Should the correctness of Leninism be proved not by the enemy's furious curses, but by their praise?

In their efforts to build socialism, safeguard peace and oppose war and strengthen the unity of the international revolutionary forces, the Chinese people have always been frantically attacked by the enemies of the revolution. But all this shows precisely that the road chosen by the Chinese people is the correct one. The Chinese people will always advance

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bravely along the road of the great Lenin towards the victory of China's socialist cause, the victory of the cause of world peace and the victory of the cause of socialism throughout the world!

There can be no doubt at all that Marxism-Leninism will score even greater victories not only in the Soviet Union, China and the other socialist countries, but also in all other countries of the world. Of course, history develops unevenly, yet twists and turns and stagnations are after all only partial and temporary phenomena in the long course of development of human history.

At the beginning of this article we referred to the essay The Historical Destiny of the Doctrine of Karl Marx written by Lenin in 1913. In this essay, Lenin specifically pointed out that Asia was a new source of world storms, because there was at that time a relative stagnation in the development of the revolution in Europe. Lenin then concluded that this stagnation was only a transient and superficial phenomenon, and that in the ensuing period of history still greater triumphs awaited Marxism, the doctrine of the proletariat Lenin wrote:

But the opportunists had scarcely congratulated themselves on "social peace" and the needlessness of storms under "democracy" when a new source of great world storms opened up in Asia. . . .

After Asia, Europe has also begun to stir, although not in the Asiatic way. . . . Feverish armaments and the policy of imperialism are turning modern Europe into a "social peace" which is more like a barrel of gunpowder than anything else. And at the same time the decay of all the bourgeois parties and the maturing of the proletariat are steadily progressing.

This scientific prediction of Lenin came true in Russia in 1917, and subsequently on an even larger scale after the conclusion of World War II. Now, new sources of world storms

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have opened up not only in Asia, but also in Africa and Latin America. There is no longer any secure rear for imperialism on this earth. There is now still a certain degree of "social peace in some countries of Western Europe and North America. But owing to the feverish arms race and imperialist policies of these countries, owing to the might of the socialist camp headed by the Soviet Union and the upsurge of the national independence and people's revolutionary movements, owing to the increasing popularity of the peace movement, the "social peace" in these Western countries is in substance turning more and more into a barrel of gunpowder, as Lenin described it. Let the Chinese people and other peoples of the world strive in unison to secure even greater victories in the coming historical period for Leninism, the Marxist theory of the epoch of imperialism and proletarian revolution!

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Comrades, Friends:

Today, April 22, is the 90th anniversary of the birth of the great Lenin.

Lenin, following on Marx and Engels, was a great revolutionary teacher of the proletariat, the working people and the oppressed nations of the whole world. Under the historical conditions of the epoch of imperialism and in the flames of the proletarian socialist revolution, Lenin resolutely defended and developed the revolutionary teachings of Marx and Engels. Leninism is Marxism of the epoch of imperialism and proletarian revolution. In the eyes of the working people of the world, the name of Lenin is the symbol of the triumph of the proletarian revolution, the symbol of the triumph of socialism and communism.

Ninety years ago, when Lenin was born, mankind was still under the dark rule of capitalism. Lenin and the Russian Bolshevik Party led the Russian proletariat and working people to break the chain of world imperialism, overthrow the bourgeois rule of violence by using revolutionary violence, win victory in the Great October Socialist Revolution, found the first state of the dictatorship of the proletariat, and open up a new era in the history of mankind. The October Revolution made real the age-old dream of the working people and

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progressive humanity, selling up for the first time in history a society free from the exploitation or man by man over one-sixth of the earth. Imperialism vainly attempted to strangle this new-born Soviet state. Fourteen capitalist countries carried out armed intervention in league with the counter-revolutionary forces in Russia at the time. Lenin and the Bolsheviks led the heroic Soviet working class and working people to smash the imperialist armed intervention and put lown the counter-revolutionary rebellion at home. Lenin pointed out the road of socialist construction, the road of socialist industrialization and the collectivization of agriculture. After Lenin died, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Soviet Government, headed by Stalin, led the Soviet people in carrying out Lenin's instructions, so that the Soviet Union, once backward economical]y and technically, was speedily, in a brief historical period, built into a powerful socialist country. In World War II, the Soviet Union constituted the main force in defeating fascist aggression and helped the peoples of the least European countries win their own liberation and the peoples of Asian countries defeat Japanese imperialism, thereby greatly furthering the cause of the proletarian revolution and the cause of national liberation, and making an exceptionally great contribution to world peace. Now, the Soviet Union has entered the historical period of the extensive building of communism. Under the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Soviet Government, headed by Comrade N. S. Khrushchov, brilliant achievements have been scored in Soviet economic construction and Soviet science and technology have advanced by leaps and bounds. The Soviet Union launched the world's first batch of artificial earth satellites and space rockets, opening up a new era in man's conquest of nature. These great achievements have greatly inspired the people of the world in their struggles against imperialism, for national liberation, people's democracy and socialism and for a lasting world peace.

