Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 13 - From Marx to Mao

358V. I. LENINmust fight for a new state structure, they must serve as theinstrument of the full power of the people (or the sovereigntyof the people), and as the means for securing it.In short, from the standpoint of the “very process ofthe revolution”, the Menshevik programme is unsatisfactoryin all respects. It reflects the confusion of Menshevikideas on the question of the provisional government, etc.7. MUNICIPALISATION OF THE LANDAND MUNICIPAL SOCIALISMThese two terms were made equivalent by the Mensheviksthemselves, who secured the adoption of the agrarian programmeat Stockholm. We need only mention the namesof two prominent Mensheviks, Kostrov and Larin. “Somecomrades,” said Kostrov at Stockholm, “seem to be hearingabout municipal ownership for the first time. Let me remindthem that in Western Europe there is a whole politicaltrend [!precisely!] called ‘municipal socialism’ [England],which advocates the extension of ownership by urban andrural municipalities, and which is also supported by ourcomrades. Many municipalities own real estate, and thatdoes not contradict our programme. We now have the possibilityof acquiring [!] real estate for the municipalitiesgratis [!!] and we should take advantage of it. Of course,the confiscated land should be municipalised” (p. 88).The naïve idea about “the possibility of acquiring propertygratis” is magnificently expressed here. But in citingthe example of this municipal socialism “trend” as a specialtrend mainly characteristic of England, the speakerdid not stop to think why this is an extremely opportunisttrend. Why did Engels, in his letters to Sorge describingthis extreme intellectual opportunism of the English Fabians,emphasise the petty-bourgeois nature of their “municipalisation”schemes? 131Larin, in unison with Kostrov, says in his comments onthe Menshevik programme: “Perhaps in some areas the people’slocal self-governing bodies will themselves be ableto run these large estates, as the horse tramways or slaughter-housesare run by municipal councils, and then all [!!]the profits obtained from them will be placed at the disposal