The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-30
Should Liberals Take Communism
from the Communists?

only reproduces the old misery, the old relations
on an enlarged scale
In view of what has been said before it is
quite logical that Wilson attacks Marxsm on
the pretense that it is dogmatic. The Commu-
nism which calls for revolutionary struggle to
end the conditions of mass misery is something
quite different from the Communism" which
merely aims to preserve the capitalist structure
of society,""
Wilson's opinion about the dogmatism of
Marxism is dictated not by knowledge but
by sheer class interest, His remarks show that
he is utterly ignorant about the real contents of
MARKHAM Communism. With happy sef-assur-
ance, Wilson accuses Marx of believing in the
incurableness of human nature and of basing
his conclusions about the ultimate breakdown of
capitalism this assumption.
Now we ask any schoolboy, does Wilson know
what he is talking about? In the good old DAYS.
the last and "annihilatingn argument of every
intellectual runt against Marxism was the phil
istine remark that you can't change human
nature" The most vulnerable aspect of Marx
ism was supposed to have been its belief in the
possibility of changing human nature.
But today when the crisis has turned every
thing upside down, Wilson logically reverses the
agument as becomes social-fascist, and in
sists that the whole MARKHAM theory of revolu-
ton is based upon the erroneous assumption
that you can't change human nature
Obviously, the sphilistines of the good old days
knew more about Marxism than Wilson does
Instead of "annihilating" Marxism however, both
of them merely help to refute one another.
Mr.. Wilson has apparently never heard of the
famous MARKHAM principle that in acting upon
nature man simultaneously changes his own
nature. The history of socialist thought and
the Marxist literature on this question has OBJ
a IN
nent of Marxisn.
All OF this nonsense, however, is merely of
secondary Importance. Behind the cloak of
theoretical jabber are concealed Wilson's funda-
mental class motives. The real fact is that Will
son Is interested purely in apologising for CAPT.
talism. His aim is to prove to the masses that
his twentieth century American capitalists are
really kinder and more democratic than the
landlords of the feudal ages, and that given
time and encouragement, they will change their
capitalist natures In spite of the fact that he
himself says that capitalism has brought the
country to disaster to an abyss, to mass starva-
ton, he manufactures theoretical reasons why
the masses should not reject the capitalist sys-
tenn for Communism. What is this: ignorance
confusion, liberal illusions or just plain social
fascist charatanism!
Wilson wants the masses to believe that the
capitalists will agree to the organization of a
planned society But, like true social-fascist
he brazenly calls it socialism, although he ,Ir,-
mistakably wants organized capitalism Even II
Wilson were perfectly sincere-and we are not
concerned as to whether he thinks he is or Is
not--the economic essence of Wilson's proposal
is organized capitalism, while It's political con-
tents is just plain fascism covered by "Comnu-
mist" phrases.
Wilson may think that he is original in calling
for planned economy. But the present crisis
has forced many open capitalist apologists to
call for some sort Of economic planning
The demand for economic planning, even BY
the government is not yet in itself guarantee
that 1t will be socialist planning. Capitalism
also aspires to become organized, to eliminate
crises, etc.-naturally without ceasng to be CAPT.
talism
Why then, does Wilson say socialism, and
mean organized capitalism Precisely because it
Is impossible to fool the masses in any other
way. Because the experience of the masses is
teaching them that socialism and not organized
capitalism is the only way out for them: because
even If organized capitalism were possible (and
it is not, 1t would only mean reproduction Of
the same conditions Of mass slavery and misery
but on larger scale
That Wilson'S proposals are essentially capt.
talist in character becomes apparent in the
typical demand for planned capitalist economy
made few days ago by DR.. Jorn r. Madden
an open capitalist supporter. Madden, who is
Dean Of the School of Commerce, Accounts and
Finance at New York University called upon
American capitalists to make scientific order