[lbo-talk] Fidel on Libya

[Wojtek S]

[WS:] This seems to indicate that a revolution, or regime change if you do
not like to use the R word in vain :), leads to increased standards of
living only if it leads to an increase in productive potential , rather than
in a change in the distribution pattern.  The Russian revolution produced
such an increase in productive potential mainly through massive public
investments in the industrial infrastructure.  The Bolivarian Revolution, by
contrast, failed to increase productive potential, and instead focused on
changing redistribution.

This, I believe, is also the fundamental problem faced by the left today
worldwide.  In the past, the left could credibly claim that the
revolutionary changes in brought about led to superior productivity, mainly
thanks to economic planning it introduced, which was superior to
"capitalist" planning of the time.  But things changed since then, and
"capitalists" came with their own version of planning (keynesianism) that is
superior to socialist planning.  As a result, the left's claim to superior
productivity is obviously false on its face, and the only credible claim it
has been making is that of different redistribution.  Ala, redistribution
alone is unlikely to increase standards of living if productivity goes south
or even stagnates.  . Consequently, the left does not have much to offer
anymore beyond questionable Robin-Hoodism a la Chavez.  No wonder that few
are buying.

So in order to get more political traction the left needs produce its own
credible version of superior productivity capable of trumping that pushed by
neo-liberals.

Wojtek