8/6/2019 Communists Failed to Size Up Capitalism Today

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Communists failed to size up capitalism today

It is now clear that communists failed to size up capitalism in time. After theSocialist revolution of 1917, Lenin categorised it as the era of imperialism andproletarian revolution. Terming imperialism as the highest stage of capitalismwith no more enough stamina to thrive, proletarian revolution in the world wasplaced on the active agenda.

After the Second World War, Marxists maintained that capitalism is a dying forceas it entered the period of general crises and revolution is knocking at the doors.This might have helped to enthuse the communist cadres world over, yet theirfaculty to analyse independently took a strong beating. They failed to size up theresilience of capitalism and correctly devise proper strategies to counter it.

The death call alerted the capitalists-imperialists as well in no small terms. Theyclearly adjusted their pals and found new means to survive and face the emergingforces. The imperialists were on an on-going struggle with their adversary in thesocialist camp for long. They had developed the necessary resilience andcleverness to survive against a formidable foe. They made strenuous efforts to co-

opt the proletariat and dilute its characteristics with success to an extent bykeeping them tied to individualistic cravings. The mass base in equity shares wasexpanded, invariably involving their work force. Entering the profession of easeto gain income is a sure way to loose the basic characteristic of a proletariat.

The Second World War had left imperialists weakened. They had lost the nerve foronce. The resounding victory of Soviet Union with Stalin at its head and later, thepace of Peoples Democratic Revolution in China left them scramble for breath.Korean and Vietnam Wars thereafter made them panicky. Containment policybecame its theory to satisfy disciples. They were desperate. All democraticpretensions were cast aside with disdain.

The wide scale witch-hunt of communists under McCarthys law, despite claimsfor democracy and freedom continued for years in USA just after Second WorldWar where they were allies against Hitler. The democratic faith did not troubleUSA in this wild game of defending capitalist interests. Worldwide campaign tocontain communism became the corner stone of its diplomacy, releasing cold warintensely with arms race as its supplement to revive economies. Simultaneously,they placed hope on Keynesian economics for survival and Herculean efforts werereleased for reconstruction under Marshal Plan. It helped them to maintain neo-colonial links with many former subjugated countries that opted for capitalistdevelopment. That provided much needed stamina for economic revival to theseimperialist countries of Europe and America. The imperialist camp headed by

America worked overtime to exhaust its enemy in socialist camp of resourcesthrough arms race. The growing market forces and accompanying individualisminside Soviet society, thanks to its rapid growth of industrialisation spree, dulyhelped their effort.

There is another side of the story. Though, Soviet camp made strenuous efforts inproviding economic aid at much easy terms to newly independent capitalistcountries of the third world as a counter move to imperialist influence growingthere. This Soviet economic aid conversely proved a bonanza for capitalistconsolidation that ultimately gave strength to this capitalist-imperialist systemitself to go kicking again.

The communist movement in the newly independent capitalist countries tooprovided strategic support for this consolidation of capitalist development takingcue from an old Marxist understanding that it will lead to the development ofproductive forces through industries, growth in proletarian ranks and liquidation

8/6/2019 Communists Failed to Size Up Capitalism Today

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of feudal relations. This was done while organising people to overthrow thecapitalist system and singing songs for socialism!

It was incumbent on communists in third world countries, more so in India tostudy the situation with a fresh mind on this basic question. The terminalsymptoms of capitalist-imperialist mode of development, with internal andexternal expropriation inherent, with a manipulative economy were enoughindicators to any alert mind for taking offensive-defensive measures in time. Thatwas not done and communists did not heed. They acted like mere robots -mechanically where it needed much creative approach instead. It would havebeen possible only if one could shed dogmatist approach in analysis.

A realisation is dawning slowly and steadily that communist leadership worldwidehas failed to measure up capitalism and its capacity of resilience timely. It hasdone little to evaluate changing features of capitalism. It is still taken by themthat capitalism is a progressive force to beat feudal and colonial features insociety and that through growth of capitalism alone forces of production aredeveloped, paving the way for socialist construction! Again a fatal infatuation toold dogmas.