When Hitler swept to power in Germany during early 1933, one of his earliest speeches involved his emphasising of the far-right idea of ‘strengthening’ the German ‘volk’ – or the ‘Aryan’ masses – by removing from it all (hindering) impure elements (described as ‘life unworthy of life’). Hitler was particularly concerned about what he termed the ‘pointlessness’ of the lives of people born with Disabilities. Such people, Hitler contended, were ‘parasitic’ and simply existed to absorb vital societal resources whilst producing NOTHING useful that society could use in return for this investment of care. Hitler’s administrative team even provided a sliding scale of ‘costs’ which showed just how expensive caring for the Disabled could be. To rapturous applause, Hitler suggested that it would be far more ‘compassionate’ and ‘enlightened’ for all concerned if the Disabled population of the German Volk be humanely ‘euphonised’ and its remains respectfully disposed of.
Meanwhile, across in the United Stated, President Roosevelt (himself wheelchair-bound) was informed of Hitler’s plan for Disabled people just like himself. Whilst Hitler accused the Disable population of being ‘useless’ to the functioning of a modern society, a Disabled man like Roosevelt had entered politics and slowly but surely climbed his way up to one of the most powerful positions in the Western world! In response to Hitler’s outrageous plans for the Disabled population of Nazi Germany – Roosevelt decided to diplomatically ‘recognise’ the USSR – a country which possessed far more progressive attitudes toward those citizens suffering from Disabilities. As part of this diplomatic exchange, the US government chose ‘Harpo Marx’ (of ‘Marx Brothers’ fame) to act as ‘Good Will Ambassador’ and sent him to Moscow to facilitate the process of enhanced friendship between the two countries! Indeed, Groucho Marx was filmed in the US stating how proud he was of his brother’s involvement and how he supported the establishment of ‘formal’ links between the USA and the USSR!
The above sketch is written by Victor Lewis Smith and is a humorous take on the same surname shared between Karl Marx and the Marx family of comedians. As US hegemony has strengthened markedly across the UK and the EU since the collapse of the USSR in 1991 (this episode was broadcast in 1990) – the crypto-fascist BBC would never allow anything like this to be recorded today. One major casualty suffered since the collapse of the USSR is the capacity of ‘freedom of thought’. Today, if a viewpoint is not anti-Socialist and pro-US hegemony and supportive of free market economics, then it is considered ‘wrong’, ‘evil’ and is ‘supressed’ from appearing in all newspapers, academic journals and US-controlled social media platforms. Victor Lewis Smith was a prime example of what genuine ‘British’ freedom of thought actually looked like. Monty Python is another earlier version, with perhaps the antics of Chris Morris following on from Victor Lewis Smith.
What was Victor Lewis smith doing? Well, like the rest of us, he lived and worked in a Bourgeise, capitalist, liberal democracy. As much of his output was created prior to the communication between countries and different ‘systems’ afforded by the advent of the internet – what he has to say – (and the manner in which he says it) is very interesting from both a mainstream (Bourgeois) academic position and a more critical Marxist-Leninist perspective. Although he passed away in 2022 aged just 65 years old – he remarkably managed to avoid any official allegations from the British Establishment that he was a ‘Communist’. It is my belief that he was a very well educated Marxist-Leninist who had worked-out a way of existing in the haert of the capitalist system – whilst effectively operating in the usually shallow and crass Bourgeois entertainment system. I suspect his entire act was an exercise is ‘Propaganda and Agitation’ – or working-out ways of furthering the working-class Revolution by undermining the very foundations of the Bourgeois Establishment that routinely oppresses the masses!
This is ‘what’ he was doing – so now the question becomes ‘how’ was he doing it? Marx and Engels, in their formulation of ‘Scientific Socialism’ – revealed that the Bourgeisie perpetuates an ‘inverted’ and ‘back-to-front’ view of reality as a means to fundamentally ‘confuse’ the masses and thereby retain control of the means of production. Following the basis of all theistically-based religions, a disembodied thought in the head is mistaken for a solid material object existing in the physical environment (such as an imagined all-powerful ‘god’) – when in fact no such entity exists! The bulk of humanity believes that this sky-fairy truly exists and the ‘fear’ cultivated by the Church of professional worshippers ensures society unquestionally adheres to this fake and fallacious interpretation of reality. In short, through this ‘inverted’ thinking – which effects every aspect of material existence from the top to bottom of society – the Bourgeois use hypocrisy and illogicality to retain power over billions of people! The humour of Victor Lewis Smith ‘borrows’ the Marxist critique of Bourgeois existence, and continuously exposes its ‘inverted’ nature in a humorous manner. Marx and Engels carried out a very similar exercise during their critiques contained all the way through their work – but this habit is particularly observable in The German Ideology.
I do not think Victor Lewis Smith was a ‘Trotskyite’ as he ruthlessly criticised the very Bourgeois Establishment that Trotsky idealised and wanted to convert the USSR into. Furthermore, where Trotsky is mentioned it is not always to his benefit. It is difficult to practice ‘Entryism’ (the Trotskyite ‘dishonest’ infiltration of groups, establishments and organisations for disruptive purposes) when the very establishment one is trying to surreptitiously ‘enter’ is being simultaneously (and ruthlessly) ‘deconstructed’! In other words, a Trotskyite cannot ‘enter’ what no longer exist! (note the ‘humorous’ Marxist deconstruction). Now, if I were an NKVD Political Commissar tasked with ascertaining the political leanings of Mr Victor Lewis Smith – I would have to admit that when he mentions Joseph Stalin it is always in a nonsensical and derogatory sense. Stalin is presented by Smith as possessing ‘sinister’ (religious-like) powers which he used to make people like Trotsky ‘disappear’. In another sketch, Stalin is said to look ‘sickly’. On the other hand, Trotsky is also presented in a derogatory manner – being less powerful than Stalin – but just as dialectically ‘troublesome’.
My report would state that I believe Mr Victor Lewis Smith is a ‘Marxist-Leninist’ (and therefore a ‘supporter’ of Stalin) – but that he uses the ‘Bourgeois’ view of Stalin in his humour to convey the ‘inverted’ and ‘illogical’ view the Bourgeoisie maintain and perpetuate toward one of the most effective working-class leaders the USSR ever produced. This view of Stalin is ‘funny’ because it is ‘ahistorical’ as such a person never existed. This ‘Stalin’ is the Judeo-Christian ‘devil’ which always lurks in the deepest recesses of the ‘inverted’ Bourgeois mind. It is the Bourgeois devil who also ‘juggles’ for the delight of the capacity crowd! A sort of John Wayne Gacy (a ‘slippery Pole’ no less) – who somehow manipulated his way to ‘elected’ power (custard pie in the face) in the USSR (hoot on a car horn)! What Victor Lewis Smith produced is a superb master-class of how to adapt Marxist-Leninist ‘dialectical’ critique and make it work in the mainstream of capitalist society! Everything he says means exactly what it is intended to mean at the point of its expression – whilst its structure becomes redundant (and therefore obsolete) the moment after it is uttered. The meaning is therefore both ‘precise’ and yet transforms in an ‘amorphous’ and therefore ‘universal’ interpretive format. Every sentence expresses exactly what the author intends it to mean – whilst every sentence once uttered becomes whatever the receiving mind wants it to mean – with no ‘contradiction’ manifesting in this unfolding, dialectical process. I believe we are seeing Hegel’s thesis, antithesis and synthesis turned upon its head and functioning the right way around. With the tightening of US hegemony and US anti-intellectualism stalking our land – it may be a very long time before we see the likes of Victor Lewis Smith again in the UK!
THE SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 