Welcome Back, Wicks!
Centrism «in General»and the Centrism of the Stalinist Bureaucracy by LEON TROTSKY it.
of that time.
and 9: PAGE THE MILITANT SATURDAY, MAY 28, 1932 For Communist Unity (Continued from page 1)
appeal for re admission, The differences Expert on Renagacy Returns from Long Absence which we have with the present party polley can, we repeat, and should be settled within the framework of one sinOne of the big events of the month in man and Ben Reitman would not dare gle organization, the Communist party.
American Party circles is the triumphant to carry on the propaganda in Russia We aspire only to defend our polnt of return of Wicks after a long 80 which they did carry on here. It they view Inside the party, to seak for it in journ in foreign parts. This return of aid it would be a firing squad for them. the proper manner and at the proper a hero has been sittingly celebrated by The purpose of the revolutionists totime, in accordance with the provisions the publication of an aticle from his pen day is not democracy. They want the made for such discussion by the statutes in the Daily Worker of May 18th, in the rule of the militant minority. Mr. Wicks of the party and the International, and The errors of the leadership of the Comintern and formism and Marxism, and which most often represent course of which he excoriates the rene charged that Syndicalism had been taken in accordance with the principle of dem consequently, the errors of the German Communist various stages of evolution from reformism to Marxgades in his own characteristic and in up in many instances by unions. Ocratic centralist.
Party pertain, in the familiar terminology of Lenin, to ism and vice versa. Both Marxism and reformism Imitable style.
said there is no question about the synThere is one thing to be said for Wicks. dicalism of Foster, who was secretary ods pursued in the negotiations conducted Our inability to agree with the meth: the category of ultra Left stupidities. Even wise have a solid social support underlying them. Marxism when he writes on the subject of rene of the Steel Striko organization. He with the Lovestone tercup does not hun men are capable of stupidities, especially when young. expresses the historical interests of the proletariat.
way eliminate our conviction that the But, as Heine counselled, this privilege should not be Reformism speaks for the priviliged position of proIn contrast ele dengan materie pro ele tem debat dela en store medie deler alacatton of the party is now more abused. When, however, political stupidities of a hearing losure a une racer and aristocrates within the center fashion, without any real knowledge or lets. He also stated that the radicalsperative than ever. We are quite pre given type are repeated systematically in the course italist state. Centrism, as we have known it in all towards conviction, Wicks brings to the task the were simply blding their time to call this unity a reality, a reality which we of a lengthy period, and moreover in the sphere of past, did not have and could not have an independent ease and assurance and the cunning another strike.
are sure will give our party new im the most important questions, then they cease being social foundation. Different layers of the proletariat touch that derives from a practical ex The speaker could not find words to petos and added effectiveness in the simply stupidies and become tendencies. What sort develop in the revolutionary direction in different ways perlence in the business. Wicks knows describe his disgust for the class struggle. We make this appeal to of a tendency is this? What historical necessities does and at different times. In periods of prolonged industhe game from the inside; on the sub He charged them with being cowards the party at a moment when the gravity it meet? What are its social roots?
trial uplift or in the periods of political ebb tide, after ject of renegacy, he is an expert. and the scum of the earth.
of the situation obliges every revolutionIn the article referred to above Wicks Mr. Wicks is preparing to tour the ary worker to weigh his decisions and Ultra Leftism has a different social foundation in defeats, different layers of the proletariat shift polreturns once again to the battle against country on the Chautauqua platform this actions, for what is involved in the different countries and at different periods. The most itically from left to right, clashing with other layers us which he first began in the early summer in order to let the American peo whole future of our cause. thoroughgoing expressions of ultra Leftism were to who are just beginning to evolve to the Left. Difdays of the American Communist move ple understand the true situation. He In presenting our appeal to the party, be found in anarchism and Blanquism, and in their ferent groups are delayed on separate stages of their ment. Twelve years ago, when some of has given several years study to Sociol the price headers of the Left opposity and is preparing to write two books that we may be able to act quickly upon different combinations, among them the latest one: evolution, they find their temporary leaders and create anarcho syndicalism.
