Parliament and RevolutionScott & Seltzer, 1920 - 180 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
affairs Allies argument authority ballot become Bela Kun Bills body Bolshevist Cabinet Capitalism capitalist Clara Zetkin Committee on Legislation conception consider constituencies counter-revolution create D. H. LAWRENCE democ democracy democratic Denikin departmental policy dictatorship direct action discussion disfranchisement ditions Douglas Goldring economic election electors emotions ernment force give Government House of Commons ideas Independent Labour Party industrial intelligence interests issues Lenin liament liberty lution lutionary majority mass means ment mentary method mind Minister minority mittees movement opinion organisation parasites Parlia Parliament Parliamentary peace plays political action Private Members prob problem proletariat proposals RAMSAY MACDONALD reason recognise regarding representation representative responsible revo revolutionary conditions Russia Russian Revolution Second Chamber secure Session social Socialist Society Soviet franchise Soviet system spirit stage strike things tion tionary tive to-day trade union transform unity vote whilst workers
Popular passages
Page 102 - I authorize and give up my right of governing myself, to this man, or to this assembly of men, on this condition, that thou give up thy right to him, and authorize all his actions in like manner.
Page 147 - The Russian Revolution has been one of the greatest events in the history of the world, and the attacks that have been made upon it by frightened ruling classes and hostile capitalism should rally to its defence everyone who cares for political liberty and freedom of thought.
Page 143 - ... are to be flaunted in the face of the distressed people, if the mind of the mass is the subject of daily misrepresentation in a contemptible press, and if the desire of the best thought of democracy to find expression and to be consulted as a responsible authority is thwarted by tricksters and cheap jacks, then Labour troubles will become chronic, restlessness will defy reason, anarchy will spread, and social cohesion will be destroyed. Then also the duty of Socialists will be clear. That will...
Page 95 - As a method of increasing Parliamentary efficiency I put more and more value upon devolution. The case for an Irish Parliament is complete. The matter does not end there, however. The overwhelming influence of England on Scottish and Welsh affairs is destroying the native political instincts of these nations. It is a profound calamity that our "predominant partner" possesses political instincts and educational equipment of a much lower order than those of the two nations joined to it. Their capabilities...
Page 45 - ... of a select and over-awing minority. In other words, to plan a revolution in order to impose a new system on society is folly or worse: to face a revolution in order to bring the new order to birth is another matter. Even then the revolutionary dictatorship would have to be much more limited than it is in Russia. A dictatorship to maintain the revolution in its critical eruptive stages may be tolerated; but a dictatorship through the period of reconstruction, a dictatorship from which is to issue...
Page 84 - They could be stirred into passion by things which were trivial, they could be easily deceived, they were fond of dramatic representations and were very credulous, mental habits and the world as they found it held them in bondage, they were absolutely tame, very obedient and very suspicious of new leaders and willing to believe anything against them. The danger of thinking things out, of reflecting upon statements so as to come to independent conclusions, did not exist. The...
Page 117 - Should circumstances arise when active political sections in the community are convinced that Parliamentary powers are being abused and that in the interest of representative government the abuse must be ended, if public opinion will give sufficient support and the object to be aimed at is of such a nature as to allow the weapon to be used effectively, which in most cases means swiftly, the case for "direct action
Page 153 - Above all, it discards lightning changes as the way to realise itself. It knows that no system of government or of society can rest upon anything but common consent — the consent of passive minds, or the consent of active minds. The latter kind of consent is the only one it values. The idea of a revolution transforming the structure of Society by the will of a minority must seem as Utopian to it as the ideas of the Owenites and of all who sought to create an oasis of peace in the wilderness of...
Page 95 - ... England on Scottish and Welsh affairs is destroying the native political instincts of these nations. It is a profound calamity that our " predominant partner " possesses political instincts and educational equipment of a much lower order than those of the two nations joined to it. Their capacities are thus lost, are slowly being crushed out and stifled, and the Imperial Parliament comes nearer to the political intelligence of Sussex and Surrey, Rutland and Kent, than to the constituencies of...