left and 1994. is the rule of the working class. 3. Strictly speaking, the slogan, ‘All power to the Socialism is either democratic or, right clashed in the street. The mood soviets!’, which expresses this is illogical, since on the left was insurrectionary: “... power simply means the ability to do something as with Stalin’s Soviet Union, it this movement could not be reversed. or get something done, and cannot therefore be turns into its opposite. concentrated in one institution or set of n The question for the Bolsheviks, institutions. The slogan really means that the Socialism is the first stage then, was whether to shun it, join it soviets should have sovereign power, and echoes of the worldwide transition to or attempt to lead it” (p173). the historical sovereignty of the tsar. communism–a system which The party decided to go with the 4. In one sense this famous sentence was ill- knows neither wars, exploitation, phrased, since it gave the impression that flow, and gave the demonstration its socialism could simply be instituted as a series of money, classes, states nor nations. official blessing. But the movement steps by the Russian people, regardless of outside Communism is general freedom lacked direction, and the crowds events (Stalin’s gloss in 1924). But, as comrade and the real beginning of human dispersed with the coming of Miéville notes, “Lenin was clear that it was not history. darkness. The next day, which was our immediate task to ‘introduce socialism, prior to a European socialist revolution, but to place The Weekly Worker is licensed by still more violent, involved the power in the hands of working people, rather than November Publications under a Creative capture by sailors from Kronstadt to pursue political class collaboration, as Commons Attribution-NonCommercial of the great Peter and Paul Fortress advocated by the Mensheviks’” (p113). 4.0 International Licence: http:// 5. See A Kollontai Selected writings London creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ 1977, pp312-14. legalcode. ISSN 1351-0150. China Miéville: 6. L Trotsky The revolution betrayed Detroit 1998, history, politics, people p198. No 1168 August 31 2017 weekly We need to be able to worker think Not a religious approach Our aim is to have serious debate, Peter Manson reports, and this year’s CU certainly came up to the mark in terms of the quality of the speakers his year our annual summer faced by our own movement - were school, Communist University, explored in the session entitled Ttook place from August 12-19 ‘Anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism’, and attracted around 80-90 partici- whose two platform speakers were pants over the eight days. As well as regular Weekly Worker writers Moshé comrades from the CPGB and Labour Machover and Tony Greenstein. They Party Marxists, the two sponsors of this stressed the need to remain firm in year’s event, members and supporters our opposition to Zionism despite of the Labour Party, Left Unity, the onslaught of a good section of the Revolutionary Socialism in the 21st establishment, which absurdly equates Century, the International Bolshevik this with anti-Jewish racism. Tendency, Platypus Affiliated Society, Then there were the sessions Economic and Philosophic Science introduced by other Weekly Worker Review, Socialist Party of Great regulars and CPGB comrades. Mike Britain, the US Red Party and Socialist Macnair gave two talks - ‘1967 and Fight also took part. all that’ dealt with the Sexual Offences The purpose of CU is to clarify Act, while ‘The “rule of law” delusion’ our ideas and attempt to resolve our emphasised that bourgeois legality differences through open debate - a in fact reflects current ideas in the feature that was noted by several of “political class” and, although it is a our guest speakers. For example, Chris question of the balance of forces, is Knight of the Radical Anthropology “fundamentally a guarantee of property Group stressed that Marxism is not rights”. Which is why we “don’t trust a “religious ideology” - “we need to judges”, concluded comrade Macnair. be able to think” and be “open to new Enigmatically entitled ‘Computer ideas”, which was why he thought CU says no’, Paul Demarty’s talk came up had such a useful role to play. His RAG with another challenge: how do we make comrade, Camilla Power, in introducing use of the fruits of automation when her session on ‘The revolutionary “computers are rendering large parts sex’, remarked that “this forum is very Marxism requires constant enquiry, not shibboleths of the workforce superfluous”? For her productive” for those who are “trying to part, Yassamine Mather’s talk entitled think”. And Michael Roberts, speaking new situation - a position that the out that, when Trotsky began writing in situation in Britain ‘After the June 8 ‘Trump and the Middle East’ covered on the ‘Challenges ahead for global Bolsheviks overwhelmingly shared. detail about the so-called ‘fundamental general election’. But one aspect of a large number of questions relating to capitalism’, reported that when he puts For some comrades, including Gerry break’ triggered by Lenin’s April his talk was misunderstood by IBT both US politics and those of several forward his ideas in articles and on his Downing of Socialist Fight, the call theses, it was in circumstances of supporter Alan Gibson, who seemed Middle Eastern countries - expect more blog, people often respond: “That’s all for the “revolutionary democratic both a factional battle against Stalin to think that the CPGB believed the from this comrade very soon in these very well, but what’s he going to do dictatorship of the proletariat and and the cult of Lenin, so his writing Labour Party could be transformed pages! As for Kevin Bean’s ‘Populism, about it?” Well, “that’s part of the reason peasantry” was - thanks to Lenin, cannot be seen as historical works into the modern equivalent of soviet nationalism