A radical revolution , the general amancipation of mankind , is not a utopian dream for Germany ; what is utopian is the idea of a partial, an exclusively political revolution , which would leave the pillar’s of the house standing.
Democracy is theoratically a system of political and legal equality . But in concrete and practical operation it is false, for there can be no equality , not even in politics and before the law , so long as there is glaring in equality in economic power. So long as the ruling class owns the worker’s jobs and the press and the schools of country and all organs for the moulding and expression of public opinion; so long as it monopolise all trained public functionaries and disposes of unlimited funds to influence elections , so long as the laws are made by ruling class and the courts are presided over by members of that class, so long as lawyers are private practitioners who sell their skill to the heighest bidder and litigation is technical and costly , so long will the nominal equality before the law be a hollow mackery.
In a capitalist regime the whole machinary of democracy operates to keep the ruling class monority in power thrugh the sufferage of working class majority, and when the bourgeois goverment feels itself endangered by democratic institutions, such institutions re often crushed without compunction.
[ p 58]
[ From Marx to Lenin ]
[ by Morris Hillquit ]
Democracy does not secure " equal rights and a share in all political rights for every body , to what ever class or party he may belong " (Kautsky) It only allows free political and legel play .For the existing economic inequalities ............. Democracy under capitalism is thus not general, abstract democracy but specific bourgeois democracy .......... or as Lenin terms it ------------- democracy for bourgeois .
" The conception of revolution is not to be treated in the police interpretation of term , in the sense of an armed rising. A party would be mad that would choose the method of insurrection on principle so long as it has at its disposal different , less costly , and safer methods of action. In that sense , social democracy was never revolutioanry on principle . It is only in the sense that it recognises that when it attains political power, it cannot employ it for any other than the abolition of the mode of production upon which thw present system rests. "
" Karl Kautsky"
: 0 :
Some facts and figures about United States
5 men can produce bread for 1000
1 man acn produce cotton cloth for 250
1 man can produce woollen for 300
1 man can produce boots and shoes for 1000
p78 Iron Heel
: 0 :
15,000,000 are living in abject poverty who cannot even maintain their working efficiency. 3,000,000 child labourer
: 0 :
Re: England :---
Pre war estimates
Total production of England ( per annum) 2000,000,000
Gains through foreign investments 200,000,000
1/9 th part of population took away 1/2 1100,000,000
It was the possibility of acting within the law that reared opportunism within labour parties of the period of Second International .
[ Lenin vide Collapse of II Int. N ]
Illegal Work
" In a country where the bourgeosie , or the counter - revolutionary Social Democracy is in power , te Communist Party must learn to coordinate its legal work with illegal work and legal work must always be under the effective control of illegal party."
Bukharin
: 0 :
Betrayal of II Int. N’s Cause
The vast organisation of socialism and labour were adjusted to such peace time activities , and when the crisis came , a number of the leaders and large portion of masses were unable to adopt themselves to the new situation ...... It is inevitable development that accounts largely for the betrayal of II International.
Marx to Lenin p 140
Morris Hillquiet
: 0 :
The Cynic’s Word Book (1906)
Ambrose Prierce writes :---
" Grape shot --- (n) -- An argument which the future is preparing in answer to the demands of American Socialism. "
Rifles !
" You say you will have majority in the Parliament and State offices , but " How many rifles have you got ? Do you know where you can get plenty of lead ? When it comes to powder , the chemical mixtures are better than mechanical mixtures. You take my word."
A socialist leader had addressed a meeting of the plutocrats and charged them of mismanging the society and there by thrown the whole resposibilit for the woes and misery that confronts the suffering humanity.After wards a capitalist ( Mr. Wickson)rose and addressed him as follows :
" This, then, is our answer . We have no words to waste on you. When you reach out your vaunted strong hands for our palaces and purpled ease , we will show you what strength is. In roar os shell and shrapnel and in whine of machine guns will our answer be couched. We will grind you revolutioists down under our heel, and we shall walk upon your faces. The world is ours. We are its lords and ours it shall remain. as for the host of labour. It has always been in the dirt since history began , and I read history aright. And in the dirt it shall remain so long as I and mine , and those that come after us , have the power.
There is the word. It is the king of words ---- Power. Not God , not mammon but power. Pour it over your tongue till it tingles with it. "Power"
" I am answered." Earnest (the socialist leader) said quietly. " Itis the only answer that could be given. Power. It is what we of the working class preach. We know and well we know by bitter experience that no appel for the right, for justice, for humanity can ever touch you. Your hearts are hard as your heels with which you tread upon the faces of the poor. So we have preached power. By the Power of our ballots , on election day will we take your government away from you ........ "
" What if you do get a majority, a sweeping majority on election day." Mr. Wickson broke in to demand . "Suppose we refuse to turn the Government over to you after you have captured it at the ballot box?"
" That also we have considered, " Earnest replied. "And we shall give you an answer in terms of lead. Power, you have proclaimed the king of words. Very good! Power, it shall be. And in the day that we sweep to victory at the ballot box, and you refuse to turn over to us the government we have constitutionally and peacefully captured and you demand what we are going to do about it -- ? --- in that day. I say , we shall answer you ; and in roar of shell and shrapnel, in whine of machine guns shall our answer be couched .
" You can not escape us. It is true that you have read history aright. It is true that labour has , from the begining of history been in the dirt . And it is equally true that so long as you and yours and those that come after you , have power, that labour shall remain in dirt. I agree with
you. I agree with all you have said. Power will be the arbiter, as it always have been the arbiter. It is a struggle of classes. Just as your class dragged down the old feudal nobility , so shall be draged down by my class, the working class. If you will read your biology and your sociology as clearly as do your history, you will see that this end I have described is inevitable. It does not matter whether it is in one year , ten or a thousand -- your class will be draged down .And it shall be done by power. We of the labour host have coined that word over , till our minds are all atingle with it. Power. It is kingly word.
" That also we have considered, " Earnest replied. "And we shall give you an answer in terms of lead. Power, you have proclaimed the king of words. Very good! Power, it shall be. And in the day that we sweep to victory at the ballot box, and you refuse to turn over to us the government we have constitutionally and peacefully captured and you demand what we are going to do about it -- ? --- in that day. I say , we shall answer you ; and in roar of shell and shrapnel, in whine of machine guns shall our answer be couched .
" You can not escape us. It is true that you have read history aright. It is true that labour has , from the begining of history been in the dirt . And it is equally true that so long as you and yours and those that come after you , have power, that labour shall remain in dirt. I agree with
you. I agree with all you have said. Power will be the arbiter, as it always have been the arbiter. It is a struggle of classes. Just as your class dragged down the old feudal nobility , so shall be draged down by my class, the working class. If you will read your biology and your sociology as clearly as do your history, you will see that this end I have described is inevitable. It does not matter whether it is in one year , ten or a thousand -- your class will be draged down .And it shall be done by power. We of the labour host have coined that word over , till our minds are all atingle with it. Power. It is kingly word.