Lenin CW-Vol. 23.pdf - From Marx to Mao

LETTERS FROM AFAR329them not only by words, but also by action, by work. Sucha militia would develop those functions which, speaking inscientific language, come within the purview of the “welfarepolice”, sanitary inspection, and so forth, and wouldenlist for such work all adult women. If women are not drawninto public service, into the militia, into political life, ifwomen are not torn out of their stupefying house and kitchenenvironment, it will be impossible to guarantee realfreedom, it will be impossible to build even democracylet alone socialism.Such a militia would be a proletarian militia, for theindustrial and urban workers would exert a guiding influenceon the masses of the poor as naturally and inevitably asthey came to hold the leading place in the people’s revolutionarystruggle both in 1905-07 and in 1917.Such a militia would ensure absolute order and devotedlyobserved comradely discipline. At the same time, in thesevere crisis that all the belligerent countries are experiencing,it would make it possible to combat this crisis in avery democratic way, properly and rapidly to distributegrain and other supplies, introduce “universal labour service”,which the French now call “civilian mobilisation”and the (Germans “civilian service” and without which itis impossible—it has proved to be impossible—to heal thewounds that have been and are being inflicted by the predatoryand horrible war.Has the proletariat of Russia shed its blood only in orderto receive fine promises of political democratic reforms andnothing more? Can it be that it will not demand, and secure,that every toiler should forthwith see and feel someimprovement in his life? That every family should havebread? That every child should have a bottle of good milkand that not a single adult in a rich family should dare takeextra milk until children are provided for? That the palacesand rich apartments abandoned by the tsar and the aristocracyshould not remain vacant, but provide shelter for thehomeless and the destitute? Who can carry out these measuresexcept a people’s militia, to which women must belongequally with men?These measures do not yet constitute socialism. Theyconcern the distribution of consumption, not the reorganisa-