It is still necessary for the II Congress of the III International to write theses on the international economic and political situation.

Could we not entrust a preliminary draft to Radek or to the more available Lapinsky, or to someone else, according to their instructions, with the following approximate plan of these theses:

1. The division of all territory (both in the sense of spheres of influence of banking and financial capital, and in the sense of international syndicates and cartels, as well as in the sense of the seizure of colonies and semi-colonies) is the fundamental fact of imperialism, the economics of the twentieth century.

2. From this follow inevitably imperialist wars in general, and in particular the first imperialist war of 1914–1918.

3. The results of this war:

(a) a decrease in the number of world-powerful states, an increase in the number of weak, plundered, partitioned, dependent ones; (b) a gigantic exacerbation of all capitalist contradictions both within all capitalist countries and between countries; (c) in particular, an exacerbation on a world scale of both poles of capitalism:

an increase in the luxury of an insignificant number of capital magnates; an increase in want, destitution, ruin, hunger, unemployment, extreme insecurity of existence; (d) a strengthening of militarism, a strengthening and acceleration of preparation for new imperialist wars, economically inevitable; an increase in the number of wars throughout the world and moreover wars, especially revolutionary ones; (e) the complete collapse of the League of Nations, the exposure of its falsehood; the collapse of "Wilsonism"{87}. The collapse of bourgeois democracy.

4. An explanation, the briefest possible, through the characterization (cf. P. Levi's report of 14. IV. 1920){88}:

of England and America of France of Japan of the remaining neutral countries of Europe and America of the defeated countries (Russia and Germany principally)

of the colonies of the semi-colonies (Persia, Turkey, China).

5. Raw materials—their exhaustion

industry—its weakening (fuel, etc.)

currency—its collapse. Debts. The devaluation of money.

"Disorganization," the disintegration of the entire system of world economy.

6. Conclusion = world revolutionary crisis. Communist movement and Soviet power.