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The life Or Lenin was the life of a great proletarian revolutionary, spent in bitter struggle against imperialism, against all sorts of reactionaries and opportunists. Leninism developed in the struggles against imperialism and opportunism. The special characteristic, the essence, of Leninism lies in its thorough proletarian revolutionary character. Leninism not only wholly revived the revolutionary content of Marxism which held been emasculated by the revisionists of the Second International, and restored the revolutionary keenness of Marxism once dulled by them, but further developed the revolutionary content and sharpened the revolutionary keenness of Marxism in the light of new historical experience under new historical conditions.

By the end of the 19th century, capitalism had developed to a new stage, that of monopoly capitalism, or imperialism. In this stage, all the contradictions of capitalism showed up further, more fully and more comprehensively. This set a new task for Marxists, requiring that they make a new analysis of this new stage of capitalism. And it was none other than the great Lenin who accomplished this task.

Lenin made a profound analysis of the essential nature of imperialism and thoroughly refuted the whitewashing and apologizing for imperialism by renegades to the working class like Bernstein and Kautsky. Lenin scientifically expounded the fact that imperialism is monopolistic, decaying, and moribund capitalism; that it is the eve of the proletarian socialist revolution. In the epoch of imperialism, the contradiction between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat in the same country, the contradiction between capitalist countries, and the contradiction between the capitalist colonialist powers and the colonies and semi-colonies have all developed to an unprecedented acuteness, and these contradictions can be resolved only by revolutions. Imperialism attempts to eliminate the above-mentioned series of contradictions by plunging millions upon millions of people into a sea of blood in wars among imperialist powers, wars of aggression against colonies and semi-

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colonies and wars of repression against the proletariat and the working people in the imperialist countries. Contrary to the desire of imperialism, however, the imperialist counter-revolutionary wars are unable to eliminate the contradictions of imperialism, but precisely further aggravate them and precipitate the outbreak of revolution.

Its is well known, in 1917 after the Russian February Revolution, in his famous "Letters from Afar," Lenin pointed out in connection with the question of the Russian revolution that the world-wide imperialist war of the time had become an "all-powerful director": it was vastly accelerating the course of world history, engendering world-wide crises of unparalleled intensity -- economic, political, national and international, and abruptly overturning the filthy and blood-stained cart of the Russian tsarist system at this particularly abrupt turn in world history.[1]

Marxist-Leninists are opposed to the imperialist system and imperialist wars under any circumstances. They hold that the contradictions inherent in the capitalist-imperialist system will necessarily, inevitably give rise to proletarian revolution and to revolutions in the colonies and semi-colonies. Scared stiff by the outward "powerfulness" of imperialism, the opportunists of the Second International let themselves be bought up by the bourgeoisie and worked for imperialism. In keeping with the interests of imperialism, they spread reformist and capitulationist influences among the masses of workers and people, and opposed the path of revolution. When the imperialist war broke out, they descended to the shameful position of supporting the imperialist war. Contrary to the opportunists, Lenin always took the stand of a proletarian revolutionary and stood at the forefront against imperialist war. Lenin exposed the opportunists in their true colours as accomplices of imperialism and firmly opposed imperialist war; and when

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the imperialist war broke out, he advocated putting an end to it by waging a revolutionary war. Lenin pointed out that "only the socialist system can free man from war."[1]

The revolutionary spirit of Leninism finals its outstanding expression in the doctrine of proletarian revolution and proletarian dictatorship. In order to shatter the revisionist "theories" of Kautsky and his like designed to whitewash bourgeois democracy and paralyse the revolutionary spirit of the proletariat, Lenin repeatedly pointed out that the proletarian revolution must smash the bourgeois state machine and replace it with the dictatorship of the proletariat. He said:

The latter (the bourgeois state) cannot be superseded by the proletarian state (the dictatorship of the proletariat) in a process of "withering away"; as a general rule, this can happen only by means of a violent revolution. . . . This . . . lies at the root of the whole of Marx's and Engels' doctrines.[2]

Lenin pointed out further that the proletarian dictatorship is a continuation of the class struggle in another form under new conditions and it is a persistent struggle against the resistance of the exploiting classes, against foreign aggression and against the forces and traditions of the old society. Without the proletarian dictatorship there can be no victory of socialism. The proletarian dictatorship is a political system a million times more democratic than the bourgeois dictatorship.

Lenin brilliantly applied and developed the Marxist idea of uninterrupted revolution, regarding it as a fundamental guiding principle of the proletarian revolution. Lenin set forth the principle that the proletariat should obtain the

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leadership in the bourgeois democratic revolution and transform the bourgeois democratic revolution without interruption into the serialist revolution Lenin further pointed out that the socialist revolution is not the final goal and that it is necessary to continue advancing, to accomplish the transition to the higher stage of communism. Lenin said:

In beginning the socialist transformation, we should deafly set forth the ultimate objective of this transformation, that is, the establishment of communist society.[1]

Basing himself on the absolute law of the uneven economic and political development of capitalism, Lenin came to the conclusion that socialism will achieve victory first in one or several countries. The progress from the victory of socialism in one or several countries to the victory of socialism in all countries of the world will embrace a whole historical epoch. Lenin had full confidence in the future of the world revolution. He said in his final article Better Fewer, But Better

The capitalist system will surely perish and will inevitably be replaced by the socialist and communist system. This is an

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objective law independent of human will. After Marx and Engels, Lenin further expounded this law, and highly extolled the revolutionary initiative of the masses of people. The victory of the Great October Revolution led by Lenin pointed out to all mankind the road to thorough liberation and the brilliant prospect of socialism and communism. As Comrade Mao Tse-tung has said: "Fundamentally speaking, the road of the Soviet Union, the road of the October Revolution, is the common bright road of development for all humanity."[1]

The Chinese revolution is a continuation of the October Revolution. The Chinese Communist Party and Comrade Mao Tse-tung integrated the universal truths of Marxism-Leninism with the concrete practice of the Chinese revolution. Consequently, the Chinese revolution took the right direction and took on a completely new appearance.

Comrade Mao Tse-tung gives full play to the revolutionary spirit of Marxism-Leninism and, under our conditions, has defended and developed Marxism-Leninism. Along the revolutionary path pointed out by Comrade Mao Tse-tung, our Party has led the Chinese revolution to advance continuously from victory to victory.

Our country's new democratic revolution was a revolution led by the proletariat, participated in by the great masses of people, against imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism. The victory of this revolution came about only after more than twenty long years of revolutionary war.

In the long course of the revolution, imperialism has been the biggest enemy confronting the Chinese people. Before the Chinese revolution attained victory, China had been subjected to oppression and domination by all the imperialist countries in the world. After the victory of the Chinese revolution, U.S. imperialism launched armed attack against the

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Korean Democratic People's Republic to menace the security of our country, occupied our territory of Taiwan by armed force, resorted to blockade and embargo and tried to make use of so-called "democratic individualism"; all this was designed to destroy the Chinese revolution. The Chinese Communist Party, with a high Marxist-Leninist revolutionary spirit, brought into action the broadest masses of people, eradicated the "pro-America, worship America and fear America" feelings cultivated by imperialism and its servants, waged a firm struggle against imperialism and its lackeys in China, and finally overthrew imperialist oppression and domination in China, firmly safeguarding the fruits of our revolution.

Our Party twice co-operated and twice broke with the Kuomintang -- political party of the bourgeoisie -- and therefore has extremely rich experience on the question of uniting with and struggling against the bourgeoisie. Our Party has rich experience not only in armed struggle but in peaceful struggle as well.

The Chinese Communist Party under the leadership of Comrade Mao Tse-tung correctly and concretely applied the ideas, expounded by Lenin, of the proletariat taking the leadership in the bourgeois democratic revolution, of the proletariat leading the peasant masses to carry out a thoroughgoing democratic revolution, of the democratic revolution being a peasant war and an agrarian revolution, and of uninterrupted revolution in turning the democratic revolution into a socialist revolution. These ideas have played a guiding role in winning continuous victories in our revolution.

