Page:Vladimir Ilyich Lenin - The Chief Task of Our Times.djvu/8

 endeavours to bring about for the establishment of an organised Socialist Commonwealth, On this field the element of bourgeois capitalism and boundless selfishness reveals itself as the determined enemy of the proletariat. And in the attitude which the lower bourgeois took up towards all the events of the revolution we see their complete disagreement with us; it is only natural that, precisely in this camp, we find the chief opposition to the accomplishment of the immediate tasks of the moment; here we have the opposition of people who agree with us on the question of principle, who support us on questions which are more vital than those which they criticise—it is an opposition combined with support.

When we see such a political phenomena as the agreement of the "Znamia Truda" with certain phases of Bolshevism and with some formulas of the Mensheviki—whose policy was a coalition with Kerenski—then we must look for something that will throw light on the real meaning of these attacks. It behoves us to take account of the attacks, because by arguing with these opponents we shall be able to put the true value on the principal tasks of the Soviet Power. The argument is interesting, because it exemplifies the Marxist theory.

In saying that it is interesting to argue with these opponents I do not, of course, mean that arguing is interesting for its own sake, but that the subject of the dispute concerns the most essential, fundamental questions of the present time. It is not a mere accident that the disputes are conducted on these lines. On these lines runs at present the fundamental task, the task of the revolutionary proletarian struggle, which is dictated by the real conditions of Russia, and which must be fully carried out in face of innumerable and divergent bourgeois currents. It is quite clear that the proletariat, in spite of all the surrounding difficulties, must realise that on this point it cannot make any concessions, considering that the Socialist Revolution, which began by depriving the bourgeoisie of its power, and continued by breaking the latter's resistance, makes it a matter of vital importance that all questions of proletarian discipline, the organisation of the workers, businesslike methods, and the knowledge of great industrial interests, should be considered. These questions the proletariat must solve in a practical way; otherwise it will suffer defeat. In the sphere of these tasks we find the chief present difficulty of the Socialist Revolution. That is why it is so interesting, so important, in the historical and political use of the word, to argue with the representatives of the group of Communists of the Left, although in examining their position, their theory, we see absolutely nothing—I reiterate, and am going to prove it—but mere bourgeois waverings. Our comrades of the group of Communists of the Left, no matter by what name they go, are striking at their own doctrines, I assume that this is known to the majority of those present, because since March, even in Bolshevist circles, their doctrines have been discussed ; even those who have not studied their political propaganda literature could not help knowing of the doctrines from the debates at the All-Russian Congress of Soviets.

In their doctrines, as in those of the Social Revolutionaries of the Left, we see precisely what we see in the camp of the Right: the camp of the bourgeoisie, from Miliukoff down to Martoff, who find the present "misfortunes" of Russia extremely hard to bear, from the point of view of the loss of her autocratic power, of her transformation from a nation and Power of oppressors into a country of oppressed. When it becomes necessary to decide the question (not only on paper but by action) whether the hard path which leads to Socialism and the initial hardships of the Socialist Revolution are worth even the heaviest defeats as far as the country's sovereignty and national independence are concerned, our disagreement is strongest. It is clear to us that, while the imperialists are waging a mad struggle for the partition of the world, it is impossible for many nations which were formerly dominant to escape heavy defeat. Conscious Socialists must and will accept such trials, no matter how heavy they may weigh upon humanity. On this point the Social Revolutionaries of the Left, as well as the Communists of the Left, have shown the greatest indecision.

They pay the greatest attention to the question of the peace. They endeavour to prove that this peace was the manifestation of the psychology of