Lenin on character of Soviet state

[Dddddd0814 at aol.com]

Tahir writes:
"Yep here you have the 'best' of Cde Lenin in a nutshell. State capitalism 
will somehow lead to socialism. This is how the counter-revolution was able 
to present itself as the revolution, by this sort of decree. But we can at 
least agree that Lenin sincerely believed this (in his deepest convictions!). 
The fact that this theory has been proved false time and again does not seem 
to bother the dogmatists who are still prepared to assert it with all the 
confidence of blind faith in the words of the prophet of old, still prepared 
to smear anyone who does not share their rightwing perspective in the same 
old way."

David, response: 
Are you making some sort of a general rule out of the mantra of "state 
capitalism will lead to socialism"? If so, then this is the dogma. Lenin, in 
"'Left Wing' Childishness'" was speaking of the necessarily transitional 
nature of the Soviet state in peasant Russia, not of socialism in general.

Socialist revolutions have not occured in the most developed nations, so it 
is preposterous-- and dogmatic once again-- to assume without evidence that 
they will never transcend a "transitional" period.