WHAT IS TO BE DONE? : Full and Fine 1902 English Edition (Illustrated)
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WHAT IS TO BE DONE? : Full and Fine 1902 English Edition (Illustrated)
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Marx and Engels presented an analytical approach to the class struggle and the problems of capitalism in the book, The Communist Manifesto. The book also contains their ideas for how the capitalist society of the time would be replaced by socialism, and then eventually communism. However, the book is lack of detailed potential future forms of communism.
It was Lenin who took the theories of The Communist Manifest to the next level for delivery and implementation of a truly socialistic country. In 1902, Lenin published a political pamphlet entitled What Is to Be Done?. It was one of the most important books written by Lenin to lay out a theoretical foundation for building a socialistic country based on the need of a vanguard party to lead the working-class to revolution.
The Vanguard Party concept out of “What Is to Be Done?†later became the theoretical foundation of communist party of any socialistic countries to form a structured power organization. The Central Committee of a communist party defines the criteria and rigid process to identify, select, train, and promote party members with highest loyalty into the organization. Communist Party in a socialistic country then controls the whole country through the Central Committee. The book “What Is to Be Done?†clearly reveals Lenin’s thoughts of using a small group of people to control a party and then the power of a country.
From Marx’s The Communist Manifesto to Russia October Revolution, Lenin played the architect role from developing Marx theories to practicing the extended theory until delivering the first socialistic country Soviets. Lenin’s thought in “What Is to Be Done†had a strong influence on many communist leaders to replicate the Vanguard Party Model through various controlled party agencies and their agents.
Lenin’s path of building Soviets to address issues of Capitalism was catastrophic to the world. An estimated 70 million people died under the soviet regime. The human cost paid for his theory was enormous. Yet despite all this, Lenin’s Soviets and model are still worshipped by millions as a great model by other countries including North Korea and the aged followers in China today.
History is a mirror for us. Reading the book, “What Is to Be Doneâ€, we can have a second thought on evolution of our social systems and avoid paying human cost we made in the past by socialistic countries including Soviets and China.
Lenin’s road is opposite to the one from Adam Smith to Dr. Martin Luther King for American Dream. This is a must-read book to understand the organization theory of a communist party and the nature of a socialistic country.