I have been challenged in my critical support of Russia for its invasion of Ukraine by Lenin who during the First World War said it was foolish to support Germany against Russia or vice versa, and that the people should seek revolution regardless.

This is written in The Defeat of One’s Own Government in the Imperialist War

The phrase-bandying Trotsky has completely lost his bearings on a simple issue. It seems to him that to desire Russia’s defeat means desiring the victory of Germany.

In all imperialist countries the proletariat must now desire the defeat of its own government. Bukvoyed and Trotsky preferred to avoid this truth

  • AverageUlyanovFan
    11·
    3 years ago

    Okay, here’s my serious take:

    If you want to go by Lenin’s words, you only need to look a little bit further:

    Anyone who would in all earnest refute the “slogan” of defeat for one’s own government in the imperialist war should prove one of three things: (1) that the war of 1914-15 is not reactionary, or (2) that a revolution stemming from that war is impossible, or (3) that co-ordination and mutual aid are possible between revolutionary movements in all the belligerent countries

    The war is *currently *liberating for people of DPR/LPR and deals a huge blow to the absolute most reactionary form of capitalism, and the economic front of it is loosening the grip United States have on the world. It’s also currently very unlikely that a proletariat revolution would stem from it, given that the RF units are formed from conscripts from DPR/LPR and contract military, and with them yet seeing the nazi atrocities firsthand the material reality itself would deter them from turning against their generals.

    Then again, this is only the early act of the next World War we’re seeing unfold. We won’t be able to determine the character or sides of the WW3 at this point of time, as even some of the EU countries are not all that contempt due to sanctions against Russia.

    That doesn’t mean you should forget all the Russian collaborators whitewashing, or support for scum like Ilyin, Solzhenitsyn and Yeltsin, or anti-worker laws that have come under Putin. It’s not a socialist state. It’s not even a pro-worker state. It’s merely temporarily aligned with the interests of working class in crushing the US-centered unipolar order, and that alignment may change any time.