EDITORIAL NOTES The Eleventh Plenum of the Comintern This gels, signifies the disappearance of the To make confusion worse confounded, political state which is conceivable only as in the characteristic manner of Stalinist a class instrument, the organized power revisionism, the editorial demands Socialof one class for oppressing another. How, ism under a Workers and Farmers Govthen, is it possible speak of a workers ernment! But Socialism again according BOLSHEVIK ORGANIZATION unique division of labor among the bour and farmers government in a Socialist to Marx and Engels will abolish the disgeois agents in the labor movement. We society? Such an idea can establish kin tinction betwen town and country. AgriThe revolutionary Marxists, who get are witnessing now an American example.
ship with reformist advocates of State Soc culture will be conducted by cooperative for themselves the greatest of all historic The black reactionaries, who are most ialism, but it has nothing in common with social labor. The petty bourgeois basis of tasks, have always prescribed commensurate closely and directly bound to the capitalists Barxism.
agriculture will be abolished and with the forms of organization and methods of work.
and the state, held open sway in the period Perhaps may be explained that the farmers as a class (petty bourgeois) beThe principle of centralized party organiof reaction. The conditions of the crisis, editorial meant to speak, not of the Social fore reach the Socialist society and as a zation was laid down by Marx and Engels.
and the suffering and disillusionment of ist society but of the transition period to prerequisite for it. How, then, can we have Lenin, who stood on their shoulders, devmasses of workers resulting from them, it. But Socialism and the Dictatorship of Socialist society under a workers and eloped these conceptions to a higher degree are exposing these elements to the Comthe Proletariat are entirely different social farmers government?
and vindicated them in the living experimunist attack. And in direct proportion as orders and cannot be used itnerchangeably In the literature of Marxism such forences of the Russian revolution. Bolshevthe outright capitalist slogans of Green and by anyone who understands the difference mulae are nowhere to be found. They be1sm waged an irreconcilable war against Woll lose their effectiveness, the Left between them. The workers state is only long exclusively to the school of Stalin.
every kind of looseness in matters of orreformists come into prominence to serve a stage on the road to Socialism; it can ganization as well as in questions of theory the same ends through deception.
and tactics. And rightly, for they are and This maneuver presents a real promust le inseparably united. It was not for blem to the American Communists, who nothing that a question of organizationhave yet to gain a serious influence with Lenin insistence on active work in a party the workers. If the workers who are organization as the qualification for party From the point of view of political and the Revolution the development of membership was the occasion for the first breaking away from their allegiance to the ignorance. stupidity and ideological cretin Communism is presented as follows. a)
split between the Bolsheviks and the Mencapitalist parties and the official labor re ism it is indisputable that the Tenth Plen war Communism. b) Socialism. c) Comactionaries are captured by the progres um of the Executive Committee of the munism. This is the way Lenin pictures sheriks. At the present moment these resives they will only end in a blind alley. broke all the records. The ridiculous collections have an exceptional importance the development by stages. After the proTheir revolt will not mature and aise them for the adherents of the International Left theories of the third period (social fas. letariat conquers power, it cannot imme to the higher ground of the class struggle cism) the ingenious evaluation of the diately conduct the entire economy, that Opposition.
implicit in the present situation. That this revolutionary situation France sur is, cannot instantly institute socialism.
The influence of the Marxist wing which danger is a real one, only a fool can deny. passed everything that the party could It nationalizes the most important factories, declined with the depression of the moveWhen we see the fraudulent progressives have conceived of as platitude and theor then it extends this action to the minor ment will rise again with its upward swing.
replacing the Communists at the head of etical decadence.
industries and after it sets itself the task This development is already indicated by the insurgent miners movement to menThe Eleventh Plenum has abandoned of socializing agrarian economy. That is the situation in Spain. It will be reflected tion only one case it is time to wake up in the American movement and will impose the theories of the third period. It has what is going on in the and and examine the question and the answers new tasks and responsibilities on the Comforgotten the revolutionary situation in this would continue with ever greater sucoffered by the three factions to it.
munist League cess, if the leadership were to analyze the For this we must prepare.
