The Life of the Exiled and Imprisoned Russian Opposition By MARKIN The theses define the policy of CenThe Fifteenth Congress of the trism in the country in the following man(December 1927) placed the Opposition For the Opposition, the preparation of eaucracy be considered as a class, as an ner: The political consequences of the outside of the ranks of the Party and sanc.
the Congress expressed itself in a mad embryo of a class? Can it become a class? peasant policy conducted, can throw back tioned the state repressive measures taken the Sovietization of the country for many reenforcement of reprisals. The Opposi Shich are the questions which are at the against it. In the course of 1928 thousands years and make us return to the old times tion presented to the Congress a declara center of the analysis and discussion on of Oppositionists were arrested and sent tion. of the. Rakovsky, Muralov, Koss the Soviet system. Evidently, it is not a of War Communism. The whole policy will into exile. Despite all that, the curve of ior, Kasparova, Grunstein. Zinzadze, Aus question of a rigid, that is to say, of a be discredited, and the most irremediable development of the Opposition for the endiscredit will affect in principle, even the sem. All these comrades are Opposition metaphysical formula, but of the analysis tire year of 1928 was vigorously on the leaders and among the oldest members of of perspectives and the orientation of liv policy of collectivization and industrializaascendant. At the beginning of 1929 the the Party. Some time before this declara ing processes. According to the Moscow tion, that is all the teachings of Lenin. ferociously ransacked the Opposition to the the and to all The principal misfortune, the theses correspondent of the Russian Bulletin, this tion organizations all over the say finally, consists in the fact that, Simultaneously the repression not only inthe members of the Party, a long principle tendency is indicated by comrade Rakovwhile there is a possibility of a reaction, declaration called The April declaration sky as being the possble line of transcreased in quantity but also achieved a formation of the proletarian state into a and sometimes even of a decisive influence of the Rakovsky. Kossior, Kasparova, on the direction of policy by organizing new quality: the creation of Solltaries; bureaucratic state with Communist lvesdepriving the deported of their work, transand Muralov. Around this declaration a tiges.
the resistance of the Opposition in the provast polemic developed in the deportation letarian sector of the Party to the sliding ferring them to unhealthy places, reducing The great merit, writes the same their maintenance by half; the expulsion camps and in secret (in the of Centrism to the Right, with the existcorrespondent, of the documents written ing regime this resistence cannot take a of comrade Trotsky: general provocation The Ideological Llie of the Opposition by comrade Rakovsky since 1928, is the sufficiently active form to permit making and so on. In the economic and political It must be said that from the of profound penetration and entirely concrete a radical end to this policy of the Right domain, the year 1929 was characterized its birth, the Opposition in deportation be analysis of his process. The new declaraand ultra Left leaps, and to realize the reby the accentuation of the Left zig zag of gan to live an intense ideological life. Not tion in question, in enhancing this analysis formation of the Party leadership.
Centrism, necessitated by the kulak brain only are timely economic, political, tacti and extending it to the new supplement of strikes in 1928.
The Opposition Growth cal and strategical questions profoundly the Soviet bureaucracy the nascent collective farm bureaucracy interested in The above quoted theses touch the destudied and heatedly discussed, but even The Crisis in the Opposition cisive problem of the Russian Opposition, the most abstract problems of philosophy. preserving the current state of affairs, riot consequently, the future of the proletarThe combined influence of these two The Solitaries have become revolutionary only establishes that bureaucratic atrophy ian dictatorship in the All the factors, the ruthless repression and a ceruniversities. Numerous serious Marxist threatens to denature the social content of tain division brought about by the Left turn facts show the sympathy existing in the works have been produced by the pens of the Soviet system in the but outworking class towards our ideas, but the of Centrism placed the Opposition before deported Oppositionists.
lines in broad strokes the characteristics The ideological of the bureaucratic order which can follow weakness of the Opposition organization a grave crisis in the summer of 1929. level of the Russian Opposition cadres mav prevents the crystalization of these sentiwave of capitulation passed over the places be considered, without any exaggeration, the Soviet order, while remaining in the ments and their necessary development.
of deportation. In August 1929 comrade as exceptional. In ridding themselves of domain of real phenomena. Interest towards us is undubitably growRakovsky Concerning the bureaucracy, comrade and others made their well the capitulatory ballast, in gaining coheRakoveky writes: Under our very eyes, ing, we are weak, although we have known declaration, This declaration was slon under the fire of repression, it is the there has been formed, and is still being numerous supporters. In August, we an attempt to realize a united front with frmest and most valiant revolutionists who formed, a large class of rulers which bas heard from Kharkov: One feels that a the Party. It established certain modifica have remained in the deportation.
