Socialism in Power: On the History and Theory of Socialist Governance

287 Pages·2023·5.306 MB·English

by  Roland Boer

Roland Boer
Socialism in
Power
On the History and Theory of Socialist
Governance
Socialism in Power
Roland Boer
Socialism in Power
On the History and Theory of Socialist
Governance
Roland Boer
School of Philosophy
Renmin University of China
Beijing, China
ISBN 978-981-19-5413-9 ISBN 978-981-19-5414-6 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5414-6
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For Yang Huilin, my wise mentor
Preface
This monograph concerns the historical development—in practice and theory—of
governance in socialist systems. Some years ago now, I began to think of a work
that would deal systematically with this question, since there is now more than a
century of concrete experience and its associated theoretical reflection. The vastness
of the task, however, soon became apparent. On the way, I found myself needing
to develop some aspects of the project. The study of Engels became a monograph,
entitled Friedrich Engels and the Foundations of Socialist Governance (Springer
2021). I also realised that the developments in China required in-depth research and
another separate work, which became Socialism with Chinese Characteristics: A
Guide for Foreigners (Springer 2021). With these tasks completed, I could finally
return to the original task. This book is the result.
The book seeks to bring together the historical realities of socialist systems of
governance and its associated theoretical reflection, which is framed by the Marxist
tradition. In that light, I begin with analyses of the works of Marx and Engels. This is
the task of the opening two chapters, in which I emphasise in particular the influence
of Engels in establishing the basic principles of socialist governance. From here,
I devote three chapters to the Soviet Union, which was the first country in human
history to experience socialism in power. The second half of the book moves to East
Asia, with an initial chapter devoted to the DPRK (North Korea), before focusing in
the remaining chapters on China, which arguably has the most developed form of
socialist governance.
From this research, it has become abundantly clear that the form of governance
that emerged after proletarian revolutions was and is unlike any other form that has
hitherto appeared. This new form is not a version of the Western European “nation-
state,” not an empire or colonising power, and not a federation. This book in one
respect is an examination of what exactly this new form is. Further, there are still too
few works available in English that provide a fair assessment of the experiences of
socialism in power. The main reason for such a scarcity of English language works
is the imposition of a Western liberal framework, and thus the model of the Western
capitalist nation-state, on socialist development. Such a model is an ill-fit indeed
for countries with very different histories, cultures, and traditions of governance.
vii
viii Preface
This Western liberal model has also influenced a few too many Western Marxist
dismissals—for reasons too many to enumerate here—of any actual experience of
socialism in power. By contrast, the works that do seek to understand socialism in
power on its own terms are still relatively few. I have, of course, made use of the
few works that do so, but my primary sources throughout are from the countries in
question.
Over the years, I have benefited from many discussions, debates, and feedback
on earlier efforts related to this book. Many are comrades, colleagues, and friends
in China who have contributed directly and indirectly to the present work. I think
particularly of Yang Huilin, who has been a wise and extraordinary mentor in China
for a long time now. Also at the Renmin University of China are Zang Fengyu and
Zhang Jing, my old friends. Thanks also to Hong Xiaonan, Fang Yumei, Qu Hong,
and Song Liang at Dalian University of Technology’s School of Marxism. Not to
be neglected are the fine scholars at the Academy of Marxism, within the Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences: Deng Chundong, Wang Zhongbao, and Liu Zixu are
just a few among many. They have provided invaluable feedback, especially when I
thought I knew much but actually knew very little, as well as opportunities to present
papers and publications in journals. I would also like to thank someone who has
become my editor at the Beijing office of Springer: Leanna Li is the epitome of
professionalism and efficiency.
In Australia, I thank Colin Mackerras and have valued his immense knowledge
and experience of China. Tamara Prosic has debated with me many aspects of devel-
opments in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, as has Roger Markwick with regard
to the early days of the Soviet Union. I am also deeply grateful to comrades in the
Communist Party of Australia, for their lively interest in and engagement with some
of the topics discussed here. At the risk of leaving out names, I will not name them
here, but they know very well who they are. Among colleagues in Europe, Yiannis
Kokosalakis has been invaluable in relation to worker democracy in the Soviet Union,
having made available his groundbreaking work (on which I rely in Chaps. 3 and
5) before publication. In relation to the DPRK, Keith Bennett’s suggestions have
been invaluable in light of his immense and long-standing experience of the country.
Stefano Azzarà has urged me to appreciate more than I often do what is actually
beneficial from the Western tradition, and Antonis Balasopoulos has pushed me to
think through the philosophical implications of the communist project. I also thank
Hannes Fellner and Marc Püschel, from among a fine younger generation of Austrian
and German Marxist scholars, as well as Kaan Kangal, who works at Nanjing Univer-
sity. Finally, the one who knows most about this work, as I do of hers, is Christina
Petterson, for whom I thank for the many years now of working on our common
project.
Toongabbie East Roland Boer
May 2022
Contents
1 Introduction .................................................. 1
2 Marx on the State, Proletarian Dictatorship and Commune ....... 11
2.1 Opening Remarks ........................................ 11
2.2 Hitherto Existing Forms of the State ........................ 12
2.2.1 Key Points on Earlier State Forms ................... 12
2.2.2 Historical Emergence of the Bourgeois State .......... 14
2.3 Dictatorship of the Proletariat .............................. 16
2.3.1 Main Features of the Proletarian Dictatorship ......... 17
2.3.2 Analysis ......................................... 19
2.4 The Commune ........................................... 21
