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Is Richard Wolff a Marxist-Leninist? (lemmygrad.ml)

submitted 3 days ago by SovietReporter@lemmygrad.ml to c/asklemmygrad@lemmygrad.ml

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[–] OhHiMarx@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I've never heard him speak on the overthrow of capitalism through co-ops. He's spoken before about how co-ops are preferable and how many Americans have very favorable views about them when certain trigger words are avoided. He's definitely a supporter of co-ops over other models and advocates that they're a way of introducing more socialim-like elements into the economy and American consciousness. But that's all much more nuanced set of takes than "co-ops will overthrow capitalism".

[–] Cimbazarov@hexbear.net 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

He spoke of it in an interview, and I can't remember exactly which one atm. The blurb from his book Democracy at Work echoes this belief (the subtitle is literally "A Cure for Capitalism")

Capitalism as a system has spawned deepening economic crisis alongside its bought-and-paid-for political establishment. Neither serves the needs of our society. Whether it is secure, well-paid, and meaningful jobs or a sustainable relationship with the natural environment that we depend on, our society is not delivering the results people need and deserve.

One key cause for this intolerable state of affairs is the lack of genuine democracy in our economy as well as in our politics. The solution requires the institution of genuine economic democracy, starting with workers directing their own workplaces, as the basis for a genuine political democracy.

[–] OhHiMarx@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Where does he say capitalism will be overthrown by co-ops? I'm not seeing it.

[–] burlemarx@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 1 day ago

I'll try to locate his video, but I can confirm. He didn't exactly talk about co-ops overthrowing capitalism, he talked about using co-ops to build dual power, and with dual power overthrow capitalism. So, basically, he borrowed Lenin's concept of dual power (which in Russia was comprised of the Soviets) and added worker co-ops in the middle. So what he actually said was that worker co-ops could be a building block of dual power.