Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 16 - From Marx to Mao

100V. I. LENINthis leadership by the Party amounts to empty words (“afterthe majority of the members of the Central Committeebegan to live abroad”). And both Maximov and the Golosistsbeat their breasts and declare that only slanderersset afloat rumours about anti-Party activity by the Rightand Left liquidators.Both Maximov and the Golosists explain the whole strugglewith liquidationism as due to “ousting” inclinationson the part of persons or groups. This is the word that Maximovuses. Golos indignantly describes Plekhanov’s call forthe general delimitation as “surgery”, the method of “haircutting,shaving and blood-letting”, the methods of “Sobakevich-Lenin”,the methods of the “dare-devil” P. 56(P.=a Plekhanov-Menshevik, who was not afraid to tell thetruth openly about the liquidationism of the Cherevanins,Larins and Potresovs). Proletary uses diplomatic language,flirts with Plekhanov (Maximov), Proletary fawns on Plekhanov(Golos: “Proletary’s feuilletonist”, who is “obliging”in relation to Plekhanov). You see: the Maximovites and theGolosists explain the new splits and the new alignmentsin exactly the same way.Let us leave such explanations to the toy manikins andget down to business.Liquidationism is a deep-seated social phenomenon, indissolublyconnected with the counter-revolutionary moodof the liberal bourgeoisie, with disintegration and breakupin the democratic petty bourgeoisie. The liberals and petty-bourgeoisdemocrats are trying in thousands of ways todemoralise the revolutionary Social-Democratic Party, toundermine and overthrow it, to clear the way for legal workers’associations in which they might achieve success. Andin a time like this the liquidators are ideologically and organisationallyfighting against the most important remainderof the revolution of yesterday, against the most importantbulwark of the revolution of tomorrow. The Golosists(from whom the Party asks no more than an honest,straight fight, without reservations, against the liquidators)by their prevaricating are doing the liquidators a service.Menshevism is put in a difficulty by the history of counterrevolution:it must either fight liquidationism or becomeits accomplice. Menshevism inside-out, i.e., otzovism and