Kropotkin is also a relevant figure here as opposed to looking back to that period with chomsky brained secretarian analysis. When he saw that Bolsheviks were by far the only and most popular revolutionary force in the country that could hope to realize any liberation or move towards a future closer to communism he openly criticaly supported them, especially during the very chaotic first years after the revolution, met with Lenin a bunch of times to discuss theory and stuff and point out and critisize inadequecies he saw localy of the party and system. He of course had big strong ideological and practical disagrements but never stopped taking the postion of critical support (in various levels) towards the soviet state and was open to the posibility of the whole thing working out.
If anything he was staunchly opposed to adventurist anarchists that engaged in specificaly anti-bolshevik actions and open clashing during the 1918-1921 period and did view Makhno and the Ukrainian anarchist movement with more nuance and reservations than both modern internet anarchists or MLs do
critisize inadequecies he saw localy of the party and system
This is why it's so damn important as anarchists to read theory. We have to understand all this history and all this theory because when it comes to actually realizing some sort of post revolutionary society it would naturally be our responsibility to urge such a state closer to communism. Something that can only be done with at least a general understanding of the history, the past successes and mistake, the theory and praxis that gave rise to them, in order to contribute in good faith toward furthering our common goal of a classless stateless society.
Kropotkin is also a relevant figure here as opposed to looking back to that period with chomsky brained secretarian analysis. When he saw that Bolsheviks were by far the only and most popular revolutionary force in the country that could hope to realize any liberation or move towards a future closer to communism he openly criticaly supported them, especially during the very chaotic first years after the revolution, met with Lenin a bunch of times to discuss theory and stuff and point out and critisize inadequecies he saw localy of the party and system. He of course had big strong ideological and practical disagrements but never stopped taking the postion of critical support (in various levels) towards the soviet state and was open to the posibility of the whole thing working out.
If anything he was staunchly opposed to adventurist anarchists that engaged in specificaly anti-bolshevik actions and open clashing during the 1918-1921 period and did view Makhno and the Ukrainian anarchist movement with more nuance and reservations than both modern internet anarchists or MLs do
This is why it's so damn important as anarchists to read theory. We have to understand all this history and all this theory because when it comes to actually realizing some sort of post revolutionary society it would naturally be our responsibility to urge such a state closer to communism. Something that can only be done with at least a general understanding of the history, the past successes and mistake, the theory and praxis that gave rise to them, in order to contribute in good faith toward furthering our common goal of a classless stateless society.