PAGE THE MILITANT SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 1932 BOOK REVIEW Trotsky Answers Some Fundamental Questions. The Strategy of the World Revolution. can of one or that a les se stale contains second lines frequently have history begie met The Communists and the Agrarian Crisis er det der hele taget there is inter Gives Views on Problems of Communist Movement in Soviet Russia, Europe and the United States The Strategy of the World Revolution would stride. Stalin conceived the bloc (Part of the Criticism of the (Continued from page 1) prevented the carrying out of this plan. learn to make use of disagreements in these circumstances see no prospect of Draft Program of the as a means of preventing military intervention of the imperialist powers in the struggle against the Stalin regime. Socialist Success, Prepuro Ground for the camp of opponents and enemies. general stabilization of European cap Published by the of Opposition) The chapter on The Maneuverist Soviet Union.
Question: Do you still regard the pre Weakening of Bureaucracy Only with a policy as flexible as this is italism.
sent phase of the Bolshevist revolution Question: Is there need of modifying it possible to rise step by step to the Question: How do you view the posiNew York City, 1831 Character of Revolutionary Strategy as expressed in your autobiography been and how should this be modided? Answell as assault. have not the sighest world situation? Answer: think as a originally the second section of the Crit and deeply confused by as Thermidorian. and has your view the communist dictatorship in Russia topStrategy involves maneuvers an tion of the United States in the present Illuminates a tactic that has been sys This important document which was tematically abused by the light wing borne ou. by events since your depart wer: This question is clogely bound up party, in spite of the resistance of the inance of American over European capt munist International was published 10 those corps of maneuver specialists who German Communist result of the present crisis the pre domicism of the Draft Program of the Com. Trotsky with scathing frony the Centrists.
une trouve Sosted that the present stage with the arst two. The economic aus Stalin bureaucracy, will learn this site tulism will grow still more pronounced. the United States by the left oppond imagine that by maneuvers they ridicules of the revolution was ho hemidorincesses, it is needless to say, have greatly tegy, through which alone bolshevism In the same way, as a result of everstion nearly a year and fat blagoen to solve all the bis questions of the class The historic conception of Thermidor strengthened the Soviet Union. At the was able to win the power in Russia.
has a very definite content: it means a same time they have greatly weakened The Present Crisis: Its effects on Inance of the big enterprise over the the appearance of the two other see impressed that a maneuver never de completion of the Arst stage of a view the position of Stalin official apparatus, Thermi. In this there is no contradiction. In the Europe and America torious counter revolution. small, the trust over the isolated untions of the criticism (published as the cides anything in great mutters. Question: What is your view of the dertaking. However, dor in the could mean noth first place. It is perfectly clear to all this inevitable Draft Program of the Communist Inter correct maneuver can only facilitate the Ing else than the coming into power conscious elements of the population or present world economie crisis and its growth of the world hegemony of the Un national, Criticism of Fundamentals) decision by giving the possibility although at first in a semi disguised the Soviet Union that the successes in implications for the prevailing social itel States will entail further deep com was, as is related in the introduction, order? Do you still look for world rev tradictions both in the economy and in its complete suppression by the Stalin sults with smaller forees. Difficulties gaining time or of attaning greater reform, of the bourgeoisie, and consequent the sphere of industrialization and colly a breakdown of the October revolution lectivization became possible only be olution as a likely consequence of the the politics of the great American RepuBucharin bloe up crisis or do you believe that capitalism blic. In asserting the die atorship of the left Opposition was totally unaware or in principle on the contrary, cannot be have never, at any time or anywhere, cause the Stalin bureaucracy came said that the Octuber revolution has against the resistance of its protege may surmount the crisis and enter upon dollar over the whole world the ruling its existence. In the four years since overcome with the aid o broken down. This opinion is persist the kulak, who refused to surrender his period of stabilization? What would class of the United States will introduce it was written, far from having dimin What should be the attitude toward the ently attributed to me by the Stalingrain to the State, and thus the burl be the situation of Soviet Russia in the contradictions of the whole worla ished in its usefulness in relation to the so called ally? In maneuver Has not the in o the very basis of its own dominance developments of the world revolution, it must always proceed from the very press for purposes which bave nothing eaucracy was compelled to take over event of stabilization?
whatever to do with the interests of and carry out the program of the last world economic crisis placed Soviet Rus The sconomy and the politics of the Unhas, on the contrary, become more valua worst assumptions with regard to one adversary to whom concessions are made.
