-·-·--·-···-··-·-··-··-·-·--··-·-··-·-·-··-·-··-·--- ·· ····················-·--··-··-·-·-· · ·· ·-·-·-·---··--··-···· .... _ A.13.C.. OF ANARCHISM It is the manifestation of instinctive popular justice. Thus one of the first gestures of the French Revolution was the demolition of the Bastille. Simila~ly in_Russia prisons were stormed and the prisoners :released at the very outset of the Revolution. The wholesome intuition of the people justly sees in prisoners social unfortunates, -victims of CO{lditions,and sympathises with them as such. The masses regard the courts and their records as instruments of class injustice, and these are destroyed at the beginning of the revolution, and quite properly so. But this stage passes quickly : the people's ire is soon · spent Simultaneously the revolution begins its constructive work. " Do you really think that reconstruction could start so soon? " you ask. My friend, it must begin immediately. In fact, the more .enlightened the masses have become, the clearer the workers realise ·their aims, and the better they are prepared to carry them out, the ·Jess destructive the revolution will be, and the quicker and more ,effectively will begin the work of reconstruction. " Are you not too hopeful? " No, I don't think so. I am convinced that the social revolution -will not "just happen." It will have to be prepared, organised. Yes, indeed, organised-just as a strike is organised. In truth, it will be a strike, the strike of the united workers of an entire country -a general strike. Let us pause and consider this. How do you imagine a revolution could be fought in these days -of armoured tanks, poison gas, and military planes? Do you believe that the unarmed masses and their barricades could withstand highpower artillery and bombs thrown upon them.from flying machines? -Could labour fight the military forces of government and capital? It's ridiculous on the face of it, isn't it? · And no less ridiculous is the suggestion that the workers should form their own regiments, " shock troops," or a " red front," as the Communist parties advise you to do. Will such preletarian bodies ever be able to stand up against the trained armies of the government and the private troops of capital? Will they have the least chance? Such a proposition needs only to be stated to be seen in all its impossible folly. ·It would simply mean sending thousands of workers to certain death. It is time to have done with this obsolete idea of revolution. Nowadays government and capital are too well organised in a military way for the workers ever to be able to cope with them. lt would be criminal to attempt it, insanity even to think of it. 64 B1bl1otecaGinoB•anco
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