Against Avakianism

Colorful Classics #9

by Ajith

In this book, Comrade Ajith masterfully attacks & exposes the revisionism and cultish degeneration of the Revolutionary Communist Party USA and their Bob Avakian.

Genres: Theory, Nonfiction, India

224 pages, Paperback

Published May 15, 2017

Reviews

[Spooky Socialist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avakianism is neither new nor in any way a synthesis.

Ajith, one of the most important contemporary important thinkers of the Maoist movement, charts out the ideological deviations within the RCP-USA Bob Avakian's "New Synthesis." Although a minor organization now, the RCP-USA was foundational within the International Communist Movement and had great influence in exporting its ideology to other organizations within the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement, making it important to critique.

Ajith establishes the various points of departure within Avakian's "New Synthesis" pointing out how it simply recycles old concepts, falsifies quotes, is intellectually dishonest when engaging in ideological struggle, plays around with words, etc. As someone new to reading Maoist polemics, I certainly cannot completely grasp everything Ajith is attempting to communicate (especially with the oversaturation of acronyms!). And while I certainly don't agree with all of Ajith's points, his deep dive into Avakian's odd "New Synthesis" is important for anyone attempting to understand Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, in the same way that Anti-Düring is a key text to understanding Marxism.

[Zeke Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is book serves a bad role in the international communist movement. It is an attack on the new synthesis of communism developed by Bob Avakian. It attempts to address very important issues, but employs distortions, unsupported accusations of “revisionism”, and ad hominem attacks against Avakian, and as such has been held up by others in their to attempts to block the vital scientific advance of communism.

The most important area that Ajith addresses is epistemology, the way we obtain and evaluate knowledge and determine truth. To his viewpoint here the most basic response is: “Everything that is actually true is good for the proletariat, all truths can help us get to communism.” – Bob Avakian

Here is the response that those promoting the Ajith work will not reference. Read it to know the issues vital for the movement today and forward, read at: http://demarcations-journal.org/issue...

Note: I condemn the arrest and persecution of Ajith (K. Murali) by the Indian state in 2015.

[A, Dean]

This books filtered me, I like to think I am a well read marxist, but this book is mostly about Maoism and phony "Maoism" of the Revolutionary communist Party. It is an interesting take down of them show casing where Bob takes quotes out of context and the phoniness of the so called "new synopsis" it in interesting analysis of him as most take downs of RCP focus on the cult like nature of the party and this book touches on it a little bit but manly focus on the RCP and there relationship to international maoist parties. I will not be giving this book a rating as I feel like I need to know more about Maoism to property assess the Value of this work. Just be aware this book is firmly entrenched Maoism movement and assumes one is familiar with the many parties and movements as well.

[Andy P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chapter by chapter summary still to come...

[Terrance Tupper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book, in criticizing Avakianism Ajith makes some neat points especially in the chapter titled Socialist Democracy.