Lenin taught us that without a proletarian revolutionary party tempered in repeated struggles, it is impossible to vanquish powerful enemies. Such a party should take Marxism-Leninism as its ideological basis, it should have a proletarian revolutionary programme and have close links with the broad masses of labouring people. Our Chinese Communist Party is exactly such a proletarian revolutionary party. Our Party

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grew to maturity in the struggles against powerful enemies, at home and abroad, and against right and "left" opportunism. It was after repeated struggles against right and "left" opportunism that the Marxist-Leninist leadership of our Party's Central Committee headed by Comrade Mao Tse-tung was firmly established. Precisely because our Party has such a leadership, it has been able, in the period of the democratic revolution, to firmly secure proletarian leadership, carry the democratic revolution to thorough Victory, and quickly turn the victory of the democratic revolution into that of the socialist revolution.

In our Party's struggles against right and "left" opportunism, such works of Lenin as Two Tactics of Social-Democracy in the Democratic Revolution, The State and Revolution, "Left-Wing" Communism, an Infantile Disorder

Our Party applied in the practice of the Chinese revolution the Marxist-Leninist doctrines of uninterrupted revolution and the development of revolution by stages, and correctly and concretely solved a series of problems in turning the democratic revolution in our country into a socialist revolution. Speaking of the relationship between the democratic revolution and the socialist revolution, Lenin pointed out:

The first grows into the second. The second, in passing, solves the problems of the first. The second consolidates the work of the first. Struggle, and struggle alone decides how far the second succeeds in outgrowing the first.

He also said:

The more complete the democratic revolution, the sooner, the more widespread, the purer and the more determined

Circumstances in our country fully prove that the more thoroughgoing the democratic revolution, the more rapid and smooth is the development of the Socialist revolution; the more thoroughgoing the socialist revolution, the more rapid and smooth is socialist construction; and the speeding up of socialist construction will inevitably promote the realization of communism.

To carry the socialist revolution to completion means that we must win victory in the socialist revolution not only on the economic front but also on the political and ideological fronts, constantly clearing out bourgeois political and ideological influence, continually resolving contradictions arising in the course of socialist construction between the relations of production and the productive forces and between the superstructure and the economic base. In this way it will be possib]e to mobilize fully the revolutionary initiative of the masses and to bring about in socialist construction "a genuine, really mass forward movement, embracing first the majority and then the whole of the population,"[2] as described by Lenin, and so promote tremendously the leap forward of the social productive forces.

There is a kind of theory which holds that there exist in human society only contradictions between ourselves and the enemy but no contradictions among the people; that in socialist society, between the relations of production and the productive forces, between the superstructure and the economic base, there is only the aspect of mutual conformity and no aspect of contradiction; that in socialist construction, we need only rely on technique, and not on the masses; that there is no need

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to develop the socialist system, but only to consolidate it, and even if it is to be developed, to go forward to communism, still there is no need to undergo a struggle and to pass through a qualitative leap; and thus the process of the uninterrupted revolution of human society goes up to this point and no farther. This, in terms of philosophic thought, is a metaphysical viewpoint, and not a dialectical materialist viewpoint.

In his book On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People Comrade Mao Tse-tung applies Marxist-Leninist dialectical materialism to the period of socialist construction in our country, raising the question of drawing a line between our contradictions with the enemy and contradictions among the people, the question of correct handling of contradictions among the people, and the question of correct handling of contradictions between the relations of production and the productive forces and between the superstructure and the economic base under the socialist system. This Marxist-Leninist theory is fundamentally different from the above-mentioned metaphysical viewpoint. It was precisely on the basis of this theory and in accordance with the experience gained in the practice of socialist construction in our country that our Party's general line was formulated -- the general line of going all out, aiming high and achieving greater, faster, better and more economical results in building socialism.