their programs and organizations. Small wonder then Palmer terror and others were organiz He has broken away from the Socialdiversity of trends is embraced in the With Communist greetings The social soil for these trends which have spread that such ing the underground groups of the future ists so recently that this may be the first primarily through Latin countries was to be found comprehension of centrism. Depending upon their party on the outside, Wicks distinguish notice some of them will have of his National Committee, in the old and classic small industries of Paris. Their origin, their social composition and the direction of ed himself in the red baiting campaign apostacy.
Communist League of America (Opp) stability added an indubitable significance to the their evolution, different groupings may be engaged Originally prominent leader of the Left wing of the Socialist French varieties of ultra radicalism and allowed them in the most savage warfare with one another, without party, and later of the he passed Statement of Jack Macdonald to a certain degree to influence ideologically the work losing thereby their character of being a variety of over to the other side under pressure ers movements in other countries. The development centrism.
While centrism in general fulfills ordinarily the of the terror and attacked his former (Continued from page 1) in so called discussions we used of large. San Pablons with her a les resten campaign. have a vivia recollection of this score blast and downloading theory of Trotakoe Russian revolution broke the spine of anarcho syndi function of serving as a left cover for reformism, the of recent times. The dates and some of the standing Committee where the Pol quotations given to us by Bucharin. How calism. Having been thrown back, it has become trans question as to which of the basic camps, reformist or the names are dicerent, but the essen Bureau of the made its de the polemical diferences between Lenin formed into a debased opportunism. On both of its Marxist, a given centrism may belong, cannot be solved.
claration, drawn from it, in its own and Trotsky were magnlfed. How Trotstages French syndicalism is headed by one and the once for all with a ready made formula. Here, more 100 the pilitante het reseptember with words because the delegations were spen sky, underestimated or denied the role same Jouhaux: the times change and we change with than anywhere else, it is necessary to analyze each them.
renegacy. Shortly thereafter he disap within the Bureau. No such principal across historical stages. Down with the peared from the country and nothing was differences existed, ran the declaration Czar! Up with the Labor Government.
Spanish anarcho syndicalism preserved its seeming inner tendencies of its development. Thus, some of Rosa heard from him for a long time. Now signed by all members of the bureau How during Lenin leadership he was revolutionary character only in the environment of Luxemburg political mistakes may be with sufficient By posing all the questions theoretical justification characterized as left centrist.
better way to greet his return can there tons reached home before news broke old false theories had cropped up again, syndicalist leaders to cast off their ultra radicalism of divergences between Rosa Luxemburg and Lenin reJob of denouncing the regrades. Want and Bucharin, Hardly had the dolega. the revolution. But since Lenin ated his point blank the revolution has compelled the anarcho One could go still further and say that the majority be than to print that record again? Here out that not only were there principal as old Permanent Revolution which was and to reveal their opportunist nature. We can rest presented a stronger or weaker leaning toward cenIt is; a verbatim reproduction of the differences, but that actual factions ex report of his speech from the Gary, Isted. And this after the le had been Every worker today can read Trotsky definitely assured that the Spanish revolution will drive trism. But only the bullies and ignoramuses and charof Thursday, March 25, 1920, pages neath the surface of official declarations us understand what the differences be hide out.
