The Parable of the Two Bolsheviks

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, where has the promise of the Arab Spring gone?”

Josh spoke thus:

Two Bolsheviks were sitting in a Paris café.

“Come the revolution, we will end all tyranny in our homeland,” the first Bolshevik said.

“Our homeland is ruled by a tyrant,” the second Bolshevik said, “Revolution is inevitable.”

“The regime will collapse,” the first Bolshevik said, “The regime is a house of cards.  Its own weight will bring it down.”

“The regime is top-heavy,” the second Bolshevik said.

“The regime is top-heavy, and the regime is brutal,” the first Bolshevik said.

“The regime is top-heavy, and the regime is brutal, and the regime controls the media to deny a truly democratic opposition,” the second Bolshevik said.

“True democracy demands an open dialogue,” the first Bolshevik said, “The first freedom we will establish will be freedom of expression.”

“And freedom of the press,” the second Bolshevik said.

“Freedom of the press is freedom of expression,” the first Bolshevik said.

“And freedom of assembly,” the second Bolshevik said.

“Freedom of assembly is freedom of expression,” the first Bolshevik said.

“And freedom of commerce,” the second Bolshevik said.

“Freedom of commerce is freedom of expression,” the first Bolshevik said.

“And freedom from financial regulation,” the second Bolshevik said.

“Freedom from financial regulation is freedom of expression,” the first Bolshevik said.

“No government interference,” the second Bolshevik said.

“No government interference,” the first Bolshevik said, “Once we have shut down the tyranny of the oligarchs, we will be free to do business without any government control,” the second Bolshevik said.

“Be careful,” the first Bolshevik said, “You are starting to sound like an anarchist.  We don’t want anarchy.”

“Society needs structure,” the second Bolshevik said, “An economy without structure is not a free economy, it is chaos.”

“And there is no freedom in chaos,”the first Bolshevik said, “So we must regulate our freedoms with care.”

“No one can speak out against our freedoms,” the second Bolshevik said.

“No one can do business outside of our free market structure,” the first Bolshevik said.

“And riots can not be allowed,” the second Bolshevik said.

“Riots are the enemy of free expression,” the first Bolshevik said, “Riots are oppressive.”

A mutual friend approached the café.

“How are my two favorite Bolsheviks doing?” the mutual friend asked.

“You should join us,” the first Bolshevik said.

“Lenin is genius,” the second Bolshevik said, “Trotsky is genius.”

“Lenin is dead.  Trotsky is dead.  Stalin was a despot,” the mutual friend said, “And it’s 2013.  Who’s a Bolshevik in 2013?”