Revolution Betrayed
June 5th 2006 07:01
As much as it sounds like it, Revolution Betrayed isn't the name of an awesome band. Note to self, start a band, just so I can name it that. Anyhoo, Because I couldn't think of anything better to write about, and because I've spent the day listening to a lecturer who seemed to be plotting a 'coup d'etat' against the Australian government. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for coup d'etat, but this guy gave me the impression that he would be an even worse and more violent ruler then Howard.
So I dedicate this post to all the well meaning revolts that ended badly.
Where to start?? The French Revolution seems logical - it was the first of the modern revolutions. This started off fairly well, with the, mostly Bourgeoise, uprising storming the Bastille (prison, symbolic of the old rule), and the National Constituent Assembly essentially eradicated the legal basis of feudualism.
When the shiny new French republic was set up, Napoleon had gained a great deal of respect from those in power, and soon to become First Consul (essentially an Emperor) in 1799, and the the Emperor (essentially a first Consul) in 1984.
From here, he cemeted his rule through successfully invading a large part of Europe (why does every leader distract his own citizens by invading other countries??), before continuing through to Russia - where his troops froze, starved, and generally found nothing worth looting and so went home. Napoleon; whilst achieving many things, such as mass education, certainly betrayed the French Revolution, by removing the majority of the liberties granted in 1799.
Speaking of Russia, they had a couple of revolutions which turned out even worse then the French one - that at least set a framework for democracy.
In Febuary, 1917, the Russian Tsar was forced to abdicate by a series of mass strikes and protests in Petrograd (it used to be the capital) and around the country. However, It's impossible to say how this revolution would have gone, as in October, there was a second revolution, which set up the Communist Government that ruled the USSR until recently.
Now, ironically enough, there was more true communism evident between the two revolutions, then after the Communist Revolution. There were lots of reasons for this - the civil war that ensued (1918-1921) couldn't have been won by a truly communist government, and so Lenin and Trotsky took greater powers, and set up a cult of personality around Lenin, almost to the stage where they were as bad as the Tzar's they overthrew. When Lenin died, Stalin took over, through ruthlessness that Trotsky wouldn't match, and set up a brutal, dictatorial parody of Communism.
Well, I've rambled on too much, so tomorrow I'll provide a couple more examples, and then explain what they hell this has to do with Punk music and culture.
So I dedicate this post to all the well meaning revolts that ended badly.
Where to start?? The French Revolution seems logical - it was the first of the modern revolutions. This started off fairly well, with the, mostly Bourgeoise, uprising storming the Bastille (prison, symbolic of the old rule), and the National Constituent Assembly essentially eradicated the legal basis of feudualism.
When the shiny new French republic was set up, Napoleon had gained a great deal of respect from those in power, and soon to become First Consul (essentially an Emperor) in 1799, and the the Emperor (essentially a first Consul) in 1984.
From here, he cemeted his rule through successfully invading a large part of Europe (why does every leader distract his own citizens by invading other countries??), before continuing through to Russia - where his troops froze, starved, and generally found nothing worth looting and so went home. Napoleon; whilst achieving many things, such as mass education, certainly betrayed the French Revolution, by removing the majority of the liberties granted in 1799.
Speaking of Russia, they had a couple of revolutions which turned out even worse then the French one - that at least set a framework for democracy.
In Febuary, 1917, the Russian Tsar was forced to abdicate by a series of mass strikes and protests in Petrograd (it used to be the capital) and around the country. However, It's impossible to say how this revolution would have gone, as in October, there was a second revolution, which set up the Communist Government that ruled the USSR until recently.
Now, ironically enough, there was more true communism evident between the two revolutions, then after the Communist Revolution. There were lots of reasons for this - the civil war that ensued (1918-1921) couldn't have been won by a truly communist government, and so Lenin and Trotsky took greater powers, and set up a cult of personality around Lenin, almost to the stage where they were as bad as the Tzar's they overthrew. When Lenin died, Stalin took over, through ruthlessness that Trotsky wouldn't match, and set up a brutal, dictatorial parody of Communism.
