PAGE TNR MILITANT SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1932 Opposition Offers Centrism «in General»and the Centrism of the Stalinist Bureaucracy by LEON TROTSKY of the Stalinists than by the explaga. If the revolutionary Marxiste carefully open air meetings all during the locall this the gist of the general line. Of such functionaries ed.
Comradely yours, He says: session of organiza EDITORIAL NOTES Cooperation in Elections to the Communist Party The Right Wing in Lo and Behold the first idea that came to him was one that bad been elabor District Party Election ated long ago by those whom he had Dear Comrades: a Blind Alley Campaign Committee.
The secret unity negotiations between nomic collaboration with the Soviet URI. The New York branch of the Communthe Party bureaucrats and Lovestone re lon and long term credits.
1st League of America endorses the Presidential election campaign of the vealed once more the unprincipledness Was Murphy ignorant of the source Communist Party, its national and local (Continued from lalt issue)
olution. In the course of a number of years the StalIn the meantime this same functionary bears the inist faction demonstrated that the interests and the Stalin bring to all important questions downlal in the Party? It is not impos delegates were not seated at the New least resemblance to an incorporeal spirit. He eats psychology of a strong peasant. engineer, adminisincluding the question of unity. On this sible. The denunciation of the Oppost. York District Conference, we continue and guzzles and procreates and grows himself a retrator, Chinese bourgeois intellectual and British trade point we have commented before, in contelets which are appeared in the Minicant the dunkeys of Stalin that many of them dates with all the forces at our command. spectable pot belly. He lays down the law with union functionary were much closer and more compres But this affair our reports of which found it unnecessary to read what they condemned. Here again the epigones fused participation in the Conference to him, remains himself faithful to his superiors, pro: unskilled laborer, the peasant poor, the uprising Chihave been fully confirmed in all essennese national masses, the English strikers, etc.
study the works of all their opponents campaign, in which we called upon the But why, in that case, didn the Stalinist faction tions of Gitlow has another important aspect. By It, with a more compelung and report them conscientiously in order workers to vote for the candidates or there are a few million. few million! Their num. lead to the very end its line of national opportunism?
logic than ever before, the hopeless the greater precision, the stalinists, tor press and other means, we continued to in the period of the October revolution. The major. While the international social, democracy defends the to refute them as they really stand with the communist Party. Through our ber is greater than the number of industrial workers Because it is the bureaucracy of a workers state.
position of the Right wing is acknowleds whom Marxism is nothing but a false Speak on the same line.
face, require an unheeding ignorance of No formal ousting will ever sufice to class struggle which is bound up with sacrifices, self bureaucracy, not having achieved a governmental overity of these functionaries never participated in the foundations of the bourgeois sovereignity, the Soviet the rabid campaign of the stalinists An Objective study of what others say which we are still a faction and in which denials and dangers. These people in their overwhelm turn, is compelled to adapt itself to the social foundaagainst the Right renegades with in. without official authorization, and above we work as such.
ing mass were politically born already in the quali tions laid down by the October revolution. Hence is sincerity and thereby serves to discredit all a careless repetition of an unofficial We will undertake all assignments fication of a ruling caste. They are backed by the derived the dual psychologh and policies of the Stalinstoneltes is still more annihilating. One chine. Murphy violated one of these by return mall. If none are officially raises them considerably above the surrounding masses. dation of a workers state, is the sole possible expresit the effect on the position of the Love thought, unfts a man for the stallo ma siven to us. which we hope to receive state power. It assures them their livelihood and ist bureaucracy. Centris but centrism on the founhas only to read the material on the conditions, if not both. Hence bis ex siven, we will again carry out activities They know nothing of the dangers of unemployment, sion for this duality.
latest unity maneuvers all together the communication.
we.
letters in the Militant, the self retuting Murphy has issued a statement on the dentals of the Stalinists and the long atair, a copy of which appears in the if they are gifted with the capacity to stand at attenHERBERT CAPELIS. tion. The grossest errors are forgiver them as long Whereas in capitalist countries, the centrist groupwinded apologeties of the Workers Age to understand that Lovestone is seek British New Leader for May 20. In this New York Branch of the as they are ready to fulfill the role of the sacrificial ings are most often temporary or transitional in charstatement he throws some light on the ing a favorable basis for capitulation method of Ideological mobilization Communist League of America scape goat at the required moment, and thus remove to the right or to the left, under the conditions of the The collapse of the Right wing on an which he did a full share to bring to full international scale is undoubtedly the bloom in the Party, and which is now (Opposition)
superiors. Well, then, has this ruling stratum of Soviet republic, centrism is equipped with a much more chlef reason for this move to give up the brought into play against him.
