First Published: People’s Canada Daily News Release, December 2, 1971
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Malcolm and Paul Saba
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Toronto (PCDN) December 1 – DENOUNCE U.S. IMPERIALISM STUDY GROUP recently held a meeting in Toronto to discuss the Necessity for Economic Analysis. A full report of the discussion entitled ”On the Necessity of Economic Analysis” follows:
It was pointed out that the history of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist)carrying on the spirit of the Internationalists has been a glorious one of political development in raising class struggle from a low level to a higher level, solving some essential problems in combatting imperialist culture, developing a correct political line and developing correct methods of work on the basis of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought. Having solved some of these initial problems the Communist Party of Canada (M-L) has now called on its cadres and supporters to take up the teachings of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin and Mao Tsetung with a view to analysing the nature of capitalist and imperialist economics and its concrete manifestations Canada. Chairman Mao points out:
Conditions are changing all the time and to adapt one’s thinking to the new conditions one must study. Even those who have a better grasp of Maoism and are comparatively firm in their proletarian stand have to go on studying, have to absorb what is new and study new problems.
It was noted that worthwhile work in the economic field has already been done by Progressive Worker. The economic analysis that has been started in Progressive Worker must be continued and expanded by the Communist Party of Canada (M-L) if the revolutionary anti-imperialist struggle of the Canadian working class and people is to rise to a higher level.Comrade Lenin said:
Unless the economic roots of this phenomenon are understood and its political and social significance is appreciated, not a step can be taken toward the solution of practical problems of the Communist movement and of the impending social revolution.
Until we have a comprehension of concrete economic conditions how can we deal effectively with a social solution to the problems created by U.S. imperialism now facing the people in Canada?
We will only be guessing until we do solid economic research on the scientific basis of seeking truth from facts to serve the people. Comrade Lenin repudiated guesswork, as he said:
A crushing ’refutation’ of Marx indeed which retreats a step from Marx’s precise scientific analysis to Saint-Simon’s guesswork, the guesswork of a genius, but guesswork all the same.
Various incorrect tendencies are emerging because of insufficient economic analysis and it is very important that economics be examined so that these tendencies can be eradicated. The study of economics is an important tactical problems of how to face the people and eliminate revisionist lines at their very roots (by clearly showing that “reform of imperialism” is impossible, that there is no such creature as the “Canadian Empire” or “Canadian complicity”, that Canada cannot be “bought” back, etc.) For over fifty years all sorts of right and ’left’ wing errors have been allowed to flourish like weeds because of the failure to cut them down with serious economic investigation.Without adequate research there is a tendency to give out slogans, and to do tasks without fully comprehending their value and purpose. To give out slogans and do tasks without seeing their contribution toward the anti-imperialist revolution leads comrades into becoming “employees of the revolution.” They do not realise that they themselves are the makers of revolution but think that their responsibility is merely to their individual superiors and not to the revolution. This ’employee’ mentality does much harm and, as Chairman Mao points out “Unless it is eliminated, the number of activists will not grow and the heavy burden of revolution will remain on the shoulders of a small number of people much to the detriment of the struggle.”
Investigation and applying that investigation is essential for the Party and the anti-imperialist revolution to move forward. Chairman Mao points out that it is necessary “to direct the attention of Party members to social and economic investigation and study so as to determine the tactics of the struggle and methods of work, and help comrades to understand that without investigation of actual conditions they will fall into the pit of fantasy and putschism.”