The present period of world history is characterized by the decline of imperialism and the emergence of socialist revolution throughout the world.
Long ago, capitalism entered its last and imperialist stage. The basic contradiction of capitalism, between the social production of wealth by the proletariat and its private appropriation by the tiny handful of capitalists, can only be resolved by taking up arms and smashing the imperialists’ rule. In its imperialist stage, all earlier contradictions of capitalism are greatly intensified and some new ones come into being.
Economically, the main thing in the transformation of capitalism into its imperialist stage is the growth of capitalist monopoly out of free competition. Bank and industrial capital join together into a huge financial empire and the imperialists must not only export goods, but mainly capital. Under early capitalism the world had already been divided up among the major capitalist powers. Now the struggle for markets and colonies and to re-divide the world comes to the fore. Imperialism creates fierce competition between the imperialist powers.
The exploitation of the whole world by the major imperialist powers results in the accumulation of huge super-profits. This creates the material basis for the bourgeoisification of a small section of the proletariat in the imperialist countries. This labor aristocracy is bought and paid for by the imperialist bourgeoisie. It is this tiny section of the working class that introduces bourgeois ideology into the proletarian struggle and lays the basis for reformism and modern revisionism.
Imperialism is the eve of social revolution. The relations of production have become rotten fetters on the development of the productive forces and progress. Imperialism means corruption, social decay and cultural degeneracy. The specific political features of imperialism are reaction all along the line, vicious aggression against other countries and increased national oppression. In their chase for super-profits, the imperialists prop up reactionary governments throughout the world. In addition they seek to impose rotten imperialist culture on the oppressed peoples at home, and around the world attempt to inhibit the national development of the various national cultures.
Imperialism is dying and decaying capitalism. The general decline of imperialism and the sharpening of all its contradictions have caused a general economic and political crisis in the world. The defeats that imperialism has suffered at the hands of the national liberation movements in the oppressed nations have greatly accelerated the development of this crisis.
During the time of free competitive capitalism, it was possible to speak of revolution in a developed country as somewhat separate and self-sufficient, fighting its own national capitalist class. But with the development of capitalism into a world-wide system of plunder and exploitation, this is no longer the case. Stalin explained that under imperialism, we must speak of the world proletarian revolution because “the separate national fronts of capital have become links in a single chain called the world front of imperialism, which must be opposed by a common front of the revolutionary movement in all countries.”
The interests of the proletarian movement in the developed countries and of the national liberation struggles call for the union of these two forms of the revolutionary movement into a common front against the common enemy, imperialism.
The transition from capitalism to communism covers a very long historic period. Throughout this whole period there is upheaval and revolutionary struggle. But the development of the world socialist revolution is also characterized by uneveness and the class struggle in every country has its own characteristics. The socialist revolution cannot take place simultaneously in every country, but first in one or several countries – those which are the weakest links in the world front of imperialism.
The fundamental contradiction which shapes this entire epoch is between the forces of imperialism and reaction and the forces of socialism and revolution. These two antagonistic forces are locked in the fiercest struggle. The forces of imperialism and reaction are on their death bed and the forces of revolution and socialism are rising and growing stronger each day.
There are four main contradictions in the world today. These contradictions are all irreconcilable and are bound to give rise to revolution.
These are:
1. the contradiction between the oppressed nations on the one hand and imperialism and social-imperialism on the other;
2. the contradiction between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie in the capitalist and revisionist countries;
3. the contradiction between the imperialist and social-imperialist countries and among the imperialist countries;
4. the contradiction between the socialist countries on the one hand and the imperialists and social-imperialists on the other.
As well as giving rise to revolution and just wars, these contradictions also give rise to unjust wars, imperialist aggression, and the phenomenon of world war. Communists must always make a distinction between the two.
Mao Tsetung has pointed out, “The danger of a new world war still exists, and people of all countries must get prepared. But revolution is the main trend in the world today.”
The unleashing of world war by the imperialists can in no way prevent their imminent death, it can only hasten it. Speaking again about the possibility of world war, Mao Tsetung said: ”With regard to the question of world war, there are but two possibilities: One is that the war will give rise to revolution and the other is that revolution will prevent the war.”
The expansionist drive of imperialism and social-imperialism for new markets, cheap labor, and super-profits has brought them in sharp contradiction with the national aspirations of the oppressed nations and peoples who make up the vast majority of the world’s population. This contradiction has given rise to a whole series of national democratic revolutions which are direct blows at imperialism.
Since the October Revolution of 1917, the character of the national democratic revolutions has changed fundamentally, from being part of the world bourgeois-democratic movement to being part of the world proletarian revolution.
