Theoretically, revolution from below -- created and worked through democratically by people -- is always best.
But, in practical terms, it works out otherwise. Given the historical limitations, the Lenin/Trotsky revolution might have been the best thing possible in 1917. If you read Trotsky's "Revolution Betrayed" ( a very good book) as well as Marx, you will find that both writers had very strong reservations about the possibility of socialist revolution in Russia. And part of those reservations had to do with the need for a "dictatorship."
Joanna
wrobert at uci.edu wrote:
>I think that part of the problem with these Marxism v. Anarchism debates
>is that they tend to miss out on the way that these political formations
>cannot be adequately understood without looking at the larger picture.
>The best example I can think of is the question of Blanquism. For
>instance, the most authoritarian moments of Bakunin tend to be when
>collaborating with a young Blanquist. There are similar influences on the
>various Marxist sects of the 19th century, and Blanquism is only one of
>many counter-systemic movements of the time.
>
> robert wood
>
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>>Oh brother! What a bunch of ignorant nonsense.
>>
>>Bakunin never plotted some "invisible dictatorship". This myth was
>>effectively debunked in Mark Leier's "Bakunin: The Creative Passion."
>>
>>Authoritarianism and elitism within anarchism? More silly nonsense. I
>>have yet to meet any anarchist who would fit the bill of being an
>>authoritarian.
>>
>>Secrecy and conspiracy? Nope. Perhaps when it comes around to planning
>>protests which require some element of surprise against the police, but
>>most anarchist groups and meetings are totally open. This really annoys
>>authoritarian leftist groups like the ISO, who really do run groups
>>using a secret conspiracy. See for example, the Campus Antiwar Network.
>>
>>Sorry for responding to this trollbait.
>>
>>Chuck
>>___________________________________
>>http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>>
>>
>>
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