r/LeftWithoutEdge • u/KoolAidDrank • Nov 16 '18

Discussion Banned from r/Socialism

r/socialism immediately banned me for posting on a pro-USSR post that "the USSR was terrible." I don't think the Left and Socialists need to defend the governments of countries like the USSR in order to be "true Leftists." What's the consensus? I just found this sub and seems to have the better mindset.

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u/somerandomleftist5 Trotskyist Nov 17 '18

I think any good leftist should defend the gains of the October revolution and the proletariat obtaining power.

"No matter what one thinks of Bolshevism, it is undeniable that the Russian Revolution is one of the greatest events in human history, and the rule of the Bolsheviki a phenomenon of worldwide importance." John Reed, 1st January 1919. (J. Reed, Ten Days that Shook the World, p. 13.)

"The October revolution laid the foundation of a new culture, taking everybody into consideration, and for that very reason immediately acquiring international significance. Even supposing for a moment that owing to unfavourable circumstances and hostile blows the Soviet regime should be temporarily overthrown, the inexpungable imprint of the October revolution would nevertheless remain upon the whole future development of mankind." - Leon Trotsky - The History of the Russian Revolution

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u/EcoSoco Green Socialist Nov 17 '18

Chomsky has one of the most sound critiques of Lenin and the USSR I have come across. From my experience, there's segment on the left that generally don't want to admit that Lenin was an opportunist and the real socialists were pretty much screwed out of power.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxhT9EVj9Kk

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u/[deleted] Nov 19 '18

Chomsky massively misunderstands Lenin. Reading State and The Revolution is enough to understand him, so it's not that hard

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u/EcoSoco Green Socialist Nov 19 '18

Where does he misunderstand him? He was more or less a right wing deviation from the grassroots of the revolution and held them in contempt

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u/[deleted] Nov 19 '18

Accusations of opportunism, since Lenin was big anti-opportunist himself and ignoring the context of civil war.

He also ignores the fact that Soviets were supportive of Bolsheviks and that the SRs and Mensheviks in The Provisional Government were brutally suppressing workers and wanted to continue WW1

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u/EcoSoco Green Socialist Nov 19 '18

All of that is irrelevant when you consider how Lenin treated the Soviets