The Dick Hedges Revolution

I wish his name was Richard Hedges
So I could call him Dick
Which somehow seems fitting
Seeing as he is writing about revolution
Again
Dick has switched tactics
He’s no longer vaguely
Advocating general revolution in his columns
Now he resorts to an essay
On Lenin
To plumb the depths of revolution
To fathom the pros and cons
Of mass slaughter
To discuss timing
And the states of Lenin
Lenin the philosopher
Lenin the mass murder
To objectify Lenin intellectually
To contemplate the thinker
To consider the killer
Leaving it to the reader
To infer
When the revolution
Would be right for here
And how to steer it away
From its tendency toward slaughter
And tyranny
Pure Dick
Pure Dick
If Hedges isn’t on the payroll of Putin
He should be
And if he’s not on the payroll of the CIA
He should be
If he’s not a double agent
He should be
Never has one man
Done more to hurt the progressive movement
While advocating for progressives
And let’s be clear
Any revolution in America
Will come from the right
Not the left
White nationalists
Fascists
Bigots
Hitler worshipers
KKK derivative excrement
Admirers of genocides
Idealizers of lynchings
Proponents of Trump
They’re the ones with the guns
They’re the ones with members
In local, state and federal police
They’re the ones with members
In the FBI, the CIA, the NSA
With supporters in Congress
With believers in the White House
With adherents in state houses
With generals in the armed forces
With supplicants in churches
With multi-millionaires on Wall Street
With rednecks in pickup trucks
With CEOs in limos
With judges in court houses
With suits in boardrooms
With spies at private security firms
And if it goes whole hog
It will be a slaughter
All Dick Hedges is doing
Is ensuring that anyone
Who supports Truthdig
Will be on the slaughter list
When the fascist American revolution
Gets real

July 9, 2019

Those who are #BernieOrBust are the actual revolutionaries in his progressive base. The rest are sheep willingly herded into the neo-liberal fold.

Are you a revolutionary? http://bernieorbust2020.us

As an INDEPENDENT democratic socialist I appreciate the criticism of the Russian Revolution based on a long tradition of classic liberalism which cherished the FREE SPEECH, FREE THOUGHT roots of Western Civilization. " Bolshevik " mockery of this considering the hellish totalitarian mockeries of " socialism " in the 20th century borders on fanatical know-nothing-ism . I am presently reading Chris Hedges on the long decay of traditional liberalism.
For more than 100 years since the triumph of the Russian Revolution various Trotskyist , Leninist , Maoist , Castro-ist parties have been miserable failures incapable of " connecting " with the working class masses. This is not because Marxism was " wrong ". What was wrong , I think , was fatuous" Vanguard Party-ism ". In itself it contained the seeds of totalitarianism .
So in this dialogue with one another in 2019 any lingering HUBRIS can be fatal to any possible anti-capitalist revolution. Sane humility will mock an image of YOUR socialist party as the VANGUARD party of the working class blessed by the god ( ? ) of HISTORY .
To listen to even this Socialist Equality Party sect, they only represent TRUE Marxism, TRUE Trotskyism , TRUE Socialism . It seems to this democratic socialist that ONLY the masses can confirm that the SEP people- or any other Marxist party- are NOT a self-appointed VANGUARD party of the working class but the real thing.
And as a democratic socialist I think " Bernie or Bust " is the most foolish nonsense.
SEP leader David North writes honestly enough ( I think ) about the history of the Russian Revolution and the Stalinist reaction . But assuming subjective honesty , North does not see his own organization as a very limited sect stultifying its TRUE BELIEVER members,
And yes , FORGET ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY as anything but the savior of capitalism and the pillar of the imperialism , of the Pentagon War Crimes Machine.
So today SOCIALISM is in the air but socialist parties are an ideological mess out of touch with common people ( most of whom have NOT banished God from their lives ) .

Every Marxist party whether Leninist, Trostkyist, Stalinist, Maoist etc. thinks its the true Vanguard party. Never heard of SEP but they are just another on the heap. Many have gone by the wayside.

