STALIN AS THEORETICIAN у LEON TROTSKY (Concluded from Last ssue)
In order to prove by what process the great idea which vulgar political economy capitalist economy? No, our theoretician This is replies in terror. It is clear: the village revealed with adequate different material elements of the economic cleared of the elements of the labor theory clarity in This the question of the peaof value which had their foundation in process, commodities, find each other indoes not live according to Marx.
sant balance of the October revoside of this unregulated whole, or more classical political economy. The theory matter must be corrected. Stalin attempts, lution. The state as the owner of preciselyby what process constant and in his report, to reject the petty bourgeois which Stalin so bombastically proposes to the land, concentrated in its hands the variable capital accomplish the necessary draw out of the treasure of Marxism is a theories on the stability of peasant econright to ground rent. Does it realize it omy. However, becoming entangled in the balance in the different branches of indus commonplace, uniting not only Adam Smith net from the present market in the prices of and Bastiat but also the latter with the try with the general growth of production, of Marxian formulae, he gives this grain, lumber, etc. Unfortunately, not and on the other enterprises producing American president, Hoover. Contempor theory a most generalized expression. In yet. Does it realize it from the peasant? articles of consumption. The enterprises ary society not capitalist, but contem reality, the theory of extended reproducWith the multiplicity of economic ac of the first category have to supply mach porary is used with the object of extend tion, according to the idea of Marx, emcounts between the state and the peasant, ines, raw materials and auxiliary mater ing Marxist formulae also to contempor braces capitalist economy as a whole not it is very difficult to reply to this ques ials and auxiliary materials to themselves ary socialist society. This is clear and only Industry but agriculture as well, only tion. It can be said and this will by no as well as to the enterprises of the second evident.
Right here Stalin continues. in its pure form, that is, without its premeans by a paradox so that the sciesorg category. In turn, the enterprises of the Our large scale centralized socialist in capitalist remnants. But Stalin, leaving of agrloultural and Industrial prices con second category have to cover their own dustry develops according to the Marxist aside, for some reason, handicraft and guild tains the ground rent in a concealed form. needs, as well as the needs of the enter theory of extended reproduction. be. occupations, poses the question: Can it be With the concentration of land, industry prises of the first category with articles cause. it grows yearly in scale, has said that our small peasant holding, deveand transport in the hands of the state, of consumption. Marx reveals the general its accumulations and advances with seven lop according to the principle. of exthe question of ground rent has for the mechanism of the accomplishment of this league boots. Industry develops accord tended production? No, he replies, It canpeasant, so to speak, a bookkeeping and proportionality which creates the basis of ing to the Marxist theory an immortal not be said. In other words Stalin, in the not an economic significance. But the the dynamic balance under capitalism. formula: in absolutely the same way as most generalized form, repeats the asserpeasant is little occupied with precisely or The question of agriculture in its mutual tions oats grow dialetically according to Hegel.
the bourgeois economists that this bookkeeping technique. He drawg a relation to industry therefore rests on an To a bureaucrat, theory is the formula of agriculture does not develop according to wholesale balance to his relations with the altogether different plane. Stalia evidently administration. But the immediate essence the principle of the Marxian theory of city and state.
Sinirly confused the production of articles of the matter does not lie in this. The capitalist production. Wouldn it be betIt would be more correct to approach of consumption with agriculture. With Marxist theory of reproduction refers to tier, after this, to keep still? After all, this question from another angle. Because Marx, however, enterprises of capitalist the capitalist mode of production. But the Marxian agronomists kept still listenof the nationalization of land, factories agriculture (only capitalist) producing raw Stalin speaks of Soviet industry, which he ing to his shameful abuse of the teachings and mills, the liquidation of the foreign materials enter automatically into the first considers Socialist without any reservaof Marx. Yet, the softest of answers should debts, and planned economy, the workers category. In so far 4s agricultural pro tions. In this manner, according to Stalin, have sounded thus: Get off the tribune imstate acquired the possibility to reach in duction has peculiarities that contrast it socialst industry develops according to mediately, and do not dare to deliberate a short period high speeds of industrial to industry as a whole the analysis of the theory of capitalist reproduction. We on problems about which you know nodevelopment. On this road, there was unthese peculiarities begins in the third vol see how incautiously Stalin slipped his thing!
doubtedly created one of the most imporume.
hand into the treasure of Marxism. If But we shall not follow the example of tant premises for collectivization. But this the Marxian agronomists and keep still.
premise is not a juridical, but a materialtwo economic processes: anarchical and The Process of Extended Reproductions planned, are covered by one and the same ignorance armed with power is just as productive one: it expresses itself in a de Extended reproduction occurs in real.
theory of reproduction, which is built up dangerous as insanity armed with a razor.
finite number of plows, binders, combines, ity not only at the expense of surplus value on the laws of anarchical production, then The formulae of the second volume of tractors, grain elevators, agronomists, etc. created by the workers of industry self this itself reduces to zero the planned, that Marx do not represent guiding principles etc. It is precisely from these real en and capitalist agriculture but also by the tities that the collectivization plan should is, the socialist beginning. However, these of socialist construction, but objective geninflux of fresh means from the outside: proceed. This is when the plan will be two are only the blossoms the berries are eralizations of capitalist processes. These from the pre capitalist village of the backstill ahead.
real. But to the real fruits of nationalizaformulae, abstracted from the peculiarities ward countries, colonies, eure. The acquition we cannot always add nationalizaof agriculture, not only do not contradict sition of surplus values from the village The bost gem extracted by Stalin from its development but fully embrace it tion itself, like some sort of a reserve fund and colonies is conceivable once more, the treasure is the above underlined little out of which all the excesses of the comcapitalist agriculture.
either in the form of unequal exchange or word because. socialist industry develops plete bureaucratic adventures can be compulsory expropriation The only thing that can be said about (primarily according to theory of induscovered. This would be the same as if through taxes, or, finally, in the credit try, because it grows yearly in scale, has agriculture in the framework of the formhaving deposited his capital in the bank, form savings bank, loans, etc. Historical its accumulations and advances with seven ulae of the second volume is that the latter one would want to use his capital and the ly, all these forms of exploitation combine league boots. Poor Theory! Unfortunate pre suppose the existence of a sufficient interest on it at the same time.
in different proportions and play a no lesstreasure! Wretched Marx! Does it mean quantity of agricultural raw materials and This is the conclusion in general. But agricultural products for consumption, for er role than the extortion of surplus value that the Marxian theory was created espethe specific, individual conclusion may be in its pure form; the deepening of capicially as a basis for the necessity of yearinsuring extended reproduction. But what formulated more simply: should be the correlation between agricultalist exploitation always goes hand in hand ly advances and, at that, with seven league Tomfool, Tomiool.
with its broadening. But the formulae of boots? But what about periods when capiture and industry: as in England? or as in Marx that interest us very carefully disAmerica. talist industry develops at a snail pace. It were better that you stayed in Both these types conform equschool. than to leave for distant theoreFor those instances, sect the live process of economic develop ally to Marxist formulae. England imports apparently, Marx articles for consumption and raw materials.
tical excursions.
theory is rejected. But all capitalist proment, clearing capitalist reproduction from all pre capitalist elements and transitional duction extends cyclically through prosperAmerica exports them. There is no contraity and crises; it means that it not only diction here with the formulae of extended The Formulae of Marx and forms which accompany it and which feed it, and at the expense of which it devedoes not advance with seven league, or reproduction, which are in no way limited lops. Marx formulae dealt with a chem any other boots, but marks time and reby national boundaries, and are not adapted ically pure capitalism which never existed treats. It appears tha Marx schema is either to national capitalism or, even less, Between the first and third volumes and does not exist anywhere now. Pre not suited to capitalist development, for to socialism in one country.
of Capital. there is a second. Our theocisely because of this, they revealed the the explanation of which it was created, If people should arrive at synthetic retician considers it his duty to commit basic tendencies of every capitalism, but but for that it completely answers the na feeding, and at synthetic forms of raw maan administrative abuse of the second volprecisely of capitalism and only capitalism.