Vrance and recalled social fascism only in The best service to the Muste movement a very feeble voice, all of which may be situation as it actually is. That is why Our National Conference, now in the course of preparation, will confront the problem is that rendered by Lovestone. The Right counted as an ideological victory for the the only correct formulation is that of wing of Communism paints up the proof hardening our organization for the comLeft Opposition. Yet, the resolutions of the comrade Trotsky on the nature of Soviet state: The has entered Ing events.
gressive qualities of Musteism, and moder Eleventh Plenum gire ample proof of the In recent months the New York branch the first stage in the development of soc ates criticism to a whisper. Thereby Love theoretical ignorance and the confusion ialism. The formulation of the Eleventh has taken a number of steps which antistone deceives a section of the Left wing that exists in the minds of the present Plenum is theoretically impotent, it is the cipate, we hope, the general decisions of workers, and disarms them in the struggle leaders of the For whoever is not against it.
the National Conference in this respect.
The official Centrist faction conformulation familiar with the history of the Comintern people who have been tents itself with routine denunciations and during the last few years, but is sufficiently probationary period for new members, ghtened away from their slogans of yesfamiliar with Marxian methods, it is enough terday, when they were speaking of harconfuses the situation with the false and a stricter regulation of dues payments and ing entered into socialism, at a time when ridiculous formula of social fascism.
a more precise definition of the individual to go through the resolutions of the Elevenduties of the members are among the moattitude is a direct service the th Plenum to find inumerable contradicmilk was lacking for the children and for tions adopted in the branch. In all of them Left reformists, to which their undoubted whom they had to justify their bureaucratic tions in them and to be convinced of the adventurism.
advances testify. The correct way to fight low ideological level of the present leada definite trend toward firmer Bolshevik forms and methods of work is expressed.
the progressive agents of reaction re. ers of the Executive. We shall occupy The Colonial Question in China and The Communist League did not begin quires in the first place a precise explana ourselves at length with these resolutions.
in India by stressing organization forms and could tion of their function. From this must The Estimation on the not do follow an unceasing criticism, with particu ary engagement was to Which What does the Soviet Union represent leads the liberation move lar clarify in a broad discussion the great emphasis on their concrete actions, combined with the revolutionary tactic of at the present moment? socialist state, ment of the colonial masses in the colonies questions brought to the fore in the strugthe united front. This is the policy of the or a Socialist society? Has the gle of the International Lett Opposition, and the backward countries? The proleLeft Opposition. Its adoption by the Comalready entered into a period of socialism?
and to popularize them in the Communist tariat, allied with the peasantry and leadranks. To have imposed rigid organization munist workers is a pressing necessity of That is the main question to which we ing it, defeats the power of the ruling shall reply. During the last few years the features in the first instance would have the struggle.
bureaucracy has been crying from the classes, fights against foreign imperialism, been to put the cart before the horse. Form house tops that the has entered against native capitalism, against reaction cannot take the place of substance: it can into socialism. The Eleventh Plenum and, supporting itself upon the peasantry, only represent it. Now we can move on.
WHAT IS SOCIALISM?
retreats in this question to which it re it institutes the proletarian dictatorship for our work of elucation and preparation plies: In the the construction by means of the Soviets. This is what has not been in vain. The main lines of The doctrine of socialism in one coun of the foundation of socialist economy is Lenin taught us. But Stalin has revised principle have been clearly established, and try has been the platform of a revisionist being completed.
Lenin, presenting as an example of the each successive attempt to muddle them has war ngainst Marxism since its promulgation met with diminishing successes.
Soviet system, the institution of Soviets Here the question arises. What do the It is not in 1924. So far is Socialism in one counfoundations of socialist economy consist of?
in the agrarian regions in China. He has likely, therefore, that the Conference will try from the conceptions of the great house in which the foundation is socthereby (esclared that the peasantry can be obliged to occupy itself with conflicts on teachers. that its exponents had to begin the fundamental questions. It will be justialism, but which needs walls and a roof. play an independent role and organize it.
with a different definition of the word, a ified in the assumption that we can now self Soviet government that will lead definition which robs socialism of the conIn a general way, Marxism assumes that the foundation of a socialist society is to to the socialist reorganization of China.
proceed to emphasize those Bolshevik prin teats whier whereat teachers prescribe ciples of organization which are necessary be found in capitalism developed to its The Eleventh Plenum goes still further. and makes fun of the revolutionary strug.