separate organization in America. BOUND VOLUMES OF PAMPHLETS many millions any social weight and political influence solid and organized base in the shape of a multimillioned bureaucracy. Representing in itself a natural enin the life of a country? Yes or no?
small item in the recent issue of the FOR SALE Within a few hours of the appearance vironment for opportunist and nationalist tendencies, Workers Agc announcing the Daily Worker article (the state Bound Volumes of the following pamDANGERS OF WORKERS BUREAUCRACY the International Bureau of the Brandler ment of the Political Bureau against him phlets by comrade Trotsky are now ready it is compelled, however, to mainttain the foundations International. sives the most convinc. Ed. resolutions equally denunciatory for sale: The Draft Program, Stratego cracy and workers aristocracy is the social foundation the same time to bother about its Bolshevik prestige We know from older books that workers bureau of its hegemony in the struggle with the kulak and at ing evidence of this disintegration. It dau would be moaningleso without the son asking if had anything to say, and ployment and the Five Year Plan, Pro for opportunism. In Russia this phenomenon has in the world wide movement. Following its attempted swallowing the lattery, which contains quainted with the lenues which had been The Turm in the 1, and the torship of the proletariat in a backward country bureaucracy, which in many ways is close to it spiritnot the least nourishment, the Lovestone Falsed. This is an indication of the situation in Germany, Germany. the Koy surrounded by capitalism for the first time a power ually, the Soviet bureaucracy each time entered into politicians could not help hiking theme sutomatie, unthinking way in which the to the voternational Situation. The Spaniful bureaucratic apparatus has been created from sharp conflict with the social democracy which reflects selves: If the international Its approval of resolutions. In Danger, and communism and Syndt among the upper layers of the workers, that is raised the enmity of the world bourgeoisie to the Soviet state.
tion of the Right wing depends on us, what good is it? man who is unYes, that is the way it is done the callam. All these are bound in one vol above the masses, that lays down the law to them, that such are the sources of the present Left zig zags.
able to swim bimself cannot help an automatie, unthinking way. It has been ume.
has at its disposal collossal resources, that is bound The cccentricity of the situation arises not from The volumes are attractively bound in together by an inner mutual responsibility and that the supposed and special immunity of the Soviet burother who is drowning by it the water after him an derdes, Lovestone not without reason and explanation. The colored coversThe pamphlets are intrudes into the policies of a workers government its eaucracy to opportunism and nationalism but from was never a follower, of Christ, of whom Prusslanization of the Party enforced ranged in the above order. Three of the own interests, methods and regulations.
it was said: He saved others, himself by those who abuse the good faith of pamphlets in the volume are out of print the fact that, being unable to occupy a thoroughgoing he could not save. motto 18 more the members and their confidence in the and cannot be had except by buying the We are not anarchists. We understand the neces national reformist position, it is compelled to describe modern and more American: Look out Comintern was necessitated by the reacbound volumes. These are the Draft Prosity of a workers government and therefore the his zig zag between Marxism and national reformism. The for tionary struggle against those who truly gram, World Unemployment and the Five torical inevitability of a bureaucracy during a transi oscillations of this bureaucratic centrism, in conformThis philosophy can draw no comfort represent the ideas and the tradition of India beba situation. The ceremangthe tional period. But we likewise understand the dangers ity with its power, its resources and the acute contraThe number of bound volumes is limit that are inherer wage this fact, part for a back dictions in its position, have attained an altogether International Right Wing. Bucharin in other way. But the structure based oned to ninety. Orders will be alled in ward and an isolated country. The idealization of unheard of sweep: from ultra Left adventurism in the Russian party capitulated to Stalin. these methods cannot stand. One crack the order in which they are received. Soviet bureaucracy is the most shameful mistake that Bulgaria and Esthonia to the alliance with Chiang number of the most prominent Brand after another appears in the foundation. Checks or money orders must accompany can be made by a Marxist. Lenin strived with all his Kai Shek, Radich and Purcell; and from the shameful the now Socialist Labor Party while these ominous cracks, and a very atent of these bound volumes should order might to raise the party as a self acting vanguard of fraternization with British strike breakers to a comthem at once. The price is 00. the working class above the governmental apparatus plete renunciation of the policy of the United Front at the door of Stalin. The leader of the ficant one too.
Czechoslovakian Brandlerists Neurathin order to control, check, direct, and, purge it, plac with mass organizations.
is breaking away in the direction of the ing the historical interests of the proletariat inter These breakneck zig zags would have been impossiLeft Opposition. Everywhere is stagna Trotsky on the Disarmament Conference national, not only national above the interests of the ble, were it not for the fact that within all Communtion and break up. No progress, no internal consolidation, no firm ideologs, no of the serious political wars are not conducted with the arms party control over the government Lenin put the con pendent of the party had been formed. Here is the perspectives.
