State Socialism

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State socialism is a variant of socialism that refers to the nationalization of the means of production and political monopoly. State socialism is often referred to simply as "socialism". The attribute “ state ” is used above all to distinguish the states of the former Warsaw Pact , the People's Republic of China and others , which characterize themselves as socialist, from democratic , anti- authoritarian or state-critical socialist movements and theories.

Concept history

“ The mentioned term“ State Socialism ”was first used in the German labor movement under August Bebel and Wilhelm Liebknecht. The old Social Democrats made fun of Bismark's attempts to demoralize the labor movement with the help of social concessions and a police state (carrot and stick). The old social democrats called this policy "state socialism". In this sense, with a “carrot and stick” policy against the working population, “state socialism” sounds very different. "

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels , especially after the failure of the Paris Commune , advocated the achievement of political power by the working class, which had to organize itself into workers' parties for this purpose. For example, within the International Workers' Association (IAA or later “First International”, London Conference from September 17 to 23, 1871 and The Hague Congress September 2–7, 1872) a resolution they formulated was passed on their initiative, promoting solidarity with the Paris Commune proclaimed and pointed out that the “constitution of the working class as a political party is essential for the triumph of the social revolution and its ultimate goal - the abolition of classes”. In addition, the statutes were later supplemented with this point, the constitution of workers' parties and the conquest of political power.

Often the formula “real existing socialism” or real socialism is used for the term state socialism . These states, which were led by a Communist Party , invoked Marxism or Marxism-Leninism . However, there are also differences between the theory of Karl Marx and these socialist states. Some critics said that these states are over-bureaucratized and have limited themselves to the pure nationalization of industry.

According to the Marxist view it is said that after a successful revolution the state will gradually “fall asleep” (Friedrich Engels) on the way to communism , when it is no longer necessary or superfluous. In a transitional period the state is needed for the dictatorship of the proletariat . In the Communist Party's manifesto, Marx and Engels call for the nationalization of all instruments of production: “The proletariat will use its political rule to gradually wrest all capital from the bourgeoisie, all instruments of production in the hands of the state, i. H. of the proletariat organized as the ruling class and to increase the mass of productive forces as quickly as possible. ” In reality, none of the former socialist states could “ fall asleep ” , also because of the lack of world revolution . The character of these states is controversial within Marxism. The Trotskyists describe the socialist states as Stalinist and claim that the socialist claim has given way to a bureaucratic dictatorship . Certain branches of Trotskyism (under Tony Cliff ) even consider the former states of the USSR to be state capitalist and not state socialist.

Anarchists criticize Marxism (with its claim to power conquest and its state idea) as state socialism, since, according to their ideas, no state is required for a social takeover of the means of production.

Historically, the term was related to Bismarck's social policy, often by liberals - but also by Bismarck himself.

Today, many left-wing European parties support various forms of nationalization in the form of democratic socialism . Many of these mostly moderate socialist parties, however, negate the overcoming of capitalism in the form of a socialist revolution; they therefore advocate the continued existence of the capitalist state, but with expanded social components. This is often referred to as state socialism, but it is ultimately a variant of social democracy , the idea of “taming” capitalism through welfare state measures.

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literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Quotation from: LZ Debate: Right to Self-Determination and National Liberation ( Memento of the original from January 11, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved July 21, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.linkezeitung.de
  2. ^ KARL MARX, General Statutes of the International Workers' Association, As decided by the London Congress in 1871 (Resolution IX); Art. 7a decided by the Hague Congress in 1872 : “In its struggle against the collective power of the possessing classes, the proletariat can only act as a class if it sees itself as a special political party in contrast to all the old parties formed by the possessing classes constituted. This constitution of the proletariat as a political party is indispensable in order to secure the triumph of the social revolution and its highest aim, the abolition of the classes. The unification of the forces of the working class already achieved through the economic struggle must also serve in the hands of this class as a lever in its struggle against the political power of its exploiters. Since the masters of the land and of capital always use their political privileges to defend and perpetuate their economic monopolies and to subjugate labor, the conquest of political power becomes the great duty of the proletariat. "( London Conference of the International Workers' Association , MEW 17, p. 422)
  3. ↑ Cf. Ulrich Busch: The GDR as a state-socialist variant of Fordism, in: Yearbook for Research on the History of the Labor Movement , Issue III / 2009.
  4. ^ Communist Party Manifesto, MEW 4: 481