Under the guidance of our Party's general line for socialist construction, our country has seen big leaps forward in industrial and agricultural production, the emergence of the rural and urban people's communes, the movement for technical innovations and technical revolution, the combining of education with productive labour, and big leaps forward in the work of commerce, scientific research, culture and art, public health and physical culture. Our Party's general line for socialist construction has not only been attacked by the imperialists and modern revisionists, but has also been slandered by some philistines as "petty-

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bourgeois fanaticism." But facts remain facts. Our general line for socialist construction is a Marxist-Leninist general line. With the advance of our cause of socialist construction under the guidance of this general line, the face of our country is undergoing a rapid change in all its aspects.

Lenin analysed the transitional character of socialist society in The State and Revolution and other works. He pointed out that economically, politically and ideologically socialism could not as yet be entirely free from the traditions or traces of capitalism, that it was not yet a full-fledged, mature communist society, that it was still the lower stage of communism and would have to make the transition to the higher stage of communism, to full-fledged, mature communism. These ideas of Lenin are of extremely great significance to us. As communists, we must, in accordance with the Marxist-Leninist doctrines of uninterrupted revolution and the development of revolution by stages, actively create conditions for the realization of communism as we carry on socialist construction. The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party has listed the necessary conditions for our country's future realization of communism. They are:

. . . The social product will become extremely abundant; the communist consciousness and morality of the entire people will be elevated to a very much higher degree; universal education will be achieved and the level raised; the differences between worker and peasant, between town and country, between mental and manual labour -- the legacies of the old society that have inevitably been carried over into the socialist period -- and the remnants of unequal bourgeois right which is the rejection of these differences will gradually vanish; and the function of the state will be limited to protecting the country from external aggression, and it will play no role internally. At that time Chinese society will enter the era of communism in which the

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principle of "from each according to his ability and to each according to his needs" will be practised.[1]

The victories scored by our people in the new democratic revolution, socialist revolution and socialist construction have all been achieved under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party headed by Comrade Mao Tse-tung and under the guidance of Mao Tse-tung's thinking which integrates the universal truths of Marxism-Leninism with the concrete practice of the Chinese revolution. We slave received help from the great Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Government and the Soviet people, from all the socialist countries and from the Communist and Workers' Parties, labouring people and progressives of all countries. The Chinese people will always cherish this great spirit of internationalism and never forget it.

We are living in the great new epoch in which the collapse of the imperialist system is being further accelerated, and there is a constant growth in the victories and awakening of the people throughout the world.

On this situation, the Marxist-Leninists and the modern revisionists, starting from fundamentally different stands and viewpoints, draw fundamentally different conclusions. The Marxist-Leninists regard this as an unprecedentedly favourable new epoch for the proletarian revolution in the various countries of the world and for the national revolution in the colonies and semi-colonies. The forces of peace have grown greatly, and there is already a practical possibility of preventing war. The people of the whole world must further intensify the struggle against imperialism, promote the development of revolution, and defend world peace. The modern revisionists, on the other hand, regard this as a "new epoch" in which the proletarian revolution in various countries and the national

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revolution in the colonies and semi-colonies have disappeared from the world agenda. They think that imperialism will step down from the stage of history of its own accord, without a revolution; and that a lasting peace will come of itself, without waging anti-imperialist struggles. Thus, whether or not to carry out revolution and whether or not to oppose imperialism have become the fundamental difference between the Marxist-Leninists and the modern revisionists.

The main arguments of the modern revisionists in revising, emasculating and betraying revolutionary Marxism-Leninism are based on their allegations that under the historical conditions of the new epoch, Lenin's analysis of imperialism has become "outmoded," that the nature of imperialism has "changed" and that imperialism has "renounced" its policies of war and aggression. Under the pretext of a so-called "historical, non-dogmatic" approach to the theoretical legacy left by Lenin, they have attacked the revolutionary content and revolutionary spirit of Marxism-Leninism.

In the circumstances in which the East wind has prevailed over the West wind and the forces of socialism and peace have got the upper hand over the imperialist forces of war, there is a multitude or difficulties within the ranks or the imperialists who are falling on harder and harder times. The imperialists are putting up all sorts of desperate struggles in an attempt to save themselves from their doom. Recently, the imperialists, especially the U.S. imperialists, have tried hard to use even more cunning and deceptive tactics to pursue their aggressive and predatory policies, and benumb the people of the world. Even the U.S. imperialists themselves sometimes make no secret of their intention to adopt what they call more "flexible" tactics. They have employed multifarious means, adopting alternately tactics of war and tactics of peace. While stepping up arms expansion and war preparations and carrying out nuclear-war blackmail, they have at the same time spread a smokescreen of "peace" and used "sugar-coated cannon balls," in an attempt to create the false impression

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that imperialism advocates peace. They have on the one hand resorted to ruthless suppression of revolutionary movements, and on the other, resorted to deception and bribery, in an attempt to soften and split the revolutionary movements. The imperialists have resorted to these deceptive methods for the sole purpose of concealing their predatory and aggressive nature and covering up their war preparations, in order to disintegrate the revolutionary movements in various countries, the revolutionary movements of the colonies and semi-colonies and the struggle of the people of all countries for world peace, to enslave the people of various countries and to subvert the socialist countries.

