BourgeoisieCapitalismCommunismCommunist ManifestoDemocracyLeninMarxParis CommuneRussian RevolutionSocialismSovietWorking ClassWorld War

THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Wednesday, December 18, 1918 The Dictatorship of the Proletariat POLITICAL power properly so called is merely By Rutgers the victorious proletariat cannot seize the readythe organized power of one class oppressing interests no doubt often play a role; but by far made machinery of the state and use it for its another, says the Communist Manifesto. At prerent the political power of the capitalist class, and enslave the worker. Therefore class cons based, not on the sovernment of persons, but more important are the mental methods to fool own purposes. It has to build new organizations organized in the capitalist State and capitalist ciousness has to develop so that the material upon administration of things. The Russian Sogovernment, serves the purpose of protecting and enforcing the exploitation of the proletariat class.
means of power already in the hands of the work. viet through its many subdivisions and commi.
ttecs controls the actual eronomic structure of ers can be used to overcome the class rule of the society. Committees in charge of factories send Class division excludes democracy because the interests of one class, the ruling class, must preexploiters.
their delegates to the local Soviets and so do the vall. The ruling class always has been a minority This Social revolution, however, is not a matter army corps, and the peasantry. Food distribution class, as it would not be neccessary for a majority of material and mental power. While it is per and the regulation of housing problems, requisi.
class to rule. Democracy being incompatible fectly clear that only a large number of the extions, etc. are managed through local committees with a society based on class antagonism, no form ploited masses with definite and well defined pure representing a block, a quarter, etc. and finally of bourgeois democracy can ever be real demo poses can bring the change, there is no necessity co operating with the local Soviets.
cracy.
that this should be a majority of the suppressed AU this is an organic structure in course of deReal democracy must secure conditions and de class. In fact a social revolution may turn out and cisions in accordance with the interests of society has so far always turned out to be a new class velopment under most difficult circumstances and as a whole, and if we find that a democratic rule of another minority. The hope for democracy far from complete or perfect, but nevertheless government is used to secure the interests of a under Socialism lies not in the Social Revolution it functions, it has maintained itself already dur.
minority class, there is something wrong with that as such, but in the fact that the victory of the ing one year against the solid opposition of the kind of democracy. Without going into details, workers will do away with every form of class old bureaucracy and it becomes stronger every how the specific democratic system accompli rule. During the period of the Social Revolution day. It is a unity of representative and executive shes its special aims, we know as a fact that there the two classcs continue to struggle and demo functions, a combination also of industrial and is rome scheme to prevent democracy working crncy can only be a weapon in this struggle, can territorial government. This is the great lesson uut democrntically. In fact the prevailing insti. only serve the interests of one class against the and the great hope in the social revolution, all the revolutionary forces grow into one force, all the tutions, customs, laws, morals, etc. of a class other. Bourgeois democracy will continue to ensociety largely have no other purpose than to list groups irhose ultimate interests are with the tendencies in the class struggle come into unity.
create sentiments and conditions which operate proletarian revolution and the democracy of the There is no longer antagonism between economic and political action, all the revolutionary groups to make people support their own oppressors. The victorious workers will be based upon the will and working class and those groups whose interests action of those groups among the workers that and factions in the class struggle unite against the counter revolution and for the building of a are one with the interests of the working class, carry the revolution to success although they may new society. Development of actual facts and largely through intellectual and moral influences, form a minority even within the class of wage are brought to betray their ultimate class inte earners. Revolutions do not depend upon a major conditions solve problems quicker than debates rests. Such is the power of control over the eco ity but upon sufficient power to overcome the rul ever could. What remains however, is the fundanomic conditions and over the instruments of ing class. This requires a mass of self conscious mental division in the class struggle: whosoever civilization schools, churches, public opinion, and resolute proletarians acting in accordance is not for the social revolution supports the counnewspapers, science, art, etc.
with the demands of historic development, but ter revolution and has to be dealt with as such.
