Another advantage of proceeding by way of self-government is that it tends to prevent the Communist regime, when it comes, from having that truly terrible degree of centralization which now exists in Russia.  The Russians have been forced to centralize, partly by the problems of the war, but more by the shortage of all kinds of skill.  This has compelled the few competent men to attempt each to do the work of ten men, which has not proved satisfactory in spite of heroic efforts.  The idea of democracy has become discredited as the result first of syndicalism, and then of Bolshevism.  But there are two different things that may be meant by democracy:  we may mean the system of Parliamentary government, or we may mean the participation of the people in affairs.  The discredit of the former is largely deserved, and I have no desire to uphold Parliament as an ideal institution.  But it is a great misfortune if, from a confusion of ideas, men come to think that, because Parliaments are imperfect, there is no reason why there should be self-government.  The grounds for advocating self-government are very familiar:  first, that no benevolent despot can be trusted to know or pursue the interests of his subjects; second, that the practice of self-government is the only effective method of political education; third, that it tends to place the preponderance of force on the side of the constitution, and thus to promote order and stable government.  Other reasons could be found, but I think these are the chief.  In Russia self-government has disappeared, except within the Communist Party.  If it is not to disappear elsewhere during a Communist revolution, it is very desirable that there should exist already important industries competently administered by the workers themselves.

The Bolshevik philosophy is promoted very largely by despair of more gradual methods.  But this despair is a mark of impatience, and is not really warranted by the facts.  It is by no means impossible, in the near future, to secure self-government in British railways and mines by constitutional means.  This is not the sort of measure which would bring into operation an American blockade or a civil war or any of the other catastrophic dangers that are to be feared from a full-fledged Communist revolution in the present international situation.  Self-government in industry is feasible, and would be a great step towards Communism.  It would both afford many of the advantages of Communism and also make the transition far easier without a technical break-down of production.

There is another defect in the methods advocated by the Third International.  The sort of revolution which is recommended is never practically feasible except in a time of national misfortune; in fact, defeat in war seems to be an indispensable condition.  Consequently, by this method, Communism will only be inaugurated where the conditions of life are difficult, where demoralization and disorganization make success