7 Points of Marxist-Leninist Unity

[wulfric82]

1) Marxism-Leninism

We uphold and support the science of Marxism-Leninism to be the best and only means of achieving liberation for the working class through revolutionary struggle.

2) Vanguard Role -Cadre Party

We hold that the role of the party, as laid out by the Bolshevik's example, is that of a Vanguard worker’s Party, which opposes and organizes against the Imperialist Right and Left parties of the Bourgeois state. Such a party acts as the general staff of the working class, educating, organizing and leading the Proletariat in its struggle for liberation. To that end, the Party must develop and train strong cadre to lead the struggle.

3) Dictatorship of Proletariat

We hold, as Marx and Lenin wrote, that the primacy of the working class is the only way to achieve its liberation from the Dictatorship of the Bourgeoisie; - and that due to the inevitability of the class struggle, and the nature of the state as the tool of oppression of one class upon another - only the sole control and replacement of the apparatus of the Bourgeois State by the workers, and the active suppression of the bourgeoisie by the dictatorship of the proletariat, may consolidate power for the working class and bring about a Socialist State.

4) Proletarian Internationalism

We support the international working class, and the struggle of oppressed groups for liberation from Imperialist domination and exploitation, both within this county and around the world, and oppose all forms of Imperialism which oppress it world-wide, fighting especially against the mechanisms of Imperialism created and maintained by the current Bourgeois regime in our own country, and will actively oppose and work to supplant its wars of Imperialist adventurism around the globe.

5) Support for real existing socialism of the 20th Century

We support and uphold the legacy and lessons of the Socialist revolutionary movements of the 20th century, and the contributions of Lenin, Stalin, Hoxha and other leading Marxist-Leninist revolutionaries, and will defend that legacy against defamation by Revisionists, Capitalists, Trotskyists, the social democrats, anarchists, cold war liberal bourgeoisie and petty-bourgeois ultra-left radicals who seek to undermine the revolutionary history and struggle of Marxist-Leninist theory and practice. We reject the so-called “21st Century Socialism” which is little more than a revisionist attempt to promote reformism and market socialism over true revolutionary struggle and Socialist collectivization.

6) Continuing Lenin's opposition to Right Opportunism and Revisionism inside the world communist movement

We oppose all forms of Right Opportunism and Revisionism which seeks to supplant Marxist Leninist ideology in the world communist movement, historically and especially found in the CPUSA, this revisionism which weakens and distorts our theory and purpose, leading to class-collaboration and counter-revolution.

7) Historically, Revolution is the sole means of establishing the dictatorship of the proletariat and the establishment of a scientific socialist society.

We hold that the only means of achieving liberation for the working class is through revolution, that any measures of reformism, collaboration, or conciliation with the bourgeoisie only serve to undermine and prolong the workers struggle, and lead to the further consolidation of Capitalist power and dominance. The Dictatorship of the Bourgeoisie must be fully and completely (according to the Communist Manifesto) overthrown in order to establish the workers’ democracy in the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.

[Sea]

5) Support for real existing socialism of the 20th Century

We support and uphold the legacy and lessons of the Socialist revolutionary movements of the 20th century, and the contributions of Lenin, Stalin, Hoxha and other leading Marxist-Leninist revolutionaries, and will defend that legacy against defamation by Revisionists, Capitalists, Trotskyists, the social democrats, anarchists, cold war liberal bourgeoisie and petty-bourgeois ultra-left radicals who seek to undermine the revolutionary history and struggle of Marxist-Leninist theory and practice. We reject the so-called “21st Century Socialism” which is little more than a revisionist attempt to promote reformism and market socialism over true revolutionary struggle and Socialist collectivization.How oh how shall we ever defend against the revisionism of folks like Stalin and Hoxha? And let's not forget the other "leading revolutionaries" like Mao, Che, Tito, Ceausescu and Kim Il-Sung!


7) Historically, Revolution is the sole means of establishing the dictatorship of the proletariat and the establishment of a scientific socialist society.