truth. What have asserted and do Opposition. Stalin has dealt with our sia before the need of revising her own Hted States will depend more and more ble, particularly when revolution is again with regard to the dubious ally with assert is on program in much the same way that the economic policies? Answer: The present directly upon crises, wars and revoluhere has grow!
being placed on the order of the day in whom arrangements are concluded, the basis of the October revolution freetrader MacDonald has dealt with economic crisis is an indubitable expresions in all parts of the world. The Europe he protectionist program of Josephsion of the fact that world capitalism position of observer cannot long beTrotsky on the Character of Our Epoch ly borne in mind that the ally can per not from the best. It must be constantpowerful bureaucratie stratum in which system. The maintained formally. think that Amboth active and passive Thermidorian Chamberlain, who also in his time was has outlived Itselt as a Without understanding the nature of haps Become an enemy by However, cruelly beaten at the polls. Today Cham question of the historic date when it erica will create the most colossal systomorrow.
tendencies are very strong.
their victory is still far ofl. The opposi berlain (I mean the father, not the son) will be replaced by another system will tem of land, sea and air militarism the epoch in which we live, the manner and above all, in every maneuver the intion to these tendencies consists of is in any case more popular in Eng be decided, of course, in different ways tem of land, sea and air militarism that and tempo in which events unfold them a land than MacDonald. To be sure, for different countries, and especially can be imagined. The conclusive em selves, the enormous weight of the sub dependence of the party must be main tained.
struggle for the independence of the jective factor in accelerating, precipi Trotsky devotes a chapter to the quesChamberlain died long ago. But the for different parts of the world. Pre ergence of America from its old proCommunist party, the trade unions and the soviets and for their vigilant con principal leaders of the Russian opposl sent day Europe has no way out. Even Vincialism, the struggle for markets. tating, or retarding changes in the in tion of the party regime. In a thortion are alive. Rakovsky in Barnaoulthough the automatic working of the the growth of armaments, and active ing the strategical lessons from the rev: the question of groups and factions with: ternational situation, and without draw. oughly dialecticut manner he analyses trol over the bureaucracy. This opinion is attentively following all processes laws of the market lead to a softening world policy, the experience of the prewas not formed by me after my exile of Industry and politics in the Soviet of the crisis in Europe after a year or sent crisis all these things will inevit.
olutionary convulsions of the post war in the party, shows under what condifrom the Soviet Union; che contrary. Union. second and still more impor two, the crisis will return again in a ably intrdouce cleep changes into the in period and the Russian revolution, tions they arise, and under what condiIt was the cause of my exile. burtant cause of the weakening of the so comparatively short time with redoubled ner life of the United States. The em repetition of the defeats of the worlacions they are leader upon its commanding role. The danger med et baremuleraeglese den thereface that force. The productive forces are being ergence of labor party is inevitable revolution are unavoidable. It is pre questione e Bolshevigation and the economic successes have greatly strangled in the national cells of Eur It may begin to grow with an Amer clely upon these crucial questions that ship, the relation between the inherent in the Thermidorlan tendenc: elevated not only the number of the ope. The dilettante plan of Brland ican tempo. leading to liquidation the program of the Communist International fails to give an adequate an all the monstrous perversions on these and the parties of West. After les of a bureaucracy was pebfectly Russian workers, but also their cultural for a union of Europe has not emerged of one of the two old parties just as clear to Lenin. He gave warning against level, their confidence in their own and never will emerge from the labora the Liberals have disappeared in Eng were without an extensive general. baste questions by the bureaucratie apthis danger in his last speech at the powers and their feeling of independ tory of the chancelleries and editorial land.
Eleventh Congress of the party in 1922.
ence. All these traits are hard to reconoffices. The ruling classes will cure the To sum it up. you must say the So epochas an epoch of abrupt turns, paratus it is indeed refreshing to read My last conversation with Lenin was decle with a bureaucratic guardianship. crisis with a further economic decima. viet Union will be Americanized technt. writes Trotsky, real education of the these lines, so lucid and so Marxian.
