House of Paine

lexi kollantai strikes out

its EARLY  1921
 
the bolshi party
 
sometime 
the prior year
        whilst 
surrounded by  a zillion 
                      burger-imperial knives
 
       has dirempted

there is now 
a so-called 
  " workers opposition "
           inside the party .....

and words 
would make it seem
  as if
  the prole cat 
        revolution itself 
             is in  play


here's 
workers op leader

 komrade KOLLANTAI 

"  The basis of the controversy 
is namely this: 
whether we shall realize communism
 through workers 
or over their heads 
by the hands of soviet officials....." 





===============================


"The solution of this problem
 as it is proposed 
by the industrial unions
 consists in giving
 complete freedom
 to the workers 


as regards 
experimenting
 class training
 adjusting
 and 
feeling out
 the new forms of production

 as well as the expression 
               and development
 of their creative abilities

complete freedom 
  to that class 
which alone 
can be the creator of communism" 

"There can be no self-activity
 without freedom 
of thought and opinion
 for self-activity manifests itself
 not only in initiative
 action
 and work
 but in independent thought as well

are we bolsheviks  afraid of mass-activity?
are we  afraid to give freedom
 to the class activity ?
are we  afraid of criticism ?

if so
then as a party 
have we not
 ceased to rely on the masses?

and
if so 
 will we not 
    ourselves 
become a  bureaucracy?"

" the Workers' Opposition 
considers that bureaucracy 
is our enemy
 our scourge
 and the greatest danger
 for the future existence
of the Communist Party itself" 

"In order to do away
 with the bureaucracy 
that is finding its shelter
 in the soviet institutions
 we must first of all
 get rid of all bureaucracy 
in the party itself.... "

Wide publicity
 freedom of opinion
 and discussion
 right to criticize 
within the party 
and among the members
 of the trade unions
 such is the decisive step
 that can put an end 
to the prevailing system 
of bureaucracy"

" Freedom of criticism
 right of different factions
 to freely present their views 
at party meetings
 freedom of discussion
these should 
no longer be
    the demands of the Workers' Opposition alone"



sounds good eh?

lenin tried to trounce it

why ?
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