A ‘dialectic’ of revolution/virtual revolution
February 13th, 2018
We have almost deliberately indulged a kind of ‘dialectic’ of revolution/virtual revolution, the latter a way station as we confront the immensely dangerous and conflicted theme of revolutionary action.
In fact we are confronted by a situation that is almost demanding a revolutionary response and yet the prospect of that seems remote, as yet, despite an increasing falling away from the possibilities of social salvation given the ominous climate catastrophe developing. The answer is that we must failsafe both approaches. But the prospect of electoral resolution of the crisis emerging is increasingly remote even as the trump era is almost borderline insanity and a near demand for radical electoral challenges.
The revolutionary potential allows us think in real terms of a comprehensive solution to the ‘social contract’, as such, not just a few issues of activist promotion. And it invokes the idea of an international, an alliance of radical revolutionary action groups that can challenge imperialism, and address a transnational working class and climate politics.
All obvious cliches stalled at the starting gate. A core problem is the inadequacy of legacy marxist ideologies and their association with ancient failures. They are stubbornly frozen in place as the reign of marx/engels, the second international, and the bolshevik lunacies haunt all efforts. Leave all that behind and recast the whole subject, asap. We have suggested via two manifestos a comprehensive jumpstart of revolutionary/evolutionary action with a new perspective on history and a new set of issues.
Marxist jargon almost immediately shuts down potential assent to leftist projects because it animates mindsets wary of its earlier history and subject to the seeming cogency of the ‘end of history’ propaganda. Remarkably, most activists are reluctant to even discuss postcapitalist axioms and consider the question of private property as beyond any challenge. But the domination of capital is going to prevent any serious change: have we seen anything of any significance since the fall of bolshevik russia? Hardly, and that is a warning we are turning in circles. The climate question is especially indicative: an immense amount of effort, a whole generation, has achieved very little and the US confronts a regressive madman intent on destroying the EPA.
So the dog chasing its tail comes around to the need to think in terms of revolutionary change, a new postmarxist platform, and an international that can start to think in transnational terms of globalization as postcapitalist…
from last month:
The virtual revolution as a minimal challenge to both fake democracy and trump fascist conspiracy
February 14th, 2017 •
Given the fear of stalinism it is almost impossible to even discuss communism any more, but in our version we are explicitly discussing a form of democracy and the critique goes in both directions. The whole discussion has to move beyond legacy marxism/leninism, obviously, but by the same token we must be wary of those who defend what we have now as democracy. If nothing else a communist virtual revolution will be ready to meed the crypto-leninist fascism of the Trump/Bannon set as a debriefing tactic, warning, and if the circumstance forces the issue a revolutionary movement to produce a postcapitalist democracy…
In the context of climate calamity the stakes have risen and we are threatened with less than caution…We need a failsafed revolutionary left…
Darwiniana 