Written: Written on July 5 (18), 1917
Published:
Published in Listok “Pravdy”, July 19 (6), 1917.
Published according to the newspaper text.
Source:
Lenin
Collected Works,
Progress Publishers,
1977,
Moscow,
Volume 25,
page 165.
Translated:
Transcription\Markup:
R. Cymbala
Public Domain:
Lenin Internet Archive.
2002
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Speaking at the Central Executive Committee meeting on the evening of July 4, Citizen Chaikovsky came surprisingly close to the truth.
He objected to the Soviet taking power and, among other things, advanced this what we might call “decisive” argument: we must carry on the war but cannot do it with out money, and the British and Americans won’t give any money if power is in the hands of “socialists”; they will only give money if the Cadets participate in the government.
That is close to the truth.
It is impossible to participate in the imperialist war without “participating” in the capitalist business of subjugating the people with loans from the capitalist gentlemen.
In order to really oppose the imperialist war, we must sever all ties that fetter people and bind them to capital. The workers and peasants must fearlessly take over the supervision of the banks and production and the regulation of production.
We, too, think that the British and Americans will give no money unless they have a guarantee from the Cadets. The alternative is: either serve the Cadets, serve capital, pile up imperialist loans (and put up with the fitting title of imperialist democrats instead of claiming to be “revolutionary” democrats); or break with the Cadets, break with the capitalists, break with imperialism, and become real revolutionaries on war issues as well.
Chaikovsky came close to the truth.
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