Indiana, Post (now the post Tribune, given to delegates who had probed be Permanent Revolation for himselt. Let out the prejudice of syndicalism from its last Latin Latans of the Comintern bureaucracy are capable of BARES UNDERHAND RED PLOT TO and factions.
and reported the existence of groupings tween Lenin and Trotsky were on the role of the pensantry, the democratic The anarchist and Blanquist elements join all kinds ward centrism. It goes without saying that the preUSE UNIONS TO RUIN UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT the sixth Congress, as justification for of the ro arming of the Party on the the periphery of a great revolutionary movement there politically, theoretically and morally do not come The creation of the third period at alectatorship etc. Acquire a knowledge of other types of ultra Left trends and groups. On sent leaders of the Comintern, from Stalin down. H, Wicks of Chicago, a reformed the left about face, unquestionably under return of Lenin to Russia before October are always to be observed the manifestations of putsch up to the knees of the great woman and revolutionist. in short have done with fabrication ism and adventurism, the standard bearers of which Critics, who have not pondered the gist of the matSocialist, spoke on the revolutionary the blows of the opposition period and misrepresentation and read history. are recruited either from backward and quite often ter, have recently accused me more than once of abustendencies of the times to some forty that has apparently passed into history The theory of the Permanent Revolutablished a Socialist local in Gary sev. the creation of a courtholtperiodVelotion is not an attempt at a leap of the semi artisan strate of the workers, or from the intel ing the word centrism. by including under this name eral years 280; he said he helped select reſection of the united Front Pere were proletariat over defnite historical stage, lectual fellow way farers. But such a type of ultra the great a variety of tendencies and groups within Oscar Anderson as the leader of the Gary the non party workers organizations in der the leadership of the proletariat.
but the transformation of the nation om Leftism does not ordinarily attain to independent his the workers movement. In reality, the diversity of strike; therefore he did not appear to the slogan of the united front from be Here may quote section two of the torical significance, retaining, in most instances, it the types of centrism originates, as has been already be an entire stranger. He charged that the steel strike was maneuvering with the leaders of the so Revolution; With regard to the coun historically backward countries, which are com how often the Marxists have been accused of assigning low. as an apology for the unprincipled fundamental thesis of the Permanent episodic character.
said, in the essence of the phenomenon itself and not at all in an abuse of terminology. We need only recall wholls the work of the syndicalist move cial Democratic and reformist trade un tries with. belated bourgeois develop pelled to go through their bourgeois revolutions within to the petty bourgeoisie the most diverse and conuntons forced the strike against the trophie caricature of a bolshevist Lentn. colonial countrielle til chorendo come the environment of a full fledged and world wide work tradictory phenomena. And actually, under the catewishes of the majority, he said. The ist policy in China, with its complete permanent revolution signifies that the ers movement, the left intelligentzia often introduces gory petty bourgeois. one is obliged to include fact, majorities did not want to strike but subordination of the Communist Party complete and genuine solution of thell the most extreme slogans and methods into the semi ideas and tendencies which at first glance appear enwere howled down by the leather lunged to Chiang Kal Shek and its corollary of tasks, democratie and national emanet pe elementary movements of the predominantly petty. tirely incompatible. The petty bourgeois character minorities whose only argument was that subsequent adventurist and putschist in tlon, is conceivable only through tbl bourgeois masses. Such is the nature of petty bourgeois pertains to the peasant movement and to the radical the opponents of the strike were agents surrection; the eclectic and mechanical of Judge Gary.
creation of the war danger. which led leader of the subjugated nation, above 4:1 parties of the type of the Russian Social Revolution tendencies of urban reformism; both French Jacobine BREAKS WITH PARTY the parties to orientate their activities of the peasant masses. The tasks of aries. with their tendencies toward putschism, in and Russian Narodniki are petty bourgeois. Prud Mr. Wicks has been a socialist good standing until last fall when he which the proletarian revolution would letariat and peasantry were completely the Communist parties in the West, the independent petty bourgeois are: the French anarcho syndicalists, openly broke with the Socialist Party. De born; the swing back to the right realized not before October, not in the adventuristic groups will hardly attain there to the the Salvation Army. Gandhi movement in India, are Blanquists; Previous to that time he had served as with its claring legalistic and paritadual power. but by October through importance of the Russian Social Revolutionaries. But etc. etc. If we turn to the sphere of philosophy and mittee of the Party. He said he was nomie crisis broke, only to find the ported by the poor peasants.
