The Truth About Soviet Russia

Table of contents :
I. Soviet Democracy at Work
II. The Soviet Purge and Its Lessons

Citation preview

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NEW t' . c • . 8• •X

AGE

11 l

PUBLIS~

28, Sl'A TION D, NE\\' YORK C'IT"t MARCH ,

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PIUN"PED IN THE U.a.A.

By GIL GREEN Pres iden t, Young Com mun ist Leag ue of Ame rica

is the trut h abo ut Sov iet Russia? Wh at hap pen ed in the rece nt elections? Wh y the purg e and trials? Wh at is the trut h abo ut spyi ng activities? Was socialism ' betr ayed ? The se are the que stio ns bein g asked by num erou s indi vidu als bew ilde red by the maze of con trad icto ry stor ies in circ ulat ion rega rdin g the Sov iet Uni on. inte rest ed in the trut h, the Am eric an peo ple also have a vita l conc ern in kno win g the trut h. The econ omi c mac hine of capi talis m has once agai n brok en down. Har d times are here . Every wor king man 's hom e is liau nted by the spec ter of une mpl oym ent and in· secu rity. Stor m clou ds of fascism and war hov er on the hori zon, app roac hing ever clos er to Am eric an soil. War s of fascist aggression rage in Spa in and Chi11a. The dem ocra tic libe rties of peop les, the inde pen den ce of nati ons, foug ht and won by the bloo d and sacrifice of coun tless gene ratio ns. HAT

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face th e d a n g e r o f c o m p le te d e s tr u c ti o n . W a r a n d fascism th re a te n a ll h u m a n it y . I t is · in th is s it u a ti o n th a t th e p e o p le a re s e a rc h in g fo r a p a th to a m o re a b u n d a n t life, a la s ti n g peace, a g re a te r li b e rt y a n d security. T h e y k n o w th a t fo r th e p a s t tw e n ty years a n e w type· o f g o v e rn m e n t a n d social system h a v e e v o lv e d o n o n e -s ix th th e s u rf a c e o f th e e a tt h -c o m m o n ly re fe rr e d to as ~the '' R u s s ia n e x p e ri m e n t. '' M u c h has b e e n .w ri tt e n a b o u t th is '' e x p e ri m e n t. " Some a re h ig h ly la u d a to ry , o th e rs h ig h ly c ri ti c a l a n d d e ro g a to ry . In s ti n c ti v e ly th e w o rk in g p e o p le see in th e Soviet .U n io n th e ir fr ie n d a n d ally: th e o n ly Ian~ w it h o u t m il li o n a ir e s , w it h o u t e c o n o m ic royalists. B u t n e v e rt h_eless th e y a re c o n fu s e d b y th e con: tr a d ic to ry stories th a t a p p e a r, b y th e charges a n d c o u n te rcharges m a d e . O f course, this is n o t th e first ti m e th a t Soviet ru le h a s b e e n s u b je c te d to c ri ti c is m a n d a tt a c k . F ro m its v e ry inc e p ti o n it h a s __h a d to w e a th e r s to rm a ft e r s to rm o f o p p o s i· ti o n . ~ch o f th e o ld c ri ti c is m h a s b e e n p ro v e n b y la te r e v e n ts to b e n o th in g m o re th a n m a li c io u s s la n d e r. F o r . e x a m p le , few if a n y w o u ld d a re re s u rr e c t to d a y th e o ld h a ir -r a is in g charges th a t th e C o m m u n is ts w e re '' d e s tr o y in g th e h o m e ,' ' w e re ''nationa~izing w o m e n ." O n e h e a rs less a n d less th e o ld c h a rg e th a t socialism a s a n e c o n o m ic system • is im p ra c ti c a b le , th a t it destroys in d iv id u a l in c e n ti v e a n d in it ia ti v e , th a t it m e a n s lo w e r in s te a d o f h ig h e r p ro d u c ti v e levels. T h e successful F iv e..Y e a r P la n s h a v e b u ri e d th is acc u s a ti o n forever. · M o s t o f th e o ld charges h a v e '' g o n e w it h th e w in d ," b u t . n e w o n e s h a v e ta k e n th e ir place. T o d a y th e m o s t fr e q u e n t ·,





