Opportunism: Difference between revisions
Saul Wenger (talk | contribs) m (→See also) |
Saul Wenger (talk | contribs) mNo edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''Opportunism''' is collaboration of [[Communism|communists]] with the [[bourgeoisie]] and the distortion of revolutionary theory to serve their class interests. An example of opportunism would be socialists collaborating with [[revisionism|revisionists]] or [[Anti-communism|anti-communists]] to attain momentary goals at the expense of long-term ones.<ref>Vladimir Lenin (1920). [[Library:Speech Delivered at a Meeting of Activists Of The Moscow Organisation of the R.C.P.(B.)|''Speech Delivered at a Meeting of Activists Of The Moscow Organisation of the R.C.P.(B.)'']].<br><blockquote>"This, incidentally, raises the question of opportunism. '''Opportunism means sacrificing fundamental interests so as to gain temporary and partial advantages.''' That is the gist of the matter, if we consider the theoretical definition of opportunism. Many people have gone astray on this point. In the case of the Brest-Litovsk Peace, we sacrificed Russia’s interests, as understood in the patriotic sense, which were, in fact, secondary from the socialist point of view. We made immense sacrifices, yet they were only minor ones. The Germans hated Britain implacably. They hated the Bolsheviks too, but we held out a bait, and they fell for it." <small>[Emphasis added]</small></blockquote></ref> | '''Opportunism''' is collaboration of [[Communism|communists]] with the [[bourgeoisie]] and the distortion of revolutionary theory to serve their class interests. An example of opportunism would be socialists collaborating with [[revisionism|revisionists]] or [[Anti-communism|anti-communists]] to attain momentary goals at the expense of long-term ones.<ref>Vladimir Lenin (1920). [[Library:Speech Delivered at a Meeting of Activists Of The Moscow Organisation of the R.C.P.(B.)|''Speech Delivered at a Meeting of Activists Of The Moscow Organisation of the R.C.P.(B.)'']].<br><blockquote>"This, incidentally, raises the question of opportunism. '''Opportunism means sacrificing fundamental interests so as to gain temporary and partial advantages.''' That is the gist of the matter, if we consider the theoretical definition of opportunism. Many people have gone astray on this point. In the case of the Brest-Litovsk Peace, we sacrificed Russia’s interests, as understood in the patriotic sense, which were, in fact, secondary from the socialist point of view. We made immense sacrifices, yet they were only minor ones. The Germans hated Britain implacably. They hated the Bolsheviks too, but we held out a bait, and they fell for it." <small>[Emphasis added]</small></blockquote></ref> | ||
{{Quote|text=''"In one way or another, all these petty-bourgeois groups penetrate into the Party and introduce into it the spirit of hesitancy and opportunism, the spirit of demoralization and uncertainty. It is they, principally, that constitute the source of factionalism and disintegration, the source of disorganisation and disruption of the Party from within. To fight imperialism with such "allies" in one's rear means to put oneself in the position of being caught between two fires, from the front and from the rear. Therefore, ruthless struggle against such elements, their expulsion from the Party, is a pre-requisite for the successful struggle against imperialism."''|author=[[Joseph Stalin]]|title=''Foundations of Leninism''}} | {{Quote|text=''"In one way or another, all these petty-bourgeois groups penetrate into the Party and introduce into it the spirit of hesitancy and opportunism, the spirit of demoralization and uncertainty. It is they, principally, that constitute the source of factionalism and disintegration, the source of disorganisation and disruption of the Party from within. To fight imperialism with such "allies" in one's rear means to put oneself in the position of being caught between two fires, from the front and from the rear. Therefore, ruthless struggle against such elements, their expulsion from the Party, is a pre-requisite for the successful struggle against imperialism."''|author=[[Joseph Stalin]]|title=''[[Foundations of Leninism]]''}} | ||
==Types== | ==Types== | ||
===Right opportunism=== | ===Right opportunism=== | ||
Latest revision as of 03:10, 2 March 2025
Opportunism is collaboration of communists with the bourgeoisie and the distortion of revolutionary theory to serve their class interests. An example of opportunism would be socialists collaborating with revisionists or anti-communists to attain momentary goals at the expense of long-term ones.[1]
"In one way or another, all these petty-bourgeois groups penetrate into the Party and introduce into it the spirit of hesitancy and opportunism, the spirit of demoralization and uncertainty. It is they, principally, that constitute the source of factionalism and disintegration, the source of disorganisation and disruption of the Party from within. To fight imperialism with such "allies" in one's rear means to put oneself in the position of being caught between two fires, from the front and from the rear. Therefore, ruthless struggle against such elements, their expulsion from the Party, is a pre-requisite for the successful struggle against imperialism."
Types
Right opportunism
Right opportunism is encompasses revisionist tendencies which disregard revolutionary theory or distort it in an attempt to make it "acceptable" to the interests of the bourgeoisie. Right opportunists will forget revolutionary aims in favor of short-term, incremental reforms without concern for long-term aims (i.e. reformism). Other right opportunists will abandon Marxism and adopt the reactionary tendencies the backwards elements of the working class so as to gain more support among them (i.e. tailism).
Left opportunism
"Left" opportunism are tendencies which distort revolutionary ideology into mere dogma and, in doing so, isolate the party from the working class. Further "Left" opportunists will refuse to make critical compromises in the course of class struggle to preserve the working class movement, engage in sectarian or factionalist disputes within the communist movement, etc.
See also
References
- ↑ Vladimir Lenin (1920). Speech Delivered at a Meeting of Activists Of The Moscow Organisation of the R.C.P.(B.).
"This, incidentally, raises the question of opportunism. Opportunism means sacrificing fundamental interests so as to gain temporary and partial advantages. That is the gist of the matter, if we consider the theoretical definition of opportunism. Many people have gone astray on this point. In the case of the Brest-Litovsk Peace, we sacrificed Russia’s interests, as understood in the patriotic sense, which were, in fact, secondary from the socialist point of view. We made immense sacrifices, yet they were only minor ones. The Germans hated Britain implacably. They hated the Bolsheviks too, but we held out a bait, and they fell for it." [Emphasis added]