Transcript Post-communism

Post-communism: the
de (con) struction of a
historical and political
paradigm
From Communism to Postcommunism
Communism - definitions
Wikipedia and other internet sources:
 from the Latin word communis meaning common,
 a
socioeconomic structure that promotes the
establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless
society based on common ownership and control of the
means of production and property in general
 a political ideology and philosophy advocating holding
the production of resources collectively, favoring
collectivism in this classless society, upholding a form of
government in which the state plans and controls the
economy and in which a single, often authoritarian party
holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher
social order in which all goods are equally shared by the
people for the benefit of all citizens
Communist party
allegiance to Marxism-Leninism or a
derivative theory of it,
 does not actually claim that it has
already developed communism
 shows how it tries to implement such
a communist political philosophy.
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Communism
different state of affairs
 commonly perceived as oppressive
 overtly arbitrary
 even totalitarian
 a socialism advocating communism
 deeply contrasting with capitalism
 governed/manipulated by this selfperpetuating political party
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Leslie Holmes , Post-
Communism. An Introduction
 examines
the two paradigms
 analyzes their components from
more perspectives, that is, social,
economical, political, historical,
ethnic, geographical
Communism
Originated in Marx’s theory, that is, historical
materialism:
 a method for interpreting history, especially the
changes in history,
 generated by the author’s belief in contextuality
 saw reality changing according to time, place,
who people are
 the social dynamics described as dialectical
materialism, due to constant changes and
interaction that can be identified in the historical
evolution
Communism
Marx:
 the main driving force of history was the relationship
between classes (bourgeoisie, proletariat, intelligentsia)
 the tensioned relationship between the two main classes
– bourgeoisie and proletariat –
 the socialist revolution resulting in the establishment of a
new type of power structure.
 not a redundant theory
 provides an excellent tool for making sense both of the
recent revolutions and future developments
Communism
Lenin:
 analyzed in his works the acceleration of
this revolutionary process of class clash
 ending in a different political structure
 there were two phases of communism:
1.socialism,
2.communism
Communism
Socialism:
the society gradually got to own the means of
production
 yet preserving the division of labour
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Communism:
a “highly centralized and planned approach to
economics” (41)
 introduced by Stalin as part of his vision of a
command economy, eventually leading to his,
and others’, dictatorship and state of terror.
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Communism
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sufficient for basic industrialization
incapable of progressing to the post-industrial
stage, relying on information, technological
invention,
and
communication
system
development
Its legitimation occurred in terms of goal-rational
one, vanguard
a solution for the political crisis of the time, of
identity and general collapse of self-legitimation
its main instrument was the communist party
Communist party
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the real locus of power in any communist system
guided by the principle of “democratic centralism”
exercised its hegemonic role via its nomenklatura
strong through its nation-spread party cells (the primary
party organization)
backed by the police organs divided into regular police
and security/secret police
supported by the military, under the control of the
communist party in each country.
Communism
The main interest was to reach the targets of economies:
 planned in central institutions rather than at the level of
the production unit
 having centrally determined prices
 benefiting of heavy subsidization of many goods and
services
 being organized on a hierarchical basis, from individual
units (factories, farms, stores) via intermediate bodies
(combines, associations, amalgamations etc) to
economic ministries providing centralized planning,
fulfillment, coordination
Post-Communism
a new phenomenon,
 withering away of communism
 jettisoning past practices and theories
 yet communists still continue to rule
 growing out of communism as it was
actually practiced
 being the product of the anti-communist,
double-rejective revolutions of 1989-1991
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Post-Communism
overtly discrediting Communism
 slow internalization of democracy and the
market sovereignty
 lack of capacity to create this new order
 the haunting memoirs of and associations
with the communist past and its practices.
