The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-01-03

the communist fdTIy Oh TIE DO
The other is the passive absorber of
such energy when it "permeates the
atmosphere"
In the first there is an unshakable
faith in the revolutionary power of
the masses which shows more clearly
the greater the difficulties to be over
come. In the second is a readiness to
give way to despair in moment of de-
feat and difficulty. Slow "undrama-
tic" work, requiring patience, requir-
ing "stubbornness" and determination,
without prospect of immediate startl-
ing successes and the immediate solu-
ton of all difficulties-such work de-
moralizes the second type of leader.
Ultra-Leftism and Opportunism.
When difficulties multiply he be-
gins seeking desperately for "short
cuts" that do not exist. He Jumps
over" the difficulties, gets rid of them
by denying their existence, develops
, an unrealistic program which sounds
tremendously revolutionary but is out
of all harmony with the real situation
it is intended to fit and therefore dan
gerous to the success of the revolu-
tionary movement. Or he tends to ex-
aggerate the difficulties, to become
panicky and to propose retreat so
rapid that it amounts to ,rout or COM
plete surrender and would lead to the
complete decentralization of the revo-
lutionary ranks.
| Usually, there is a mixture of both
kinds of flight from the difficult stu
alton, denial of its existence and ex-
aggeration of the difficulties. Ultra
leftism and opportunism go hand in
hand.
Difficulties Faced by the USSR.
THE working class Of the Soviet
Union faces many difficulties in
its path to socialism. They must
build socialism in land that is in
dustrially backward, that was eco
nomically dependent for capital and
machinery upon other countries, that
is surrounded by hostile capitalist ma
lions.
A conflict is approaching between
the imperialist powers and the Soviet
Union. In Western Europe capitalism
has been temporarily stabilized.
The revolutionary movements in
spired in Germany, Hungary, Finland,
Italy, ETC., by the example if the Rus
sian workers have resulted in tenn
porary but decisive defeats. The
longed-for revolution in the West"
has been delayed.
The Soviet Union cannot count upon
the 'state aid" of the victorious pro-
letariat of an advanced Industrial ma
ton. Nor can it expect anything but
enmity and attack from the capitalist
powers surrounding it. The Soviet
Union must build socialism out of it's
own resources on the basis of it's own
class forces.
Getting Rid of Sterilization.
THIS prospect terrifies the oppose
ton. Trotsky has declared that
the Soviet Union cannot build social
ism without the state aid of success
full revolutions in other countries"
The opposition has repeatedly denied
that any progress in the direction of
building socialism is being made. At
the same time, it has proposed desper-
ate "get-rich-quick" schemes, revolu-
tionary "short- cuts" to socialism that
avoid facing the hard realities and
difficulties of the process.
The sterilization of capitalism ter
rifles them and plunges them into
despair. They propose revolutionary
sounding short cuts to the world re-
volution, as in the case of the pro-
posal to break the Anglo Russian I'm
ity Committee, to raise prematurely
the slogan of "build Soviets" in China,
and many other efforts to swing the
Comintern and it's various sections
into the path of ultra-leftist adven-
turism. They suddenly revise the uni
ted front tactics. or propose their
abandonment, urge measures that
would lead to the abandonment of
work in the reactionary unions.
w