voted to this question. Lopin proposed Nevertheless, the Stalin apparatus in cally, Europe will either be Sovietized young parties, correct strategical that form a bloc with him against its struggle for dominance has carried tion of Europe and a strengthening of or descend to barbarism the United Leadership of class struggles, correct that bureaucratism, the focal point of the bureaucratie regime to its utmost protectionism and militarism Under states will be Europeanized politically cold right about tuce at a turn of the Lectures on the History of which he considered, and also, to be extremes. want especially to emphasthe secretarial apparatus of the party in this fact: the economic successes, as situation, is impossible. And it is just at such a turn that in two or three days the Communist International strengthened but, on the contrary, undermined the position of the ruling On Wednesday evening, March 16th at (Continued from page 3)
revolution for years to come.
in agriculture the variable capital renow M, comrade Shachtman will give Sunday Elections stratum. consider important changes first concentrated in the developing cities quired for the exploitation of a certaining toward such a decisive point. For the second of his series of eight lectures in the methods of the Soviet regime ab and later, with the development of capi plece of land is decreased absolutely and this reason the lessons of the defeat of on the History of the Communist Interin Germany rather near future. These changes wtryside as agricultural workers almost taken into cultivation, which implies a in this pamphlet assumes extraordinary the first congress of the International (Continued from page 1) involve blow at the dictatorship of to the degree that capitalist production still greater previous growth of the non timeliness. The German party was un held in 1919. Comrades and sympathcapitalist. Hindenburg as the latter the Stalin bureaucracy, and will indub subordinate agrict to atter this locutre itably clear the road for a flourishing its own liking. The advent of capital 747. The expropriation of the peasantryixing for the seisure of power in 1923 would do well to read The Manifesto candidate, supported by the extreme re actionary parties, signified the monarchy of Soviet democracy on the foundations as an independent and leading power in and handleraft labor as primitive ac after it had been directed by the Third of the Moscom International which was hovering over Germany. The laid down by the October revolution.
agricalture does not take place generally cumulation of capital takes on new forms Congress toward the conquest of the signed in Moscow in March 1919 by comPrediets His Party Return all at once, but gradually and separately in advanced capitalism with the then wrote correctly pointing out to con masses through daily work in the trade rade Lenin, Trotsky, Platten, Zinovier the German Communist Party 10th con Question: Do you look forward to in various lines of production. It seizes stant shift of the rural to the urban unions, in parliament, in factories, in and Rukorsky.
gress, held July 10th, 1923: The 10th your return to Soviet Russia? Under first not aericulture propery but such population and the debt and mortgage the press and so on. The party was congress of the Communist Party of what conditions would that be possible lines of production is cathes raisinile ridden farmers ever on the increase, in confronted with what Trotsky calls the Series of Eight Popular Lectures Germany must trankly admit that the and what would be your program?
Ans. pecially sheep raisins, whose principle the last analysts resulting in driving crisis of tue revolutionary by Max shacht man party committed an error by not follow wer: think that the above mentioned produdet, wool, offers a steady surplus of them of the land. And if they return, on the eve of the transition to armed met hendrice siven by the Executive changes will make possible and inevit. the market price over the price of pro: to return as wage laborers or tenants uprising. Elements of the leadership March 16th The Founding of the New International Committee of the Communist Interna: able a return of the Left Opposition to duction during rising Industry, and this in varied forms.
is not balanced until later. This was and middle layers of the party succumb The First Congress 1919 tional after the first presidential ballot active work in the Soviet Union.
Effects of the Land Crisis to the turious assaults of bourgeois pub March 23rd The Twenty One Conditand before the election of Hindenburg. For Support of Bruening? Stalinist the case in England during the 16th CenIn other words, healthy capitalism, le opinion, to its material and ideolotions of the International tury. Marx: Capital, Vol. 3, page 931)
Slander!
namely, to signity to the German social The Second Congress 1920.
democrat In the first stage of production, its carrying out the capitalist process of cen geal terror, and vacillate at the moment that the Communists were Question: You have been reported as forces work destructively against the tralization, concentration and accumula the party must proceed unhesitatingly March 30th The Struggle for the Conprepared to withdraw their candidate in urging the Communists in Germany to pre capitalist condition of the unity of tion, creating laws the capitalists cannot into the armed struggle.
quest of the Masses After the opportue moment had been The Third Congress 192 on certain conditions. Such errors and means of staving of the victory of Hit once it has smashed this relationship, it than is necessary for a capitalist sys missed in Germany, the Comintern lead April 6th The Last Lehinist Congress delays are unforgivable in politics and lerism is that true? Why do you con starts the process of unifying capitalist tem. Where the logical see the weak ership instead of recognizing that, as a The Fourth Congress 1922 always costly to the party of the rev sider the present policy of German com industry and capitalist agriculture on aning of its agricultural base and point result of the defeat, they were con April 13th The First Victory of the olutionary proletariat.
