Reform

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Not to be confused with reformism or elections.

Reform is the process of slow but gradual change instead of changing things rapidly. Although reforms can have some use,^[1] Marxists believe that a revolution is necessary to bring about socialism, as the bourgeoisie are not willing to hand over the means of production.^[2] They are part of the preparatory stage for a proletarian revolution. True reform (as in only reforms with no revolution whatsoever) has consistently failed. Every time it has been attempted, the socialist state was either overthrown in a coup by the CIA, didn't bring enough changes fast enough, or the bourgeoisie remained too powerful to let a socialist party gain dominance.

The ideologies which adopt the true reform method are democratic socialists and social democrats. Electoralism is the most common strategy used by true reformists. It posits that capitalist society, or at least its negative aspects, such as its tendency to produce Poverty, vast inequality, and immiseration of large swaths of humanity to enrich the relatively tiny group of capitalists.

Examples

Chile

See main article: Chile#Allende presidency

Salvador Allende, a socialist, won power in office. He decreased the unemployment rate in Chile and increased industrial output. However, due to the bourgeois influence in government, he resorted to a mixed economy, and inflation under Allende (although not at fault of his own) skyrocketed as a result. He was later overthrown in a coup by the CIA and replaced by the dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Venezuela

See main article: Venezuela

Venezuela is one of the more successful reforms brought about, however it took 2 decades for the party in Venezuela led by Hugo Chavez to gain any significant power. Venezuela had very high living standards before the economic sanctions, and the people benefitted from the welfare brought about from the oil industry. The country today is still led by a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie, and 70% of its economy is control by the private sector. The country is also under economic sanctions by the United States, and the nation significantly has high inflation rates because of its overreliance on oil exports.

Bolivia

See main article: Bolivia

Bolivia under Evo Morales brought about a decrease in extreme poverty and total poverty, increased life expectancy and removed illiteracy altogether. However, the party was again overthrown in a coup and replaced with a dictator who ruled over the nation until 2020.

References

↑ “[W]e must, as soberly as we can, estimate which problems can be solved by revolutionary methods at any given time and which cannot. From the point of view of our practical experience the Brest peace was an example of action that was not revolutionary at all; it was reformist, and even worse, because it was a retreat, whereas, as a general rule, reformist action advances slowly, cautiously, gradually, and does not move backward. The proof that our tactics in concluding the Brest peace were correct is now so complete, so obvious to all and generally admitted, that there is no need to say any more about it.”

V.I. Lenin (1921). The Importance Of Gold Now And After The Complete Victory Of Socialism.
↑ “According to scientific socialism, the historic necessity of the socialist revolution manifests itself above all in the growing anarchy of capitalism, which drives the system into an impasse.”

Rosa Luxemburg (1900). Reform or Revolution?.

[1] “[W]e must, as soberly as we can, estimate which problems can be solved by revolutionary methods at any given time and which cannot. From the point of view of our practical experience the Brest peace was an example of action that was not revolutionary at all; it was reformist, and even worse, because it was a retreat, whereas, as a general rule, reformist action advances slowly, cautiously, gradually, and does not move backward. The proof that our tactics in concluding the Brest peace were correct is now so complete, so obvious to all and generally admitted, that there is no need to say any more about it.”

V.I. Lenin (1921). The Importance Of Gold Now And After The Complete Victory Of Socialism.

[2] “According to scientific socialism, the historic necessity of the socialist revolution manifests itself above all in the growing anarchy of capitalism, which drives the system into an impasse.”

Rosa Luxemburg (1900). Reform or Revolution?.

[1]

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