Polemic on General Line of International ... - From Marx to Mao

APPENDIX IOUTLINE OF VIEWS ON THE QUESTION OFPEACEFUL TRANSITION(November 10, 1957)1. On the question of the transition from capitalism tosocialism, it would be more flexible to refer to the two possibilities,peaceful transition and non-peaceful transition, thanto just one, and this would place us in a position where wecan have the initiative politically at any time.a. Referring to the possibility of peaceful transition indicatesthat for us the use of violence is primarily a matterof self-defence. It enables the Communist Parties in thecapitalist countries to sidestep attacks on them on this issue,and it is politically advantageous — advantageous for winningthe masses and also for depriving the bourgeoisie ofits pretexts for such attacks and isolating it.b. If practical possibilities for peaceful transition wereto arise in individual countries in the future when the internationalor domestic situation changes drastically, wecould then make timely use of the opportunity to win thesupport of the masses and solve the problem of state powerby peaceful means.c. Nevertheless, we should not tie our own hands becauseof this desire. The bourgeoisie will not step downfrom the stage of history voluntarily. This is a universallaw of class struggle. In no country should the proletariatand the Communist Party slacken their preparations forthe revolution in any way. They must be prepared at alltimes to repulse counter-revolutionary attacks and, at thecritical juncture of the revolution when the working class105