To cope with the different tactics adopted by imperialism against the people, the peoples of the world also have to use various tactics and methods of revolutionary struggle in fighting imperialism. Marxist-Leninists have always maintained that in revolutionary struggle there should be firmness in principle and flexibility in tactics. The various means of revolution and forms of struggle, including the illegal and the "legal," extra-parliamentary and parliamentary, sanguinary and bloodless, economic and political, military and ideological -- all these are for the purpose of unmasking imperialism to a fuller extent, showing it up for the aggressor it is, constantly raising the revolutionary consciousness of the people, achieving broader mobilization of the masses of people to oppose imperialism and reactionaries, developing the struggle for world peace, and preparing for and winning victory in the people s revolution and the national revolution.

Marxist-Leninists have always maintained, too, that the proletariat should ally itself with its reserves in order to win victory in the revolution. The proletariat should enter into firm alliance with the peasantry, the other working people and the broad masses of the oppressed people of the colonies and semi-colonies, who are its basic allies. In addition, the proletariat should, in different periods, unite with other people that it is possible to unite with. In the interests of the peo-

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ple, of course, the proletariat should take full advantage of the contradictions among the imperialists, even though they are only temporary and partial contradictions. All this is for the purpose of overthrowing imperialism and reactionaries.

In the struggle against imperialism and its policy of aggression, it is entirely permissible and necessary and in the interests of the people of various countries that, wherever possible, the socialist countries conduct peaceful negotiations and exchange visits with the imperialist countries, strive to settle international disputes by peaceful means instead of war, and endeavour to sign agreements of peaceful co-existence or treaties of mutual non-aggression.

The Soviet Government has made great efforts to ease international tension and defend world peace. The Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese Government and the Chinese people actively support the peace proposals put forward by the Soviet Government headed by Comrade N. S. Khrushchov for convening an East-West meeting of the heads of government, general disarmament, prohibition of nuclear weapons, and so on.

The modern revisionists have completely betrayed the revolutionary spirit of Marxism-Leninism, betrayed the interests of the people Or the world, and submitted and surrendered to the bourgeoisie and imperialism They maintain that the nature of imperialism has changed and that imperialism has abandoned the war policy of its own accord, and that therefore there is no need for anti-imperialist struggles or revolutions. They are doing their utmost to camouflage the U.S. imperialist policies of aggression and war, to prettify imperialism and Eisenhower, the chieftain of U.S. imperialism. As described by them, Eisenhower has become a "peace emissary," U.S. imperialism is no longer the enemy of peace no longer the enemy of the national liberation movements of the colonies and semi-colonies, and no longer the most vicious enemy of the people of the entire world. In a word, according to the modern revisionists, there seems to be no longer any difference between

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socialism and imperialism, and whoever persists in fighting against imperialism and in revolution is hindering peace and peaceful co-existence and is a "rigid dogmatist."

We Marxist-Leninists know very well what dogmatism is and have constantly fought against it. Our Chinese Communist Party has rich experience in combating dogmatism. The dogmatists want revolution, but they do not know how to integrate the universal truths of Marxism-Leninism with the concrete practice of the revolution in their own countries, how to exploit the concrete contradictions of the enemy, how to concentrate forces on fighting against the chief enemy, how to enter into proper alliance with the various middle forces, or how to apply flexibly the tactics and methods of struggle, thus leaving the proletariat in a position in which it fights single-handedly. We oppose such dogmatism because it is harmful to the revolution. We oppose dogmatism in order to push ahead the revolution and to overthrow the enemy. Modern revisionists are doing just the opposite. Under the pretext of opposing "dogmatism," they oppose revolution, seeking to do away with it, and distort and adulterate Marxism-Leninism. In Lenin's words, "they omit, obliterate and distort the revolutionary side of this teaching, its revolutionary soul. They push to the foreground and extol what is or seems acceptable to the bourgeoisie."[1] Modern revisionists slander Marxism-Leninism as "dogmatism" -- this is a despicable trick of these renegades to the working class to corrode the revolutionary soul of Marxism-Leninism.