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charge hurled against the Soviet Union is that it has destroyed the democr atic liberties of its people and institut ed . · despoti c terroris t rule. Most intellig ent people believe that • this· charge. is false, but they often find it difficult to answer specific accusations pertain ing to the Soviet Constit ution. the recent .elections and, what the press h~rps on no end and loves to refer to as the ''Soviet purge." What.ever confusi on exists among the Americ an people on these questio ns is largely due to one reason: they do not know all the real facts. If these were known the atmosp here would clear at once. They are not known because the press from which most people· gather their informa tion consciously keeps these facts from them. ·As a means of lending plausib ility to its tales, the capitalist-controlled press has concocted the followi ng rather simple recipe: Where possible, ignore facts completely; where. impossible, take certain inc~dental facts, remove· from their origina l setting, magnify out of all proport ions, mix until successfully distorte d and serve up as ''conclusive proof'' of whatev er you'i:e out to prove in the first place: This formula is guarant eed to produc e only news ''fit to print." It will be my attemp t to unscram ble this unsavor y omelet -to bring togethe r the most importa nt facts and place them in their proper historic al setting. Only in this manner can the truth become evident to even the most casual o·bserver. •







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FREE SP,EECH? a re ce nt vi si t to th e So vi et U ni on , I ha d oc ca si on to ad dr es s a gr ou p of A m er ic an st ud en ts to ur in g th at co un try . O ne of th ei r first qu es tio ns was: ''I s th er e re al fr ee · do m of sp ee ch in ,R us si a? '' I referred' th es e st ud en ts to ar tic le af te r ar tic le in th e da ily pr es s w hi ch sh ow ed ho w th e w or ker s an d pe as an ts w er e cr iti ci zi ng sh or tc om in gs on th e .p ar t of • th e governme~~ an d its de pa rt m en ts , w er e ac cu si ng va ri ou s officials of bu re au cr ac y, et c. B ut th is an sw er di d no t satisf-y at- le as t on e of th e gr ou p. H e w an te d a di re ct an sw er to th e • fo llo w in g sp ec ifi c que~tion: .C ou ld he if he so de~ired st an d up in R ed Sq ua re an d de no un ce so ci al is m an d de fe nd ca pi talism or ev en fascism? A ft er al l, he reasoned, were no t • C om m un is ts pe rm itt ed to sp ea k ag ai ns t ca pi ta lis m in U ni on Sq u·a re , N ew Y or k? T hi s qu es tio n, po se d qu ite fr eq ue nt ly in the ~me di re ct £01m, is no t un co m m on . A nd w he n th e an sw er is gi ve n in th e ne ga tiv e as it in va ri ab ly m us t be, it is ta ke n as ev id en ce of th e fa ct th at fr ee sp ee ch re al ly do es no t ex is t· in th e .S ov ie t U ni on . My co nt en tio n is th at this co hc lu si on ca n on ly be dr aw n.. by pe op le w ho ha ve no t gi ve n th e en tir e m at te r su ff ic ie nt th ou gh t. . A t th e st ar t I wish to re je ct th e in fe re nc e th at fr ee . • do m of sp ee ch in th e U ni te d St at es ha s eq ua l ap pl ic at io n to UR IN G



