What do people here think of the Stalinist concept that social democracy is 'social fascism'?

  • LamontCranston [any]
    hexagon
    ·
    4 years ago

    Couldn't this argument just as easily be made the other way?

    By rejecting social democrats efforts at reform and public services and focusing their energies on internal conflict aren't more orthodox leftists ensuring that nothing at all is done to curb the power elite and the publics concerns go unaddressed? Aren't they then siding with fascists by default?

    In fact couldn't a cynic even argue that is their goal because in their conception of how Revolution must be carried out it is only at this stage of public suffering that it could occur - so they would oppose any effort to ameliorate. But of course in all their red bureaucracy edginess they've done nothing to engage with and organize the public. So all they achieve is a divided left that is easily conquered.

    • MarxMadness [comrade/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      In fact couldn’t a cynic even argue that is their goal because in their conception of how Revolution must be carried out it is only at this stage of public suffering that it could occur

      You don't need to be a cynic to believe this -- there's at least a small faction of leftist accelerationists who will tell you this openly. Shit, look at Posadists.

    • toledosequel [none/use name]
      ·
      edit-2
      4 years ago

      It depends what you view as empowering the power elite, working within their institutions or refusing to do so. There is a case to be made that the Communist party of Germany's total rejection of the Social Democrats is one of the big reasons why the Nazis were succesful in taking power. To argue that it was a bigger factor than the Social Democrat suppressing the revolution and directly collaborsting with the right wing, I think is a much more difficult argument to make.

      I'm just going to ignore your third paragraph, it is a bit ridiculous.