The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-10
Roosevelt Cannot Institute
Planned Economy, Says Stain

Moreover, experiences shows that
this is impossible.
However, you know the situation
in the United States better than 1,
because I was never in the q. S. A,
and follow American affairs prin-
cipally through literature. But I
have some slight experiences in the
field of struggle for Socialism, and
this experience tells me that if
Roosevelt really tries to satisfy the
interests Of the proletarian class at
the expense of the capitalist class.
the latter will replace him by an
other president"
Capitalists will say, Presidents
come and presidents go, but we cap
italists remain. If any particular
president doesn't defend our inter
ests, we will find another What
can the president counterpose
against the will of the capitalist
class?
Human society is divided into
rich and poor, wealthy and ex-
plotted, and if we neglect this basic
division. and neglect the contradic-
lions between poor and rich,
this means that we neglect the fun
damental fact.
Il don't deny the existence of
intermediate middle strata, who join
either one side or the other of the
two classes that are fighting each
other, or occupy a neutral or semi
neutral position in this struggle.
But I repeat that if we neglect this
fundamental struggle between two
basic classes, that means that we
ignore the facts.
This struggle is taking place, and
will take place. The result of this
struggle is being decided by the class
of proletarians, the class of work
ers
Capitalism will be destroyed, not
by Organizers of production, not
by technical lntellectuals, but by
the working class, because these
former strata do not play an in
dependent role. For the engineer
or the organizer of production
doesn't work as he would like. but
as he is ordered, as the interests Of
the employer demand. Naturally
there are. exceptions. Theer are
there are exceptions. There are
freed from the poisonous capitalist
influence. Technical intellectuals,
under certain conditions, can per-
form miracles, and be of enormous
use to mankind. But they can also
cause enormous harm.
"In addition, how can you forget
that in order to redivide the world
you must have power? 1t seems to
me, Mr.. Wells, that you greatly I'M
derestimate the question of power,
that it is entirely omitted from your
conception What can people do
even with the best intentions if they
are incapable of raising the ques-
ton of the seizure of power and
have not the power in their hands2
cat best they can offer to sup
port some new class which takes
power, but they themselves cannot
overturn the world. For this there
is required a big class, which would
replace the capitalist class and
similarly become complete master,
as the capitalists were. This class
is the working class.
1T is naturally necessary to ae-
cept the help of the technical in
telligentsia, and in turn to give them
aid. But we must not think that
the technical intelligentsia can play
/ an independent historic role. Re
making the world is a great, COM
plicated, and painful process. A
great class is required for this great
work.
Wells further touched on the ques-
ton Of Communist propaganda in
the West. He thought that under
modern conditions this propaganda
sounds very old-fashioned, because
it is propaganda of violent actions.
This propaganda of violent over
throw of the social order was suit
able when it was question of the
undivided domination of one or an
other tyranny. But in modern con-
ditions, when the ruling system
will break down anyway, and is
diSintegrating, it is necessary to put
the emphasis not on instruction,