Page:The Proletarian Revolution in Russia - Lenin, Trotsky and Chicherin - ed. Louis C. Fraina (1918).djvu/98

 The bourgeois standpoint consists of outright justification of the war, outright "defense of the fatherland," that is, a defense of the interests of the capitalists and their right to annexations. The petit bourgeois standpoint differs from this in that it renounces annexations, "condemns" Imperialism, and "demands" from the bourgeoisie that it shall cease to be imperialistic, although the petit bourgeois does not require the bourgeoisie to pass out of its world-imperialistic relations, or out of the capitalistic structure of society. Limiting himself to this innocent, innocuous, shallow declamation, the petit bourgeois as a matter of fact follows meekly after the bourgeoisie, "sympathizing" somewhat with the proletariat, in words, but remaining completely dependent on the bourgeoisie, being unable or perhaps unwilling to grasp the revolutionary means of removing the capitalist yoke, which is the only means that can save humanity from Imperialism.

"Demanding" from bourgeois governments that they make a "solemn declaration" renouncing annexations,—this seems to the petty bourgeois the height of audacity as well as an illustration of anti-imperialistic consistency of action. It is not difficult to see that this is the policy of Louis Blanc at its worst. Has the competent bourgeois politician ever had any difficulty in pronouncing the most "radical" and sonorous of phrases, saying little, to be sure, and binding the speaker to nothing, in discussing the matter of annexations "in general"? But when it comes to actions, it is always possible to walk the tight-rope, as the bourgeois Rech has been doing lately; in fact, this paper has recently had the effrontery to declare that Courland (recently annexed by the imperialistic robbers of the German bourgeoisie) is not a land annexed by Russia! This is the most shameless deception of the workers, the most intolerable misrepresentation, for any man who has even the most rudimentary political education must recognize that Courland has always been a territory annexed by Russia.

Admitting, if only for a moment, that the bourgeois ministers are models of righteousness and honesty, that they really believe implicitly in the possibility of a renunciation of annexations, while preserving Capitalism, and really want to renounce annexations,—making, for a moment, this truly Louis-Blanc admission, here is our question: Can any man of mature intellect be content with what people think of themselves, without verifying these thoughts by their acts? Is it possible for a Marxist not to distinguish between desires, assertions, objective realty? Answer: It is not.