The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-12-02
PROPAGANDA OF PURE ABSTRACTION

bound to conclude that we were all
wrong again.
Look here. We have program for
the unemployed. 1T calls for the or
ganization of the unemployed work
ers for struggle against the capital
lists and their government on the
basis of concrete immediate demands
to relieve the sufferings Of the unem-
ployed We thought this was a good
way Of developing the political con-
seriousness OF the unemployed masses.
Why? Because we were laboring un-
der the idea accepted by Marx, Len
in, and the whole Communist Inter-
nationaD that the best, if not the
only way Of developing the political
consciousness of the masses is to
bring these masses into motion and
struggle on the basis OF their most eIe-
mentary economic needs and thereby
bringing them into conflict with the
capitalist state.
We thought that when Communist
Party arouses the masses to strike
for higher wages and shorter hours;
when it succeeds in leading the mass
es to fight against child-labor exploit
alton or the high cost Of living, it is
thereby setting on foot a movement
which tends to bring the masses into
conflict with the agents of the CAPT
talist state, thereby developing the po-
litical consciousness of the masses.
We thought also that it was the bust
ness of Communist Party to see to
it that these elementary mass-move-
ments arising from the burning eco
nomic needs should produce the maxi
mum of political understanding in the
minds of the workers.
Now we find that we were all wrong
And so were Marx, Lenin, and the
Communist International. Why? Be
cause the slogan For a Glass Farmer
Labor Party" is the only way Of de-
veloping the political consciousness of
the masses. So says the minority.
Still Another Great Idea.
The brilliancy Of the minority is
binding! The depth Of their analysis
is unbelievable. Just read Comrade
Ruthenberg's article in the December
issue of the Workers Monthly. You
will find this:
"The reason why the slogan (For a
Mass Farmer-Labor Party.-A. 3D. re-
mains a potent slogan for our party to
use as the basis Of its united front
maneuvers on the political field is be-
cause capitalism and the intensified
ton of the class struggle remain"
Read it again, please. Memorize it.
And then ask yourself, what does it
all mean? 1t means that because cap
italism in the United States remains
in existepcel 70 great discoyerYl) and
because the class struggle is intensi-
Tying, therefore Long live the
Farmer-Labor Party
Strange, very strange. We know
(unless we are wrong in this, tool that
in Germany also, capitalism remains in
existence, and in France and in a
few more countries in the world. We
also know that in some of the coun-
tries where capitalism still remains in
existence the class struggle is much
more intense than in the United
States. And yet? The Communist
Parties over there do not seem to
feel the burning need for farmer-Ia-
Dor party slogan. How do you ex-
plain it? +n
The Missing Link. a'r z
Yes. yes, we know. There is one
-
link missing here. We go back to the
minority thesis and we find it. 1t is
this; The only way the masses in
the United States can enter into indie
pendent political action is thru farm
er-labor party.
BY inserting this missing link we
have saved the logic merely The &c.,