"The Greatest Failure in All History": A Critical Examination of the Actual Workings of Bolshevism in Russia — John Shaqi
"The Greatest Failure in All History": A Critical Examination of the Actual Workings of Bolshevism in RussiaSpargo, John
History
"The Greatest Failure in All History": A Critical Examination of the Actual Workings of Bolshevism in Russia
Spargo, John
Communism -- Russia
The practice of sending young soldiers into the villages which
were not Bolshevik was very general; care was taken to send men
who did not come from the district, so that any scruples might
be overcome. Even then it would happen that after the soldiers
had got food they would make friends with the people, and so
compel the Commissar to send for another set of Red Guards.[2]
[2] _Bolshevism_, by H. V. Keeling, pp. 185-186.
In the chapter dealing with the relation of the Bolsheviki to the
peasants and the land question abundant corroboration of Mr. Keeling’s
testimony is given. The Bolsheviki have, however, found an easier way
to insure absolute control of the Soviets: as a general rule they do
not depend upon these crude methods of violence. Instead, they have
adopted the delightfully simple method of permitting no persons to
be placed in nomination whose names are not approved by them. As a
first step the anti-Bolshevist parties, such as the Menshevist Social
Democrats, Socialists-Revolutionists of the Right and Center, and the
Constitutional Democrats, were excluded by the issuance of a decree
that “the right to nominate candidates belongs exclusively to the
parties of electors which file the declaration that they acknowledge
the Soviet authorities.”
The following resolution was adopted by the All-Russian Central
Executive Committee on June 14, 1918:
The representatives of the Social Revolutionary Party (the
Right wing and the Center) _are excluded_, and at the same time
all Soviets of Workers’, Soldiers’, Peasants’, and Cossacks’
Deputies are recommended to expel from their midst all
representatives of this faction.
This resolution, which was duly carried into effect, was strictly in
accordance with the clause in the Constitution of the Soviet Republic
which provides that “guided by the interests of the working-class as
a whole, the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic deprives all
individuals and groups of rights which could be utilized by them to the
detriment of the Socialist Revolution.” Thus entire political parties
have been excluded from the Soviets by the party in power. It is a
noteworthy fact that many of those persons in this country, Socialists
and others, who have been most vigorous in denouncing the expulsion
from the New York Legislature of the elected representatives of the
Socialist Party are, at the same time, vigorous supporters of the
Bolsheviki. Comment upon the lack of moral and intellectual integrity
thus manifested is unnecessary.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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