Recently, I read an article online about the subject of “Marxism.” This particular article had made mention of something, almost in passing, of which I found incredibly interesting. It stated that the so called “Communist States,” which supposedly were founded on Marxist principles, are much more authoritarian in state and society when compared to the Western Democratic states. What I found compelling was not only the flawed interpretation of Marxist theory these states adhered to and passed off as communism, thus making them anathema, but also the abuse of authority and oppressive nature of these regimes. The Communist Bloc had produced far more harm than goodwill for the communism of Marx and Engels. Communism is liberation for the proletariat and eventual of classes but more often than not has resulted in the exact opposite – the oppression of the proletariat and reinforcement of class divide.
This leads into my main point – the grand fallacy of the so called “communist states,” parties and communists in general is the belief that it is up to them to create revolution; it is them that will be the cause and effect of revolution. To these self appointed leaders of the proletarian class, it is their direct action that their revolution will be contingent on. Whether the party is of Leninism, Maoism, Trotskyism, Guevaraism, Stalinism, Titoism or Hoxhaism persuasion, they all have this in common – it is their forceful conviction that it is their interpretation and version of communism that will lead the way, illuminate the path if you will and be the basis for revolution. They lay hold a monopoly on the theories of Marxism and each act, each thought is filtered through their respective, distorted lenses. They are convinced they possess absolute, objective truth within their grasp. Their restrictive program is the program for all. Their agendas and referendums are equal to the agendas and referendums of the proletariat. As naïve and misguided sects of Christianity believe one must pass through their channels to taste salvation, these sects of Marxism behave in much the same manner with the proletariat. It is only through their gates that paradise will be attained. How misguided!
Again, as the ignorant Christian believes it is his God given will to forge salvation for the uninitiated, these Marxists of differing branches believe themselves to be the constructor of revolution in society. But the main ingredient these parties neglect is the most important ingredient – the proletarian. To ignore this ingredient is akin to baking the bread without the yeast – it defeats the purpose. In the material history of state communism, the class of proletarians have been abused, ignored, misused, repressed and made cannon fodder for the grandiose plans of parties and dictators. This perverted Marxism has reduced the proletarians into a class of sacrificing sheep. Communists over the years have failed to realize that the vanguard is not the various parties that claim communism but that the true vanguard is the proletarian class itself. The communist party cannot make revolution; only the proletarians can – revolution is the role of this class. The tendency, whether subliminally or consciously, to reverse this formula has contributed to the failure of many a communist party, whether Leninist, Maoist, Trotskyist, etc… The common formula has been to make revolution the job and responsibility of the party as the proletarian is to serve only in the role of support. This heretical inverse is the epitome of selfishness. We have to understand that it is not about us, the party, which leader is superior or which theory is more orthodox; it is about the proletariat and its liberation from its chains of exploitation.
So we come to the perennial question: What is the role of the communist? First, to answer this, we have to ask regarding the role of the communist party. In the view of Marx, the communist party is a separate entity altogether from the proletarian class, whose main purpose is to aid, abet, support and guide the proletarian in their main goal of attaining power and ridding society of the bourgeois class along with its influence in all affairs. Of course Marx stated that this is accomplished in degrees. The communist party is not designed to take and hold state power, thus becoming a class in itself (symptomatic in state communism). Its task is to supply the tools, resources and education to the organic proletarian movement on its march of righteousness. If you recall, Marx spoke about the “Dictatorship of the Proletariat,” not the “Dictatorship of the Communist Party.” And in the case of a party or individual entering the arena of a political system, it should be for the sake and benefit of the proletarian class to progress towards revolution. A political system is not a means to an end. This is quite different form the various programs of parties and dogma espoused by state communism.
As for the role and task of the individual communist, it correlates with similar tasks of the communist party. Marx stated “The proletarian movement is the self-conscious, independent movement of the immense majority, in the interest of the immense majority”. The individual communist is to guide and direct the proletariat to self awareness, thus self-consciousness, to gain this self-consciousness. In this sense, the role of the communist party is the same plus two fold; not only help the proletarian class in its quest for revolution, but to raise it to self-consciousness beforehand as well. We realize the work of the communist will be arduous, laborious, difficult and full of struggle as individual members of the proletarian class will make their personal decision to come to self awareness in their time. In this, there is no illusion or fantasy. This decision of the proletariat is a decision that cannot be made by the communist for the proletariat – this is not within the realm of responsibility for the communist and the communist party. Material wise, these are our limitations as no man or woman can formulate conviction within another person; conviction arises in the individual from the individual. Self-consciousness cannot be forced, it is discovered. And if the individual proletariat does make a deliberate decision to not become self aware; it is their decision albeit to their detriment. All we can do is guide the proletariat down this road of self discovery using material resources available at our disposal and utilizing these resources creatively. This self awareness; this self consciousness is a necessary pre – condition for the proletarian revolution. Let us remember these words of wisdom from Marx, “the emancipation of the workers must be the act of the working class itself.” And we communists are the helpers.
