The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-06-03
By HERBERT BENJAMIN

DESPITE the fact that superficial exam
ination would tend to create the impression
that the Party has made considerable progress
in the development of Bolshevik self-criticism
it is now clear Especially since the publica-
ton of the Letter of the Polburo') that the
quality of our sef-criticism, even as the quail
ity of all our work, has suffered because OF
the tendency to make comparison with the
past instead of with the requirements of the
present.
The Party is operating under objective con-
ditions that are very favorable for the develop
ment of our work. The present crisis imposes
tremendous responsibility upon the Party,
which must provide leadership for the masses
of workers, who are more and more becoming
aware of the need for struggle and the forces
against which their struggle must be directed.
The general crisis of capitalism which is accen-
tuated by the cyclical crisis in the United
States, presents US with the duty of mobiliz-
ing more frequently larger masses of workers
in support of the colonial masses who rise IN
revolt against their imperialist oppressors.
The growing antagonisms, the keener rivalry
for markets brings us closer to the brink of
the next imperialist world war and obligates us
to more rapid mobilization of the workers for
the struggle against imperialist war and in
defense of the Soviet Union.
Comintern Analysis Correct.
No one in the Party now dares to deny the
correctness of the basic analysis of the Com
intern and the Central Committee Despite
this comrades venture or state openly or take
the attitude that eve cannot expect much and
therefore cannot and should not criticize
much" These are the exact words used by a
member in one of the units where the writer
led the pre-convention discussion This is the
attitude of many well-meaning comrades, in
Guiding many who occupy leading positions.
The comrades who take this view do so not
because they disagree with the estimates of
the C. C. as to what must be our tasks. Oh,
| no! They simply assume that it is possible
| for the Party to say to the workers, "We know
! that we ought to be organizing the morgan
| lied into revolutionary unions, we know that
! we should be organizing the unemployed we
| know that we should be developing the mass
struggle against imperialist war, in support
| of the colonial masses, etc, etc. But you
| workers will have to be satisfied with our good
| intentions for the time being, because we are
not yet capable of proper performance of our
| tasks and we can't be blamed for it for the
| following reasons" Then these comrades pro-
coed to speak of the basic weaknesses and
| shortcomings of the Party. This is the kind
| of self-crticsm of which we have had so much
| in the Party in the recent period.
1 Every right wing opportunst in the Party,
| from the comrade who fails to carry on Com
| munist work in his shop or fascist controlled
| union because this might endanger his job, to
| the leading comrades of revolutionary
unions who recite all the difficulties that pre-
vent the application of Party policy in the vari-
| Gus struggles, acts on the basis that 1--WE can't
expect much and therefore can't criticize
much"
Isolation From Shops an Evidence and Source
of Right Danger
In order that the Party may effectively con-
| duct its activities we must be firmly rooted
| in and maintain organized contact with the
| shops, especially the basic industries. Yet,
| in the New York district only per cent of
our members are organized in shop nuclei!
| Since most of these nuclei are in small shop
| of light industry and few of these even func-
| ton properly, our Party is evidently without
| any organized contact with the shops. When
we realize that very few members of the Party
are employed in the basic industries of the
district (metal, transportation communication,
| electrical, marine, etc., then it becomes APP
| parent why we not only fail to develop \strug-
| giles among these workers but even find our
selves isolated from the spontaneous struggles
| that break out from time to time and to an in
creasing extent in the present period.
To remain complacent in the face of this sit
uation, to fail to act against those who refuse
to engage in systematic shop work, to neglect
shop work or conduct it in a slovenly manner
formally without continuity or plan) to look
for excuses for failing to do this work instead
of for means to do it, to choose to remain in a
street nucleus or so-called factory district
nucleus, all these are contributions to the
weakness of the Party. Here is a condition
which must be most sharply criticized until
every member of our Party as well as every
unit and committee realizes that the extent
and quality of our shop work is the test of
acceptance of the line of the Party and that
those who cannot contribute the maximum
possible support to this work are to the right
of the Party line.
Substitute Phrase for Deed.
Our Party can never win leadership over