I have recently taken to asking anarchists what makes them believe that they are entitled to the undying, unreciprocated allegiance of the communists, particularly when they whinge about Makhnovia or Revolutionary Catalonia being “betrayed” (you can throw Kronstadt in there too) and they never for one moment stop to consider that those movements might have been betraying the communist revolution.
Though there is more to the Revolutionary Catalonia issue and I am considering drafting a short piece in defense of the actions of the USSR framed around the writing of George Orwell, of all things, so I might come up with that soon…
The one thing I don’t get about the Spanish civil war is that if the left’s success hinged on the undying support of the USSR (as anarchists today claim), then it was a failed endeavour. Of course I can’t fault people for fighting against a fascist coup in any way they can even if popular support is low. It’s just that to pin this on the USSR alone, then turn against them because of your own shortcomings is very very low.
The USSR was not responsible for the worldwide revolution alone, just like China isn’t today. It’s a privileged position to wait for them to basically wage our wars for us. And honestly I’m tired of 21st century anarchists telling me again about their three or four “betrayed” revolutions over and over again. It happened a century ago, that there hasn’t been a successful anarchist revolution since then (successful as in managed to seize power even for an instant) is not my fault or my concern.
I’ve been thinking about the revolution in my country and what it would look like. And I personally am open to finding a solution with anarchists, like granting them an autonomous city (which is of course easier said than done because people already live in that city). But I doubt they’ll recognize the socialist republic, and they’ll start turning on us.
what makes them believe that they are entitled to the undying, unreciprocated allegiance of the communists
This is something I’ve noticed too and that rubs me the wrong way. On the grounds that they’re somehow purer than us (they’re really not, anarchists have committed their share of violence too and as an ML I accept that), they speak as the one true communists. In this way they’re not really different from ultras I guess.
I couldn’t agree more.
I have recently taken to asking anarchists what makes them believe that they are entitled to the undying, unreciprocated allegiance of the communists, particularly when they whinge about Makhnovia or Revolutionary Catalonia being “betrayed” (you can throw Kronstadt in there too) and they never for one moment stop to consider that those movements might have been betraying the communist revolution.
Of course, they never have a reply.
Though there is more to the Revolutionary Catalonia issue and I am considering drafting a short piece in defense of the actions of the USSR framed around the writing of George Orwell, of all things, so I might come up with that soon…
The one thing I don’t get about the Spanish civil war is that if the left’s success hinged on the undying support of the USSR (as anarchists today claim), then it was a failed endeavour. Of course I can’t fault people for fighting against a fascist coup in any way they can even if popular support is low. It’s just that to pin this on the USSR alone, then turn against them because of your own shortcomings is very very low.
The USSR was not responsible for the worldwide revolution alone, just like China isn’t today. It’s a privileged position to wait for them to basically wage our wars for us. And honestly I’m tired of 21st century anarchists telling me again about their three or four “betrayed” revolutions over and over again. It happened a century ago, that there hasn’t been a successful anarchist revolution since then (successful as in managed to seize power even for an instant) is not my fault or my concern.
I’ve been thinking about the revolution in my country and what it would look like. And I personally am open to finding a solution with anarchists, like granting them an autonomous city (which is of course easier said than done because people already live in that city). But I doubt they’ll recognize the socialist republic, and they’ll start turning on us.
This is something I’ve noticed too and that rubs me the wrong way. On the grounds that they’re somehow purer than us (they’re really not, anarchists have committed their share of violence too and as an ML I accept that), they speak as the one true communists. In this way they’re not really different from ultras I guess.