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Page THE MILITANT December 1, 1928.
December 1, 1928.
THE MILITANT Page and unich some respect or a seen, It is only to am to taken from society The vich of Socialisme capitalists. That is the Lenin notes. The CRITICISM OF FUNDAMENTALS CONTINUED FROM LAST ISSUE Marx, Engels and Lenin himself had said prior to task too short a term was set at the beginning of now, that the proletariat of Russia can alone build day and would come to our assistance with its comment and will not permit any misinterpretation.
1918. It is this purely pratical miscalculation that up Socialism so as, when it will have accomplished technique, the question of cooperation raised by The matter stands quite differently in the new that. In 1915 Lenin said: this work, to be able to declare war on the bourLenin as a socio organizational method of coordiLenin derided at the Fourth Congress of the Com. WE HAVE EMPHASIZED IN MANY OF draft program of the Comintern. In accordance Uneven economic and political development is intern when he said we were more foolish then OUR WORKS, IN ALL OUR SPEECHES AND with the revisionist evolution of its authors since geois States, how can Lenin, at the beginning of nation of private with social interests would still IN THE WHOLE OF OUR PRESS that matters after the February revolution, speak so cat retain its significance. Cooperation points. follows that the triumph of Socialism is, to begin than we are now. But we had a correct view 1924, the draft, as we have seen, chooses the the in Russia are not such as IN THE ADVANCED with, possible in several or even in only one individ of the general perspective and did not for a mo CAPITALIST COUNTRIES, that we have in Russia directly opposite path. But the solution of the ual capitalist country. The victorious proletariat of ment believe that it is possible to set up a com peasant Russia to build up Socialism with its own its own electricity question of Socialism in one. country in one way or a minority of industrial workers and an overwhelmthat country, having expropriated the capitalists and plete Socialist order in the course of twelve can reorganize forces? One must at least to some extent be log: peasante tiene carines be substituted for technique unite the millions but ing majority of small agrarians. The social revolu.
another determines the significance of the tion in such a country can be finally successful only ical and, to be candid, have WHOLE draft as a Marxian be up in arms against the rest of the capitalist world, months, and in a backward country at that revisionist on two conditions: First, on the condition that it attracting oppressed classes of the other countries The attainment of this main and final aim the It document.
does not create that would be superfluous to add more quotations, and station cannot is given TIMELY support by the social revolution to its side, causing insurrections in those countries construction of a Socialist society was left by To give an integral outline of Lenin economic not merely speak of the necessary and sufficient of one or several advanced countries. Second, Of course the draft program carefully, persist against the capitalists and the acting in case of need, Lenin to three whole generations ourselves, our that there be an agreement between the proletariat ently and severally puts forward, emphasizes and al character of the Socialist revolution, would re definitely enumerates them. They are: 1) power which establishes the dictatorship or holds State es and their governments. Vol. 13, page 133. children and our grandchildren.
explains the difference between the Communist power in its hands and the majority of the peasantry.
Our emphasis. quire an independent investigation which would of the State over all large scale means of producand reformist formulation of questions.
Is it not clear that in his article of 1915 Lenin We know that ONLY AN AGREEMENT include many subjects except that of building up tion (an uncorrected phrase. 2) State power in What did Lenin have in mind? That the victory meant by the organization of Socialist produc WITH THE PEASANTRY CAN SAVE THE But these assurances do not solve the problem. of Socialism, that is, the establishment of the tion, not the setting up of a Socialist society but FORI VORD a self sufficing Socialist society in one country, for the hands of the proletariat. 3) an alliance of SOCIAL REVOLUTION IN RUSSIA SO LONG Lenin did not know this subject.
that proletariat with the millions of AS THE REVOLUTION IN OTHER COUN We have a situation something like that of a ship dictatorship of the proletariat, is possible at first an immeasurably more elementary task which has. peasants. TRIES HAS NOT ARRIVED. Lenin, Vol. 18, With this ue The Miliwhich is supplied and even overloaded with in one country, which, because of this very fact, already been realized by us in the However, we feel compelled to mention here 4) security of proletarian leadership in relation part 1, pages 137 138. Our emphasis. 12 one more article by Lenin that On Coopera to the peasants.