Revolution is the soul of Marxism-Leninism. Marx and Engels set before the proletariat of the whole world the great historic task of wiping out the capitalist system and emancipating all mankind. Under new historical conditions Lenin aroused the world proletariat and all oppressed peoples for fiery revolutionary struggle. Marxism-Leninism was born in

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the proletarian revolutionary struggle, and is continuously developed in that struggle. Marxist-Leninist formulations on some individual questions may change with the passage of time and the changed situation, but the revolutionary spirit of Marxism-Leninism absolutely will not change. In the light of the historical conditions of his time, Lenin changed the formulations of Marx and Engels on individual questions, and raised questions which Marx and Engels could not have raised in their days. Far from weakening the revolutionary spirit of Marxism in the slightest, however, these changes further increased the revolutionary fighting power of Marxism. Revolution is the locomotive of history, the motive force of the progress of human society. This is so in class society and it will remain so in the future communist society, only the revolution of that time will be different in nature and method.

We know that U.S. imperialism is the most vicious and cunning enemy of the people's revolution in various countries, of the national liberation movement and of world peace, and that Eisenhower is now the chieftain of U.S. imperialism. Lenin pointed out long ago that U.S. imperialism is the most vicious enemy of the people or the whole world playing the role of gendarme. Now, U.S. imperialism has gone even further, appointing itself world gendarme, everywhere strangling the revolution, suppressing the national liberation movement and the revolutionary struggle of the proletariat in the capitalist countries, and sabotaging the movement of the people of the world for peace. U.S. imperialism is not only attempting every minute to subvert and wipe out the socialist countries but, under the pretext of opposing communism and socialism, is also doing its utmost to expand into the intermediate areas, in the vain hope of achieving world domination. These policies of aggression and war of U.S. imperialism have not changed to this day. No matter what deceptive tactics U.S. imperialism may adopt at any time, its aggressive and predatory nature will never change till its death. U.S. imperialism is the last pillar of international imperialism. If the proletariat in the

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capitalist countries is to win emancipation, if the peoples of the colonies and semi-colonies are to achieve national liberation, if the people of the world are to defend world peace, they must direct the spearhead of their struggle against U.S. imperialism. Whether or not one dares to expose imperialism, and especially U.S. imperialism, whether or not one dares to struggle against it, is the touchstone of whether or not one wants to carry out the people's revolution, to win the complete emancipation of the oppressed nations and to win a genuine world peace.

In order to oppose the aggressive policy of U.S. imperialism, it is necessary to unite all the world's revolutionary forces and peace-loving forces. World peace can be further defended and effectively defended only by linking up the struggle of the peoples of the socialist countries, the national liberation struggle of the peoples of the colonies and semi-colonies, the revolutionary struggle of the proletariat in the capitalist countries and the struggle of all peoples for peace, forming them into a mighty anti-imperialist front and dealing firm blows at the U.S. imperialist policies of aggression and war. The socialist camp headed by the Soviet Union is the main force in defence of world peace. The national liberation struggles of the peoples of the colonies and semi-colonies, and the revolutionary struggles of the proletariat and working people in the capitalist countries are also great forces in defence of world peace. Separation from the national liberation struggles of the colonies and semi-colonies and from the revolutionary struggles of the proletariat and working people in the capitalist countries will greatly weaken the forces in defense of world peace and serve the interests of imperialism.

No force on earth can hinder or restrain the peoples of the colonies and semi-colonies from rising in revolution and smashing the yoke they are under. Their revolutionary struggles play the role of shaking the very foundation of the imperialist system. All revolutionary Marxist-Leninists should support these just struggles, resolutely and without the slightest res-

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ervation. Similarly, no force on earth can hinder or restrain the proletariat and working people in the capitalist countries from rising in revolution to overthrow the reactionary rule of monopoly capital. Their revolutionary struggles can tie the hands of imperialism and prevent it from unleashing aggressive war. All revolutionary Marxist-Leninists should likewise support these just revolutionary struggles, resolutely and without the slightest reservation. Firm support to these two types of struggle constitutes an effective strengthening of the struggle to defend world peace. Lenin maintained that the proletariat in the socialist countries must, with the assistance of the world proletariat and the working masses of the oppressed nations, defend the fruits of victory which the proletarian revolution has already achieved, and at the same time support the continuous advance of the cause of proletarian revolution in other countries and continuously weaken the strength of imperialism until capitalism has perished and socialism has triumphed throughout the world. As Leninists, we must always bear in mind these basic theses of Lenin.