Not every Marxist Party thinks they are the one and only "vanguard party" (even if they believe in the concept that I am sure they will all qualify).

As such what you say so therefor all that crap you start is based on false premises and as such tainted fruit of the poisoned root.

SO TRY HARDER MY RIGHT WING FRIEND as Fux News might call you far left but here you are a reactionary liberal at best Long Live the Great Patriotic War Resistance the enemy is here.

See there he is Trumpenstein.

As a democratic socialist appreciative of the best of Marxism as well as the best of " liberalism " ( read Chris Hedges " The Death of the Liberal Class " ) I am perturbed by the dismal failures of " Vanguard party " socialism . It does contain the seeds of totalitarianism .
In recent years it became all too clear to me that the once remarkable American based Socialist Workers Party and its rival Socialist Equality Party have both degenerated into daffy personality cults. Their members - an always dwindling number - very much like the " Clears " in the Church of Scientology ".
Just last week I was e-mailed a crypto threat from an SEP goon: IF Great Leader David North approves, he will smash my " Catholic, anti-Semite , fascist " face .
I doubt if David North ( the same named David Green is the capitalist owner of a NON-UNION printing company ) will " approve" . But what kind of " Marxist " writers are on North's " Trotskyist " payroll ? This self-appointed VANGUARD party clearly has no roots in the working class which absolutely includes ORGANIZED LABOR .
I think the biggest error of the generic Left is this palpable hostility to Christianity , to Catholicism in particular. Millions of the world's religious people viewed as second class citizens by socialist EQUALITY parties ? The biggest mistake of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia was to declare their STATE " officially atheist ". How could " Catholic " Europe react to that ?
And most of Orwell's " proles " do not have the slightest interest in Karl Marx's " dictatorship of the proletariat ". In general Christians do not daydream about bloody violent revenge on all class enemies. Go to Christ's Gospels on that .
Yet , " if there is hope it lies in the proles " .

Dear Reactionary Economist Corrupt and Decadent unions are not based per se based on bourgeois contracts and benefits as such but revolutionary action representing the working class frankly I disagree with social democratic corruption of unions in their wages top campaign workers nor the Faux News Fux Nuts of Rupert Murdoch attacks on Comrade Bernie Sanders recently saw where foolish agents of the ruling class people like you represent the interests of your capitalist employers as you are truly capitalist social fascistic lackeys two side of the the same coin with Trump.

Chris Hedges is truly petty bourgeois intellectual he is the worst person to write an article on Comrade Lenin where I strongly support a Vanguard Party Concept that I simplified much as yopu qualify the military where the Vanguard Party represents the ideological defense forces as the Peoples Army represents they military interests of the People and Unions Represent the Workers.

With distinct yet corresponding interests Much like DNC RNC DOD AND CAPITALIST RULING CLASS OLIGARCHS WHO RULE CAPITALISM.

There are a lot of good critiques of this piece below. I agree, for someone who writes a lot about the RR Hedges knows very little. It's a shame to have the influence Hedges does and use it in this manner.

As a result, Hedges argues the line that the bourgeoisie has been arguing for over 100 years now. And look at where we are, facing ecological collapse. If Russia was able to hold off, and if revolution succeeded in Germany, we would be in a totally different world now. But no, Instead of blaming the international capitalist class, let's blame the Bolsheviks!

I agree he makes very interesting points I bought some of his books myself along with Paul Krugman both of which disappointed me as they do not follow their own words thoughts but instead sublimate them to abstract emotions feelings they can not see.simply because as they are not workers they do not feel like workers.

The first I've read of anyone considering the USSR a paragon of ecological virtue. I fail to see any great advantage in replacing the "international capitalist class" with a national, state capitalist class, which is what Lenin largely achieved.

Whether he knows a little or a lot about his subject, Chris is correct in his final analysis: "We can learn much from Lenin the revolutionary about what to do, and much from Lenin the dictator about what not to do." Only a rabid Lenninist could disagree.

