Page Four The New International, September October, 1918 to The Trial tween international and national tactics revolution turned out to be an illusion, out these objective changes, independent it take place? Undoubtedly, yes. The must be repudiated as sophistry (cf. the exhibits not a Marxist but a Struvist and of the will not only of separate groups Socialist Chauvinist, Lensch (who was last interview of Axelrod in No. 87 and a renegade police relation to the and parties, but of separate classes as much more honest in expressing his 90 of Nasche Slovo. It is sophistry revolution.
well, revolution, according to general views, than the hypocrites Cunow, because a many sided, scientific, analyFor a Marxist there is no doubt that conceptions, is impossible. The conjunc. Kautsky, Plechanoff Co. even said sis of Imperialism is one thing an a revolution is impossible without a tion of all these objective changes is that we are living through a peculiar analysis which eventually is as endless revolutionary situation, and moreover what is called a revolutionary situation. revolution (vide page of his pamphlet, as science itself, and another thing that not every revolutionary situation There was such a situation in Russia in German Social Democracy and the. the principles of Socialist tactics leads to a revolution. What are the 1905 and during all revolutionary peri. War, Berlin, 1915. The political against capitalistic Imperialism exsigns of a revolutionary situation? We ods in the West. But there was the same crisis was self evident. Not one of the plained in millions of copies of Socialwill probably not err, if we cite the fol revolutionary situation in the sixties of Democratic papers and in decisions of governments was sure of the next day, lowing three leading signs: the last century in Germany and in not one was free from the danger of a the International.
1859 1861 and 1879 1880 in Russia al.
Socialist parties are not debating (1) The impossibility of the ruling though no revolutions occurred at the expulsion from its own country (as, for financial collapse, loss of territory or clubs but organizations of a fighting without change of form; one or another classes to preserve their domination time. Why? Because not from every instance, the Belgian government was proletariat and when a number of battal.
ions have gone over to the enemy they crisis at the top, a political crisis of revolutionary situation there arises a expelled. All the governments are revolution but only from such in living at the edge of a volcano; all are must be named and discredited as trait the ruling class, creating a breach which there is joined with the objective making appeals to the heroism of the ors, without any one being deceived by through which the indignation and dischanges a subjective change as well, viz. masses.
hypocritical phrases to the effect that satisfaction of the masses bursts through the capacity of the revolutionary class The political regime of Europe is not everybody comprehends Imperial. For the approach of the revolution it is to effect revolutionary mass actions, completely shaken and no one will deny ism in the same manner, that Chauvinsufficient that only those on the botsufficiently powerful to break down or inist Cunow, and Chauvinist Kautsky are tom did not want to, but also that those that we have entered (and entering capable of writing volumes about it, on the top no longer can live as undermine the old government which further still am writing this on the before.
will never fall, not even in periods of day when Italy has entered the war. that that the question has not been efficrises, if it is not overthrown.
ciently discussed, etc. etc. Capitalism (2) The more than usual increase of Such is the Marxist attitude toward into an epoch of great political disturbin all manifestations of its rapine; in the needs and misery of the exploited revolution, which were very often exances. If Kautsky two months after the declaration of war wrote (Oct. 2, 1914, all the smallest ramifications of its his classes.
pressed and acknowledged and con The Neue Zeit) that never is the governtorical development and its national (3) The marked growth, because of firmed for us Russians by the experipeculiarities, will never be learnt mentioned causes, of the activity of the ences of the year 1905. The question is ment so strong and the parties so weak as at the commencement of a war, it is but through and through. About details masses who in peaceful periods per what was expected in this connection by savants (and pedants especially) will mit themselves to be robbed in quietone of the samples of the counterfeit histhe Basel manifesto in 1912 and what torical science of Kautsky for the benenever cease to dispute. On this basis and in stormy ones are drawn to inde did take place in 1914 15.
fit of Sudekum and other opportunists.
renounce the Socialist struggle pendent, historical action, under the in revolutionary situation was expect Never does a government require the against imperialism and also the opposi fluence of those at the top as well as ed, briefly described by the phrase an agreement of all the parties of the rultion to those who have been treasonable the entire atmosphere of crises. With economic and a political crisis. Did ing classes and the peaceful subto this conflict would have been ridicuservience to their rule of the exploitlous. Yet what else do Kautsky, Cunow, ed classes, as in times of war. At the Axelrod, etc. propose? No one has as commencement of war, especially in after the yet attempted to dissect non prove its THE facts in the persecution officers of the laws all this, and more. a country expecting a quick victory, the incorrectness!
are clear: there is a definite, con is brought out vividly by. government appears all powerful, yet certed, thoroughly organized campaign The exploitation of the workers, their nobody, at no time, and nowhere in the II.
to destroy thet the militant terrible conditions of life, misery and world, connected the expectation of But perhaps sincere Socialists favored organization of the industrial prole scrrow is transfigured by the awakening revolutionary situation exclusively with the Basel resolution in the expectation tariat. The employers in centres where determination to end once and for all the moment of commencement of the that the war would create a revolution the is strong are using all a social system that preys upon those war, and therefore never identified the ary situation, but the events refuted means to break the organization, in who sustain it.
appearance with the actuality.
their reasoning and the revolution be cluding means that are a violation of the The trial cannot be judged adequately That the European war will be burcame impossible.
law, a repudiation of the government unless considered in relation to its back densome, beyond comparison with Precisely with this sort of sophistry labor policy, and a direct threat to ground, the history of Capitalism and others, everybody knew and acknowl.
