The 12 Step Program for Recovery From Stupid Capitalism

Ted Rall offers his The 12 Step Program for Recovery From Stupid Capitalism.

Among his steps are:

6. Understand that radical change is usually impossible without revolutionary overthrow of the state and the destruction of the ruling class and the stupid capitalist system that sustains it.

7. Accept that revolutionary movements require a combination of nonviolent and violent tactics in order to have a chance of succeeding.

8. Make common cause with anyone and everyone opposed to the existing order, no matter how repugnant, because nothing else matters until we have emancipated ourselves.

Point #8 is problematic because, during a revolution, the situation is very fluid. Having the wrong ideas can lead one into a dead end which may be impossible to get out of.

Trotsky, in his History of the Russian Revolution re-iterates time and again that the revolutionary party must have the confidence of the revolutionary masses. The party can only gain that confidence by having:

1. Correct assessment of the situation;
2. Correct actions for the situation

The second depends on the first. The second is very difficult to achieve, and mistakes will be made. The important thing, however, is recover quickly from those mistakes.

In the Russian Revolutions of 1917, the Bolshevik Party initially failed in both cases. It had failed to assess the situation of the February Revolution correctly and thereby take the correct actions.

It was not until Lenin returned, and started agitation for a realignment that the Bolshevik Party started to make a correct assessment. This was not enough to gain the confidence of the revolutionary masses because the Party had failed to act correctly during the February Revolution.

This came to a head during the defeat of the July Days. The Party had finally gained the correct assessment, and came with a programme of action which was rejected by the revolutionary masses.

But, it was this defeat that started the long process of building confidence of the revolutionary masses in the Bolshevik Party and in itself. This process made the October Revolution possible.

I would have to reject Rall's point #8 in general, but we can use a weaker version called the United Front in which aims are shared, and general principles are agreed. It is not possible to for a Bolshevik type party to join forces with another party that espouses racist policies and actions. Although the aims may be similar, the versions of society we are trying to build are anathema to each other.