Revolution in America: Capitalist Domination and the Means of Resistance

Chapter 6: The Fifth International.

 Even though this doesn't necessarily concentrate on America, the writer felt it was appropriate to include the next major goal within both Socialist and Communist ideologies: "Proletarian Internationalism", or "World Communism". In both concepts, the workers and peasants across the world unite in the struggle against the Bourgeoisie to form an International organization, so as to create a world of Socialist societies.

 History shows that only four Internationals have existed, all of which were founded in Europe. From 1864 to 1876, the First International marked the possibility of a Proletarian revolution on a worldwide scale, which would lead to the establishment of a Socialist World Republic. After the fall of the Paris Commune, however, the First International suffered increasing conflict between the Anarchists and the Communists, which eventually led to the dissolution of the First International in 1876. Despite this, the First International had cemented the goals for all future Internationals:

1. To unite the workers and peasants of different states in struggle against Capitalism;

2. To spark a world revolution against the Bourgeoisie, and;

3. to establish a Socialist society in all states.

 In 1889, the Second International was formed to continue the work of the First, yet this International included only the Socialists and Communists, not the Anarchists. The Second International had progressed further than its predecessor, namely with the declaration of May Day, International Women's Day and the campaign for the 8-hour work day. However, in 1914, the start of the First World War, the members of the Second International had betrayed the Proletariat by siding with their respected governments during the war, which was a war of profit! Due to this affront, the Second International dissolved, with only the Zimmerwald Left being the result of the dissolution. The Zimmerwald Left was seen as a prelude to the Third International, which was founded in 1919.

 The Third International, like the Second, continued the work of its predecessors, yet it had gone further. The Third International had campaigned for world revolution and a world of Soviet Socialist Republics, with Lenin's "What Is to be Done" and "April Thesis" as the blueprints for these revolutions. The influence of the Third International, and the October Revolution, was global, with most nations actually establishing an 8-hour work day with better working conditions and an age limit among the workers, as child labour was a commodity for many states at the time. However, after Lenin's death in 1924, Stalin had transformed the goals of the Third International into only one goal: defense of the one soviet state, which was Russia. This transformation also came with the purging of multiple members within the Third International. In 1943, the Third International, or what was left of it, officially dissolved, as Stalin stood with "Socialism in One Country", which was an insult to both Marxist and Leninist ideals.

 In 1938, Trotsky, who had been exiled by Stalin, had founded the Fourth International, which had greatly opposed the Third International under the claims that it had fallen to "Stalinist Bureaucracy".  The Fourth International had made no significant impression, as it was overshadowed by the Third, and it had soon dissolved in 1953 due to in-fighting, with no other International emerging since then. Even today, the Fourth International is viewed as impotent, yet it is the view of the writer that the Fourth International was an official Communist International, nonetheless.

 It is only logical now that after the revolution in America is won, and the Socialist Federation is installed, that there must be a Fifth International. In the Fifth International, the goals of its predecessors must still be applied, yet there must be a change in the structure, so as to avoid dissolution or Bureaucratic corruption. One such method is Democratic Centralism.

 Democratic Centralism, i.e., "Freedom in Discussion, Unity in Action", is, above anything else (regarding rules and discipline), that which will keep the Fifth International intact. Even though the writer has called for Organic Centralism in America, the reader has to see that Organic Centralism is more effective when it's in one nation. For a worldwide organization, however, the rules must be strict and the discipline stricter, as we want to prevent a dissolution within the Fifth International.

 For an example of this concept, let us look at the transcript of the Sixth Congress of the Bolsheviks, which addressed Democratic Centralism. In this transcript, Democratic Centralism is explained in the rules as follows:

"1. That all directing bodies of the Party, from top to bottom, shall be elected;

"2. That Party bodies shall give periodical accounts of their activities to their respective Party organizations;

"3. That there shall be strict Party discipline and the subordination of the minority to the majority;

"4. that all decisions of higher bodies shall be absolutely binding on lower bodies and all Party members". (Sixth Party Congress of the Russian Social_Democratic Labour Party, July 26 - August 3, 1917)

 However, in the 1977 Soviet Constitution, Article 3 of Chapter 1 states:

"The Soviet state is organized and functions on the principle of democratic centralism, namely the electiveness of all bodies of state authority from the lowest to the highest, their accountability to the people, and the obligation of lower bodies to observe the decisions of the higher ones. Democratic centralism combines central leadership with local initiative and creative activity and with the responsibility of each state body and official for the work entrusted to them". (Constitution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Chapter 1, Article 3)

 For the Fifth International, the Democratically Centralized rules must be as follows:

1. All Parties of the Fifth International must be bound entirely to the goals and rules of the Fifth International;

2. All Parties will not advocate State Capitalism or Bureaucracy of any form in their respected states;

3. Periodical accounts on the activities of Capitalism and how the respected Parties are responding to such activities must be made and brought to the attention of every World Congress of the Fifth International;

4. The majority and minority Parties must work as one to achieve the goals of the Fifth International. No subordination, no intimidation;

5. Strict discipline, i.e., Democratic Centralism, must be applied only within the Fifth International;

6. No form of dictatorship must be allowed at all, and;

7. All Parties will put the interests of the people before the interests of the respected Party.

 This strict and firm set of rules, combined with the sheer cooperation of all Parties, will become the unstoppable force that will be used to take Capitalism "off its high horse", so to speak. However, all Parties must, like the Americans, not resort to Stalinist Bureaucracy or absolute dictatorship and must, instead, strive for a more modern and humane form of Socialism and Communism, so as to make the Socialist societies one step closer to achieving the goals of the Fifth International.

 Orthodox Communism and Socialism, i.e., the advocation of the "Dictatorship of the Proletariat", "Government ownership of major production" and the outright refusal to admit the flaws within the ideologies (like the American "Communists" do), is the most damaging path that even the most intelligent middle-class person can take, for the refusal to accept the flaws will lead to destruction and, therefore, halts the progress from Capitalism to Socialism, which results in a failure of the system. Once this is realized, and a new school of thought (like Andréism) is made and adopted, then the revolution will be won across all corners of the world, and Capitalist domination will finally fall, never again to resurface.