The fundamental cornerstone of Marxist Dialectical Materialism, a cycle of action and reaction each time bringing a solution of a higher state elucidated by the principle of "Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis", is often cited by our revolutionaries as the raison d'être of the serial revolution wrenching the heart and soul of this land. Recently this aspect of Marxism was brought to the fore by Hisila Yami in an interview with "Tehelka", a newsmagazine published in India and in an op-ed published by Kantipur.
History has proven time and again that this theory is very far removed from reality. The "Thesis" can bring "Antithesis" but the "Synthesis" we want often goes awry. The French Revolutionaries did not expect the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, an emperor in new garb who wrested dictatorial power for himself in the pretext of liberté, égalité, fraternité. The revolution had devoured its own children and given rise to an emperor! Nor did they expect the return of the Bourbon Monarchy once Napoleon was ousted. The "Thesis" that the Bourbon Monarchy was the yoke on the French people brought the "Antithesis" of the French Revolution, but the "Synthesis" brought about unexpected calamity to the French with the eventual disastrous turn of the Napoleonic Wars.
The "Thesis" that the Russian Revolution was the saviour of the peasantry and working class people, brought about the "Antithesis" of the decade long Civil War pitting the Red and the White armies against each other, and the "Synthesis" emanating from this was the brutal dictatorship of Joseph Stalin, a tyrant more malignant than Czar Nicholas II. Perhaps as many as 20 million people perished in his pogroms.
Examples are many but in Nepal too this central tenet of Dialectical Materialism is often cited by our own Maoists as the reason for the successful transition from conflict, both within the party and without, to something more sublime. This is just wishful thinking as we can see for ourselves where the country has plummeted since the start of the serial revolution. There have been plenty of thesis and antithesis, but where do we see the synthesis we need?
It is foolhardy to extrapolate solutions from obtruse theories. It is inconceivable that ideas formulated in Europe two hundred years ago can be totally applicable in our context, whereas even in the mother countries these theories have had a host of skeptics. Those who do so are experimenting in folly. There is one word we Nepalese should heap on all this nonsense: bullshit.
History has proven time and again that this theory is very far removed from reality. The "Thesis" can bring "Antithesis" but the "Synthesis" we want often goes awry. The French Revolutionaries did not expect the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, an emperor in new garb who wrested dictatorial power for himself in the pretext of liberté, égalité, fraternité. The revolution had devoured its own children and given rise to an emperor! Nor did they expect the return of the Bourbon Monarchy once Napoleon was ousted. The "Thesis" that the Bourbon Monarchy was the yoke on the French people brought the "Antithesis" of the French Revolution, but the "Synthesis" brought about unexpected calamity to the French with the eventual disastrous turn of the Napoleonic Wars.
The "Thesis" that the Russian Revolution was the saviour of the peasantry and working class people, brought about the "Antithesis" of the decade long Civil War pitting the Red and the White armies against each other, and the "Synthesis" emanating from this was the brutal dictatorship of Joseph Stalin, a tyrant more malignant than Czar Nicholas II. Perhaps as many as 20 million people perished in his pogroms.
Examples are many but in Nepal too this central tenet of Dialectical Materialism is often cited by our own Maoists as the reason for the successful transition from conflict, both within the party and without, to something more sublime. This is just wishful thinking as we can see for ourselves where the country has plummeted since the start of the serial revolution. There have been plenty of thesis and antithesis, but where do we see the synthesis we need?
It is foolhardy to extrapolate solutions from obtruse theories. It is inconceivable that ideas formulated in Europe two hundred years ago can be totally applicable in our context, whereas even in the mother countries these theories have had a host of skeptics. Those who do so are experimenting in folly. There is one word we Nepalese should heap on all this nonsense: bullshit.
Bullshit, that's it!! Well said. Sums it up.
ReplyDeleteSo why dont the politicians, Nagarik Samaj types that disagree, the internationally known famous journalists (For example of the Jagadhamba Press) refute these arguments of Hisila Yami as you a non journalist or politician have articulated so well.
Why do people continue to be "useful" idiots??
History repeats itself. We are deluding ourselves if we think we are better than our ancestors!
Great blog and an apt comment. I guess the reason for the flourishing number of useful idiots from the Jagadamba lot with excellent diction but living in fiction, the Fool Gautams and the I See (no idea what)Group is that they have a hypothesis that they will gain from the synthesis. The only problem is that as in France they will be the first to be devoured.
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