All Socialists are agreed that the political state, and with it political authority, will disappear as a result of the coming social revolution, that is, that public functions will lose their political character and will be transformed into the simple administrative functions of watching over the true interests of society.
public functions will lose their political character
That doesn’t mean politics will end, just that administrative functions like constructing and maintaining sewage systems, electrical grids, hospitals, will be cleansed of politics.
But those activities include non-economic politics. For instance, a hospital being allowed to conduct abortions is not within the realm of Marxist theory, but it is a part of politics.
If intersectional liberation is necessary, then can you judge communist nations for not abiding by that? If a communist nation doesn’t offer gay marriage or the ability to choose ones gender, by what rights is there to critique this? Can I say a country isn’t truly communist if I can’t get married to someone of my gender?
Some AES do and some don’t. Some haven’t resolved those contradictions yet and they should be criticized for it. That’s why we use the the term Actual Existing Socialism and not True Perfect Socialism.
These countries are socialist projects, projects that fall within the social revolution, to use Engels term. All AES have broadened democracy comparative to before their projects began and work toward the resolving of contradictions. Just because they haven’t been resolved doesn’t mean those projects arent socialist.
Criticism is the beginning for formulating beneficial change. The first step in the scientific method is defining the problem.
Communism advertises itself as being rational, so I expect it to be able to try to address these problems.
And I haven’t said anything about Communism in general to mean it can’t get implemented, but that there has to be an understanding of what may be deficient as a way to strive towards something greater.
If a political or economic system can’t address and change potential issues, should it be a system that continues to be adopted?
I’m just listening to Engels when I say that.
That doesn’t mean politics will end, just that administrative functions like constructing and maintaining sewage systems, electrical grids, hospitals, will be cleansed of politics.
But those activities include non-economic politics. For instance, a hospital being allowed to conduct abortions is not within the realm of Marxist theory, but it is a part of politics.
intersectional liberation is necessary to communism, which is itself “the doctrine of the liberation of the proletariat”
This is some “Marx never considered X” shit at this point. Its a 200 year long intellectual tradition - it has been considered
If intersectional liberation is necessary, then can you judge communist nations for not abiding by that? If a communist nation doesn’t offer gay marriage or the ability to choose ones gender, by what rights is there to critique this? Can I say a country isn’t truly communist if I can’t get married to someone of my gender?
Some AES do and some don’t. Some haven’t resolved those contradictions yet and they should be criticized for it. That’s why we use the the term Actual Existing Socialism and not True Perfect Socialism.
These countries are socialist projects, projects that fall within the social revolution, to use Engels term. All AES have broadened democracy comparative to before their projects began and work toward the resolving of contradictions. Just because they haven’t been resolved doesn’t mean those projects arent socialist.
Criticism is the beginning for formulating beneficial change. The first step in the scientific method is defining the problem.
Communism advertises itself as being rational, so I expect it to be able to try to address these problems.
And I haven’t said anything about Communism in general to mean it can’t get implemented, but that there has to be an understanding of what may be deficient as a way to strive towards something greater.
If a political or economic system can’t address and change potential issues, should it be a system that continues to be adopted?
Its a 200 year long intellectual tradition informed by real life AES projects which spark new theory.
But sure you’re the only person who’s ever realized that we should continually evaluate theory
I’ve never said I’m the only one to realize that we should continually evaluate theory. It just seems like I’m the only one doing so here.
I read Engels’s article here and I’m discussing it within the context that I read it.