{"id":193,"date":"2023-01-01T14:29:24","date_gmt":"2023-01-01T19:29:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-spring-2023\/?page_id=193"},"modified":"2023-03-24T16:31:20","modified_gmt":"2023-03-24T20:31:20","slug":"leninism","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-spring-2023\/leninism\/","title":{"rendered":"Marxism and Leninism"},"content":{"rendered":"
PART THREE
\n<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The story of the Modern Nation-State<\/strong> is not just about us! For much of the twentieth century there were as many Leninist <\/strong>regimes in the world as Liberal Democratic<\/strong> regimes. In this section of our course, I will focus on the glorious rise and shockingly abrupt demise of the Leninist Nation-State<\/strong>, one of the most dramatic sagas of modern times. These regimes didn’t come from nowhere.\u00a0 As we shall see, they were inspired by an alternate path to the modern nation-state that had its roots in a revolututionary movement known as Marxism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a point we can all agree upon: \u00a0The Leninist<\/strong> regimes of the past century pursued horrific policies; tens of millions of people died under Leninist<\/strong> rule. This is a fact.\u00a0 I have personally experienced life under communist rule, and I have no romantic views about the subject. Still, if we want to make sense of this significant chunk of human history, we have to ask why these regimes lasted as long as they did.\u00a0 In part, the answer lies in the initial promises of Marxism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Because Leninism<\/strong>\u00a0represented the preeminent challenge to\u00a0Liberal Democracy <\/strong>in the modern age, the long life of the communist party also provides us with insight into contemporary political challenges. Its appeal to peoples around the world helps us to understand the continuing popularity and practices of (noncommunist) authoritarian figures, like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un.<\/p>\n

In addition, the Leninism<\/strong>‘s long life provides useful clues to understanding the appeal of explicitly anti-liberal movements today. Why do people fall prey to populist and autocratic perspectives in the liberal-democratic<\/strong> world? And why would they be willing to sacrifice the liberties and rights they currently enjoy?\u00a0 In other words, I am suggesting that the past may be present\u2014and future.<\/p>\n

I have written extensively on this issue. \u00a0\"\"If you are interested in my thoughts about communist regimes throughout the world, feel free to read my recent book, Vanguard of the Revolution<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0 It’s in the library.<\/p>\n

17. LECTURE: Monday, February 27<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections on Karl Marx\u2019s Communist Manifesto and its\u00a0significance for the history of world communism.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Question<\/em>: Why did so many smart, well-educated people (i.e., educated elites like you!) become Marxists<\/strong>? My argument is that\u00a0Marxism\u00a0<\/strong>shared many of the same foundations as\u00a0Liberalism,<\/strong>\u00a0even though it represented a radical critique of\u00a0Liberal<\/strong>\u00a0thought.<\/strong> \u00a0It is essential to understand the Marxist<\/strong> roots of Leninism because they paved the way for the fundamentally different path to the Modern Nation-State<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let us extrapolate to the present. In the contemporary world, it is equally important to ask why an intelligent person would support violent extremism, either on the Left or on the Right. This human pathology just won\u2019t go away.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Karl Marx (right) with his friend Friedrich Engels and daughters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Assignment<\/em>:\u00a0 Read the\u00a0Manifesto<\/em>\u00a0carefully\u2013I suggest, at least three times.\u00a0It is one of the greatest and\u00a0most influential publications of all time<\/a>. Look beyond the details for Marx\u2019s overarching argument. What case is he making against capitalism?\u00a0 Why would it have been so appealing to many 19th and 20th century radicals?\u00a0 Indeed, why might it even appeal to contemporary populist (but non-Leninist) such as Bernie Sanders? As you read the essay, pay close attention to what Marx says about the revolutionary character of the bourgeoisie.<\/p>\n

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, \u00a0The Communist Manifesto<\/em>, Sections, 1, 2, and 4.<\/p>\n

Read the following short articles to get a sense for the environment in which Marx\u2019s ideas thrived:<\/p>\n

Friedrich Engels, \u201cOn the Condition of the Working Class in England\u201d\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

M. Faraday, July 7, 1855, \u201cThe Filth of the Thames\u201d \u00a0TAKE NOTES<\/a><\/p>\n

To put the movement in a contemporary perspective, read:<\/p>\n

John McCain, \u201cSalute to a Communist\u201d\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

