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

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

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Whether <strong>on</strong>e defends or opposes the Soviet Uni<strong>on</strong> depends<strong>on</strong> whether or not <strong>on</strong>e truly defends the line <strong>of</strong> <strong>Marx</strong>ism-Leninism and the principle <strong>of</strong> proletarian internati<strong>on</strong>alismand whether or not <strong>on</strong>e truly defends the fundamental interests<strong>of</strong> the Soviet Party, the Soviet state and the Sovietpeople. To subject the leaders <strong>of</strong> the CPSU <strong>to</strong> serious criticismfor their revisi<strong>on</strong>ism and splittism is <strong>to</strong> defend the SovietUni<strong>on</strong>. On the other hand, <strong>to</strong> pursue a revisi<strong>on</strong>ist and divisiveline, as the leaders <strong>of</strong> the CPSU are doing, is actually <strong>to</strong> opposethe Soviet Uni<strong>on</strong>; and <strong>to</strong> copy this wr<strong>on</strong>g line or submit <strong>to</strong>it is not genuinely <strong>to</strong> defend the Soviet Uni<strong>on</strong> but <strong>to</strong> help theleaders <strong>of</strong> the CPSU damage the fundamental interests <strong>of</strong> theSoviet people.Here we may recall Lenin’s attitude <strong>to</strong> the leaders <strong>of</strong> theGerman Social-Democratic Party in the early years <strong>of</strong> the 20thcentury. The German Social-Democratic Party was then thebiggest and most influential party in the Sec<strong>on</strong>d Internati<strong>on</strong>al.But as so<strong>on</strong> as Lenin discovered opportunism am<strong>on</strong>g its leaders,he made it clear <strong>to</strong> the Russian Social-Democrats that theyshould not take “the least creditable features <strong>of</strong> German Social-Democracy as a model worthy <strong>of</strong> imitati<strong>on</strong>”. 1 He further stated:We must criticise the mistakes <strong>of</strong> the German leadersfearlessly and openly if we wish <strong>to</strong> be true <strong>to</strong> the spirit <strong>of</strong><strong>Marx</strong> and help the Russian socialists <strong>to</strong> be equal <strong>to</strong> thepresent-day tasks <strong>of</strong> the workers’ movement. 2In the spirit <strong>of</strong> Lenin’s behest, we would advise the leaders<strong>of</strong> the CPSU: If you do not correct your revisi<strong>on</strong>ist errors,we will c<strong>on</strong>tinue <strong>to</strong> criticize you “fearlessly and openly” inthe interests <strong>of</strong> the CPSU, the Soviet state and the Soviet1V. I. Lenin, “The Internati<strong>on</strong>al Socialist C<strong>on</strong>gress in Stuttgart”Selected Works, Eng. ed., Internati<strong>on</strong>al Publishers, New York, 1943,Vol. IV, p. 315.2V. I. Lenin, “Preface <strong>to</strong> the Pamphlet by Voinov (A. V. Lunacharsky)<strong>on</strong> the Attitude <strong>of</strong> the Party Towards the Trade Uni<strong>on</strong>s”, CollectedWorks, Eng. ed., FLPH, Moscow, 1962, Vol. XIII, p. 165.330

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