THE MILITANT Saturday, July 12, 1939 The Constituent Assembly and Soviets tang Lessons of the Chinese Revolution Leoin on the Democratie Dictatorship It was precisely on the problem of the bourgeois democratic revolution that Lenin, upon his return to Russia in April 1917.
took such decisive issue with the vlews of the Pravda fraction, and Stalin as the edThe epoch making events in India to By ARNE SWABECK the striking out of these paragraphs and Hor of the Pravda. The Pravda fraction, day compel even the theoretical pigmies all references of support to the Hankow through its spokesman Kamenev, demanded in the Stalinized Comintern, to cast an tion and supported by the Stalin policies government and the Kuomintang: to open the completion of the bourgeois democratic occasional glance at the historic lessons of the Kuomintang, first ite: Right wing and ly fight this center of counter revolution revolution that is the carrying out oi the the Chinese revolution of 1925 27. Un later its Left wing. were already then and to proceed to organize Soviets as the measure listed by Browder Lenin replied fortunately they continue to sink into the beginning to show themselves in their true revolution.
that the bourgeois democratic revolution quagmire of their own confusion, role as the hangmen and butchers of the Whom did history, that is the actual could find its solution in the proletarian For the work ng masses who may not Chinese revolutionary workers and pearevolution revolutionary experiences, prove correct?
Referring to those old Bolbe able to follow the rapid changes of lead. sants. In the second half of the picture sheviks who more than once have played The policies of Stalin, Bucharin and the ership in this third period we volunteer we note the wide mass ferment, the mounta sorry role in the history of our Party Menshevik, Martinov, who had fought Bolthe information that Earl Browder is ing revolutionary wave of workers, pea.
No!
shevism for twenty years?
Their the latest Stalinist appointee to the posiwhen they repeated formula, once acsants and soldiers; the ruling classes colled tion of superficial political director and policy of strenthening the enemy quired, without thinking, instead of studylapsing and power slipping out of their theoretican in America. In 1927 he spent ing the peculiarities of new living realities hands with a systematic struggle for powto disastrous defeat. The Hankow governseveral months in China during the height ment established the organized bourgeois he added: er begun by the workers tae conditions of revolution and beginning of its defeat. He who now speaks oť revolutionfor organization of Soviets as organs of counter revolution and drowned the work:Upon his return Browder wrote the pamary democratic dictatorship of the propower. But what in this situation was the ers and peasants in blood, Only after phlet Civil War in Nationalist China. In the turn downward, with the disarming.
letariat and peasantry rnly, is behind policy of Stalin and Browder?
its foreword be promised an extensive defeat and slaughtering of the workers the times, is thereľore in practice on the work on the more fundamental aspects Stalin for Harkow and peasants, dld Stalin propose the oraide of the pett, bourgeoisie and against of the Chinese revolution. We venture to As late as the plenum, May ganization of Soviets. But then too late.
the proletarian class struggle; such a predict that Browder will not keep his 18, 1927, the Stalin policy still held to the one should be placed in the archive of It could lead then only to miscarriages promise for fear of exposing the whole theory of the Chinese revolution as based Bolshevik pre revolutionary and blunders culminating in the Canton antiques house of cards built up of the Stalinist upon four classes (bourgeoisie, petty bour.
insurrection to adventurism as a product (it may be called tife archive of old policies.
Bolsheviks. geoisie, workers and peasants. The plen of opportunism. Yet even the Canton (Lenin, Letters on acBrowder Professional Confusionist um decided that the organizing center of tics, Vol. 20 part ingurrection holds valuable lessons forged On the Chinese lessons and the standThe bourgeois democratic revolcttou the revolutdon must be the Hankow govin the fire of revolution. It became a point of the Left Comniunist Oppostion ernment of the Kuomintang, the hangmen took place in China in 1911 and was comcurtain raiser for the third Chinese rev.
Browder says in the Dally Worker (6 30. of the Chinese workers. It hog tied the pleted in so far as a bourgeois democratic olution Despite all its weaknesses and in an article entitled Opportunists and Chinese Communist Party in subordination revolution in China could be completed.
mistakes it indicated definitely this next fadia. On China, where the revolution is in and political subjection to the Kuomintang.
sufficient to prove that its problems could stage. The shortlived Canton Sovieti not much higher stage of development We quote from the resolution adopted: not be solved under the leadership of the elected but merely appointed from above.
bourgeoisie. The regards as incorrect than India. Troteky also issues the bloThe second revolution in proceeded to confiscate feudal lands, esgau of Constituent Assembly, putting it the view which underestimates the Han.