In my house I am a dictator capitalist law requires me to be a dictator (though as of yet I have not executed anyone for bad table manners) capitalist dictates how parents and their children are required to act this has become more and more evident as in it regimentation of labor to serve its interest that dictates you pay for addictions and if not costs and punishments.

Everything under capitalism is objectified including revolution Drugs, gambling in what the capitalist attempts to control and dictate the prices and costs nothing per-se is illegal unless it does not belong to them. The CCCP was great it existed for 74 years and set the standards upon which all society inclding capitalism existed as it forced Capitalism as it was collapsing to integrate develop and socialize.now that it is gone you have Trump Macron Salvino Duterte Mugabe Sisi etc where once again Liberal Capitalism without a real left it is defenseless.

Sorry to disappoint you Clinton Obama Bush Sanders and Trump are not left nor is @AOC as Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is progressive but not FAR LEFT where actually she seems passionate.

Where I find Truthdig Comrades Chris Hedges & Noam Chomsky much in tune with the current nature of the world where I must disagree with crucial points of their views as I regard them much like many.

Okay, since you are a rabid Leninist, you disagree. See, that was much shorter and to the point than your rant. And sorry to disappoint YOU, but the CCCP was not "real left", and never was. State capitalism is still capitalism, and the workers never had a real voice.

You throw words around as Chimps fling their feces!

State capitalism? As under Capitalism, also under what you call "state capitalism" (a term few agree to recognize) you should be free to abstain from "capitalism" but that would mean you none the less would need some form of economy that exists in the real world and if you are incapable that is your responsibility your problem your delusions. Where you complain of being un-free under capitalism un-free under socialism, and incapable to communist. There seems to be you have a problem.

Where yes under capitalism there is competition, a concentration of wealth and assets, but as a socialist advancing towards a communist utopia what is your excuse? There were kulaks vs Collectives but what were you? I seem to be missing something. What the hell do you produce besides manure no not even as valuable as manure, nor as productive as worms.

But complaining in excuses you represent capitalism and counter revolution.

This is the shop I work I produce there is a revolution I continue to work I produce what is needed in what is sold or bartered with any who needs it. what do you produce?

State capitalism state capitalism sate capitalism??? The state exists under capitalism within the superstructure that enables it as an economy. So again what do you produce?

Services produce what? Trains transport things what do marketeers produce? Propaganda for products? But why?

"Rabid Leninist"? You are a rat's ass throwing chimp shit as does any Chump aka any Trump Trump Steaks? What does he produce?

BLOCKED! That's what happens to rude, haughty, ignorant fools.

Someone who delusionaly thinks he's as brilliant a writer as Lenin. But appears as a word salad of someone who forgot to take his meds. Either that or English is a 2nd language.

Oh and the Anti-Stalinist Left sponsored by the CIA MI6 gangs were not real revolutionaries they were proxy stooges that began in 1919 with Wrangell's raiders as what 23 countries invaded Soviet Russia

The problem with academia of capitalism is most of them are tainted either as rightists for capitalism or leftists ofr capitalist's capitalism heads they win and tails they win "I am a man a human being not a number" The Prisoner a nihilistic UK production for the Col War. The Capitalist Cold War film TV productions are Interesting as academic studies they reflect western Intelligence interest well. Ian Fleming was MI6 as was Sir Alfred Jules Ayers but who cares how much poisonous mind pollution nonsense they generate. Are you any good at improvising weapons and ciphers? Do they have field operatives any more? Chelsea Manning & Edward Snowden were intelligent agents that is a laugh as was Lee Harvey Oswald.

I cant think of many people who write about the Russian revolution as much as Hedges, who actually know less about it... Seriously he makes most of this shit up off the top of his head (typical of western pop psychololgy "theories" posing as history - balderdash) , and worse, he references scurrilous weaponized sources like CIA stenographer Robert Conquest or a Nazi sympathizer and ideological crank like Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn

I am ill pressed to vote you up or down as you leave me with mixed feelings rudely you state "cant think of many people who write about the Russian revolution as much as Hedges, who actually know less about it" though to do have a point or too as I think it is his ghost written style (some how I fell his works are ghost written or written poorly in what capitalizes on slim issues of paltry substance.

