What is the State? | The State is Counter-Revolutionary (Part 1) 

I know this is an older video, but I'm actually glad I watched this video now. I've been teetering on the brink between remaining ancom and going more apologetic for communistic state actions for "realistic, achievable goals". This really helped me realign within anarchism, thank you very much.

In my journey as a socialist i started out as an anarchist/syndicalist without knowing what that i was because i did not know what those terms meant, when i tried to learn more about socialism online that led me to listen to various marxist leninists and while I remained sceptical to the USSR and Maos China I slowly started to change my opinion and be in favour of them to the point of thinking that I was a marxist leninist and to defend the USSR in conversations. Your channel has helped me regain footing in my opinions and to also put a name to them. Not just from this series but from many of your videos I saw before this. You are doing great work and I hope your channel grows larger so that more people can be educated!

Trotsky becoming the thing he warned against like he's just picked up the One Ring and is like wait guys it's fine we can use this for good

The way I see it, the State is like Tolkien's One Ring: it is the weapon of the enemy, it has only one master to which it always seeks to return, and it will bend all others towards that end. It cannot be wielded against its master, only destroyed.

I like you breaking it down in terms of the process and function of the state conflicting with the end goals of socialism. "Idealism" gets thrown at anarchist theory a lot, but I feel this argument highlights that the state being a repressive instrument against the proletariat is the result of it's very function & historical role.

"The dictatorship does not base itself at every given moment on the formal principle of a workers' democracy". Trotsky says the quiet part out loud and it's disgusting

"The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a state is a good guy with a state." - Lenin

Восхитительный труд, товарищ! You can't imagine how much we miss people like you in the media here in exUSSR, we anarchists are rudely misunderstood. Keep the good work!

I can't help but keep coming back to this series. I have read Critique of the Gotha Programme. I have also read The Individual, Society, and the State by Emma Goldman. Now I'm starting The State - Its Historic Role, by Kropotkin.

This should be essential viewing for any anarchist. Great work.

I've had a copy of berkman's diary for years, and I always come back to the passage that you read at the end. Such a great book.

Hey! I'm just over 9 minutes into the video and am pausing it to watch later. I was already subscribed but I've now hit the notifications bell. Good stuff, fellow bread-crumb! :)

The dismantling of Lenin’s interpretation of Marxism in this video gave me a real “goddamnit, they’re right” moment. This felt like a really important progression of my education. The contradiction between statism and social revolution is one that I’ve been growing an awareness of but unable to fully comprehend and I must admit, the failure to comprehend it led me to accept Lenin’s vision of revolutionary vanguardism as viable. But to accept his expression of the proletarian masses as actually desiring to be obedient as you deftly laid out is almost incomprehensibly counter-revolutionary. Such logic fosters not relations of love and cooperation between people, between revolutionaries and the wider proletariat, but instead of scorn and tyranny. I’ve been edging closer to libertarian socialist and anarchist principles and this video filled in the last gap I needed to feel very certain about adopting a stance of anti-statism. I’ll continue to watch the rest of the series to enhance my understanding but anyway, thanks comrade. You do great work.

I stumbled upon your channel while looking at the "channels" tab on NonCompete's Channel, and I am already so impressed with this video, the first video of you I have watched, by both its artistic and intellectual qualities that I have no other choice other than to comment, like and subscribe! Well done comrade!

I really love your narration - it makes such a difference when the tone of voice helps bring out the meaning!

Thank you for this insightful take on the historical mistakes that led to a dictatorial perversion of marxist thought! 🙂 Can't wait for the other parts! Keep up the good work!

This... is not only a superb video essay artistically, but a great resource for all anarchists who, from time to time, experience the feeling that nothing will get done without using the state in some way or another. Great work, thanks for the reminder that the means should always reflect the ends and greetings from the Països Catalans! 🏴🚩

This was super well made and informative. I'm definitely subscribing.

I'd like to add that the idea the masses are too ignorant or inherently stupid to properly organize their lives, and need to either be educated or guided by some more intelligent or more skilled class of person, appears to date all the way back to the first states on earth. States continuously reinforce their need to exist through propaganda, and always have.

Really like the music in the background

"The State is a term for the legislative and administrative machinery whereby certain business of the people is transacted, and badly so." ~ Emma Goldman

It’s videos like this that serve to educate me further. As someone who has over the years been all over the political spectrum but tended to have a natural inclination to the left it is amazing what your videos do to help make me a better anarchist. Reading is hard due to my adhd but your videos at least provide a baseline for me to grasp the concepts of the ideology. Thank you for your hard work and dedication!

