The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-09-12
By G. WILLIAMS.
From speech delivered at the Seventh
Convention of the c. p. U. S. A.
Continued


production, growing unemployment, so-called
easy or Cheap" money, eta sharp period
of the decline of capitalist economy, then a
period of stagnaton, so-called economic de-
preston If we take the present economic
crisis, we must say that all these typical fea-
~fures of a MARKHAM economic crisis are here;
the sharp fall of production, unemployment,
Aeverything is here. The Characterization of
this crisis as cyclical crisis in the Third Per-
iod of the general crisis of the capitalist sys-
tem is absolutely correct. Even the c.. l.
spoke of this crisis as "cyclical" crisis. In
my opinion, it is important to explain and try
to convince the comrades, and not merely show
them something in print.
Some comrades say, "Show me in print and
I will believe it." If Comrade Smith wants
ME to show it in print, l could show that even
in many responsible documents of many re-
sponsible comrades of the CT, the same express
sion Of "cycical" crisis has been used. In
January the CT issued special number of its
magazine, THE Communist International" on
the question of the world economic crisis, and
an editorial in that issue declared that a
crisis had taken place at the end of 1929 in
the United States which has all the features
of normal" cyclical crisis of capitalism,
and is the result of the inner development of
American capitalism as we'll as the result of
world capitalism.
In the last issue of the "Inprecorr," Comrade
Varga gives an economic analysis of the world
situation and declares that for the first time
since the war, we can trace a uniform and uni
versal phase of an industrial cycle. But in my
opinion, he exaggerates the uniformity of the
cyclical crisis and forgets the uneven develop
ment. But the analysis of the crisis as cy-
clical crisis is correct.
The State Planning Commission, a very re-
sponsible institution in the Soviet Union, is
sued special book on the economic crisis in
the United States and in the first article one
of the leaders of this very responsible insti-
tuition of the Soviet Union declared that the
present crisis in the United States is regu-
lar "cyclcap' crisis. In the same article, it
is said that the present cyclcal crisis in the
conditions of the Third Period will accelerate
the destruction of the capitalist system.
If some comrades want to see it in print,
and only after that be willing to accept it,
hope have convinced them.
What is the conclusion of this? The present
economic crisis could not be understood cor
rectly otherwise than as a cyclical crisis of the
whole world capitalist economy on the basis
Of the general crisis of world capitalism. The
crisis is caused or produced by the main con-
tradictions of capitalist society 1t is modified
In some respects under Imperialism and even
more in the present period of the decay of
lions do not change the main nature of the
crisis which is typical cyclical crisis of CAPT
talist economy. To deny this would be to
deny that in the capitalist system, which has
its age, which is growing, decaying, dying,
throughout its whole life, its main contradic-
tons, the economic crisis, remains as we'll as
more causes producing these crisis.
Leftist Tendencies.
At the same time some leftist tendencies
were manifested at this convention Concern
ing the liquidation of the crisis, it was OBJ
Jected, how can we speak of the liquidation of
the crisis as our perspective, when the more
the bourgeoisie tries to liquidate the crisis, the
more the failure Of the bourgeoise deepens the
economic crisis?
In the elaboration of this conception, the
bourgeoisie is represented as a factor which
rules and plans the decline of the crisis, which
smells too much Of theory of organized capt.
talism. The bourgeoisie does not determine
capitalist production but is driven by capitalist
production. There was indicated too much of
conscious policy on the part of the bour-
geoisie.
In our perspective we must see very i'm
portant factor-the proletariat and the class
struggle. The proletariat is not only a poll
tical factor determining, with its political
fight, strikes demonstrations, ETC., the course
OF crises, the course of events; the proletarat
IS an important productive force, as important
as machinery and many other things. 1t is an
Important factor in capt. list production, and
the political and economic force of the prole-
tariat give conscious development to the crisis.
We have TO reject the theory about revolu-
tions happening without political crises Com
rade Bukharin, in the transitional Period"
stated that in the situation of the decay of
forces of production, situation of the break
ing down of productive forces, there is no
possibility for real recovery of industry.
Comrade Lenin stated that it could be so pro-
viding the proletariat would break it and thus
break industrial relations.
The Theory of Catastrophe.
There is no escape from the crisis" This
"lulling to sleep" theory is a kind of oppor-
tunist theory which rejects in practice the nee
essity of organizing the proletariat for strug-
gle; rejects in theory our estimation of the
destruction Of the capitalist system as a con-
scious action of the proletariat, which de-
ponds on the class consciousness of the prole-
tariat.
The Party must be prepared the Party must
prepare the working class for this perspec-
tive. OF course the economicc risis creates a
very favorable condition for the development
OF revolutionary situation, as was correctly
stated in the thesis, and the present economic
crisis will bring among many things, the i'm
mediate revolutionary situation in many coun-
tries. In his speech at the Plenum, Comrade
Manuilsky correctly declared, that the econo-
mic crisis opens tremendous perspectives for
the Transformation of the present revolution
airy tide into revolutionary situation in the