THE FUTURE OF SOCIALISM
33
racy will see in the course of the struggle for it that the development
of a welfare economy along broad socialist lines is its best safeguard.
The future of socialism depends upon the preservation to the last ditch
of political democracy. But the future of democracy may depend upon
winning for the masses the economic benefits of socialism.
Despite some uncertain signs in England, the English workers–
and perhaps
all
politically literate elements not confused by the Webb–
Laski line--can be counted upon to co-operate with the United States
in establishing a democratic lead. But what are the prospects for the
development of such a lead in America, particularly a democratic
socialist lead? In terms of conventional, orthodox Marxism, they are
very dim. In· terms of a mass political movement that starts from dem–
ocratic premises and seeks to derive the content of a soci.alist program
from them, they are much better. Three things are required to set a
movement of this kind into action.
First, the unification of the American labor movement into a
conscious political force. The militancy of the American working class,
and despite its divisions, its enormous power, has been demonstrated
over again in recent years.
An
enlightened leadership-which is poten–
tially present but not yet in command-must unify the ranks, induce
them to clean house both of their racketeers and Communist traitors,
and develop a program of progressive social action that will appeal
to other groups in the population.* Failure to recognize the indispen–
sability of political organization is always a telltale sign either of social
and moral irresponsibility or of metaphysical obsession with allegedly
overriding historical necessities.
Second, despite their comparatively small numbers, the totali–
tarian liberals have so poisoned the climate of opinion in America
that it is difficult for most progressive-minded people to distinguish
between the friends and the foes of the democratic tradition.
An
intel–
lectual rearming of the liberal forces in this country must be under–
taken which will reaffirm the tradition of creative freedom, integrity
to oneself, and honesty to others that has been corrupted, as much
by bad politics as by business. The false fronts, the deceptions and
*
Since writing the above I have read Lewis Corey's excellent "Ideas for a New
Party'' in the
Antioch Review
for Autumn 1946. The main section on domestic
policy is splendid. The section on foreign policy suffers from a failure to distin–
guish clearly between the decaying economic and political colonialism of the
capitalist democracies and "communist imperialism in the form of Russian ex–
pansionism."
