Criticism of my definition of revolution as “sudden thorough change”

[Steve Wallis]

I’m aware that some revolutionary socialists will have political differences with me on the details of my Call for a Revolutionary Platform of Left Unity. For example, defining a revolution as consisting of “sudden thorough change, preferably through peaceful means like a general strike” (in opposition to the idea of achieving socialism via a series of gradual reforms) was criticised by someone on the Left Unity website (John Tummon who supports the Socialist Platform, in a comment at http://leftunity.org/the-class-struggle-platform/) said:

To me, a revolution is so much more than this: it starts before this seizure of power, usually significantly before, and continues long after it, because the whole gamut of social relations of production – everything involved in the way we live – would change fundamentally. Definitions that focus only on the seizure of power leave the broader process open to abuse and distortion; control by forces that have taken control of the state in this way has often resulted in oppression and dictatorship in the name of the working class.

 

But Steve may well agree with me on that, so I don’t think it is a big issue, except insofar as it underlines the need to talk about revolution as a bottom-up emancipatory process that emerges out of class struggle.

 

This criticism is reasonable, although I think the emphasis on class struggle when only 24% regarded themselves as “working class” in 2011 (http://britainthinks.com/sites/default/files/WorkingAboutTheWorkers-print.pdf) is problematic (though I agree with Marxists that many who think of themselves as middle class are really working class, and I also agree with Marxists that the ability of workers to withdraw their labour is key to overthrowing the rule of big business – hence mentioning a general strike). I tend to prefer the Occupy movement’s 99% versus 1% idea, and the aim of uniting most middle class people with the working class in order to carry out socialist change.

I would say, however, that the seizure of power would need to take place very quickly if a dramatic economic crisis such as a second credit crunch or economic bubble bursting (which could be much the same thing) takes place. This is encapsulated within point 8 of my Call (see other postings in this group for justification):

8. A second credit crunch, which this time would mean that capitalist governments would be literally unable to bail out the banks even if they wanted to, could happen at any time, and we need to be more prepared than at the time of the first credit crunch and use such an opportunity to seize power via an international socialist revolution.

 

Allowing others to debate the precise details of my Call for a Revolutionary Platform of Left Unity was the main motivation behind me setting up this public discussion group, but people are free to debate whether such a platform (when the Socialist Platform already exists) or even Left Unity are necessary at all.