A critique of optimism - the religious dogma that states there will be an ultimate triumph of good over evil - in the far left

'Nihilist communism' argues against the conception of 'consciousness raising' and recruiting as practised by the far left, whereby it is implicitly assumed that the social revolution may be brought about by enough persons spreading communist ideas effectively enough. Monsieur Dupont also argues regularly against class consciousness and even consciousness as a factor in revolution. To this, they counterpose a model of revolution based on a crisis of capitalism which will necessitate the appropriation of entire key industries by the essential proletariat - a class which they believe should be defined solely by the economic position of its members. They write (in a manner somewhat typical of their style):

'We do not know what anyone means when they describe the proletariat as a social category. If they are implying that the working class as a social body have something between themselves other than their experience of work then we utterly reject this. MD [i.e. Monsieur Dupont] have a penchant for Champagne and Tarkovsky movies whereas our neighbours prefer White Lightening [sic.] and WWF wrestling, our economic position, however, is identical.'

'The Proletariat will not be motivated by political values in its resistance to work but by its selfish interest to assert its species being; its bodily desire to be human floods across the barriers of separation. There is nothing nice or noble or heroic about the working class, it is essential to the productive process which constitutes the structure of our reality and therefore essential to revolution and the abolition of reality based on production.'

In August 2008, Pygmalion Books published as a standalone work (in both digital and paperback form) a partial section of Nihilist Communism entitled "Cruelty or the Inclusion of the Distributive Sphere." Their edition represents the final 40 pages of the book, the remainder of the which can be found on the Internet. In the Summer of 2009, Ardent Press published their own self-edited and designed version of Nihilist Communism.

Contents

Preamble. This is the definition of class hatred

Introduction

Part One

Nihilist communism: some basic elaborations

This is the fable of the thirsty crow

Introducing Monsieur Dupont

We start, as we end, in simplicity

Basic statement

On consciousness

A qualification

"Working class consciousness"?

Further thoughts and explanations

Summary and counter-interpretation

The dictatorship of the proletariat

Groups

Is Lenin on sale again?

Identity politics

Militants and otherness

Political priorities and consciousness

On economic determinism and autonomism

The revolutionary subject

A recap of our perspective

No way out

Appendices:

The Optimism of Revolutionaries

Language and consciousness

Recent Interventions:



May Days, Palestine and the material base

The Ticklish Matter

Reply to "The Real Movement"

To get over the wall we first have to get to the wall

Some notes concerning future proletarian insurgency: The Dynamics of "Protest" Seen in the Recent Petrol Blockades in Britain

Only we can prevent mythology

Anarchists must say what only they can say

Dear Freedom?

More on anti-imperialism

We 're all Claire Short now

Political 'activism'

Glossary:

Base

Becoming human

Communism

Consciousness

Culture

Do

Do nothing

Events and effects

Experience

Freedom

Ideas and the limit of ideas in numbers

Imperialism

Interest

Movement and movements

Nihilism

Owners of consciousness

Politics

Pro-revolutionary

Revolutionary

The spectacle

State Capitalism

Part Two Cruelty or The Inclusion of the Distributive Sphere