What Is To Be Done? with Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante (Upstream Interview)
Oct 23, 2023
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Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante discuss revolutionary theory, the role of a Vanguard Party, Lenin's critique of economism, contradictions of capitalism, and building a party through political education. They explore the importance of organized, strategic movements in leftist activism and the need for conscious, disciplined action in societal transformation.
Revolutionary reforms must stem from independent, mass-driven revolutionary struggles, not align with reformist bourgeoisie for true change.
Capitalism's dictatorship hampers reforms by allowing ruling class to dismantle advancements, highlighting limits within capitalist system.
Evolution of reforms seen from Gilded Age to New Deal shows significant improvement in living standards and social welfare policies.
Anarchism's decentralization clashes with Marxism's emphasis on seizing state power, emphasizing need for comprehensive revolutionary methods.
Deep dives
The Strategic Importance of Real Reforms Over Reformist Tactics
Lenin emphasizes that reformist tactics are ineffective in securing real reforms, attributing real reforms to revolutionary class struggle. He asserts that reforms born out of revolutionary struggle bear more significance and authenticity, as they arise from the independence, mass force, and steadfastness of the revolutionary classes. By aligning slogans with the reformist bourgeoisie, he argues that the cause of revolution and reform weakens, highlighting the critical need for strong, independent, and steadfast revolutionary actions for genuine reforms to materialize.
Dismantling of Reforms Under Capitalism's Dictatorship
Under capitalism, reforms face the constant threat of dismantling due to the dominance of the capitalist ruling class. The dictatorship of capital ensures that reforms within the capitalist system are always susceptible to recall and erosion by the ruling class, maintaining their power and influence over economic, political, and social realms. The inherent structure of capitalism perpetuates the vulnerability of reforms to the interests and priorities of the ruling bourgeoisie, illustrating the limitations of reform within the capitalist framework.
Historical Context: Evolution of Reforms and New Deal Impact
Looking back at history, the evolution of reforms can be seen in the transition from the Gilded Age to the Progressive Era and the subsequent New Deal policies. The period of vast inequality and poverty during the Gilded Era led to progressive reforms that culminated in the New Deal, which significantly improved the quality of life for many working and middle-class Americans. Despite its flaws, the New Deal era marked a period of enhanced standards of living and social welfare policies that shaped a significant chapter in American history.
Anarchism vs. Marxism: Foundations of Revolutionary Struggle
The contrasting ideologies of anarchism and Marxism present distinct perspectives on revolutionary struggle, with a key difference in their approach to state power. Anarchism tends to reject seizing state power upfront, prioritizing decentralization and autonomy, while Marxism acknowledges the need to confront and potentially seize state power as part of the broader revolutionary process. Understanding the origins and functions of state power in class society is integral to grasping the divergent strategies of both anarchism and Marxism, emphasizing the necessity of a comprehensive revolutionary approach.
The Importance of a Vanguard Party for Revolutionary Rupture
Building a vanguard party is crucial for initiating and guiding a revolutionary rupture. The historical success of revolutions like the Russian Revolution of 1917 demonstrates the significance of a party with deep roots and organization. Lenin emphasized the necessity of an organized, disciplined, centralized national party that operates on democratic centralism. Without such a party, insurrectionary rupture seems distant in the United States.
Limitations of Spontaneity in Movements
Spontaneous uprisings, while powerful, often lack the structured direction and sustained strategy required for lasting change. Examples like Occupy and the George Floyd uprisings highlight how spontaneity can lead to eclecticism and lack of coherent demands. The absence of a vanguard party to provide political clarity and organization can result in movements being co-opted or fizzling out.
Role of Intellectuals and Progressive Classes in Vanguard Party
A vanguard party, as proposed by Lenin, serves to unite all progressive classes under proletarian interests. Intellectuals and other classes with progressive interests can be subordinated to the proletarian struggle through the party. This bridging of various classes under the leadership of the party helps in creating solidarity and a unified revolutionary movement.
Current State of Vanguard Party in the United States
While the concept of a vanguard party is essential for revolutionary transformation, the current landscape in the United States lacks a party on the national scale with genuine mass support. Various organizations work towards this goal, but none have fully met the standards of a vanguard party. Building a vanguard party remains a foundational task for American communists to navigate crises and challenge capitalism effectively.
What Is To Be Done? This is the question so profoundly posed by the Russian Revolutionary and Bolshevik leader, Vladimir Lenin, in his landmark text of the same name. Although it was written well over a century ago, this text, the questions it asked, and the paths forward that it provided, are just as relevant today as they were a hundred years ago. And just as urgent.
What roles do spontaneity and disciplined organization have in leftist movements? Can we focus simply on economic reform, or do our actions need a larger political framework to structure, guide, and propel them?
Why does it feel like even though so many of us are motivated to work towards structural change, that things continue to get worse? Why does it seem like potential revolutionary struggles in the West always seem to stall and fail to move from a singular moment to a protracted movement?
These are old and familiar questions — a lot of ink has been spilled and speeches made exploring them — and in this Conversation, we’ve brought on two guests who've not only thought about these questions in depth, but who have some pretty compelling answers that draw from revolutionary theory and practice in both their personal lives and from the deep well of wisdom bequeathed by theorists Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Mao.
Breht O’Shea is the host of the podcast Revolutionary Left Radio and a co-host of Guerrilla History. He’s been on the show multiple times so you may already be familiar with his voice. Alyson Escalate, who has also been on the show, is the co-host, along with Breht, of Red Menace, a podcast that explains and analyzes revolutionary theory and then applies its lessons to our contemporary conditions.
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