Just at the beginning of the 20th century Bolshevism and Menshevism had confronted each other, so later Stalinism and Trotskyism emerged as the enemy brothers of the late "Twenties and 'Thirties". In total opposition to the whole Marxist tradition Stalin, in defending his internal policy in autumn 1924, proclaimed the thesis of the possibility of achieving Socialism in a single Country (Russia). By postulating that even if no further revolution were forthcoming Russia would be able to achieve Socialism/Communism under its own steam, Stalin thus made a national communist virtue out of an imposed autarchic necessity. As early as 1928 Trotsky called this a "theory of empty promises", an "opiate for the people".
History verified that Lenin and Trotsky correctly have criticized all the revisionist, reformist and counter-revolutionary ideologies and practices. We surely have to learn a lot from Marxist praxis and theory, and we could enrich it with our own peculiar emancipatory endeavors. Within the framework of Marxist theory Socialism in fact means surplus production (creation and creativity) and overcoming the scarcity of foodstuffs by international co-operation among the planned economies of all countries. Only in such a context is there any sense in speaking of the "withering away" of the State, the abolition of inequality, and the disappearance of social classes.
There is no recipe, map or blue print for socialist praxis and theory, for the Bolivarian Revolution.
The counter-revolution is in full force to topple President Chavez in 2009. With the praxical and theoretical historical aid of living Marxism, with the authentic new, with genuine socialism we have to pave our serpentine road towards human emancipation.
Marxism has the current gigantic task of transcending the globalized capitalist democratic French Revolution and to usher in the era of global, creating, creative Human Emancipation.
Franz J.T. Lee
franz@franzlee.org.ve
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Roy S. Carson is veteran foreign correspondent (45+ years in the business) currently editor & publisher of VHeadline Venezuela reporting on news & views from and about Venezuela in South America -- available for interviews -- call Houston (
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