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This is a blog for a community of students in Sociology 101A: "Sociological Theory," in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, Fall, 2008.
Welcome!
This is the informal blog spot for errant questions, random ramblings, and clever musings. For the rest of the semester, we'll use this blog to clarify the work(s) of Lenin, Gramsci and Fanon. Feel free to endlessly post, and don't forget: Theory Rocks!
Will Obama bring the U.S. closer to socialism?
Obama: A Traditional or Organic Intellectual?
Grappling with Gramsci
"The mode of being of the new intellectual can no longer consist in eloquence, which is an exterior and momentary mover of feelings and passions, but in active participation in practical life, as constructor, organizer, 'permanent persuader' and not just a simple orator (but superior at the same time to the abstract mathematical spirit) ..." (Prison Notebooks, 10).
"The relationship between the intellectuals and the world of production is not as direct as it is with the fundamental social groups but is, in varying degrees, 'mediated' by the whole fabric of society and by the complex of superstructures, of which the intellectual are, precisely, the 'functionaries'" (Prison Notebooks 12).
"The superstructure of civil society are like the trench-systems of modern warfare. In war it would sometimes happen that a fierce artillery attack seemed to have destroyed the outer perimeter; and at the moment of their advance and attack the assailants would find themselves confronted by a line of defense which was still effective" (Prison Notebooks 235).
"The massive structures of modern democracies, both as State organizations, and as complexes of associations in civil society, constitute for the art of politics as it were the 'trenches' and the permanent fortifications of the front in the war of position ..." (Prison Notebooks 243).
"... [I]t is obvious that all the essential questions of sociology are nothing other than the questions of political science" (Prison Notebooks 244).
"As long as the class-State exists the regulated society cannot exist, other than metaphorically---i.e. only in the sense that the class-State too is a regulated society" (Prison Notebooks 257).
What did you think of the Rosa Luxemburg film?
Oh No He Didn't: Endless, Evolving and Perplexing Lenin Quotables
"We are in favour of a democratic republic as the best form of state for the proletariat under capitalism" (The State and Revolution, 323).
"Simultaneously with an immense expansion of democracy, which for the first time become democracy for the poor, democracy for the people, and not democracy for the money-bags, the dictatorship of the proletariat imposes a series of restrictions on the freedom of the oppressors, the exploiters, the capitalists. We must suppress them in order to free humanity from wage slavery, their resistance must be crushed by force; it is clear that there is no freedom and no democracy where there is suppression and where there is violence" (The State and Revolution, 373).
"The expression 'the state withers away' is very well chosen, for it indicates both the gradual and the spontaneous nature of the process. Only habit can, and undoubtedly will, have such an effect ..." (The State and Revolution, 374).
What did you think of Salt of the Earth?
Who got it right?
Blog Archive
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2008
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November
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- A Different Wretched of the Earth!
- Fanon in Context
- Frantz Fanon
- The Thousand Threads and Obama's Economic Advisors
- Theory Barocks Assignment
- Rosa Luxemburg
- The revolutionary visions of Rosa Luxemberg
- Rosa Luxemburg's Fight for Revolution
- Will Obama bring the U.S. closer to socialism?
- Is Obama connected to the state with a thosuand th...
- Lenin on Obama
- Lenin's view of Obama
- Theory BAROCKS!!!
- Lenin and Obama
- Lenin: "Obama and his capitalist tendencies"
- Lenin and Obama,
- Thousand Threads Remain
- Baracks Assignment
- Theory Barocks
- The "Revolutionary" Question
- Lenin says...
- Lenin on Obama
- Lenin on Obama's Victory
- Obama and Lenin
- What would Lenin say about Obama's Victory....
- Lenin vs Obama
- Revolutionary Transitions: Luxemburg and Lenin
- Luxemburg & Lenin
- Lenin believes that Obama’s.....
- what would lenin say
- Obama and Lenin
- Traditional vs. Organic
- Traditional vs. Organic
- Thousand Threads Connected to Congress Too?
- Gramsci on Luxemburg
- Sounds like a Gramsci Studybreak!
- Jeopardy Question: Class in Itself
- Luxemburg meets Burawoy
- Vida de Gramsci
- yay for today's debate!!!
- 1981 PATCO Strike
- Kropotkin's Letter to Lenin
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November
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2 comments:
Lenin would say that Obama’s victory in the elections won’t change anything. Since Obama was a senator before running for president he is part of the ruling class. All governmental officials come from businesses or wealthy backgrounds/the capitalist class which separates them from the common people by their wealth. The process of electing officials from the “ruling class” is the cycle we repeat “every few years”. (pg. 342) The only thing voting does is allow people choose who they want repressing them. People argue that Obama is the rare official who isn’t going to repress the people, but his administration still won’t change anything. Under this democracy, the elected officials are part of parliament. This parliament is separate from the state and only “fools the common people” into believing their officials will make a change in society. (pg. 343) When the elected officials are repressive then they have the bourgeoisie’s interests in mind and work with the bourgeoisie to repress the common people together. When the official isn’t the repressive type then the bourgeoisie are able to bypass the official and affect the state on their own. This means that the parliamentary democracy has no impact because the state is mainly influenced by the capitalist class. The bourgeoisie, not officials, are linked to the state by “thousands of threads” and can therefore influence how grants are spent, where funding is sent, and general influences on the economy. (pg. 330)
I disagree with Lenin’s idea that we just elected another repressive official. Obama was originally a community organizer which is the opposite direction of repression. If he keeps true to his goals and promises made during his candidacy, then we’ll see a president who truly is interested in the needs and concerns of the common people. I do, however, agree with Lenin’s statement of the “thousand threads.” The bourgeoisie are controlling the state. They have large amounts of stocks and investments in major companies, as well as “corrupted officials” in legal positions that are able to manipulate the law to benefit the bourgeoisie. (pg. 319)
I do agree with many of your points, such as the strength of the “thousand threads” to remain. I also agree that Obama may not be another repressive official. However, I think that even with a non-repressive official, with working class origins, it will be difficult for his promises and reforms to come true. Instead he may be able to make more concessions to the working class, such as better health care for all and tax cuts for the poor. Even if he is “truly interested in the needs and concerns of the common people” the state ties to the capitalist class are so strong that it may prevent the changes he has promised to come true.
Similarly, in the first paragraph you did write, “When the official isn’t the repressive type then the bourgeoisie are able to bypass the official and affect the state on their own.” I completely agree, but I think it may contradict your point in the first part of your second paragraph. It’s just my thought though. And overall great essay ( :
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