after the numerous Marxian mechanisms and appliances will stand up against capitalism. The proletarian Otherwise one would have to come to the absurd stallment of The Draft enumer while its mainsail is tion. as the draft program seems to quote it ation of these PURELY POLITICAL conditions We hope that this passage is sufficiently in opened for all revisionist and reformist winds. to undertake a revolutionary offensive on its own, party, having captured power, postpones the nist Interna. on: Cri extensively, e, uses some of its expressions with nothing is said here about material conditions. structive. Firstly, Lenin himself emphasizes in it ticism of Fundamentals a purpose which has nothing in common with that Lenin arrives at his conclusion that this that the ideas which he advanced have developed the last three decades This by rotsky.
and it will have to organize the operation of the particularly from the that of the article. We have in mind the fifth (that is, the enumerated) is all that is necessary in many of our works, in all our speeches, and document, a masterpiece of marvelous experience of China during the recent factories Such that is, truly said is the position of the the Marxist Leninist literature was chapter of the draft program which says that the and sufficient for the building up of a Socialist in the whole of our press. secondly, this outlook have learned to understand years the powerful was, as is well known, main stronghold of the new theory as far as the workers of the Soviet Republics submitted by comrade Trot. All that is necessary and sufficient was uttered by Lenin not in 1915, two years be.
dialelctical inter dependence between the class first accolished in Russia, 1915 quotation is concerned. However, it is even sky to the Sixth World Con possess all the necessary and sufficient MateriaL FROM POLITICAL ASPECT, but no morė. fore the October Revolution, but in 1921, the gress of the Communist In.
struggle and programatical Party documents. will ers State, in order to defend itself against world more sad when we know that Lenin wrote this prerequisites in the country. for the complete But, adds Lenin right there and then, it is not fourth year after the October revolution.
ternational which finally understand when we say that the new revisionist intervention, had first of all to organize Socialist passage not in application to Russia. He spoke of construction of Socialism. Our emphasis. yet the construction of Socialist society.
adopted the draft program Why?
Russia. This follows to victory of of Socialism As far as Lenin is concerned, we venture to in If the article dictated by Lenin during his illness Because political conditions alone, although they think that the question is clear enough. One only drafted by comrades Bucha Marxism and Leninism. That is why we are com country, Lenin consequently did not cherish the dedicated to the question of the United States of not only from the content of the quoted passage rin and Stall, without any pelled to dwell in greater detail on this cardinal fantasy of a self sufficing Socialist society, and in Europe, but also from Lenin entire position at and published after his death really says that the be sufficient do not solve the whole problem. The has to ask now what was formerly the opinion important changes. The en tire validity Yof this timely Soviet State possesses all the necessary and the cultural question hasizing the word only and questions now in hand?
of the authors of the draft program as to the basic says and fundamer al criticism re.
development and destiny of the Communist Inter was much more realistic, namely, that which the 1915, Lenin wrote specially on Russia, saying: cient MATERIAL, that is, first of all PROmains in spe of the fact DUCTIVE, prerequisites for an independent con putting it in in quotation marks in order to to show the On this question, Stalin said in November 1926: national.
October revolution has accomplished in our counthat it was kept from the ction of complete Socialism, one would only tremendous importance of the prerequisites which The task of the proletariat follows obviously from try in the first period of its existence.
Congress and never discussed The Party always took as its starting point the this actual state of affairs. That task is a relentless by the deleg tes. The sole 10 sur idea that the victory of Socialism in one country dictation or the technique, Lenin knew as well as we. To be THE THEORETICAL TRADITION OF Does this, perhaps, need to be proven? There heroic revolutionary struggle against the monarchy distribution members of deciphering her chographer made a mistake in cultural he brings back the revisionist to earthattention accorded it was its means the possibility to build up Socialism in that (the slogans of the January conference of 1912 one or are so many proofs for that, that the only diffithe other is country, and that this task can be accomplished with THE PARTY three stages. a struggle which would attract all the Prograr Commission culty we have is in choosing the best.
