The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-01-17

u O1iy LflSu QOeS LN6 STATE us
realized a really full democracy,
a democracy without any ex-
ceptions. And only then will de-
mocracy itself begin to wither
away in virtue of the simple fact
that, freed from capitalist sIav-
cry, from the innunnerabIe hor-
rors, savagery, absurdities and
infamies of capitalist exploita-
ton, people will gradually be-
come accustomed to the obser-
walton of the elementary rules
of social life, known for centur-
les, repeated for thousands Of
years in all sermons. They will
become accustomed to their OBJ
servance without force, without
constraint, without subsection,
without the special apparatus
for compulsion which is called
the state.
THE expression "the state
withers away" is very we'll
chosen, for it indicates the grad
ual and elemental nature Of the
process. Only habit can, and
undoubtedly will, have such an
effect: for we see around US mil
lions OF times how readily people
get accustomed to observe the
necessary rules of life in COM
mon, it there is no exploitation.
it there is nothing that causes
Indignation, that calls forth pro-
test and revolt and has to be
suppressed.
HUS, in capitalist society, we
have a democracy that is
curtailed, wretched, false; a
democracy only for the rich, for
the minority. The Dictatorship
OF the proIetariat, the period Of
transition of Communism, will.
TOR the first time, produce a
democracy for the people, for
the majority, side by side with
the necessary suppression of
the minority constituted by the
exploiters. Communism alone
IS capable of giving a really
complete democracy, and the
fuller It is the more quickly will
It become unnecessary and
wIther away of-itseIf. IN other
words, under capitalism we
have a state in the proper sense
OF the word: that is, a special
instrument for the suppression
OF one class by another, and of
the majority by the minority at
that. Naturally, for the sue
cessful discharge of such a task
as the systematic suppression by
the minority of expIoiters of the
majority of exploited, the great
est ferocity and savagery of
suppression is required, and seas
OF blood are needed, thru which
humanity has to direct its path.
in condition of slavery, serf-
dom and wage labor.
a GAIN, during the transition
- from capitalism to Com
munism, suppression is still
necessary; but in this case it is
the suppression of the minority
OF exploiters by the majority Of
exploited. A special instrument.
a special machine for suppress
sion-that is, the "state"-is
necessary, but this is now a
transitional state, no longer a
state in the ordinary sense of
the term. For the suppression
OF the minority of exploiters by
the majority of those who were
but yesterday wage slaves, is a
matter comparatively so easy,
simple and natural that it will
cost far less bloodshed than the
suppression of the risings of the
slaves, serfs or wage Iaborers,
and will cost the human race far
less. And il is compatible with
the diffusion of democracy over
such an overwhelming majority
of the nation that the need for
any special machinery for sup
preston will gradually cease to
exist. The expIoiters are UNI
able, of course, to suppress the
people without a most complex
machine for performing this
duty; but the people can sup
press the exploiters even with a
very simple "machine"-aImost
without any machine" at all.
Without any special apparatus
by the simple organization OF
the armed masses (such as the
a Iittle).