Modern revisionism is a product of imperialist policy. The modern revisionists are panic-stricken by the imperialist policy of nuclear-war blackmail. They develop from fear of war to fear of revolution, and proceed from not wanting revolution themselves to opposing other people's carrying out revolution. To meet the needs of imperialism, they try to obstruct the development of the national liberation movement and the proletarian revolutionary movement in various countries. Imperialism attempts to make the socialist countries degenerate into capitalist countries. And modern revisionists like Tito have adapted themselves to this need of imperialism.

It is important to oppose modern revisionism, because the modern revisionists can play a role that the bourgeoisie and the right-wing social democrats cannot play among the masses of workers and the working people. They are the agents of imperialism and the enemies of the proletariat and working people of all countries.

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The Declaration of the Meeting of Representatives of the Communist and Workers' Parties of the Socialist Countries held in Moscow in November 1957, points out the necessity of defending Marxism-Leninism in the present situation.

The Declaration points out:

. . . The imperialist bourgeoisie attaches increasing importance to the ideological moulding of the masses; it misrepresents socialism and smears Marxism-Leninism, misleads and confuses the masses. Therefore it is extremely important to intensify Marxist-Leninist education of the masses, combat bourgeois ideology, expose the lies and slanderous fabrications of imperialist propaganda against socialism and the communist movement and widely propagate in simple and convincing fashion the ideas of socialism, peace and friendship among nations.

The Declaration further says:

Modern revisionism seeks to smear the great teaching of Marxism-Leninism, declares that it is "outmoded" and alleges that it has lost its significance for social progress. The revisionists try to kill the revolutionary spirit of Marxism, to undermine faith in socialism among the working class and the working people in general. They deny the historical necessity for a proletarian revolution and the dictatorship of the proletariat during the period of transition from capitalism to socialism, deny the leading role of the Marxist-Leninist party, reject the principles of proletarian internationalism and call for rejection of the Leninist principles of party organization and, above-all, of democratic centralism, for transforming the Communist Party from a militant revolutionary organization into some kind of debating society.

Modern revisionism is at present the chief danger to the international communist movement. It is our sacred duty to bring into full play the revolutionary spit it of Lenin, and thoroughly reveal the true colours of the agent of imperialism -- modern revisionism.

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The Declaration of the Moscow Meeting is the programme of the international communist movement of our time accepted by the Communist and Workers' Parties of various countries. Our Chinese Communist Party, along with the Communist and Workers' Parties of other countries, faithfully abide by and are faithfully carrying out this great progamme.

The communist movement has from the very outset been an international movement. The international solidarity of the proletariat is the fundamental guarantee for the victory of the people's revolutionary cause in all the countries of the world, of the cause of the national liberation of the oppressed nations, and of the peoples' struggle for world peace. In the interests of the socialist countries, of the proletariat and working people of all countries, of the liberation of the oppressed nations, and of the defence of world peace, we must at all times strengthen the international solidarity of the proletariat. Marxist-Leninists have always guarded as the apple of their eye the unity of the Socialist camp headed by the Soviet Union, the unity of the international communist ranks, the unity of the world proletariat, and the unity of the people of the whole world. The imperialists and modern revisionists regard this great international unity as the greatest obstacle to their attempt to disintegrate the revolutionary movement of varisous countries. Scheming day and night in the vain hope of undermining this unity, they are carrying on the most despicably dirty work of sowing discord and spreading lies and slanders. But these base intrigues are doomed to complete bankruptcy.

Under the guidance of the revolutionary doctrines of Marxism-Leninism, the socialist cause of the proletariat certainly can and will win complete victory throughout the world. Lasting peace will certainly come to humanity.

Let us unite and advance bravely under the revolutionary banner of the great Lenin!

Long live Marxism-Leninism!