THE SOURCES OF SOVIET CONDUCT.docx

THE SOURCES OF SOVIET CONDUCT.docx

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THESOURCESOFSOVIETCONDUCT

THESOURCESOFSOVIETCONDUCT

ByX

PartI

ThepoliticalpersonalityofSovietpowerasweknowittodayistheproductofideologyandcircumstances:

ideologyinheritedbythepresentSovietleadersfromthemovementinwhichtheyhadtheirpoliticalorigin,andcircumstancesofthepowerwhichtheynowhaveexercisedfornearlythreedecadesinRussia.TherecanbefewtasksofpsychologicalanalysismoredifficultthantotrytotracetheinteractionofthesetwoforcesandtherelativeroleofeachinthedeterminationofofficialSovietconduct.yettheattemptmustbemadeifthatconductistobeunderstoodandeffectivelycountered.

ItisdifficulttosummarizethesetofideologicalconceptswithwhichtheSovietleaderscameintopower.Marxianideology,initsRussian-Communistprojection,hasalwaysbeeninprocessofsubtleevolution.Thematerialsonwhichitbasesitselfareextensiveandcomplex.ButtheoutstandingfeaturesofCommunistthoughtasitexistedin1916mayperhapsbesummarizedasfollows:

（a）thatthecentralfactorinthelifeofman,thefactorwhichdeterminesthecharacterofpubliclifeandthe"physiognomyofsociety,"isthesystembywhichmaterialgoodsareproducedandexchanged;（b）thatthecapitalistsystemofproductionisanefariousonewhichinevitableleadstotheexploitationoftheworkingclassbythecapital-owningclassandisincapableofdevelopingadequatelytheeconomicresourcesofsocietyorofdistributingfairlythematerialgoodproducedbyhumanlabor;（c）thatcapitalismcontainstheseedsofitsowndestructionandmust,inviewoftheinabilityofthecapital-owningclasstoadjustitselftoeconomicchange,resulteventuallyandinescapablyinarevolutionarytransferofpowertotheworkingclass;and（d）thatimperialism,thefinalphaseofcapitalism,leadsdirectlytowarandrevolution.

TherestmaybeoutlinedinLenin'sownwords:

"Unevennessofeconomicandpoliticaldevelopmentistheinflexiblelawofcapitalism.ItfollowsfromthisthatthevictoryofSocialismmaycomeoriginallyinafewcapitalistcountriesoreveninasinglecapitalistcountry.Thevictoriousproletariatofthatcountry,havingexpropriatedthecapitalistsandhavingorganizedSocialistproductionathome,wouldriseagainsttheremainingcapitalistworld,drawingtoitselfintheprocesstheoppressedclassesofothercountries."Itmustbenotedthattherewasnoassumptionthatcapitalismwouldperishwithoutproletarianrevolution.Afinalpushwasneededfromarevolutionaryproletariatmovementinordertotipoverthetotteringstructure.Butitwasregardedasinevitablethatsooneroflaterthatpushbegiven.

For50yearspriortotheoutbreakoftheRevolution,thispatternofthoughthadexercisedgreatfascinationforthemembersoftheRussianrevolutionarymovement.Frustrated,discontented,hopelessoffindingself-expression--ortooimpatienttoseekit--intheconfininglimitsoftheTsaristpoliticalsystem,yetlackingwidepopularsupportortheirchoiceofbloodyrevolutionasameansofsocialbetterment,theserevolutionistsfoundinMarxisttheoryahighlyconvenientrationalizationfortheirowninstinctivedesires.Itaffordedpseudo-scientificjustificationfortheirimpatience,fortheircategoricdenialofallvalueintheTsaristsystem,fortheiryearningforpowerandrevengeandfortheirinclinationtocutcornersinthepursuitofit.ItisthereforenowonderthattheyhadcometobelieveimplicitlyinthetruthandsoundnessoftheMarxist-Leninistteachings,socongenialtotheirownimpulsesandemotions.Theirsincerityneednotbeimpugned.Thisisaphenomenonasoldashumannatureitself.ItishasneverbeenmoreaptlydescribedthanbyEdwardGibbon,whowroteinTheDeclineandFalloftheRomanEmpire:

"Fromenthusiasmtoimposturethestepisperilousandslippery;thedemonofSocratesaffordsamemorableinstanceofhowawisemanmaydeceivehimself,howagoodmanmaydeceiveothers,howtheconsciencemayslumberinamixedandmiddlestatebetweenself-illusionandvoluntaryfraud."AnditwaswiththissetofconceptionsthatthemembersoftheBolshevikPartyenteredintopower.

Nowitmustbenotedthatthroughalltheyearsofpreparationforrevolution,theattentionofthesemen,asindeedofMarxhimself,hadbeencenteredlessonthefutureformwhichSocialismwouldtakethanonthenecessaryoverthrowofrivalpowerwhich,intheirview,hadtoprecedetheintroductionofSocialism.Theirviews,therefore,onthepositiveprogramtobeputintoeffect,oncepowerwasattained,wereforthemostpartnebulous,visionaryandimpractical.beyondthenationalizationofindustryandtheexpropriationoflargeprivatecapitalholdingstherewasnoagreedprogram.Thetreatmentofthepeasantry,which,accordingtotheMarxistformulationwasnotoftheproletariat,hadalwaysbeenavaguespotinthepatternofCommunistthought:

anditremainedanobjectofcontroversyandvacillationforthefirsttenyearsofCommunistpower.

