THE STEPS TO SEIZE POWER
THE STEPS TO SEIZE POWER
Not every democrat is a socialist, but every socialist is a democrat.
A MASS REVOLUTION. The socialist revolution needs thousands of men and women who will clash and interact with diverse social groups, parties and organizations. The empire goes through crises that make it vulnerable to the socialist revolution. The trick is to find the weak links and act upon them. There comes a time when the ruling class is unable or unwilling to act in the face of vigorous and organized resistance. The giving way from capitalism to socialism does not happen everywhere and at once, but it happens inevitably in different settings and at different times, until capitalism has disappeared as an economic system. All countries are on this path.
REACTION TO EMPIRE.These revolutionary movements were the result of the wars of empire. The first world war resulted in the Russian revolution of 1917. The victory over fascism made the emancipation of China, Korea and Viet Nam possible. Capitalist wars resulted in the de-colonization of India, Burma, and African countries. We can see that war leads to a negative reaction to war, which often results in a revolutionary emancipation of the oppressed classes in the affected countries. A third world war would signal the end of capitalism in the whole world, forever. This does not mean of course, that a revolutionary victory always has to be the result of war. Wars may result in revolutionary reaction, but peaceful, democratic revolutions are perfectly possible, as shown in Venezuela and Bolivia, due to internal weakness and corruption in those countries under capitalism, where the people became fed up with the previous regimes.
THE TIME FOR REVOLUTION. A revolution happens when the time is ripe.
1.- The ruling class cannot continue as before, it undergoes political crisis through which discontent is manifested. "Those on top can't and those at the bottom don't want to" continue as before.
2.- There is a sharp increase in the needs of the people that are not being met.
3.- A reaction not before seen of masses unable and unwilling to go on as before, and the pouring out into the street of millions. None of these points are dependent on anyone's will- they happen spontaneously under a crisis that affects those at the top as well as those at the bottom. The revolutionary leadership has to be equally cognizant of both (top and bottom)- it cannot just focus on the working people and their problems. The approach is scientific, but there is instinct and art in the leadership that must be there.
POWER. The problem of revolution is the problem of power. Previously, power was transferred from the feudal lords to the bourgeoisie, which was a class on the way up. Today the task is to deprive the right wing of its power and to turn it over to the workers and their allies. This revolution prevents the exploiting class from political domination and destroys the basis of its economic power, and thus is a new step on the historical canvass.
MANY ASPECTS. One danger is to confide in one's own forces, thinking that everyone has the same revolutionary zeal. The vanguard alone cannot win. They must be heartily supported by the people, or at least have a sector that is neutral, for the revolution to succeed. Agitation and propaganda are not enough. The people have to have passed through their own political experience. The revolutionary experience is felt differently under different circumstances. A democratic revolution leaves room for a broad spectrum of classes to join in. On the other hand, a worker's revolution signals the rise to power of the working class and its allies. Socialism is not the same everywhere and at all times. The right wing can be suppressed by different means. Conditions change all the time, with concrete situations of each country, each with its national characteristics. The situation can be more or less virulent, the correlation of forces may vary, and the degree of organization of the working class need not be the same in every case.
PEACE OR VIOLENCE. One important aspect that must be decided is the degree to which peaceful means may be used. This depend on objective conditions, of the situation within the country, on the level of development and sophistication of the workers, and on the international situation. Forms of struggle depend not only on the workers, but on the ruling class and their paid adherents, and to what extent each is willing to go to break down or preserve the walls of exploitation. The ruling class has a greater tendency toward violence, because it feels it is being attacked, even though the workers are being peaceful.They will never renounce power voluntarily, and will use force on the most innocuous action of protest, while at the same time accusing them of violence.The seizure of power by the bourgeoisie in the 18th Century was one of the bloodiest in history, and they had no inconvenience in cutting off heads. Hypocritically, they accuse today's revolutionaries of conspiring to seize power violently on the backs of the workers. Nothing could be farther from the truth. There is hope that a revolution may be peaceful and non-violent. In the first place, the relation of forces has changed in recent years. Capitalism is less overpowering, and people all over the world have become allies of revolutionary change. In addition, the idea of free health care and free college, full employment, etc is powerfully appealing to people who have a dismal future without those things, and which capitalism denies them. Also, people are fed up with endless wars, the main offering on the capitalist plate.
A peaceful revolution does not mean a reformist one, either. The class struggle is always present, overtly or covertly. The revolution must take place without reforms that make it appear capitalism has been defeated when it has just undergone a superficial make up.
THE ULTRA LEFT. Revolutionaries must guard against adventurism, against conspiracy theories, and instead see the revolution as a vast and irresistible mass action, led by the conscious section of the working class. The only stable power is that which is based on the majority.
THE INSURRECTION. 1.- An insurrection is not a plaything, and once it starts, it must be carried to the end.
2.- In the time and place indicated, one must rally a greatly superior force in order not to be destroyed.
3.- Once the insurrection has started, one must pass on to the offensive, never defensive.
4.- The enemy must be caught by surprise at a time when its forces are scattered and relatively weak.
5.- One must have successes, even small ones, constantly, in order to maintain the moral superiority.
The exploiting class may be destroyed in one country, but they have resources and international capital to keep resisting change for a long time. The revolution is often the result of capitalist killing fields, wars and sanctions that make it impossible to go on living. At the same time they have counterrevolutionary forces in the army that can do great damage, and a civil war could ensue.
The working class take into its hands the monopolies and makes them run in a way that all the people can see the advantages of the new means of production and distribution.