the forces of one country. Pravda, September at any rate more proble than Lenin abandon a certain MATERIAL basis is necessary. Ibid. democratic masses, that is, first and foremost the and a repo on the docu page 145)
12, 1926. ment of Marxism and his own teachings in two The draft program used with deliberate inten In the theses on war and peace (January 7, peasants. At the same time a ruthless struggle must ment to the Senioren Kon tion the expression victory of Socialism in one 1918) Lenin spoke of the It will suffice to mention the problem of electri TOOK THIS AS STARTING POINT. On vent of the Congress which hasty strokes. Fortunately, however, there is not We already know that the Party NEVER be waged against chauvinism, a struggle FOR THE country so as to secure the external, purely ver SOCIALIST REVOLUTION IN EUROPE in al. immediately settled the is.
fication which Lenin, we will mention in passing, the contrary in many of our works, in all our the slightest need whatever for such an article purposely linked up with the question of the inter bal, identification of its text with Lenin article Necessity of a certain period of time, AT LEAST liance with its proletariat. The war crisis HAS tion. The remarkable, although incomplete sue without scussion.
SEVERAL MONTHS, FOR THE VICTORY OF of 1915, which has so ruthlessly, not to say criminSTRENGTHENED the economic and political fac SOCIALISM in Russia. Vol. 15, page 64. rigid control on this On Cooperation, bound up by unity of speeces and in the whole of our press, the Party tors driving the petty bourgeoisie, including the ally, been misused during the discussion on the document was established with the other no less remarkable articles of his ture with the possession of the necessary and sup proceeded from the contrary position which found Therein lies the ob peasantry, towards the Left.
At the beginning of the same year, e. 1918, forthwith and the few constitute, so to say, a chapter ficient political (BUT NOT MATERIAL) pre But one would hope that at least Stalin question of building up a Socialist society in one pective basis of the absolute possibility of a victory of the DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION in Russia.
copies of the document which of an unfinished book dealing with THE PLACE requisites, would exhaust our work were it not for himself always held this false view that Socialcountry. The draft employs the same method Lenin wrote in his article entitled As to Left were distrit ted were reThat the OBJECTIVE CONDITIONS FOR Wing Childishness and Petty Bourgeois TendenOCCUPIED BY THE OCTOBER REVOLU the question of the elsewhere by alluding to Lenin words as a SOCIALIST REVOLUTION HAVE FULLY called by the ecretariat. Our confirmation. Such is the methodology of the cies, directed against Bucharin, the following: MATURED IN WESTERN EUROPE there is no publication an authentic TION IN THE CHAIN OF REVOLUTIONS able economic, political, military and cultural ism can be built up with the forces of one coundraft. If, let us say, State capitalism could be estab need to prove. This was recognized before the war copy which ye have just reby all influential Socialists of all advanced countries.
lished here within six months, that would be a ceived. It di fly with means speak of the things which the revisionists building of a Socialist society on a backward basis Of the great wealth of Marxian literature and the role of can Im (Vol. 13, page 212. Our emphasis. tremendous achievement and the surest guarantee What Stalin thought of this question in 1905, of Leninism so light midedly ascribe to it.
the treasure of Lenin works directly ignoring perialis and that within a year SOCIALISM will be definitely spect of with world capitalism which is on its decline but and 1915 we have absolutely no means of knowing new revoluti tuations, Thus, in 1915, Lenin clearly spoke of a demo everything that Lenin said and wrote and every established and have become invincible. Vol. 18, as there are no documents on the matter whatever.
the re In that article Lenin explains that the trading is technically powerful.
ionis thing that he did, ignoring the Party pro cratic revolution in Russia and of a Socialist Rev.
part 2, page Our emphasis. cialis in one try, with cooperatives can and must entirely change their am ready to state. emphasizes Lenin particu. But in 1924 Stalin gave an outline of Lenin gram and the How could Lenin set such a short period for the olution in Western Europe. In passing, as of some the Cinese ution and social role in the workers state and that by a cor larly towards the end of the article. that the center views on the building up of Socialism, as follows: What thing which is self evident, he mentions that its les sons, th the for rect policy they may direct the merging of private of gravitý for us is being transferred to cultural mation of wo work were it not for the international relations, were ed and peas. The overthrow of the power of the bourgeoisie by all Party leaders, without exception, in the material productive and social content did he put Western Europe, distinct from Russia, in contra peasant interests with the general state interests Trotsky, it not for the duty to fight for our positions on an and the putting up of a proletarian government in the entire distinction to Russia, the conditions for a Socialist an, condemns along Socialist channels. Lenin substantiates this international scale. Ibid. page 24. one country does not yet guarantee the complete ution have fully matured.
when the different question stood categorically and tican: into these words?
