From Bernstein to Liu Shao-chi

by Kao Hung

Beijing Review, No.38, September 19, 1969 Transcribed by www.wengewang.org

THE "theory of productive forces" is the highly developed social productive an international revisionist trend of forces, capitalism would grow into so- thought. According to this "theory," so- cialism peacefully. Therefore, he said, cialist revolution is absolutely im- revolution by armed force would be- possible in a country where capitalism come a meaningless phrase. He arbit- is not highly developed and where the rarily declared that the victory of so- productive forces have not reached a cialism could only depend on the gen- high level and the rural economy is eral social progress, especially on the scattered and backward, and socialism increase of social wealth or the growth will come naturally if capitalism is first of social productive forces accompan- allowed to develop fully and the pro- ied by the maturity of the working ductive forces to grow enormously. For class in terms of knowledge and moral- more than half a century, from Bern- ity. He concluded: As for the capitalist stein, Kautsky, Trotsky down to Chen system, it should not be destroyed but Tu-hsiu and Liu Shao-chi, this handful should be helped to further develop. of renegades to the proletariat passed The renegade Kautsky also spared no off such an absurd theory as historical efforts in publicizing the reactionary materialism, using it as a "theoretical" "theory of productive forces." In his basis for their opposition to the prolet- pamphlet The Road to Power written in arian revolution. 1909, he asserted that only where the It is no accident that the "theory of capitalist mode of production was productive forces" emerged at the end highly developed could there be the of the 19th century and the beginning possibility of turning capitalist owner- of the 20th century. World capitalism at ship of the means of production into that time had developed to its public ownership by virtue of state moribund stage, i.e., the stage of im- power. perialism, in which the proletarian re- volution had become the order of the Lenin waged repeated and effective day. To cater to the needs of the imper- struggles against this reactionary "the- ialists, the old-line revisionists of the ory of productive forces" before and Second International— Bernstein, Kaut- after the Russian October Socialist Re- sky and their like — brought out their volution. Prior to the October Revolu- fallacy in an underhand attempt to op- tion, Lenin pointed out that victory for pose and strangle the proletarian re- socialist revolution would not necessar- volution from within the workers' ily be first won in those capitalist coun- movement. tries where the level of productive Bernstein first put forward this fallacy forces was the highest, but could be in 1899 in his book The Premises of So- lirst won in Russia, the weak link in the cialism and the Tasks of the Social- capitalist world. The victory of the Oc- Democracy. He maintained that with tober Revolution fully confirmed the correctness of Lenin's brilliant thesis- a real upsurge in the Russian socialist Following the victory of the October economy was possible only after the Revolution, Kautsky continued to bran- proletariat had triumphed in several of dish the broken-down weapon of the the most important European coun- "theory of productive forces." He be- tries. This meant that the Soviet Union, came even wilder in opposing the Oc- which was economically backward, was tober Revolution and opposing the So- not qualified to build socialism. Such a viet people taking the socialist road. fallacy is, in essence, designed to cre- Shutting his eyes to reality, Kautsky ate counter-revolutionary public opin- even clamoured in 1930 that the re- ion for a capitalist restoration in the volution that had taken place in Russia Soviet Union. could only serve to clear the way for The great revolutionary teacher Len- the full development of capitalism and in vehemently denounced these ab- that only when capitalism was highly surd and ridiculous theories. He re- developed was it possible to establish peatedly stressed the tremendous role a socialist society. Therefore, he al- which the revolution played in develop- l e g e d , t h e i n d u s t r i a l i z e d We s t ing production and the tremendous European countries would inevitably role which the seizure of power and the precede the East European countries in change in the relations of production their march to socialism. He also played in promoting the development babbled that without a comparably of productive forces. He incisively high educational standard and a highly pointed out that with the Bolshevik developed industry, it was absolutely Party, a consolidated worker-peasant impossible to achieve and maintain alliance and under the leadership of mass agricultural production, and such a Party, it was entirely possible to therefore agricultural collectivization in turn Russia into a mighty socialist the Soviet Union was only a crude ex- country after the revolution. He said: periment which would definitely meet "If a definite level of culture is required with failure. This meant that, because for the building of Socialism (although of the backward productive forces, the nobody can say just what that definite Russian proletariat could not keep in its 'level of culture' is, for it differs in hands the political power it had seized, every West-European country), why but had to let the bourgeoisie take cannot we begin by first achieving the over the rule. prerequisites for that definite level of Ta king over the "theory of productive culture in a revolutionary way, and forces" advocated by Bernstein and then, with the aid of the workers' and Kautsky, Trotsky likewise feverishly at- peasants' government and the Soviet tacked Lenin's theory that the victory system, proceed to overtake the other of socialism was possible first in one nations?" Lenin sharply criticized the country, and attacked the October Re- advocates of the "theory of productive volution. In 1922, in his postscript to forces," saying: "They have completely The Program of Peace, Trotsky drivelled failed to understand what is decisive in that Russia had not reached or even Marxism, namely, its revolutionary dia- approached the stage of establishing a lectic!-." socialist society . . . and that socialism The Soviet revisionist Khrushchev was possible only when there was the renegade clique has completely be- basis of developed and thriving pro- trayed Marxism-Leninism and has ef- ductive forces. He further asserted that fected an all-round restoration of capit- alism in the Soviet Union. Out of their ie following success in the national re- counter-revolutionary needs, they volution." Even in 1938, he still jab- prattle that, under socialist conditions, bered that "there is still much room for economics is more important than the development of capitalism in politics, that the problem of produc- China." In preaching this he vainly tion should be given first place and hoped to completely liquidate revolu- should be placed at the heart of all tion. Party organization activities and come Stepping into the shoes of the reneg- before all work of the Party organiza- ades Bernstein, Kautsky, Trotsky and tions. Such nonsense is merely a repro- Chen Tu-hsiu, the renegade, hidden duction of the "theory of productive traitor and scab Liu Shao-chi consist- forces" that was advocated by the old- ently advocated the reactionary "the- line revisionists. ory of productive forces." He opposed In China, the "theory of productive the proletarian revolution and the dic- forces" was first advocated by the tatorship of the proletariat and thus renegade Chen Tu-hsiu. In 1923, in his committed towering crimes. The Chinese National Revolution and The great leader Chairman Mao has All Classes in the Society, he one- taught us: "The socialist system will sidedly stressed that China's "industry eventually replace the capitalist sys- is in its infancy and its culture back- tem; this is an objective law independ- ward," that "even the bourgeoisie is ent of man's will." Those who try to ob- very infantile and, objectively, the struct the advance of history will have working class is even more infantile." a miserable end. Like his predecessors He frantically opposed the proletariat Bernstein, Kautsky, Trotsky and Chen leading the revolution and seizing polit- Tu-hsiu, Liu Shao-chi has been sub- ical power. He ranted: "Under normal merged by the mighty torrent of his- circumstances, political power will nat- tory. urally be in the hands of the bourgeois-