Revolutionary State and transition to socialism (Scientific, Cultural and Political Editions Book 26)

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We fully endorse the concepts as set out by Lenin in ‘State and Revolution’. It is now necessary, however, to incorporate the new elements of history into them. Lenin was writing with one Workers State before him, at a time when the profile of the capitalist State was neat. Today, that profile is no longer neat: in the Revolutionary State, the army no longer has the force, the status and the transcendence of the army in a full capitalist State. Here you see categories of distinct phases of the State in need of definition. We call these Revolutionary States because, under the spur of the revolution, they gradually let go of the capitalist State character. The structure of their relations, institutions and juridical functions continues to be that of capitalism. They maintain that structure, which is capitalist, but they do so under leaderships who declare themselves contrary, and take measures against capitalism.

It is still necessary to destroy this capitalist structure, for it is a hub of counter-revolution in constant renewal. It contains the mechanisms of State that defend capitalism: army, church and juridical functions. This is why the first task of any Revolution is to dismantle the army.