highest stage: without this, socialism is Due to the manifest experiences of the to bind our forces firmly toutother and gle to attain that goal. Stalin well known masses in the Soviet provinces, the Sorimpossible. It is the task of the proletarderelop their maximum effectiveness. The declaration that the Russian workers uniat to transform the social structure of iets and the red army, which have issued actions taken by the New York branch are der the Nep had already attained nineto be welcomed as a push in this direction.
forth from the agrarian revolution, draw capitalist economy, by proceeding through tenths of Socialism is a monstrous exvarious stages by means of the proletarian into the struggle the industrial centers.
ample of this perversion of ideas. And dictatorship with a methodical organizanow we encounter the same brand of socNot only is the peasantry, then, an inde tion of economy leading up to a socialist pendent class, but it is the class which THE STRUGGLE AGAINST ialism in the Stalinist press of America.
society. From this it follows that those actively directs and organizes the prole LEFT REFORMISM The Daily Worker of May 16 calls for who claim that in the. tariat! It is clear that we have here a the the establishment of a socialist society foundations have been completed thereby new theory that breaks completely with The Conference for Progressive olitiunder a Workers and Farmers Govern say that no great progress has been made Leninism. It is pure Stalinism. And cal Action, which has already condemned it ment! Since this astounding slogan ap over capitalism, which is like saying nothwe may rest assured that the originators self forever by its hootlicking subservience pears in the leading editorial is it not in to the labor reactionaries, has begun ing at all. In reality, Leninism has never of this theory have nothing in common with to place to ask these people to explain what feel the new winds blowing in the labor pictured the development of socialism as Marxism Leninism They do not understand they mean by Sociaism? If the Commuu a vertical development, but rather as a its importance for the development of the murement and is beginning to dress for the ist Manifeste is not ont of date. SocialOccasion. The Way number of the Labor development step by step. In The State colonial movements. But here we find a second point which completely destroys the Age, the official organ of the peace of this dilemma, and that is the comes out with a red cover and a startling estimation on India. The acquisition of line of rad:cal talk. In one issue we see ANNOUNCING the leadership of revolutionary liberation a demand for the defense of the Soviet movement of the masses by the proletariat Union, a denunciation of Karl Kautsky is at present the most important condition sham Socialism. an appeal for the buildfor the victory of the Indian revolution.
ing of industrial unions with a revolutionThen, it is not the peasantry any more ary outlook and alm, and similar words that leads in the revolutionary liberation which cost nothing and mean less as a crimovement, but the proletariat. But in terlon by which to judge the character and what is India less favored than future activity of the pseudo progressives.
China? Why can the peasantry lead the Talk is cheap. He who believes in The first book to be published by the revolution in Ching but not in India? Is works is an idiot, said Lenin who knew Stalinism justified in China? Where is the Pioneer Publishers how to estimate and deal with the Russian difference? In the specific weight of the prototypes of Muste. section of the soc210 pages of scintillating argument on a much disputed question proletariat? Or in the character of the lal reformists always plays the part of peasantry? Up to the present we do Weather cocks. There is no surer signs of Cloth bound. 00 Paper cover. 500 know of any political and social differences awakening discontent than Left talk in Send your orders now, accompanied by check or money order made out aside from the fact that in China Stalin the reformist camp. And never does realready has been able to ally himself with formism become more dangerous to to The Pioneer Publishers. 84 East 10th St. New York City.
the Chiang Kai Shek whereas in China that One third off for certificates holders. Special prices in bundles.
Workers movement than when it assumes not yet happened.
the protective coloring of radicalism.
International experience has revealed a (To be Continued)
THE MILITANT, Vol. IV No. 11, June 1, 1931. Published twice monthly by the Communist League of America (Opposition) at 84 East 10th St. New York, Sub ecription rate: 00 per year: foreign 50. Five cents per copy. Bundle rates cents per copy. Editorial Board. Martin Abern, James Cannon, Max Shachtman, Maus Ilce Spector, Arne Swabeck. Entered as second class mall matter, November 28, 1928 at the Post Office at New York, under the act of March v, 1870 (Total No. 70. The Permanent Revolution By LEON TROTSKY