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From International Press Correspondence, Vol. 27 No. 2 [vol. 2 No. 27], 12 April 1922, p. 204.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Marxists’ Internet Archive.
It is evident that those who believed that with his pamphlet against the terror of the Bolsheviki Karl Kautsky had reached the summit of his abnegation of revolution and Marxism have underestimated his abilities. He is capable of expressing the most surprising ideas and of accomplishing the most funny capers if they serve to attack the revolution from ambush. Having yesterday condemned the terror of the Bolsheviki, he presents himself today [not] as the most enthusiastic advocate of the terror but certainly of those terrorists who point their revolvers and poisoned balls at the leaders of the revolution. In the Berlin reactionary Russian paper Golos Rossii he publishes a letter in which he declares his solidarity with the 47 terrorist Social Revolutionaries who will have to justify themselves before the courts of the revolutionary proletariat for their criminal attempts against the revolution. It is self-evident that the lamentations of a nun who together with the artillery of the counter-revolution waged war against the Russian proletariat, will be answered by the latter only by a contemptuous smile. The Russian proletariat will not deliver its enemies to the justice of those who have blessed the arms which murdered Russian workers and peasants. Mr Kautsky closes his letter with the following abuse:
“If the Communist Parties should stand aside in this action of protest or should even try to prevent it, they will branded before the proletariat of the world as cowardly assistants of the Moscow hangmen, as lackeys without dignity nor justice, with whom nobody who honestly struggles for the emancipation of the proletariat can work in common.”
Karl Kautsky is sufficiently branded by Karl Kautsky. In June 1919 he published his book against Terrorism. In this he prostituted Marxism and transformed it into a sweetish democratic fluid. He examined the origin of Terror beginning with the monkey. He falsified the history of the Commune and even that of the French Revolution in order to denounce Revolutionary Terrorism. In 1922 he corrects his own arguments. He declares his solidarity with the terrorists. He appeals to the proletariat of the world in order to save terrorists. In 1922 he is silent upon his big book against Terrorism written in 1919. It is true, the terrorists with whom he declares his solidarity, the Terror, which he defends by silence, fights the revolution. Those who organize Terror against the revolution do not lose the sympathies of Karl Kautsky. Those terrorists who remain Socialists are worthy of the sympathy and the assistance of the proletariat. Their party comrades receive the “best wishes” and the “heartiest greetings” of Karl Kautsky. Those, however, who were forced to use the weapon of Terror in order to defend the revolution, are criminals who place themselves outside of the Socialist community. And the hand of the revolution which punishes the counter-revolutionary terrorists is a murderer’s hand. In order to denounce Revolutionary Terror, Karl Kautsky digs up history beginning with the monkey. If counter-revolutionary Terror is in question he does not even consider it necessary to inform himself of what these terrorist are accused and what proofs exist against them. All phrases of humanity, honesty, etc., which were Kautsky’s arguments against Revolutionary Terrorism, are now denounced as hypocrisy by himself. If the Terror is directed against the revolutionary he does not even care to know the facts. They do not at all interest him. Everything is permitted against the revolution; if the maintenance of the revolution is in question, however, the Sermon the Mount has to be strictly obeyed in every case.
In their appeal, even the representatives of the International 2½ refuse to declare their solidarity with the Social Revolutionaries. Kautsky has already reached a level which is below that of the International 2½.
In June 1919 Kautsky excellently served the world bourgeoisie with his book against Terrorism. With his letter in March 1922, he does not serve them less.
Soviet Russia will have to fight a bitter struggle at Genoa against the imperialist robbers of the world bourgeoisie. The latter is doing its best in order to break the iron political power of the Russian Revolution. Mr. Kautsky has again joined the vanguard of the bourgeoisie in its attack against the Russian Revolution. For that purpose he rejects in 20 lines of his letter eleven sheets of wise explanations. For that purpose he even denies his denial of Marxism.
Naked and bare, he takes the lead of the bourgeois army. That man was once one of the prominent heritors of revolutionary Marxism. Only for that reason is the case worth mentioning.
Last updated on 4 September 2019