Marx, Lenin and the Disappearing Dictatorship,
by Dave Fryett
The principal point of contention between Marxists and anarchists is the state, particularly the one that is expected to dissipate once capitalism is well and truly expunged worldwide. Often Lenin's State and Revolution is referenced in defense of this theory. Somebody (Bebel, I think) said this book was "half Blanquist and half anarchist." Unfortunately, Lenin was only sincere about the Blanquist part. Here is an oft-cited passage:
"We must organise production on a large scale, starting
from what has already been done by Capitalism. By
ourselves, we workers, relying on our own experience as
workers, must create an unshakable and iron discipline
supported by the power of the armed workers ; we must
reduce the rôle of the State officials to that of simply
carrying out our instructions ; they must be respon-
sible, revocable, moderately paid " managers and clerks
(of course, with technical knowledge of all sorts, types
and degrees) . This is our proletarian task . With this
we can and must begin when we have accomplished the
proletarian revolution . Such a beginning, on the basis
of large scale industry, will of itself lead to the gradual
decay of all bureaucracy, to the gradual creation of a
new order, an order without inverted commas, an order
bearing no similarity to wage slavery, an order in which
the constant simplification of the functions of inspec-
tion and registration will admit of their being performed
by each in turn, will then become a habit, and will
finally die out as special functions of a special class."
Sadly, this is the kind of political hucksterism which inspires people who are easily moved and not predisposed to critical thinking. This reads like a speech one might hear at the Democratic or Republican convention; higher minded and higher brow, but in effect and purpose pretty much the same. It's popularity is due to its addressing a political anxiety--in this case capitalism--and presumes to resolve it while presenting an enticing, cherubic future. However, on closer examination, this precis only superficially engages its putative subject and doesn't rejoin any of the associated criticism. This snippet is a triumph of style over substance, and where it does grapple with the concrete, it falters. This passage is intended to stir, not elucidate. It's a rallying cry which targets emotion, not intellect. There is no program here, just nebulous meanderings through an undifferentiated polity that is to come at an unspecified time. This book was written before the Bol putsch in October and published shortly thereafter. It's purpose was to galvanize workers' and peasants' support for an all-to-real, here-and-now, authoritarian, state capitalist regime from whose loci of power they were to remain in indefinite alienation, and in which they were to be economically exploited. Their duty was to suffer obediently, and in the end, as a class, they would inherit the Earth.
Let's look line by line. I'll use caps to differentiate.
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We
WHO IS 'WE'? THE ISSUE BETWEEN ANARCHS AND LENINISTS IS WHO SHALL HOLD POWER. FOR THE FORMER, IT MUST REST WITH THE WORKERS AND ALL DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY MUST BE MADE BY THEM AND SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE RECALL. AN ANARCHIST POLITY IS BUILT FROM BOTTOM UP, WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF LENINISM. BEFORE THE BOLS SUBVERTED THE FREE SOVIETS AND BROUGHT THEM UNDER PARTY CONTROL, THEIR CONTROL, IN THE ALL-RUSSIAN (I.E. NATIONAL) SOVIET, THE WORKERS AND PEASANTS ESTABLISHED THE ALL-RUSSIAN COUNCIL OF WORKERS' CONTROL (ARCWC). IT'S PURPOSE WAS TO MONITOR THOSE ENGAGED IN POLITICAL A/O BUREAUCRATIC ACTIVITY.
THIS IS ANARCHISM, SOCIALISM BY CONSENSUS FROM BELOW.
AFTER KERENSKY WAS DEFEATED, THE BOLS ESTABLISHED THE COMMISAR-LADEN VESENKA WHICH WAS TO RUN THE ECONOMY. WORKERS AND PEASANTS HAD TO COMPLY WITH VESENKA ORDERS UNDER PAIN OF PENALTY. THE ARCWC WAS SUBSUMED INTO AND SUBORDINATED TO THE NEWLY FORMED COUNCIL OF COMMISARS, THEREBY EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATING ANY SEMBLANCE OF WORKER CONTROL OVER THE "WORKERS' STATE."
