First Published: Vanguard, January-February 1968
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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All Marxist-Leninists in Britain will be stirred into active defence of the Revolutionary Role of the C.P.C. and its leader, Mao Tse Tung, and its position in the People’s Republic of China which united stands as the main bulwark against Imperialism, by the recent attack on Marxism-Leninism by the M.L.O.B. leadership through its Journal ’Red Front’.
The form of the attack against Marxism-Leninism launched in the ’Report on the Situation in China’ is plain for all to see and is merely the old trick of quoting out of context Marxist-Leninist theory derived by Mao Tse Tung from the National Democratic Revolution and the Socialist Revolution still taking place within China. Juxtaposing policies of class alliance necessary under one set of conditions to and against policies of struggle necessary in another.
This really is a punitive attempt to sow confusion and thereby disrupt Unity of Marxism-Leninism in Britain. They are not the first to use this method of attack, for the historical experience of the proletariat is bulging with such records.
Also used is the trick of distortion, for example, on page 19, second column, third paragraph, the ’Report’ quotes a passage from ’How to be a Good Communist’, in which Liu-Shao Chi makes a quotation from Lenin in which occurs the passage, ’the dictatorship of the proletariat is essential’. However, in Peking Review Nr. 20 (1967) on page 9 and 10 are quoted passages from Liu’s book in which this passage is omitted. The passage quoted in the ’Report’ is from the 1951 edition of ’How to be a Good Communist’, but as revealed in Peking Review, later editions have this passage omitted. In other words the M.L.O.B. ’Report’ deliberately misleads its readers by quoting an edition in which this passage had not been deleted, whereas in later edition it was.
Thus those who compiled this ’Report’ can be justly accused of being tricksters and the charge against Liu of deleting passages from the book which included references to the dictatorship of the proletariat by Lenin is fully corroborated. Liu’s true position has been falsified by the M.L.O.B. ’Report’. Contrary to the M.L.O.B. Report, China’s Khruschev did delete the term ’dictatorship of the proletariat’ in the quotation of Lenin printed in editions of his book after 1951. What is the answer to this? After this discovery of fraud on the part of the originators of the ’Report’, what credence or confidence could even the most naive place in them? None at all.
Obviously the time is now right for all genuine Marxist-Leninists to unite for there is no confusion now, surely, as to who is genuine and who is false. The answer of course is to unite and the C.D.R.C.U. announces that in the summer of 1968, a Unity Conference will be held for the establishment of the Communist Party of Britain based on the further development of the basic principles underlying the 1963 Conference of British Marxist-Leninists. (To be published very shortly) This is the programme for the defence of Marxist-Leninists in Britain.
GENUINE COMMUNISTS UNITE