Cunow (in his pamphlet, The Collapse the army in France since the employ. labor in this country within the past fif edged. The experiences of the war con.
of the Party, and in many articles) at ers apparently act on the assumption teen years. And this history shows the firms this more and more and more. The tempts to justify his entry into the bour that it is more important to crush the onward, brutal march of Capitalism, misery of the masses is terrible, and the geois camp, and we meet hints of similar workers than carry on production. The strengthening itself, increasing the efforts of the governments, bourgeoisie conclusions almost in all the Socialist government discourages mob violence workers yield of surplus value, empha and opportunists to conceal the misery Chauvinists, with Kautsky at the head. against the and prefers to sizing its control of the nation, entering meet with frequent disaster. The profits Hopes of a revolution turned out to be use the more successful method of legal into a new epoch of its existence, more of certain groups of Capitalists are illusions and to defend illusions is not terrorism. The bureaucracy of the malevolent and powerful than ever. But scandalously high.
a function of a Marxist, reasons Cunow, of overtly and covertly engages in this tendency of Capitalism produces a The intensification of contradictions At the same time he does not say a word the conspiracy to smash its militant new tendency the awakening to conabout the illusions of everybody who is enormous. Suppressed indignation union rival.
sciousness and action of the great indus of the masses, vague longing of stupisigned the Basel manifesto, but as a While the government wages a war trial proletariat of unskilled labor, ex fied and lowest strata of society for highly honorable man he tries to shift to make the world safe for democracy, pressing itself through the kindly. democratic. peace, the beginthe responsibility on those of the ex Capitalism uses the opportunity to wage The history of the is the his ning of revolt below all these are treme left, such as Pannekoek and a civil war of its own against the tory of the development of unskilled evident. And the more war is prolonged Radek. to make Amerca safe for plutocracy labor, that great industrial and social and intensified the more governments Let us examine the substance of the and the plutocratic unionism of the force which is destined to overthrow develop and are obliged to develop the argument that the authors of the Basel of resoluion sincerely expected the advent While all eyes are centered on the ture of industrial communism. The his ceptional, extraordinary efforts and of the revolution but that events refuted great trial in Chicago, an epochal trial tory of the and particularly sacrifices. The experiences of war like them. The Basel manifesto declares: in which capital and labor appear in its attitude today and during the trial, the experiences of every crisis in history. 1) That the war will creat an eco their definite class character and prodemonstrates the great moral and physi of every misery and catastrophe in the nomic and political crisis. 2) that the portions, the in other secions cal power latent in the industrial prole life of man, stupefies and breaks down workers will look upon their participa of the country is being persecuted and tariat, which requires only the impact some but at the same time hardens and tion in it as a crime as an iniquitous arrests and imprisonments proceed mer of a favorable situation to act in the enlightens others. In general besides, shooting at each other for the sake of rily on their way.
performance of the historic mission of in the world history, the numbers and Capitalist profits, the vanity of dynas. In Idaho, large numbers of s the working class.
strength of the latter exceeds the former, ties, the fulfillment of secret diplomatic have been arrested and imprisoned The reaction considered that by ar with the exception of certain instances agreements, that the war calls forth pending trial and the timber barons resting the leaders the would of breakdown and destruction of this or indignaion and revulsion among the are happy. Montana has a similar rec collapse like a house of cards. But you that government. The conclusion of workers. 3) that the said crisis and the ord. Jim Weaver and Edward Horn cannot destroy a mass movement in that peace not only is unable at once to said psychological condition of the have been convicted of criminal Syn simple way: The has not col. put an end to these miseries and to all workers, Socialists should take advan. dicalism. Fellow Worker Brooks ex lapsed, will not collapse until the con this intensification of contradictions, but tage of to rouse the people, and hasten pressed the spirit of all when he said: ditions of its existence pass away and on the contrary in many respects makes the downfall of Capitalism. 4) that Come what will to the individual, our that won be until Socialism is estab the misery even more burdensome, and all governments, without exception, cause is right and we cannot fail. lished. The Labor Defender wittily especially more evident for the most can not begin the war without danger to The record of the trial, says: If there is one thing the great backward masses of the people. In a themselves. 5) that the governments should it ever be edited and published, trial is proving it is that Fellow Worker word, a revolutionary condition in the fear a proletarian revolution. 6) would make one of the finest propa Wobbly is the greatest of all majority of the leading countries and that the governments should remember ganda works in American Socialist lit leaders. Exactly; a militant organiza great powers of Europe is at hand. In the Paris Commune (i. e. a civil war. erature. The testimony, the defense, tion of labor depends upon its own ini. this respect the expectations of the Basel the revolution of 905 in Russia, etc. goes to the roots of the social evils and and action, upon its own moral manifesto have been fully realized. To etc. All these are very clear ideas. the social problems of capitalist society. and physical reserves. The deny this truth directly or indirectly or There is no guarantee in them that the The terrorism of the employers, their is the militant proletariat in action. to be silent about it as do Cunow, Plechrevolution will take place. In them is shameless lust for profits, their disre Urgent: Money is needed, and need anoff, Kautsky Co. means to be telling emphasized the precise consideration of gard of all the laws of heaven and earth ed immediately, for the the greatest untruth, to deceive the facts and tendencies. Any one who on in their attitude toward the workers, Defense Fund. Contribute yourself, and working class and to serve the bourthe basis of these ideas and arguments the shameless collusion that often pre get others to contribute. Give until it geoisie.
states that the expected advent of the vails between the employers and the hurts Capitalism. To be continued)