and the new/old politics we’re sitting here”, he said. in opposition to the majority of the pure and simple. The main lesson, power or even a revolutionary Marxist in Europe’, the first article based on it Unsurprisingly one of the school’s Bolshevik leadership - completely however, was the need for unity around party. But comrade Conrad was in fact appears elsewhere in this paper, so I will main themes was the Russian ditched. a principled programme, bringing comparing the Labour Party we aim to not say any more here. Revolution, as well as the historical But for others the Soviets of together the many shades of opinion in win with soviets in the sense of them Lawrence Parker gave the type of background to it. For example, Workers’, Peasants’ and Soldiers’ the revolutionary Marxist movement, being a united front of a permanent kind. interesting analysis we have come Neil Davidson of RS21 gave a talk Deputies was the revolutionary he concluded. Comrade Gibson also took issue to expect in his talk on ‘The Sunday entitled ‘How revolutionary were dictatorship of the proletariat and Other sessions relating to 1917 with CPGB comrades over the call Worker and the National Left Wing the bourgeois revolutions?’, while peasantry given flesh and bone, and, as were Anne McShane’s ‘Women and for the organisation of rank-and-file Movement’. He described the NLWM, August Nimtz’s three sessions were: comrade Conrad pointed out, there was the Russian Revolution’, Bob Arnott’s soldiers in trade unions - he seemed to set up by the CPGB in 1926, as a ‘Marx and Engels and the democratic a unique form of dual power because ‘The birth of Soviet healthcare’ and the oppose this in principle, as the armed “generally healthy organisation”, which breakthrough’; ‘Lenin, Bolshevism the ‘socialist’ majority in the soviets two talks introduced by Hillel Ticktin. forces are state agencies pure and “doesn’t fit into any ‘right opportunist’ and the tsar’s duma’; and ‘Bolshevism, were determined to hand power to the The second of these, titled ‘The real simple, and should not be touched template” despite the efforts of some soviet elections and the Constituent bourgeois Provisional government. alternative when socialism in one by Marxists ... unless there is a on the left. Assembly’. US author and political Comrade Mulholland stated in his country seemed inevitable’, involved revolutionary situation. For his part, All in all, even though the activist comrade Nimtz featured for talk that Lenin and the Bolsheviks some ‘what if’ history - if, for example, comrade Knight reported the reaction attendance at Communist University the first time at CU and proved to be had always believed in a “bourgeois Trotsky had used his military position of soldiers when in the early 1970s was disappointing compared to recent a very welcome addition to our list of revolution led by the working class”, to seize power after Lenin’s death. This he had handed out leaflets calling for years, there were very many stimulating speakers. In the coming weeks we hope in a country where “the peasantry led to an interesting discussion about union organisation: “About fucking sessions. As usual, the discussion to feature articles based on his talks, as will hold back the proletariat from the relationship between the objective time!” they responded. continued well into the evening - both well as those of several other speakers. socialism”. situation and the role of individuals. In his talk on the ‘Challenges informally over a drink and in the three A recurring area of contention - in Comrade Conrad referred to this ahead for global capitalism’ comrade fringe meetings. These were organised comrade Knight’s ‘Lessons of the as a “bourgeois revolution without Challenges Roberts identified these as the “huge by Platypus, the Socialist Party of Great October revolution’, Neil Davidson’s the bourgeoisie”. After October there But Communist University was about rise in inequality”, the “inability to Britain and comrade Peter Moody of ‘How revolutionary were the bourgeois was a working class-led government far more than 1917. For instance, the grow” and the apparent impotence of the US Red Party l revolutions?’ and Marc Mulholland’s which relied above all on triggering the opening session, also presented by the bourgeoisie in the face of climate ‘The Bolshevik problem of breaking European revolution. He also pointed comrade Conrad, was about the political change. Other challenges - this time [email protected] with capitalism’ - was the significance of April 1917. Did Lenin’s return to Subscribe Name:______Standing order Russia signify a fundamental break 6m 1yr Inst. To ______Bank plc ______with old Bolshevism or was it a question Address:______UK £30/€35 £60/€70 £200/€220 Branch address ______of “continuity and adaptation”, as the Europe £43/€50 £86/€100 £240/€264 ______CPGB’s Jack Conrad asserted in the Rest of £65/€75 £130/€150 £480/€528 Post code ______Account name ______world final CU session, fittingly entitled ______Sort code ______Account No ______‘Bolshevism vindicated’? New UK subscribers offer: While comrade Davidson had 3 months for £10 ______Please pay to Weekly Worker, Lloyds A/C No 00744310 sort code 30-99-64, the sum of ______every month*/3 months* commented that “the Bolsheviks until further notice, commencing on ______This replaces any previous order from this account. (*delete) UK subscribers: Pay by standing order and Tel:______thought Lenin was crazy in April”, save £12 a year. Minimum £12 every 3 Date ______it was clear from the openings of months... but please pay more if you can. Email:______Signed ______Name (PRINT) ______comrades Nimtz and Mulholland that they did not see things quite that Send a cheque or postal order payable to ‘Weekly Worker’ at: Sub: £/€ ______Address ______way. It was a question of applying Weekly Worker, BCM Box 928, ______the Bolshevik programme to the London WC1N 3XX Donation: £/€ ______