Germany 1926 is, of course, not Ger to the effect that have urged the Ger the base for the transformation of agri advanced country or to a Workers and was necessary to retreat, to consolidate Right Centrist Reaction The Fifth Congress 1924 many 1932. Today there is an objective man Communists to support the Gov.
April 20th The Triumph of the Eplgones try: Today there is the yet more serious false. The Stalin press has attributed negative sense this is already accomplish that the opposite is true and the weak gles, entered upon policy of ultra Left The sixth Congress. 1928 and more direct menace of Fascism this plan to me, and the idea has been ed in advanced America, but in the post spot in this process manifests itself in adventurism. It was at this time in been tive sense it is not, and will not be another sphere of capitalist production. 1924 that Stalin declared. The, social hoovering over Germany. Today so taken up by journalists who do not until after the seizure of power by the In fact, the further tearing down of out. democracy is an objectively more modApril 27th The Future of the Third much more is the question relations and the crate wing of Fascism. But it was not International What Next class unity, of a united front from or the German Communists to carry out proletariat and the establishment of the lived agricultural molding of them to capitalist liking is until 1929, when the third period ganization organization, from move the policy of the so called United Front socialist mode of production.
at the The Agrarian Crisis necessary to strengthen this industry swept in that this original idea of Stalin ment to movement, of workers under The Communists ought to propose to social democratic Ideology and those of the Social Democrats and to the trade What is the relationship between agrl that has always lagged behind the gen ripened into the flourishing theory of LABOR TEMPLE 14th St. and 2nd Ave.
eral development of Industrial capital social Fascism.
at P.
Communist ideology against Fascism, unions led by them program of cooper what is the meaning of the agrarian countries creates friction and steam to culture and industry in America and ism. The agrarian crisis in advanced The Illusons of the Anglo Rassan QUESTIONS and DISCUSSION the vital Issue of the moment It is ative, practical struggle against the at.
Committee for the course The German proletack of the Fascists. The Social Dem. crists? The agrarian crisis seems to be be let off. But its weakening effect uptariatets still the powerful lighting ceratie masses quite sincerely destre to permanent feature of American capital on capitalism is expressed primarily in converted itself into its opposite, the However, the Leftism of 1924 soon Admission 15e per lecture Communist Party. but the supreme need refuse, they will compromise themselves phenomena of the concentration of aptries. It transforms a decisive section Center Bloc. Here Trotsky examines Glotzer National Tour for the party to understand how to in the eyes of the mouwens maspected that anmerican capitoitalismo se centre of the farmer class Into agricultural the mistakes committed by the Stalinapply this essential united front tactie the leaders agree the masses, In practic. that American capitalism is further workers In the west comrade Glotzer national GERMAN LEFT OPPOSITION and support the Communists. One must own liking. The centralization carries the country to the top heavy weight of with the Anglo Russian Committee. The tour has met with success as well as with it a greater diversification of the the city under capitalism, swelling the Left Opposition condemned the policy on with some difficulties. In St. Louis the APPEALS TO PARTY FOR division of social labor, with different proletariat from two angles. It further the Anglo Russian Committee not be meeting was held in the main public UNITED FONT POLICY Railroads Strike Policy sections specializing in different food socializes the model of production and cause it is opposed to the united front Ibrary hall with better than 100 workers This our German comrades of the Left attendance. This attendance gives Opposition have already proposed in a (Continued from page 2) the soll. In order to rotate crops for the tion and capitalist appropriation. It Berts, but because of the illusions with testimony to the growing interest in very concrete form embodied in its ap ficiency and cooperation with the com greatest exploitation of the capital in asorganizes the whole world division of which it was invested. The Anglo Rus Communism displayed by the workers peal to the official Communist Party in pany policy have been put into effect vested.
labor, shaking up not only the internal sian Committee was perceived not as a there. This became further evident in addition to putting forward a worker with the consent of the labor officials. It is the nature of the capitalist mode relations between agriculture and indu purely episodie bloe of leaders that the discussion following the lecture with to create (1) Committees of action con called merit mark system. Wage cuts population continually as compared united front presidential candidate also stool picconism is encouraged by the so of production to reduce the agricultural atrybut also the external relations he would inevitably have to be and would many questions addressed to the speakfirst er touching upon the fundamental pro sisting of representatives of factories, have been voluntarily accepted by the the non agricultural, because in industry. tries, in fact all of the contradictions of serious test in order to compromise the letarian problems.