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Post-Communism
Holmes’s list of the variables of the aftermath of
political change according to each country’s
common heritage:
 assertion of independence and the rise of
nationalism (see the case of the former
Yugoslavia)
 near absence of a culture of compromise
 high expectations of leaders
 cynicism towards and/or mistrust of political
institutions (corruption, infantilized society)
 rejection of teleologism and grand theories
Holmes’s list
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an ideological vacuum (resulting in the appeal to
nationalism and religion)
moral confusion/vacuum (the increase of crime rates,
unemployment, decline in living standards)
comprehensive revolution :from rural and agricultural
economies to urban and industrialized ones; from a
centralized and state-run, largely nationalized economy
towards a marketised and privatized economy, from a
relatively closed and highly centralized polity towards a
pluralist democracy, from long-standing military and
trade blocs towards new military allegiances and
trading blocs
temporality (it is a transitional phenomenon)
Holmes’s list
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dynamism (distinctive stages of PoCom)
instability (changes of government/policy/constitution,
reformation of political parties, redrawing of
boundaries/frontiers
a widespread sense of insecurity (unemployment risk,
uncertainties about property ownership, reduction of the
role/scope/capacity of the welfare state)
unfortunate timing (coinciding with down-turns in the
economies of the First World countries
legitimation problems (present politicians were
functionaries of the past regime). (see 17-21)
Holmes’s stages
Stages in the process of transition from communist-power
to post-communism in the aftermath of the 1989
revolutions:
 leadership crisis (the former communist leader either
resigned under pressure or was removed, except in
Romania)
 round table talks (between the authorities and
opposition forces)
 the communist party loses its leading role (Romania)
 legalization of opposition parties (challenging the
communist party in elections)
Holmes’s stages
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significant changes to the communist party
(change of name, commitment to a more
moderate form of socialism/social democracy)
holding of competitive parliamentary elections
the name of the state is changed (rejection of
the past/the start of a new era)
adoption of a new or highly modified
constitution.
Post-Communism
The stage of post-communism displays a
common political situation
 the president has a major role
 the president is more powerful and
influential than the prime minister
 the prime minister has to coordinate a
government facing the new realities
New realities
weakening of economic enterprises
 bankruptcy of companies/enterprises
 the decline of the welfare state
 incapacity to sustain retirement and early
pensions,
 scarcity of medical services,
 unsatisfactory housing schemes
 inconsistent education development
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Post-Communism
The previously persecuted and marginalized institutions are
fully recognized :
 the Churches,
 Trade Unions,
 independent peace movements,
 Environmentalist movements,
 Feminism,
They have
 become active and assertive
 induced a liberal stimulation to their development and
international acknowledgement.
Post-Communism
All post-communist systems prove
 pluralism
 egalitarianism
 complexity
 instability
Post-Communism
All post-communist systems develop against
an international background of
 contradictions
 controversies
 tensions between theory and reality
 in the context of the coexistence of both
centrifugal and centripetal forces
Conclusions
Post-communist countries have experienced difficulties in
the area of
 welfare
 health care
 life expectancy
 racism
 ethnic conflicts
 Intolerance
 Inflation
 unemployment
 instability
Conclusions
Post-communist countries
 experience a new phase of history
 got their political institutions crystallized
 got their presidential and parliamentary
processes mostly settled down
 elections held and regularized
 political parties consolidated
 constitutional courts independent
 economic growth initiated
Conclusions
Theorists state:
 the post-communist world shows a certain
abnormality
 this abnormality is explained by the fact that it
has recently undergone a revolution (‘pink’,
‘velvet”)
 this world is fundamentally transitional
 its end destination remains unclear
 its evolution is still directionless
Discussions
Gendering post-communism :
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employment opportunities
unemployment occurrences
financial equality
political representation
childbearing/birth control policies
family planning
freedom to femininity
ecofeminism
Bibliography
Holmes, Leslie, 1997, Post-Communism.
An Introduction, Cambridge: Polity Press
 Postcolonialism & Postcommunism, in
Caietele Echinox, vol1, Cluj, Editura Dacia,
2001
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•Discussions: