,OPPORTUNISM & ! ,>T ( ! POSSIBLE 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,ROSA ,LUXEMBURG 

,TEXT 3 

,WRITT53 ,SEPTEMB] #a#h#i#h4 
,S\RCE3 ,SA*SIS*E ,>BEIT]ZEITUNG1 ,SEPTEMB] #c1 #a#h#i#h4 
,TRANSCRIPTION_/,M>KUP3 ,D>IO ,ROMEO & ,BRIAN ,BAGG9S4 
,ONL9E ,V]SION3 ,ROSA ,LUXEMBURG ,9T]NET ,>*IVE 7M>XI/S4ORG7 #b4 

,COMRADE ,HE9E1 AS IS WELL KN[N1 HAS WRITT5 A PAMPHLET = ! P>TY CONF]5CE 5TITL$ ,TO ,VOTE OR ,NOT TO ,VOTE8 ,9 IT HE COMES \T 9 FAVOR ( \R P>TICIPAT+ 9 ,PRUSSIAN ,L&TAG ELECTIONS4 ,IT IS NOT ! MA9 SUBJECT ( HIS PAMPHLET ?AT LEADS US TO MAKE A FEW NECESS>Y REM>KS1 BUT RA!R ! TWO T]MS :I* HE M5TIONS 9 HIS L9E ( >GUM5T1 & TO :I* WE REACT ) P>TICUL> S5SITIVITY 9 CONSEQU5CE ( ! WELL-KN[N EV5TS ?AT HAVE TAK5 PLACE REC5TLY 9 ! P>TY4 ,! T]MS >E3 ! >T ( ! POSSIBLE & OPPORTUNISM4 ,HE9E BELIEVES ?AT ! P>TY'S AV]SION TO !SE TR5DS RE/S 5TIRELY UPON A MISUND]/&+ ( ! TRUE L+UI/IC MEAN+ ( !SE =EIGN WORDS4 ,AH6 ,COMRADE ,HE9E1 LIKE ,FAU/1 HAS /UDI$ JURISPRUD5CE ) ZEAL\S 5DEAVOR1 BUT ALAS1 UNLIKE ,FAU/1 NOT MU* ELSE4 ,& 9 ! TRUE SPIRIT ( JURIDICAL ?\<T1 HE SAYS TO HIMSELF1 ,9 ! BEG9N+ WAS ! WORD4 ,IF WE WI% TO KN[ :E!R ! >T ( ! POSSIBLE & OPPORTUNISM >E H>MFUL OR USEFUL TO ,SOCIAL ,DEMOCRACY1 WE NE$ ONLY CONSULT ! DICTION>Y ( =EIGN WORDS & ! QUE/ION IS ANSW]$ 9 FIVE M9UTES4 ,= ! DICTION>Y ( =EIGN WORDS 9=MS US ?AT ! >T ( ! POSSIBLE IS 'A POLICY :I* 5DEAVORS TO A*IEVE :AT IS POSSIBLE UND] GIV5 CIRCUM/ANCES'4 ,HE9E !N PROCLAIMS1 ',9DE$1 ,I ASK ALL RATIONAL M51 %\LD A POLICY ATTEMPT TO A*IEVE :AT IS IMPOSSIBLE UND] GIV5 CIRCUM/ANCES8' ,YES1 WE AS RATIONAL M5 REPLY1 IF QUE/IONS ( POLITICS & TACTICS C\LD BE SOLV$ SO EASILY1 !N LEXICOGRAPH]S W\LD BE ! WISE/ /ATESMAN &1 9/EAD ( DELIV]+ ,SOCIAL-,DEMOCRATIC SPEE*ES1 WE %\LD HAVE TO BEG9 HOLD+ POPUL> LECTURES 9 L+UI/ICS4 

,C]TA9LY \R POLICY %\LD & CAN ONLY 5DEAVOR TO A*IEVE :AT IS POSSIBLE UND] GIV5 CIRCUM/ANCES4 ,BUT ?IS NOT SAY H[1 9 :AT MANN]1 WE %\LD 5DEAVOR TO A*IEVE :AT IS POSSIBLE4 ,?IS1 H[EV]1 IS ! CRUCIAL PO9T4 

