Editorial Board
Understanding Ideology
“The problem is to understand the correct ideology, and for the party to discipline itself and spread the correct ideology. Then the movement will develop naturally through time.”
– Communist Party of Peru, Central Committee
In order to understand the correct ideology, one must understand ideology generally. The difference between the ideology of the international proletariat and the exploiting classes is this: all ideologies of the exploiting classes, which are all non-proletarian ideologies throughout history, attempt to combine a scientific system of thinking with rationalization for exploitation in order to maintain control and use of private property. Proletarian ideology has no interest in this rationalization and maintenance, seeks to abolish private property and is therefore the only truly scientific ideology, free of sinister concessions and obscurant inversions of reality. Proletarian ideology alone represents the emancipation of not only the oppressed, but ultimately all people. The correct ideology can only be forged in contention with the ideologies of the ruling classes throughout history, and it can only be understood by those who contend on its behalf.
This contention exists all around us. One finds all manner of arguments but it is simple: anything that proposes ideological unity as an afterthought, whether it considers empirical practice as the cauldron of an all new ideology, or considers the ideology of the international proletariat to be eclectic and inclusive of outdated and backward ideologies and therefore incoherent or incomplete, are all concessions in collusion with bourgeois ideology. Excuses are more numerous and diverse than the “revolutionary” organizations in this country, so it is not important to confront each one separately. Instead of their empty scarecrow polemicism, let’s ground ourselves in authoritative positions.
“What is unfolding in the world? What do we need? We need Maoism to be incarnated, and it is being incarnated, and by generating Communist Parties to drive and lead this new great wave of the world proletarian revolution that is coming.” (Chairman Gonzalo)
We need the ideology of the international proletariat to be embodied in human form. That is what it means. Denial of this is the petty protests of shamefaced sell-outs and petty-bourgeois pretenders. What did the Great Leader and Founder Karl Marx have to say about it? “And once the lightning of thought has squarely struck this ingenuous soil of the people, the emancipation of the Germans into men will be accomplished.”
On the Situation in the United States
Revisionism which comes in diverse forms cannot but make combined assaults on Maoism. It serves to perpetuate disunity and prevent the embodiment of Maoism. This necessitates a strong and unrelenting campaign to unify genuine revolutionaries under Maoism. The task is upholding, defending, and applying Maoism; the application of Maoism, which is the main thing, requires Maoist unity.
MAOISM IS PRINCIPAL, DO NOT FOLLOW ANY OTHER IDEOLOGY, all communists must take up the banner of Maoism, or they are not real communists.
The regrouping of Maoists is a greater necessity today. Coordinating all the disparate forces, who speak as individuals or organizations is the goal of raising the just and correct slogan unite under Maoism. There is no reason we cannot all be united. All revolutionaries must communicate with other revolutionary groups and try to unite with them on the basis of the correctness of our ideology.
Comrades who have yet to accomplish unity must not only desire unity but fight for it in service of the revolution and against revisionism. This cannot proceed outside of the class struggle, which is what is reflected internally as two-line struggle. One must not abandon practice among the masses; however, this does not, nor can it ever, indicate that the ideology and unity under it is unnecessary. On the contrary, it is what guides practice, which reflects back in understanding and comprehension. It is dishonest to pretend to have all the answers amid the conditions of incoherence in ideology which leads to disjointed practice, those who do this are charlatans.
Is Maoism only for communists or must it be embodied among the masses? It must be embodied among the masses, in their justified rebellion. The objective is to lead the masses to struggle, to inspire and enable them to transgress what is permissible to the ruling classes, to flourish in resistance and ultimately war, to conquer and defend political power. In this epic of struggle the communists apply the slogan: combat and resist. First, revolutionary forms must be developed, stable organizations in which the masses can express their explosive rebellion and infinite creativity. Secondly, communists must penetrate all forms of organizations, those of the people and those of the enemy. This is part of uniting under Maoism in the center of class struggle.
Everything must serve the principal task of reconstituting the Communist Party: both open and clandestine work must serve it, red and revolutionary organizations open to the broad masses as well as penetrated organizations must serve as a germinal united front to gather the best sons and daughters of the class and coordinate them in a party way, where each one can begin being forged as capable communists. Decentralized “mass work” not following a definite plan does not leap from lack of power to seizure of political power. It is incapable of spontaneously reconstituting the Party and will not serve reconstitution in any way if the communists in formation remain uncoordinated.
For a so-called revolutionary mass organization, that is to say more accurately, an organization which calls for revolution but is open to and attempts to incorporate the broad revolutionary and progressive masses, certain criteria are inviolable. First, it must be guided by the ideology of the international proletariat, and struggle to reject the ideologies of the bourgeoisie; it is guided by Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, principally Maoism and the contributions of universal validity of Chairman Gonzalo. Second, it must be governed by democratic centralism, which is the proletarian method of organization, understanding organization as the best weapon. Third, it must creatively serve reconstitution of the Communist Party, which is the principal task at this stage of the revolution in this country. Only with these scientific criteria can a revolutionary organization among the masses become a revolutionary mass organization, allowing it to serve the strategic interests of the final class which can emancipate all from bondage and accomplish the New Life. In short, they must have Maoism as the guide to forge Maoists in class struggle, fighting for the day-to-day demands of the people. Otherwise they bow to spontaneity, deny the need for the Party, reject communist leadership over the united front and cower in the face of imperialism.
In the context of the United States, with its type of revolution specified as the socialist revolution, there must be a core of Maoists within any organization, whether generated or penetrated, and these must seek to forge more and in return grow to fill their posts in the struggle for reconstitution. This means nothing if they reject uniting under Maoism, if their solution to red baiting is to stop being red, or if they reject the role of the ideology to guide the struggles of the people. Only those who unite and take up their posts in the struggle for unity, those who organize two-line struggle, will be forged as leaders and emerge as recognized leadership. Those who collaborate with reaction, who deny Maoism, and organize division are not Maoists, they will be reduced to faint memories decomposing in their intellectual crypts.
Maoism puts the question of centralization and coordination of communist forces as the first order of importance without dividing this from the question of the social practice of class struggle. There is the question of the masses, the class and the communists. It is by struggling for ideological unity, by centralizing and coordinating forces that the communists become a real threat to the old order. This has already been proven numerous times in history by the Communists of this country and the Communists of the world, and comrades, it is being proven today, you will see it.
