Anti-Imperialism, War and Peace, Week 1a
1848 in Berlin
1850 Address to the
Communist League
When history is on the move
the changes run all over the place. The job of the communists is invariably to
urge history on, and to push all the players, including the bourgeoisie, to
play their parts to the utmost extent.
The phrase "permanent
revolution" belongs first to Marx and not to Trotsky. It comes from the
March, 1850 Address given by Karl Marx to the Central Committee of the
Communist League, of which "permanent revolution" are the last two
words. See the attachment or below for a link to a downloadable file of this
great document.
"Permanent
revolution" only means a qualitative change that will be defended.
It does not mean that the
revolution is irreversible.
Nor does it mean that the
revolution has to be repeated constantly like the punishment of Sisyphus.
The March, 1850 Address to
the Communist League is an internationalist document. At the time, the newly
formed communist organisations were active all over Europe, in a time when
monarchies were falling and feudalism was on the way out in many countries.
Read the document with care
and attention!
·
The above is to
introduce the original reading-text: Address to the
Communist League Central Committee, March 1850, Marx.