Well, I've rambled on too much, so tomorrow I'll provide a couple more examples, and then explain what they hell this has to do with Punk music and culture.
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Comment by Leon
Music love fight for peace
Comment by Anonymous
THE REVOLUTION IS NOW MAN, BUT U GTA LIV IT! THIS IS IT THERE IS NO TOMORROW NEMOR UR LIFE IS NOW N ERRYDAYS GTA COUNT! SO WAT DO U WANA DO?? STOP FUCKIN TALKIN ABOUT IT N DO IT!!!! THESE R THE DAYS OF UR LIFE MAN N FINK HOW LONG UVE LIVED N WAT U GT2SHOW4IT???? I LIVE4THE REVOLUTION BECOZ I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS NOT GD ENUFF OUR GOVERMENT IS NOT GD ENUFF THIS WRLD IS NOT GD ENUFF N IT IS DRILLED IN2THE HEADS OF THIS GENERATION N IT WILL B DRILLED IN2 THE HEADS OF THE NEXT GENERATION THAT WE CANNOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE THE GOVERMENT IZ TAKING THE PISS HE THINX THAT HE CN SLAP US IN THE FACE N DISRESPECT US WIVOUT EVEN TRYNA COVER IT UP N DAT WE'RE ALL JUS GNA LIE DOWN N TAKE IT OUR VOTES DNT EVEN MATTA NEMOR OUR OPINIONS DNT MEAN SHIT! N WE R TAWT DAT DERS NUTTIN WE CN DO ABOUT IT! FUCK DAT M8 I MATTA U MATTA WE FUCKIN MATTA!!!! WE LIV IN A TIME WARE EVRY1 KNOS HOW CORRUPT TINGS R WARE EVRY1S GT IDEAS OPINIONS WAYS 2 MKE FINGS HOW WE WANT EM N YET NOBOY DOES NEFIN ABOUT IT ENUFF! NO MORE LYING DOWN MAN SET THE WRLD ON FIRE IF U CAN GET THRU 2 ONE PERSON! JUST ONE N THEY GT THRU 2 SUM1 ELSE CN CHANGE THE WORLD ALL IT TAKES IS ONE TREE2SET A FOREST ON FIRE WELL IM A FUCKIN PYROMANIAC N I WANA SET THE WORLD ON FIRE BABY! WE CAN N MAYB WE WNT STR8 AWAY BUT ATLEAST I CN SAY I TRIED ATLEAST I WONT REGRET IT ATLEAST I KNO DAT WEN MA KIDS CUM IN2 THIS WORLD DERS HOPE BCOZ PPL DO CARE! DESPITE THE DILLUSION DAZT SAYS DEY DNT COZ I CARE ENUFF 2 WRITE DIS I CARE ENUFF DAT IT DRIVES ME CRAZEE IT MAKES ME FURIOUS WEN I FINK OF HOW MUCH DESE PPL R GTN AWAY WIV DEY TREAT US LIKE SHIT! SO FINE IM A PEICE OF SHIT BT IM A PERSON 2 N I DESERVE2B HEARD N MOR DEN DAT I DESERVE 2STAND UP4MASELF N I AM SO FUCK THE GOVERMENT FUCK THE CORRUPT FUCK THE PPL HU DNT CARE THIS IS MA WORLD2 N AS LONG AS IM LIVING IN IT I REFUSE 2ACCEPT THAT IT CNT B BETTA! JOIN THE REV MAN!!!!! U LIV IT EVRYDAY!
Comment by Anonymous
http://jointharevolution.phpbbnow.com
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Scott
They did hold many socialist views, and did quite a bit to help the workers, but over the years they compromised their ideals again and again.
War was the tool of the Capitalist, according to socialist belief, and it was not, as the countries leaders claimed, a war against other countries, it was a war against the working class - which did most the dying.
Yet they did not hesitate to reintroduce concription during the Civil War, and discipline in the army harser than even that of the Tzars.
Trotsky brutally chrushed the Kronstandt Uprising of Socialist Soldiers and Sailors.
But yes, you are undeniably right that Stalin was worse than either of them, and that once Trotsky had been kicked out of power he reverted to his socialist ideals.
Peace