On Relations Between Socialists and Communists

What attitude should democratic Socialists, who reject Communism and abhor the abuses of which Communist Governments have been guilty, take up towards Communist Parties and towards individual Communists in the light of recent developments in the Soviet Union and in the “party line” in other countries? The Editors of DISSENT have asked me to give their readers my views on these questions; and I am glad to do so, though I do not think they admit of simple or universal answers. For one thing, the situation differs quite widely from country to country. For me, an Englishman, it would be quite ridiculous to suggest that the Labor Party ought to come to any sort of agreement with a Communist Party that has no significant following and no claim to be taken seriously as a political party. But it does not follow from this that the French Socialist Party is right in taking the same line; for it is evident that in France there can be no real advance towards Socialism without the support of a great many persons who are at present members of, or vote for, the French Communist Party … Nor, again, does it follow that what is right for Great Britain, or for the Scandinavian countries, is right for India or Burma or for the Socialist Parties of the Arab world. It may be that in all these cases there are valid reasons against any alliance, or friendly dealings, between democratic Socialist Parties and Communist Parties; that is a matter I shall proceed to discuss. All I am...