Lenin’s 'Imperialism': understanding reality in order to transform it The outbreak of the First World War in August 1914 left Lenin practically isolated politically, and in exile with very few contacts with the party in Russia. The Second International had solemnly voted at several congresses to oppose the imperialist war, and in the case of its outbreak to use all means at their disposal to accelerate the revolutionary overthrow of capitalism. Instead, all the major parties collapsed into social-chauvinism, each defending the interests of their own ruling class in the war.
Communists say: capitalism is incompatible with free speech! Freedom of expression is supposed to be a cornerstone of democracy. All views, even the most disagreeable, must be allowed to compete in an open marketplace of ideas. Capitalism, we are told, is the only system capable of facilitating such tolerance; communism would crush dissent beneath the iron heel of conformity and the ‘party line’. Yet, as we write these words, students and academics are being beaten and arrested on dozens of campuses across capitalist America for their ‘unacceptable’ views. Communists, meanwhile, are the only ones mounting a consistent defence of free speech – from our own class perspective.
How Lenin fought for workers’ unity in the ‘prison house of nations’ Lenin’s position on the national question was a key element in the Bolsheviks’ success in the Russian Revolution. His article The Right of Nations to Self Determination, published in April-June 1914 as a polemic against Rosa Luxemburg and others, is one of his most outstanding works on the subject.