familiar with the work and attitude of partles isolated from the consequences It will be instructive at some other West may include within themselves the elements of Does this mean that Marxism indulges in playing with on this account the young Communist parties of the art, even a much more polychromatic picture obtains.
the Socialists, Communists and to a great extent of the third period time to retrace the directives all revolutionists.
tactics; the acrobatics on trade union Canadian Party, given by the opponents the influence of the evolution of bourgeois society, they petty bourgeoisie is characterized by the extreme heteto the adventurism. As regards the Russian s, under terminology? Not at all, this only means that the With very few exceptions, he said, policy, etc. etc. all this is at the radicals are not Americans. Most ample proof of the zig zag centrist policy desire to find historical stakes least of the permanent revolution to their have become transformed into the party of the imper rogeneity of its social nature. At bottom it fuses of the Socialists are people of foreign of the present regime birth and citizenship and many of them The appalling debacle of the Com. run the whole samat, from the fight olutionary position in relation to the October revolu letariat, on top it passes over into the capitalist bourover. These ialist petty bourgeoisie and have taken a counter rev with the proletariat and extends into the lumpen prodo not evn speak the English language. munist forces in the recent German pre against the British monarchy, demand tion.
WORK FOR AMERICAN LEGION sidential election with Bil Haywood and his satellites should growth of the Fascist forces; the almost government, farmers political parties, the present Comintern does not fall under any one of dern industry (the new middle estate. No wonder enormous for constituent assembly, farmer labor It is entirely self evident that the ultra Leftism of but it may rapidly develop on geoisie. It may lean upon old forms of production not be tolerated in this country, Mr. complete isolation of the party from the national independence, etc. etc.
bases of most moWicks said, he had been advising Amer trade unions; its insignificant ican Legion members not to permit these over the social democratic workers, dethe theory of national social the above specified historic types. The chief party of that ideologically it scintillates with all the colors of vermin to talk to them, but to knock spite the deep internal crisis in Ger in the struggle against Trotsky in 1925, the industrial proletariat, and operates for better or 19m of socialism in one country evolved the Comintern, the wittingly leans upon the rainbow.
them down. That, he said, is the only many: the theory of social Fascism. as contrary to all the teachings of Marx for worse from the revolutionary traditions of Bol certain sense the same rôle as does the petty bourgeois Centrism within the workers movement plays in a language they understand.
The speaker charged that the Social. tain Fascist lenders; the apparent devel errors that the Left Opposition warned shevism. The majority of other sections of the Com: ideology of all types in relation to the bourgeois society during the war and is today controlled Its demagogle program and slogans means appeal to the International proletariat very differences of conditions in various countries, in evolution of the proletariat; its political growth as Are not the as a whole. Centrism reflects the processes of the said Berger richly deserved the 20 year which will be followed by a flocking to eral formulation 18 a recent indication raging simultaneously and in the same degree, tokens pressure of all other classes of society upon the proworkers, against Japanese Imperialism, in its gen which the ultra Left policies of official Communism are well as its revolutionary set back conjointly with the he hoped the Milwaukee man would be etc. notwithstanding all this in the the advancement by the Dally Worker ol of the fact that there are no common social roots un letariat. No wonder that the pallette of centrism is forced to serve his time. He said if there ever was a traitor to his country impel general stocktaking and toner Izvestia of an allance between the so which is also one and the same in principle. is being lows, however, not that one must give up trying to German situation it nothing else must the justification based on an article in derlying this trend? Indeed, the ultra Left course, distinguished by such irridescence! From this it folBerger was it.
