Re: The Revolutionary Significance of What is to be Done?

Dear Ed:

I would like to thank you for your essay on What Is To Be Done: The Burning 
Issues of Our Movement by VI Lenin. It appears to be excellent.

I recently ran into a discussion you may be able to clear up for me. Someone 
alleged the Menshevics like the Bolshevics practiced "democratic centralism."  
I have always been told by comrades this was part of the major differences 
between the Bolshevics and Menshevics. Democratic Centralism has always been 
what I understood as one of Lenin's greatest contribution to building the 
revolutionary party. The purpose of democratic centralism is to bring 
discussion to the party where differences are ironed out and debated.
However, publicly comrades all defend and spread the party's program and 
political line.

This is probably a very primitive understanding but this is what my worker 
teachers taught me.

The other issue is not a matter of morality and this is the differences between 
the Workers Opposition and Krondstadt Sailors and the role Lenin, Trotsky and 
Stalin played in this entire situation.

I understand there is a time when the party and the revolution must defend 
itself from the left as well as the right.  I recently reviewed dome of the 
demands of the Krondstadt Sailors in 1921 and they sounded fairly inflamatory. 
Also this entire problem with the Sailors and Workers Opposition happened 
between the 9th and 10th party Congress.

It was alleged that only for a few days or weeks War Communism was set up where 
factions within the party were not allowed and the Workers Opposition faction 
found itself thrown out of the party and then later rejoined the party. Some 
later supporting Stalin over Trotsky in the break with the Left Opposition.

How much of the threat from both the left and right resulted in a period of war 
communism. Did it spread to the Soviets? What was its impact as far as causing 
a crisis within the party and was Lenin able to change this.

It was further presented the New Economic Policy as developed by Lenin ended 
the period of war communism. Do you know when this began.
Is it true that Stalin junked the NEP by Lenin. I was told he made 
modifications but never threw the whole program out. That in fact he took the 
ideas of Trotsky held on the Kulaks and up the ante a bit but in essence it was 
still the same idea first promoted in the central committee by Trotsky

It is hard to answer all these question, however you fine exposition of What Is 
To Be Done has won my complete respect and I would like to hear what you think 
of what I have illustrated as important questions herein.

Comradly

Tom SIblo 


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