The entirety of Marx’s Critique of the Gotha Programme is related to this subject. He explains it in excruciating detail. Also, the experiences of the opportunism of the second and third international explains it.
The working class does, from time to time, capitulate to opportunism and sacrifices the long term goal for the revolutionary socialist transformation of society in favor of short-term gains. This opportunism arises most of all in cases of desperation. The bourgeoisie has no qualms about exploiting this by granting short-term concessions, which it knows it can claw back at a later date when the situation is more favorable, in order to avert a revolution and preserve their privileged class positions. However communism is not just about immediate results.
The answer to this is the Communist Party, the working class organized into a political party and the repository of knowledge and experience for the working class. It’s given rise by the interests of the working class materializing into a precise consciousness. The communist party fights against opportunist degeneration by sticking to the historical invariant programme of the communists and draws lessons from past successes and defeats.
I don’t think you get to say ‘hey those nice things you got while under capitalism will disappear at some point - source, trust me bro.’
That arguably hasn’t eventuated for western workers as we haven’t returned to the original or worse conditions than when we were at at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
Too few are interested in dying to improve their conditions further which disarms any vanguard party.
I don’t know much about Hegel, but the bit I do know makes me very skeptical about historical materialism. Socialist philosophy is better without Hegel IMO, yes I assume you disagree with this strongly.
The entirety of Marx’s Critique of the Gotha Programme is related to this subject. He explains it in excruciating detail. Also, the experiences of the opportunism of the second and third international explains it.
The working class does, from time to time, capitulate to opportunism and sacrifices the long term goal for the revolutionary socialist transformation of society in favor of short-term gains. This opportunism arises most of all in cases of desperation. The bourgeoisie has no qualms about exploiting this by granting short-term concessions, which it knows it can claw back at a later date when the situation is more favorable, in order to avert a revolution and preserve their privileged class positions. However communism is not just about immediate results.
The answer to this is the Communist Party, the working class organized into a political party and the repository of knowledge and experience for the working class. It’s given rise by the interests of the working class materializing into a precise consciousness. The communist party fights against opportunist degeneration by sticking to the historical invariant programme of the communists and draws lessons from past successes and defeats.
Party and Class.
Yeah that’s where we disagree.
I don’t think you get to say ‘hey those nice things you got while under capitalism will disappear at some point - source, trust me bro.’
That arguably hasn’t eventuated for western workers as we haven’t returned to the original or worse conditions than when we were at at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
Too few are interested in dying to improve their conditions further which disarms any vanguard party.
I don’t know much about Hegel, but the bit I do know makes me very skeptical about historical materialism. Socialist philosophy is better without Hegel IMO, yes I assume you disagree with this strongly.