THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE December 11, 1918 Problem in Tactics By Louis Fraina Typrofetarin evolution in this sitesembly it promotes Capitalism, tries to stulify the enheter som interested in the parliamentary tate, adherits Why?
cialism, thie make a cialistu, say HE great fact of contemporary history is the ate Socialism in Russia fact, the affirmation in life of the theory of Socialism, is now deciding the destiny of the prole and reforms, is the real enemy of the revolution, the revolution within the limits of petty bourgeois action ents of bourgeois democracy.
tariat, and of the world.
But this policy of moderate Socialism has another last line of defense of Imperialism and Capitalism in aspect if the state and parliamentary action are con: And the great fact of contemporary Socialism is Germany. Simultaneously the pure in type, but not that this proletarian revolution proceeds by means Socialism of the Centre In becomes imperative, Socialism becomes the concern of an implacable struggle between Socialism and dependent Socialists, of Haase Co. acts equally of all the classes which must unite in die introduction Socialism, between mutually exclusive conceptions of against the revolution, by wavering between Scheide of Socialism which was precisely the policy formuSocialism.
The uncritical Socialist rhapsodizes over the comcialism and proletarian Socialism. The democratic, Wuerzberg convention in 1916. This circumstance ing of Socialism in Russia, over the Socialist Reparliamentary republic is organized in Germany; but develops the corrupt, compromising, counter revolupublic in Gennany: Socialism is conquering! But instead of the struggle to transform this bourgeois tionary ideology of moderate Socialism.
which Socialist. what conception of Socialism?
republic into a Socialist republic, moderate Socialism, Out of this policy emerges necessary and relentless The proletarian revolution is in action in Germany, olutionary struggle to prevent this transformation! tatorship of the proletariat. All power to the Soviin Germany as in Russia, engages in the counter rev. opposition to All power to the Soviets. to a diehas been for one year and a half in action in Russia; and the most unrelenting enemy of this revolution, the tts! implies a new state but moderate Socialism bc.
enemy behind whom skulks the forces of Capitalisin All sorts of arguments are made to explain, or con lieves the old parliamentary state is the instrument for and reaction, is Socialism itself, or rather that major.
donc, the attitude of moderate Socialism in Russia. the introduction of Socialism; proletarian Socialism ity Socialism which dominated the Thternational be The war, say some: but why, now that the war is over, implies the one class state, that the introduction of fore the war and betrayed Socialism during the war by should nolerate Socialism still act against the Soviet Socialism is the concern of the proletariat and tire Iransforming itself into an ally of social Imperialism. Republic? The Mensheviki and the Social Revolu proletariat alone but moderate Socialism believes in tionists, say others, did not think a proletarian revothe democratic state of all the classes and that the In developing its action against Capitalism and linlution could be accomplished; but why, after tlic revointroduction of Socialism is the concern of all the perialism the revolutionary proletariat met a staggerJulon was accomplished, should the tendency inod classes, a process of class co operation.
ing surprise the opposition of Socialism. Shaken erate Socialisin still oppose the Soviet by the impact of revolutionary events, and verging on often Republic in alliance with the bourgeois counter revolution and moderate Socialism is not very apparent in normal The fatal, un proletarian character of this policy of cullapse, Capitalism built its last line of defense an international Imperialism? But the great argument times, exceput on the problem of unionism; but it bealliance with the moderate, opportunistic Socialism. The real struggle in Russia, the real of the Russian Nensheviki, and their petty bourgeois strug comes as clear as crystal in the Revolution, necessaris that Russia was in Germany now, is not between Socialism and industrially everywhere, Socialistas. conomically unripe for So all other lefects of moderate Socialism are simply an ily reveals its counter revolutionary character. And Capitalism, bue between Socialism and Socialism, not strong enough to hetween revolutionary minority Socialism and petty proletarian revolution and introduce Socialism. So wurgeois policy.
expression of this fundamental tendency, this petty Lourgeois majority. Socialism. The proletarian revvlution against Capitalism and Iinperialism is cqually highly developed Capitalism, ignoring that the comperverters of Marxism, requires a Revolutionary Socialism, Marxism, completely rea revolution against the old moderate, of Socialismi implies a series of international rev.
pudiates the attitude of moderate Socialism on the Socialism: the decisive phase of the Betty bourgeois ingvary class struggles in which proletarian class problem of the state. Marxism projects, and revolu.
Revolution and the decisive phase in the coming reconstruction of inpower slecides the issue. Revolutionary Socialism in tionary experience confirms, that the proletariat can ternational Socialism a fact which the American Sonot simply lay hold of the ready mnade machinery of cialist press either completely ignores or camouflages. proletarian revolution in Russia, but for the proleIn Russia, in March, 1917, Czarism was overthrown tarian revolution in Germany, and in Europe. Still. machinery must be destroyed and a new state organand a bourgeois republic organized. Immediately anconsidering Russia alone, there was a deceptive color ized the state of the organized prodụcers, of proletagonism developed between bourgeois and proletari of truth to the argument that industrially undeveloped tarian dictatorship. Marxism conceives the introan, between Capitalism and Socialism. Shaken by Russia was not prepared for a proletarían revolution.
duction of Socialism as the process of one class, de revolutionary proletarian action, by the determina But now consider Germany, Germany, industrially, jermined by the struggle of one class the proletaria, tion of the proletariat to break through the breach all other classes, in the final test, are necessarily co is the very antithesis of Russia. If any nation in the ter revolutionary.
created in the old order for action and the conquest world is industrially prepared for Socialism, it Ger.
