Friday, March 24, 2006

Conflicts between Leninism and Marxism

Here's a more indepth look at the conflicts, instead of merely the one argument I posted earlier.

1) Conflicts in Theory

In Left-Wing Communism: an Infantile Disorder by Lenin, he stated:
"I repeat: the experience of the victorious dictatorship of the proletariat in Russia has clearly shown even to those who are incapable of thinking or have had no occasion to give thought to the matter that absolute centralisation and rigorous discipline of the proletariat are an essential condition of victory over the bourgeoisie."

This is basically saying that the Proletariat is to be obedient to the Party. Their obedience leads to working and producing for the Party, or Revolution. Working for anyone but themselves, according to Marx, is alienation of the worker.

In The Alienation of Labor, by Marx he claims:
"When the product of labor does not belong to the laborer, when a strange, foreign power confronts and dominates him, this can only be possible if it belongs to a human being other than the laborer."

Since Leninism calls for the virtual domination of the proletariat in order for the revolution to succeed, then the Proletariat is being Alienated, according to Marx. Which is what Communism is fighting so hard against.

Although, to be fair to Lenin, this wasn't published until 1932, after Lenin's death. I haven't read all of Marx and I am unsure if this was mentioned numerous times or not. Nevertheless, his mistakes could possibly be forgiven and rectified by future rulers of his newly created country. Except, this isn't what occurred. Stalin, and his supporters, still called for the obedience of the workers as well.

2) Logic

The Dictatorship of the Proletariat is when complete power is put into the working class. In the SU, the Vanguard Party had complete power over the government. The Proletariat was allowed to vote and needed to give consent to the Party as to which members could rule them, they weren't allowed to chose the members themselves. The Party nominated candidates and if they were denied by the Proletariat than they would nominate another, and so on.

With that established, the Party itself was not Proletarian as they do not produce anything. They're 100% dependent on the Proletariat for their livelihood, as were the Bourgeois. So, not only are the Proletarians unable to chose their leaders, the leaders they have are not even part of their class. This cannot possibly be a Dictatorship of the Proletariat and therefore it is un-Marxist.

3) Quotas

In some cases of the SU, the worker was given quotas to which they were too accomplish in their working activities. This contradicts Marxism to the fullest.

In The Alienation of Labor, by Marx he states:
[I]"His labor is not voluntary, but constrained, forced labor. Therefore, it does not meet a need, but rather it is a means to meet some need alien to it."

The worker is no longer working for him(or her)self and therefore the economic system ceases to be Marxist and is more accurately, Corporatism.

4) Dividing the Proletariat

Scoreboards were put up in factories to show which worker was the most productive and which was not. It creates two groups of workers, the fast and slow. Like other social constructs (such as Racism) it's aimed to divide the Proletariat into separate groups as to avoid any uprising. The quicker worker is happy with the present system because he/she is is recognized for their accomplishments and place themselves above the slower worker, which in turn eliminates equality. While the slower worker is doomed to humiliation every time the scoreboard is updated and they find themselves on the bottom of the list.

This list probably wont end, as there is so much information I have yet to read. Anyone able to add to this list, which deals with Leninism and it's conflicts with Marxism, please do. I will be adding to it as I learn more about the subject as well.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

HEY!! You don't know me, nor do probably any of your commentorz. haha, but I am actually writing an 8 page paper on the contradictions between Marxism and Leninism!!!!!! I was so excited when I saw your page and the forum you posted on!!! thank GOD! I finally found a page where I can fit in and know that my ideas are bullshit (or ALONE). haha i dont have a blogger but if you want to email me (or give me more ideas for my god damn paper due this monday) feel free to email me at prspirate@gmail.com. i actually dont live to far from you, i am in northern illinois just below the boarder. so howdy, fellow midwesterner! haha thanks, get back to me! -George

4/14/2006 10:30 PM  
Blogger D_Bokk said...

Firstly like to make it clear that Lenin doesn't fully contradict Marxism. I've found his economic theory (not his action with the NEP) to be in conjunction with Marxism. However my attacks on theory is basically on his his views on government.

A contradiction I haven't added yet is in regard with Stalin's sending Orthodox Church officials to the Army during WWII basically being an opiate of the mass - something Marx opposed. Although Lenin specifically spoke harshly of religion and wanted it to completely stay out of the public life, his most loyal follower acted otherwise. Another contradiction has to do with Russia not going through the Capitalist stage of development before Lenin rushed his revolution. There also wasn't any mass action for the Bolshevik revolution, it more resembled a coup ( http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSnovemberR.htm )

What's the 8-page paper for? I hope my additional information helped and I was also wondering if you mistyped this sentence:
"I finally found a page where I can fit in and know that my ideas are bullshit (or ALONE)."

4/15/2006 11:49 PM  

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