Only to a very limited extent, only to the extent there is no necessity, nor even a possibility, that Withdraw from Russia!
to which the ruling class needs a certain amount this should be a majority from the very start. Continued from Page 8)
of frecdom in its own interest, can the oppressed the proletarian revolution develops out of a conclass counteract this control by propaganda and dition in which the great mass of the exploited alized, now that they sec the vision of their aspiraclass is held in mental slavery and it is only nations about to become the reality of a new society, they education. If the capitalists cou put each worker in a separate cell to sweat out profits without tural that this mentality will first be broken in are asked to acclaim alien troops who represent forces that wish to crush their revolution and annihilate all contact with his fellow workers, the system might those workers whose position in the process of be permanized altogether and no amount of ge production makes them specially fit to see the their achievements and aspirations.
The Soviet Republic has endured during more than neral suffrage and vote casting would be of any itself is liable to open many eyes but at any given thirteen months of internal counter revolution and exlight. The atmosphere of the social revolution effect.
The present situation under Capitalism, is not moment there is no logical reason whatever why ternal imperialistic pressure. Every attempt to de quite so perfect, but still conditions are main the revolutionary forces should represent an ab stroy it from within has met with disastrous failure.
tained in such shape as to enable a minority to solute majority. And even when embracing a The Soviet Republic has endured because it exrule. Even though we may not always be able majority of the working class or even of the po presses the Revolution, organizes the endeavors of the to find out how it works, we know by its results pulation the acts and decisions will not be based masses for self government and liberation, couragethat the scheme works all right, because otheron democracy but on the proletarian class posi ously and sincerely establishes the conquest of the wise the majority would not accept the minority tion as against the reactionary forces. This pe Revolution.
rule.
riod has been called by Marx the dictatorship It is this proletarian Republic that the Allies threatUnder present circumstances, democracy is of the proletariat, and he states: If the prole en to overwhelm.
one of the means used to deceive the workers, is tariat during its contest with the bourgeoisie is International Capitalism and Imperialism are united part of the anti democratic reality, and the compelled by circumstances to organize as a class, against the Republic of the proletarian Revolution.
strength of this and other means to the same end if by means of the revolution it makes itself the As the governments of France and Germany united is the more remarkable since the material meang ruling class, and as such sweeps away by force the to crush the Paris commune, so international Imperialof power largely have to be put in the hands of the old conditions of existence of class antagonism ism is now uniting to crush the first proletarian revounderlying class. Even the ultimate power of mi and of classes generally it will thereby have abo lution in Russia.
litarism is in the actual control of the plane lished its own supremacy as a class. Not before they only could overcome the mental and mo:al then can democracy prevail.
obstacles raised by their masters.
The power in the hands of the Soviets without The International Revolution Without going into details of the schemes of recognizing the bourgeois interests was the first (Continued from Page 5)
bourgeois democratic government and the mul demand of the Russian proletarian revolution. And this force will steadily rise to power and will even titude of ways to accomplish its anti democratic the Soviets were by no means organized with the become more terrible than the Spanish influenza.
aims, it may be worth while to call attention to purpose of expressing the most ideal form of de The seriousness of the situation must be apparent the fact that parliamentarism adapts itself to the mocracy but to give the most efficient expression to every worker who knows what he is aiming at and most brutal forms of autocracy. Even Germany of the Social Revolution. In the Soviets the fact he must make the masses see it, too. The mass of had a parliament elected by general suffrage, a ory workers are represented through their direct workers and peasants is mature enough to be allowed general suffrage more democratic than that of delegates, the soldiers who, under the special con to know the whole truth. The danger is great, but we the United States. But while the Reichstag is ditions of this world war, proved to be an active must, and shall overcome it, and for this purpose we allowed to talk to a certain extent, the bureau revolutionary force, have a strong influence, as must develop and solidify the Red Army without haltcracy acts, and is, moreover, ready to stop this well as the peasants who want the land and know ing: We must make it ten times as strong and large tallding machine any moment it threatens to be that the bourgeoisie is not willing to give it to as it is. Our forces must grow with every day, and come nuisance. Another and most instructive them.
this constant growth will give us the guarantee, as beexample of a bourgeois democratic systery serv And this Soviet has quite a different character fore, that international Socialism will be the victor.
ing Capitalism is right at hand and it is unnece from the old bourgeois parliaments. It is highly (Lenin speech was greeted with tremendous enssary to analyze its methods in detail Direct important to mark this difference, as a clear mu thusiast, and a resolution was passed embodying his corruption and speculation on personal material stration of the fact, pointed out by Marx: that recommendations.