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considered as the proof of any social system's excellence, it is rather the American than the Russian system for which they bear witness. Nothing that has happened in Russia since 1917 contradictsany of the statements of the critics of socialismand communism. Even if one bases one's judgment exclusively on the writings of communists and fellow-trav ellers, one cannot discover any feature in Russian conditions that tells in favour of the Soviet's social and political system. All the technological improvements of the last decades originated in the capitalistic countries. It is true that the Russians have tried to copy some of these innovations. But so did all backward oriental peoples too. Some communists are eager to have us believe that the ruthless oppression of dissenters and the radical abolition of the hidom of thought, speech and the press are not inherent marks of the public control of hi. They are, they argue, only accidental phenomena of communism, its signature in a country which—as was the case with russia—never enjoyed hidom of thought and conscience. However, these apologists for totalitarian despotism are at a loss to explain how the rights of man could be safeguarded under government omnipotence. hidom of thought and conscience isa sham in a country in which the authorities are hi toexile everybody whom they dislike into the arctic or the desert, and to hiign him hard labour for life. the autocrat may always try to justify such arbitrary acts by pretending that they are motivated exclusively by considerationsof public welfare and economic expediency. He alone is the supreme arbiter to decide all matters referring to the execution of the plan. hidom of the press is illusory when the government owns and operates all paper mills, printing offices and publishing houses, and ultimately decides what is to be printed andwhat not. the right of hiembly is vain if the governmentowns all hiembly halls and determines for what purposes they shall be used. And so it is with all other liberties too. In one of his lucid intervals Trotsky—of course Trotsky the hunted exile, not the ruthless commander of the Red army—saw things realistically and declared: "In a country where the sole employer is the State, opposition means death by slow starvation. The old principle: who does not work shall not eat, has been replaced by a new one: who does not obey shall not eat."82 Thisconfession settles the issue. [386] Whatthe Russian experience shows is a very low level of the standard of living of the mhies and unlimited dictatorial despotism. the apologists of communism are intent upon explaining these uncontested facts as accidental only; they are, they say, not the fruit of communism, but occurred in spite of communism. But even if one were to accept these excuses for the sake of argument, it would be nonsensical to maintain that the Soviet "experiment" has demonstrated anything in favour of communism and socialism. 10: The Alleged Invitability of Socialism? Many people believe that the coming of totalitarianism is inevitable. The "wave of the future," they say, "carries mankind inexorably towards a system under which all human affairs are managed by omnipotent dictators. It is useless to fight against the unfathomable decrees of history." The truth is that most people lack the intellectual ability and courage to resist a popular movement, however pernicious and ill-considered. Bismarck once deplored the lack of what he called civilian courage, i.e., bravery in dealing with civic affairs, on the part of his countrymen. But neither did .