There's a lot in Problems Of Everyday Life (Trotsky) to consider. One of the essays involved rudeness- and the rudness of the revolutionary comes into question. About that section, I wrote:
If, after the revolution, leaders are seen as condescending, the problem of counter-revolutionary actions will grow. The workers who will fight for the revolution will as soon give it up if they see their concerns brushed aside by the future leaders of revolution in the same dismissive manner as that of the elites of today.
I would like to clarify this somewhat, in light of a recent event.
While I still think people should be polite whenever possible, I do also very firmly believe that counter-revolutionary ideas should not be nurtured, and should indeed be cut off at the first sign of appearance (once a mistake, twice a tendency). In *political* discourse, it is of the utmost importance to seperate the personal from the political. If, then, a worker advocated something which would undermine the revolution, to call that worker's dedication into question would be justified. If, after explaining why their idea was not within the interests of the revolution, they persisted, it would be wise to not associate with that person.
This is not to say that a revolutionary leader can go around making personal remarks about workers (or others) and get a free pass- but on the subject of revolution, the personal is immaterial. To take having an idea shot down (for whatever reason, really, but *with reason*) as personal is a mistake.
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3 comments:
Well put! I agree wholeheartedly. In fact, I feel like quoting you.
when the revolution comes, i'll be late and shot as a traitor.
but actually, i do suspect that my homosexuality makes me incompatible with commies. or maybe it was the brand of catholicism under which i was raised that left me with a fear of apocalyptics. probably both.
Being a homosexual does not exclude you from socialism. I know that under Stalin and most USSR countries there was (and is still) a huge amount of oppression (including injury), so the image of communism being repressive is sharp in many minds- sadly, what the Bolsheviks had in mind was thwarted (temporarily).
Identity politics has no place in revolutionary thinking, though- hence the Socialist *Equality* Party.
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