V. I.

Lenin

Izvestia for May 17 publishes a tiresomely lengthy and silly resolution of the Soviet’s Economic Department concerning
ways of combating economic chaos.

And what a combat that is! Splendid ideas and excellent plans
are smothered in a net of dead, bureaucratic institutions. “The
Economic Department shall be converted [mark this!] into a
department for the organisation of the national economy.”

Excellent! We are on the right track! The country can make its
mind easy. The Department has been renamed.

But is it possible to “organise the national economy”. without
wielding state power? This the Executive Committee has overlooked.

The Department has six “sub-departments”.... That is
Point I of the resolution. Point 2 is about establishing “close
organisational ties”; Point 3 is about working out the “basic
principles” of regulation; Point 4 is about establishing “close
organisational contact” with the cabinet ministers (upon my
oath, this is not from a fable by Muzhik Vredny [1] but from Izvestia No. 68, for May 17,
page 3, column 3, Point 4); Point 5 is about “the government forming
commissions”; Point 6 is about “a bill to be drafted in the very
near future”; Point 7 is about starting immediately “to draw up
basic legislative proposals” on five sub-points....

0 wise men! 0 lawgivers! 0 Louis Blancs!

---
Notes:
[1]