Bryan Caplan wrote an essay on "The Mensheviks' Critique of Bolshevism and the Bolshevik State." It's here - http://econfaculty.gmu.edu/bcaplan/menshev.txt Most people (usually themselves social democrat / "liberal" in orientation) who review the period have nice words to say for the Mensheviks. Basically "I'm sorry your former friends killed you, better luck next time."
Caplan's final paragraphs seem to apply as equally to the Mensheviks on revolutionary Russia as to the 'left liberal' useful idiots egging on the marxists today...
"....Neither the Soviet Union nor anyone else needs a less bad form of Marxism. The political principles of Marx, especially his theory of class war and his attack on "bourgeois freedom," are the foundation upon which the Soviet state stands, with all its unspeakable cruelty and violence. Democratic apologists for Marx could certainly refuse to follow their ideology to its logical implication. But a true regeneration of a society requires not that they renounce all "ideals" as impossible or dangerous, but they adopt new ideals which are practical as well. I would suggest that the citizens of the USSR have a direct interest in rejecting the ideals of Marxism and embracing those of classical liberalism: individual freedom, private property, free markets, civil liberties for everyone, and the rule of law.
Of the Mensheviks themselves, my overall evaluation is very negative. They were better than the Bolsheviks, but shared their fundamental errors. They never bothered to consider philosophic, economic, or political criticism from outside the confines of Marxism, and despite occasional protests to the contrary, they usually accepted Marx's writings as a direct revelation of absolute truth beyond testing or refutation. How could anything but disaster follow from this method of thinking about the world?
One of Trotsky's critics found in him a fault that could just as easily describe any of the Russian Marxists: "He was an intellectual who never asked himself such a simple question as: 'What reason do I have to believe that the economic condition of workers under socialism will be better than under capitalism?'" This, I think, is the most damning fact of all..."
If you're wearing the wrong uniform they don't want you on their side.
ReplyDeleteBryan Caplan wrote an essay on "The Mensheviks' Critique of Bolshevism and the Bolshevik State."
ReplyDeleteIt's here - http://econfaculty.gmu.edu/bcaplan/menshev.txt
Most people (usually themselves social democrat / "liberal" in orientation) who review the period have nice words to say for the Mensheviks. Basically "I'm sorry your former friends killed you, better luck next time."
Caplan's final paragraphs seem to apply as equally to the Mensheviks on revolutionary Russia as to the 'left liberal' useful idiots egging on the marxists today...
"....Neither the Soviet Union nor anyone else needs
a less bad form of Marxism. The political principles of Marx, especially
his theory of class war and his attack on "bourgeois freedom," are the
foundation upon which the Soviet state stands, with all its
unspeakable cruelty and violence. Democratic apologists for Marx
could certainly refuse to follow their ideology to its logical implication.
But a true regeneration of a society requires not that they renounce all
"ideals" as impossible or dangerous, but they adopt new ideals which
are practical as well. I would suggest that the citizens of the USSR
have a direct interest in rejecting the ideals of Marxism and embracing
those of classical liberalism: individual freedom, private property, free
markets, civil liberties for everyone, and the rule of law.
Of the Mensheviks themselves, my overall evaluation is very negative.
They were better than the Bolsheviks, but shared their fundamental
errors. They never bothered to consider philosophic, economic, or
political criticism from outside the confines of Marxism, and despite
occasional protests to the contrary, they usually accepted Marx's
writings as a direct revelation of absolute truth beyond testing or
refutation. How could anything but disaster follow from this method of
thinking about the world?
One of Trotsky's critics found in him a fault that could just as easily
describe any of the Russian Marxists: "He was an intellectual who
never asked himself such a simple question as: 'What reason do I
have to believe that the economic condition of workers under
socialism will be better than under capitalism?'" This, I think, is the
most damning fact of all..."
Bloody wiggers...maybe now you will start to learn.
ReplyDelete