ture of the seven league advances ofterial, agriculture would be completely resocialist industry. Aren these miracles? duced to nothing, being substituted by new ume, too. Stalin has to cover up quickly To anybody having an understanding Not limiting himself to the teachings of branches of the chemical industry. What from criticism the present policy of comof Capital. it is obvious that neither in angels with regard to the nationalization of would then become of the formulae of expulsory collectivization. Since there are the first, second nor third volumes can an answer be found to the question of the land, and occupying himself at the same no necessary arguments in the material tended reproduction? They would retain time with the basic correction of Marx, all their validity to the extent that the conditions of economy he looks for them in tempo the dictatorship of the proletariat authorative books with the result that he Stalin at any rate marches. with seven capitalist form of production and distribushould adopt in collectivizing peasant ecoinevitably looks for them every time on league boots. In the meantime, the form fon would remain.
nomy. All these questions, as well as the wrong page.
ulae or Capital crack under his hours scores of others, were not solved in any Agricultural bourgeois Russia, with the The advantages of large scale economy books and could not be solved because of tremendous predominance of the peasantry, over small, agriculture included, are proved their very essence. In essence, Stalin in But why did Stalin need all this? The not only covered the demands of the growby all capitalistic experiences. The possi.
no way differs from the merchant who puzzled reader will ask. Alas! We cannot ing industries, but also created the pogalble advantages of large scale collective would seek guidance in Marx simplest jump over stages, especially when we can bility of large exports.
economy over dispersed, small economy formula C (money commodity money. hardly keep up with our theoretician. These processes were accompanied by were established even before Marx by the as to what and when to buy and sell to little patience, and all will be revealed. Im the strengthening of the Kulak top and the Utopian socialists and their arguments reobtain a bigger profit. Stalin simply conmediately after the point analyzed here, weakening of the peasant bottom, their main basically sound. In this sphere, the fuses theoretical generalization with pracStalin continues: But our large scale in growing proletarianization. In this manUtopians were great realists. Their Uto tical prescription, not to speak of the fact dustry does not exhaust all of our national ner, in spite of all its peculiarities, agriculpia began with the question of the historthat the theoretical generalization itselt economy. On the contrary, in our national ture on capitalistic foundations developed ical road of collectivization. Here the diris related by Marx to a completely differeconomy, small peasant holdings are still within the framework of those very formection was indicated by the Marxian theory ent problem predominant. Can it be said that our small ulae with which Marx embraced the whole of the class struggle in connection with Stalin Refers to Marx peasant holdings develop according to the of capitalist economy and only capitalist the criticism of capitalist economy.
principle. extended reproduction. No, Why, then, did Stalin have to refer to economy. Capital gives an analysis and a synit cannot be said. Our small peasant hold Peasant Economy and Socialist Industry the formulae of extended reproduction ings. do not always have the posslthesis of the processes of capitalist econ which he evidently does not understand?
Stalin wants to come to the conclusion omy. The second volume examines the bility of realizing even simple reproducThe explanations of Stalin himselt in rethat this is impossible to base. socialimminent mechanism of the growth of capition. Can we move forward with an accegards to this are so inimitable that we are ist construction on two different foundatalist economy. The algebraic formulae of compelled to Ierated tempo our socialized industry, havquote them literally: The ing such peasant economy as a basis. tions on the foundation of the greatest this volume prove how, from one and the Marxist theory of reproduction teaches that No, we cannot. Further on, the conclusion and most consolidated socialist industry same creative protoplasm abstract human contemporary. society cannot develop and on the foundation of follows: complete collectivization is necmost dislabor the means of production cry without annual accumulations, and is essary.
persed and backward small commodity stalized in the form of constant capital, impossible to accumulate without extended peasant economy. In reality, he proves wages in the form of variable capital, and reproduction year in and year out. This Stalin Discloses the Un Marxian Village. something directly contrary. If the formsurplus value, which is afterwards trans is clear and evident. It cannot be clearer. This point is still better than the pre ulae of extended reproduction are equally formed into a source of additional constant But this is not taught by Marxist theory, ceding one. From the somnolent banality applicable to capitalist and socialist ecoand variable capital. This in turn permits for it is the general property of bourgeois of exposition every now and then rockets nomy to contemporary society generthe acquisition of greater surplus value. political economy, its quintessence. Accu of audacious ignorance explode. Does the ally then it is absolutely incomprehensiSuch is the spiral of extended reproduc mulation as a condition of development peasant, that is, simple commodity econ ble why it is impossible to continue the furtion in its most general and abstract form. of contemporary society is precisely the omy, develop according to the laws of (Continued on Page 8)
the Audacity of Ignorance like nuts.