21

Jan

8:19pm
Sumedha Chatterjee Ireland
Bogdanov comes alive: How the PLB magazine put him back on the map

Bogdanov comes alive: How the PLB magazine put him back on the map

Sumedha Chatterjee Ireland//8:19pm, Jan 21st '22

All things cultural have a smattering of bourgeoisie elements to them. Our conception of art, culture, literature, our leisurely pursuits reek of bourgeoisie elements. Which sometimes makes me ask whether the proletarians have a culture of their own. Are they capable of making contributions to something which is usurped by the bourgeoisie? This is where Bogdanov stepped in. Bogged with this question for decades, Bogdanov had time and again attempted to destroy the bourgeois elements embedded within both science and the arts and reconstituting them as proletarian endeavors.

His life, spent as an architect of the cultural revolution, was marred by exiles and philosophical pursuits. A revolutionary who wore many hats, he was a cultural theorist ,science fiction writer, professor, political revolutionary, and economist. Bogdanov was a strong proponent of the arts, co-founding the Proletarian Culture (Proletkult) organization to provide political and artistic education to workers. Forgotten in the annals of history, the book ART AND THE WORKING CLASS sheds light on his views. For instance, for him proletarian poetry was, a means of organizing collective action. He showed the mirror to bourgeoisie academia and the theories propounded by them. On their understanding of poetry, he wrote “ Our theorists, in keeping with the aristocratic and partly bourgeois tradition—who regard art as an “ornament of life,” as a kind of luxury—do not understand to what degree they contradict themselves when, at the same time, they recognize that art holds an educational meaning; that is to say, a practical and organizational meaning.”

If you read this blogs then why not try out the books!!!
Image
Click here to check out the Peace, Land and Bread

It indeed was a delight to read his works. Which is now far more accessible due to the PLB magazine. The translation of Bogdanov’s works retain textual fidelity, which often goes for a toss under bourgeoisie academia. This truly brings out the revolutionary aspect of art, which, thanks to capitalism, has been stripped off any revolutionary quality it held. As I see Bogdanov come alive, at the helm of late stage capitalism, I am able to reaffirm my faith in the emancipatory potential of art. The introduction to the book reads like a dream, and again does a stellar job of asserting the importance of proletarian art. The beautiful translation done by Taylor R. Genovese is an attempt at a working class analysis of art. It indeed serves as a motivation for those who want a better world for the generations to come.

There is no catch. As Marxists, we believe that theory is for everyone. Reading theory, infusion of the same with praxis should be done outside the halls of academia. The PLB magazine is ensuring that theory is accessible to all. Works such as this one can be read for free and are not loaded with over complicated jargon. The publishing house of the magazine, Iskra Books, named after the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party's early 1900s political newspaper, publishes original scholarly works in theory, history, natural science, arts, and culture, as well as new translations and out-of-print works, in the tradition of revolutionary working-class and anti-imperialist politics. This is a welcome step for revolutionaries all across the globe. The magazine is a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal produced by the international research center, the Center for Communist Studies. It aims to bridge the divide between academic and public scholarship.

BlackRock and the private Europe Pension - The EU regulation on private pensions in force since 2020
Dr. Werner Rugemer from Germany//8:38pm, Jun 27th '21

BlackRock and the private Europe Pension - The EU regulation on private pensions in force since 2020

In all Western capitalist states, labour incomes and their purchasing power are declining. This is true for precariously employed low-wage workers up to the middle classes, and this again especially for....

Read More
Analyzing the Complex Landscape: Taiwan Post-Elections
Saheli Chowdhury India//8:22pm, Feb 2nd '24

Analyzing the Complex Landscape: Taiwan Post-Elections

US-Taiwan Relations:How do you perceive the current state of relations between the United States and Taiwan, in the context of the elections that just happened?All the major parties of Taiwan that participated....

Read More
Current Conflict in Sudan: Part 1
Ian Beddowes Zimbabwe//4:49pm, Apr 27th '23

Current Conflict in Sudan: Part 1

“…the miserable reality that the masses are living due to the chaotic war unleashed by the generals among themselves.”From statement by the Central Media Office of the Sudanese Communist Party 19th....

Read More
Che Guevra: Continuing Influence in Latin America
Stewart McGill UK//10:14pm, Nov 14th '22

Che Guevra: Continuing Influence in Latin America

Che was murdered by the Bolivian military on 9 October 1967, 55 years ago. On this anniversary, we look at his continuing influence in Latin America.‘At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that....

Read More
THE PROBLEM IS POVERTY: IN CONVERSATION WITH THE BANGAISA CREW
Special Correspondent The International//5:13pm, Feb 23rd '22

THE PROBLEM IS POVERTY: IN CONVERSATION WITH THE BANGAISA CREW

Part 1Based in rural part of western Kenya, the Bangaisa crew has amassed popularity for all the right reasons. As the election approaches, their campaign song for the Kenyan communist party has created....

Read More
‘Red Cup Rebellion’ Day: Starbucks workers strike 110+ stores
Martha Grevatt USA//1:14am, Nov 27th '22

‘Red Cup Rebellion’ Day: Starbucks workers strike 110+ stores

As striking members of Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) explained while on the picket line, Red Cup Day is “like Starbucks’ Black Friday.” All over the world the promotion draws a larger-than-average....

Read More