Episode 51: A Russian Marxist's Perspective (ft. Konstantin Syomin / @Константин Сёмин )
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Keeping with the promise of the idea behind this show - we're bringing you local leftist voices to talk about what's going on in their corner of the world. Today we're joined from Moscow by renowned Russian journalist - Konstantin - to talk about the current state of his part of the world and beyond. Straight from the bear's mouth. Check out Konstanin's work on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2qoLqo8RuV4P_88yhHCZIg His Twitter: https://twitter.com/KSyomin Episode 52 - Aww shit, here we go Afghain IS UP EARLY on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheDeprogram Support the show and help us grow and stay as independant as possible while earning plenty of bonuses - Discord community, early episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, QnAs and plenty more. Link: https://www.patreon.com/TheDeprogram

I don’t know about you, but saying that Marxists should prioritize dismantling their own country’s bourgeoisie over global imperialism seems a bit ultra-leftist

Also a bit weird that they didn’t talk about Donbass

  • ☭ 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗘𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 ☭OPM
    9•2 years ago

    (Let me know if I misunderstood any of this.)

    Is there even such a thing as a domestic bourgeoisie today?

    Yes, I would definitely say so, either entirely (e.g. smaller corporations) or mostly (e.g. domestic private banks)

    But struggling for socialism within that framework, without weakening the country’s defenses against the West?

    Theoretically, I agree. In practice, I can’t see how this could apply to modern-day Russia or any other country under serious threat from the imperialist countries

    And in the US, even Chinese investors have a stake (which may or may not be imperialism – I’m inclined to say it is

    If I understood this correctly, you’re saying that you believe that some individual Chinese corporations are imperialist (not the government itself). If so, that might be true

    Focusing on what one can achieve within an hour’s journey from one’s front door does not mean forgetting about internationality or imperialism. Indeed, it’s the opposite

    This is true in the imperial core. Russia, on the other hand, is currently acting as a force against imperialism (regardless of what the individual politicians and capitalists personally want) – IMO, a revolution would be extremely risky at the moment unless the military was already on board, because it would leave the country more or less defenseless for a significant period of time (enough for Amerika to take advantage of it). This also applies to reactionary but anti-imperialist governments like the one in Iran, which is largely why Amerika is trying so hard to vilify it

    Class consciousness is mostly absent in the West. So if turning the gaze onto a ‘domestic’ bourgeoisie helps people realise that there is a national and international class struggle, then the message isn’t terrible.

    Sure, that may be a good starting point for liberals in the imperial core, but I don’t think this applies for Russian liberals

    Imperialism is inherently global already

    I was using “global” to mean basically every single country. Imperialism can be more concentrated

    • PurpleHatsOnCats
      5•2 years ago

      So if bigger countries have to wait for revolution because of foreign threats, how do we decide when is a good time? It seems like this thinking could lead to a whole lot of idling. Or are there other actions that can be taken without threatening the integrity of the countries security?

      • ☭ 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗘𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 ☭OPM
        6•2 years ago

        If it’s a country that’s integral to the downfall of imperialism, unless you’ve managed to convince the military and other potential internal dangers to side with your organization (so that there’s no significant security gap right away), I don’t think it’s a good idea to attempt a revolution as long as the outcome would almost certainly be a foreign invasion. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t prepare for a revolution (you definitely shouldn’t be idling, as you said), but the foreign imperialists are far more of a threat than the internal bourgeoisie is, to the world’s proletariat

        If you’re in the imperial core (excluding Amerika), while a revolution certainly would put your country in danger of an invasion or the like, a successful counter-revolution likely wouldn’t have a worse outcome (in terms of foreign policy, at least) than what you had before the attempt

        • @redtea@lemmygrad.ml
          8•2 years ago

          You understood my points. And I think we’re on the same page. (Yes, I meant individual investors from China rather than China itself.) These follow up comments help, too.

          Perhaps the only two things stopping NATO sending troops (with NATO badges, at least) into Ukraine or directly into Russia are Russia’s military forces and nukes. Any communist revolution in Russia that did not immediately / simultaneously take control of both the soldiers and the nukes would likely be invaded straight away. And however less powerful are the US / NATO than their military budgets suggest, some of their ‘losses’ (e.g. in Afghanistan) are not really due to weakness or incompetence. I.e. they could do a lot of damage to a fledgling socialist state.

          At first, I was critical of the deprogram headline (not necessarily the content, as I never listened to it) because I saw no significant distinction between a national bourgeoisie and global imperialism (with my imperial core goggles on). So I thought it strange to distinguish them in this way.

          But now I’m inclined to accept there is still an important difference there. And that, given the difference, it may make sense in the imperial core to fight the national bourgeoisie (because it’s interests are closely aligned with global imperialism – two birds, one stone, and all that) but in the periphery, the main struggle remains to be against global imperialism (and only against the national bourgeoisie when the time is right).

          In reflection, I’ve also repented on the caution against ‘global’. The far right can’t steal all the useful words.

    • @redtea@lemmygrad.ml
      2•1 year ago

      Apologies, I replied to this several days late, on the day that our posts were lost. I cannot fully remember my comment. But…

      I think you have understood what I was saying.

      I did not mean to suggest that China itself / the CPC is imperialist.

      And I agree with you.

      After reflection, I’ve also come to reject my caution against using ‘global’. It’s a useful word, as you note. Fuck the anti-Semites turning every word they can into dogwhistles, still.