its own interior groupings, multiplied by certain additional push is needed, a new tions of the official course, and based on During this current year, the exchange means of premeditated cooptation, direct experience, so that what is covered with these, expressed anew the desire to defend of ideas has been rendered very difficult or indirect (bureaucratic promotion, fictiashes will flame up again. The work must and to struggle for its ideas within the by an almost complete postal blockade.
tious system of elections. The basic sup be organized in a more regular and sysframe work of the Party, underlining at That is why the study of questions often port of this orginal class is a sort, an tematic manner, the Bulletin made to apthe same time that the only serious guardoes not emerge from the limits of the original sort, of private property, namely, pear more regularly, and we need a well antee for the turn was change of regime isolated centers of the deportation.
the possession of State power. The burfunctioning internal organization. On this in the Party. Rakovsky declaration as Certain differences though not of prinpoint, comrades in various sections believe was evident was rejected. This served as ciple have been provoked by the following caucracy possess the state as private property wrote Marx. Critique of Hegel that this push is not far off.
an additional test of the Party regime by Philosophy of Law. In one of his last letters to the Russhowing the Opposition elements who were theses in Rakovsky April declaration: The colony of deportees at for Before the Party is posed the question of sian Oppositionists comrade Trotisky raises seriously doubtful, all the superficiality the mulates the question as follows: We are stion in the following way: Since and the insincerity of Centrism Leftward supplying the country with food stuffs and of the opinion that the bureaucracy is not the mass of the Party is definitely disturn. The August declaration of Rakovsky with agricultural raw materials by reinSoviet a class and will never become one. We persed, then the sole means of heightening brought into circulation extensive theses forcing the construction of the believe that the bureaucracy, the leading the chances for the development of the farms, at the same time maintaining the and submitted the policy of Centrism to a rhythm of industrial development. Some stratum of society, will degenerate that October revolution and Lenin Party by profound and compact criticism. The rethe Retornist road, requires the crention of the comrades found a contradiction to it is the germ of a class which will sponse of the apparatus to the declaration the slogan of retreat in these theses.
not be bureaucratic at all. The burof a well functioning centralized organizaof Rakovsky forced the Opposition to deTheir argument can be summed up in this: eaucracy is the germ of a capitalist class tion of the Bolshevik Leninists, armed with clare again and precisely that it will not It is our duty to subject the bureaucrawhich dominates the state and possesses sufficient technical means for reacting sys.
only continue, but enlarge and intensify its tematically upon the dispersed publle opintic rhythms to a merciless criticism and the means of productive collectively.
factional work.
ion of the Party. hall passive poliey not to maintain them. The period of ultraThe Slogan of a Coalition in the future would mean, not to mention In the same period comrades Rakov Left adventurism in the Centrist policy of Difference in tactics, and partially in other things, the gradual physical destrue.
sky and Trotsky again put forth the quesindustrialization is not yet at principle. were evoked by another ques tion of our best cadres.
tion of the Party as the central problem On the other hand, the comrades who tion. In one of his letters in May, Rakov The principal obstacle on this road is of the revolution, Certain capitulators supported the theses of comrade Rakovsky sky issued the slogan of a coalition Central obviously the repression and above all.
have deluded themselves and deluded countered with the following argument: Committee (Left, Center and Right. Unprovocation. The floods not only others) with pseudodialectic arguments, in The period in which the articles and letfortunately, the inadequacy of our infor our isolated groups of deportees but also the sense that the correction of the ecoters of Trotsky and Rakovsky (which callmation does not permit us to a summarize the prisons with provocateurs. Provocanomic line will of itself entail an improveed for beating a retreat and not for mainthe opinions on this point. comrade tion is Stalin main weapon against the ment of the regime in the Party. It is taining the rhythms) belong, is distinct writes: believe that this slogan has a Opposition. At the same time, as we have an absurdity. comrade Trotsky wrote to from the period of the declaration. In foundation (economy is balked, all the facsaid, the ground for the development of the Russian comrades, to believe that the the present period, after the collapse of the tions must take this fact into account and the Left Opposition is very favorable. Facts Five Year Plan can modity automatically complete collectivization. it is collectiviJoin in following a single tactical line in like the election of a worker Oppositionthe regime of the Party. On the contrary, zation itself which is in danger. Not only spite of the diversity of their strategical ist as chairman of the factory council, the lines.
