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ruarilpa's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.0
Look he made several points and big praise to Engels but I’m not a Leninist, or rather I think we need some of his more direct, antidemocratic methods AND the anarchist practices of direct action / democracy to actually do the revolution successfully- let’s do it together!
tocupine's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating, a book where Lenin calls out Opportunists by citing Marx and Engels
aubreymccabe's review against another edition
4.0
The entire time I read this I just couldn’t help but feel like Lenin would have loved mitski
fantasma13's review against another edition
5.0
Had to read only on small bits due to work, but could have read in a heartbeat.
Very well written and direct to the point, give a good analysis of the state and a well crafted alternative, whit a few good way on how to do it.
Só pude ler em pequenas doses, mas da para uma leitura de capa a capa.
Muito bem escrito e directo ao ponto, da uma óptima analise do estado e uma alternativa bem conseguida, com uma maneira solida de la chegar.
Very well written and direct to the point, give a good analysis of the state and a well crafted alternative, whit a few good way on how to do it.
Só pude ler em pequenas doses, mas da para uma leitura de capa a capa.
Muito bem escrito e directo ao ponto, da uma óptima analise do estado e uma alternativa bem conseguida, com uma maneira solida de la chegar.
leonwheeler's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
4.75
Although most of the ideas discussed were not new to me - having studies Marxism at uni - this was still a very interesting read with some new/rephrased concepts.
Lenin writes in a particularly clear and legible way that manages to be both interesting and inspiring.
His focus on exploring how the state acts as an oppressive organ of the ruling class was particularly well explained and very informative. The need this engages for the complete destruction of the bourgeois state upon the success of the proletarian revolution is also made clear.
I agree whole heartedly with Lenin’s criticisms of bourgeois/bureaucracised democracy.
There were some issues I had though. Lenin’s over eagerness with critiquing multiple other leading socialists (though I suspect he would denounce them as traitors to socialism) of his time was annoying and came across as the writings of a man eager to split hairs if it would enable him to place himself as the central authority on Marx and socialism.
My second issue was that I felt Lenin struggled to explain exactly how the state withers away to the extent that it no longer contains a bureaucracy. I agree that the state withers away in the sense that it no longer exists as a state once the proletariat are universalised - as we understand the state as an oppressive body by the ruling class of the exploited class (there is now no class to oppress or exploit). However, Lenin argues that the future state also withers away as it loses all bureaucratic nature as well. How? Lenin says because all will have the opportunity/ability to fulfil the bureaucratic aspects of “simple administration”. I struggle to see how this would be the case. And even if it would be, how this would mean the bureaucracy is no longer bureaucratic - would Lenin have us mandate that everyone must work at some point in the administrative aspect of the ‘state’? Or must everyone always play some role in it?
Despite this, I still found the book ti be a very good read with multiple stand out, mouth dropping quotes and concepts. A must read for any leftist dedicated to change.
Lenin writes in a particularly clear and legible way that manages to be both interesting and inspiring.
His focus on exploring how the state acts as an oppressive organ of the ruling class was particularly well explained and very informative. The need this engages for the complete destruction of the bourgeois state upon the success of the proletarian revolution is also made clear.
I agree whole heartedly with Lenin’s criticisms of bourgeois/bureaucracised democracy.
There were some issues I had though. Lenin’s over eagerness with critiquing multiple other leading socialists (though I suspect he would denounce them as traitors to socialism) of his time was annoying and came across as the writings of a man eager to split hairs if it would enable him to place himself as the central authority on Marx and socialism.
My second issue was that I felt Lenin struggled to explain exactly how the state withers away to the extent that it no longer contains a bureaucracy. I agree that the state withers away in the sense that it no longer exists as a state once the proletariat are universalised - as we understand the state as an oppressive body by the ruling class of the exploited class (there is now no class to oppress or exploit). However, Lenin argues that the future state also withers away as it loses all bureaucratic nature as well. How? Lenin says because all will have the opportunity/ability to fulfil the bureaucratic aspects of “simple administration”. I struggle to see how this would be the case. And even if it would be, how this would mean the bureaucracy is no longer bureaucratic - would Lenin have us mandate that everyone must work at some point in the administrative aspect of the ‘state’? Or must everyone always play some role in it?
Despite this, I still found the book ti be a very good read with multiple stand out, mouth dropping quotes and concepts. A must read for any leftist dedicated to change.