In this episode, I speak with Marxist writer and economist David McMullen about his political development, from the radical student movement at Monash University in the late 1960s to his later study of economics and Marxist theory. Our discussion centres on his recent publication, Some Forgotten Marxism.
David argues that modern economic development and democracy are essential preconditions for any successful socialist transformation. We discuss the experiences of Russia and China, the failings of the Soviet model, the Cultural Revolution, China’s return to capitalism and the growth of anti-development ideas among today’s pseudo-left.
We also consider contemporary struggles for democracy, the wars in Ukraine and Palestine, the need for a genuine left to reassert internationalism, and the reality of the decline of US imperialism. Despite the defeats and failures of the past, David concludes on a hopeful note: human progress still has a bright future.
C21st Left 
Thanks for the discussion, obviously Russia and China are essential topics for anyone trying to understand progressive politics. In 1917 the industrial proletariat of Russia amounted to 4% of the population. How on earth can 4% become the ruling class? When Lenin stated in April 1917 that the Bolsheviks were intent on leading a second revolution he was met with disbelief as no one thought that a party of 24,000 could lead an empire of 170,000,000. 1917 saw an explosion of growth for the Bolsheviks as they argued for peace. Lenin argued that he would not sign a separate peace with Germany, that he would sign a peace with France and Germany on Russian terms and that if Germany remained belligerent he would lead a revolutionary war against Germany. November saw a peak in Bolshevik popularity with a 24% return at the Constituent Assembly elections. 1918 was a different story as Lenin reversed all his popular peace proposals and opted for the sensible policy of surrender which made sense as Lenin pointed out ‘we have no army’ but it was deeply unpopular to the point that Lenin never got a majority of the Bolshevik Central Committee to endorse Brest/Litovsk. 1918 saw a surge in Menshevik support but non Bolshevik soviets came under pressure from the Checka who were empowered to arrest try and execute opponents of the revolution. As to Socialism in One Country this contradicts the Communist Manifesto which states that Socialism can not occur in a single country and here Marx and Engles were talking England, Germany or France not Russia.
China presents it’s own questions. If forming the Red Guards was an act of revolution was disbanding then also a revolutionary act? If it was OK to strip the number one Capitalist roader of party membership imprison him and torture him how come the number two Capitalist roader is not stripped of party membership not tortured or imprisoned. Instead after a period of exile from Beijing he is restored to the number three position in the party hierarchy,(he gets a promotion) very odd. Modern China has embraced Capitalism and this has seen 800,000,000 people raised out of absolute poverty a world historic event. It’s pretty hard to dismiss this it’s almost as if coming out of feudalism people should embrace Capitalism, none of the Trotskyist nonsense of leaping over historical stages.
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