How could a middle-of-the-road Republican politician, like John McCain, find anything to admire about a communist?\u00a0 Certainly, McCain was no communist. In my view, McCain was a true American hero. He thought for himself and epitomized the decency and compassion we should expect from any democratic leader.\u00a0 I have visited the Hoa Lo prison in Hanoi where he was held. If you look toward the bottom of this article<\/a>, you\u2019ll find Cell 13.\u00a0 I have stood next to that door and looked at the guillotine.<\/p>\n

18.\u00a0 LECTURE:\u00a0 Wednesday, March 1<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections on the roots of the Bolshevik revolution: Czarist Russia and the unintended consequences of imperial ambition.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0 Marx never expected that his proletarian revolution would take place outside of the most industrialized states in the world, especially Great Britain and Germany.\u00a0\u00a0In fact, he redicted it would not occur in places like Russia or, later, places like China and Cuba. \u00a0So, how did the event happen?\u00a0 Like everything, communism has a history. Now, we shall turn to the Bolshevik revolution of October 1917 in order to understand why this context was better suited to mass upheaval than the western industrial world.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\u041b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u043d \u0436\u0438\u0432\u0435\u0442! (Lenin lives!) My photo of the Lenin statue in Minsk, Belarus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In considering the Bolshevik revolution, I also seek to address the issue of historical and political change. \u00a0Since people use and overuse the word \u201crevolution\u201d all the time, I want you to think about how we should distinguish between truly\u00a0 \u201crevolutionary\u201d events, on the one hand, and events that are only highly significant, on the other. \u00a0In my view, with which some observers would disagree, there haven\u2019t been many revolutions in modern history. \u00a0Indeed, I am not totally convinced that the American Revolution was a \u201crevolution,\u201d at least not socially or economically.\u00a0 Please feel free to disagree with me.<\/p>\n

Most likely, some of you have not taken courses on the Bolshevik Revolution.\u00a0 Even if you have, it’s always valuable to learn more. Here is a terrific video\u00a0 that will provide you with some general background about both the Bolshevik Revolution and its antecedents:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Russian Revolution,\u201d DocumentaryTube.com (1:33.54) \u00a0WATCH<\/a> as much of this film as you can.<\/p>\n

19. DISCUSSION SECTION:\u00a0 Friday, March 3<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Discussion<\/em>: \u00a0The\u00a0Communist Manifesto<\/em> was once banned across the United States.\u00a0 Now, you can read it and try to figure out what all the fuss was about. (Or was it simply dumb to ban it?)\u00a0 I am strongly opposed to the banning of books\u2014why do Americans on both sides of the political spectrum fear books, like Fahrenheit 451,\u00a0<\/em>Catcher in the Rye<\/em>,\u00a0Ulysses<\/em>,\u00a0Lady Chatterley\u2019s Lover<\/em>, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn<\/em>, etc? After all, why should we be afraid of words? Yet, the saga continues<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, Marx\u2019s thinking was, in some specific ways, consonant with Liberal<\/strong><\/em> ideals.\u00a0 This should not be surprising since he was writing at the same time and mostly in the same place as Mill and other liberal thinkers. Yet, he came to radically different conclusions about whether Liberalism<\/strong><\/em>\u2019s idealistic principles could be realized. \u00a0How can both of these claims be true?\u00a0 Keep in mind that\u00a0Marxism,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0like woolly mammoths and alligators, and had to come from somewhere.\u00a0 In fact, it had the same historical roots as\u00a0Liberalism<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>:\u00a0 How might the essential aspects of Marx\u2019s critique of capitalism appeal to contemporary populist politicians, especially Bernie Sanders and, yes, even Donald Trump (but not to non-populist traditional politicians like Joe Biden and Mitt Romney)?<\/p>\n

