The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-08
By Bu,'ck

is shortage of all things needed,
but precisely because the ware
houses are packed to bursting with
food and clothing and because half
the buildings in America are
standing empty. Can the problems
of mass starvation in America be
solved under capitalism by in
creased production? Merely to
state the problem shows that it is
impossible of solution. There is
no way out for the starving masses
in America until they smash
through the limitations of capital
list private property, open up the
warehouses and distribute the
things needed by the masses, kick
out the capitalists from the indus
tries and set them to work under
the direction and control of the
working class.
In the Soviet Union problems
and difficulties are of an entirely
different order. The problem of
shortage of commodities in the
Soviet Union can be solved, and is
being solved, by the simple meth
DDS of increasing the production of
all things needed. There is no
barrier between the production and
the consumution of commodities.
There is no capitalist class with
its private property and the means
of production to stand as an in
superable BARRED between full
warehouses and starving millions.
The very shortage of commodities
In the Soviet Union is itself a ire
mendous testimonial to the SUI
periority of the socialist system.
This is true because this shortage
reflects the tremendous rise in the
living standards of one hundred
and sixty million people which has
been brought about by the Soviet
system. The shostage of shoes,
for example, arises in spite Of a
three-fold increase over pre-war in
the production of shoes, because
for the first time in the history
of Russia, the masses are able to
even dream of wearing shoes. The
shortage in housing arises from
the tremendous growth of the Rus
sian working class, which has in
creased four-fold since the revolu-
ton. Furthermore, the shortage
of commoditie of current con-
sumption arises also from the
necessity of a tremendous concen-
tration of forces upon the crea-
ton of entirely new industries, and
especially of heavy industries,
transportation and power produc-
ton for the future advancement of
Soviet economy.
In America there exists none of
these objective difficulties for the
establishment of socialist society.
Where the Russian workers we're
forced to create from the ground up
the industrial foundation for So
cialiSm, in America we have all of
these things ready made at our
hands. Where the Russian work
ers were forced to seize power and
then afterwards go through a pro-
longed and difficult period of lay
ing the foundations before they
could enter socialism, the Ameri-
can workers have only the rela-
lively simple problem of establish
ing their own governmental power
and smashing the power of the
capitalist class. Between us and
the socialist society in America,
there stands only the barrier of
the capitalist state power.
BEGIN WITH THE
FOR BREAD
The path to the establishment
Of such a revolutionary Workers
and Farmers Government in
America, begins with the struggle
for bread, for the most immediate
needs of the masses. The struggle
for unemployment and social in
surance at the expense of govern
ment and the employers, is the
most important step on the path
Of the revolutionary solution of
the crisis for the American work.
ers.
Today the imperialist govern
ments Of the world, in the first
place "our own" American i'm
perialism, are feverishly preparing
for a new world war as supreme
effort to cut through the insoluble
contradictions OF the crisis. The
struggle of the workers and farm
ers against starvation must neces-
sarily include a much deeper and
more profound struggle against the
imperialiSt war preparations.
Through the struggle for bread,
through the struggle for unem-
ployment relief and insurance,
through the struggle against i'm
perialist war preparations and
against the shipment of ammuni-
ton, the working class must pre-
pare for the task, il an of their
efforts to prevent the var shall
fan. to continue this struggle in
the midst Of wayi to nsustyass thS