Although such a revolution is still basically bourgeois in its first stage, it can no longer be successfully led by the national bourgeoisie and result in the establishment of a bourgeois dictatorship. Instead, if the revolution is to be successful, it must be led by the proletariat and its communist party, in alliance with the peasantry, uniting the broad patriotic masses, including the patriotic national bourgeoisie in a national united front. This revolution must lead directly to socialist revolution. While first passing through a new-democratic stage, a prerequisite to entering the socialist stage, the revolution is not able to stop at new democracy, but must continue on to socialism if it is not to lose the hard-won gains made in the first stage. Throughout both stages of revolution, the proletariat and the revolutionary people must master all forms of struggle, particularly armed struggle, in order to defeat the imperialists on every front.
An outstanding example of new-democratic revolution, at this time is the struggle of the Vietnamese people, in alliance with the other Indochinese peoples, for national sovereignty. The Vietnamese workers and peasants, led by the Vietnam Worker’s Party, have formed a broad united front against the U.S. imperialists, strengthening unity among all the patriotic masses, including the patriotic national bourgeoisie. The Vietnamese people have waged heroic armed struggle against the U.S. imperialists and their puppets, dealing them defeat after defeat on the battle field. By utilizing other forms of struggle, such as negotiations, the Vietnamese have been able to thoroughly expose the warmongering nature of the U.S. imperialists before the world’s people.
It is both the objective anti-imperialist nature of national-democratic revolutions and the fact that these revolutions must finally result in socialism which makes them the main ally of the proletariat in its struggle against imperialism.
The working class in the imperialist countries has a special responsibility to militantly support the rights of the oppressed nations to self-determination, seeing the anti-imperialist struggles of the oppressed nations as completely in unity with its own interests and as its own most dependable support.
The intensification of capitalist contradictions under imperialism brings uneven development to the forefront and creates weak links in the world chain of imperialism. These breeches in the front of imperialism create the possibility and necessity for proletarian revolution and the establishment of socialism in one or several countries. Classes, class struggle, and the threat of imperialist intervention exist throughout the entire period of the dictatorship of the proletariat and its final and complete victory can only be assured by the world-wide overthrow of imperialism.
The October Revolution in Russia was the first to pierce the front of imperialism and the Soviet Union became the first socialist country. At that time, every revolutionary party and organization could be judged by its support and defense of the Soviet Union. Since the end of WWII, a whole group of socialist countries have emerged, now encompassing over one fourth of the world’s population. The socialist countries, constructing socialism internally, are a reliable rear area for the world revolution and along with the proletariat in the capitalist countries and oppressed nations, make up the core of the world-wide united front against imperialism.
While suffering a temporary set-back with the restoration of capitalism in the Soviet Union, the working class has been immeasurably strengthened by the victories of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China. Pointing the way to prevention of capitalist restoration and building socialism, the People’s Republic of China shines like a beacon for the oppressed people throughout the world.
It is the duty of workers and progressive peoples everywhere to support and defend China, Albania and all other socialist countries against attacks and plots by the imperialists and social-imperialists.
The defeat of the fascist powers in WWII led to a new situation in the world, very favorable to revolution and unfavorable to imperialism and the forces of reaction. The imperialists, meeting resistance throughout the world, can no longer do as they please.
Contrary to the view of the modern revisionists who peddle their “strategy” of “peaceful co-existence”, “peaceful competition”, and “peaceful transition”, this new situation has led to a great upsurge in the struggle against imperialism and has not at all mitigated the basic contradictions inherent in imperialism. Nor has this new situation eliminated the necessity to oppose imperialism with armed revolution. Two main events characterized this new and favorable situation.
The first was the tremendous growth of the people’s democratic forces, resulting in the creation of a number of socialist countries and, especially, the great rise in the strength of the national liberation movements in the former colonies of the fascists and other imperialist powers, resulting in a storm center of anti-imperialist struggle.
On the other hand, U.S. imperialism stepped into the vacated shoes of the German, Italian and Japanese fascists and became the undisputed No. 1 aggressor of the world wide imperialists. The U.S. imperialists greatly expanded their aggression, trying to dominate and oppress the smaller nations of the world, opposing progress and revolution and threatening to make war on the socialist countries.
Along with the U.S. imperialists, the Soviet ruling clique, the social-imperialists, have placed themselves in opposition to the aspirations and needs of the world’s people, including the people of the Soviet Union. Following the death of Joseph Stalin, these revisionists, who had wormed their way into the party, seized control and destroyed the party of Lenin and Stalin.
Usurping state power, these new Tsars now rule the Soviet people with an iron heel of fascism, under the guise of a “state of the whole people”. They have transformed most of the people’s democracies of Eastern Europe into semi-colonial puppet states and are now in a mad race with the U.S. imperialists to expand their sphere of influence throughout the world, especially in the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and in the Balkans.
They have enforced ”reforms of the economic system” which put profits above everything else, in the operation of factories and the state and collective farms. These bourgeois elements, who now have the power to expropriate profits from the production of the workers, have become a privileged bourgeois class and have restored capitalism, turning the Soviet people into wage slaves.