,! BASIC QUE/ION ( ! SOCIALI/ MOVEM5T HAS ALWAYS BE5 H[ TO BR+ ITS IMM$IATE PRACTICAL ACTIVITY 9TO AGREEM5T ) ITS ULTIMATE GOAL4 ,! V>I\S 'S*OOLS' & TR5DS ( SOCIALISM >E DIFF]5TIAT$ ACCORD+ TO !IR V>I\S SOLUTIONS TO ?IS PROBLEM4 ,& ,SOCIAL ,DEMOCRACY IS ! FIR/ SOCIALI/ P>TY ?AT HAS UND]/OOD H[ TO H>MONIZE ITS F9AL REVOLUTION>Y GOAL ) ITS PRACTICAL DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITY1 & 9 ?IS WAY IT HAS BE5 ABLE TO DRAW BROAD MASSES 9TO ! /RUGGLE4 ,:Y !N IS ?IS SOLUTION P>TICUL>LY H>MONI\S8 ,/AT$ BRIEFLY & 9 G5]AL T]MS1 IT IS ?AT ! PRACTICAL /RUGGLE HAS BE5 %AP$ 9 ACCORDANCE ) ! G5]AL PR9CIPLES ( ! P>TY PROGRAM4 ,?IS WE ALL KN[ BY HE>T2 %\LD ANYONE *ALL5GE US1 \R ANSW]S >E AS CLEV] AS !Y ALWAYS W]E4 ,N[ WE BELIEVE ?AT1 DESPITE ITS G5]ALITY1 ?IS T5ET CON/ITUTES A V]Y PALPABLE GUIDE = \R ACTIVITY4 ,LET US ILLU/RATE IT BRIEFLY BY TWO TOPICAL QUE/IONS ( P>TY LIFE - BY MILIT>ISM & CU/OM POLICY4 

,9 PR9CIPLE - AS EV]YONE IS FAMILI> ) \R PROGRAM KN[S - WE >E AGA9/ ALL MILIT>ISM & PROTECTIVE T>IFFS4 ,DOES IT FOLL[ FROM ?IS ?AT \R REPRES5TATIVE 9 ! ,REI*/AG MU/ OPPOSE ALL DEBATE ON BILLS CONC]N+ !SE MATT]S ) AN ABRUPT & BLUNT NO8 ,ABSOLUTELY NOT1 = ?IS W\LD BE AN ATTITUDE BEFITT+ A SMALL SECT & NOT A GREAT MASS P>TY4 ,\R REPRES5TATIVES MU/ 9VE/IGATE EA* 9DIVIDUAL BILL2 !Y MU/ CONSID] ! >GUM5TS & !Y MU/ JUDGE & DEBATE ON ! BASIS IF ! EXI/+ CONCRETE RELATION%IP1 ( ! EXI/+ ECONOMIC & POLITICAL SITUATIONS1 & NOT ( A LIFELESS & AB/RACT PR9CIPLE4 ,! RESULT1 H[EV]1 MU/ & WILL BE - IF WE HAVE ASSESS$ CORRECTLY ! EXI/+ RELATION%IP & ! PEOPLE'S 9T]E/ - NO4 ,\R SOLUTION IS3 NOT A MAN & NOT A P5NY = ?IS SY/EM6 ,BUT1 GIV5 ! PRES5T SOCIAL ORD]1 !RE CAN BE NO SY/EM :I* W\LD NOT BE ?IS V]Y SY/EM4 ,EA* TIME T>IFFS >E 9CREAS$ WE SAY ?AT WE SEE NO REASON = AGREE+ TO ! T>IFF 9 ! PRES5T SITUATION1 BUT = US !RE CAN BE NO SITUATION 9 :I* WE C\LD REA* A DIFF]5T POSITION4 ,ONLY 9 ?IS WAY CAN \R PRACTICAL /RUGGLE BECOME :AT IT MU/ BE3 ! REALIZATION ( \R BASIC PR9CIPLES 9 ! PROCESS ( SOCIAL LIFE & ! EMBODIM5T ( \R G5]AL PR9CIPLES 9 PRACTICAL1 EV]YDAY ACTION4 