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all. A work er in New York City may have the temp orary· • right to speak again st capit alism on a stree t corne r or in Unio n Squa re. Whil e he is given the mean s by whic h to sp~ak to a hand ful, the capit alist class alone contr ols the mean s by whic h to speak to the milli ons: the radio , the news paper s, etc. In many parts of the Unite d States, as in • the South , even the limit ed rig~ts of free speec h do not exist..In the Sovie t Unio n these most impo rtant medi ums of free speec h are in the hand s of the peopl~. Furth ermo re, it must be reme piber ed thai indiv idual • freed om is not and neve r has been an unl"imited freed om. Some one orice expre ssed the thoug ht that indiv idqal right · ends wher e the right o~ socie ty begin s. This is a profo und truth . Ind~vidual freed om may be , inter prete d by some peop le as the right to rob or to murd er. Society, howe ver, recognizes no such rights because. they viola te tile intere sts of socie ty-th ey are anti-s ocial. · Mank ind has gone throu gh a aumb er of stages of socia l devel opme nt. In each 9ne of these the conce pt of freed om was differ ent. At one stage of huma n exis~ence men prac. . tised what is·· know n as canni balis m, i.e·., man ate man. Coul d anyo ne advo cate cai:inibalism .today? And if there were such a perso n, what woul d happ en to him? At first he'd be laugh ed down a~ crazy and then he'd be locke d up in a nut-h ouse: In other word s, what was right once is entire ly wron g now. Let us take anoth er exam ple to make the poin t we're drivi ng at clear er. Supp ose a Ku-K luxer came to New York City and decid ed to ·deliver a message to the peop le of Harle m from a soa~box on 135th Stree t and Leno x Aven ue . •

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S u p p o s e th is S o u th e r n w h it e g e n tl e m a n chose as h is th e m e th e N e g r o q u e s ti o n . S u p p o s e h e g o t u p a n d to ld th e N e g r o p e o p le th a t th e y w e r e a n in f e r io r lo t, th~t th e y d e s e rv e d d is c r im in a ti o n , th a t th e y w o u ld b e m u c h b e tt e r off as -slaves a n d th a t ly n c h in g was ju s t a n d p r o p e r . W h a t d o y o u th in k w o u ld, h a p p e n to th is S o u th e r n g e n tl e m a n ? AI?-d would· a n y d n e accuse th e N e g r o p e o p le o f H a r le m , w h o k n o w w h a t S o u th e r n w h it e r u le m e a n s , w h o k n o w w h a t ly n c h in g a.nd e x p lo it a ti o n m e a n , o f b e in g '' u n d e m o c r a ti c 'J if th e y re fu s e d 't o li s te n to this in d iv id u a l a n d in d o u b le - q u ic k ti m e r a n h im o u t o f H(;lrlem? O n th e c o n tr a r y , A m e r ic a µ _d e m o c ra c y w o u ld b e so m u c h s u p e r io r if we h a d s tr o n g e r laws w h ic h • p r o h ib it e d individua~s f r o m p r e a c h in g o r p r a c ti s in g ra c e h a tr e d a n d d is c r im in a ti o n f T h e s e e x a m p le s a ll h o ld f o r th e S o v ie t' U n io n as well. T o a d v o c a te a system b a s e d ori th e e x p lo it a ti o n o f m a n by • m a n is to a d v o c a te a n o th e r f o r m o f r o b b e r y , a m o r e s u b tl e f o r m o f c a n n ib a li s m . I t Violates th e very moral concept of socialist society. Is it th e r e f o r e s u r p r is in g th a t th e Soviet masses w il l n o t p e r m it a n y o n e in th e ir m id s t to g e t u p a n d say: '' Y o u w o rk e rs s h o u ld n o t h a v e p o w e r . T h is s h o u ld b e lo n g ,to a class o f parasites. Y o u d o n o t w a n t p r o d u c ti o n f o r use, y o u w a n t e c o n o m ic crisis , u n e m p lo y m e n t a n d insecurity. W h a t y o u n e e d is c a p it a li s m , w it h it s r ic h a n d poor,· w it h it s f a b u lo u s f o r tu n e s a n d h u n g r y b re a d -l in e s. '' N o r ~an th e y li s te n to s u c h th in g s a n d d is r e g a r d th e m as silly. T h e Soviet masses k n o w th a t th e ir c o u n tr y is s u r r o u n d e d by a h o s ti le c a p it a li s t w o r ld . Tl{ey k n o w th e ir enem'ies e n d e a v o r to des.t r o y th e v ic to ri e s o f s o c ia.lis m. T h e y also r e m e m b e r w h a t c a p it a li s m m e a n t to th e m , a n d th e y b e a r o n th e ir •



