Communism
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The GDR’s psychology and psychiatry evolved within a Marxist-Leninist framework, yielding a unique blend of ideological conformity and scientific practice. This included prioritizing social determinants of mental health, integrating psychology into state functions, and sometimes compromising therapeutic ethics. Despite significant constraints, East German practitioners managed to innovate within their context, contributing substantially to mental health…
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Leon Trotsky’s work, Fascism: What It Is and How to Fight It, analyzes the socio-economic factors leading to fascism’s rise, emphasizing the need for a united socialist response. Written in the 1930s, it offers insights relevant to contemporary political issues, advocating for class consciousness and proactive resistance against authoritarianism.
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Leon Trotsky’s The Permanent Revolution critiques the necessity of mature capitalism for socialist revolutions, arguing that the proletariat can lead such movements. His analysis addresses differences within the Communist Party, particularly against Stalin’s policies. Despite editorial issues in the 2014 edition, the work remains essential for understanding Marxist theory and revolutionary dynamics.
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The content explores how capitalism distorts human labor into abstract value through Karl Marx’s labor theory of value. It differentiates between absolute and relative surplus value, highlighting methods of exploitation. Marx’s insights reveal value as socially constructed, influenced by class struggle rather than individual preference, challenging the foundations of capitalist society.
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The text explores Marx’s theory of surplus value, asserting that profit under capitalism originates solely from labor. Marx critiques classical economics for failing to explain profit, emphasizing that surplus arises in production rather than circulation. By highlighting the exploitation of labor, he reveals how capital accumulates wealth through unpaid worker contributions.
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Ernesto “Che” Guevara (1928-1967) was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary and key figure in the Cuban Revolution. Influenced by social injustices during his travels, he joined Fidel Castro’s movement to overthrow Batista. Guevara sought global revolutions but was captured and executed in Bolivia. He is a polarizing icon of rebellion.
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In “China: From Permanent Revolution to Counter-Revolution,” John Peter Roberts examines China’s historical transformation under the Communist Party, emphasizing ideological and political shifts from Mao to Deng Xiaoping. His critique reveals the human costs and contradictions of China’s market economy while encouraging critical debate on socialism and capitalism’s future.
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Rosa Luxemburg emphasized the “subjective factor” in Marxist theory, focusing on the working class’s consciousness and initiative as vital for revolutionary change. She opposed fatalistic views of history, arguing that active engagement and preparation of class consciousness are essential. The 1905 Russian Revolution demonstrated the necessity of this proactive approach for meaningful social transformation.
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The concept of “under-consumption” highlights the paradox of poverty amidst abundance in capitalism, where overproduction leads to unsold goods while many lack means to purchase essentials. This systemic issue, rooted in class exploitation and wage suppression, consistently results in economic crises, revealing flaws in capitalist distribution, not consumer behavior.
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Marxist theorists Lenin, Gramsci, and Luxemburg offered varied analyses of the state’s role in class societies. Lenin emphasized coercion and the necessity of a proletarian state, Gramsci focused on hegemony and ideological consent, while Luxemburg insisted on mass democracy. Despite differences, all agreed on revolution’s necessity to transcend class oppression.
Letters from Tomis 