First Published: The Forge Vol. 2, no. 2 January 20, 1977.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Malcolm and Paul Saba
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Despite so-called changes in line, all made without a word of self-criticism, (see IN STRUGGLE no. 77, Dec. 20, 1976, article on their Second Congress) in Struggle is maintaining its policy of compromising with modern revisionism and practical liquidation of the fight against social-imperialism.
In Struggle can’t see that the fight against modern revisionism is one which demarcates Marxist-Leninists from opportunists of all shades; it is essential to reject any alliances with it and refuse it all support. So the fight against the leading force of modern revisionism, Soviet social-imperialism, is crucial, and must be fought everywhere in the world, including Canada.
We say that the main blow in the world-wide struggle against imperialism must be aimed at the superpowers, and these are not just words. It means that even if the principal enemy in a given country is neither the USSR nor the USA, as is the case with Canada, we must never forget our struggle against the two superpowers. In our country this struggle must be subordinated to the struggle against the Canadian bourgeoisie for the proletarian revolution, as the part is to the whole.
While In Struggle opposes revisionism and social-imperialism in words, the facts show otherwise. While they speak of “intensifying the struggle against revisionism” (In Struggle, Dec. 20) they continue to openly support the revisionist “Communist” Party of Israel and its representative, Tawfig Zayad, mayor of Nazareth. They backed Zayad in their newspaper, no.74, they supported his conference here, and even worse, they continue to support this traitor to the Palestinian cause. They say in Proletarian Unity, no, 1, p.37: “As the mayor of Nazareth (in occupied Palestine) stated recently in Montreal, ’the success of the Palestinian national liberation movement is a success for all the peoples of the world.’ (our translation)
What kind of “support” does the “C”PI, a party 100% behind Soviet social-imperialism, give to the Palestinian people? The “C”PI program recognizes the legitimacy of the state of Israel, and seeks to guarantee its sovereignty and territorial integrity. If In Struggle wants to support the Palestinian people it must support their objectives – the destruction of the Zionist state of Israel, and the establishment of a secular and democratic Palestinian state – and not form a united front with revisionists, traitors to the Palestinian cause.
Of course besides In Struggle there are other groups that support the “C”PI and help them organize their meetings – the so-called “Communist” Party of Canada. The “C”PC sent a message in December supporting the “C”PI congress. (Canadian Tribune, no. 2026) Fine company for a group like In Struggle to keep!
But this is not the only example of how In Struggle betrays basic principles of Marxism-Leninism. We criticized In Struggle in The Forge (no. 6) last year for collaborating with revisionists and other opportunist groups on March 8: “The comrades of In Struggle accuse the League of idealism... because we refuse to participate in the organization of International Women’s Day with trotskyists and the revisionists of the “C”PC...“
In Struggle does not see the gravity of the danger posed by revisionism to the Marxist-Leninist movement. It has continued to give the name Marxist-Leninist to right-opportunist groups with many revisionist positions, groups like Mobilisation, APLQ, and CC(ML). It has never seen that errors on the question of strategic line based on the principal contradiction are a direct result of revisionist betrayal and abandonment of class struggle for the destruction of the bourgeoisie.
For a long time In Struggle denied that revisionist parties act as agents for social-imperialism and serve the bourgeoisie of their “own” countries. They refused to acknowledge the dual role of revisionist parties as a powerful fifth column for social imperialism and humble servants of the national bourgeoisies. They said “that revisionist parties defend only the interests of the imperialist bourgeoisies of second-rate powers and “even American imperialism”. (In Struggle, March 18, 1976)
After we made our criticisms (The Forge, no. 8, April 8,1976) In Struggle finally started saying that revisionist parties are “fervent defenders of social-imperialism” and of their “own” bourgeoisies. (Proletarian Unity, no. 2, p. 30)
But even though In Struggle has changed its position – as usual without any self-criticism – the change is in words only, not deeds. Their support of the revisionist “C”PI is vivid proof that In Struggle still completely misunderstands the role of revisionist parties, the danger of modern revisionism, and the growing menace of social-imperialism.
But that’s not all. In the December 9, 1976 issue of In Struggle we find new manifestations of this worrisome tendency to dress up revisionism, and especially the USSR.
After two of the group’s sympathizers visited o the USSR, In Struggle published a full-page article in which we read the astonishing absurdity that in the USSR “social policies are well-developed: (...) numerous daycare centres, and paid maternity leave” (implying that women are not so badly off). What is in fact very well-developed in the USSR is the repression of the people, is social-fascism which robs the great and glorious Soviet working class of all its liberties. But on this subject, not one word. In Struggle is as silent as a tomb.
In Struggle always rejects our criticisms by saying that the fault lies with their sympathizers, not with them. So it’s always the fault of the members and never the fault of the group’s political line. This manoeuvre is well known.
Why should we be surprised that In Struggle seriously underestimates the danger social-imperialism poses to the Canadian people. This underestimation is not an isolated fact; it fits into a line which conciliates and collaborates with revisionism, a line which In Struggle! is developing more and more systematically.
This opportunist line on social-imperialism is reflected in In Struggle’s position on the enemies of the Canadian revolution where it reduces social-imperialism to an enemy on the same level as second world imperialist powers. Within the secondary contradiction they identify only one superpower, American imperialism, leaving out the other superpower.
In fact, for In Struggle: “The other imperialist states, including Soviet social-imperialism, should equally be considered enemies of the Canadian revolution.” Amazing. Unbelievable, but true! For In Struggle! Belgian imperialism, for example, would be as dangerous to Canada as social-imperialism! Of course, this is a well-known fact. Belgium borders on Canada, the Belgian army is stationed in many countries, the Belgian navy deploys its ships in every sea, and Belgian imperialism is trying to infiltrate everywhere in the world, particularly by the devious means or their “mysterious parties” which “feverishly defend their interests”! To put social imperialism on the same footing as the imperialist powers of the second world is a blatant absurdity. Soviet imperialism is a rising imperialist superpower, and of the two superpowers, it is the greatest danger for world war, a war which In Struggle believes is only possible and not an inevitable event which we must prepare for as a part of our struggle for socialism.
Comrades of In Struggle, surely you can see that your thesis doesn’t hold water! By picking the wrong target you are disarming the Canadian people before the very real threat social-imperialism poses to our safety and sovereignty; you do not understand that social-imperialism is a serious enemy of the working class revolution.
Comrades of In Struggle, on these questions of vital importance to the future of the Marxist-Leninist movement you don’t give much weight to Marxist-Leninist principles. The authentic Communist Party, whose task is to lead the working class and the entire people to their liberation, will not be created without undertaking a merciless struggle against modern revisionism. If such right-opportunist attitudes consolidate they’ll lead straight into the revisionist swamp.