The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-23
By WILLIAM 2. FOSTER


AFTER providing for the emer-
IA gency defense and provisioning
requirements, the first steps of an
American Workers and Farmers
Government, which is the dictator
ship of the proletariat, will be di-
rected towards the revolutionary
naturalization or Specialization of
the large privately-owned and state
capitalist undertakings.
In industry, transport and COM
munication this will mean the i'm
mediate taking over by the State
of all large factories, mines and
power plants, together with all mu-
nicipal and State industries; the
whole transport services of rail-
roads, waterways, airways, electric
car lines, bus lines, etc.; the entire
communication organization, in
Guiding telegraphs, telephones, post
offices, radio, etc.
In agriculture it will involve the
early confiscation of the large
landed estates in town and coun-
try, including church property, to-
gether with their buildings, facto-
ries, live stock, ETC., and also the
whole body of forests, mineral de-
posits, lakes, rivers, etc.
In finance 1t will mean the ma
tionalization of the banking system
and its concentration around a
central State bank; the taking over
of the department stores, chain
stores, and other large wholesale
and retail trading organizations;
the setting up of a State monopoly
Of foreign trade; the cancellation
of all government debts, repara-
tons, war loans, etc, to the big
foreign and home capitalists.
CONFISCATION-
NO PAYMENT!
The Specialization program will be
carried through on the basis of con-
fiscation without remuneration, ex-
cept for special consideration to
small investors. Such a program
naturally evokes loud protest from
capitalists and the defenders of
private property, especially the So
cial fascists. The latter's idea,
again expressed by Norman Thorn
as in his book, Americas Way
OUT, is for the workers to buy the
industries and land from their cap
italist owners. Thomas even pro-
poses the absurd plan that, through
holding companies, the workers can
secure control with a minority of
the stock.
Such social fascist proposals have
nothing in common with Socialism.
They represent definite support
of the capitalist class and the land
lords in their claims for the right
to exploit the workers; they seek
to conserve the dominant position
Of these classes in a new form,
State capitalism. The workers will
never buy out the capitalists, nor
could they if they would. There is
no warrant in common sense Or
historical precedent for the work.
ers to buy the industries and ma
tural resources from the present
ruling class. In cOnfiscating this
property of the big landlords and
capitalists, the workers and poor
farmers will simply be taking back
that which has been ruthlessly
stolen from them. This lesson of
appropriation without compensa-
ton by a revolutionary class has
been amply taught in the British,
French, Russian and many other
revolutions. The revolutionary
American colonists did not COM
persate the British landlords; the
Northern capitalists did not pay
the Southern planters when they
transformed the Negro chattel
slaves into wage slaves; and the
working class will follow the same
course Of revolutionary confisca-
ton.
IMPROVE WORKERS ~
CONDITIONS.
The specialization of the key sec
tons of industry, commerce, agri-
culture and finance will lay a solid
economic foundation for the build
ing of Socialism. Doubtless, private
property will survive in small
farms, in petty industry and in
trade. But this will be only tempo
rary. With the consolidation of
growth of Socialism and the gen