THAT IS LENINISM, SOCIALISM BY UKASE FROM ABOVE.
THE ARCWC OBJECTED FIERCELY TO NO AVAIL AND AROUND THE COUNTRY VARIOUS REGIONAL WORKERS' SOVIETS REFUSED TO COMPLY WITH VESENKA DIRECTIVES AND WENT ON CONDUCTING FREE ELECTIONS TO THEIR SOVIETS AND DECIDING ECONOMIC POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR THEMSELVES. DUE TO THE EXTREME AND INSTANTANEOUS WORKER HATRED FOR THE VESENKA, LENIN DECIDED NOT TO PUSH THE ISSUE IMMEDIATELY AND CREATED THE POLICY OF "DUAL SUBORDINATION." AS THE NAME IMPLIES, IT ALLOWED WORKERS TO FOLLOW THEIR OWN GUIDELINES UNLESS EXPLICITLY CONTRADICTED BY A COMMISAR. EVEN THIS PRETENSE DIDN'T LAST LONG AS WHEN SO-CALLED WAR COMMUNISM BEGAN FREE ELECTIONS TO SOVIETS ENDED.
SO WHEN LENIN SAYS "WE" HE MEANS AN UNACCOUNTABLE, AUTHORITARIAN ELITE WHO WILL RULE OVER THE WORKERS AND PEASANTS.
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We must organise production on a large scale,
NO, IT ISN'T NECESSARY. ACTUALLY, IT'S COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO UPSIZE ALL FORMS OF PRODUCTION.
SOME PRODUCTION LENDS ITSELF TO LARGE-SCALE OPERATIONS, SOME DOESN'T. THIS IS A LARGE TOPIC, BUT THE GOAL IS TO MARRY CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION, WHILE BEING AS WORKER- AND ECO-FRIENDLY AS POSSIBLE. THE POINTS ARE THAT A) WORKERS WILL DECIDE THESE THINGS NOT BUREAUCRATS, AND B) PRODUCTION OF THE FUTURE WILL INCLUDE LARGE-, MEDIUM-, AND SMALL-SCALE MODELS ALONGSIDE CRAFT AND ARTISINAL PRODUCTION.
AGAIN, THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS AND THE SUBJECT IS JUST TOO LARGE TO BE ADDRESSED HERE, SO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT OR INVESTIGATE AND YOU WILL SEE JUST HOW DISCONNECTED THIS LENINIST MANTRA IS FROM THE REALITY OF GLOBAL ECONOMICS. PEOPLE WHO SPOUT THIS INANITY DON'T HAVE A CLUE. THEY ARE CLEARLY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE SUBJECT AND ARE JUST MAKING FOOLS OF THEMSELVES.
WORKERS, MEET YOUR VANGUARD!
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starting from what has already been done by Capitalism.
HE DOES SAY "STARTING," SO I GUESS THAT'S HIS GET-OUT-OF-JAIL-FREE CARD, BUT THIS BESPEAKS AN IGNORANCE OF THE SUBJECT.
FIRST, CAPITALIST PRODUCTION IS UNDERTAKEN TO SELL/LEASE GOODS/SERVICES, TO GENERATE REVENUE FOR THE PARTICULAR COMPANY OR CORPORATION WHICH MARKETS SAID GOODS/SERVICES. THAT'S A BAD PLACE TO START EVEN IF, PARTICULARLY IF, PROFIT IS NOT THE GOAL.
