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THE MILITANT April 1, 1929.
April 1, 1929.
THE MILITANT Page Page The Draft Program of the Comintern What! No Unity?
the that ernment.
an the volution nation.
struggle for un CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS ISSUE DEMOCRATIC DICTATORSHIP OR A CRITICISM OF of a desperate struggle of the suppressed, hungry and downtrodden masses under the direct leadership DICTATORSHIP OF THE PROLETAR FUNDAMENTALS of the proletarian vanguard, not only against world IAT?
imperialism, but also against its economic and By Trotsky What was the decision of the last Plenum of the ing also the national and democratic bourgeois on the experiences of China, including road leading towards the experiences of the Canton insurrection? What one hand, speak of a non capitalist path of develfurther prospects has it outlined? The resolution opment of China and on the other deny the perBeproletarian dictatorship.
with April 1917 Lenin explained to of the February (1928) Plenum, being the key to manent character of the revolution?
his opponents who accused him of having adopted the corresponding parts of the draft program, But objects the resolution of the CI. the position of the permanent revolution. says concerning the Chinese Revolution: the revolution has not been completed, either from the dictatorship of the proletariat and the peas It is wrong to characterize it as a permanent rethe viewpcint of of the agrarian revolution or from volution (the position of the representative of the viewpoint of the national struggle against im antry was partly realized in the epoch of dual gove He explained later that it was further through the bourgeois democratic phase of the re perialism. Hence the conclusion about the bourrealized during the first period of Soviet power volution with a simultaneous. appraisal of the geois democratic nature of the preser period of the Chinese revolution. In revolution as a permanent revolution is a mistake since November 1917. until July 1918, when the reality the present similar to that which Trotsky made in 1905. with the workers, effected the period is a period of counter revolution. The The ideological life of the Comintern since apparently wants to say that the agrarian revolution while the new rise Lenin departure from its leadership that is, since of the Chinese revolution, or more correctly, THE yet proceeded with the confiscation of the factories 1923, consisted primarily in a struggle against so THIRD CHINESE REVOLUTION, will be of of and plants, but experimented on workers control.
called Trotskyism and particularly against per a bourgeois democratic character, in view of the government. the manent revolution. How could revolution not democratic Menshevik dictatorship gave that in the main question fact that the second Chinese revolution of 1925.
of the Chinese all that it could 1927 has not solved the agrarian problem nor dual only the Central Committee of the Communist national problem. However. even with this correccarriage. As the agrarian revolution, it gave birth to a healthy and strong child, only the proletive of the Comintern, that is the leader who was tion, this argumentation is built on a complete tarian dictatorship acted as the midwife. In other especially instructed for the job, should have fallen both of the Chinese as well as of the Russian refailure to understand the experiences and lessons words, that which in the theoretical formula of the into the same error for which hundreds of peodictatorship of the proletariat and the peasantry was united, was disunited in the course of the ple are now being exiled in Siberia The February revolution of 1917 in Russia left actual class struggle.
son? The struggle around the Chinese problem has been raging already about two and a half years.
The empty shell of the half government was When the Opposition declared that the old Central which led to the revolution serfdom in the vil provisionally entrusted to Kerensky and Tseretelli; Committee of the Communist Party of China lages, the bureaucracy, the war and the economic the real kernel of the agrarian democratic revoluunder the influence of wrong inruin. Based on this, not only the and the tion was in the hands of the victorious working structions from the Comintern, conducted an op leaders of our own Party tried to show Lenin that class. This dialectical disappointment of the demo portunist policy, The leadership of the Communist Party of China Present period of the revolution is a period failed to understand. They have landed in a skip hist policy, this was declared to be slander. the our own cratic dictatorship, the leaders of the plitie was declared flawless. The well known Tang Pin the bourgeois democratic revolution points cal blind alley mechanically condemning any san clamored with the general approval of the general aspect the resolution of the merely ping through the bourgeois democratic phase and ainst the copies the objections Seventh Plenum of the that: tarian dictatorship waged by the to endeavoring guide the historical process by oppor As soon as the first manifestations of Trotskyism means of circular letters.