The hopelessness, the futility, of the weeks, such as the elections in France the eve of war, but with those which changes in Europe during the last few which the warfaring peoples possess on trol of the party mase over the party apparatus. Read root of all evil!
WHEREIN LIES THE STRENGTH OF THE er day by day. No wonder that the the Lausanne conference, which is sched war itsell. The United States han, from ing the Soviet period, particularly for the last two REVOLUTIONARY PARTY Lovestone leaders, foreseeing the inevituled to be held in the middle of June, this point of view, given a lesson to the years of his life and you will remark with what alarm The strength of a revolutionary party consists in able end which, it must be admitted, takes on special importance. In the entire world and to Germany in parti his mind turned time and again to this burning ques the independence of its vanguard which checks and required no special political acumen light, the following remarks by comrade cular. The outcome of the future war tion.
prepare to desert the lost cause for an Trotsky, made in an interview he grant will be determined by the technical cap selects its cadres and while educating its leaders, gradother venture in the ranks of Stalinism. ed the Chicago Daily News at the time acity of the belligerant countries. The THE FUNCTIONARY REPLACES THE BOLSHEVIK ually elevates them by its confidence. This creates an of the current Geneva conference, are of more advanced the Industr! al develop But what has happened in the subsequent period? unbroken connection between the cadres and the mass, The Case of Murphy particular interest for Communists and ment of a country the more interested The entire leading stratum of the party and of the between the leader and the cadres and it induces in for all revolutionary workers.
tion of armaments; for in such a case government that was at the helm during the revolu the entire leadership an inward confidence in themMurphy from the Communist Party of In Reply to Questions Posed by it will really be easier for it to provide tion and the civil war has been replaced, removed and selves. There is nothing of the kind in the contemEngland, colnelding with a furious camthe Chicago Daily News Its army with the necessitles.
crushed. Their place has been taken by an anonymous porary Communist parties! The leaders are appointbelen striking shlut ratonile the area crisis may be defined by a single word: be terminated with hollow phrases. The bureaucratism which was so acute in character during of the masses is forced to accept the appointed lead(1) The fundamental cause of the In the best case, the conference wiu functionary. At the same time the struggle against ed. They handpick their aides. The rank and file Instablety the centralt regtime. The capitalism. The popecite character of clothstreated the Geneva conferencen e Lenin lifetime, when the bureaucracy was not yet outers, around whom there is built up the artificial atmoof the Party, and an outstanding mem. cept: imperialism, that 18 to say, mono course toward armaments and will am of its diapers, has ceased entirely now when the ap sphere of advertisement. The cadres depend upon the ber of the Central Committee. He was poly capitalism which is beginning to pu plify the war danger.
paratus has grown sky high.
upper crust and not upon the underlying masses. Cona wheel horse of Stalin, not only in the trity within its own insoluble contradie The Franco Japanese policy, its bellt.
And indeed, who is there capable of carrying on source of their influence as well as for the source of sequently, to a considerable degree they seek for the British Party, but in the Comintern astions. The rise and fall of Ivar Kreuger cose as well as its pacifist side, is bepart in the war against Trotskyism. Official moralists are hurling their thun against China, but also against the so guard of the proletariat no longer exists now. The their political slogans not from the experience in the. livelihood of the masses. They draw He preached the monolithic unity of der against the match king after the viet Union. That Latvinor, replied to eva conference, expresses the honest detive. The most important instrument of the general Stalin files secrete incriminating documents against at the Gen party apparatus has been fused with the administra struggle, but by telegraph. And in the meantime the Stallnlst appointees, and with a them: why have you permitted me to stre of the not to enter the colleagues of kidney, he symbolsame or play me opithecu bich he de direction of a humane society, ought to sation had devoted a moment to pana but it prohibits its theoreticians from even talking COARSENESS AND DISLOYALTY CHARACTERIZE the productive forces, which under the observer. But wish the Soviet dele not only prohibits the criticism of the top from below moment he can be blown away like a feather.
died about so handlly counter revolu serve society itself?
tionist. renegade. etc. are falling on the capitallet world order survive which event for an educational police Left Opposition is aroused first of all by the fact THE BUREAUCRAT Thus, throughout the entire Comintern closed upon what is understood under the term to a more active polies, that is, to say that the Opposition talks openly about the bureau bureaucratic stratum is being created which represents The case of Murphy also illustrates crisis. Variations in the conjuncture ac openly before the conference that whleh cracy, about its particular rôle, and its interests, thus in itself a culture broth for the bacilli of centrism.