20. LECTURE:\u00a0 Monday, March 6<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and his successors transformed elementary\u00a0Marxism<\/strong>\u00a0into a new political identity:\u00a0Leninism<\/strong>\u00a0(originally known as Bolshevism).<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0Leninism<\/strong><\/em> was all about defining the conditions under which\u00a0 Marxist <\/em>ideals could be realized. <\/strong>Marx did not and could not have imagined how Lenin and his successors adapted his ideas to backward Russia.\u00a0 Although Lenin was a mediocre philosopher and historian, he was a world-historical revolutionary.\u00a0\u00a0 He knew instinctively how to apply a western recipe for radical change to a backward country.\u00a0 For this reason, I contend that \u201cMarx was archaeopteryx and Lenin was his bird.\u201d \u00a0See HERE<\/a>\u00a0 See if you can figure out what I mean by this analogy.<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>:\u00a0 The best way to understand the fully tragic implications<\/em>\u00a0of\u00a0Leninism<\/strong><\/em> in practice is to see how it was implemented at the height of the Soviet revolution under Josef Stalin.\u00a0 To this end, I am asking you to read the Man himself.<\/p>\n

Selections from Josef Stalin,\u00a0Foundations of\u00a0<\/em>Leninism. \u00a0<\/em>PRINT AND READ<\/a> Section 4 (\u201cDictatorship of the Proletariat\u201d) and Section 8 \u00a0(\u201cThe Party\u201d)\u00a0 Get a general sense for Stalin\u2019s argument; don\u2019t worry about the details.\u00a0 Treat the document as though it is a handbook (like the Boy Scout and Girl\u00a0 Scout handbooks).\u00a0 This is exactly what it was.\u00a0 It was intended to give Bolsheviks a clear and definitive understanding of what they should do and why Marxism<\/strong> was relevant to them.<\/p>\n

Revolutionaries typically produce great music, in part because they must motivate their followers. The rousing anthem, \u201cThe Internationale,\u201d became the hymn for communist and other radical working-class movements throughout the world.<\/p>\n

Watch Pete Seeger sing the \u00a0The Internationale<\/em>.\u00a0 I sang it to my tour guides when I was in Pyongyang, North Korea and it drove them crazy.\u00a0\u00a0How could they prevent me from paying tribute to one of their ideological forebears!\u00a0 Yet the entire time I was in North Korea, I only saw one picture of Marx and and one of Lenin.\u00a0 Alas\u2013but revealingly\u2013they were removed not long thereafter.<\/p>\n

If you would like to listen to then, here are some other versions of the International:<\/p>\n

The classic Soviet version\u00a0WATCH<\/a><\/p>\n

Also, from the engaging movie \u2018Reds\u2019 starring Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton: \u00a0 WATCH<\/a><\/p>\n

Also, Bill Murray\u2019s puppet sings:\u00a0WATCH<\/a><\/p>\n

Also, Rage Against the Machine:\u00a0WATCH<\/a><\/p>\n

Also, listen to \u201cOccupy Wall Street\u201d protesters sing the Internationale WATCH\u00a0<\/a> (I doubt that many knew the words or understood what they represented, but\u00a0 the fact that they sang it gives us a good idea of the romantic appeal of revolutionary movements.\u00a0 Again, this is relevant to explaining why even repressive movements, such as communism, can last for as long as they do.<\/p>\n

21.\u00a0 LECTURE: Wednesday, March 8<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Lenin and Stalin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reflections on the transmogrification of\u00a0Marxist and Leninist<\/strong>\u00a0utopia into\u00a0Stalinist<\/strong>\u00a0terror.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>: Stalin\u2019s regime of terror was intrinsically, if not inevitably, rooted in the goals and institutions of\u00a0Leninism<\/em><\/strong>. \u00a0Leninism<\/em><\/strong> also degenerated into horrific violence in other countries, especially China. Alas, in this course we don\u2019t have enough time to cover the varied expressions of this degeneration outside of the Soviet Union.\u00a0 However, if you are interested, you can see my account of these experiences in my book,\u00a0 Vanguard of the Revolution.<\/em>\u00a0 I would also enjoy talking with any of you about these different histories.<\/p>\n

The following two background readings are meant to give you an idea of the cult of Josef Stalin and the enormity of the crimes committed under his rule.<\/p>\n

\u201cPurges and Hysteria in the Soviet Union\u201d:\u00a0READ<\/a>\u00a0 (all six pages)<\/p>\n

