Page THE MILITANT Saturday, November 30, 1929 On the Twelfth Anniversary of the Russian October The twelfth anniversary of October By Trotsky Menshevism received the order to regard as finde the Republic of the Soviets in a situheresy all that had been considered holy ation where the greatest successes are industry quite simply for the defense of the not lead the to a building of scripture only the day before, and as a setcombined with the vastest difficulties, and country. Thence, the general percentage socialism within the national frame work off to transform into official figures the herthe successes like the difficulties increase of the growth of industry being very high, esies that were called if it remained closed to world economy by Trotskylam only simultaneously. That is the essential feata chronic insufficiency of manufactured the monopoly of foreign trade. If the proyesterday. The apparatus Communists ure of the situation, it is the great problem.
products.
letarian revolution in the advanced capand spcelalists were not at all prepared for Industry has made and continues to Peasant economy, very scattered by a Italist countries were set back a few dozen this: They had been educated in a wholly make stupendous conquests, if they are past tradition, became still more so followdifferent spirit. The first attempts at resyears, the dictatorship of the proletariat judged on the capitalist scale. Agriculture ing upon the October Revolution, in the in the Soviet Republic would inevitably istance or timid protestations were merciin these last years has progressed much measure that it had to be after a democratic fall, succumbing under the economic conlessly punished. And how could it be othmore slowly but its rise was indubitable agrarlan revolution.
tradictions, in their pure form, or as a reerwise? To allow explanations would be But, at the same time, we ascertain a wholThe diffusion the agricultural enterto disclose that the leadership was bankly paradoxical fact: On the market, there sult of a military Intervention. In the lanprises would have created serious diffirupt, having lost all the principles of its guage of politics, this means that the fate of is a very serious scarcity of merchandize culties for the socialist transformaton of theory. This time again the apparatus the Soviet Republic, in the general condiwhich, in spite of the progress in general rural economy in Russia, even in case the tions that we have characterized above, is submitted silently. To him who directed economy continues from year to year, atproletariat were in power in a more ad determined as much by the internal econthe elaboration of the plan, this formula 18 taining at certain periods a degree of exvanced country. These difficulties are much omic direction as by the direction given to attributed. It is better to stand up for a treme crisis. The most indispensable manmore considerable now that the country rapid developement than to lay (in prison)
the revolutionary struggle of the interufactured products are lacking despite the of the October Revolution is left entirely national proletariat. And, in the end, it is for a less rapid developement.
headlong progress of industry. And the to itself. However, the extremely slow precisely this last factor that must deterIt the new plan were elaborated under insufficieny of agricultural products, even rhythm of the socialist transformation of mine everything.
blows it is not hard to imagine, when it is though the country has a preponderantly village economy brings on more extended correct economic direction in the agricultural character, makes itself felt to a question of applying it, what resistance partition of peasant enterprises and is the 18 the utilization of the resources it will encounter from the apparatus, nine really intolerable point. What do these cause, consequently, of a strengthening of tenths of which is more to the Right than contradictions signify?
and the possibility by means of which socThey have two their consuming powers. That is one of the official Right. The Left Wing, from sorts of causes.
falist progress is accompanied by a genuine the reasons why agricultural products hapand tangible improvement of the condition whose platform the essential ideas of the The essential causes 11o in the objectpen to be lacking.
of the working masses. At this moment, new five year plan have been copied.
Ive situation of an economically backward The high cost of industrial products has remains under the hall of repression and which country it is not at all a question. practically, of found itself forced no less a significance. That is the price surpassing all of world economy a calumny. The apparatus lives in expectato be first to come to the dictatorship of industry must pay for its passage from a tion of new changes and rights about lace, the proletariat and to socialist constructtask whcih would be fantasticbut of conbackward technique to a higher technique, solidating the industrial bases of the pro not deciding even to call to ite aid the union fon. The causes of secondary order le in and at the same time it must incessantly letarian dictatorship and of improving the of poor peasants. The Party is placed each the false policy of the leadership which sufassure new investments in industrial condition of the workers, by strengthening time before an accomplished fact. The apters the influences of the petty bourgeoisie, branches that have become indispensible as paratus has no confidence in it and fears which pursues a policy of circumstances, the Arst political principle of the dictator result of the regime of the monopoly of ship, that is, the alliance of the proletariat it. Under these conditions, no one sees which is incapable of understanding the foreign trade. In other words. The vilsituation at the right time and of utilizing in the new five year plan the expression of with the non exploiting peasants.
lage pays heavy tribute to socialist the economic and political resources of the a considered and more or less assured correct policy in the must industry dictatorship in the most rational manner.
make the dictatorship last as long as posscourse to the Left. No one, unless it be the The peasant class makes a serious ible under the conditions of isolation in capitulators.
