"An organ for the oppression of one class by another"
Lenin reports, "According to Max, the state is an organ of class rule, an organ for the oppression of one class by another, it is the creation of "order," which legalizes and perpetuates this oppression by moderating the conflict between classes." The state does not reconcile the divergent classes; it fosters order that undermines the oppressed classes further. The state prevents the oppressed individuals from accessing the resources that would empower them to trounce their persecutors.
“Wither Away”
Lenin expounds, “It is safe to say that of this argument of Engels’,…namely, that according to Marx that state “withers away”-as distinct from the anarchist doctrine of the “abolition” of the state. To prune Marxism to such an extent means reducing it to opportunism, for this “interpretation” only leaves a vague notion of a slow, even gradual change, of absence of leaps and storms, of absence of revolution.”
Engels means that a proletariat revolution would inevitably demolish the state. After the abolition of the state, ‘the proletarian state or semi-state’ is what will “whiter away.” Petty politicians intentionally distort (prune) Marx’s arguments to suit their interests and ideologies regarding revolutions.
“Stormed Heaven”
Lenin elucidates, “Marx, however, was not only enthusiastic about the heroism of the Communards, who as he expressed it, “stormed heaven”. Although the mass revolutionary movement did not achieve its aim, he regarded it as a historic experience of enormous importance, as a certain advance of the world proletarian revolution, as a practical step that was more important than hundreds of programmes and arguments.”
Here, Lenin is referring to ‘the Paris Commune’ that was a monumental revolution. The metaphorical storming underscores the colossal impact of the revolution, especially in the proletariat's lives that endorsed and participated in it. The commune demonstrates the potency of proletariat revolutions in reforming societies.
“Smash the bureaucratic-military machine”
Lenin remarks, “The words, “to smash the bureaucratic-military machine” briefly express the principal lesson of Marxism regarding the tasks of the proletariat during a revolution in relation to the state…This idea of a “people’s revolution seems strange coming from Marx, so that the Russian Plekhanovites and Mensheviks, those followers of Struve who wish to be regarded as Marxists, might possibly declare such as expression to be a “slip of the pen” on Marx’s part.”
The aim of a revolution, according to Marx, would be to dismantle all the bureaucracies that have been installed by the ruling classes through the state. The ordinary people spearhead the revolution. Individuals desiring to be like Marx have distorted Marx's proposals to suit their ideas which revolve around "bourgeois versus proletarian revolutions."
“Present-day traitor to socialism”
Lenin elucidates, “Once again, we must say: the lessons of Marx, based on the study of the Commune, have been so completely forgotten that the present-day “Social-Democrat” (i.e., present-day traitor to socialism) really cannot understand any criticism of parliamentarism other than anarchist or reactionary criticism. The way out of parliamentarism is not, of course, the abolition of representative institutions and the elective principle, but the conversion of the representative institutions from talking shops into “working” bodies.”
Contemporary ‘social-Democrats’ are equated to traitors because they do not comprehend or endorse authentic socialism. They do not recognize the tenets that relates to socialism due to their flawed mentalities regarding parliamentary. The social-democrat’s ideologies encourage anarchy instead of championing policies that would ensure that the representative institutions are not oppressive.
