Newspapers / Gardner-Webb University Student Newspaper / April 1, 1951, edition 1 / Page 8
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PAGE EIGHT THE PILOT Communism, Socialism — Their Ways Of Development - By Marion Benfield The earliest of the modern sociahst thinlcers and planners, Qwens, Fourier, Saint Simon and others believed that the socialist society would come about in either a sudden up rising of the working class, or an effortless change after experiments in model socialist societies had been tried. The phalanx system of Fourier is an example of this Utopian idea of the method for achieving the socialist society. The Phalanx was to be a self contained, strictly controlled village. Many colonies following this plan were established in America but all failed. Marx established a more realistic idea of socialism and evolutionary change, but he lapsed into Utopian ism with his idea of a socialist so ciety set up as the result of a sud den violent revolution by the work ing class against the capitalists. Today there are two major trends of thought among socialists as to how their society might be achieved. These are the theory of catastrophic change preached by the Commun ists and the legal change method ad vocated by the Fabian and other cialist groups and practiced by the Labor party of England. These are the only two ideas how to achieve the socialist ciety that are of any note in world of today. Thus these two ideas will be the central theme of this article; first discussed will be the socialist idea as opposed to the Communist idea. Most socialists believe that it is impossible to work: out in advance a detailed plan of change by which the desired society can be obtained. They believe that only the people and the times can dictate the ex act details of the change, and that all that can be done in advance is to give a broad outline of the trend of events. Very, very few of the leading thinkers of this group claim that the socialist society can be brought about by a sudden violent move ment of the working class to over throw the capitalist system. On the contrary, they favor only p( ful means of establishing socia “It is our business as a minority party to lay foundations for getting control of the government . . .” and we are interested in nothing less than complete control. This was the statement of a member of the Ameri can Socialist Party in 1912 and pret ty well summarizes the ideas of these socialists on the way to put their ideal society into effect. The political control of the state which is necessary to establish the socialist society should come step by step, these thinkers believe, r— . The , according to , would take advantage of their every gain in strength and of '■ off-guard moments of the capi talists to advance their ideas. All this should be done within the limits of the existing government and must ; done by entirely legal means. The removal of the ownership of ' industry from the capitalists should come only when a legal majority of the people involved wish it. This idea, these thinkers say, makes the socialist movement democratic. This process will be gradual, engulfing only one industry at a time until the whole industrial system is soci alized. An American precedent foi such taking of property is the free ing of the slaves after the war be tween the states. Spargo presents an ingenuous me thod for a painless removal of pro perty from the capitalists. First he would, after the government ’ taken over an industry, call in stock and replace these with bo which would mature at staggered dates, thereby relieving the govern ment of all obligation to the for- -- capitalist. A progressive income would prevent the former capi talist from making a profit on thest bonds and a high inheritance tax would keep his children from receiv- ig any great amount of wealth. Thus we see that the regular so cialists idea (as opposed to the com munist idea) on the methods of achieving the socialist society is to move within legal areas and under existing governments to gain, bit by ;, their demands. It is not surpris ing when we find that many of the measures which the socialists of 1912 believed should come first in the establishment of the new order have already come about. ‘Communism is revolutionary so- iialism ... it is so violently op posed to all other forms of society )r government that it seeks to re place them throughout the world by s . . .however ruthless or I unscrupulous.” This passage from the little book. Know Your ISMs, states very forcefully the ideas of the| communists on the techniques of achieving the socialist society. The communists and Russia (all com munists are controlled from Rus sia, or are deplored by Russia) be lieve in spreading communism by force if necessary. “A conflict with the Soviet Union is inevitable soon er or later,” said Victor Krochenko, a native Russian in his book, I Chos Freedon Lenin, the great apostle ■ of mo dern communism said, “It is neces sary for communists to use every ruse, cunning, unlawful methods, evasion, or concealment of truth to gain their ends.” He also believed the communist society should pass through a period of dictator ship while the working class was learning how to rule itself. A cardinal point of the Russian communist doctrine on how to achieve the socialist society is the -iftening up of capitalists coun- ies by the education of the younger embers of society so that they will accept communism. The two important ideas on tech niques of achieving the socialist so ciety might be summed up in the iollowing words. While the regular