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References to revolution in this thread, I hope, have reference more specifically to _insurrection_. "The Revolution " began a couple centuries ao and will only really get under way after there are successful seizures of power in a number of major states. But in the modern state a rather specific description can be given of an insurrection: It is a demonstration and the soldiers refuse to fire. That is it. The soldiers refusing to fire on demonstrators has been the key point in every insurrection beginning with the February revolution in Russsi and continuing to the present. The first thing DeGaulle did when he assumed leadership in 1968 was go to NATO headquarters to ask the generals if he could depend on the troops. He acted accordingly. The Czech Spring (only crushed by outside intervention) was the same. Tiannamen Square failed when the soldiers fired. Dditto in Iran in the demos after the last election. And so forth. And may it be remarked in passing that unfortunately in France 68 there WAS a singlke hegemonic party, which did all it could to quiet things down. And don't strt spouting about "revisionist" parties. Thbat's one of the points about stable hegmonic parties: they become part of the structure. There are no Revolutionary Parties; there are only more or less militant reform parties that CONTAIN members who, at the right time, sometimes surprising themselves, are revolutionaries. Despite the failure in France and the outside intervention in Czechoslobakia in '68 both did qute well, thank you, without a Party, the one even gainst the Party (France) to some extent. They show the real possibility of successful insurrection and also the condtions of such success and the impossiblity of willing/planning it in advance. Carrol ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
