By Steven Jonas
November 7, 2017, was the 100th Anniversary
("new," Gregorian, Calendar) of the Russian Revolution. According to the "old," Julian calendar still
in use in the Russia of the time, the Revolution occurred on October 25, 2017,
which is why, in many quarters it is still referred to as the -- da, da! -- "October
Revolution." (It is interesting to note
that the "Julian" calendar was named after Julius Caesar, whose government
introduced it in what would come to be known as 45 B.C [or B.C.E.. depending
upon your religious/calendrical point-of-view].
The "modern," Gregorian calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in
1582.) The current calendar date was
celebrated, noted upon, denigrated, around the world. It was also ignored in certain quarters,
although most of those persons-to-institutions that did, like the government of
Vladimir Putin, which did for the most part ignore it, made it clear that they were ignoring it .
Outside of Russia, it has been widely noted that
the Soviet Union, which was established as a result of the October Revolution,
lasted only 75 years. Many observers,
capitalist or socialist or other, have taken some satisfaction in this occurrence. Many Marxist-Leninists, including myself,
took and have taken the demise of the Soviet Union with sadness. However, some of us, at least, recognize that
among Lenin's many great contributions to the understanding of human history
and how it works is the concept of "two steps forward/one step back."
Indeed, what can be considered as the first capitalist
revolution against the then predominant feudal order (or a variant of it) can
be said to have been the Cromwellian
Revolution in England, 1640-61. To be sure, it did not represent industrial capitalists,
for the industrial revolution would not get underway until the mid-18th
century. But it did represent the rising
mercantile capitalists --- and it failed.
Now one could have said at the time, "see, capitalism will never work;
feudalism and royal primacy in government will always be the systems of state
control." And one would have been
wrong. In judging what happened in the
Soviet Union, one should certainly take the Cromwellian lesson intro account.
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