The disintegration of the Soviet Union and the collapse of communism was initiated by a classical proletarian action, the shipyard strike in Gdansk, which brought about capitalism FROM communism. How can Marxist theorists explain this?
2006-10-10 22:52:07 · 10 answers · asked by mick t 5 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
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This guy has a question for you !
John , Al , one of you answer this . Hillary 's busy watching " Pinky and The Brain " .
2006-10-10 22:58:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually Marx predicted an ongoing struggle between capitalism and communism for some period before the eventual, historically inevitable transformation to communism (his theory not mine).
Based on this idea the Soviet Union is just a casualty in the ongoing struggle. There are still many socialist countries in the world including ones that allow communist parties as part of their parliamentary system. Will the left prevail? The subject seems most academic when you consider that the U.S. is now so in debt to China that we do not care what kind of slave labor is used over there to push our workers out of a job. The future is in ASIA, and Communism and Capitalism may be merging into Capitunism or lets just spell it right Opportunism:)
2006-10-10 23:04:30 · answer #2 · answered by shapsjo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, Theoretical Marxists argue, and rightly so, that 'Communsim' as a Political Theory, has never been used. Dictatorial Socialism, Stalinism, Maoism etc are all deviant forms of a Bastardised theory, just as Neo-Liberalism is a form of Capitalism.
Strictly Speaking, the conditions aren;t right for a Proletarian Uprising. Russian never had a prosperous period of Capitalism, the jump between Serfdom and 'Communism; was too much.
2006-10-10 22:55:27 · answer #3 · answered by thomas p 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
First of all I am not a Marxist, but lets be clear about one thing: The Soviet Union never reached Marx's conception of Communism, which he believed would occur when the State withered away. In my opinion Marx was not a great state theorist, what he was was a great 'anti-state' theorist. The biggest tragedy of the collapse of communism is that capitalism is now unchallenged as an ideology. Capitalism is not the perfect system, it relies to heavily on greed, it will be our undoing.
2006-10-10 22:58:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
I'm not a Marxist, but I think that any Marxist theorist would point out to you that the Soviet Union was not a communist state at all, but was a system of centralised state-capitalism.
In fact, until Stalin's death, Marx's books were banned in the Soviet Union and many Marxists were sent to the gulags because they contradicted Stalin's policies!
2006-10-10 23:01:29 · answer #5 · answered by karlrogers2001 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I'm not sure about Marxism/communism today but back in the 1960s I had a drinking buddy who was a signed up member of the British Communist party. He did exactly what Carl Marx had told the workers to do; that is, buy shares in the company for whom you work and you will end up owning the means of production. It's true. This drinking buddy of mine ended up quite rich, but they, the communists, kicked him out of the party claiming he was a capitalist.
2006-10-14 20:53:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whew! This is a bit heady for me, but here's a great quote from a great capitalist:
"Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite."
John Kenneth Galbraith (1908 - 2006)
2006-10-10 23:08:53 · answer #7 · answered by culpstir 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Not a Marxist myself, but doesn't Marx hold that all profits are theft from the workers? Maybe the workers wanted that (state taken) theft to be returned to them via their wage packets?
2006-10-10 22:58:10 · answer #8 · answered by PAUL H 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Good answer from Gum
2006-10-10 23:09:04 · answer #9 · answered by George 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Is this an essay question?!!!!! Read the books and do the reasearch like the rest of us
2006-10-10 23:00:13 · answer #10 · answered by L 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