Response to Brief, Disjointed Thoughts On Revolution By Maria Jimenez
“En una revolucion se triumfa o se muere, si es verdadera.”
-Che Guevara
In Spanish, Che’s words refer to the revolution and not the revolutionary. He
states that a revolution either is victorious or it fails. It does not refer to
the revolutionary.
Vladimir Illich Lenin once wrote that it is easy to be a revolutionary at the
time of the revolution. That is, when social, economic and political crises,
create social movements capable of toppling old systems, creating new visions of
just societies, establishing new political directions and begin transforming the
old, then many segments of the population are pushed into action. So it is easy
to be a revolutionary at the time of the revolution.
In our times, we saw it during the 2006 marches for immigrant rights. Before
the powerful flow of the masses defending their rights, many who previously did
not stand up for immigrant rights were at the front of the march or declared
defenders of the rights of immigrants. Many may have become honest activist for
the moment or for the long-haul. Only their actions in the time will be
indicative of their commitment to profound societal changes. Yes, it is easy to
defend positions and sectors when these have risen to protect their rights and
move for change. It is easy to be a revolutionary at the time of the revolution.
Lenin pointed out that the true revolutionary is one that upholds revolutionary
principles, works to advance revolutionary organization and presses on for
profound changes even when social conditions are difficult, social movements
have receded to the foreground and political repression is the order of the day.
It is under non-revolutionary conditions that the beliefs and practice of
revolutionaries are tested. It is here where a revolutionary is truly
distinguished from non-revolutionaries.
Otherwise, we may be confused by momentary reformers or even, opportunists. And
most seriously, we would dismiss the valuable contribution of so many who have
lost their lives or sacrificed personal comfort in the name of revolutionary
change.