Antonio Bernal
Fresno, CA 2019
Not every democrat is a socialist, but every socialist is a democrat.
A MASS REVOLUTION. The socialist revolution needs thousands of men and women who will clash and interact with diverse social groups, parties and organizations. The empire goes through crises that make it vulnerable to the socialist revolution. The trick is to find the weak links and act upon them. There comes a time when the ruling class is unable or unwilling to act in the face of vigorous and organized resistance. The giving way from capitalism to socialism does not happen everywhere and at once, but it happens inevitably in different settings and at different times, until capitalism has disappeared as an economic system. All countries are on this path.
REACTION TO EMPIRE.These revolutionary movements were the result of the wars of empire. The first world war resulted in the Russian revolution of 1917. The victory over fascism made the emancipation of China, Korea and Viet Nam possible. Capitalist wars resulted in the de-colonization of India, Burma, and African countries. We can see that war leads to a negative reaction to war, which often results in a revolutionary emancipation of the oppressed classes in the affected countries. A third world war would signal the end of capitalism in the whole world, forever. This does not mean of course, that a revolutionary victory always has to be the result of war. Wars may result in revolutionary reaction, but peaceful, democratic revolutions are perfectly possible, as shown in Venezuela and Bolivia, due to internal weakness and corruption in those countries under capitalism, where the people became fed up with the previous regimes.
THE TIME FOR REVOLUTION. A revolution happens when the time is ripe.
1.- The ruling class cannot continue as before, it undergoes political crisis through which discontent is manifested. "Those on top can't and those at the bottom don't want to" continue as before.
2.- There is a sharp increase in the needs of the people that are not being met.
3.- A reaction not before seen of masses unable and unwilling to go on as before, and the pouring out into the street of millions. None of these points are dependent on anyone's will- they happen spontaneously under a crisis that affects those at the top as well as those at the bottom. The revolutionary leadership has to be equally cognizant of both (top and bottom)- it cannot just focus on the working people and their problems. The approach is scientific, but there is instinct and art in the leadership that must be there.
POWER. The problem of revolution is the problem of power. Previously, power was transferred from the feudal lords to the bourgeoisie, which was a class on the way up. Today the task is to deprive the right wing of its power and to turn it over to the workers and their allies. This revolution prevents the exploiting class from political domination and destroys the basis of its economic power, and thus is a new step on the historical canvass.
MANY ASPECTS. One danger is to confide in one's own forces, thinking that everyone has the same revolutionary zeal. The vanguard alone cannot win. They must be heartily supported by the people, or at least have a sector that is neutral, for the revolution to succeed. Agitation and propaganda are not enough. The people have to have passed through their own political experience. The revolutionary experience is felt differently under different circumstances. A democratic revolution leaves room for a broad spectrum of classes to join in. On the other hand, a worker's revolution signals the rise to power of the working class and its allies. Socialism is not the same everywhere and at all times. The right wing can be suppressed by different means. Conditions change all the time, with concrete situations of each country, each with its national characteristics. The situation can be more or less virulent, the correlation of forces may vary, and the degree of organization of the working class need not be the same in every case.
PEACE OR VIOLENCE. One important aspect that must be decided is the degree to which peaceful means may be used. This depend on objective conditions, of the situation within the country, on the level of development and sophistication of the workers, and on the international situation. Forms of struggle depend not only on the workers, but on the ruling class and their paid adherents, and to what extent each is willing to go to break down or preserve the walls of exploitation. The ruling class has a greater tendency toward violence, because it feels it is being attacked, even though the workers are being peaceful.They will never renounce power voluntarily, and will use force on the most innocuous action of protest, while at the same time accusing them of violence.The seizure of power by the bourgeoisie in the 18th Century was one of the bloodiest in history, and they had no inconvenience in cutting off heads. Hypocritically, they accuse today's revolutionaries of conspiring to seize power violently on the backs of the workers. Nothing could be farther from the truth. There is hope that a revolution may be peaceful and non-violent. In the first place, the relation of forces has changed in recent years. Capitalism is less overpowering, and people all over the world have become allies of revolutionary change. In addition, the idea of free health care and free college, full employment, etc is powerfully appealing to people who have a dismal future without those things, and which capitalism denies them. Also, people are fed up with endless wars, the main offering on the capitalist plate.
A peaceful revolution does not mean a reformist one, either. The class struggle is always present, overtly or covertly. The revolution must take place without reforms that make it appear capitalism has been defeated when it has just undergone a superficial make up.
THE ULTRA LEFT. Revolutionaries must guard against adventurism, against conspiracy theories, and instead see the revolution as a vast and irresistible mass action, led by the conscious section of the working class. The only stable power is that which is based on the majority.
THE INSURRECTION. 1.- An insurrection is not a plaything, and once it starts, it must be carried to the end.
2.- In the time and place indicated, one must rally a greatly superior force in order not to be destroyed.
3.- Once the insurrection has started, one must pass on to the offensive, never defensive.
4.- The enemy must be caught by surprise at a time when its forces are scattered and relatively weak.
5.- One must have successes, even small ones, constantly, in order to maintain the moral superiority.
The exploiting class may be destroyed in one country, but they have resources and international capital to keep resisting change for a long time. The revolution is often the result of capitalist killing fields, wars and sanctions that make it impossible to go on living. At the same time they have counterrevolutionary forces in the army that can do great damage, and a civil war could ensue.
The working class take into its hands the monopolies and makes them run in a way that all the people can see the advantages of the new means of production and distribution.
Antonio Bernal
Fresno, CA 2019
posted by ANTONIO at 7:52 AM
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