I won't debate you or anything I'm just really curious what some of the main reasons why someone would want the state to beat capitalism rather than defeat capitalism according to anarchist theory. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to answer my question. Hopefully an interesting discussion can be had. EDIT: I appreciate everyone's response. Not exactly a big fan of most of the sentiment but I appreciate those who took the time to help me understand.

  • glimmer_twin [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Long story short, the state exists as an expression of class struggle. The purpose of the state is the subjugation of one class by another class. In current bourgeois society, the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie, the bourgeois state exists so that the bourgeois minority can repress the proletarian majority.

    After a proletarian revolution, there will inevitably be a counter revolution. The boug will not just give up their vast wealth and power without a fight. There will also be immense lingering pro-capitalist or even fascist elements within society.

    That’s where the dictatorship of the proletariat comes in. The proletariat, having defeated and smashed the bourgeois state, establishes a proletarian state. As always, the purpose of this state is the repression of one’s class enemy. For the first time in history though, the proletarian state will represent the majority of the society, the workers. It will be the bourgeois minority being repressed.

    Marxist-Leninists argue that as this repression becomes complete, once the bourgeois elements and the counter revolution are quelled, the state (which exists historically only as a manifestation of class struggle) will wither away, becoming nothing more than a counting house, an organisational/distribution tool.