Ode\u00a0to Stalin:\u00a0\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

22. MANDATORY FILM:\u00a0 “Journey to Russia”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watch this film by Sunday, March 12.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In preparation for my first lecture after break\u00a0 on Monday, March 13, as well as your discussions about Vaclav Havel’s magnificent essay, “The Power of the Powerless,” please watch this one-hour film as soon as you can. “Journey to Russia” documents the experiences of members of an American debate team who traveled to the Soviet Union in the early 1980s and were charged with defending the merits of liberalism and capitalism. It is a fantastic depiction of life as people actually lived it\u00a0<\/em>in the Soviet Union at this time, long after the atrocities of Stalinism.\u00a0 When I talk about why communism lasted as long as it did, you will see how this film relates directly to the topic.\u00a0 The film\u2019s depiction of people\u2019s attitudes in the Soviet Union in the early 1980s is exactly what I experienced in living in East Germany and traveling in the Soviet bloc during these years.<\/p>\n

You\u00a0 can find the film on our course site HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

22. DISCUSSION SECTION: \u00a0Friday, March 10<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Paragraph assignment<\/em>: \u00a0\u201cIf Marx was an\u00a0archaeopteryx<\/a>, would that make Lenin his bird?\u201d \"\"<\/p>\n

Discussion<\/em>: \u00a0You have been assigned to start a political, social, and\/or cultural revolution\u2013a real one!\u2013at Notre Dame. Based upon your reading of the the\u00a0Communist Manifesto<\/em>\u00a0and the\u00a0chapters from Stalin\u2019s\u00a0Foundations of Leninism<\/em>, please exuberantly and passionately discuss the following two questions: \u00a01) what would Lenin (and Stalin) advise you to do to foment this revolution? and 2) what challenges would you face in fomenting this revolution and then keeping it going?<\/p>\n

SPRING BREAK:\u00a0 MARCH 11 – 19<\/strong><\/p>\n

24. LECTURE:\u00a0 Monday, March 20<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections on the\u00a0Leninist\u00a0<\/strong>challenge to\u00a0Liberal Democracy<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0Leninism\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>was initially a credible challenge to\u00a0Liberal Democracy<\/strong><\/em>. \u00a0Its lasting appeal was reinforced by a variety of factors. \u00a0In the 1980s, I had the rather unusual experience of living in East Germany. I\u2019ll attempt to give you a sense for these factors by sharing some of my experiences in the years before the fall of the Berlin Wall.\u00a0 To live in the Soviet bloc at that time was very different\u2013and, its own way, more \u201cnormal\u201d\u2013than under Stalin\u2019s totalitarian regime.\u00a0 I\u2019ll explain how and why.<\/p>\n

In the 1980s, all of the experts, including yours truly, were skeptical about the possibility that people living under communism could rise up spontaneously against their leaders.\u00a0 Yet in the late 1970s, dissidents like the physicist Andrei Sakharov and the playwright Vaclav Havel, \"\"were already providing the ideas about why such events might occur.<\/p>\n

NOTE: Havel\u2019s essay is not only about life in Czechoslovakia. \u00a0It is about the difference between \u201cliving within a lie\u201d and \u201cliving within the truth\u201d in any society, including the US. \u00a0The dispute over the meaning of \u201ctruth\u201d and its implications for our behavior is also central to the crisis of American democracy today.<\/p>\n

At this stage of our discussion, let\u2019s ask why McAdams and other experts underestimated the power of Havel\u2019s account.<\/p>\n

V\u00e1clav Havel, \u201cPower of the Powerless,\u201d in\u00a0Open Letters: Selected Writings, 1965-1990<\/em>, sections I-VI.<\/p>\n

The \u201cPower of the Powerless\u201d is challenging reading. Please reserve a significant amount of time for reading this essay.\u00a0 You will need to have finished these chapters for your discussion section on Friday.<\/p>\n

To understand the context in which Havel wrote this essay\u00a0 and why it was so difficult to be a dissident under communist rule, read this brief article on the Czechoslovakia\u2019s Charter 77 movement (HERE<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Optional<\/em>: here is a short article on Havel\u2019s life<\/a><\/p>\n

25. LECTURE:\u00a0 Wednesday, March 22<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Reflections on the sudden and total collapse of the\u00a0Leninis<\/i><\/b>t N<\/i>ation-State.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Or, Why McAdams was so wrong.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0 No one predicted this explosive development (in the serious sense of\u00a0 the word \u201cprediction\u201d).\u00a0 By the same token,\u00a0Leninism<\/i><\/b>\u00a0was not destined to collapse when it did.<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>: \u00a0Reflect upon Mikhail Gorbachev\u2019s role in the fall of the\u00a0Leninist<\/i><\/b>\u00a0N<\/i><\/strong><\/em>ation-State<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s some background to Gorbachev\u2019s concept of Leninist<\/i><\/b><\/em>\u00a0reform\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Based upon what you have seen, could\u00a0Leninism<\/i><\/b><\/em>\u00a0have been reformed in the way Gorbachev hoped?\u00a0\u00a0 How compatible were Gorbachev\u2019s two primary reform concepts (below)\u00a0with the\u00a0Leninist\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/em>political identity?<\/p>\n