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own bodie s the mark s of previ ous capit alist explo itatio n. No sir, they will tolera te such peop le no more than the Negr o masses of Harl em woul d toler ate·a Ku Klux er if they • had the mean s by whic h to kick him out- and the Soviet masses ha,pe the mean s. This charg e again st the Sovie t Unio n is there fore not an accus ation but a tribu te. Inste ad of provi ng that there is no freed om of speec h i~ prove s that socia list society is ~o super ior to capit alism that its masses have much highe r stand ards of freed om and ethic s than are possible unde r any system of class oppre ssion . ~







WHY ONLY .ONE PARTY?

Whe n the new Sovie t Cons tituti on was adop ted the Ame r· ican press went out of its way to ridicu le the clain i that this docu ment was the most demotrati~ in histo ry. This was done by haipi ng on one fact: ·that the const itutio n made no provi sions for more than one politi cal party . ''Wh at kind of free electi ons can you have, " the press said, ''whe n the peop le are given the choic e of only one party ?'' To an avera ge Ame rican this sound s like a tellin g point . He imme diate ly imag ines hims elf -in an elect ion booth on votin g day being hand ed a ballo t with only one party colum n and only one list·o f candid~tes, and think s: ''Wh at ki·n d of demo cracy is that? '' From this poin t of view he's absol utely corre ct, becau se he's think ing solely of the Amer ican elect ion system. But the Com muni st Party of the Soviet Unio n is not an elect ion party . On Sovie t elect ion ballo ts no party designa-

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ti o n s o r c o lu m n s a p p e a r w h a ts o e v e r. C a n d id a te s ru n as individuals o n th e b a si s o f th e ir m e ri ts . G o v e rn m e n t officials . a re c h o se n n o t b e c a u se o f p a rt y m e m b e rs h ip b u t· b e c a u se o f persfJn~l q u a li fi c a ti o n . D o e s th is s o u n d q u e e r? W e ll , le t' s g o b a c k a b it in A m e ri c a n h is to ry 'to th e e a rl y days o f o u r o w n C o n st it u ti o n . T h e A m e ri c a n C o n st it u ti o n a ls o m a d e n o p rovisio11 fo r p a rt ie s; c a n d id a te s w e re to b e e le c te d as in d iv id u a ls · o n th e b a si s o f th e ir m e ri ts . T h a t w a s h o w th e F o u n d in g F a th e rs w a n te d th e P re si d e n t a n d V ic e -P re si d e n t to b e e le c te d . In st e a d of • .. d ir e c t v.oting u n d e r party d e si g n a ti o n s fo r P re si d e n t a n d V ic e -P re si d e n t, as 'a t 'p re se n t, th e 'C o n st it u ti o n p ro v id e d for a n e n ti re ly d if fe re n t sy st e m . I t sp e c if ie d fo r· ·t h e e le c ti o n in e a c h st a te o f a d e si g n a te d n u m b e r o f E le c to rs to a n E le c to ra l C o ll e g e . E a c h E le c to r ta s t tw o votes fo r h is first tw o p re fe r· e n c e s. T h e c a n d id a te re c e iv in g th e h ig h e st v o te b e c a m e P re si d e n t. T h e candid~te re c e iv in g the se c o n d h ig h e st ·v o te b e c a m e V ic e -P re si d e n t. T h is was th e sy st e m in u se fo r sevente e n y e a rs , u n ti l 1804. W h y d id th e F o u n d in g F a th e rs p ro p o se this sP !e m e , a n d w h y was th e C o n s ti tu ti o n la te r a m e n d e d to c h a n g e ir? •



T h e fr a m e rs o f th e C o n s ti tu ti o n recogn ized th e e x is te n c e

o f c la ss d iv is io n s b u t _d id n o t v is u a li z e th e se as sh a ti p e n in g to su c h a d e g re e th a t separate ~ p o li ti c a l p a rt ie s, re p re se n ta · ti v e o f these se p a ra te