V. I.

Lenin

Speaking at the Central Executive Committee meeting on the
evening of July 4, Citizen Chaikovsky came surprisingly close
to the truth.

He objected to the Soviet taking power and, among other things,
advanced this what we might call “decisive” argument: we must carry on the war but cannot do it with out
money, and the British and Americans won’t give any money if
power is in the hands of “socialists”; they will only give money if the Cadets participate in the government.

That is close to the truth.

It is impossible to participate in the imperialist war without
“participating” in the capitalist business of subjugating the people with loans from the capitalist gentlemen.

In order to really oppose the imperialist war, we must sever
all ties that fetter people and bind them to capital. The workers and peasants must fearlessly take over the
supervision of the banks and production and the regulation of
production.

We, too, think that the British and Americans will give no money
unless they have a guarantee from the Cadets. The alternative
is: either serve the Cadets, serve capital, pile up imperialist
loans (and put up with the fitting title of imperialist
democrats instead of claiming to be “revolutionary” democrats); or break with the Cadets, break with the
capitalists, break with imperialism, and become real revolutionaries on war issues as well.

Chaikovsky came close to the truth.

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