,& ONLY UND] !SE CONDITIONS DO WE FI<T 9 ! SOLE P]MISSIBLE WAY = :AT IS AT ANY TIME 'POSSIBLE'4 ,N[ IF ONE SAYS ?AT WE %\LD (F] AN EX*ANGE - \R CONS5T TO MILIT>I/IC & T>IFF LEGISLATION 9 RETURN = POLITICAL CONCESSIONS OR SOCIAL RE=MS - !N ONE IS SACRIFIC+ ! BASIC PR9CIPLES ( ! CLASS /RUGGLE = MOM5T>Y ADVANTAGE1 & ONE'S ACTIONS >E BAS$ ON OPPORTUNISM4 ,OPPORTUNISM1 9CID5TALLY1 IS A POLITICAL GAME :I* CAN BE LO/ 9 TWO WAYS3 NOT ONLY BASIC PR9CIPLES BUT ALSO PRACTICAL SUCCESS MAY BE =FEIT$4 ,! ASSUMPTION ?AT ONE CAN A*IEVE ! GREATE/ NUMB] ( SUCCESSES BY MAK+ CONCESSIONS RE/S ON A COMPLETE ]ROR4 ,H]E1 AS 9 ALL GREAT MATT]S1 ! MO/ CUNN+ P]SONS >E NOT ! MO/ 9TELLIG5T4 ,BISM>CK ONCE TOLD A B\RGEOIS OPPOSITION P>TY3 ',Y\ WILL DEPRIVE Y\RSELVES ( ANY PRACTICAL 9FLU5CES IF Y\ ALWAYS & AS A MATT] ( C\RSE SAY NO4' ,! OLD BOY WAS !N1 AS SO (T51 MORE 9TELLIG5T ?AN IS ,PAPP5HEIM]4.<,A.> ,9DE$1 A B\RGEOIS P>TY1 ?AT IS1 A P>TY :I* SAYS YES TO ! EXI/+ ORD] AS A :OLE1 BUT :I* WILL SAY NO TO ! DAY-TO-DAY CONSEQU5CES ( ?IS ORD]1 IS A HYBRID1 AN >TIFICIAL CREATION1 :I* IS NEI!R FI% NOR FLA% NOR F[L4 ,WE :O OPPOSE ! 5TIRE PRES5T ORD] SEE ?+S QUITE DIFF]5TLY4 ,9 \R NO1 9 \R 9TRANSIG5T ATTITUDE1 LIES \R :OLE /R5G?4 ,IT IS ?IS ATTITUDE ?AT E>NS US ! FE> & RESPECT ( ! 5EMY & ! TRU/ & SUPPORT ( ! PEOPLE4 

,PRECISELY BECAUSE WE DO NOT YIELD ONE 9* FROM \R POSITION1 WE =CE ! GOV]NM5T & ! B\RGEOIS P>TIES TO CONC$E TO US ! FEW IMM$IATE SUCCESSES ?AT CAN BE GA9$4 ,BUT IF WE BEG9 TO *ASE AFT] :AT IS 'POSSIBLE' ACCORD+ TO ! PR9CIPLES ( OPPORTUNISM1 UNCONC]N$ ) \R [N PR9CIPLES1 & BY MEANS ( /ATESMANLIKE B>T]1 !N WE WILL SOON F9D \RSELVES 9 ! SAME SITUATION AS ! HUNT] :O HAS NOT ONLY FAIL$ TO /AY ! DE] BUT HAS ALSO LO/ HIS GUN 9 ! PROCESS4 

,WE DO NOT %UDD] AT ! =EIGN T]MS1 OPPORTUNISM & ! >T ( ! POSSIBLE1 AS ,HE9E BELIEVES2 WE %UDD] ONLY :5 !Y >E ',G]MANIZ$' 9TO \R P>TY PRACTICE4 ,LET !M REMA9 =EIGN WORDS = US4 ,&1 IF OCCASION >ISES1 LET \R COMRADES %UN ! ROLE ( 9T]PRET]4 

.<,A.> ,A REF]5CE TO ! SOLDI]S ( ,G5]AL ,PAPP5HEIM 9 ! ,?IRTY ,YE>S ,W>4 

,FROM 3 ,M>XI/S4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,M>* #e1 #bba 3 ,OPPORTUNISM & ! ,>T ( ! POSSIBLE -- ,ADD$4 
,JANU>Y #i1 #bbb 3 ,OPPORTUNISM & ! ,>T ( ! POSSIBLE -- ,UPDAT$4 

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