Communists failed to size up capitalism today It is now clear that communists failed to size up capitalism in time.

After the Socialist revolution of 1917, Lenin categorised it as the era of imperialism and proletarian revolution. Terming imperialism as the highest stage of capitalism with no more enough stamina to thrive, proletarian revolution in the world was placed on the active agenda. After the Second World War, Marxists maintained that capitalism is a dying force as it entered the period of general crises and revolution is knocking at the doors. This might have helped to enthuse the communist cadres world over, yet their faculty to analyse independently took a strong beating. They failed to size up the resilience of capitalism and correctly devise proper strategies to counter it. The death call alerted the capitalists-imperialists as well in no small terms. They clearly adjusted their pals and found new means to survive and face the emerging forces. The imperialists were on an on-going struggle with their adversary in the socialist camp for long. They had developed the necessary resilience and cleverness to survive against a formidable foe. They made strenuous efforts to coopt the proletariat and dilute its characteristics with success to an extent by keeping them tied to individualistic cravings. The mass base in equity shares was expanded, invariably involving their work force. Entering the profession of ease to gain income is a sure way to loose the basic characteristic of a proletariat. The Second World War had left imperialists weakened. They had lost the nerve for once. The resounding victory of Soviet Union with Stalin at its head and later, the pace of Peoples Democratic Revolution in China left them scramble for breath. Korean and Vietnam Wars thereafter made them panicky. Containment policy became its theory to satisfy disciples. They were desperate. All democratic pretensions were cast aside with disdain. The wide scale witch-hunt of communists under McCarthys law, despite claims for democracy and freedom continued for years in USA just after Second World War where they were allies against Hitler. The democratic faith did not trouble USA in this wild game of defending capitalist interests. Worldwide campaign to contain communism became the corner stone of its diplomacy, releasing cold war intensely with arms race as its supplement to revive economies. Simultaneously, they placed hope on Keynesian economics for survival and Herculean efforts were released for reconstruction under Marshal Plan. It helped them to maintain neocolonial links with many former subjugated countries that opted for capitalist development. That provided much needed stamina for economic revival to these imperialist countries of Europe and America. The imperialist camp headed by America worked overtime to exhaust its enemy in socialist camp of resources through arms race. The growing market forces and accompanying individualism inside Soviet society, thanks to its rapid growth of industrialisation spree, duly helped their effort. There is another side of the story. Though, Soviet camp made strenuous efforts in providing economic aid at much easy terms to newly independent capitalist countries of the third world as a counter move to imperialist influence growing there. This Soviet economic aid conversely proved a bonanza for capitalist consolidation that ultimately gave strength to this capitalist-imperialist system itself to go kicking again. The communist movement in the newly independent capitalist countries too provided strategic support for this consolidation of capitalist development taking cue from an old Marxist understanding that it will lead to the development of productive forces through industries, growth in proletarian ranks and liquidation

of feudal relations. This was done while organising people to overthrow the capitalist system and singing songs for socialism! It was incumbent on communists in third world countries, more so in India to study the situation with a fresh mind on this basic question. The terminal symptoms of capitalist-imperialist mode of development, with internal and external expropriation inherent, with a manipulative economy were enough indicators to any alert mind for taking offensive-defensive measures in time. That was not done and communists did not heed. They acted like mere robots mechanically where it needed much creative approach instead. It would have been possible only if one could shed dogmatist approach in analysis. A realisation is dawning slowly and steadily that communist leadership worldwide has failed to measure up capitalism and its capacity of resilience timely. It has done little to evaluate changing features of capitalism. It is still taken by them that capitalism is a progressive force to beat feudal and colonial features in society and that through growth of capitalism alone forces of production are developed, paving the way for socialist construction! Again a fatal infatuation to old dogmas.