h
would carry them a stage nearer to the very thing they are most anxious
to avoid.

If we are moving towards Socialism it is due to entirely different
causes: to the numerical increase, and the improved education and
organization of the non-capitalist classes, to their training in the
Socialist parties and labor unions for the definite purpose of turning
the capitalists (as such) out of industry and government, to the
experience they have gained in political and economic struggles against
overwhelmingly superior forces, to the fact that the enemy, though he
can prevent them at present from gaining even a partial control over
industry or government, or from seizing any strategic point of the first
importance, is utterly unable to crush them, notwithstanding his greater
and greater efforts to do so, and cannot prevent them from gaining on
him constantly in numbers and superiority of organization.

If we are advancing towards Socialism, it is not because the
non-capitalist classes, when compared with the capitalists, are
gradually gaining a greater share of wealth or more power in society. It
is because they are gradually gaining that capacity for organized
political and economic action which, though useless except for defensive
purposes to-day, will enable them to take possession of industry and
government _when their organization has become stronger than that of the
capitalists_.

The overwhelming majority of Socialists and labor unionists are occupied
either with purely defensive measures or with preparations for
aggressive action in the future. This does not mean that no economic or
political reforms of benefit or importance can be expected until the
Socialists have conquered capitalism or forced it to recognize their
power; I have shown that, on the contrary, a colossal program of such
reforms is either impending or in actual process of execution. It means
only that for every advance allotted to labor, a greater advance will be
gained by the capitalist class which is promoting these reforms, that
their most important effect is to increase the _relative power_ of the
capitalists.

The first governmental step towards Socialism will have been taken when
the Socialist organizations are able to say: _During this administration
the position of the non-capitalist classes has improved faster than that
of the capitalists._ But even such a governmental step towards Socialism
does not mean that Socialism is being installed