tunists against Lenin in 1917. Furthermore, the If we ate to made their appearance the Communist Party of fibreng bourgeois democratic revolution proves to be un derstand by the bourgeois democratic phase, the completion of the agrarian revolution by adopted a unanimous resolution against Trotskyism. accomplished not only from the economic and na(Stenographic Report. Page 205. means of a democratic dictatorship then no other tional viewpoint; but also from the viewpoint When however, notwithstanding these achieve of the class nature of the government (the dictator but the October Revolution rashly skipped ments events have unfolded their tragical logic ship of the proletariat and the peasantry. This through the hourgeois democratic phase. Should at can only mean that it has been forbidden that the it that that which was historically inevitable second, even more terrific, ruin of the revolution, Chinese proletariat fight for power long as the highest rechristened in twenty four hours from being China. Unfortunately it is not pointed out where whereas its prespression of Bolshevism in Russia, model leaders to Mensheviks. At the same time Apparently owing to the same logic on the basis that is to come from.
it was declared that the new leaders fully The confusion further increased by the fact of which the theory of the Martinovs, who for sented the line of the Comintern.
that the Soviet slogan was rejected for China in over twenty years have fought Bolshevism in Rusas another serious phase came it was found that the course of two years on the sole ground that sia, was declared suitable for China. But can such the new Central Committee of the Communist Soviets can be organized only during the transi Party of China is guilty, as we have already seen, not in words, but in action, of having adopted the theory. But when the Soviet Revolution broke tion towards the proletarian revolution (Stalin slogan of a democratic dictatorship of the prolethe peasantry we object was position of the so called permanent revolution. out in Canton and its participants arrived at the by the leaders of exclusively and enchosen also the representative conclusion that this is the transition to the prole tirely by the method of analogy, but a formal and of Comintern.
the able fact can be explained only by the glaring ism. Can a Party be trained in such a way and analogy: An analogy between China and Russia the can it be helped in this manner to solve the great to it, and this analogy was excellently made use of and the real dynamics of the revolution.
We will not dwell here upon the myth of the To save a hopeless position the resolution of the if he had forseen the future blunders. Lenin had permanent revolution of 1905 which was cast without any contact with the entire trend defend the October revolution, that is the con limit ourselves to an analysis of how this myth perialism. We find that the tendency to skip cimet. NorWITHSTANDING THE Face that broke down on the question of the Chinese revo through the bourgeois democratic phase: lution. is the more harmful because such a formulation filled. Precisely BECAUSE OF THAT, PREthe bourgeois democratic tasks had not been fulThe first paragraph of the February resolu of the question excludes. the greatest national petion, from which we have taken the above passage, CISELY FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF THAT, culiarity of the Chinese revolution being a semico motivizes its negative attitude to the so called perlonial revolution.
replied Lenin, in answer to the pedants who in manent revolution as follows: The only meaning that these words have is that their arguments against the capture of power re The present period of the Chinese Revolution the imperialist yoke will be overthrown by some ferred to the economic immaturity of Russia for is a period of democratic revolution which has not other and not the proletarian dictatorship. But socialism which was unquestionable for Lenin.
been completed either from the economic viewpoint this means that the greatest national peculiarity (Vol. 18. Part Page 119. In reply to this pedantry Lenin said on January 16th 1923: cudal relations) or from the viewpoint of the natione has been dragged in at the last moment only in oral struggle against imperialism (the unification of It does not even occur to them for instance that China and the establishment of national independ.
al bourgeoisie or Chinese petty bourgeois democ Russia, standing on the border of civilized countries.