The Soviet State does not pay interest distinction between the democratic agrarian which the country finds itselt. correct As much must be said of the policy of on the old debts. It has no, or hardly any revolution accomplished by the Bolsheviks policy of the Communist International must, the Communist International From the tribute to pay to the nobles, to the bankers and the foundation of a socialist revolution as much as possible, bring closer the vicalliance with Chiang Kai Shek, from the to the manufacturers, etc. These two cirthat they have laid. The lands of the tory of the proletariat in the advanced theory of the Bloc of four classes. from cumstances, and above all the second consState and the landlords are in the power countries. At a certain noint thage two lines the slogan of workers and peasants Parsitute a most important fund for the inof the peasants; it is a democratical revodustrialization of the country.
must merge. It is only on this condition ties, from amicable collaboration with the lution worth about half a billion rubles to that the present Soviet regime. full of conGeneral Council of the British Trado The unification of the transport industhe latter, by delivering them from the tradictions. will have the possibility, with Unions that crushed the General Strike, the try in one and the same management which necessity of paying farm rent. But the out any. Thermidor, without counter revo Communist International in twenty four is the workers State, an absolute condition peasants pay, as a result of the diversion lution, without new revolutions, of develop hours has arrived at the slogan: No agreefor an economy regulated by plan, has of prices. the scissors. a much greater ing itself into a socialist society on a basis ments with opened up inexhaustble possibilities for a the reformiste, fight against sum which is set down to the profit of State rational application of forces and means, that will go on widening, which must fin social pacificism for the possesion of the industry. Thus, the balance of the two ally, extend over the whole globe.
streets. The new acute angle of this zigand consequently, for the acceleration of revolutions, the democratic and the proletthe economic growth of the country.
Time, which is one of the most imzag is founded on the theory of the third arian, united in October, shows, even now, portant factors in politics in general, has period which can be said to be specifically Such are the tremendous assets of the minus for the peasant class that can be October revolution. The liabilities, which decisive character when it is a anestion calculated to spread illusions, to provoke estimated at several hundreds of millions of the fate the Now, the preadventures and to prepare a new evoluion, do not proceed from the revolution itselt of rubles That is the incontestable and sent leadership, since 1923, has done everyas usual, towards the Right.
but from the conditions in which it was most important fact for him who wishes to thing to let time pass by wthout profiting The twelfth anniversary of the October accomplished are these: The very low level estimate not only the economic situation by it. The years 1923, 1924 and 1925 were Revolution takes place at a time when the of capitalist developement of czarist Rusbut the poltical situation of the country. devoted to the gruggle against super in Soviet Republic and the International are Bla; the diffusion of an extremely backward This fact must be considered plainly. It dustrialization. By that was meant a in the greatest difficulties and contradictpeasant economy; the little culture of the springs, at bottom, from the strained relademand of the Opposition alming to accel ions that show, by way of opposites, the masses of the people. finally, the 1solation tions that exist between the peasant class in which the Soviet Republic le found, erate industrial developement; these years correctness of the Marxist theory of the and the government of the Soviets hemmed in by a powerful and infinitely were employed in fighting against the prin socialist revolution. With Lenin, we enThe increasing abatement of rural richer capitalist world.
ciple of a general plan and against econtered into the October Revolution, proeconomy, the persistent scattering of its The need of expending hundreds of milomic forecasts. Te Industrialization then foundly convinced that the revolution in means, the scissors of agricultural long annually for the maintenance of the advanced more quickly, it was by empirical Russia could have a finished charprices and industrial prices, in a word, the anny and the fleet is the most immediate means, by jerks. by brutal methods that acter, Independent of the other countries.
economic difficulties that are manifest in and evident result of the hostile encirclecrushed everything along the road, and We estimated that this revolution could the village, favor the growth of the power ment of the capitalist world.
