Communist ideology in Russia

[Spreadbury]

I think Lenin was power hungry, but I do believe he legitimately wanted the power simply to enact Communism. but he didn't care deeply enough about Russia to enact it properly. He called for "all power to the soviets" rather than letting the provisional government just hold power until the elections in November, and he closed the Constituent assembly because the bolsheviks didn't hold the majority.

in stark comparrison to Mao who actually moulded Communism to fit the needs of the chinese population and was clearly a realist, Lenin was an idealist. I belive that the Communist Manifesto should be taken as a guide, not followed to the letter.

Also, Lenin seemed to ignore the peasants for the most part, 'equality' never seemed like it was on Lenin's agenda. His most well known quotes don't even have any reference to equality (to my knowledge)

[Kotza]

Yea thats fairly true dude.

You have to honour the guy for transforming the world's largesat country of 160,000,000 people into a Communist State... respect for that

HOWEVER... he was an idiot to a great extent. Think about it:
When he enacted War Communism, Russia was instantly screwed... it was clear that this 'lovely idea' of equality in the form of communism wouldnt work... War Communism showed that.

Then he resorted to NEP, an "unfortunate but necessary step" he claimed. But look at the results, it fixed Russia almost instantly, it blatantly demonstrated the benefits of capitalism.

So i think he just didnt want to believe that something he had worked 2 decades for wouldnt work.
He was both a great man (for his outstanding achievements) but an idiot at the same time.

And with what you said about him being an "idealist," you are exactly right. He had negelected and hated the "dark masses", yet when he was lacking support he changed his mind and said that they were exhibiting a revolutionary psyche... which is bullshit. Over 100,000,000 people dont just change in a few years.

[Spreadbury]

all Lenin's problems would have been solved if he recognised that there was necessary inequality to some extent. The ruling classes would obviously need more power than the lower classes to govern the country, while the peasants needed to be given something for their surplus.

Peasants screwed up the revolution in Russia, and only because Lenin didn't recognise that it didn't actually apply to Russia. Russia was never visualised by Marx as a society in which communism could come to fruition, it lacked a widespread industrial class like england had.

[Kotza]

Exactly, you cant change the history of a thousand+ year old nation and swith is instantly to some bizarre new IDEA known as Marxism. Also, Marx and Engels were two mid 20 year old dudes who had never worked a day in their lives. Their Communist Manifesto was only 16000 words or something long and unrevised, yet Lenin still saw it as a ticket to utopia.

That, my good sir is ignorance lol.

even if Russia did have the industrial base as England has, communism doesnt work. Unless everyone in the top levels of the beauracracy are extreme humanitarians who have the heart of a saint, it will never ever work. Simple as that.