On Marxism and Local Revolutionary Strategy
What Georgian Marxists should strive for and how the current historical realities reshuffle our agenda
This piece was written as a general declaration of how Georgian Marxists must view the local situation, what should be prioritized and how we can ensure a better tomorrow.
Note, that many of the things may be specific to Georgia, be similar to the most elementary theses of Marxism (the exposition of which was partially the aim) or sound like an attempt at a popular outline rather than something deeply concrete. This is so, as the existing situation demands a complete concentration and construction of socialist strategy and action plan to guarantee the survival and development of Marxism in this major corner of the Caucasus.
What are the interests of Georgian workers? The Georgian youth?
This fundamental question, which also answers how the revolutionary orientation and strategy should be directed locally, must guide and determine all primary answers and appeals, which are born in the bosom of Georgian Marxism. Political struggle, aspiration and ambition necessarily have a class character, necessarily found themselves on the social and production relations which dominate the Georgian reality.
Therefore, what must be the strategy, action plan and future vision of Georgian Communists — this group of vilified people besmirched by various groups on the wrong side of history?
They reproach us — as if we base ourselves on the ideas long dead; as if we are motivated by bloody revenge; as if, we aim to reanimate the past, spin the wheel of history backwards and bring back the buried and rotten corpse, which represents the current scarecrow in frightening the public.
No! We declare sharply and confidently, in unity, that these accusations are baseless. Marxism realizes the realities of the movement of history, social progress and global development most deeply and completely. Marxism will not and cannot oppose the ascending slope that is social growth. Our main methodology, tool and weapon for all political agitation and theoretical analysis always was and is the materialist, dialectical conception of history. These concepts, methods, along with the future that awaits and must be fought for, were deliberately put forth in a vague manner by its chroniclers, as they cannot be prophesied, completely described and drafted. The materialist conception of history is understanding that history is diverse, changing, moving, based on concrete components and reactive to specific categories; that history is characterized by constant struggle, which inevitably acquires class character for the simple reason that humankind, for the vast majority of its existence, has been divided (and still is today, more acutely than ever) into the oppressor and the oppressed.
Some may say: I agree to this analysis, but I am no Marxist! I know that they oppress and they are oppressed, but I do not want a revolution!
Unfortunately for them, history is not only already Marxist, but it is the best Marxist. It is inevitably revolutionary. One of the main components of materialistically viewed history is precisely the fact that history at large does not care for and cannot take into account what we agree to, believe in or consider ourselves. The fundamental thesis of Marxism — and with logical thinking, any reasonable person shall arrive at such a conclusion — is that in the history of mankind, there can be noticed one primary, accompanying law, a reality, which is being concealed, distorted and rejected by the miasma of ideological and political inclinations: before a human educates themselves, appraises art, studies science, considers religion, self-realizes, it is imperative for that human to eat, drink, dress. The necessity and prioritization of the aforementioned is ingrained in the essence of being human, due to the natural evolution of mankind and physical attributes. The level, accessibility and actuality of the aforementioned for society, the broadest masses dictates all other, that is birthed by a fed, drunk and clothed human. Culture, religion, science, art, law — all of them are created and exist in the same conditions in which the average person is. A society, which starves, pauperizes and ruins the majority of the population, especially when this majority is the main source of production and reproduction, will naturally have a starved, pauperized and ruined culture, statehood, cognition.
Our primary and direct task is to eliminate the problems and obstacles in education, social relations and development. This is the so-called Minimum Program, i.e. the elementary and basic compilation of action that is in one sense or the other possible and productive in the existing order of things and will be a great advancement for future action, which, in the form of a Maximum Program, is essentially directed against abolishing the reality, which is constructed to weaken and obstruct, willingly or otherwise, the talents, development and welfare of humankind.
The character of these programs, with its specific aims and inclinations are decided by the local conditions. To move towards concrete discourse and leave behind abstract theorism, we can pose the following question: what is to be done? Where to start and where to continue? And this will only be answered by the Georgian reality, the results of its historical development and challenges that are faced by the working masses of the world in general.
What does Georgian reality tell us? It dictates and drives us towards the conclusion that was sounded more than a century and a half ago — the development and improvement of education. This, dear readers and comrades, is the main and ruthless necessity of Georgian Communists, workers and youth. Self-education and mass agitation as the source of ameliorating and maturing societal consciousness must be the main and prioritized task in Georgian Communist circles.
But education is general. It can be of many forms and types. Therefore, a logical question is posed: what’s the need for communism, historical materialism and generally, revolutionary groups at all to achieve such and such? Education is a broad, social and existential phenomenon. Here is another primary task of Georgian Marxists: cultivating class consciousness. Education must necessarily be directed along the right path. Just reading books and thinking alone is not of use. In studying history meticulously and analyzing the existing conditions in great detail, reason will eventually arrive at the conclusion that the existing society has fundamental contradictions, which cannot be solved without complete reconstruction of society. This is the main essence of class consciousness, social cognition and the reluctant revolutionary conclusion — changing the old with the new. Giving a helping hand to the rusted wheel of history, which still spins forward and cannot stop, but qualifies for aid. We cannot jump over historical laws, change the objective conditions of the future determined by the past and the present. But, we can and must change, develop and broaden the subjective aspects, which promise a better future through creating an improved present.
Therefore: Marxism is the methodology for the liberation of mankind, a critical weapon and a movement based on the objective analysis of history, which declares loudly, that with or without us, the old, in which the new has rooted and awaits blossom, must be changed, destroyed and abolished. The current, main task of Georgian Marxists is to connect with our society, regular people and especially the youth, many of which, day by day, are influenced by destructive ideologies and reactionary politics. We must devote attention, exchange ideas, critique, self-critique, converse with the masses, expose oppression and exploitation, struggle against them, destroy myths and be at loggerheads with empty words.
But are our words empty? Can they accuse us of inaction? We will be accused of much worse. You cannot charm, convince, inspire and win over every individual. Humans cannot be made into a big colony of unitary cognition, which will react to everything and do everything uniformly and unanimously. And this is good — we strive for the diversity of thought, discourse, especially inside the ranks of Marxism. You cannot eliminate difference and dissent by force; you can only bury it temporarily and force it to watch you from six feet under for a period of time. Today, we already have innumerous historical lessons, modern means, a plethora of material to make the correct decisions and conclusions.
Let us use them!
Forward towards victory, for a better mankind!
P.S.: Naturally, a small article, which fundamentally reviews a specific subject, cannot touch upon and discuss all questions, critique and doubt, nor does it have the ambition to do so. We can only eliminate the aforementioned one by one. We are not scary — if you are a regular person, labor and work towards the wellbeing of yourself and your kin, history has made us brothers. But if you are a parasite, a leach, an oppressor and an exploiter, who is only motivated by greed, self-interest and maximization of profit and property alone through speculation, cheating and violence, putting something material over a human — yes, I am your enemy! It is my duty to struggle against you and say as loudly as my soul allows me to, that by uprooting you, thousands of new flowers will bloom.
Glory to the revolution.