Nothing the less he is present the communist feeling of capitalism without their substance but as to say from a nihilistic depressing point of view whereby he attempts to cripple those who might agree with him. But again Chris Hedges began as a theologian not as Herbert Aptheker Historian nor as Victor Perlo Economist. Chris Hedges like Paul Krugman leaves readers hungry for more as they critique matters well but fail in presenting solutions sine they are alienated from the working class and often are ignorant of them.

Hedges’ description of the dictator Lenin in his first paragraph sure sounds a lot like Nicolas Maduro.

Thats not surprising, because neither one you have any idea idea what your talking about.

Lenin (and Daniel de Leon) gave us the notion of the vanguard party which has been a spark of counterrevolution.

Why have you included De Leon as a proponent of vanguardism?

Um, because he advocated one party to lead. He expected it to dissolve after the revolution, but I think that falls within the the purview of vanguardism.

I don't believe there are too many similarities between them. For a start De Leon was not an advocate for nationalization or state ownership but industrial unionism where the unions controlled the economy. Unlike the IWW, the SLP were for organising politically and engaging in elections, which they did, but always under the proviso of following the constitution peacefully.

But I suspect that his role of the dominant leader of the SLP may be closer to Lenin in contrast with Deb's position in the SPA. Even though Debs stood for president multiple times, he never once held any administrative party office in it.

Not too many have even heard of the SLP and De Leon these days. It may be useful to get the information from the horses mouth so to speak

http://www.deleonism.org/in...

Thanks for the link.

Thirty years ago.

There is so much a pacifist, mistaken analysis and history here that there is nowhere to start. Left Liberalism gone mad. He basically repeats the bourgeois mantra that Lenin & Trotsky lead to Stalin. Just working backward, all of SDS did not end up as a 'foci' called the Weather Underground. Someone may eventually dissect this weird diatribe one day. I don't think Chris Hedges will be 'leading' a Luxembourgist party anytime soon even after borrowing her aura, as he's a Christian anarchist. He's more content to pompously lecture us all from his post as ex-NYT journalist, professor, Harvard grad and minister.

"He basically repeats the bourgeois mantra that Lenin & Trotsky lead to Stalin."

The other half of that bourgeois mantra is that "Stalin" was anything but a benefit to the Soviet Union and to the global workers movement 1930-1953 ..I know. Black heresy here in the bourgeois universe..But stop to think, why do the bourgeois hate Stalin so much ? Because he was so bad for socialism ? ........LOL!!!... NO, they fear the very memory of Stalin and not because he was so bad for communism.....And anyone who would cite Trotsky as an example of anything except political failure or personal neuroses isn't morally or mentally qualified to lecture on the subject

"...anyone who would cite Trotsky as an example of anything except political failure or personal neuroses isn't morally or mentally qualified to lecture on the subject.."

Yet being an apologist for Stalin is somehow a sane position to hold...Duh

Chris, as I just posted to your old alma mater NYT on a column by Thomas Edsall, regarding serious web-sites like Truthdig addressing this damn Empire:

https://www.nytimes.com/201...

EDit "Inevitably anger needs an outlet" out as superfluous and I could say you made a correct though short statement.

The most divisive people in the socialist movement are isolated sectarian " Marxist " political parties who announce themselves to the world as THE VANGUARD parties of the working class. They are always at each other throats and rarely have a friendly smile or a civil word for any would be activist not devoted to their sect.
If you cross them in any way , you will see yourself as one Joseph K in Franz Kafka's " The Trial ".
As a democratic INDEPENDENT socialist ( and I will stay that way ) I am pleased to read -if only on Fox News - that SOCIALISM is having a sort of revival in the United States. SOCIALISM is in the air and on the air .
But alas socialist parties have become very top heavy and bureaucratic. But most Trotskyist and Leninist sects have long ago degenerated into weird personality cults with a permanent GREAT LEADER ( with a very capitalist bank account ) and mindless members so much like those " Clears " in the Church of Scientology .
I would warn any young person interested in SOCIALISM today to avoid being captured by ANY " Marxist " sect. They do contain the seeds of future totalitarianism.
I recently received a threat from an SEP " Clear " : IF Comrade North approves, he will happily smash my " Catholic, anti-Semite , fascist " face.