We hold that the only means of achieving liberation for the working class is through revolution, that any measures of reformism, collaboration, or conciliation with the bourgeoisie only serve to undermine and prolong the workers struggle, and lead to the further consolidation of Capitalist power and dominance. The Dictatorship of the Bourgeoisie must be fully and completely (according to the Communist Manifesto) overthrown in order to establish the workers’ democracy in the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.Out of curiosity, do you consider the stagism or the NEP to fall under the umbrella of "any measures of ... collaboration"? Mainly I ask because when someone starts objecting to revisionism / collaborationism / the evil bad guys abstractly rather than specific manifestations of these things, it usually means that accusations of revisionism and class-collaboration etc. are in their arsenal of dismissive insults ready to be used in a broad sort of way against challenges to orthodoxy.

[Danielle Ni Dhighe]

Such a party acts as the general staff of the working class, educating, organizing and leading the Proletariat
"To be liberated by others, whose leadership is the essential part of the liberation, means the getting of new masters instead of the old ones." - Anton Pannekoek

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

Oh good, I was worried that we were going to run out of M-Ls that kiss Karl and Vlad's boots whilst spitting venom at Trots and well..everyone else.
Tendency Wars: Episode 254 - The Vanguard Shouts Back..Again

[ind_com]

8) We will not make a single point that is actually useful for building a revolutionary movement anywhere in the world.

We are actually Hoxhaists, and we will spend our time being sectarian to all other tendencies while pretending to advocate Marxist Leninist unity. So, we will not speak a single word about the ongoing revolutions or how the proletariat should undertake political and military actions to overthrow any capitalist state. We will only repeat the same well-known arguments that the Trotskyites speak of endlessly.

[l'Enfermé]

Really? This is your first post? "Really existing socialism"? You do realize that's a Brezhen-era euphemism that basically means "Um, sure comrades, our Socialism in Eastern Europe doesn't look very much like the Socialism envisioned by Marx, Lenin and so on, but at least it's feasible and more or less realistic, so let's content ourselves with it and not aim for this state-less, KGB-less, class-less Socialism - it's all utopian silliness!"?

[l'Enfermé]

8) We will not make a single point that is actually useful for building a revolutionary movement anywhere in the world.

We are actually Hoxhaists, and we will spend our time being sectarian to all other tendencies while pretending to advocate Marxist Leninist unity. So, we will not speak a single word about the ongoing revolutions or how the proletariat should undertake political and military actions to overthrow any capitalist state. We will only repeat the same well-known arguments that the Trotskyites speak of endlessly.
Your whole "let's launch a hopeless military putsch against the government" line is as fruitless, comrade.

[ind_com]

Your whole "let's launch a hopeless military putsch against the government" line is as fruitless, comrade.

Thank you for totally convincing me with your straw-man, comrade.

[wulfric82]

"To be liberated by others, whose leadership is the essential part of the liberation, means the getting of new masters instead of the old ones." - Anton Pannekoek

"Without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement." - V. Lenin

What are you suggesting? That the masses will spontaneously rise up and we can ride their coat-tails to revolution? That's called "Tailism". Or perhaps you're waiting for the moment that will "open their eyes" with a little bit of weather undergound-style "propaganda of the deed".
The only thing that has historically, and can ever, lead to revolution and the liberation of the workers is the tireless efforts of the vanguard in organizing, educating, and preparing the workers for the revolution - we do not "free" them - we help them to free themselves with our guidance, theory and practice.

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

"Without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement." - V. Lenin

What are you suggesting? That the masses will spontaneously rise up and we can ride their coat-tails to revolution? That's called "Tailism". Or perhaps you're waiting for the moment that will "open their eyes" with a little bit of weather undergound-style "propaganda of the deed".
The only thing that has historically, and can ever, lead to revolution and the liberation of the workers is the tireless efforts of the vanguard in organizing, educating, and preparing the workers for the revolution - we do not "free" them - we help them to free themselves with our guidance, theory and practice.

So, without your good selves as the 'vanguard', we don't stand a chance? Not possible to organise and educate without a revolutionary elite who know what's best (and counter-revolutionary thought will not be tolerated)?
The arrogance and certainty of the 'vanguard' has always rubbed me up the wrong way...but I'm sure I'll get the suitable level of correction if they ever lead a successful revolution.

