NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Bureaucratic collectivism

Bureaucratic collectivism is a theory of class society. It is used by some Trotskyists to describe the nature of the Soviet Union under Stalin, and other similar states in Central and Eastern Europe and elsewhere (such as China and Cuba). Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ... Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. ... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვილი; see Other names section) (December 21, 1879[1] – March 5, 1953) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and leader of the Soviet Union. ... Regions of Europe Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ... Current division of Europe into five (or more) regions: one definition of Eastern Europe is marked in orange Eastern Europe as a region has several alternative definitions, whereby it can denote: the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Central Europe and Russia. ...

As in state capitalism, a bureaucratic collectivist state owns the means of production, while the surplus ("profit") is distributed among an elite party bureaucracy, rather than among the workers. Also, most importantly, it is the bureaucracy - not the workers or the people in general - who controls the economy and the state. Thus, the system is not truly capitalist, but it is not socialist either. It is a new form of class society which exploits workers, in Marxist theory, through new mechanisms. Most who hold this view believe that bureaucratic collectivism does not represent progress beyond capitalism - that is, that it is no closer to being a workers' state than a capitalist state would be. Some even believe that certain kinds of capitalism are more progressive than a bureaucratic collectivist society. There are multiple definitions of the term state capitalism. ... The means of production are physical, non-human, inputs used in production. ... The term surplus is used in economics for several related quantities. ... Bureaucracy is a concept in sociology and political science. ... In economics, a capitalist is someone who owns capital, presumably within the economic system of capitalism. ... Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ... Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ...

"Bureaucratic collectivism" was first used as a term to describe a theory originating in England, shortly before the First World War, about a possible future social organisation. After the war, the Russian Revolution and the rise of Stalin, Hugo Urbahns and Lucien Laurat both began to critique the nature of the Soviet state in a similar manner. Their theory was probably first named "bureaucratic collectivism" by Christian Rakovsky. Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total of dead: 8 million Military dead: 4 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total dead: 7 million The First... The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a series of political events in Russia, which, after the elimination of the Russian autocracy system, and the Provisional Government (Duma), resulted in the establishment of the Soviet power under the control of the Bolshevik party. ... Dr. Christian Georgievich Rakovsky (ÐšÑ€Ð¸ÑÑ‚Ð¸ÑÐ½ Ð“ÐµÐ¾Ñ€Ð³Ð¸ÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð Ð°ÐºÐ¾Ð²ÑÐºÐ¸; ÐšÑ€ÑŠÑÑ‚ÑŒÐ¾ Ð Ð°ÐºÐ¾Ð²ÑÐºÐ¸ - Krastyo Rakovski in Bulgarian or, in Romanian spelling, Cristian Racovschi; August 13 (August 1, Old Style), 1873 - September 11, 1941) was a socialist revolutionary, a Bolshevik politician and a Soviet diplomat. ...

This theory was first taken up within Trotskyism by a small group in France around Yves Craipeau. It was also taken up by Bruno Rizzi, who believed that the Soviet, German and Italian bureaucracies were progressive and celebrated "the class which has the courage to make itself master of the state". It was with Rizzi that Trotsky debated in the late 1930s. Trotsky held that the Soviet Union was a degenerated workers state and that if it did not undergo a new workers' political revolution, it could move towards a new form of society, such as bureaucratic collectivism. However, Trotsky doubted that a state of pure bureaucratic collectivism would ever be reached; he believed that, in the absence of a proletarian revolution to return the Soviet Union to socialism, a comprehensive counter-revolution would return the nation to capitalism instead. Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. ... Bruno Rizzi (1901 - 1977) was Italian unorthodox Trotskyist theoretician. ... 1915 passport photo of Trotsky Leon Davidovich Trotsky (Russian: Лев Давидович Троцкий; also transliterated Trotskii, Trotski, Trotzky) (October 26 (O.S.) = November 7 (N.S.), 1879 - August 21, 1940), born Lev Davidovich Bronstein (Лев Давидович Бронштейн), was a Bolshevik revolutionary and Marxist intellectual. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... In Trotskyist political theory, degenerated workers states are states where capitalism has been overthrown through social revolution and the property forms have changed into a collectivized planned economy, but where the working class has lost its political power and socialist democracy has been replaced by a form of dictatorship. ... In the Trotskyist movement, the term political revolution refers to an unpheaval in which the government is replaced, or the form of government altered, but in which property relations are predominantly left intact. ... A communist revolution is a social revolution inspired by the ideas of Marxism that aims to replace capitalism with communism, normally with socialism (public ownership over the means of production) as an intermediate stage. ... A counterrevolutionary is anyone who opposes a revolution, particularly those who act after a revolution to try to overturn or reverse it, in full or in part. ...

Soon after the Workers Party in the USA (later the Independent Socialist League), led by Max Shachtman, split from the Fourth International, it adopted the theory of bureaucratic collectivism and developed it. As a result, it is often associated with Left Shachtmanism and the Third Camp. Its version had much in common with Craipeau's, as developed by James Burnham and Joseph Carter, but little with Rizzi's. The Workers Party was a Trotskyist group in the United States. ... The Workers Party was a Trotskyist group in the United States. ... Max Shachtman (September 10, 1904 - November 4, 1972) was an American Marxist theorist. ... The Fourth International has been the Trotskyist movements most important international organisation. ... Shachtmanism was a form of Trotskyism associated with Max Shachtman. ... The third camp, also known as third camp socialism or third camp Trotskyism, is a branch of Trotskyism which aims to oppose both capitalism and Stalinism by supporting the organised working class as a third camp. This approach was developed by Max Shachtman and is one of the major components... James Burnham (1905â€“1987) was an American popular political theorist, activist and intellectual, known for his work The Managerial Revolution, published in 1941, which heavily influenced George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four. Burnham was of English Catholic stock, although he was an atheist for much of his life before converting... Joseph Carter (1910-1970) was the pseudonym of Joseph Friedman, a founding member of the American Trotskyist movement. ...

The theory of bureaucratic collectivism was maintained by socialists such as Hal Draper, and is now held by sections of Solidarity in the USA and Workers Liberty in the United Kingdom and Australia. Hal Draper (1914-1990) was an American socialist activist, Marxist, Left-Shachtmanite, and author, perhaps best known for his role in the Berkeley, California Free Speech Movement. ... Solidarity is a socialist group in the United States, led by Trotskyists and post-Trotskyists. ... The Alliance for Workers Liberty (AWL), also known as Workers Liberty is a small Trotskyist group based in the United Kingdom. ...

George Orwell's famous novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four" describes a fictional society of "Oligarchical Collectivism". Orwell was familiar with the works of James Burnham having reviewed Burnham's Managerial Revolution prior to writing Nineteen Eighty-Four. Nineteen Eighty-Four is a political novel which George Orwell wrote in opposition to totalitarianism. ... Spoiler warning: In George Orwells dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, describing a totalitarian society ruled by the almighty Party, Emmanuel Goldstein figures in state propaganda as the chief enemy of the state – a former Party member who conspires against the wise leadership of Big Brother. ...

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