2.4.1 Marx’s Presentation of the Paris Commune ........... 21
2.4.2 Limits of the Commune ............................ 22
2.4.3 Proletarian Dictatorship and the Commune ........... 23
2.5 On Socialist Governance .................................. 26
2.6 Conclusion .............................................. 29
References .................................................... 30
3 Friedrich Engels and the Foundations of Socialist Governance ..... 35
3.1 Opening Remarks ........................................ 35
3.2 The State as a Separated Public Gewalt ...................... 36
3.2.1 Determination of the State ......................... 37
3.2.2 TheRoleofG ewalt: Bismarck’s Germany ............ 38
3.3 Dictatorship of the Proletariat and Socialist Gewalt ............ 40
3.3.1 Proletarian Dictatorship and the Commune ........... 40
3.3.2 Socialist Gewalt .................................. 43
3.4 The Eventual Dying Away of the State ...................... 45
3.4.1 Background Summary ............................. 45
3.4.2 Dying Away of Its Own Accord ..................... 46
3.5 Towards Enmeshed Socialist Governance .................... 49
3.5.1 Public Gewalt Standing in the Midst of Society ....... 49
3.5.2 Depoliticised Governance .......................... 51
ix
x Contents
3.5.3 Administering the Stuff of Life for the True
Interests of Society ................................ 52
3.6 Concluding Observation ................................... 53
References .................................................... 53
4 Lenin, Before and After October ................................ 61
4.1 Opening Remarks ........................................ 61
4.2 Before October: On the State and Socialist Democracy ........ 62
4.2.1 The State and Revolution .......................... 63
4.2.2 Socialist Democracy .............................. 66
4.2.3 Summary ........................................ 67
4.3 Threshold: The Early Structures of Soviet Power .............. 67
4.3.1 Institutionalisation of the Soviets .................... 68
4.3.2 Transition to Leadership of the Communist Party ...... 69
4.3.3 Transitions in Worker Democracy ................... 70
4.4 After October: Power, Democracy, and Democratic
Centralism .............................................. 72
4.4.1 The Immediate Tasks of Soviet Power ............... 73
4.4.2 Socialist Democracy .............................. 76
4.4.3 Democratic Centralism ............................ 78
4.5 Conclusion: An Unexpected Withering ...................... 79
References .................................................... 82
5 The Soviet Union as a Multi-national and Anti-colonial State ...... 89
5.1 Opening Remarks ........................................ 89
5.2 Historical Background .................................... 90
5.2.1 Austrian Marxism ................................ 90
5.2.2 The Bund ........................................ 91
5.2.3 Caucasian Mensheviks ............................ 92
5.2.4 Stalin’s Definition of a Nationality .................. 93
5.3 Class as the Unifying Basis for Diversity .................... 94
5.3.1 Lenin’s Approach ................................. 94
5.3.2 Stalin: The Unifying Category of Class
as the Basis for the Diversity of Nationalities ......... 94
5.4 Preferential Policies for Minority Nationalities ............... 96
5.4.1 Enactment of Preferential Policies for Minority
Nationalities ..................................... 96
5.4.2 Implications for the Structures of Socialist
Governance ...................................... 100
5.5 Anti-colonial Struggles for National Liberation ............... 101
5.5.1 Emergence of the Insight into Anti-colonial
Struggles ........................................ 102
5.5.2 Attacking the “Rear” of Capitalist Imperialism ........ 103
5.5.3 A New Type of Global Revolution: Concrete
Support for Anti-colonial Struggles .................. 104
Contents xi
5.6 Conclusion: On the Right to Secession
and Self-determination .................................... 105
References .................................................... 107
6 Democracy and a “Socialist State” .............................. 113
6.1 Opening Remarks ........................................ 113
6.2 Dictatorship of the Proletariat .............................. 114
6.3 Socialist Democracy ...................................... 115
6.3.1 Electoral Democracy .............................. 116
6.3.2 Consultative Democracy ........................... 120
6.3.3 Human Rights .................................... 123
6.3.4 Leadership of the Communist Party ................. 125
6.4 A “Socialist State” ....................................... 126
6.4.1 Overcoming the Dialectic of Saturn ................. 127
6.4.2 A Second Stage of Socialism ....................... 128
6.5 Conclusion: A Socialist State and Its Withering Away ......... 130
References .................................................... 132
7 The “Korean Style” of Socialist Governance in the DPRK ......... 137
7.1 Opening Remarks ........................................ 137
7.2 Historical Background .................................... 139
7.3 Electoral Democracy ...................................... 141
7.3.1 The Electoral System .............................. 141
7.3.2 People’s Assemblies .............................. 142
7.3.3 Political Parties ................................... 143
7.4 Consultative Democracy .................................. 145
7.4.1 The Mass Line ................................... 145
7.4.2 Chongsanri Method in Agriculture .................. 146
7.4.3 Taean Method in Industry .......................... 149
7.4.4 Summary: Unity of Opposites ...................... 151
7.5 Leadership of the Workers Party ............................ 152
7.5.1 The State Affairs Commission ...................... 153
7.5.2 The Regulated Order of WPK Leadership ............ 154
7.6 Summary: Human Rights and the Administration of Things
for the True Interests of Society ............................ 155
7.7 Theory: “Believe in the People as in Heaven” ................ 156
7.7.1 Juche and Songun ................................. 156
7.7.2 People First: Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism ............ 157
7.8 Conclusion: From the Unity of Opposites to Communism ...... 159
References .................................................... 160
8 China’s Whole Process People’s Democracy ..................... 165
8.1 Opening Remarks ........................................ 165
8.2 Background: A Long History of Democratic Struggle .......... 167
8.3 From the Eighteenth Congress Onwards ..................... 168
8.4 Minzhu: The People as Masters of the Country ............... 169