Reds Page #17

We have to make

the Russians understand this,

and that's why we want your support

to extend the session of congress

and to keep the debate open.

Jack, are you okay?

- Did you talk to Sadoul?

- Yes, I did.

Comrades, I'm still opposed to closing

the discussion here.

I think that this discussion

is being closed

to avoid hearing the American

and the British delegations.

And if for no other reason than that,

it shows that discussion

should continue.

Comrade Radek

uses this sort of remark

in place of an argument and as a result,

he doesn't want to talk about it.

What Reed says is not distinguished

by excessive fear of distorting the truth.

He goes on day and night

and has the cheek to claim

that the discussion is being broken off

because of fear of the great might

of John Reed.

Comrade Reed, you may have time

to discuss it until tomorrow morning.

Other people do not have the time.

Comrade Radek, other people that

don't have the time for this discussion

are 101 leaders of the IWW

who are in jail today

in the United States

because of their revolutionary views.

And if we turn our back

on these comrades

out of some pipe dream to radicalize

the American Federation of Labor

which cannot be done, it is a disgrace.

We've discussed this

during six sessions of this commission.

We spent whole day today discussing it,

and you insinuate

we are trying to dismiss the issue?

We haven't had enough discussion...

We haven't had enough discussion

for my friend here

to realize that Louis Fraina and I

think alike on this problem.

Every American on our delegation,

- every man on the English delegation...

- You are a member of this committee.

You are not

an independent political party.

Comrade Zinoviev, I will not be

steamrollered by this committee

that has not had

a proper education on this problem.

On the fact...

The discussion is closed.

However, if Comrade Reed

wishes to make a statement,

he will have two minutes to do so.

I would merely want to say that

on behalf of the American delegates,

that we will refuse

to vote on these theses,

and that I myself

will resign my seat on this committee.

Jack, I think we have to face it.

The dream that we had

is dying in Russia.

If Bolshevism means

the peasants taking the land,

the workers taking the factories,

Russia's one place

where there's no Bolshevism.

You know, I can argue with cops,

I can fight with generals.

I can't deal with a bureaucrat.

You think Zinoviev is nothing worse

than a bureaucrat?

The Soviets have no more

local autonomy.

The central state has all the power.

All the power

is in the hands of a few men

and they are destroying the revolution.

They are destroying any hope

of real Communism in Russia.

They're putting people like me in jail.

My understanding of revolution

is not a continual extermination

of political dissenters,

and I want no part of it.

Every single newspaper's

been shut down

or taken over by the party.

Anyone even vaguely suspected

of being a counter-revolutionary

can be taken out and shot

without a trial. Where does that end?

Is any nightmare justifiable

in the name of defense

against counter-revolution?

The dream may be dying in Russia,

but I'm not.

It may take some time. I'm getting out.

You sound like you're a little confused

by the revolution in action, E.G.

Up to now,

you've only dealt with it in theory.

What did you think

this thing was gonna be?

A revolution by consensus

where we all sat down

and agreed over a cup of coffee?

Nothing works.

Four million people died last year.

Not from fighting a war,

they died from starvation and typhus

in a militaristic police state

that suppresses

freedom and human rights

where nothing works.

They died because of a

French, British and American blockade

that cut off

all food and medical supplies

and because counter-revolutionaries

have sabotaged the factories

and the railroads and the telephones,

and because the people,

the poor, ignorant,

superstitious, illiterate people,

are trying to run things themselves,

just as you always said that they should,

but they don't know

how to run them yet.

Did you really think things would work

right away?

Did you really expect

social transformation

to be anything other than

a murderous process?

It's a war, E.G.,

and we gotta fight it like we fight a war,

with discipline,

with terror, with firing squads,

or we just give it up.

Those four million people

didn't die fighting a war.

They died from a system

that cannot work!

It's just the beginning, E.G.

It's not happening

the way we thought it would.

It's not happening

the way we wanted it to,

but it's happening.

If you walk out on it now,

what's your whole life meant?

Could you tell me if my resignation

is ready for signature yet?

- It is.

- Good.

May I see it?

Thank you.

- Thank you, Comrade Reed.

- Welcome back, Comrade Reed.

Now you'll be able to represent

the American workers

at the forthcoming congress at Baku

to inspire revolution among the peoples

of the Middle East.

Prepare for a difficult trip.

Our only route

is through divided territory.

Some of these intellectuals

spread rumors

that he changed his mind afterwards,

trying to, you know,

show that he came to his senses.

It's preposterous.

These men, well,

I don't even remember them.

I don't want to remember them.

All trains to Baku canceled

because of attacks

by counter-revolutionaries.

There must be some train to Baku.

All trains to Baku canceled

because of attacks

by counter-revolutionaries.

There has to be something to Baku.

Louise?

Emma?

Emma.

Emma.

How in the name of God

did you get into Russia?

- I had no idea how long it would take.

- So, you'll wait for a while.

By the time you got there,

he'd be back here anyway.

Go on in. Go on in.

Oh, I'm sorry.

It's all right. It's all right.

Here. Louise, sit down. Sit down.

I want to tell you something.

It's late, I know.

I want to thank you for that scarf.

Oh, yes.

I was wrong about you.

So was I.

The American oil companies

are trying to establish

a world monopoly of oil.

In 1898, the Filipinos rebelled against

the cruel colonial government of Spain.

But after the Spaniards

had been driven out...

The Americans have promised

the Filipinos independence.

Soon an independent Filipino republic

will be proclaimed.

The government of United States

sent soldiers and sailors there...

...under a dictatorship

worse than the British tyrants.

What's that for?

They are supporting you

for your call for a holy war

of Islamic people against

the western infidels.

Excuse me, Comrade Reed.

They said you are not happy

with the translations of your speech.

I did the German into Turkic

and Comrade Ossinsky

did the Russian into German.

Russian?

Who turned it into Russian

in the first place?

Well, I don't know.

They were already in Russian

when we got them

from the office of Comrade Zinoviev.

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