The Right Lesson and the Wrong Conclusion

Contents: Preface. 1. The single most important right lesson: Democracy. 2. The single most important wrong conclusion: Triumph of capitalism. Index.

This volume deals with two important issues consequent upon the failure of Soviet socialism and disappearance of the Soviet Union the single most important right lesson: Democracy and the single most important wrong conclusion triumph of capitalism.

It is argued that Democracy is not only integral to socialism as a value it is also an economic necessity for it for as against capitalism where the market commands the economy providing it with the necessary indications and correctives in socialism it is politics which commands the economy and the necessary guidance and correctives can only come from the people that is from democracy.

The wide ranging discussion of democracy that follows touches upon a variety of theoretically important issues ranging from Democracy as a theoretical absence in classical Marxism to the forging of extra Parliamentary sanctions to defend or enforce peoples democratic verdicts.

As regards the wrong conclusion drawn from the failure of actually existing socialism of the Soviet Union it is argued that at the end of its five centuries old existence actually existing capitalism too is a failed system and that there is an important difference between the two failures. The failure of capitalism has a systemic  or structural necessity about it so that it is the only kind of capitalism possible. In contrast with politics commanding the economy socialism simply has no structural logic or laws similar to what market governed capitalism has. Socialism in the Soviet Union failed primarily due to the inadequacies of political leadership so that socialism remains a possibility in the future. (jacket)