Distinguishing between contradictions among the people and contradictions with the enemy is crucial for effective organizing.
Unity criticism in unity is a valuable approach to resolving non-antagonistic contradictions and building collective understanding.
Understanding the role of conditions and the contingent nature of historical development is essential for successful revolutionary processes.
Deep dives
Contradictions among the people and the enemy
Mao emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between contradictions among the people and contradictions between the people and the enemy. He explains that the two types of contradictions depend on the historical and political context. Contradictions among the people are non-antagonistic and can be resolved through the democratic methods of discussion, criticism, persuasion, and education. On the other hand, contradictions between the people and the enemy are antagonistic and require measures to suppress counter-revolutionary forces. Mao acknowledges that there have been excesses in dealing with counter-revolutionaries and calls for a thorough review of the process at the local level to right any wrongs and prevent further mistakes.
Unity criticism in unity
Mao introduces the concept of unity criticism in unity, which involves starting with a position of unity, then engaging in criticism or struggle, and finally achieving a new unity on a new basis. He emphasizes the importance of collective and principled engagement to address contradictions among the people without resorting to coercion or repression. This approach, according to Mao, leads to continuous resolution of non-antagonistic contradictions and helps build a collective understanding through discussion, persuasion, and education. He mentions the importance of unity criticism in political organizations, mass-based organizing, and even in personal relationships, as a means to navigate contradictions and build unity.
Dealing with counter-revolutionaries
Mao discusses the challenges of dealing with counter-revolutionary forces within a revolution. He highlights the need to accurately identify counter-revolutionaries and warns against excessive labeling of individuals as enemies. Mao recognizes that mistakes have been made in the past and calls for a review of the local level to rectify these errors. He emphasizes the importance of objective conditions and the dialectical understanding that victory can be snatched from defeat and vice versa. Mao cautions against notions of inevitability and emphasizes the role of conditions and struggles in shaping the outcome of revolutionary processes.
Unpredictability of history and the need for struggle
Mao reflects on the unpredictability of historical processes. He cites examples such as the rise of the socialist bloc after World War II and acknowledges that victory can come from unexpected situations while defeat may arise from seemingly favorable circumstances. Mao stresses that conditions play a crucial role and without appropriate conditions, neither contradiction nor transformation can occur. He underlines the need for effort, struggle, and the continuous building of conditions for the success of a socialist construction. Mao's analysis rejects notions of inevitable stages and emphasizes the complex and contingent nature of historical development.
The Importance of Struggling Against Capitalist Conditions
One of the key points discussed in this podcast episode is the idea that capitalism sets up the conditions and it is up to us to struggle against them. The speaker emphasizes that capitalism is not a closed system but an open system, and it is important to recognize that Marxism is a theory for analyzing society and applying it to specific contexts. The podcast highlights the importance of understanding Marxism in different cultural and societal contexts, such as African Marxists having a different understanding of Marxism in Africa, and American Marxists having their own unique context. The speaker argues against the notion that Marxism is a guaranteed method for societal transformation, highlighting the need to apply it to concrete conditions and adapt it accordingly.
The Need for Critical Thinking and Intellectual Remolding
Another main idea discussed in this podcast episode is the importance of critical thinking and intellectual remolding. The speaker emphasizes the need for intellectuals and academics to shed their bourgeois world outlook and adopt a proletarian communist outlook. They highlight the value and role of intellectual work in building socialism, but stress the importance of ensuring that it is driven by the betterment of socialism rather than working against it. The podcast also addresses the challenges of dealing with identitarianism within the left, emphasizing the need for principled engagement and working towards unity. Criticism is seen as an essential part of Marxism, with the need to be open to criticism and engage in struggle against wrong ideas.
In this episode Steven Osuna returns to the podcast.
Steven Osuna is an associate professor of Sociology at CSU Long Beach. He has written extensively on street organizations, policing, the so-called war on drugs, and the ravages of capitalism and neoliberalism. He also has experience organizing in the Philippine solidarity movement and other struggles.
Shout-out and solidarity to all of the Cal State University faculty as I know have been on rolling strikes and are negotiating their new contracts currently.
In this conversation Osuna talks to us about Mao’s speech & essay “On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People.” This is a part of our series of episodes with guests where they pick a piece of communist, socialist or other radical thought and we read it as well and we come together and we talk about it.
This conversation was recorded back in August, so you won’t hear references to the current struggle in Palestine or other current events, but this discussion is relevant as always to organizing among the people and so it is relevant to today nonetheless.
Thanks again to Steven Osuna for this conversation. We’ll include links in the show notes to the Philippine solidarity campaigns he uplifted as well as the Foreign Languages Press website and their journal new Material.
Also once again we do have a Sylvia Wynter study group coming up. That is for patrons or YouTube members only. It will be Wednesdays at 7:30 PM ET during the month of January. You can become a patron of the show for as little as $1 a month and support our work at patreon.com/millennialsarekillingcapitalism