Gorbachev\u2019s concept of Perestroika \u00a0SKIM<\/a><\/p>\n

Gorbachev\u2019s concept of Glasnost SKIM<\/a><\/p>\n

Implications: \u00a0What lessons can we learn from the communist experience about the collapse of dictatorships in general? Is it enough to present people with the\u00a0facts<\/strong> about a dictatorship\u2019s failings to persuade them that the system doesn’t work?\u00a0 This question of human psychology applies to us as well. Why do some intelligent people refuse to accept facts even in liberal democracies?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Additional assignment<\/strong><\/p>\n

In preparation for my upcoming lecture on Colonialism,\u00a0 please watch the wonderful film, \u201cMister Johnson,\u201d as soon as you can. It’s on our on-line Hesburgh Reserves site\u00a0 HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

The film, which stars one of the former James Bonds,\u00a0Pierce Brosnan<\/a>, is simultaneously engaging, humorous, moving, and tragic.<\/p>\n

25. DISCUSSION SECTION:\u00a0 \u00a0Friday, March 24<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Topic:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Living within a lie under communism\u00a0 . . . and in advanced democracies?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Discuss the first half of \u201cPower of the Powerless.\u201d\u00a0 Why is the green grocer so important to Havel\u2019s argument?\u00a0 What kinds of events would be required to convince the green grocer that he should rebel?\u00a0 Or does “enlightenment” spring up automatically?<\/p>\n

Would you have acted differently than the green grocer if you had grown up in a Leninist\u00a0<\/i><\/b>state?\u00a0 What types of circumstances would persuade you, too, to rebel?<\/p>\n

Paragraph Assignment<\/em>: \u00a0To what extent, if at all, do we \u201clive within a lie\u201d in the United States\u201d?\u00a0 Consider this study about the choice between truth-telling and happiness while you write your response:\u00a0\u00a0HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

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26.\u00a0 LECTURE:\u00a0 Monday, March 27<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Reflections on the fuzzy transition to post-communism in the 1990s and then the advance of populist demagoguery in the 2010s.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Or, why McAdams’ intuition turned out to be partly right<\/em><\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n

Another surprise!<\/em>\u00a0As if the fall of\u00a0Leninism<\/i><\/b><\/em>\u00a0fell between 1989 and 1991 were not a big enough surprise, another surprise came not long thereafter. Almost immediately after these happy developments, most of the the post-communist states of the former Soviet bloc swiftly adopted\u00a0Liberal Democratic<\/strong><\/em> institutions.<\/p>\n

Yet despite all the promise of this period, the populations of many of these states now face a\u00a0sobering question: \u00a0Will viable democracy survive in any meaningful sense?\u00a0 The past decade\u2019s developments in Hungary, Poland, and Russia give us cause to worry.\u00a0 However, those in Slovakia, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic give us cause for hope.<\/p>\n

For your amusement, some peculiar signs of life after communist dictatorship!<\/p>\n

Gorbachev sings\u00a0LISTEN<\/a><\/p>\n

Vladimir Putin plays piano and sings\u00a0WATCH<\/a><\/p>\n

Assignments<\/em>:<\/p>\n

For your discussion section on Friday, finish reading V\u00e1clav Havel,\u00a0\u201cPower of the Powerless,\u201d in\u00a0Open Letters: Selected Writings, 1965-1990.<\/em><\/p>\n

What is new and what has changed after the revolutions of 1989-1991?<\/p>\n

Vladimir Tismaneanu, \u201cThe Legacies of 1989: \u00a0The Moving Ruins\u201d\u00a0Journal of Democracy<\/em>, January 2014 See PROJECT MUSE at Hesburgh Library e-Journals \u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Jaroslaw Kuisz and Karolina Wigura,\u00a0Foreign Policy<\/em>, May 13, 2020,\u00a0\u201cWhy populists understand eastern Europe better than liberals,\u201d\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