This question will at once appear in irrefutable idea as follows: victory of Socialism. The main task of Socialism in principle. Trotsky comof Such is Lenin real idea if we analyze the article egorically to what extent. ignoring what the light if you recall that on April 29, 1918, Lenin tation one squarely and directly ment on the Third Party the ORGANIZATION OF SOCIALIST PRO the authors of the authors of the program themselves, Stalin and said in his report to the All Russian Central Ex refers to Russia.
new theory, Allian. Wit La Foilette. In reality, power of the state over all large scale on cooperation, even if isolated from all his other DUCTION still remains ahead. Can this task be the Bucharin, said draft means of production, state power in the hands of works. How else can we style, if not as a falsifiaccomplished, can the final victory of Socialism in the fi ht aga si which was ecutive Committee of the Soviet Government: program, simply ignore led the proletariat, an alliance of that proletariat with cation, the formula of the authors of the draft who topom Lenin. one from his article as they ignore hundreds of other passages, as they one country be attained, without the joint efforts of The especially two quotations the proletariat of several advanced countries? No, of Lenin intere ng torum. can com on the United States of Europe written in 1915 It is hardly to be expected that our next genera ignore all Instead of taking this IS IMPOSSIBLE. To overthrow the bourgeoiof proletarian leadership in relation to the peasants deliberately take Lenin words about our possesmunists. The esire docu.
tion, which will be more highly developed, will ef notice of this, they, as we have seen, take another and another from his unfinished posthumous ment will based in full. is this not all that is necessary for the cooperatives, sion of necessary and sufficient prerequisites sie, the efforts of one country are sufficient the the cooperatives alone, which we have formerly and add to them the basic material fect a complete transition to Socialism. Ibid. victory of our revolution bears this out.
publication For the consecutively 11. tis and the on cooperation 1923, have passage which refers to Western Europe, ascribe page 240. prere forthcoming issues of The final victory of Socialism, FOR THE ORGANIZA to it a meaning which it cannot and does not mean been used in defense of the theory of national viewpoint, we still have the right to treat them in although Lenin definitely speaks of Militant with ut any changes.
TION OF SOCIALIST CONSTRUCTION. THE On December 3, 1919, at the Congress socialism which was created to meet the exigencies Com to have, attach this ascribed meaning to Russia, a this not all that is prerequisites in parenthesis, saying that it is just EFFORTS OF ONE COUNTRY, PARTICULAR Its basic importance for the international revolutionary necessary for the complete construction of Socialist what we do not have and what we must still gain of the struggle against so called Trotskyism at munes and Artels, Lenin spoke even more defin country which the passage did not have in mind, LY OF SUCH PEASANT COUNTRY AS movement and the unanswer Society? It is not yet the construction of Socialist in our struggle for our position on an interna RUSSIA, ARE INSUFFICIENT. For this the efand on this foundation they build their new the end of 1924 or the beginning of 1925.
Every, itely, saying: able correctness of its posi society, but it is all that is necessary and sufficient tional scale, that is, in connection with the interforts of the proletarians of several advanced coun.
thing that disproves these two quotations of few We know that we cannot establish a Socialist theory.
for this construction. Vol 18, part 2, page 140. national proletarian revolution?
tries are necessary.
tion on the bfrning problems lines the whole of Marxism and Leninism is system at the present time. It will be well if our of the Com hunist InternaWhat was Lenin position on this question im Such, on the whole, are the characteristic features aside. These two artificially snatched Te text of the passage which comprises an un simply children and perhaps our grandchildren will be able mediately before the October period? On leaving tional make an invaluable That is how matters stand with the second and finished sentence of the cooperatives alone. last stronghold of the theory. We purposely did of Lenin theory of the proletarian revolution.
to establish it. Vol. 16, page 398. contribution 7) the Bolshevik (Stalin, Lenin and Leninism, Russian 1924 edition, out and grossly and epigonically misinterpreted irrefutably proves that we have before us an un not take here those articles and speeches written literature of our period.
pages 40 41. In which of these two cases was Lenin right? Switzerland after the February revolution in 1917. Editor.