trade unions, political groups and other labor leaders for the health of our in. strictly speaking) the increase of the town and country as such General Council. No, not only Stalin, In the mine field of Illinois comrade workers organizations.
dustry, for some other equally fool constant capital compared to the vari The American farmer, since the war, Bucharin, Tomsky and others, but also Glotzer met some difficulties. Our most (2) Joint Council of Action to be ish excuse Strikes bave been called on able capital goes hand in hand with an has overproduction of foodstuffs and raw. Zinoviev saw in it a long lasting frlend active comrade and to be away from the constituted at congress of delegates a number of small roads and been negabsolute increase though relative de material in every line but cannot see ship. an instrument for the systematic preparatory work to take part in negottfrom these Committees of Action. lected and permitted to drak on aimlesscrease of the variable capital: whereas his own overproduction, and only points revolutionization of the English working ations of the union scale committee. In to represent the proletarian concentraty for years and finally forgotten. No to the tremendous overproduction of the masses, and if not the gate, at least addition, and most important much in tion against the concentration of the attempt was made to spread these strikes, colonial regions, a necessary develop the threshold of the gate over which the timidation already exists amongst the Club so they could be won. There was no Youth Activities reactionaries.
ment and encouragement of industry un revolution of the English proletariat miners, further intensified by the latest (3) The congress must be organized and received from these striking roads picketing, and can were delivered to YOUTH CLASS der imperialism resulting in the crea Communist persecutions. Under tion a whirlwind presure from all sides, in advance as the proletarian counter by union workers on other lines. As a class in the ABC of Coinmunism. It is precisely the rapidly growing cul Young Spartacus Affair conditions, as could be expected, the parliament in the event of a Fascist matter of fact, the class collaboration will hold its first session Sunday, March tivation of such prairie or steppe dismeeting became small but nevertheless Reichstag, or against an extra parlia policy has practically wrecked the rail 13, 330 at 84 10th st. This tricts which of late turns the renowned YOUTH AFFAIR gave an opportunity to discuss some of mentary or parliamentary Fascist gov. road unions and their only function at class has been arranged by the Spartacus statement of Malthus, that the populaOn Saturday, March 26, at P. wires present.
the workers problems with the ernment.
present is to collect dues from the mem Youth Club. Comrade George Ray will tion presses upon the means of sub a youth affair will be held at The MhiThere were additional difficulties in (4) The congress must solve threebers for the benefit of the salaried of be the instructor. All young workers stitence. Into ridicule, and has created tant headquarters, 84 East 10th St, for Kansas City which were also of the tasks concretely. ficials.
and students who are interested are in the reverse of it in the complaint of the benefit of Young Spartacus, youth character hitting the Communist move(a) the preparation of the general However, there is a marked reaction vited to attend. The Spartacus Youth the agrarians, who that agricultu strike to prevent the seizure of power manifesting itself among the members Club itself will meet at the same address and with it Germany, will be ruined unrades are assured of a good time. There actually unable, even after much effort, organ of the Left Opposition. All comment as a whole. Our comrades were by Hugenberg and Hitler. against this cooperation and surrender on Sunday, March 13, at P. less the means of substitence which are to secure a hall. The meeting therefore (b) the formation of one common, formation of a growing organized min. The Role of the Socialist Party will be out by force. The cultivation of these freshments. The affair is being held un house. It was the same house where one. non party workers defenze corps. c) the elaboration of a common minority in the railroad union who wou elven. Extensive discussion will follow steppes prairies, pampas, llanos etc. der the auspices of the Spartacus Youth of the existing unemployment councils meet. While fmum program with regard to the next 15, 000 dollar a year bureaucrats, with next few meetings are as follows: March ary effect on European agriculture will, located a good deal steps to be taken by the Committees of their cooperation policy, to the political 20, The Events in the Far East; March therefore, make itself felt later on even FOR INFORMATION out of the way there was nevertheless an attendance of about 40 workers who Action đung heap.
27, The History of the Russian Rev. more than hitherto. Engels, Vol. 3, ON THE YOUTH MOVEMENT took serious part in the questions dis ARNE SWABECK. olution. a discussion on Trotsky book page 785. To be continued)
READ YOUNG SPARTACUS cussed.
a to such live