Welp, time to start an Anarchist metalcore band and have the "lyrics" of one song just solely consist of that final Berkman quote lol

I'm at 19:10 now. I often only have time to watch videos in small chunks. Leaving a comment to bookmark my spot and to boost you in the algorithm. Also, great Marx quote about freedom and the state! edit: now at 29:32

Until people are willing to reject political and economic hierarchy, both artificial hierarchies, Humanity does not evolve to the next level. #DirectDemocracy (no political hierarchy) Gifting and Sharing Economy (no economic hierarchy)

Always a good day when there's a new Anark video.

The state shall never dissolve itself or in anyway put the needs of the People over its own. A gradual process of decentralization is the only way.

Good stuff. Looking forward to watching your future video.

Have a great day everybody!

Awesome video, loved it I’m really excited for you to continue this series!

If I had any money jt would go to your patreon lmao

Really great video. I am very happy to have discovered you on the Coffee with Comrades podcast which was also a really great episode. I am lean very heavily on the Marxist side of analysis, especially on political economy but am exploring organisational methods and theories. This type of content is extremely useful to me.

It's criminal that you only have 5k subscribers

Brilliant video, superbly composed both in terms of argumentation and artfulness. Beginning and ending with Berkman's diary was a masterstroke, honestly bravo. I found this video very persuasive, though not a dyed in the wool tankie or anything, I'd generally describe myself as a Marxist with a sympathetic skepticism of anarchism. I don't love ML theory, but their projects have been the only ones to last simply because they were capable of resisting conquest. This video makes me question whether that's even worthwhile, though, if they're fundamentally bound to succumb to recuperation anyway, but then leaves me wondering: what's the proposition? How does one even abolish the state during the revolutionary moment? What if the proletariat doesn't want to? Or doesn't know what to do? If all these questions spontaneously solve themselves, what's to stop an adjacent imperialist power from steamrolling the revolution? Perhaps there needs to be an intemediary stage of statist socialism with the primary goal of abolishing private property, then a subsequent wave of revolutions against that paradigm toward anarchism? Wait, that's Maoism right? Alright, enough stream of consciousness, looking forward to part 2.

Just found your channel and this is the first video I’ve watched, I can already tell this is one of my best finds.

This series is incredible! Very informative and very clearly explained (like all your videos). Great contribution, thank you Anark!

Lately I've been interested in reading lenin just to know what he said and what he thought. I'm currently reading John Lee Andersons bio on Che Guevara and it just crazy to me how well read Che was and how much he sacrificed his life to liberate people from imperialist domination. You can see a direct line from his trip through Latin America and the utter brutality he saw and his time in Guatemala and the way the Cia coup so easily overthrew arbenz to why he felt it was necessary to basically abolish democracy so as to prevent any possible overthrow. I really can't blame him for his thinking but one thing that Lee doesn't mention or can't mention simply because it wasn't true is that Che never read any anarchist writings. He read so many fucking books throughout his entire life even before he took part in the Cuban revolution it makes me wonder what kind of person he would've been if he had read about anarchism. I still defend all the "socialist" states in the world against us imperialism simply because I find it ridiculous to criticize them without taking into account all the bullshit the US has ever done to them. If the US would leave those countries alone and let them do as they wish then maybe those countries would be in the mess they're in.

Great content, thank you! Can't wait to watch the whole series.

dude you should have so many more subscribers

Really cool video will you do one about kronstadt as well?

This is the best of your videos I've seen yet. Was hoping to see some more moaist pushback in the comments. As your channel grows, I'm sure they'll find it. Hope to become a patron when my finances are a bit better. You deserve support

Another excellent vid. May I have a conversation with you at some point? Are you available on discord?

Excellent series Anark I have enjoyed them quite a bit.

Great video! you put a lot of stuff I was thinking about into words.

This is an amazing video comrade. I hope you're doing well in these tough times. Do you think you'll release part 2 soon?

When I first watched this series of videos, I knew anarchism was the philosophy for me.

Hail freedom Hail anarchy

highly well written, good job sir

Comment for the algorithm

I don't know where to reach you so I'll just try here: Do you accept subtitles somewhere? If so, I'd like to create Hungarian translations for your The State is Counter-Revolutionary series. I can't promise a fast turn-out, though I hope that's okay.

Back again to watch this great video!

Appreciate this content.

great video duderino

Great video, watched all of it.

Nailed it

thankyou so much for making this.

Amazing video!

Fantastic viewing, how it's only got 5k views is absolutely beyond me

great introductory video

amazing work

More people must see this!

There are 2 things I like about Lenin. 1. Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism is a good book 2. He decriminalized homosexuality in Russia. Other than that, I don't like him, but I hate Stalin even more.

where did you get the photo at 8:27?

ALGORITHM

I suggest anyone who wants to deepen their education to read "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paulo Freire

Very cool!

11:42 Can you clarify what you mean by the "latent power of the people"?

This earned a sub for sure

great video

This is great work.

Vaush's chat brought me here, you should engage with him, I'd love to see you two discuss strategies for the left going forward. Spread the theory comrade!

