Remembering October 1917, Rekindling its struggle!
by Kat Ulrike
For many years ago, this revolution initiated a new epoch in world history. It did really shook the world, for unlike revolutions of the past that simply change leaders, this revolution was an out and out dismantlement of an antiquated social order, all driven by the people whose dream of building a society in which there would be no exploitation of man by man. This may sound strange to some and fear provoking to most as existing orders around the world felt the tremor of people's action, proving that without those who hinder, the people are completely capable of building a free society both under their mind and sinew, blood and sweat.
In those past years the Soviet people have traveled a hard road. They were surrounded by enemies inside and out, trying by many means to destroy the worker's republic; factories encountering problems, farms having low output of produce, but in the end thoroughly smashed its attacks while at the same time building further its productive bases by organising further workers and farmers. It did surprised its rival neighbours too, that with its economic plans brought new factories, power plants, dams, farms, to that of airplanes, automobiles, housing projects, at a speed of which the capitalist countries are incapable and inspires the labouring folks of various countries to stand up and fight against its oppressive systems and its upholders. Such wonders has changed the Soviet Union from being a relatively backward both economically and technically into one of the world's first-class industrial powers.
And regardless of criticism and attacks by various means, the soviet people continue to defend, while at the same time forge, plough, build as its living standards rising. The scale of educational, scientific, and cultural development also surpasses as that of its neighbours as well, with its first atomic power station, jet planes, rocket-powered defence systems, to that of its space program with its satellites paving way to space exploration led by Gagarin, Tereshkova, and its cosmonauts. From these contributions did surprised the capitalist west that compels the United States and Europe to take seriously its own programs. But for the Soviets, this was more than just a contribution of the Soviet people themselves but of the proletariat around the world in its struggle against the reactionary bourgeoisie. The revolutionary spirit started in 1917 has contributed various wonders that for its rivals a threat to their interest. Even those from the right recognise the power of the proletariat that they tried to create theirs yet can't surpass. Hitler, Mussolini, tried to make war against Stalin but the latter, looking back at the past, chose to resist regardless of being surrounded and almost beaten. In his speech last 1941, he said:
"There were times when our country was in a still more difficult position. Remember the year 1918, when we celebrated the first anniversary of the October Revolution. Three-quarters of our country was at that time in the hands of foreign interventionists. The Ukraine, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Urals, Siberia and the Far East were temporarily lost to us. We had no allies, we had no Red Army—we had only just begun to create it; there was a shortage of food, of armaments, of clothing for the Army. Fourteen states were pressing against our country. But we did not become despondent, we did not lose heart. In the fire of war we forged the Red Army and converted our country into a military camp. The spirit of the great Lenin animated us at that time for the war against the interventionists. And what happened? We routed the interventionists, recovered all our lost territory, and achieved victory."
Those words would say that the revolutionary able to defend their struggle so as to invoke it over and over. They will fight so is to forge, they will resist so is to plough the field, they will withstand any attack so is to learn and become better especially in times enemies trying to undermine efforts in building the socialist homeland. However, amongst the ranks there are those who stand in its way, of being interest-driven that corrupts the fabric of the homeland, hearing words like wrecking, sabotage, to that of revisionism? Such problems did really hinder, and even make a homeland stagnant, decline, and eventually dissolve as what happened in 1992. Quite saddening isn't it? But while those who upheld the prevailing social order under capitalism rejoice and claim that there lies the "end of history" in which western-style "democracy" triumphs with its consumerism and the likes, will the working people just stay put, forget, and move on? No! For from these folk they looked at the Soviet Union as a homeland that brought immense developments like what said earlier, regardless of the problems, crises, and catastrophes that did they encounter. True that there are those who will disown the legacy all because of its mistakes and shortcomings most of which exaggerated by its enemies, but the fact that this socialist homeland did shook the world, then not surprising that those who carried the flames will again provoke another as to create a new path towards socialism like what happened 104 years ago.
Again, the Soviet Union and the eastern bloc was dissolved years past, that China or Vietnam faced revisionism, and other socialist countries that out of pragmatism forced to adopt the diktat of the market. But, regardless of these, this doesn't stop the folk around the world to demand the future, that their revolutionary energy, diligence, innovation, and deep patriotism and internationalism will realise what the aspirations of those pasts set forth in the future, of rectifying its errors, reaffirm principles, and to move forward.