cnce. or from the viewpoint of the class nature of racy. They can have no other meaning. But this and countries which were for the first time by this the government (the dictatorship of the proletariat only meaning we have sufficiently examined in war definitely drawn into the vortex of civilization and peasantry. our chapter concerning the nature of the colonial (all Eastern countries, the non European countries)
This motivization is full of blunders and contra bourgeoisie and there is no need to return to this inality along the general lines of world development dictions.
subject.
by distinguishing its revolution from all preceding The taught that the Chinese revolution China is still confronted with an enormous, ter revolutions of the Western countries and introducing must guarantee an opportunity for China to devel rific, bloody and prolonged struggle for such ele.
certain new elements in approaching the Eastern coun.
tries. Ibid. page 118. op along socialist lines. This could be done only mentary, objects as the liquidation of the most The originality which brings Russia CLOSER merely of the bourgeois democratic task butcipation and unification of the country. But to the Eastern countries was seen by Lenin in the by growing over from one stage into another, that from here, as the march of events has shown that fact that the young proletariat had at an early is, by constantly or permanently developing, would further petty bourgeois leadership or even half stage to take hold of the broom so as to clear the lead China towards socialist development. This is leadership in the revolution is impossible. The road from feudal barbarism and every other kind precisely what Marx understood by the term per unification of China is now an international task, of rubbish for socialism.
manent revolution. How then can one, on It is no less international than the existence If, consequently, we are to proceed on the basis socialization program as applied to agriculture a by the present Soviet government we need not accept Trotsky prediction as to the outthat the bourgeoisie and the entire counter come of the present agrarian policy; never revolutionary bourgeois press has welcomed the theless, it is clear on the record of Russian As soon as it was announced in the Party press renegade Trotsky to its bosom. It is entirely true events during the past year that the destiny that the Party convention had achieved a blissful that there is no basis in fact for this statement. of the country is falling into the hands of unity, it was only natural to expect that a week moderate men, and its economic life is reOn the contrary, as we have already proved in or two later the new united leadership of the flecting to an increasing degree the middle would publish a declaration against the previous issues of The Militant, all the forces of reaction within and outside the labor movement mentality of the small land owner.
have rejected the program of Trotsky and the (Page 172, our emphasis.
The New York Times is one of the keenest or pointed in our expectations. They were fulfilled to Opposition. The bourgeoisie correctly see in Sta.
gans of the American imperialists. When the the letter by the statement of the Central ComSoviets and the Comintern and that is why they Soviets, under Lenin and Trotsky, followed a rigid After four full columns of windy flub dub on the are stacking their chips on the Centrist regime. We proletarian revolutionary course, the Times led the world historical import and significance of the Stalin has gained among the bourgeoisie by his attacks upon Russia and Bolshevism. It knew its paralleled success in liquidating forever and aye exile of Trotsky. In Current History of April enemy well. It still knows its enemy well and it the factional struggle, of meeting successfully the 1929, the organ of the big bourgeoisie owned by sees him chiefly in Trotsky and the Opposition he burning tasks confronting the Party, the exhausted the reactionary New York Times, there appears leads. It also knows upon whom to lean for sup reader is informed of the shocking fact that ticle entitled Trotsky Banishment by Soviet port. The Times, the spokesman for American It has been drawn to the attention of the Dictators from which we take the following imperialism, is joyous in the knowledge that under Central Executive Committee that, here and characteristic excerpt: Stalin leadership. the Soviet regime grows con there, an insignificant handful of comrades As regards the present trend of policy in tinuously more conservative. that the policy of entirely unrepresentative of the spirit and line of the Sixth National Convention which Russia under Stalin leadership, Trotsky the Stalin group has been opportunist rather than analysis confirms the general impression that falling into the hands of moderate men.
represented the firm will of the member the Soviet regime grows continuosly more ship to cradicate all vestiges of factionalism and fully to unite the Party, are, in defiance conservative. The issue between the Stalin Trotsky factions is joined over the agra Comrade for Minor of the Open Letter of the Communist Inter national and the decisions of the Sixth Na.
rian policy and the treatment of the peasant In the reactionary anarchist journal, The Road to tional Convention, attempting to rekindle manded dominance for the industrial wage Freedom for March 1929, its editor, Van the factional strife in our ranks.
