The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-12-26
By V. BURDOy.

IF we calculate the wealth of the various
states per head of the population, and COM
pare the figures for the United States with
those of the Soviet Union, we find the amount
to be 121 times less in the Soviet Union than
in the United States. Shall we ever overtake
a country so far ahead of us? And if we
do overtake it, will it be within any reasonable
time?
The highest trump played by the United
States in the struggle for the first place among
the nations is the fact that in the United
States there none of the elements of feud-
alism, so that the states are able to adopt an
american" speed of development.
The United States is the land of truebred
capitalism. A closer survey enables us to
recognize all the signs of senility in this coun-
try. The average growth of industrial pro-
ducton in the United States lessons from year
to year. In 1S49-59 it figured at 81 per
cent Tin 1876 the civil war ragged between
the North and the South; in 1S69-79 81 per
cent, in 1879-S9 per cent in 1889-99 4.3 per
cent, in 1899-1909 81 per cent in 1909 till
1914 per cent.
This constant retrogresson of the growth
of industrial production in the United States
has been caused chiefly by the anarchic ma
ture of capitalist production, which is
increasing factor productive forces. This
anarchy leads to periodic crises, and inevitably
involves great unproductive expenditure, bound
up with the commercial process. With the
development of capitalism this unproductve
expenditure becomes greater. By 1920 it had
already reached 50.4 per cent in the United
States. Our commercial apparatus is by no
means so highly developed, but the costs of
selling are still much too high, totalling 257
per cent
Besides this, the rule of capitalism renders
| dustrial strikes inevitable. Various Amer
| lean economists have calculated that between
| 1881 and 1900 loss of 449 million dollars was
caused to the United States by strikes. In the
twertieth century the class struggle became
even further aggravated.
The economic development of the United
States has been further retarded of late by
| the extraordinary growth of its military
budget. In 1920 81 per cent of the state budget
was connected in some way with aims,
whilst only 8 per cent served purely peaceful
purposes.
Finally the speed of development in the
United States is further hampered by the pre-
valent luxury, which swallows up no less than
Is per cent of the national income.
Our main advantage in the struggle against
the capitalist world is the specialization of the
means of production, and this circumstance
secures us tempo of Development exceeding
that of America. We have completely over
come the feudal elements, and this in itself
greatly accelerates developmei :. The prole-
tariat of the Soviet Union has, however, &C.
complshed more; it has defeated capitalism,
and is proceeding to reorganize it's economy
! on new socialist basis. This reorganization
of our economy frees us, above all, of the
unproductive expenditure involved by the an
archy of the capitalist system of production.
Our economy is organized uniformly and sys
tenatically, and agriculture too, is max
ing great progress towards Specialization.
Moreover, we have socialized the distribution
Of goods to great extent, which gives US an
other great advantage over the capitalist
world. We must now endeavor to attain fur
Their reduction Of the costs of selling.
With respect to the losses incident to the
class struggle, these have vanished from our
industries. The working class of the Soviet
Union is conscious t1rt its interests are bound