Just leaving a comment for the algorithm, but it is really informative. Thanks.

Comment for the comment overlord

lovely!

Use this comment at a petition to rename Marxist-Leninism to Blanquist-Leninism

I just love how melodramatic Berkman was, lmao

any pointers on where one might find the quibbles mentioned at 07:55?

Nice Video Mate

You should release these as podcasts so we can listen to them without video

so true bestie

Although I'm an anti-social, it's a very informative video. Loved it!!❤️

Again, I'm amazed by your content and I've just had like 4 mind Blowing moments that my intuition direct my thoughts to draw that conclusion but never did until now! I would like to spread your videos but the city I live in is EXTREMELY neoliberal and even using the word "anti-capitalism" would have some backlashes. But great work nonetheless

Love the music 😌😌😌

Nice !

Ua merci bro ets tope simpàtic

I've read a bit about platformism as a major anarchist ideology, and to me it sounds quite similar to vanguardism. Can anybody explain the differences?

i agree with the content of the video, but i have a huge problem with how the theoretical concept of the "state" is framed (in the first half of the video). this framing issue is not obviously a problem here because it occurs in tandem with a correct analysis, but the inveteration of this framing as a habit of thinking, in the telephone game of intellectual activity, (has and) will lead to problems. specifically, taking for granted the historical and empirical evidence building up to the phenomenon of the state, and instead treating the "state" as its own a-priori, synthetic concept. this is not only contained in phrases you use like "guaranteed", "inherent", "inner necessity", "doomed", "destined", etc., but also in the argument beginning at [10:00] as if the critique of the state proceeded from logical deduction, or from "common sense" (scare quotes, not quotation quotes). this is not a critique of your own personal understanding of the state, but for those in your audience unequipped with adequate intellectual sensitivity to this inversion* of the empirical with the abstract, if they are to teach others in this sort of theory, or come up with theory of their own, they may, as a matter of habit, formulate these things with the aprioristic inversion. *this inversion is, in the first place, instilled in us by traditional, hierarchical education; see summary here: anti[hyphen]dialectics[dot]co[dot]uk/Summary_of_Essay_Nine-Part-01.htm#Ruling-Class_Thought_ NB on links to anti[hyphen]dialectics[dot]co[dot]uk: 1. here, they don't take you to the top of the page but the relevant section farther down the page (see "#"s) 2. internal links and footnotes contain elaborations of arguments if you have doubts 3. talks a lot about dialectics and hegel, but (and this is also the intention of the website author) is also applicable to philosophy in general 4. replace brackets (e.g. "[hyphen]", "[dot]") with actual ASCII symbols (resp. "-", ".") 5. links from here to anti-dialectics website may break as the website author edits and adds to their arguments (interestingly, the author of anti[hyphen]dialectics[dot]co[dot]uk has a counter-interpretation to the (specific) lenin quote at 21:55, see: anti[hyphen]dialectics[dot]co[dot]uk/page%2009_01.htm#Ideas_Introduced_From_The_Outside but does agree that other revolutionaries do try to "enlighten" the working class, as a general trend) in fact this aprioristic inversion, it has been argued, actually entrenches the mental-physical division of labor (perpetuating an intellectual elite), which characterises, ironically, the top-down approach of the authoritarians. (said argument summarized here: anti[hyphen]dialectics[dot]co[dot]uk/Rest_of_Summary_of_Twelve.htm#Armchair-Super-Scientists ) of course later in the video, you acknowledge this, and in later videos you do expound on the empirical bases, but those are separate videos from this (i.e. viewers perhaps won't watch the others), and the language you use is problematic in itself (and is not so easily excused by a vague reference to the "[insufficiency of existing in the] realm of ideas"). Further reading: we see this problem in Engels to C. Schmidt In Berlin (London, August 5, 1890): marxists[dot]org/archive/marx/works/1890/letters/90_08_05.htm

brilliant

Sent by Vaush Gang

Boosting the channel

Good content. Although, for me personally the music in the background is very distracting.

Nice video Imma let a comment for more people to see this masterpiece and go on to the next one

comment.

u should have noted that gotha critique was published postmortum as marx was dead by 1891

4:31

History has shown that Counter-Revolutionary Action is treated as a crime worse than Treason. You see a misguided rebel may be granted clemency to demonstrate the benevolence of the rulers. But for a Counter-Revolutionary not only did they fought against the people as the people are always on the side of who one, but they fought against destiny itself as all successful revolutions were inevitable and destined to be achieved. For a Counter-Revolutionary the lightest sentence one can receive is a self imposed exile for themselves and their families. The harshest sentence, well history has plenty of examples and I'm sure your imagination can come up with worse.

a comment!

I'm so grateful for this video, and your channel in general. All the communist RU-vidrs should watch this video.

One reason for the authoritarianism was also the failure of the revolution in Germany after the war.