Needless earner in politics and rigorous suppression Valkenburgh writes a leading editorial on the to say, something has to be done about of peasant individualism in the economic Kronstadt uprising of 1921 and Trotsky. Van this. Can it be possible that the Bittleman Foster structure of the country. The policy of the is one of those who make up in venom for what boys are at it again so soon after signing for unity on the dotted line and then swearing to it?
Stalin group has been opportunistic rather they lack in intelligence. He says of Trotsky: Surely they must be satisfied! Wasn Union than doctrinaire, but has tended to concede Oceans of crocodile tears are being shed Square filled with jubilant Foster Bittelmanites, greater freedom of action to the peasant, for this arch fiend of the Bolsheviki be they had united again, you know only a couple with a resultant increase in his economic and political power. Trotsky condemns this as and children, who, like a petty Napoleon, and flushed with victory at the thought that Foster a zig zag policy back to middle class domiTaking account of the strenuous return to the scenes of his erstwhile orgies. the Party convention go on record against Bu The Ides of March have ever boded ill for charin and for Stalin, the patron saint of the min those who yearn for freedom but not yet has ority? Didn these same Fosterites whisper to of Lenin comparison between China and Russia, history written down such a wanton welter themselves that everything was turning out beauof useless human butchery as that for which tifully, that a new epoch had opened up in the we must say from the viewpoint of the POLI TICAL NATURE OF THE GOVERNMENT. Leon Trotsky is personally responsible. Party?
all that could have been obtained through the de Van should make his way to the editoriai We are ready to admit reluctantly that we had mocratic dictatorship has in China been tried out office of the Daily Worker where he can find his a few reservations. The truth of the matter is first in Sun Yat Sen Canton, then on the road ex anarchist friend. Robert Minor. Minor, at least, that we simply couldn see it at all. We examined from Canton to Shanghai whch was crowned by does not shed oceans of crocodile tears for this the list of the members and candidates of the new coup Etat, then in Wuchang where the arch fiend Trotsky. On the contrary. Should Central Committee of the Party and we uneasily Left Kuomintang aspect, i, e. according to in its chemically pure Minor and Van Valkenburgh ever get together to beheld that in the united the minority to the instructions of the discuss Trotsky what a charming picture of ef has less members than in the previous In as an organizer of the agrarian revolution, fusive agreement we would have! Minor should addition, a number of old familiar faces are missing, but in reality as its hangman. The social content really get in touch with Van. He will find in him faces that would help to make up a good picture of the bourgeois democratic revolution will have Trotskyism.
a co thinker and a comrade in the war against of a united happy family. Where is Bittelman?
to be completed by the Where, we ask, the Aronbergs, Wagenknechts and dictatorship of the Chinese proletariat and the rural Costrells, not to speak of the numerous Gomezes?
poor. To advance now the slogan of a democratic Where to Buy THE MILITANT was made a member of the nor even a ctatorship of the The following is a partial list of newstands, bookstores, candidate, nor an alternate, a deputy, a proxy, the role not only of the Chinese bourgeoisie, but also of democracy has already been tested and Agents from whom The Militant can be purchased. nor an acolyte nor a neophyte.
through and through, when it has become absolute Group Secretaries: The Militant is also obtainable from our Opposition And in the big unification spree a few other ly certain that democracy will in the coming heads were lopped off. Wagenknecht has been Malden, Mass. Comrade Dublin, 15 Semmett St.
guillotined and his place in the is to be struggle play even a more despicable role than in Boston Mass. Shapiro Booskstore, Beach St. near the past, simply means to create the means of cov Washington.
taken either by Juliet Stuart Poyntz (God help us. ering up the new forms of Kuomintangism and Roxbury, Mass. Charles Goldberg Store, 536 Warren St.
us for Chelsea, Mass. Charles Kleinfield, at Labor Lyceum.
both of them are faithful servants of the Lord.
to put up a trap for the proletariat.
