Critical remarks to the idea of “democratic centrism”
After the victory of the October Revolution, revolutionary socialist parties and groups all over the world tried to follow in their organisation structure the so called "Leninist party model". The author of the discussion paper argues that this special Leninist party model never existed – the Bolshevik Party followed especially organisation standards of western social democratic parties. What subsequent revolutionary movements regarded as the ideal model was in fact the simplified version of the Bolshevik Party's structure, which developed after the party had taken the power and which was infected with bureaucratic distortions. Insisting on this wrong organisational model has greatly contributed to the defeat of revolutionary socialism in the 20th Century.
The politics of assumption, the assumption of politics
In his Capital, Marx throughout maintained the simplifying theoretical precondition that the value of labour is fixed and constant. However by this he mostly closed out discussing problems concerning class struggle and the organisational level of the working class from the analysis of capitalism in Capital. The connection, that increasing productivity results in proportionally higher profit only if the working class remains disorganised or its segmentation increases, receives little attention. Nevertheless, the capital immanently and necessarily aims not only increasing productivity but also deepening divisions among workers.
Lenin and the “organisation question” – historical reconstruction
The author continues his work on the legacy of Lenin on the so called organisation question. The study reconstructs Lenin's views on the party in the early days – showing it by historical sources. Revolutionary party can be established only in revolutionary times. Due to lack of revolutionary working class movement an emigrant syndrome had developed. The debate between Lenin and Bogdanov (1907-1912) after the failed revolution is exiting, because actual theoretical and methodological conclusions can be based on it. Lenin represented the Marxist approach to politics in a given historical situation against Bogdanov, Mensheviks and the so called leftist Bolsheviks.
No. 70 | (Summer 2006)
This issue of Eszmélet addresses two major and historically relevant topics: the popular front, of which actuality is given by the anniversary of the Spanish civil war, and the second is the so-called organisational issue that is unresolved internationally as we entered into the new era of globalisation. In order to contribute to raise the level of intellectual debates of the political left in Hungary, it is important to sum up the relevant aspects of the oeuvre of Lenin concerning this topic.
In Hungary, so far no unbiased analysis was made on the international support to the forces of the Spanish Republic, the division and reasons of the split in the Spanish left, the role of anarchists, the weight of Soviet help in the civil war etc. Conclusions from the articles published can be relevant to restore unity of the present left. The Leninist experience on the organisational issue can also be linked to this question. What are the traps to be avoided by the present left? What were the profoundly different structural features of party development before and after 1917? Have we faced the progressive heritage of pre-Stalinist Marxism? Have we wasted 18 years since the system change? On historically and theoretically analysing the past probably we have not but concerning lessons to be learned – certainly yes.
Table of contents
- Harsányi Iván : Popular front – looking back over 70 years
- Farkas Miklós : When World War II began? The military coup against the Second Spanish Republic broke out 70 years ago
- Mezei Bálint : Soviet officers in the Spanish Civil War
- Konok Péter : Is the enemy of my enemy my friend? The failure of the Spanish popular front in May 1937
- Zolcsák Attila : Anarchist federalism and Spanish regionalism
- Ana Bazac : Present-day popular fronts
- Bánki Éva : Europe − for cartoon heroes On Aleš Debeljak: Europe without Europeans
- Joaquín Bustelo : Critical remarks to the idea of “democratic centrism”
- Michael A. Lebowitz : The politics of assumption, the assumption of politics
- Krausz Tamás : Lenin and the “organisation question” – historical reconstruction
No. 69 | (Spring 2006)
Table of contents
- Szigeti Péter, Szalai Erzsébet, Lugosi Győző, Wiener György : Exploring world systems (Global “open competition” – the current stage of world capitalism)
- Mészáros István : Farewell to Harry Magdoff
- Marsovszky Magdolna : Anti-Semitism: “Negative aspects of a positive programme”
- Gyenyisz Leonyidovics Babicsenko : Residency in the Soviet Union (Yuri Andropov’s official biography rather resembles to a cover story of a professional spy)
- Sziklai László : After the End – On The Auschwitz Album. Story of a Transport
- Robin Blackburn : A visionary pragmatist: Rudolf Meidner, 1914 – 2005
- Istvánffy András : Resistance and the centre of the structure
- Paul Blackledge : A critique of “anti-Leninist” anti-capitalism
- Alekszandr Nyikolajevics Taraszov : World Revolution. A return to the strategy of global revolution also integrating 20th century’s experience
- Bartók Gyula : Will a global socialist revolution come?
- Rastko Močnik : Social changes in the Balkans
- Boda Zsolt : Environmental effects of economic globalisation