/lit/ - Literature

>>22017032
But we recognise the fact that the General Federation of Workers did not
manifest the attitude of hostility at the time of the war which was shown by
a great part of the Official Socialist Party. We recognise, also, that through
the General Federation of Workers technical forces have come to the front
which, in view of the fact that the organisers are in direct and daily contact
with the complex economic reality, are reasonable enough. (Interruptions
from the Extreme Left and comments.)
We—and there are witnesses here who can prove the truth of my words
—have never taken up a priori an attitude of opposition to the General
Federation of Workers. I add also that our attitude might be altered later if
the Confederation detached itself—and the political directors have for some
time considered the possibility of this being done—from the political
Socialist Party—(Comments.)—which is only a fraction of political
Socialism, and is formed of those people who, in order to act, have need of
the big forces represented by the working-class organisations.
Listen to what I am going to say. When you present the Bill for the Eight
Hours Day, we will vote in favour of it. We shall not oppose this or any
other measures destined to perfect our special legislation. We shall not even
oppose experiments of co-operation; but I tell you at once that we shall
resist with all our strength attempts at State Socialism, Collectivism and the
like. We have had enough of State Socialism, and we shall never cease to
fight your doctrines as a whole, for we deny their truth and oppose their
fatalism.
We deny the existence of only two classes, because there are many more.
(Comments.) We deny the possibility of explaining the story of humanity in
terms of economics. We deny your internationalism, because it is a luxury
which only the upper classes can afford; the working people are hopelessly
bound to their native shores.
Not only this, but we affirm, and on the strength of recent Socialist
literature which you ought not to repudiate, that the real history of
capitalism is beginning now, because capitalism is not only a system of
oppression, but a selection of that which is of most worth, a co-ordination
of hierarchies, a more strongly developed sense of individual responsibility.
(Applause.) So true is this that Lenin, after having instituted the building
councils, abolished them and put in dictators; so true is it that, after having
nationalised commerce, he reintroduced the régime of liberty; and, as you
who have been in Russia well know, after having suppressed—even
physically—the bourgeoisie, to-day he summons it back, because without
capitalism and its technical system of production Russia could never rise
again.

From his speech, THE ATTITUDE OF FASCISMO TOWARDS COMMUNISM
AND SOCIALISM