http://www.marxist.com/russia-socialism-capitalism-transition.htm Preface to "Russia: from real socialism to real capitalism" By Alan Woods Friday, 28 July 2006
This is the foreword written by Alan Woods for Ariel Dacal and Francisco Brown Infante's book recently published in Cuba by Editorial Ciencias Sociales. Already launched in Havana, their book "Russia: from real socialism to real capitalism" is an interesting analysis of the reasons for and consequences of the fall of the USSR. Ariel Dacal and Francisco Brown Infante's book is remarkably interesting, not only to Cuban readers, but to people at large. It covers a very wide spectrum, from the usurpation of power by the Stalinist bureaucracy after Lenin's death, through the evolution of the Soviet economy and the crisis of the bureaucratic system, the so-called perestroika, to the destruction of the Soviet Union. These are key issues of our times which must be understood if we expect to comprehend what is going on in the world. To the enemies of socialism, the collapse of the Soviet Union is the ultimate proof that Marxism failed and socialism is impossible. They speak about the end of socialism and communism, and even the end of history itself. However, the bourgeoisie's joy following the fall of the Berlin Wall was rather premature. Events in the last ten years provide enough hard evidence that history is far from over. Everywhere we witness the deep crisis of capitalism, characterized by wars, revolutions and counterrevolutions. This is the most unstable period since the end of World War Two. The authors conclude that Marxism is not the culprit, for its ideas have never been more relevant than they are today. Written over 150 years ago by Marx and Engels, The Communist Manifesto is the most modern document available. Through plenty of quotations and evidence, Dacal and Brown Infante make it clear that what failed in the Soviet Union was neither socialism nor communism, but a bureaucratic, totalitarian caricature of the former. We Marxists believe that the October Revolution of 1917 is the most important event in history, when for the first time - barring the short-lived, if glorious, episode of the Paris Commune - the masses succeeded in overthrowing the old slavery regime and started - at least started - the socialist transformation of society. What a great achievement! The Russian Revolution proves that a socialist revolution is possible even in a tremendously backward country like the czarist Russia of old. Bear in mind that before 1917 there were only around four million industrial workers in that country of 150 million mostly illiterate people. In other words, czarist Russia was substantially more backward than Bolivia or Peru are today. From being an extremely backward country to becoming the world's second power after the United States, the Soviet Union's transformation is one of the most remarkable phenomena in world history. For all the bourgeois lying, twisting and slandering to try at all costs to underrate and deny the Soviets' impressive accomplishments, this transformation, with no historical precedent, highlights the superiority of the nationalized planned economy over capitalist anarchy. In a couple of decades, the Soviet Union built a powerful industrial base which paved the way for educational, scientific and cultural progress. No less important were their breakthroughs in healthcare and medical science. World War Two revealed the Soviet Union's massive superiority in the military field. The war in Europe was reduced to a titanic struggle between the USSR and Hitler's Germany, supported by resources seized from all over Europe. Both the Americans and the British were mere spectators up to the last minute. (clip) _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list [email protected] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
