So. The 100th anniversary of the October Revolution. We are all children of that revolution because so much of what we do was defined by it.
It’s more than probable that the Western capitalism would not have embraced the welfare state and would not have accommodated the wishes of organized labor like it did if it remained completely uncontested by any existing state ideology. This possibility is supported by the retreat of the welfare state and the weakening of labor after the collapse of the Soviet system.
On the other hand, the uncontestable failure of the Soviet alternative makes it very hard for the Left to try to articulate any way forward that lies outside seeking cosmetic changes to the dominant capitalist ideology.
The most enthusiastically pro-capitalist and rabidly Ayn-Randian folks don’t come from Wall Street. They come from the ranks of those who stood in 3-hour lines for toilet paper in the USSR. And this is the greatest testimony to the utter failure of the Soviet system to compete with seductive capitalism. Whether the Left will be able to restore itself from the crushing blow of the Soviet failure remains to be seen. But the number one prerequisite for that is knowing and understanding the legacy of the October Revolution.
Clarissa's Blog 
Ah but still one must say congratulations to all the comrades on that day. My family of course suffered a lot after that but on that day, one must still say congratulations to all the comrades, it was a great achievement.
LikeLike
Congratulations, comrade!
LikeLike
It’s also election day! Woo hoo!
LikeLike
You following the elections? Northam (D) beats racist asshat Trump-supported Gillispie in Virginia.
Lee Carter, a DSA (democratic socialists of america) party member beat the GOP whip in the state delegate election. With ZERO support from the Dems.
This was the mailer that his opponent sent around:
LikeLike
Northam won?? Wow, thank God. I was really worried. That’s fantastic news. You made my day.
LikeLike
Oh, it’s better even than that. We may win the Virginia House of Delegates; currently the GOP has 66/100 seats, so very impressive. Biggest Dem state house wave since 1899.
LikeLike
And this is so sweet:
LikeLike
LikeLike
Let’s hope for more and more of these great results in the coming years!
LikeLike
Yep! Finally, some sanity prevailed.
LikeLike
Of course, now Republican candidates will disavow Trump at every turn and pretend they are different. I hope nobody buys into their lying act.
LikeLike
The future is single payer/universal healthcare, my friends.
LikeLike
More a sense of relief than joy, honestly. I just shudder to think how bad it would’ve been if a purple state like Virginia elected a governor who ran on confederate blood-and-soil nationalism. I imagine red states would’ve elected actual Klan members.
LikeLike
Of course, let the Democrats rejoice in their isolated victory, a final refreshing drink at the well amid the looming desert waste.
As the ancient Roman orator Marcus Tullius said circa 73 B.C.: “Where there’s life, there’s hope!”
LikeLike