Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism On-Line

The truth about the relations between the Marxist-Leninist Party of the USA and the Communist Party of Canada (M-L)


Letter of the CC of the Communist Party of Canada (M-L) to the CC of the Marxist-Leninist Party of the USA May 29, 1980

Central Committee, Marxist-Leninist Party of the USA.

The ZZZ [1] has reported to our Party with documented facts that you are dishing out slanders and gossips against our Party amongst their supporters in the U.S.A. and that you are inciting your membership and supporters to attack and slander CPC(M-L). According to this report, the gossips and slanders being spread in various areas of the United States also include the repetition of the same lying assertions and slanderous accusations which were included in the letter written by Joseph Green for the National Executive Committee of COUSML to our Party dated December 1,1979, to which the CC of CPC(M-L) gave a fitting reply in detail in our letter of December 5, 1979 which was delivered into the hands of the COUSML representative on December 7, 1979. COUSML never replied to our letter before it folded at the end of last year.

The provocative activity being carried out by cadre of the MLP, USA from coast-to-coast in the U.S.A. shows conclusively that you want to settle the outstanding matters between CPC(M-L) and COUSML, to which COUSML could not reply before breathing its last, by spreading gossips and slanders through your supporters amongst the supporters of the ZZZ in the U.S.A. and amongst others, as well. These provocative activities and other known and related anti-CPC(M-L) actions which have been carried out by your organization clearly shows that you have no principles to stand on. In the absence of any justness and integrity on your side, you have been forced to go down the well-travelled path of all agent-provocateurs, the notorious path of the revisionists and opportunists of all hues, the path of settling important and serious matters of Marxist-Leninist principle through gossip, rumour, slander, insinuations and innuendoes, pressure and blackmail. These activities also reveals the deep anti-CPC(M-L) feeling and resentment you are harbouring in your hearts while, at the same time, proclaiming from the roof tops to the whole world that the MLP, USA is the “fraternal party” of CPC(M-L).

Our Party holds that the MLP, USA has no business whatsoever to spread gossips, rumours and slanders publicly, or privately for that matter, with regard to the nature and content of the fraternal relations between COUSML and our Party. If there was anything which COUSML wished to communicate to our Party on any question, then it had ample time and opportunity to do so before its dissolution on December 31, 1979. Secondly, the MLP, USA is not a “fraternal party” of the CPC(M-L), nor can you settle the major differences of principle which arose between our two fraternal Marxist-Leninist organizations, the CPC(M-L) and COUSML. Finally the fact that COUSML saw fit to not reply to the letter of the CC of CPC(M-L) of December 5, 1979 before its dissolution shows that it must have considered our criticism and repudiation of the false charges and lying assertions in the letter of Joseph Green for the NEC of COUSML to the NEC of CPC(M-L) to be correct and just. This is the only conclusion which can be drawn from its silence.

Our Party also rejects the bizarre reportage in the April 15th edition of The Workers’ Advocate by a so-called “delegation of the Central Committee of the Marxist-Leninist Party of the USA” to the Internationalist Rally organized by CPC(M-L) on March 30, 1980 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary celebrations of the founding of our Party. This “report” deliberately gives the deceptive impression that your Party was invited to the Internationalist Rally, which was not the case. Besides this, through the publication of a public letter from your Founding Congress to CPC(M-L) and a second letter printed in the same April 15th edition of Workers’ Advocate ostensibly “hailing” the 10th anniversary of the founding of our Party, a message signed by the CC of the MLP, USA and dated March 30, 1980 which to date has not been received by our Party, and so on, you have been sedulously trying to create the impression at home and abroad that not only has your Party established fraternal relations with CPC(M-L) but close and developped fraternal relations, which is also not the case. These high-handed and provocative activities on your part are unprincipled maneouvres to use pressure and blackmail for the purposes of accomplishing your own ends of forcing our Party to accept your anti-Leninist views and positions on the important questions of founding and building the Marxist-Leninist party of the proletariat in the U.S.A., of the unity of the Marxist-Leninists, on the proletarian strategy and tactics for the proletarian revolution and on other vital problems of the revolution and socialism. Such activities are not the activities characteristic of a sincere and genuine fraternal Marxist-Leninist Party. We denounce and completely dissociate ourselves from such activities.

Our Party, and the Internationalists before, has always looked at the question of establishing and building unity, fraternal relations and revolutionary co-operation with the Marxist-Leninist and revolutionary forces in the United States and on the world scale from the standpoint of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism and with utmost seriousness. Over the years, we have consistently built firm and warm ties of fraternal unity and friendship with first the American Communist Workers Movement (Marxist-Leninist) and then the Central Organization of U.S. Marxist-Leninists, as well as with the genuine Marxist-Leninist parties of other lands.

At the end of 1979, COUSML ceased to exist. However, the organization established by COUSML neither established relations with CPC(M-L) nor did it make any effort whatsoever to seek to do so. On the contrary, your organization has carried out provocateur activities, blackmail and pressure and gross and flagrant interference for the purposes of forcing our Party to accept your anti-Leninist positions. Thus you have been issuing public declarations in a lofty manner that the MLP, USA is the “fraternal party” of the CPC(M-L) and distributing these internationally, and so on. The truth of the matter is that CPC(M-L) not only never established any relations whatsoever with your Party, but it also never engaged in any discussions to this end. Furthermore, the letter of the NEC of CPC(M-L) written to COUSML on January 19, 1980, after we received an order for literature from a local branch of the MLP, USA, requesting information on this organization, and so on, remains unanswered to date. Of course, you knew perfectly well that CPC(M-L) did not support the principles enunciated in the Call issued by COUSML in 1979 to found and build the Marxist-Leninist party in the U.S.A., and the ideo-political differences and divergences on this and other questions of Marxist-Leninist principle were never resolved before the dissolution of COUSML. Thus, for you to vainly strive to blackmail our Party by simply issuing declarations that CPC(M-L) is the fraternal party of the MLP, USA, not only flies in the face of the known facts but also can serve no other purpose but to harm the interests of the Marxist-Leninists in the U.S.A., as well as to cause damage to CPC(M-L) and the monolithic unity of the International Marxist-Leninist Communist Movement. The outstanding fact that our Party did not agree with the analysis and principles embodied in the Call issued by COUSML taken together with the fact that our Party presented its views in detail to COUSML on this question should have been enough to bring home to you that our Party would not establish any fraternal relations of friendship and co-operation with a Party based on this Call. However you have further degenerated into trying to fool public opinion, cover-up and spread confusion in order to exert pressure against our Party on this question. This amounts to abandonning both unity on the basis of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism and unity in action against the common enemies. Our Party resolutely condemns this perfidious activity of yours and we shall carry on condemning this provocateur activity to the end unless you put a stop to it at once.

Our unity with the fraternal Marxist-Leninist parties is based on the principles of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism. Our Party does not believe that the general line presented in the Communique and the resolutions publicly issued by the Founding Congress of your Party are based on the revolutionary theory of Marxism-Leninism and the principles of scientific socialism. On the contrary, the line advocated by the Founding Congress consists of a hodge-podge of concepts and views taken from the arsenal of American opportunism, which is based on the anti-Leninist theory of American exceptionalism, mixed with phrases from the classics of Marxism-Leninism and the revolutionary theses of the International Marxist-Leninist Communist Movement. The Communique itself neither proceeds from the laws and facts of social and historical development nor gives any concrete analysis whatsoever from the Marxist-Leninist standpoint of the present-day conditions, the class struggle and the forces in combat in the contemporary period in either the U.S.A. or on the international plane. Hence, the strategy and tactics advocated in this Communique do not conform to the science of Marxism-Leninism nor to the interests of the proletariat and its hegemonic role in the revolution. Our Party which has taken up the historic task of proletarian revolution for solution is firmly opposed to such a line enunciated in this Communique. It is our conviction that a Party whose Founding Congress has issued such a Communique has not been founded on the sound basis of the Marxist-Leninist political, ideological and organizational principles, and is not a genuine Marxist-Leninist party. Hence, there can be no relations established with such a Party on the basis of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism.

