State and Revolution

As someone who loves history and has a degree in political science, I found this to be a great book for those trying to understand the political context of that region and time period. Or anyone trying to learn more about workers revolutionary movements.

I've been reading this book slowly over the past few weeks, just a few pages a day and I have really appreciated it now that I'm finishing it. I think it's a wonderful read not only for Lenin's perspective and thoughts but also for a good breakdown of Marx and Engels' writings. Lenin talks about arguments brought up against socialism, the steps to achieve full communism, what that would look like, and arguments for why socialism is necessary, and now possible after the European revolutions of the 19th century.I do not agree with everything he says, and I find some of his analyses to be somewhat incompatible with today's modern worker-state/worker-bourgeois dynamics. And some of his takes on democracy and necessity for a state apparatus I find to be a little jarring to say the least. But that could just be because Communism is something so far from the capitalist norm of today that It's hard to imagine anything else.I still love the book, I still would recommend, and I still feel it's very useful and informative even today for anyone wanting to find their way through leftism.

There are no shortage of reviews for this classic, for good reason. For all their influence and relevance, both Marx, but not so much Engels, did not leave behind a coherent doctrine, with elements of their philosophy scattered among many writings. The function of State and Revolution is to connect the dots and give a coherent, clear message of Marxian theory. It remains one of the clearest explanations of the Communist system.I was struck when reading State and Revolution how much resonates with today. Even though first published over a hundred years ago (1917), State and Revolution contains cutting analysis which holds up even one hundred years after it was first published. In this regard, pay attention to what Lenin says about how States are created and continue to exist. Or witness what Lenin says about how the memory and thoughts of great revolutionary thinkers are reduced to sound bytes, ignoring other important messages, or, to use Lenin’s words, being “canonized.” For example, for all the great words and deeds from Martin Luther King, the media mostly remember him for saying, “I have a dream, ....” leaving out the many other words and deeds he said.A frequent argument against Communist political systems is that historically most have been nothing but authoritarian dictatorships. State and Revolution clarifies this argument. Russia, Eastern Europe were mired in dictatorship, never progressing further, per Marxian theory, to a democratic, communistic state. The great benefit of State and Revolution is that Lenin fully explains this important issue, devoting an entire chapter to the “withering of the State.”

Locked in lenin fr fr

Lenin basically regurgitates Marx's idealistic tripe, while adding to it to ensure the complete ruin of his beloved Russia for the sake of communism. A serious minded reader with any knowledge of the benefits of capitalism, and individual freedoms will instantly reject these ideas for the nonsense they are. Without capitalism, communism can not exist, as it works on the back of capitalism in order to fund itself. These ideas are all contradicted in the very writings of Marx , and Lenin because as they apply a principle of communism, they must then alter their principles to make the new idea work within the communist ideal, which of course as usual contradicts the new idea. It's amazing double talk. Keep in mind, Lenin was stripped of power and became THE figurehead of communism, while at the same time he was being shut down, and silenced, as the new ideas again conflicted with the communist "model" for utopian life. Enter Stalin and the worst oppression of Russia ever, in the name of communism.

The cover is ugly I won't lie but the dimensions of the book make reading and access much easier as well as just the content of State and Revolution is one of the best books you'll read. Not the easiest, but definitely one of the best.

Everyone needs this book

Great content, makes a wonderful gift for a well rounded education!