[GoddessCleoLover]

Stylistically it does rather smack of a Communist variation of the Nicaean Creed. I think I will pass. At least the Christian dogma promises pie in the sky by and by when you die. This dogma. in the unlikely event it ever came to fruition, seems more likely to deliver an endless series of blood purges, lines for bread and clothing and Kolyma for those of us who don't obey The Great Vanguard Party.

[Sasha]

The Duties of the Revolutionary toward Himself
1. The revolutionary is a doomed man. He has no personal interests, no business affairs, no emotions, no attachments, no property, and no name. Everything in him is wholly absorbed in the single thought and the single passion for revolution.
2. The revolutionary knows that in the very depths of his being, not only in words but also in deeds, he has broken all the bonds which tie him to the social order and the civilized world with all its laws, moralities, and customs, and with all its generally accepted conventions. He is their implacable enemy, and if he continues to live with them it is only in order to destroy them more speedily.
3. The revolutionary despises all doctrines and refuses to accept the mundane sciences, leaving them for future generations. He knows only one science: the science of destruction. For this reason, but only for this reason, he will study mechanics, physics, chemistry, and perhaps medicine. But all day and all night he studies the vital science of human beings, their characteristics and circumstances, and all the phenomena of the present social order. The object is perpetually the same: the surest and quickest way of destroying the whole filthy order.
4. The revolutionary despises public opinion. He despises and hates the existing social morality in all its manifestations. For him, morality is everything which contributes to the triumph of the revolution. Immoral and criminal is everything that stands in its way.
5. The revolutionary is a dedicated man, merciless toward the State and toward the educated classes; and he can expect no mercy from them. Between him and them there exists, declared or concealed, a relentless and irreconcilable war to the death. He must accustom himself to torture.
6. Tyrannical toward himself, he must be tyrannical toward others. All the gentle and enervating sentiments of kinship, love, friendship, gratitude, and even honor, must be suppressed in him and give place to the cold and singleminded passion for revolution. For him, there exists only one pleasure, on consolation, one reward, one satisfaction -- the success of the revolution. Night and day he must have but one thought, one aim -- merciless destruction. Striving cold-bloodedly and indefatigably toward this end, he must be prepared to destroy himself and to destroy with his own hands everything that stands in the path of the revolution. 7. The nature of the true revolutionary excludes all sentimentality, romanticism, infatuation, and exaltation. All private hatred and revenge must also be excluded. Revolutionary passion, practiced at every moment of the day until it becomes a habit, is to be employed with cold calculation. At all times, and in all places, the revolutionary must obey not his personal impulses, but only those which serve the cause of the revolution.

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The Relations of the Revolutionary toward his Comrades
8. The revolutionary can have no friendship or attachment, except for those who have proved by their actions that they, like him, are dedicated to revolution. The degree of friendship, devotion and obligation toward such a comrade is determined solely by the degree of his usefulness to the cause of total revolutioary destruction.
9. It is superfluous to speak of solidarity among revolutionaries. The whole strength of revolutionary work lies in this. Comrades who possess the same revolutionary passion and understanding should, as much as possible, deliberate all important matters together and come to unanimous conclusions. When the plan is finally decided upon, then the revolutionary must rely solely on himself. In carrying out acts of destruction, each one should act alone, never running to another for advice and assistance, except when these are necessary for the furtherance of the plan.
10. All revolutionaries should have under them second- or third-degree revolutionaries -- i.e., comrades who are not completely initiated. these should be regarded as part of the common revolutionary capital placed at his disposal. This capital should, of course, be spent as economically as possible in order to derive from it the greatest possible profit. The real revolutionary should regard himself as capital consecrated to the triumph of the revolution; however, he may not personally and alone dispose of that capital without the unanimous consent of the fully initiated comrades.
11. When a comrade is in danger and the question arises whether he should be saved or not saved, the decision must not be arrived at on the basis of sentiment, but solely in the interests of the revolutionary cause. Therefore, it is necessary to weigh carefully the usefulness of the comrade against the expenditure of revolutionary forces necessary to save him, and the decision must be made accordingly.