18 the five year plan in four years threatthe change of regime in the Party is not This slogan can become popular refusal of the workers to elect another in only the premise of ulimate successes, but ened but the realization of the fiveamong the masses. It is another quesspite of the rabid pressure of the apparatus, year plan altogether, and to also a certain guarantee against the dansup tion to know it there are any reasons for being optimistic about its possible realt anical Shops, Kharhov. the successful orand finally his arrest by the Mechgers which grow more rapidly than the port the slogan of a relaxation of the rhyprofoundly thm in such a situation is zation.
successes.
The general secretary (Stalin)
And on several later. occasganization of collections among the workwrong.
will not join the coalition, and with Party ions: The Party regime constitutes a morThe Editors of the Bulletin of ers on the Moscow Kazan railway, upon tal danger precisely towards the Russian Opposition have not had the opinion dispersed, it may not be able to their own initative, for aid to the deporeconomy.
exert enough pressure.
opportunity to express themselves fundaRavoksky and other Russian, Oppcbition However, these considerations are not a decisive argument teed and their families, the steady torrent comrades wrote in the same vein.
mentally on this question, since it had, not of new deportees, the almost daily arrests yet received the April Declaration at that against the slogan. We must work and However, the Left course of Centrism of new Oppositionists, generally still memtime. They simply stressed that it is of fight for its realization. In this way we began, toward 1930, to transform itself bers of the Party. all this proves that the course understood that we are for the will point out the concrete road. naturalinto an ultra Left policy which expressed maximum rhythms provided they are eco ly, an imperfect road, but the situation alOpposition is not stified. And in spite of itself in the industrialization course. the incessant arrests, the cannomically and politically possible, and lows of no better one for the concrete and complete collectivization. The Left that it is not this question despite all its not exhaust the reserves of the Opposition, abolition of the political monopoly of the Opposition did not allow itself to be carsince they are steadily renewed.
Centrists.
seriousness which is of decisive imporried away by the Stalinist dizziness. On tance at present but rather that of the Let us quote an extract from the theses New Deportations the question of our attitude towards the methods of economic direction and of the of an authorized comrade, now incarcer special and very characteristic new ultra Left course, it reenforced its life of the Party with whose aid the rhyated in Solitary: phenomenon is the arrest of capitulators, cohesion, while holding to its previous thms have been elaborated, realized and The present state of the proletarian that is, of former Oppositionists who signstrategy of collectivization and industrialchecked.
dictatorship can be characterized above all ed the declaration of Radek or Smirnov.
ization The Russian Opposition launched The Social Nature of the State by the extreme nature of the bureaucratic Capitulators imprisoned and deported a the tactical slogan: Slow down! Retreat!
degeneration of its apparatus and, so to second time are not isolated cases, but This slogan was unanimously approved by Another question which has provoked speak, by the bureaucratic envelopment constitute a large phenomenon of their the Russian Left Opposition.
a broad discussion is that of the social Later on, of the proletarian dictatorship.
type. It shows, on one hand, that among the new course was replaced by a still character and perspectives of the Soviet The theses say that the economic or the capitulators, after the return to Mosnewer one, in which state, and the question which is bound up elements of adgans, seized by panic before the growing cow, there is manifested again relapses venturist leaps were joined with those of with this, namely, of the social essence of elements of catastrophe, seek to overtake into Trotskysm. and on the other, the the Soviet bureaucracy (or of the degree this panicky retreat. It is in such a situation delay by incessantly exceeding the great fear of the apparatus even for the that the Sixteenth Congress met, and of the divorce between the bureaucracy predetermined projects, above all, by ex cadavers of the Opposition the capitulabrought about a new aggravation of the and the masses, as some of the comrades cessive increase of the exploitation of the tors.
Party regine. The preparation of Bona pose the question. a phenomenon hitherto workers and the lowering of their living In recent letters (October. the comunknown in history and which has conse level. As a result of the super indupartiem insofar as It concerns the Party, rades communicate that these phenomena quently not been analyzed as yet by Marx strialization, the condition of the workers not only do not cease, but on the contrary has been accomplished. In the Party the ist thought. To what degree can the bur is worsening. The workers are obliged to increase. Capitulators are mentioned who plebiscitary regime has been definitely in We will not stop at this question, adapt themselves to a reduction in real arrived in deportation in September or stalled, comrade Trotsky wrote to the which has been sufficiently illuminated in wages and the exhaustion of physical efOctober, that is, more than a year after the Opposition publications.
forts.
their capitulation.
end.