It is imperative, accordingly, that the revolutionary proletariat Annihilate the demof power, bourgeoisie concluded an alliance with many: a completely industrialized unit, in which the ocratic state of all the classes in favor of the new moderate Socialism, with the Socialism of Cheidse, is a minor factor and the industrial prole proletarian state. And what is this new state? It Plekhanov, Tseretelli, the Socialism of the Menshc tariat at least one half the population. Germany is a is simply the state of the organized producers the viki and the Social Revolutionary Party: What was small country, territorially, clos class; dispensing with the reactionary parthis Socialism? In tactics, idcology industry. in which concentrated industry controls. It nediate purposes, it it was identical with the ma inconceivable that incluin Germany itself, utforms and fraudulent dennocracy of state. The an instrument fore the war, that betrayed the International during maturity. Even the perverters of Marxism would adSocialism that dominated the International beof rule, the authee Purgeois statci of onc class over another. and the war which is still dominant, except for its anny, police and in Rus mit that Germany, objectively, is ready for Socialism.
sia, Germany and Italy. It was this Socialisin that Ind yet, in spite of this difference with Russia, mod. this new industrial state, with industrial roletariat Pacy instruments It is upon the basis of was dominant in Russia before the Revolution, that crate retty bourgeois Socialism rursues in Germany ritorial constituencies, that Socialism can be introand not tercaptured the imagination of the Socialists of the world, that was considered the real expression of is against the proletarian revoluton, against Socialisme bourgeois is the necessary preliminary to his com: the Russian Socialist movement. This Socialism con in fact. cluded an alliance with the bourgeoisie, by means of a Why? It is clear, it is incontrovertible, consider the revolutionary proletariat, accordingly, is the con coalition government; it opposed the coming of the ing the dissimilarity of industrial conditions in Rusby mass action, the annihilaproletarian revolution, acted by all means in power sia and Germany, and the similarity in policy of mod of the hourgeois tarian rew. olutionary proletariat. After the prole. erate Socialism, that there must be a general policy ganization of a new proletarian state functioning temafterna revolution, in spite of all, conquered power, anc fundamental tactic, that cach possesses and which porarily as a new Socialist state of the unified Soviets was dictatorship of the revolutionary proledetermines them in a counter revolutionary course.
nrganized, this majority Socialism stayed in the and elements of it, such as Maslow and It is not a question of individuals, or of their per cucers. The state comprised in all power to the Sova The ovisi sonal motives and character; but of the tendency they iets!
Socialisinin Germany and in Revolut of using the revolution, the brcach in perialism for armed intervention against the Russia. instead of represent Republic, against the Russian masses, against tha What this fundamental tendency is, is apparent the old order, to perfect the democratic parliaupon considering that the issue that split Socialism in mentary state, used this breach for a larger and Socialrevolution! The decisive struggle in Rusproletarian Russia and in sia was the struggle between revolutionary proletarian Germany was the issue of All power ist purpose the destruction of this democratic Socialism and moderate petty bourgeois Socialism.
to the Soviets! the issue of state power: the issue, state, the completion of the proletarian revolution and the old state or a new proletarian state? the organization of the new proletarian state a policy parallel course is being pursued by events in GerThe fundamental tendency of moderate Socialism. which alone can realize Socialism.
many. The majority. Socialism of Scheidemann, which is at the at the same time the cause and the effect of And, in terms of simplicity and life, this problem is Ebert Co. of the Social Democratic Party of that is pretty dvourgcois idcology, the bases of its comprocoinprised in the class struggle and life itself.
This great issue split Socialism in Russia and in starteris considered the exemplar of Socialist and reacties indus personism and the reason it its power to prevent avainst the action against action, is the conception that the coming of Socialism Germany; it is decisive. It has many vital aspects: the war and the government, to the coming of is a process of introducing measures of socialzation on the basis of the bourgeois parliamentary state.
revolution; this Socialism proletarian action, the necessity of developing the dyold on namic mass action of the industrial proletariat, the the nationalistic interests of Germany, crushing the democratic parliamentary state as the centre of rejection of class co operation under any and conditions. To us in the United States, the proly of efforts the masses to act in with revolutionary Russia; and thy and solidarity activity, the instrument for the coming of Socialism. lem of state power and its correlative aspects are inten days before the Parliamentary action is the decisive instrument of acrrass action of the German proletariat fared up into tion: nationalize industry after industry, perfect the stinct, for one thing in the problem of industrial the Revolution, this majority Socialism issued a democracy of the state, secure a parliamentary maunionism. In the coming reconstruction of Socialism, proclamation against revolutionary, action, against joritvand then comes Socialism!
the problem of state power will play a decisive role.
even strikes and demonstrations hostile to the govern This policy, clearly, would determine moderate So The general policy comprised in the revolutionary ment! But the revolution came; and now the ma cialism in Russia and in Germany in a struggle for attitude to the problem of state power is not realizable jority Socialism of the Social Democratic Party, the the democratic parliamentary state. If the democratic in an actual revolution alone; it affects the policy of model of moderate Socialism everywhere, opposes the state is the instrument for the introduction of Social Socialism and is realizable in general forms under any completion of the revolution, through its slavery to ism, then the real struggle is to establish the democratic and all conditions, in the piping days of peace and in the petty bourgeois democracy of the Constituent As parliamentary state which was precisely why moder the stern days of revolutionary struggle.
knit by concentrated Tythe and jority class quest of luc static parliamentary state, and the con Soviet