how irresistibly, over what apparently company the entire history of capitalism. is, and in this manner to warn the peo revealing the secret that the general line is inseparable While organizationally it is very stable and solid, for instrumentality of the most hostile per tam rowse throughout all the variations out there is any force one cour planet capable from the flesh and blood of the new nationalistic ruling it is backed by the bureaucracy of the Soviet state, sons, a correct political idea will make the conjuncture Today, it se declining elesimiting armamente non hand and stratum, which is not at all identical with the prole the centrism of the Thaelmanns, Remmeles and Co. is its way. Murphy lived politically, he This does not exclude variations of the sea, it is the desire of the masses of tariat.
maintained his position in the leading conjuncture in the future. On the con the people.
distinguished by extreme instability in political relaFrom the proletarian character of the government, tions. Bereft of assurance, which can be derived only to repeat every slander against Trotsky, present acute crisis can only be mo at my return in the near future, to the out the bureaucracy deduces its right of primogeniture to from an organic jointure with the masses, the infallito condems every idea of the opposition et de les termes a culminate sunt in een andere not reste uspomene niso serious infallibility: how can the bureaucracy of a workers ble suffices only for monstrous zig zags. The a counter revolutionary. And then, such higher paroxism in the next immediate information whatsoever. It is much a state degenerate! The state and the bureaucracy are less it is prepared for a serious ideological battle, the is the cruel logic of politics, he finds him. stage. This whole tragic process can ther a matter of inventions caused by thereby taken not as historical processes but as eter more proficient it is in profanity, insinuations, and self outside the Party because he can only end in the transformation of the the highly charged general situation. It nal categories. how can the holy church and its god calumnies. Stalin portrait, coarse and disloyal. no longer condemn the Opposition slogan whole social system.
of credits for the Soviet Union. What Irony! And what powerful testimony to the disarmament conference? Not the and completely at the disposal of the which raised itself over the proletariat, waging battle layer. 2) Have any hope of success at which belong will put itselt entirely inspired priests sin! Yet, a workers bureaucracy as described by Lenin, is the personification of this the force of that slogan of the Left Op least. But in this, am not an excep Soviet government. As precedent, wo in a capitalist society, could degenerate into the party The characterization of bureaucratic centrism given position tion, The French project is sufficiently can polat out that in the period of the of Noske, Scheidemann, Ebert and Wels, why can it above determines the attitude of the Left Opposition bo platform of the Bolshevik Lenta presented by the Tardieu government. At and others were in sharp opposition to degenerate after raising itself over the victorious pro to the Stalinist bureaucracy: a complete and unqualIsts. Far from it. Not in a day, nor the same time that Erance supports the the methods of conducting the war that letariat?
ified support in so far as the bureaucracy defends the oven in a year, can a man cleanse his bloody work of Japan in the Far East, pursued in full agreement with Lenin.
boundaries of the Soviet republic and the foundations mind of the accumulated filth and polson Japan gratefully supports the pacifist in This did not at all prevent the oppostThe ruling and uncontrolled position of the Soviet of the October revolution; an outspoken criticism in deposited through nine years of serv rance at Geneva. An Incom tionis of that time fror taking an ac bureaucracy is conducive to a psychology which in so far as the bureaucracy hinders by its administraacquiescence to the epigones reaction. parable lesson for all peoples! The pro tive part in the struggles.
But not even Murphy, it seems, could Ject of France provides for the creation, many ways is directly contradictory to the pschology tive zig zags the defense of the revolution and of soremain wholly indifferent to the havoc under the mantle of the League of Na What is going on in Spain that Stalinism has wrought in the British tlons, of a new entente with the one of a proletarian revolutionist. Its own aims and com cialist construction; a merciless resistance in so far Wil Fascism suceded in Germany stupor, to resort to independent thought French Anance capital with the aid of an and reported regularly in the columnes of politics are placed by the bureaucracy above the tasks struggle of the international proletariat.
These and other international vento binations in local politics as well as in international as it disorganizes by its bureaucratic overlordship the about the problems of the British work International army.
THE MILITANT by correspondents on TROTSKY.
ing class and their relation to socialist But the American project also does the scene. READ and SUBSCRIBE to of the revolutionary education of the masses and with(From WHAT NEXT Vital Questions for the construction in the Soviet Union. And not open any perspective. Present day THE MILITANTI out any connection with the tasks of international revGerman proletariat)
In view Brandler International becomes clear and the fall of the Bruening government, they manufacture in the course of the Over attentively his articles, speeches and letters durThe sensational realgnation of his own head.
lative