corrected draft which was dictated and not wet and uttered during the entire course of 1905 1923 One must admit that the characteristic features revisionist theory which is unbounded from the Was it when he spoke of the definite establish Lenin addressed a letter to the Swiss workers in individual words of the text rather than trying to that without a victorious revolution we are doomed in the later editions of Stalin book this passage of Lenin theory are outlined here quite correctly.
viewpoint of its political consequences. We are ment of Socialism within twelve months, or which he declared: witnessing the efforts to graft, by scholastic and when he left it, not for our children but our grand Russia is a peasant country, it is one of the most sophist methods, to the Marxian trunk, an abso children to establish the socialist order. backward countries of Europe. Socialism cannot be however, even the LETTER of the cited passage. geoisie economically in one country, particularly developed within a year as. Trotskyism. The IMMEDIATELY triumphant there. But the peas.
failure, that it is impossible to defeat the bour was altered to read in just the opposite way and lutely alien branch which will be grafted but will Lenin was right in both cases for he had in mind ant character of the country with the huge funds and inexorably poison and kill the whole tree, two entirely different and incommensurable stages of land in the hands of the aristocracy and land.
to misuse it in the manner it is being misused by a Socialist society is in its very essence an inter Seventh Plenum of the passed its decision, owners, CAN, on the basis of the experiences of At the Seventh Plenum of the Stalin of Socialist construction.
By the definite establishment of Socialism in 1905, give a tremendous impetus to the bourgeois the authors of the draft program. Speaking of the natior enin national task from which Lenin drew perhaps not on the basis of the 1924 edition but of the declared (not for the first time. the first case Lenin meant not the building up of democratic revolution in Russia and make our rev.
olution a PRELUDE to the world Socialist revolustrictly limits his subject in this article. He deals pessimistic conclusions for the promulgators of 1926 edition.
The question of Socialist economic construction a Socialist tion, a STEP towards it. The Russian prole.
in it only with the question as to the ways and sufficiently optimistic from the viewpoint of rev. could not be any sadder than that. One could, in one country was for the Fir time advanced in months, that is, he did not mean that the classes utopia but which are That is how the matter stands with Stalin. It tarian party cannot by its own forces VICTORIOUS the Party by Lepin in 1967 (Stenographic report will be done away with, that the contradictions LY COMPETE the Socialist revolution. But it can Plenum. Our give the Russian revolution dimensions such as will the numerous and disjointed peasant enterprises alatimeairy internationalisme We concentrate our it is true, reconcile himself with this. were it not between town and country will be eliminated; he the is create the most favorable conditions for it, such as without new class upheavals, having, admitted here that prior to 1915 the Thus it argument prerewill in a certain sense BEGIN it. It can facilitate draft have themselves chosen and to the Seventh Plenum of the question of Socialism in one country was unknown. IN THE FACTORIES IN THE HANDS OF quisites of the Soviet regime as our basis. The authors of the only on the passages which the for the fact that matters are just as sad with regard matters for the entrance into a decisive battle on Stalin and Bucharin do not venture to encroach THE PROLETARIAN STATE, and the article is entirely devoted to the SOCIO ORGAN which are supposed to create the necessary and possibile the part of its MAIN and most reliable ally, the IZATIONAL FORMS of the transition from we see that their whole structure collapses. Ai Bucharin, the real author of the draft program, EUROPEAN and American socialist proletariat. There is one hope left and that is that at least (Vol. 14, part 2, page 407. small private commodity economy to collective one has to do is but touch it.
of the international character of the proletarian ity to exchange products between town and coun. the term is in itself a economy not with the MATERIA PRO always proceeded from the possibility of the revolution. We will take note of this.
sure key to an understanding of the whole per All elements of the question are contained in DUCTIVE conditions of that transition.
However, we consider it in place to present at realization of Socialism in one country. We shall However, let us see what Lenin said for the spective.
these few lines. If Lenin believed in 1915, in time least one of Lenin direct statements on the que see.
first time in 1915 in contradistinction to what Of course even for this limited and immediate of war and reaction, as they try to convince us If the European proletariat were victorious to stion under consideration, which does not need any TO BE CONTINUED of So in munist League, pemeram of the Young comignoring the ants natis in lind But this quo many which works.
written in set and not only its SPIRIT, FRIT, grants no no one the