China proved that the solutiou of tese tablish workers control of Industry, na problems could be found only in the prolet up against tho slogan of Soviets as kow goveroment and which in fact tionalize blg industry and banks and con arian dictatorship.
organg of power of the democratic dic denies Ith great revolutionary role. The fiscate bourgeois dwellings and all propfurther proved that tatorship of workers and peasants, Hankow government and the leaders of it could not remala in the state of the erty for the benefit of the laborers. Aubuurgeois democratic revolution but would And further the Left Kuomintang by their class com.
tomatically it led to the proletarian dic have to become transformed in the per The Trotskyites cover up their own position represents not only the pea.
tatorship.
surrender to the bourgeoisie in India gants, workers and artisans, but also a manent revolution to find its final selution Prowder in his present Dally Worker and China with very left phrases about section of the middle bourgeoisie. There.
on the world arena. In 1927 the proletarian article, either in blissful ignorance, or the dictatorship of the proletariat. vlo fore the Hankow government being the dictatorship in China was raised by history else in a deliberate attempt to obscure all lent opposition to the slogan democratic government of the Left wing Kuominup to the first point on the order of the these historical experiencos, proceeds to dictatorship of workers and peasants not yet the orship of the day Its realization was sabotaged by the and then practically replace both with outline the tasks of the Indian and Chinproletariat and the peasantry, but Stalin policy. The organization of soriplo the open bourgeois slogan of Constiton the road to it and will inevitably, ese revolutions as follows: was rejected by Stalin who chose the tour.
uent Assembly in he course of the victorious class The Bourgeols Democratic Revolution geois leadership of the Kuomintang. The (Could opportunist confusion be more struggle of the proletariat and in dis. Revolution in India and China torevolution, with the decisive sections of the eloquently put. Eirowder goes on to explain that in a carding bourgeois camp followers, de. day has as its first task the completion masses of workers and peasents in res:period when the bourgeoisie is historically velop in the direction of such a die. of the bourgeois democratic revolutiou, tronary forment, therefore took the road ne tatorship. a revolutionary class overthrowing feudaltheit is. to carry out in India and the only other alternative the estat 18m, the Constituent Assembly is a rev ment of the hourgeois newer revolution The calls the particular China those measures which were the olutionary measure. But today the bourwhich still rules. today.
attention of the Communist Party of characteristic feature of the trangeolsie as a class, as well as its organ, Ching to the fact that more than at any sition from feudalism to capitalismRevolutionary lpsurre Here ad the Constituent Assembly, is reactionary other time is it now necessary to national independence, distribution of in China standing in the way of the completion of maintain the closest contact between the land among the peasants, breaking Browder new speaks glibly. in the the bourgeois democratic revolution.
the revolutionary government and the the power of the feudal elements, esseventh Porty convention thesis. about tha Proceeding from this he drawe the conmasses of the people. Only if such tablishment of certain popular rights revolutionary upsurge of the clusion that the Left Opposition has working tlose contact is maintained and ob of organization and individual Hbormasses of the United States while de united with the Right wing, and he then tained primarily through the Kuomin ties. So, this is the task. He manding the bourgecis derocratic revodurepeats all the cheap calumnes always tang only by maintaining deter. adds that it cannot be carried out by tion for China, Adventurist phraseology on held in stock for the Left Oppoosition mined course toward the masses, will the bourgeoisie but only the workers an opportunist bas lie is now riding the hoping thereby to prevent the revolutionit be possible more and more to and peasants can carry out the bourgeists from engaging in an objective study peak of this revolucionary upsurge in the strengthen the authority of the revolu. ois democratic revolution.
of the Chinese lessons. nited States which may soon coll Browder, in these passages quoted, tionary government and its role as the This is the crux of the problem. Here because it rests on nothing but par commits one little error. He completely organizing centre of the revolution. 11) we see that Browder like Stalin, still holds The actual revolutionary upsurge of the confuses the question of the essential (1927 Emphasis ours to a polley which could only spell another Chinese masses in 1997 Browder called to character of the Chinese revolution with Trotsky, speaking for the Left Op defeat for the Chinese workers and pea recognize and understand correctly teresants.
the question of a slogan to be applied position view at that plenum, demanded fore re is now trying to turn its history at a certain stage of its development. To backward.
make our case clear let us recall a few imDid the democratie revolution in 113portant factors in the Chinese developments.
