Surviving Capitalism (Not) : "From Dissident to Anti-Imperialist Performer"

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Monday, November 3, 2014

"From Dissident to Anti-Imperialist Performer"

Click here to access article from The Greanville Post.

Two disillusioned men with roots in Communist countries, one a former dissident from the Czech Republic, Milan Kohout, and the other a Russian born citizen who immigrated to the US at a young age, probably with his parents, get together at a village in western Czech Republic to discuss their disappointments. It's clear that they both embraced American culture initially, but came away profoundly in opposition to it. I think that in this interview they are trying to understand what happened with themselves and many other dissidents from all the "Communist" countries. I don't think they really found the answer. So, permit me to offer my own opinion.

I think that the main reason that "really existing socialism" failed in the 20th century was because it was informed by a vanguard political orientation. Although a politically conscious revolutionary organization may be necessary to get the ball rolling toward a revolution, such an orientation never ceased after their revolutions. After overturning the old ruling class, people in the "vanguard" regarded themselves as having a superior political consciousness, and entitled by their revolutionary service to assume leadership which easily evolved into a ruling class. When genuine as well as capitalist inspired opposition began to appear, they resorted to police-state tactics to suppress opposition. Obviously subversive actions from Western capitalist countries was always a threat, but the Communist suppression of genuine dissent among their own populations had a reactionary effect.

I think the lessons for a future revolution against capitalist rule are clear. Only a rock solid anchoring of power within the grass-roots of society has any chance of taking down capitalist rule and enduring over time. The secret of capitalism's endurance, in spite of a horrendous record, has been the overwhelming capitalist control of ideological institutions--media, education, and entertainment. Hence, an enduring people centered system, one grounded in the grassroots of society, must emphasize control of such institutions from the very beginning.