In its so-called polemics with other groups on the issue of national liberation struggles and neo-colonialism, the Peoples Tribune is attempting to “use Mao against Mao” and is attempting to separate and isolate China and Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought from the revolutionary worldwide struggle of the oppressed masses. This being the fundamental aim of the CIA according to the writers of the articles in the Peoples Tribune, it is our position that THESE WRITERS HAVE DAMNED AND EXPOSED THEMSELVES BEFORE THE WHOLE WORLD AS THE FRIENDS AND FELLOW TRAVELLERS OF THE CIA AND ITS PROVOCATEURS, SABOTEURS AND THAT THEY ARE COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY LIQUIDATORS.
We will let the words of the great Chinese Communist Party and the words and thoughts of our great teacher and leader Chairman Mao Tsetung reply to this treacherous attempt on the part of the so-called theoreticians of the Communist League:
...there are two kinds of world revolution, the first belonging to the bourgeois or capitalist category. The era of this kind of world revolution is long past, having come to an end as far back as 1914 when the first imperialist world war broke out, and more particularly in 1917 when the October Revolution took place.
The second kind, namely the proletarian-socialist world revolution, thereupon began. This revolution has the proletariat of the capitalist countries as its main force and the oppressed peoples of the colonies and semi-colonies as its allies. No matter what classes, parties or individuals in an oppressed nation join the revolution, and no matter whether they themselves are conscious of the point or understand it, so long as they oppose imperialism, their revolution becomes part of the proletarian-socialist world revolution and they become its allies. – from On New Democracy, Mao Tsetung
Our great teacher and leader Mao Tsetung wrote this in his great work On New Democracy. In the light of this how can we possibly take the Peoples Tribunes mischaracterizations of and attacks upon the national liberation struggles throughout the world as anything other than using “Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung” Thought to oppose Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought!
The storm of the people’s revolution in Asia, Africa and Latin America requires every political force in the world to take a stand. This mighty revolutionary storm makes the imperialists and colonialists tremble and the revolutionary people of the world rejoice. The imperialist and colonialists say, “Terrible, terrible!” The revolutionary people say, “Fine, fine!” The imperialists and colonialists say, “It is rebellion, which is forbidden.” The revolutionary people say, “it is revolution, which is the people’s right and inexorable current of history.”
An important line of demarcation between the Marxist-Leninists and the modern revisionist is the attitude taken towards this extremely sharp issue of contemporary world politics. The Marxist-Leninists firmly side with the oppressed nations and actively support the national liberation movement. The modern revisionists in fact side with the imperialists and colonialists and repudiate and oppose the national liberation movement in every possible way. from Apologists of Neo-Colonialism, Peking, 1963, p.l.
The Peoples Tribune puts forward the issue of neo-colonialism as though it somehow alters the great truth of the statements of the Chinese Communist Party and its Chairman Mao Tsetung. On page four of the Apologists for Neo-Colonialism we discover that the Chinese Communist Party correctly understands the significance of economic aid, and neo-colonialism.
The facts are clear. After World War II the imperialist have certainly not given up colonialism, but have merely adopted a new form, neo-colonialism. An important characteristic of such neo-colonialism is that the imperialist have been forced to change their old style of direct colonial rule in some areas and to adopt a new style of colonial rule and exploitation by relying on the agents they have selected and trained. The imperialists headed by the United States enslave or control the colonial countries and countries which have already declared their independence by organizing military blocs, setting up military bases, establishing “federations” or “communities”, and fostering puppet regimes.
By means of economic “aid” or other forms, they retain these countries as markets for their foods, sources of raw material and outlets for their export of capital, plunder the riches and suck the blood of the people of these countries. – p. 5
Such an understanding of the significance of Neo-colonialism does not deter the Chinese Communist Party nor does it deter any Marxist-Leninist from giving wholehearted support to the liberation struggles of the people of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
As for the absolutely anti-materialist notion put forth in the Peoples Tribune that the concept of the “Third World” arose in the heads of the “USNA imperialists” and, having been “routed through Moscow”, was then put into the heads of the peoples of the USA and of Asia, Africa and Latin America.; let us read further in the Apologists of Neo-Colonialism, page 17, (keeping in mind that whether or not the Bandung Conference was the first place the term was ever used it would not have spread amongst the people as it has done if it did not have a historical and correct significance):
But Marxist-Leninists must not regard the contradictions in the world as consisting solely and simply of the contradiction between the socialist camp” and the imperialist camp.
Our view is crystal clear.
In our letter of June 14, we explained the revolutionary situation in Asia, Africa and Latin America and the significance and role of the national liberation movement. This is what we said:
1. The various types of contradictions in the contemporary world are concentrated in the vast areas of Asia, Africa and Latin America – these are the most vulnerable areas under imperialist rule and the storm centers of world revolution dealing direct blows at imperialism.
2. The national democratic revolutionary movement in these areas and the international socialist revolutionary movement are the two great historical currents of our time.
3. The national democratic revolution in these areas is an important component of the contemporary proletarian world revolution.
4. The anti-imperialist revolutionary struggles of the people in Asia, Africa and Latin America are pounding and undermining the foundations of the rule of imperialism and colonialism, old and new, and are now a mighty force in defence of world peace.
5. In a sense, therefore, the whole cause of the international proletarian revolution hinges on the outcome of the revolutionary struggles of the people of these areas, who constitute the overwhelming majority of the world’s population.
6. Therefore, the anti-imperialist revolutionary struggle of the people in Asia, Africa and Latin America is definitely not merely a matter of regional significance but is one of overall importance for the whole cause of proletarian world revolution.
These are Marxist-Leninist theses, conclusions drawn by scientific analysis from the realities of our time.
The concept of the Third World arose out of these struggles against colonialism and neo-colonialism, and not in some lame-brained schemers head. The concept of the Third World did not originate in some imperialists head; it was not then “routed through Moscow” into the heads of the peonies of Asia, Africa and Latin America, and thence into the heads of the struggling oppressed nationalities and peoples of the USA. The closest thing to such an idiotic conception of history and reality that is conceivable is that the ideas in the Peoples Tribune were themselves concocted in some lame-brained schemers head and being routed through the Peoples Tribune are now in the heads of its innocent victims.
If there is any further doubt as to the efficacy of the term ’Third World’ we would refer even the jack-asses who wrote the drivel appearing in the Peoples Tribune to the cover of the October 27, 1972 Peking Review (in fact most any Peking Review), which reads: THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES PLAY INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, in the hopes that because they are so willing to write, perhaps they will also read.
We must leave a discussion of the particular contradictions within the and the positions and programs in relation to this country for a later more lengthy work. For it is our purpose here not to criticize or discuss the past and present conceptions of the Third world within the USA, but rather to show the efficacy of the concept of the Third World, thus taking up the struggle against all forms of imperialism and national chauvinism, no matter how subtly in the name of the oppressed peoples of the world they are posed. We must always remember it is our duty to create a mass-based internationalist proletarian communist party, and that all regional and particular struggles are of secondary importance to the class struggle insofar as only the class struggle is capable of destroying the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie.
But no matter how much the revisionists try to exalt Europe’s role, how much they may try to belittle the role and major importance of the struggles of the peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America, how much they hinder and sabotage this struggle and how they may slander it, they will not succeed in changing reality, and the revolutionary and national liberation movement of these major regions of the world will forge ahead, bringing about fresh victories for the people and further losses to the imperialists and revisionists. THE PARTY OF LABOR OF ALBANIA IN BATTLE WITH MODERN REVISIONISM Page 36