Jamie and Jorge discuss the second chapter of Lenin's The State and Revolution titled "The Experience of 1848-51." How did Marx and Engels conceive of the State before the February Revolution of 1848? How does the bourgeois State operate? How did their conception of the State change over time? What is the Dictatorship of the Proletariat? Why must it both "wither away" and be used to defend socialist construction? Why is the mere acceptance of class struggle in society not enough, according to Lenin? The crew examines all of these questions and applies them to our contemporary situation.

The State and Revolution, Chapter Two:

https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/staterev/ch02.htm

Produced and Edited by Paul (@aufhebenkultur)

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NOTE: There is a bit of repetition near the beginning. This is due to the episode being recorded over separate sessions. The listener may notice an improvement in audio quality when Jorge speaks. We hope you appreciate this change.

Jamie and Jorge recap the events leading up to the French Revolution of 1848 that informed Marx's analysis in works like "The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte" (1852). Lenin drew heavily from these works in Chapter Two of "The State and Revolution," which the crew will be delving into next week.

Please welcome Paul Channelstrip as the show's producer!

Note: Aaron sadly had to take an indefinite leave of absence from the show, but Jamie and Jorge are keeping it going with his blessing.

Jamie and Aaron begin their discussion of Vladimir Lenin’s 1917 book The State and Revolution with “Chapter I: Class Society and the State.” What is the Marxist conception of the state? How does the bourgeois state oppress the working class, and how can the proletariat seize power? And what does it mean for the state to “wither away”? After historical context and summarizing “Chapter I,” the crew interrogates Lenin’s ideas, how they have borne out over time, and apply them to the modern-day United States.

The State and Revolution:

https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/staterev/

Editing by Moses Archuleta

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Jamie and Aaron are joined by teacher, writer, and researcher Jasper Bernes (@outsidadgitator) for further discussion of Marx's "Critique of the Gotha Program." What does Marx mean by "lower-stage communism" and how does it track with state socialism? The pitfalls of "equality." Troubleshooting labor vouchers. What kinds of domination pass the test of communism? And how does all this relate to Jasper's specialty, communization theory? (Don't worry, he'll be back for a full-on communization episode!)

"Critique of the Gotha Program":

https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1875/gotha/

Jasper Bernes, "The Test of Communism":

https://cominsitu.wordpress.com/2021/03/12/the-test-of-communism/

Editing by Davey Mammal

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Jamie and Aaron go over Marx's 1875 essay "Critique of the Gotha Program," in which he gives some spicy takes on the platform proposed by the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany (SDAP) and the General German Workers' Association (ADAV) as they prepared to unite into one party at a conference held in the city of Gotha. In it, he warns against the reformism and revisionism injected by the ADAV's late leader Ferdinand LaSalle and clarifies what an uncompromising communist vision looks like. The crew summarizes Marx's critique before discussing its modern day relevance.

"Critique of the Gotha Program":

https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1875/gotha/

Stay tuned for part 2 with guest Jasper Bernes!

Editing by Davey Mammal

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Jamie and Aaron finish out their discussion of "The Communist Manifesto," covering 'Chapter 3: Socialist and Communist Literature,' and 'Chapter 4: Position of the Communists in Relation to the Various Existing Opposition Parties.' They also discuss the pamphlet's relevance to modern day organizing.

"The Communist Manifesto": https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/index.htm

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Jamie and Aaron continue their discussion of Marx and Engels' "The Communist Manifesto," spotlighting the brilliant debate lording of 'Chapter 2: Proletarians and Communists.' In this chapter, our boys position the communist movement in relation to the working class as a whole and dispatch some common critiques of communism floated by bourgeois ideologues.

"The Communist Manifesto": https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/index.htm

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In the pilot episode of Everybody Loves Communism, Jamie and Aaron discuss the first portion of Marx and Engels' seminal pamphlet "The Communist Manifesto" with the help of The Antifada's Sean KB (@as_a_worker). After situating the piece in its proper historical context, the crew discusses 'Chapter 1: Bourgeois and Proletarians,' which goes over the differences between idealism and materialism, and why taking an idealist view of history benefits the ruling class.

"The Communist Manifesto": https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/index.htm

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