/leftypol/ - Leftist Politically Incorrect

Within the social body of capitalism, in which classes function as an unconscious sub-organism, the interest of any particular class, in the final instance, overrides the will of its individual representatives. This scientific truth, however, is often concealed behind the mask of two seemingly opposing, yet equally pernicious, illusions.

The first of these is the illusion of heroic individualism, the act of rebellious individual will, whose most stubborn defenders are often anarchists. No matter how fervently they have fought against oppression, their insistence on the absolute freedom of the individual and their rejection of centralized party struggle is historically an expression of the despair and incapacity of the petty bourgeoisie (as well as already defunct or nearly defunct classes like the impoverished nobility, aristocracy, etc.) to comprehend the power of collective action. Their "act of rebellion," however honest in its intent, ultimately remains a gesture which, by rejecting discipline and organization, objectively serves to maintain the status quo – because it is always easier for the bourgeois class to deal with isolated rebels than with a firmly organized working class.

The second, opposing illusion, is the illusion of classless populism, employed today by social democrats, liberals, and others who believe the current social order can be preserved, or who are simply reformists. Upon closer inspection, their talk of "the unity of the people," "justice for all," and "dialogue" is mere rhetoric that conceals the inevitability of class struggle. By appealing to "everyone," they are in fact nurturing the bourgeoisie's interest in social peace and the reduction of tensions, while the structural basis of exploitation remains untouched. Their policy does not aim to overcome capitalism, but to make it more tolerable, and thereby preserve it.

From this unavoidable conflict arises one clear and unpleasant conclusion for those who strive for an "independent" stance: in a society divided into classes, there is no possibility for a neutral or supra-class politics. The attempt to adopt such a position signifies nothing but the unconscious service to the interests of one of the warring sides.

Therefore, the only truly conscious politics for the working class is neither mere syndicalist bargaining, nor the populist demand for reforms within the system, nor is it disorganized violence in the form of terrorism and heroic exploits. The only politics that consistently and fully expresses the historical interest of the working class for the final abolition of all classes and all exploitation is communism. Communism is the necessary and material movement that abolishes the present state of things. It is the practical activity through which the working class, organized around a revolutionary party, reduces the false alternatives of anarchism and social democracy to nothing and takes its destiny into its own hands.

Everything else is an illusion or a betrayal.