SECOND, AGAIN THIS IS A MORE COMPLEX ISSUE THAN IS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED, BUT A MAJOR FACTOR, PERHAPS THE LARGEST, IS SIMPLE LOGISTICS. I LIVED IN VEGAS, AND I HAD A DELL COMPUTER. SOME OF THE COMPONENTS WERE PRODUCED IN THE SILICON VALLEY, AND PASSED BY RAIL LITERALLY WITHIN A MILE OF MY HOUSE ON ITS WAY TO BE ASSEMBLED IN TEXAS AND THEN SHIPPED TO VEGAS WHERE I BOUGHT IT. CAPITALIST LOGISTICS ARE NOT JUST HIDEOUSLY INEFFICIENT, THEY ARE AN ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER. IT MAKES SENSE FOR SOME PRODUCTION AND ASSEMBLY TO BE CENTRALIZED AND SOME LOCALIZED. TAKE MY WORD FOR IT OT LOOK INTO IT FOR YOURSELF AND YOU WILL SEE THAT THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF WORKHOURS WASTED GLOBALLY AND AT AN ENVIRONMENTAL COST. CAPITALIST PRODUCTION, ASSEMBLY, DISTRIBUTION IS A FUCKING MESS, AND NEEDS TO BE IMMEDIATELY REORGANIZED POST-REVO.
THIRD, WORKERS A/O DEPUTEES WILL MAKE THESE DECISIONS, NOT THEORISTS.
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By ourselves, we workers, relying on our own experience as
workers,
"WE' WORKERS? LENIN WAS NEVER A WORKER (AND IT SHOWS). HE HAS NO EXPERIENCE AS A WORKER. HE HAS NO SHAME.
NO, THE EMANCIPATION OF THE WORKING CLASS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE WORKING CLASS ITSELF. THIS IS THE KIND OF EMOTIONAL SLOGANEERING WHICH PLEASES NON-THINKERS, BUT MORE SANELY, DEFECTORS FROM OTHER CLASSES ARE TO BE WELCOMED AND WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE REVOLUTION, BUT THAT IS WHAT LENIN IS--NOT A WORKER.
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must create an unshakable and iron discipline
SOMEBODY DID A DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF LENIN'S CANON AND THE TWO MOST USED WORDS WERE "CONTROL" AND "DISCIPLINE."
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supported by the power of the armed workers;
IT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS BOOK IS FOR PROPAGANDA PURPOSES. SOME OF IT IS SINCERE, AND SOME NOT. WHEN HE WROTE THIS HE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO INTENTION OF ARMING WORKERS--ZERO! AND, OF COURSE, HE DIDN'T. HE DISARMED WORKERS.
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we must reduce the rôle of the State officials to that of simply
carrying out our instructions;
OH, THAT'S THE BIG LIE. THAT'S THE MONEY SHOT RIGHT THERE.
HE DID THE OPPOSITE, HE NEVER INTENDED TO DO OTHERWISE. THROUGHOUT LENIN'S ENTIRE CAREER, HE WAS THE ENEMY OF WORKER POWER. HE WAS A VANGUARDIST BEFORE THE TERM. HIS MAJOR THEORETICAL CONTRIBUTION WAS TO REBUT MARX' BELIEF THAT WORKERS WOULD REACH REVOLUTIONARY CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGH STRUGGLE. LENIN INSISTED THAT BY THEMSELVES WORKERS COULD ONLY REACH TRADE UNION CONSCIOUSNESS, AND NEEDED A VANGUARD TO SHOW THEM THE WAY. IF ONE LOOKS AT HIS CAREER, HE HAS AT EVERY TURN SIDED AGAINST WORKER POWER. FROM HIS DISPUTES IN THE EARLY DAYS WITH PLEKHANOV AND AXELROD AND MARTOV, LATER WITH TROTSKY AND LUXEMBURG, ONCE IN POWER WITH BUKHARIN AND BOGDANOV AND KOLLONTAI, LENIN WAS ALWAYS ARGUING AGAINST WORKERS' POWER. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS, NONE! ONE CAN ARGUE THAT LENIN'S APPROACH IS THE PROPER ONE, BUT HE HAD NO PATIENCE WITH WORKERS.
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they must be responsible, revocable, moderately paid " managers and clerks
(of course, with technical knowledge of all sorts, types
and degrees) .
THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE TO THE PARTY-HIS PARTY; THEY COULD BE RECALLED BY THE PARTY; AND THEY WERE PAID WORKERS' WAGES FOR ABOUT A MONTH OR SO. THEY QUICKLY RECEIVED EXTRA RATIONS AND PAY SO AS, LENIN INSISTED, KEEP THEM FROM FALLING PREY TO CORRUPTION.