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The Relations of the Revolutionary toward Society
12. The new member, having given proof of his loyalty not by words but by deeds, can be received into the society only by the unanimous agreement of all the members.
13. The revolutionary enters the world of the State, of the privileged classes, of the so-called civilization, and he lives in this world only for the purpose of bringing about its speedy and total destruction. He is not a revolutionary if he has any sympathy for this world. _He_should_not_hesitate_to_destroy_any_position_, _any_place_, _or_any_man_in_this_world_. He must hate everyone and everything in it with an equal hatred. All the worse for him if he has any relations with parents, friends, or lovers; _he_is_no_ _longer_a_revolutionary_if_he_is_swayed_by_these_r elationships_.
14. Aiming at implacable revolution, the revolutionary may and frequently must live within society will pretending to be completely different from what he really is, for he must penetrate everywhere, into all the higher and middle-classes, into the houses of commerce, the churches, and the palaces of the aristocracy, and into the worlds of the bureaucracy and literature and the military, and also into the Third Division and the Winter Palace of the Czar.
15. This filthy social order can be split up into several categories. The first category comprises those who must be condemned to death without delay. Comrades should compile a list of those to be condemned according to the relative gravity of their crimes; and the executions should be carried out according to the prepared order.
16. When a list of those who are condemned is made, and the order of execution is prepared, no private sense of outrage should be considered, nor is it necessary to pay attention to the hatred provoked by these people among the comrades or the people. Hatred and the sense of outrage may even be useful insofar as they incite the masses to revolt. It is necessary to be guided only by the relative usefulness of these executions for the sake of revolution. Above all, those who are especially inimical to the revolutionary organization must be destroyed; their violent and sudden deaths will produce the utmost panic in the government, depriving it of its will to action by removing the cleverest and most energetic supporters.
17. The second group comprises those who will be spared for the time being in order that, by a series of monstrous acts, they may drive the people into inevitable revolt.
18. The third category consists of a great many brutes in high positions, distinguished neither by their cleverness nor their energy, while enjoying riches, influence, power, and high positions by virute of their rank. These must be exploited in every possible way; they must be implicated and embroiled in our affairs, their dirty secrets must be ferreted out, and they must be transformed into slaves. Their power, influence, and connections, their wealth and their energy, will form an inexhaustable treasure and a precious help in all our undertakings.
19. The fourth categoy comprises ambitious office-holders and liberals of various shades of opinion. The revolutionary must pretend to collaborate with them, blindly following them, while at the same time, prying out their secrets until they are completely in his power. They must be so compromised that there is no way out for them, and then they can be used to create disorder in the State.
20. The fifth category consists of those doctrinaires, conspirators, and revolutionists who cut a great figure on paper or in their cliques. They must be constantly driven on to make compromising declarations: as a result, the majority of them will be destroyed, while a minority will become genuine revolutionaries.
21. The sixth category is especially important: women. They can be divided into three main groups. First, those frivilous, thoughtless, and vapid women, whom we shall use as we use the third and fourth category of men. Second, women who are ardent, capable, and devoted, but whom do not belong to us because they have not yet achieved a passionless and austere revolutionary understanding; these must be used like the men of the fifth category. Finally, there are the women who are completely on our side -- i.e., those who are wholly dedicated and who have accepted our program in its entirety. We should regard these women as the most valuable or our treasures; without their help, we would never succeed.

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The Attitude of the Society toward the People
22. The Society has no aim other than the complete liberation and happiness of the masses -- i.e., of the people who live by manual labor. Convinced that their emancipation and the achievement of this happiness can only come about as a result of an all-destroying popular revolt, the Society will use all its resources and energy toward increasing and intensfying the evils and miseries of the people until at last their patience is exhausted and they are driven to a general uprising.
23. By a revolution, the Society does not mean an orderly revolt according to the classic western model -- a revolt which always stops short of attacking the rights of property and the traditional social systems of so-called civilization and morality. Until now, such a revolution has always limited itself to the overthrow of one political form in order to replace it by another, thereby attempting to bring about a so-called revolutionary state. The only form of revolution beneficial to the people is one which destroys the entire State to the roots and exterminated all the state traditions, institutions, and classes in Russia.
24. With this end in view, the Society therefore refuses to impose any new organization from above. Any future organization will doubtless work its way through the movement and life of the people; but this is a matter for future generations to decide. Our task is terrible, total, universal, and merciless destruction.
25. Therefore, in drawing closer to the people, we must above all make common cause with those elements of the masses which, since the foundation of the state of Muscovy, have never ceased to protest, not only in words but in deeds, against everything directly or indirectly connected with the state: against the nobility, the bureaucracy, the clergy, the traders, and the parasitic kulaks. We must unite with the adventurous tribes of brigands, who are the only genuine revolutionaries in Russia. 26. To weld the people into one single unconquerable and all-destructive force -- this is our aim, our conspiracy, and our task.