socialists would be restrained by the aws of existing governments in their itlempts to establish the new so ciety, the communists would recog nize no morals and no law but would say “all’s well that ends well.” Communism — A Pseudo Religion — Many attempts have been made to explain the almost fa natical zeal of Marxian Communists. What is there about Communism that makes its followers so ready and eager to fight and die with utter disregard for personal welfare ? How has a mere handful of men managed to bring completely under their sway a nation of one million and ninety mil lion people of diverse races and creeds unless they were united by some force (spiritual) above mere self-aggrandizement and lust for power ? How else can one account for the willing self- sacrifice that Communists have demonstrated over and over again unless one attributes it to a sort of religious fanati cism? But you may By Robert Wright f Commun >r the very idea of any kind of religion as unrealistic. The answer is simply that they do. It could be, however, that this re jection of all inspired religions has created a vacuum that the Commun ists may unconsciously be filling with Communism itself as a sort of pseu do-religion. Lenin has done for the Russian people what Moses did for the He brews. He has united a disorganiz ed mob of slaves into a militant, well-disciplined nation with a unique culture and a sense of national des tiny. It is my contention that he used the same instrument for his mass conversion namely — a religi-; by putting every item of the He brew’s daily life directly under the watchful eye of Jehovah. Lenin has done likewise except that for his absolute power he took Marx’s idea of “historical necessity” growing out of his economic interpretation of i evil c history and the inevitability of class struggle. Another parallel is that Lenin has become to the Russian people exactly what Moses became to the Hebrews — a prophet. By trac ing the analogy facts even farther we find Marx himself as a sort of watered-down Abraham conjuring up a “promised land” which for the Communist is nothing less than world revolution. Lenin taught that though the lives of individuals are worthless in comparison with the welfare of the state and the further ance of Communism they have high personal values as component parts of the all-important whole. Does this not remind you of the Christian con cept flf furthering the “Kingdom of God.” If the analogy is to be complete, what is there in Communism to parallel evil, sin, and the hope of heaven that are so essential to the Christian faith? The Communists have made evil objective and that s from the capitalist class, j much as we attribute evil to Satan cure for evil is simple, direct, and easy; just destroy all capitalists ut terly by any means saving only their technology. Sin is simply the ac tivities of capitalists and the viola tion of the rules listed by Marx in his Communist Manifest etc. which serves as their Bible. The Commun ist cannot sin regardless of what he does as long as he is furthering Com munism, since the end justifies the means. The fanatical fatalism of Communists is based on their be lief that Communism will cultimate in a “heaven on earth” someday. This alternistic spirit is one of the attractions that is capable of hold ing so-called intellectuals (the type of personality St. Paul must have been) steadfastly to the cause. Communism is not just another religion, however, it is a rare va riety in which theory and action are inseparable. The Communist prac tices what he preaches, and this fact has given the movement a dy namic vitality that Christianity has almost lost. Another unique feature of Communism is its militaristic type of organization. The entire move ment is militaristic to the core in terest on furthering their “religion” by force as well as by unscruplous diplomacy. The so-called “party line” is directed always at world revolution, but in the words of Len in himself it is subject to “zizzags” which corresponds to an army’s at tempts to confuse the enemy by the tise of camouflage and sudden shifts of forces. The Communists are al ways in the offensive, frequently sac rificing relatively unimportant is sues and by so doing they keep the enemy in a haze of confusion as to their real objectives which never change. We must understand this duplicity and flexability of Com munism before we can combat it ef fectively. We too, must sacrifice min or considerations and concentrate on containing the “real” inroads of We face a militant religious move ment organized on the basis of a world army. Stalin is high-priest or Pope as well as Commander-In-Chief of this army. The politbureau serve as Cardinals or Bishops as well as his military staff. The Comminform Communist International serves — a Jusuit Order or foreign mis sionary organization as well as an internation propaganda and intel ligence organization. Every member of the Communist party is a mis- S’onary as well as a hardened and disciplined soldier. Discussion is al lowed until a decision is reached, but after that no dissention is tole rated much as in an army. As I see it, we face a group of able fanatics who believe in a fatalistic pseudo religion and who are highly orga- J as an army with whom com promise is impossible. I think a rea lization by us all of the real na- ure and purpose of Communism is ssential to any intelligent attempt 3 combat it.
Gardner-Webb University Student Newspaper
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April 1, 1951, edition 1
8
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