The Pete Quiñones Show Pete and Aaron from Timeline Earth Read Vladimir Lenin's 'State and Revolution' - Complete
Jan 3, 2026
In this insightful discussion, Aaron from Timeline Earth, a contributor known for his polemical commentary, joins Pete to delve into Lenin's 'State and Revolution.' They explore how the state emerges from class struggle and the relationship between violence and democracy, outlining lessons from the Paris Commune. The duo unpacks concepts like the dictatorship of the proletariat, the necessity of abolishing old state machinery, and the practical steps towards a classless society. Their engaging dialogue also contrasts historical Marxist insights with contemporary political strategies.
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State Reveals Irreconcilable Class Conflict
- Lenin insists Marxism was distorted by opportunists to make the state seem reconciliatory rather than an organ of class rule.
- The state exists where class antagonisms are irreconcilable and thus proves class conflict persists.
State Is A Coercive, Alienated Power
- Engels defines the state as a power that arose from society and alienates itself from it, centered on special armed bodies and prisons.
- Lenin stresses standing armies and police are the chief instruments of state coercion and class domination.
Withering Follows Revolution, Not Replaces It
- Engels' famous phrase "the state withers away" was misused to suggest peaceful gradualism; Lenin stresses it follows revolution, not precedes it.
- The proletariat must replace bourgeois coercive force with its own proletarian special force during revolution.