;)

[GoddessCleoLover]

Bakunin?:confused:

[Sasha]

Bakunin?:confused:


the revolutionary catechism by nechachev (so yeah probably ghost written by bakunin)

[GoddessCleoLover]

the revolutionary catechism by nechachev (so yeah probably ghost written by bakunin)

Seems more like a recipe for a statist despotism than stateless freedom. The author ought to have realize that the formation of such a caste of revolutionary zealots poses a threat of dictatorship in the event they ever come to power.

[Sasha]

Seems more like a recipe for a statist despotism than stateless freedom. The author ought to have realize that the formation of such a caste of revolutionary zealots poses a threat of dictatorship in the event they ever come to power.

Oh yeah, I just thought that if we start posting silly bullit lists to take a more romantic even sillier one

[Yuppie Grinder]

Lifestylism is gross. I'm not going to drop out of society.

[hetz]

What does Nechayev have to do with Marxism?

[hatzel]

Well this was always destined to be a fascinating thread...

Serious question: when exactly was it decided that...


defamation by Revisionists, Capitalists, Trotskyists, the social democrats, anarchists, cold war liberal bourgeoisie and petty-bourgeois ultra-left radicals

...would be the official motto of ML's the world over throughout the ages?

[Sasha]

What does Nechayev have to do with Marxism?

Not much, although i would hazard the guess both Marx and Lenin would feel closer to his text than the disgraceful one in the o.p. that keeps on invoking their names.

[prolcon]

I sometimes why I bother identifying as a Leninist. I mean, the shit you get in return for this is gross, but the original post isn't really bringing anything new to the table. You sound like any other neophyte "radical" consuming Leninism as a trend rather than as a methodology.

[wulfric82]

You really don't know anything about me. These points of unity were a collaborative effort of many comrades, many of whom have been Marxist-Leninists for over 30 years, from around the country (US) - putting together points which specifically unite us as Marxist-Leninists and which constitute a unified line against the revisionists which have taken over the CPUSA. You're right, it's not "new" - it is re-affirming the things which should be the central principles on which the CP is based.

[Danielle Ni Dhighe]

What are you suggesting? That the masses will spontaneously rise up and we can ride their coat-tails to revolution? That's called "Tailism". Or perhaps you're waiting for the moment that will "open their eyes" with a little bit of weather undergound-style "propaganda of the deed".
I'm suggesting that the working class is more than capable of liberating itself. If some workers are more class conscious, then they need to organize, educate, and agitate among less class conscious workers without putting themselves above the class.

[wulfric82]

I'm suggesting that the working class is more than capable of liberating itself. If some workers are more class conscious, then they need to organize, educate, and agitate among less class conscious workers without putting themselves above the class.
I am working class. I've always been on the lower strata of working class. The Vangaurd workers party is not "above" or better than the working class - it should be composed primarily of workers (sure, sometimes the petty bourgeoisie join the workers' side - just look at Fredrick Engels.) But, to quote Lenin, again, "without revolutionary theory, the can be no revolutionary movement" - the job of the vanguard is to provide that theory, lead by example - not simply to direct, but to do. We must be the most committed, the most fired with revolutionary zeal - spontaneous individuals cannot accomplish this. If they could, we would already be free. The very point of communism is that alone, individuals CAN DO NOTHING. We must act together, unified in purpose, united by theory and bound by joint action to bring abut class consciousness in our fellow workers and bring about revolution.
Ultimately, however, it doesn't matter whether you agree with me or not. The title of the OP is "7 points of Marxist-Leninist Unity" - if you're not a Marxist-Leninist, your opinion doesn't really matter.