The following articles raise an important question for political scientists: Why and under what circumstances are mythological depictions of leaders more important than addressing the facts about such figures?<\/p>\n

Why would Stalin still be popular in Russia?\u00a0 “Stalin Rises Again\u201d\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Julia Ioffe, \u201cWhy many young Russians see a hero in Putin\u201d\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Once you have read these articles, reflect upon\u00a0alternative\u00a0models for this transition:\u00a0 \u00a0mass extinction<\/a>\u00a0or archaeopteryx.\u00a0\u00a0What would the adoption of one or the other image tell you about the nature of political change.<\/p>\n

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27. LECTURE:\u00a0 Wednesday, March 29<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I am posting this lecture on both this page and the Post-Colonialism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A comparison of two ideal types: tradition and modernity<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0 People in the West frequently denigrate the cultures of the inhabitants of traditional societies.\u00a0 Yet, the norms and institutions of traditional society are as rational as those of modern society.\u00a0 They are simply based upon different cognitions and values. Personally, I find some of the attributes of traditional society to be superior to those of modern societies.<\/p>\n

A good example of \u00a0liberal democracy\u2019s problem with the expression of traditional ways of acting is the French practice of\u00a0Laicit\u00e9<\/a><\/p>\n

Angelique Chrisafis,\u00a0\u201cFrance\u2019s Headscarf Rule,\u201d\u00a0The Guardian<\/em>,\u201d July 2013 \u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Part of the Western tendency to denigrate other peoples and cultures is due to our hubristic conception of our place in history. Remember Weber\u2019s point about\u00a0how our \u201cProtestant\u201d predecessors regarded themselves as saved by God.\u00a0 To cite one example of our hubris, we repeatedly hear that so-called Third World countries are invariably corrupt.\u00a0 Yet despite the western assumption that liberal capitalist societies are governed solely by impersonal rules of order, political corruption plays an undeniably present in\u00a0liberal-democratic<\/strong> societies, too.<\/p>\n

For an example, see Glen Thrush, \u201cIf I\u2019m corrupt, it\u2019s because I take care of my district\u201d\u00a0 READ<\/a>\u00a0(Until his death in 2010, John Murtha, the subject of this article, had been the longest serving representative in the House of Representatives.\u00a0 Most likely, this was the result of taking care of a lot of people!\u00a0 But taking care of whom in particular?\u00a0 Ah\u2026).<\/p>\n

\"\"
\u201cMr. Johnson\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

REQUIRED FILM: This wonderful film, \u201cMister Johnson. provides the background for this lecture and the next lecture on post-colonialism.\u00a0 Go to our on-line Hesburgh Reserves site HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

As you watch the film, think about how the protagonist, Mr. Johnson, is caught between two worlds and then crushed by the contradictions of this relationship. What are the defining differences between these worlds, and in the case of Nigeria, the domestic contradictions of modern and traditional norms?<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

28. DISCUSSION SECTION:\u00a0\u00a0 Friday, March 31<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

V\u00e1clav Havel, \u201cPower of the Powerless,\u201d in\u00a0Open Letters: Selected Writings, 1965-1990:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Topic:\u00a0 What must we do to live within the truth? And, how can we convince others to do so as well.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Discussion<\/em>:\u00a0 Finish your discussion of Havel by asking what makes the green grocer revolt.\u00a0 Is Havel\u2019s analysis persuasive?\u00a0 Or when we are dealing with\u00a0oppressive dictatorships, is it just wishful thinking to expect that the weak will rise up against the strong?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Similarly, when people living in democracies are persuaded by the powerful to \u201clive within a lie,\u201d is it possible to persuade them to rise up against those seek to manipulate them?<\/p>\n

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Paragraph Assignment<\/em>: \u00a0Identify one example of people \u201cliving within a lie\u201d in the United States today and specify how you could persuade them to change their view and \u201clive within the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

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PART THREE The story of the Modern Nation-State is not just about us! For much of the twentieth century there were as many Leninist regimes in the world as Liberal Democratic regimes. In this section of our course, I will focus on the glorious rise and shockingly abrupt demise of the Leninist Nation-State, one of … Continue reading “Marxism and Leninism”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-193","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=193"}],"version-history":[{"count":52,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":951,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/193\/revisions\/951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}