Thecircumstancesoftheimmediatepost-revolutionperiod--theexistenceinRussiaofcivilwarandforeignintervention,togetherwiththeobviousfactthattheCommunistsrepresentedonlyatinyminorityoftheRussianpeople--madetheestablishmentofdictatorialpoweranecessity.TheexperimentwithwarCommunism"andtheabruptattempttoeliminateprivateproductionandtradehadunfortunateeconomicconsequencesandcausedfurtherbitternessagainstthenewrevolutionaryregime.WhilethetemporaryrelaxationoftheefforttocommunizeRussia,representedbytheNewEconomicPolicy,alleviatedsomeofthiseconomicdistressandtherebyserveditspurpose,italsomadeitevidentthatthe"capitalisticsectorofsociety"wasstillpreparedtoprofitatoncefromanyrelaxationofgovernmentalpressure,andwould,ifpermittedtocontinuetoexist,alwaysconstituteapowerfulopposingelementtotheSovietregimeandaseriousrivalforinfluenceinthecountry.Somewhatthesamesituationprevailedwithrespecttotheindividualpeasantwho,inhisownsmallway,wasalsoaprivateproducer.

Lenin,hadhelived,mighthaveprovedagreatenoughmantoreconciletheseconflictingforcestotheultimatebenefitofRussiansociety,thoughtthisisquestionable.Butbethatasitmay,Stalin,andthosewhomheledinthestruggleforsuccessiontoLenin'spositionofleadership,werenotthementotoleraterivalpoliticalforcesinthesphereofpowerwhichtheycoveted.Theirsenseofinsecuritywastoogreat.Theirparticularbrandoffanaticism,unmodifiedbyanyoftheAnglo-Saxontraditionsofcompromise,wastoofierceandtoojealoustoenvisageanypermanentsharingofpower.FromtheRussian-Asiaticworldoutofwhichtheyhademergedtheycarriedwiththemaskepticismastothepossibilitiesofpermanentandpeacefulcoexistenceofrivalforces.Easilypersuadedoftheirowndoctrinaire"rightness,"theyinsistedonthesubmissionordestructionofallcompetingpower.OutsidetheCommunistParty,Russiansocietywastohavenorigidity.ThereweretobenoformsofcollectivehumanactivityorassociationwhichwouldnotbedominatedbytheParty.NootherforceinRussiansocietywastobepermittedtoachievevitalityorintegrity.OnlythePartywastohavestructure.Allelsewastobeanamorphousmass.

AndwithinthePartythesameprinciplewastoapply.ThemassofPartymembersmightgothroughthemotionsofelection,deliberation,decisionandaction;butinthesemotionstheyweretobeanimatednotbytheirownindividualwillsbutbytheawesomebreathofthePartyleadershipandtheoverbroodingpresenceof"theword."

Letitbestressedagainthatsubjectivelythesemenprobablydidnotseekabsolutismforitsownsake.Theydoubtlessbelieved--andfounditeasytobelieve--thattheyaloneknewwhatwasgoodforsocietyandthattheywouldaccomplishthatgoodoncetheirpowerwassecureandunchallengeable.Butinseekingthatsecurityoftheirownruletheywerepreparedtorecognizenorestrictions,eitherofGodorman,onthecharacteroftheirmethods.Anduntilsuchtimeasthatsecuritymightbeachieved,theyplacedfardownontheirscaleofoperationalprioritiesthecomfortsandhappinessofthepeoplesentrustedtotheircare.

NowtheoutstandingcircumstanceconcerningtheSovietregimeisthatdowntothepresentdaythisprocessofpoliticalconsolidationhasneverbeencompletedandthemenintheKremlinhavecontinuedtobepredominantlyabsorbedwiththestruggletosecureandmakeabsolutethepowerwhichtheyseizedinNovember1917.Theyhaveendeavoredtosecureitprimarilyagainstforcesathome,withinSovietsocietyitself.Buttheyhavealsoendeavoredtosecureitagainsttheoutsideworld.Forideology,aswehaveseen,taughtthemthattheoutsideworldwashostileandthatitwastheirdutyeventuallytooverthrowthepoliticalforcesbeyondtheirborders.ThenpowerfulhandsofRussianhistoryandtraditionreacheduptosustaintheminthisfeeling.Finally,theirownaggressiveintransigencewithrespecttotheoutsideworldbegantofinditsownreaction;andtheyweresoonforced,touseanotherGibbonesquephrase,"tochastisethecontumacy"whichtheythemselveshadprovoked.Itisanundeniableprivilegeofeverymantoprovehimselfrightinthethesisthattheworldishisenemy;forifhereiteratesitfrequentlyenoughandmakesitthebackgroundofhisconductheisboundeventuallytoberight.

NowitliesinthenatureofthementalworldoftheSovietleaders,aswellasinthecharacteroftheirideology,thatnooppositiontothemcanbeofficiallyrecognizedashavinganymeritorjustificationwhatsoever.Suchoppositioncanflow,inth