> political force with the October Revolution in 1920
Uh, it was in 1917, and Lenin did his best to wipe out a lot of what socialism stood for at the time. There were many anti-Bolshevik Marxists then. Read some Rosa Luxemburg and you'll understand. Not to mention the Anarchists (like Emma Goldman) who went to Russia in support of the October coup were quickly under the threat of being labeled counterrevolutionaries and rounded up. If you think the Chinese system is anything but social fascism, you're just blind.The problem is this lament for "socialism". Right now we should be celebrating the collapse of the tyrannies that called themselves euphemistically "socialist" and move on to better forms of REAL leftism or what was called socialism in the 19th century. Lenin realized that the proletariat was too stupid to understand what he wanted in life, and therefore unable to fulfill his "historical role" so he took it upon himself to speak on their behalf and establish a bureacratic terrorist organization that finally collapsed in 1991. So, the death of socialism was in 1917 when the autonomy of the local soviets was taken away and worker's control wiped out. Wage labor never disappeared, which 19th century socialism always stressed. So how can you call it socialism? The only way you can is if you've bought into Western and Soviet propaganda. Oh well, its not the only one of life's sad stories.....
Damon Mac Fodge