Okay you I will try you with a grain of salt as is your stating:

"The most divisive people in the socialist movement are isolated sectarian " Marxist " political parties who announce themselves to the world as THE VANGUARD parties of the working class"

Tell us how many were part of some sort of government? You know many AdA can be very nice people.but them again they say "it doesn't pay to be too nice"

You have to look beyond what Obama Clinton Trump for there is little basis to them and most of the filth they exchange are reminiscent of the political street fights that were prevalent until the Cold War status quo.

Posses in Jamaica, Gangs of New York, Purples and Greens of Rome.

"I recently received a threat from an SEP " Clear " : IF Comrade North approves, he will happily smash my " Catholic, anti-Semite , fascist " face."

Trotskyists are NOT the marxist revolutionaries they claim to be. There are other historical models ....Throw off the bourgeois propaganda. I think of Chris Hedges as an ally but he is no revolutionary and even less a socialist (and not implying he's a trot either) ..Hedges merely repeats and regurgitates the bourgeois black legend of Soviet Socialism..A "history" written entirely by its enemies , including Trotsky..Read the things that Trotsky and Lenin had to say about each other ..its not a pretty picture. BTW your use of the phrase "clear" is extremely misleading here.You should be very "clear" that your using it as a metaphor..To use one of their favorite phrases I "carry no brief" for the SEP or its website..I think their public face - the WSWS - is a reasonably good militant leftist online newspaper - with some notable exceptions! Like the ridiculous Trotskiyst affectation of attacking anyone who disagrees (or who might disagree) with them as a"Stalinist"..Personally i don't take that as an insult but I wanst speaking of me.Im talking about their grotesque and anti "scientific" distortion of history by insisting on calling Kruschev, or Tito or Gorbachev "Stalinist"

Over the years David North can be a nice person just not to anyone who threatens and triggers his obsessional OCD APTSD

Where I can agree his CIA style of Anti-Soviet rhetoric is perverse as "their grotesque and anti "scientific" distortion of history ** insisting on calling Khrushchev, or Tito or Gorbachev "Stalinist" because it conforms to Trotsky propaganda leading up to WWII where his organization was wrecked by many where though unfortunately perhaps they became victims of history.thy left themselves open to becoming victims.

"democratic INDEPENDENT socialist" Fake socialist capitalists are so very cute. Attacking Marxism reveals that you are no part of an authentic "socialist movement".

ALL my CAPITAL funds will become public information. Social Security income is very corrupting to socialist convictions , I admit. As an INDEPENDENT socialist addicted to thinking for myself I reject the political leadership of ALL self -appointed VANGUARD " Marxist " sects.
Ask the GREAT OZ Comrade North why the " NOBODY " R. Ruggieri was BANNED from HIS World Socialist Web Site . Does Catholic = Fascist ? Did I say anything about Zionist Jews and Apartheid Israel that Chris Hedges- interviewed by David North- would personally condemn ?
PRODUCE my comments . Call " Joe Williams " .

You as such a Catholic aren't you as two popes via encyclicals rejected what they referred to as "capitalism and socialism" only to succumb to social-fascism-nationalism-imperialism that they were about to free themselves as Christians Democrats under Aldo Moro only to have that honorable Italian assassinated with the assistance of NATO and Operation GLADIO: How else was Doris Day
proposed for sainthood while the church was subject to scandal extortion and blackmail.

If you should not sell your soul should the capitalism of buying and selling souls be illegal?
As I understand the WSWS strictly controls who posts on their website I understand that and agree as Fux Faux News will not tolerate you either.

Incomprehensible drivel.

