Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 26 - From Marx to Mao

402V. I. LENINproclaimed in June 1917: “The resistance of the capitalists hasbeen broken.” This kind soul had no inkling of the fact thattheir resistance must really be broken, and it will be broken,and that the scientific name for this breaking-up operationis dictatorship of the proletariat; that an entire historicalperiod is marked by the suppression of capitalist resistance,and, consequently, by systematic application of coercionto an entire class (the bourgeoisie) and its accomplices.The grasping, malicious, frenzied filthy avidity of themoney-bags, the cowed servility of their hangers-on is thetrue social source of the present wail raised by the spinelessintellectuals—from those of Rech to those of Novaya Zhizn—FROM MARXTO MAOagainst violence on the part of the proletariat and the revolutionarypeasants. Such is the objective meaning of their⋆howls, their pathetic speeches, their clownish cries of “freedom”(freedom for the capitalists to oppress the people),etc. They would be “prepared” to recognise socialism, ifmankind could jump straight into it in one spectacularleap, without any of the friction, the struggles, theexploiters’ gnashing of teeth, or their diverse attemptsto preserve the old order, or smuggle it back through thewindow, without the revolutionary proletariat respondingto each attempt in a violent manner. These spinelesshangers-on of the bourgeoisie NOT with FOR intellectualist pretensionsare quite “prepared” to wade into the water provided theydo not get their feet wet.The droopingCOMMERCIALintellectuals are terrified when the bourgeoisieand the civil servants, employees, doctors, engineers,etc., who have DISTRIBUTIONgrown accustomed to serving the bourgeoisie,go to extremes in their resistance. They tremble and uttereven shriller cries about the need for a return to “conciliation”.Like all true friends of the oppressed class, we canonly derive satisfaction from the exploiters’ extreme measuresof resistance, because we do not expect the proletariatto mature for power in an atmosphere of cajoling and persuasion,in a school of mealy sermons or didactic declamations,but in the school of life and struggle. To become theruling class and defeat the bourgeoisie for good the proletariatmust be schooled, because the skill this implies doesnot come ready-made. The proletariat must do its learningin the struggle, and stubborn, desperate struggle in