NO USE FOR REDS searching in the ranks of Communism. viet Union and American Imperialism put through in China and in Great Britain. But if comprehend centrism but simply that one must needs Mr. Wicks has no respect for Social One looks in vain for any keen analysis against Japanese Imperialism. The proIsts or radicals of any sort. Having as of these phenomen in the official Compaganda and agitation surrounding the so, where are we then to seek for the key to the new discover the true nature of a given variety of centrism sociated with them intimately for years munist Press. In the Canadian Work slogan of Defend the Soviet Union is ultra Leftism?
he claims to know them exactly as they after the first presidential vote in saturated with pacilam. All this is the. The question is complicated, but at the same time every individual instance.
by means of a concrete and an historical analysis is are and he says that they are all selfish Germany, there appeared a leading edit logical outcome of the false theory of is also clarified by one other, extremely important ciropportunists who are simply after some orial that for trifling, irresponsible, pol socialism in one country.
cumstance: Ultra Leftism is not at all an unvarying present in itself centrism in general? but quite a deThe ruling faction of the Comintern does not rething for themselves.
troonish approach is, believe without This statement is made in support for fundamental trait of the present leadership of the Anite historical form, which has social roots, rather He commended the deportation pro parallel. Two main points were made the Left Opposition after thoroughly Comintern. The same apparatus, in its basic com recent but powerful. First of all, the matter conceedings that have rid the country of Firstly, the opposition was disarmed probing all daubts and reservations, many agitators and urged that other with the assertion many times repeated slowly calmly and deliberately. make position, held to an openly opportunistic policy until cerns the Soviet bureaucracy.
Forelyn trouble makers be given the that the renegades would possibly find it with the sincere hope that any influ. 1928, and in many of the most important questions Stalinist theoreticians this social stratum does not the writings of the ization program for the foreign speaks stated. Secondly, Anally and primarily. through my association with and work witched over completely onto the tracks of menshev: exist at all. We are only told of Leninism. of incor Ing workers and he said the American the most outstanding and significant red in the working class movement in this ism. During 1924 1927 agreements with reformists poreal leadership, of the ideological tradition, of the Texton is the one organization in the sult of the election was the sain of hair country, may lead the advanced workers were not only considered obligatory but were permit spirit of Bolshevism, of the imponderable general country which is doing good Americaniza a million Commnist votes over last electocritical examination of the com. ted if thereby the party renounced its independence, line. but you will not hear a word about a func tion. What humbug! The second vote munist movement today, in all its rami: its freedom of criticism, and even its proletarian foun. tionary, breathing and living, in flesh and bone, who EXPELLED FOR DEFEAT with its loss of over million Communistications, theoretical, organizational, dation Mr. Wicks was especially severe of votes, still remains to be explained. strategical and otherwise; and to an ez the brand of democracy that the various so far as am aware.
amination of the literature and theor all a particular ultra Left trend, but a prolonged manipulates this general line like a fireman his hose.
organizations subscribe to. He said when The wealth of literature issued by the etical position of the Left Opposition and ultra Left zig zag a trend that has demon TROTSKY.
Victor Berger and Morris Hlliquit were Left Opposition from the pen of Trotsky particularly to the works of Trotsky. To Be Continued)
defeated by the Party vote they simply is something that no worker or student From this am convinced there in strated in the past its capacity for launching into Even these outward. detailed analysis of this opportunistie chapter of the expelled many of the Socialists who of Marxism or Leninism can afford to inevitably come again another re arm profound ultra Right zig zags.
voted against them and retained control. Ignore or neglect. One listens in vain ing of the movement reestablishment symptoms suggest that what we are dealing with is Comintern that lasted a few years is given in our books, The Draft Program of the Comintem Criticism of Fun. He told of attending the congress for the voice of Stalin on the outstanding of the advance guard of the interna centrism.
damentals! The Permanent Revolution; Who Is Lading the by tuse of a caucus about one fourth of press and literature every question solta bed rock of the theories of Marx composed of all those trends within the proletariat Speaking formally and descriptively, centrism is Comintern Today, etc. From WHAT NEXT Vital Questions for the the delegates controlled the meeting. approached and analyzed, clearly, tear and Lenin. Lenin is a dictator, and Emma Gold lessly and dialectically. recollect how! MACDONALD. and on its periphery which are distributed between reGerman proletariat)
the afluence reje tion work.