New York City and Brooklyn: In the the gray haired patriarch of Of course it is not by any means a question of At various newstands around Union Square 14th St.
unity, Johnny Ballam, fresh from the California calling the Communist Party of China immediately Broadway: Second Third Aves, on 14th St. news split, has been made national secretary, while those to revolt to capture power. The tempo depends stands in the Bronx, and other stands in New York City and various stands in Brooklyn. Also, at The Militant, he dispossessed must ruminate on the course of entirely upon the circumstances.
340 East 19th St. New York City.
events and the base ingratitude of man. Even The revolution is now subsiding. The half Troy, Allen Bookstore, Hendrick Hudson Hotel. Weinstone has been told what what. He, you concealing resolutions of the and the tales New Haven, Conn. Gendelman, 393 Sherman Ave. must understand, made the fatal error of vacillatabout imminent revolutionary onslaughts, while Philadelphia, Pa. Leon Goodman, 327 So. 11th St. ing a bit during the convention on the question of numberless people are being executed and a ter Cleveland, Ohio. Joseph Keller, 304 Vega Ave. Bryar, the Comintern decision regarding Foster. He even rific commercial and industrial crisis rages in the 2211 East 55th St.
had the temerity to form a new faction for half country is criminal light mindedness and Youngstown, Ohio, Denis Platinos, 387 East Federal St. an hour to support the line of the Over After three overwhelming defeats an economic Detroit, Mich. Barney Mass. 8720 12th St. Apt. 2; this erring sinner who is Party District Organizer crisis does not rouse, but on the contrary, depresses Aidas Book Shop, 1713 24th St.
in New York has new been appointed a new comthe proletariat which, as it is, has already been bled Chicago, Ill. Cheshinsky Community Store, 2720 missar, Lifschitz, who is sure to guide the Wob.
white, and the executions only destroy the politi piválisen Stil Bernstein Bookstore, 1326 SOH. Kedzio bling William along the straight and narrow.
But surely all these little items should not make ening we firm organizational links in all spheres of both. Joxe Angelis, 431 No. Wesley St. the minority to act so violently as to cause the Central Committee to scold and threaten then the labor movement. The organization of rural nu San Francisco, Calif. McDonald Bookstore, 78. Sixth with such vigor. The minorityites should have clei, leadership and unification of partial, at first even more of the spirit of patience and humility defensive and later offensive, battles of the work Los Angeles, Calif. Western News Stand, ers and the rural poor is now necessary.
since they have no spirit of struggle. Even now Richmond, Calif. Rosa Powell 704 McDonald Ave.
How Bittelman is putting his case before Stalin and will a new mass movement begin? What Kansas City, Mo. Buehler Book Store, 220 12th St.
crumb rest assured that the minority will get a or circumstances will give the proletarian vanguard at St. Louis, Mo. Foster Book Store, 410 Washington two. Then they can tighten their belts, put up the head of the multitudinous millions the necestheir collars, bow their heads and prepare for a sary revolutionary impulse? This cannot be foreSeattle, Wash. Raymer Bookstore, 1616 Fourth Ave.
hard year of ideological and organizational unity told.
Whether simple internal processes alone Toronto, Ont. Maurice Spector, 231 Palmerston St. Goodman, News Vendor, Queen St.
under Lovestone and Stalin. They will no doubt will be sufficient or whether an impulse will have Edmonton, Alta. Labor News Stand, 9796 Jasper Ave. be consoled with the thought that the Old Army to be given from without the future will show.
Hamilton, Ont. Altman, 109 So. Catharine St.
Game is hard to beat and things could be worseTO BE CONTINUED Winnipeg, Man. National Book Store, Selkirk Ave. but not much.
SO in China?
repre But as soon built up of the This is the est tasks?
more.
Street.
Avenue.
the