Page Four THE COMMUNIST November 29t11, 1919.
Bourgeois Democracy and Proletarian Dictatorship XX HE chief point which Socialists do not all movements of enslaved classes, the exT By Lenin understand and which constitutes their periences of the international Socialist shortsightedness in matters of theory, ex(Continued from last week. movement teach that only the proletariat is plains their dependence upou bourgeois capable of carrying along and uniting the prejudice, accounts for their political beAnd, as a matter of fact, the form of the scattered and backward levels of the worktrayal of the proletariat, is this, that in capi dictatorship of the proletariat, which has al ing and exploited population.
talistic society, in the event of a sharpening ready been worked out in practice, e, the XIX of the class struggle which is its foundation, Soviet Government in Russia, the Rätc there can be no middle way between the dic system in Germany, the Shop Stewards Only the soviet organization of the state tatorship of the bourgeoisie and the dictatorCommittees and other analogous institutions is capable of destroying suddenly and com ship of the proletariat. Dreams of a third in other countries, all these realize and sig pletely thebourgeois bureau and court possibility are but the reactionary lamenta nity for the working classes, c, for the machinery which remained intact, and had tions of the petit bourgeois. The experi overwhelming majority of the population, a to remain intact, under Capitalism, even in ences of more than a century of evolution of practicable possibility of this sort for the the most democratic republics, since it debourgeois democracy and of the labor move achievement of democratic rights and privi veloped into the greatest bulwark against ment in all advanced countries, and especi leges such as has never before existed in the laboring classes in their attempt to ally the experiences of the last five years, even approximately equal measure.
realize democracy. The Paris Comuruune hear witness to this fact. The entire theory The nature of soviet rutle consists in the took the first world historical step in this of political economy bears on this suivject fact that the mass organization of precisery direction; the Soviet Power has ta on the matter; it is the whole content of Marxisin, those classes which have been oppressed by second which demonstrates the necessity of a capital, tlie workers and the semi prolebourgeois dictatorship in every factory, the tariat (peasants who do not exploit the labor All Socialists. and among them their dictatorship which can be terminated only of others and who are compelled regularly to leader! Marx, have set up as their goal by the class which through the development sell at least a part of their own labor power. the destruction of the power of the State.
of capitalism itself undergoes a constant de constitute the permanent and only basis of If this goal is not achieved, true democracy, velopment of its own, a growth in size, unifithe whole state power. Precisely those e. equality and freedom, are not attaincation, and strength, namely the class of the masses, which even in the most democraticable. But the only practicable means to proletariat.
bourgeois republics have equal rights under this goal is the soviet or proletarian deXIII.
the law, but as a matter of fact are prevented mocracy, for it sets out forth with to preThe second theoretical and political error by a thousand means and devices from partipare the complete atrophy of all State maof the Socialists consists in the fact that they cipation in the political life and from enjoy chinery by enlisting the mass organizations do not understand that forms of democracy ment of democratic riglits and liberties, are of the working people in permanent and unhave undergone inevitable changes in the now enlisted in a permanent, unconditioned conditioned participation in the state adcourse of thousands of years, begiming with and decisive participation in the democratic ministration.
their germs in antiquity and the succession Tule of the state.
XXI of one ruling class upon another. In the reXV.
The complete bankrupcy of the Socialists public of ancient Greece, in the city states of The equality of citizens without regard to who assembled in Berne, the utte lack of the Middle Ages, in advanced capitalistic sex, religion, race, nationality, which has al comprehension of proletarian democracy states, democracy has had a variety of forms ways and everywhere been the promise of which they revealed, is especially patent in and varying degrees of inclusiveness. It bourgeois democracy, but which has 110the following: On February 10, 1919. Brantwould be gross stupidity, indeed, to assume where been fulfilled and could nowhere be ing dismissed the conference of the Yellow that the most profound revolution in the his fulfilled because of the domination of capital.
International at Berne. On February 11, tory of mankind, the first transfer of power has been realized suddenly and completely 1919, their colleagues in Berlin published in from the hands of the minority, the exploit by the soviet government, since only the Die Freiheit an appeal to the proletariat ers, to the hands of the Majority, the exploited, can be accomplished within the power of the workers, who have no interests by the Independents. In this appeal the structure of the old bourgeois parliamentary production, and in the struggle for their disat stake in private property, in the means of bourgeois character of the Schedemann government is admitted, it is accused of the democracy, without great upheavals and the tribution and redistribution, can realize this intention of abolishing the Räte (soviets)
creation of new forms of democracy, new ideal which it designates as the defenders and trie institutions, new conditions for their funcBourgeois democracy and parliamentaragents of the revolution, and the propositioning, etc.
ism are so organized that it is precisely the tion is advanced that the Räte be legitimVIV The dictatorship of the proletariat reworking classes who have least to do with a tized, entrusted with certain rights in the the admifistrative apparatus. The Soviet State.
sembles the dictatorship of the other classes Power, e. the dictatorship of the proletarproposal of this sort indicates the comin that like every other dictatorship, it is jat, on the other hand, is so organized that it plete spiritual bankruptcy of the theoretcalled into being by the necessity of sup brings the working classes closer to the icians who defend democracy and de not un pressing with force the resistance of the administrative apparatus. The same end is derstand its bourgeois character. The laughclass that is losing its political power. The also served by the union of the legislative able attempt to combine the Räte System, fundamental difference between the dictator and executive functions in the soviet organii, e. the dictatorship of the proletarias, with ship of the proletariat and the dictatorship zation of the state, and by the replacement the National Assembly e. the dictatorship of the other classes, the dictatorship of the oi geographical voting districts by product of the bourgeoisie, reveals conclusively the mediaeval holders of great estates, of the jon units, such as shops and factories.
intellectual poverty of the yellow Socialists bourgeoisie in all capitalist countries, conand Social Democrats, and the reactionary sists in the fact that the dictatorship of the XVII.
policies of the petit bourgeois, as well as great landlords and of the bourgeoisie was The army was an instrument of oppres their cowardly concessions to the restista suppression by force or the resistance of sion not only under the monarchy; it re ibly increasing strength of the new proletathe overwhelming majority of the popula tained this character in all the bourgeois rian democracy.
tion, e, the working masses. In contrast republics, even in the most democratic XXII.
to this, the dictatorship of the proletariat is. Only the Soviet Power, as the sole estab The majority of the Yellow International a suppression by force of the resistance of lished state organization of the classes op at Berne, which condemned Bolshevism, but the exploiters, e of the decided minority pressed by capital is in a position to release did not dare enter a formal vote on a vesoof the population the great landlords and the military from its subjection to bourgeois lution condemning Bolshevism, since ar fearthe capitalists.
leadership, and to bring about a real identi ed the working masses, behaved quite corFrom this it follows that in general, the fication of the army with the proletariat. rectly from the class viewpoint. This majordictatorship of the proletariat must bring XVIII.
ity is completely in tune with the Russian with it not only an inevitable alteration of The soviet organization of the state is de Mensheviki and Social Revolutionaires and democratic forms, and institutions, but such signed to place the leadership of the state in with the Scheidemann group in Germany.
an alteration as will yield a hitherto un the hands of the proletariat as the class The Russian Menslevili and Social Revoluknown extension of the actual application of which has undergone the greatest coucen tionaries who complain of Bolshevik persecudemocracy among those who are enslaved tration and enlightenment under Capitalism. tion, take pains to conceal the fact that this by capitalism, among the working classes. The experiences of all revolutions and of (Contineud on page 8)