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From The Militant, Vol. 12 No. 48, 29 November 1948, p. 4.
ranscribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
You cannot hold the belief that the fundamental issue in America today is capitalism or socialism – and belong to the Communist Party at the same time.
That is the chief lesson to be drawn from the expulsion of Max Bedacht from the Stalinist party, announced in the Daily Worker, Nov. 19.
Bedacht, who was one of the founders of the Communist Party in this country and a leading Stalinist ever since the beginning of the American CP’s degeneration, was ordered expelled by the New Jersey Stalinist bureaucracy “on charges of factionalism against the party leadership.”
Because Bedacht has not yet issued a statement of his own, and because falsification and distortion are component parts of all Stalinist charges against dissidents, it is impossible to say with any certainty what the precise nature of Bedacht’s differences with the CP is. But that does not in any way alter the significance of the charges placed against him.
“The main tenets of the line advanced by Bedacht,” says the New Jersey CP, “... were that the issue in America today was Capitalism vs. Socialism, and that the Progressive Party is equivalent to the French ‘Third Force.’”
Leaving aside the accuracy of this charge, the charge itself should serve as an eye-opener to those members and sympathizers of the CP who took seriously the Foster-Dennis attacks on the revisionist policy followed by the Stalinists under the leadership of Browder.
Again and again the Foster-Dennis leadership denounced Browder for revising Marxism, soft-pedaling on socialism and collaborating with capitalists. Again and again they promised to return the party to a consistently Marxist and class struggle policy.
Now comes the expulsion of Bedacht to demonstrate once again how worthless those promises were. What kind of Marxist party is it that expels people because they advocate a socialist alternative to the evils of capitalism? What kind of change has such a party made from “Browderism” when it has no room in its leadership or ranks for those who ask for the abandonment of class collaboration, which is the essence of “Browderism?”
Bedacht has been in disgrace for over two years, and has been up on these charges for some time. It is probably not coincidence that his expulsion took place just now.
The Nov. 20 N.Y. Times says: “During the recent campaign when the Progressive party backed the Presidential candidacy of Henry Wallace, many Foster followers were disquieted by Mr. Wallace’s repeated declarations that he stood for ‘progressive capitalism.’” This report has been confirmed on many occasions in recent months by people in close contact with the Stalinist ranks.
Bedacht’s expulsion, following on the heels of the Wallace fiasco in the election, is undoubtedly intended to give pause to the members who are uneasy over CP support for that millionaire capitalist.
“Don’t dare to question our policy of supporting progressive capitalists!” That is the substance of the CP leadership’s warning to the members, expressed in Bedacht’s expulsion. “Don’t dare to question this policy if you want to remain a member!”
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