Together with the U.S. imperialists, they are plotting and scheming to overthrow socialism in China, Albania and other socialist countries. Their collusion and competition with the U.S. for super-power status has brought the world to the brink of war.
Mao Tsetung has stated:
The Soviet Union was the first socialist state and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was created by Lenin. Although the leadership of the Soviet party and state has now been usurped by the revisionists, I would advise comrades to remain firm in the conviction that the masses of the Soviet people and of party members and cadre are good, that they desire revolution and that the revisionist rule will not last long.
Based on the objective conditions of the world situation and on an analysis of the main contradictions in the world, it is possible and necessary for the international proletariat to form a world-wide united front against imperialism and its policies of war and aggression. This is summed up in Chairman Mao Tsetung’s historic statement of May 20th, 1970: PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, UNITE AND DEFEAT THE U.S. AGGRESSORS AND ALL THEIR RUNNING DOGS!!
The international united front is an effective defense against imperialist aggression, war and fascism, as well as the correct strategy for world revolution. This strategy must be applied to the particular conditions in each country.
With the socialist countries and the international proletariat as its nucleus, in closest alliance with the oppressed nations, the united front unites all peoples and countries suffering under the yoke of imperialist enslavement, bullying and aggression in opposition to imperialism and its policies.
Within the united front, the policy of the proletariat is to boldly expand the progressive forces, win over the middle forces and isolate the diehards.
In opposition to the modern revisionist’s policy of relying on the splits in the imperialist camp, the policy of the proletariat is to make use of these contradictions, at the same time relying on the resolute revolutionary struggles of the peoples of all countries in carrying the proletarian world revolution forward to the end.
Developments in the international situation in the past year have reaffirmed the correctness of these general principles. Upheavals, mass struggles, and revolutions have shaken the very foundations of the imperialist system. The basic contradictions in the world have sharpened. In particular, the contradiction between U.S. imperialism and Soviet social-imperialism on the one hand, and the people of the world, including the U.S. and Soviet people; and the contradiction between the two super-powers in their scramble for world hegemony and spheres of influence have become even more acute and widespread. The Indochinese peoples have taken a decisive step forward in driving the imperialist aggressors out of all Indochina with support and assistance from millions of peace-loving people in the U.S. and around the world.
The victories in Indo-China prove the truth of Comrade Mao Tsetung’s words:
A weak nation can defeat a strong, a small nation can defeat a big. The people of a small country can certainly defeat aggression by a big country, if only they dare to rise in struggle, dare to take up arms and grasp in their own hands the destiny of their country. This is a law of history. May 20th Statement
The U.S. and their puppet troops have been dealt a stunning defeat. Similarly, all over the world national liberation is on the upsurge. The armed struggles of the Palestinian and other Arab peoples against U.S.-Israeli aggression have greatly weakened imperialism.
More and more, the struggle of small and medium countries for independence from the bullying of the two super-powers is beginning to play a very important role in isolating the super-powers and winning middle forces over to the side of anti-imperialism. This isolation was marked by the great victory of the restoration of China’s legal rights in the United Nations.
The war plots of the super-powers have grown especially treacherous, and during the last year were marked by UJS. aggression in Indo-China and by Soviet support for an armed invasion of East Pakistan by the Indian expansionists. But this has only succeeded in further exposing these plots of imperialism and social-imperialism before the world’s people.
In the very heartlands of the imperialist and social-imperialist countries, workers and other progressive forces have been rising up in massive rebellions and strikes as the system of capitalism is being rocked by a severe crisis. A profound change in the balance of power among the imperialist countries is occurring, and the capitalists have intensified their fight to shift the crisis onto each other, as well as their own workers.
All in all, we are witnessing the most favorable conditions for anti-imperialist struggle ever. Countries want independence, nations want liberation and the people want revolution-this historical tide is pounding the decadent rule of imperialism and all reaction. New vistas for expanding the international united front against imperialism are opening daily, and growing numbers of people are taking an active part in the struggle.
While revolution is the main trend in the world, the possibility of world war still exists. The present situation shows us that war is a class question. As long as imperialism exists it must drive for super-profits and world conquest, making war inevitable. Lasting peace can only be won through defeating imperialism.
This situation poses important tasks for the communist movement in the U.S., primarily the application of this strategic international united front against imperialism to the concrete conditions in the U.S. today. At this time, the central one is the building of a new, genuine communist party. We must mobilize the working class in struggle against U.S. imperialism and educate it in proletarian internationalism. We must also construct the broadest possible united front within the U.S., directed against imperialism and its double-dealing policies. We must resolutely support the three Indochinese peoples and other oppressed nations in their just struggles against imperialism and all reaction. And we must strengthen the unity of the socialist countries and the peoples of the U.S.