The Bolshevik Turn-Over

Hokitika Guardian, 16 June 1921, Page 1

The Bolshevik Turn-Over

SENDING FOR THE CAPITALISTS

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

The Russian Revolution, which placed in power the Communist Party led by Lenin and Trotsky, has been represented to the workers of this Dominion as the most practical application of socialism the world has ever seen. It is probably for that reason that Mr P. Fraser, M.P. referred to Lenin and Trotsky recently as “two of the world’s greatest statesmen.” Whether they are great statesmen, great madmen or great criminals, are questions by no means easy to settle. That their rule has involved the starvation and death of multitudes of the Russian people, is well beyond dispute to-day. The doctrines upon which tlie Bolsheviks have endeavoured to establish a new Russia are those of Marxian Socialism. This involved the abolition of private capital and the whole system of capitalistic production. At last had come the time of which the Socialists of Europe had written and spoken for a century. Rent, interest and profits (which are presented by Socialist advocates as tlie three curses of capitalism) were at last swept out of existence and “production for use and not for profit” was at length established.

On many hundreds of occasions the Socialists have affirmed that when this revolution took place the mass of the people would be able to live in comfort as there worn! he plenty for everybody in this glorious socialist state. No wonder that thousands of every land have flocked to the standard of Socialism seeing that it promised to suffering and careworn humanity such glowing hopes of a new- heaven an a new earth, all in one. It is a sad thing that such it beautiful faith should b e shaken by the stern reality of fact. Old Mother Nature. however, pays but little attention to our childish dreams, even if we should weep over them, but carries out her programme, in her own impassive wav.

The Socialist Revolution in Russia actually took place : rent, interest and profits—with production for profits—were swept away. What are the results? Instead of plenty there has been penury to the extent of widespread starvation; instead of comfort there has been disease and misery; instead of prolific “production for use” the slackness of production lias necessitated the application of the lash of dictatorship which Lon in, in polite irony, calls “iron discipline.” The British Labour Delegation visited the country and reported, on return, that the workers of Britain had nothing to learn from Russia except dictatorship, which they did not want. Mr H. G. Wells visited Russia and reporting on what lie saw he summed the whole position up in the one tragic word, “ruin.” Mass dictatorship had become party dictatorship, and party rule personal tyranny. SEND FOR THE CAPITALISTS

With their people starving, the works dislocated, production reduced to a minimum, trade a matter of reports rather than supplies, and the country faced with disaster, the Red statesmen turn, where? It is to the hated Capitalists that they turn in their distress. The most recent decisions of the Soviet Government of Russia are to allow free individual trailing within the country ami secure trading with the Capitalists out side the Republic. When it. was presented to Lenin that this was Capitalism he said, “Yes, let us not deceive ourselves, I're© trading is Capitalism, hut we must have capitalism at present to save our country.” Here, then, is the position that having tried mass conrol of industry and the several socialistic formulas, the men in charge of the Ship of State in Russia, these very wise statesmen send out an S.O.S. to the Capitalists, whom they call pirates, to come aboard and act as pilots. They do not admit that Socialism is wrong hut merely that they are in dire straits. What does it mean? To thinking people it can hut mean one thing. As on many other occasions, the Socialist theory having been put to the test of actual practice, proves a failure. Send for the Capitalists ; we may abuse these latter, hut somehow they get things done which we cannot Jo without and live.