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

VII ObHOt L0tNf0A~5 -@af ~
stage or epoch of tire YS -
"RETWEEN capitalism O. kos
- formation from the = 70
the state during this period 7 y
TARlAT."
THIS conclusion Marx bases
on an analysis of the role
played by the proIetariat in mod
ern capitalist society, on the
facts of the development OF this
society and on the irreconcila-
biIity Of the antagonistic inter-
ests of the proIetarlat and the
capitalist class.
EARLIER the question was
l. put thus: To attain its
emancipation the proletariat
must overthrow the capitalist
class, conquer political power
and establish its own revolution
airy dictatorship. Now the ques-
ton is put somewhat different
ly: The transition from capt.
talist society developing to-
wards Communism, to a Com
munist society, is impossible
without a period of political
transition" and the state in this
period can only be the revoIu-
tionary dictatorship of the pro-
Ietariat.
lIkTHAT, then, is the relation of
Nv this dictatorship to democ-
racy? We saw that the Com
munist Manifesto simply places
side by side the two ideas: the
conversion of the proIetariat
into the ruling class" and the
conquest of democracy" On
the basis of all that has been
said above, one can define more
exactly how democracy changes
in the transition from capitalism
to Communism.
i'm capitalist society, under the
l conditions most favorable to
its development, we have a more
or less complete democracy in
the form of democratic repub-
lie. But this democracy is al
ways bound by the narrow
framework of capitalist exploit
alton. and. consequently, always
remains, in reality, a democ-
racy only for the minority, only
for the possessing classes, only
for the rich. Freedom in capt.
taIist society always remains
more or less the same as it was
in the ancient Greek republics.
that is, freedom for the slave
owners. The modern wage
slaves, in virtue of the condi-
tions Of capitalist exploitation,
remain to such an extent crush
ed by want and poverty that
they "cannot be bothered with
democracy" have mo time for
politics.; that, in the ordinary
peaceful course of events, the
majority Of the population is de-
barred from participating in
pubic political life. -.
DEMOCRACY for an insigniti-
III cant minority, democracy
for the rich-that is the democ-
racy of capitalist society. 1t we
look more closely into the mech
anism of capitalist democracy,
everywhere-in the so-called
"petty" details of the suffrage
(the residential qualification,
the exclusion of women, etc.,,
in the technique of the repre-
sentative institutions, in the act
uaI obstacles to the right OF
meeting public buildings are
not for the "poor"), in the pure
Nv capitalist organization of the
daily press, etc., etc.-on all
sides we shall see restrictions
upon restrictions of democracy.
These restrictions, exceptions,
exclusions, obstacles for the
poor, seem ENTHUSIASTICALLY in
the eyes of one who has himself
never known want, and has
never lived in close contact with
the oppressed class in their hard
life, and nine-tenths, if not ninet
licists and politicians are of this
exclude and thrust out the poor
democracy. Marx splendidly grs
when, In his analysis of the exp
oppressed are allowed, once eve
representatives of the depressing
in parliament!
RUT from this capitalist democ
- ing aside the poor, and there
ous-progress does not march a
G<xpao4ar and oraafap daF4anCroOu