from that the expenses of construction only be the first link of the world revolution of the Kulaks and the progress of their have been multinlled the condition of the and that the fate of this link depended upon Another consequence. The monopoly influence the country out of proportion of foreign trade, which is imposed on the working magses has hecome more difficult. the destintes of the whole chain. We reto the number of these Kulaks and the matSoviet Republic just as imperiously as the It is six years ago that the Opposition main today on this position. The progress erial resources at their command. The demanded the elaboration of a five year army and the fleet. The abolition, or even grain surpluses that belong primarily to its contradictions, and the progress would only weakening of the monopoly of foreign plan. This demand was met with ridicule be inevitably absorbed by the contradictions upper sections nermit them to enslave trade (Stalin tried to attain that under at the time, entirely in the poor, to speculate in the sales made to the spirit of a If the Renublic of the Soviets were not the influence of Sokolnikov at the end of small boss who dreads to face great probthe petty bourgeois elements of the city, supported later on by the successes of an 1922) would not only mark return of lems and broad perspectives. That is what International revoluton.
and so these surpluses Russia to the path of capitalism, but the the general trade of the State. Grain 18 excluded from we called Menshevism in economy. In April The exclusion from the Party and the reduction of that country to a semi colonial 1927, Staln declared, for example, that the lacking not only for export but for home rigorous persecutions exercized against the hydro electric station of Dnieper was just revolutionary wing in the Soviet Republic state.
needs. Exports being extremely reduced, as little necessary to the country as a But it must not be forgotten that the the necessity arises not only of giving up are the political expression of the contraphonograph to a moulik (poor peasant. monopoly of foreign trade automatically the importation of manufactured products dictions of a proletarian revolution isolated and at the same time he denied absolutely excludes Ruasta from that international in but of limiting to the last degree the imbackward country. Paradoxical though division of labor on the basis of which its that the rythm of our economic revolution portation of machinery and Industrial raw the fact may be that the Bessedovskys and capitalist evolution wag accomplished.
depended on world developement.
materials, and in that case the slightest they are innumerable are the first to expel The immediate consequence, at a time progress of Industrialization must be nald The five year plan has come after a the Rakovskys, and that on the first occawhen general economy has advanced, has for by an extreme tension of economic delay of five years. The errors, the trans asion they pass over to the Whites, the fact been an extreme reduction in foreign trade. resources.
formations and the corrections of the last is no legs logical for it.
The rapid increase of the resources em Thus is explained essentially, why. years took place wthout any general plan, Spinoza said: Not to laugh, not to ployed in the Industrialization is therefore with a restoration of economy and a and it is for this sole reason that the lead weep, but to understand. To understand, called forth, to a considerable extent, by very rapid growth of industrializaton, the ership learned so very little from them. in order to continue the fight for he Octothe need for the Soviet Republic to produce Soviet Republic does not emerge from the One cannot neglect to say here that the ber Revolution, all that bourgeois Russta received from regime of the queue. a regime that first draft was thoroughly imbued with the The thirteenth year will mark an agthe outside under much more advantageous constitutes the most vivid argument against most niggardly spirit of minimalism, with gravation of the contradictions. The Party conditions If the socialist regime existed the theory of socialism in one country. a great economic timidity. This draft was deprived of forces and strangled, can be In other countries, the monopoly of foreign But the queue 18 also an argument mercilessly criticized in the Platform of the suddenly surprised. At he first great dim trade, of course, would not be necessary, against the official practices in economy. Onposition. It is only under the action of culty that arises, the Beasedovskys of al and the would receive the prod Here we pass from the objective causes to our crticism which correspond to the kinds will raise their heads. The Centris ucts it lacks from more developed countries the subjective causes, that is to say, pri keenest needs of economic developement, apparatus will show that it is only an ap under incomparably more advantageous marily to the policy of the leadershtp. that the five year plan was remade from paratus and nothing more. The proletarconditions than those it was used to when It 18 beyond doubt that a leadership, even one end to the other in the course of the It was a bourgeois Russla. But in the the inost correct and perspicacious, could year. The reference is to Rykov, who present situation the monopoly of foreign All the grounds Invoked ngainet ported on the plan.
trade, absolutely indispensable to protect The queue 18 now in effect so as to suner Industrialization were suddenly play on words in the origir may, requires attain objects and products of primary neeá, rejected. The apparatus, which had worked whch loses its point in translation.
41. Anita Continuer on Page tih