Why not carry through this measure? Solely because the right of private ownership and inheritance is a holy thing to these capitalist gentlemen.
Strange that at the time of our second revolution men who recognise the sanctity of this right dare still to call themselves revolutionary democrats of the twentieth century!
All that is nonsense. This monopoly would restore and extend the freedom of the Press, the possibility of printing freely all the opinions of all the citizens. What do we see now? At present it is only wealthy men or the large political parties that prevent this monopoly. Whereas if big Soviet newspapers were published all advertisements could appear solely in them and it would be possible to guarantee expression of opinion for a much larger number of citizens, for example, for every group which had collected a certain number of signatures. Freedom of the Press, thanks to this transformation, would become much more democratic and incomparably more complete.
But where are the printing works or the paper coming from?
We shall see ! That has nothing to do with the "Freedom of the Press." It concerns the holy proprietorship of exploiters over the printing establishments and the stocks of paper which they have procured.
For what reason should we workers and peasants recognise this sacrosanct right? In what way is this "right" to publish false information better than the "right" to own serfs?
Why is it that during the war commandeering of all kinds—houses, apartments and vehicles as well as horses, cereals and metals—was allowed everywhere, while the commandeering of printing works and paper is not allowed?
No, you can deceive the workers for a time representing these measures as unjust or hard to accomplish, but in the long run truth will triumph.