Browders Confessions sures listed by Browder. No. These probIn his pamphlet, Civil War in Nalems were sold by the dual power, by the tionalist China. Browder tells of reports Comrades: income of 2, 400 they have had an expense of Chinese trade union and peasant union For the last several months have of 1, 000. They also made Olgin a prorising proletarian revolution based upon the letarian suit of clothes which amounts Soviets and culuninating in the proletarian read your weekly steady. am a member leaders on March 16, 1927: The countrydictatorship.
side is in terror, the Kuominchun (revo of the Independent Workmen Circle, re to 90 which was charged to the expenses We repeat from history fusing to join the International Workers of the Freiheit lutionary army has turned against the peothese pigmy theoreticians have learned noOrder believing that we can do plenty of The Cooperative Restaurant existing ple. At Kanchow, the second division has thing.
work in the ranks of the Independent. for over a year has been brought to a ansassinated the secretary of the General The problems of the Chinese workers Trade Union and occupied the union offices; The Stalinists as you call them began call dangerous condition by the game Stalinide and peasantry, including the measures listthe leaders are all in hiding and commun ing me and my comrades names like ren leadership. It is about to fail utterly and ed by Browder, which will rise more in the Ication with the city is cut off. This 18 egades, traitors, Lovestoneltes. It opened miserably. The Cooperativo Bakery fired coming third Chinese revolution can find up my eyes. began looking for the truth the day shift and only works two men at one side of the picture showing the 80their solution only in the proletarian dic who are these renegades and traitors, night in a city of nearly 100, 000 Jews.
called Right wing of the Kuomintang in tatorship. Since today, under the establishThe newly opened barber shop lost in its its actual role, later repeated precisely by Lovestoneites and Trotskyites. went over ed rule of the bourgeois counter revolution, the so called Left wing. For the other to the stand to buy a Revelationary Age honeymoon months 30 the first month it cannot be expected that the Conmunist side of the pictrre Browder reports that when also notced the Militant. bought and 50 the second month. The whole Party can arrive at the seizure of power in during the northern expedition (from Can a copy compared it with the Revolutionary Cooperative movement including the cen one jum the slogan of the Constituent, ton to Shanghai. when the nationalist Age and remained a steady reader of your ter is on the verge of failure and closing or National Assembly becomes a correct armies capturad half of China, all the mil. paper.
up entirely.
slogan to mobilize the masses.
itary victories were accomplished by the Coming down to brass tacks the eit The Imperial Valley strike for which It was after the establishment of the uation stands this way: The revolutionary masses who even overthrew six of our best fighters were sentenced to bourgeois democratic revolution in Russia and drove out the military rulers before branches are hopelessly split. Branches one halt year at San Quentin and Folsom that the Bolsheviks demanded the speedtest was nothing but a flasco, it never materthe bationalist armies arrived. There were which have been always Lett, branches (5 ialized; a bunch of inexperienced boys convening of the Constituent Assembly.
3, 800, 000 trade union members and 10, 000. of them) that have given money and This as well as its final dissolution proved 000 memberg ot the peasants union, several energy towards the Communist movement were sent down there, with no experience are now split in hall. They hoped to take in union work and how to conduct it. a correct tactic.
hundred thousand of them under arms, And as Trotsky now In my branch of the Independent Workaway full branches, but instead they only points out: The millions of the toiling pledged to the revolution.
What do we find in these reports? In got about 250 out of 500 members. They men Circle am pushing the militant all masses (of China) can come to the dictakicked us out of the Co operative Centre can, and hope to organize a fraction here the first half of the picture those upon torship of the proletariat only on the basis whom Stalin and Browder had pinned their which we have built and kept up. They re of the Communist League.
of their own political experience and the fused to take a donation for the Profheit Yours for a clean Bolshevik policy.
hopes as Iborators of the working clags.
National Assembly went Unive By the way on an Los Angeles, Calif.
RO EN ster on this par and harbingers of the proletarian revoluIndependent Workmen Circle on the Coast gelese los probletes. that is not mear