Revolution and Other Essays - E-book - ePub

I received a letter the other day. It was from a man in Arizona. It began, "Dear Comrade." It ended, "Yours for the Revolution." I replied to the letter, and my letter began, "Dear Comrade." It ended, "Yours for the Revolution." In the United States there are 400, 000 men, of men and women nearly 1, 000, 000, who begin their letters "Dear Comrade, " and end them "Yours for the Revolution." In Germany there are 3, 000, 000 men who begin their letters "Dear Comrade" and end them "Yours for the Revolution"; in France, 1, 000, 000 men; in Austria, 800, 000 men; in Belgium, 300, 000 men; in Italy, 250, 000 men; in England, 100, 000 men; in Switzerland, 100, 000 men; in Denmark, 55, 000 men; in Sweden, 50, 000 men; in Holland, 40, 000 men; in Spain, 30, 000 men-comrades all, and revolutionists. These are numbers which dwarf the grand armies of Napoleon and Xerxes.
But they are numbers not of conquest and maintenance of the established order, but of conquest and revolution. They compose, when the roll is called, an army of 7, 000, 000 men, who, in accordance with the conditions of today, are fighting with all their might for the conquest of the wealth of the world and for the complete overthrow of existing society.