Only an ILLITERATE would find my above comment " incomprehensible drivel "

Though I can agree with you none the less you are eccentric and he is too lazy to pick at your bits and pieces.

I rest my case on the SEP " Clears " !

“Lenin, like Karl Marx, understood that revolutions were not made by the lumpenproletariat. The lumpenproletariat are more often the enemy of revolution and the natural ally of fascists. They gravitate to reactionary armed vigilante groups, lured by the intoxication of violence, and build their warped ideology around conspiracy theorists and white supremacy. We see this among some Trump supporters and among white militias and hate groups.”

First, not all working class people who are apolitical or otherwise naive to what’s going on in this country isn’t the “Lumpenproletariat”, at least as Hedges has defined here. Not all of them are Deplorable. Some just work a lot for a living and have zero time to devote to fixing our (unfixable) political and social system. Perhaps they’re the smarter ones because they don’t want to waste their time. But let’s go with Hedges’ definition for a moment…

Funny thing is, considering his earlier writings, Hedges wants us to ally ourselves with these Deplorables. I love Hedges’ work and considering him a huge force for us, but this I can’t do. I was born & raised in the South, I’ve seen them up close and personal all my life. Indeed they’re deplorable. And I’m talking about just them, not the other Trump supporters who aren’t (or weren’t) deplorable. While she herself is deplorable in other ways, HRC did not label all Trump supporters as deplorable; I’ve seen her video, it’s crystal clear. Yet the far left insists on throwing all Trump voters in the Deplorables basket.

Last year, in researching for his Farewell Tour book, he was inside one of those right-wing nationalist groups interviewing them. In a later interview or speech promoting his book, he recalled hoping that they didn’t google him, presumably out of fear they’d find out he’s a socialist and would harm him. So he wants us to ally ourselves with them, yet when he was actually among them he didn’t admit he was a socialist and begin building a bridge himself. So he knows that these people can’t be allied with. They’re ignorant and irredeemable. They’re lost, and there’s no point in allying with this sect of Lumpenproletariat.

NOPE "Yet the far left insists on throwing all Trump voters in the Deplorables basket."
though crackers and reactionaries are a slow pedantic exercise in patience for which us Confederate hating Yanquis have little patience.

The relationship to the arts often tells me more about leaders than their political credo's. Lenin: a traditionalist who revered Beethoven. He did not appreciate Mayakovsky but he did not have him arrested either. Trotsky: he was interested in all arts: a true universalist. Rare among politicians. Stalin and Hitler: back to the Pharaohs. Trump: total emptiness.

Trump WWF WWE

This is a fascinating addition to the discussion at hand; thank you for it. Indeed, the arts - particularly the music - a person most appreciates speaks volumes about that person's innermost personality. I would certainly imagine that Lenin would revere Beethoven; though I wouldn't necessarily conclude Lenin to be a traditionalist based on that alone. Rather, I would imagine it was Beethoven's style which captured Lenin's soul: Beethoven, unlike most classical composers, was just the opposite of slow, deliberate and ponderous; his music did not build to a finish so much as rushed headlong to the finish - a kind of "take no prisoners" approach, direct and to the point.

A number of years ago I played the role of Lenin in "Travesties" by Tom Stoppard. Here are a few of my lines.
"Today, literature must become party literature! Down with literary supermen!"
"Memo to A. V. Lunacharsky, Commissar for Education- Aren't you ashamed for printing 5000 copies of Mayakovsky's new book? It is nonsense, stupidity, double-dyed stupidity and affectation."
"As for Lunacharsky, he should be flogged for his futurism."
"I don't know anything greater than the Apassionata."
P.S. I am not an actor. I am a scientist. Doing Lenin was for fun. It was a lot of fun.
The reason why Lenin is in that play is because the setting is Zuerich, Switzerland, 1918 when Lenin and his wife lived in Zuerich before they were shipped by the Germans to Petrograd in a sealed wagon.
P.S.2 Mayakovsky committed suicide in 1930. Some birds cannot live in cages.