The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) has a long and glorious history of over ten years of fraternal friendship and revolutionary co-operation with the genuine Marxist-Leninists in the U.S.A. The unity of the Marxist-Leninists of our two countries is unshakeable and can never be undermined nor sabotaged by the fact that you are brandishing your own peculiar analysis based on American exceptionalism, nor does our Party permit anyone to undermine this Marxist-Leninist unity.

Our letter to you and the activities we have carried out to build the unity of the Marxist-Leninists of the two countries is motivated solely by the purest sentiments and principles of proletarian internationalist solidarity and unity in the great cause of revolution and socialism against the common enemy with the genuine Marxist-Leninist and revolutionary forces in the U.S.A., with whom we have neither quarrels nor conflicts.

It is our firm conviction that the confusion spread by the erroneous analysis presented in your Communique and resolutions and your provocateur activities to mislead and deceive the genuine Marxist-Leninists in the U.S.A. can only cause temporary confusion. The fact that your Party has adopted anti-Leninist theses as presented in the Communique and the resolutions of your Founding Congress is a matter of grave concern to us and we are neither happy nor joyful about this turn of events organized by yourselves. The fact that you have gone to the extent of publicly spreading gossips and slanders against CPC(M-L) amongst the Marxist-Leninists and revolutionary forces in the U.S.A. is also not a matter of joy or happiness for our Party. These provocateur activities are extremely harmful to the cause of the revolution and socialism on the world scale. You have created an extremely dangerous situation for the Marxist-Leninist forces in the U.S.A. We are also well aware that you are carrying out provocative activities internationally. The anti-Leninist theses proclaimed by your Party and these provocative activities internally and externally are extremely harmful to the monolithic unity of the International Marxist-Leninist Communist Movement, as well as to the cause of the unity of the Marxist-Leninists in the U.S.A. itself. Our Party calls upon you to immediately desist from engaging in such dastardly activities, rectify and take up the historic task of building the Party on the basis of the sound principles of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism, and on no other basis.

You should examine this matter carefully and put an immediate and unequivocal end to the slanderous propaganda such as that which has been unleashed against CPC(M-L) in the United States. Our Party has always in theory and in practice supported the vigorous exchange of viewpoints and opinions between the genuine Marxist-Leninist parties for the purposes of mutual enlightenment, arriving at the correct Marxist-Leninist conclusions on common problems and consolidating and strengthening the unity and revolutionary co-operation between the Marxist-Leninist parties in the revolutionary struggle against the common enemies. These bilateral and multilateral discussions and exchanges strengthen the unity of the International Marxist-Leninist Communist Movement and are a powerful blow against imperialism and social-imperialism and revisionism and opportunism of all hues. This is the correct Leninist norm. Instead of adhering to this norm, you have resorted to gutter politics which is the hallmark of revisionism and opportunism of all hues. Your activities are not Marxist-Leninist. For your part, you are being “diplomatic” and two-faced with one view “over the table” and another view “under the table”. You are claiming to the whole world that you are the “fraternal party” of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist). You profess that you are for the “unity” of the International Marxist-Leninist Communist Movement and call yourself its “loyal contingent”. But you are using the method of gossips and rumours, innuendo and insinuation, provocation and incitement and blackmail and pressure and gross and flagrant interference which is not only harmful to the interests of CPC(M-L) but also to the interests of the genuine Marxist-Leninist forces in the United States as well as to the International Marxist-Leninist Communist Movement. To carry such disruptive activities does not behoove a genuine Marxist-Leninist party and can only bring joy to the common enemies. Inspite of all the activities you have been carrying out, we reaffirm the great confidence of our Party in the sincerity, integrity and dedication of the genuine Marxist-Leninist forces in the U.S.A. to the victory of the revolution and socialism, the lofty goal and aspirations of the proletarians and peoples of all lands. They will always receive our symapthy and resolute support.

If you continue these activities you have been resorting to, you will certainly emerge into open struggle against Marxism-Leninism and the forces of revolution and socialism. It is your communist duty and responsibility to put an immediate end to them. You have publicly declared your allegiance to the cause of the revolution and socialism. Yet, at the same time, you are resorting to tactics and forms of struggle characteristic of the revisionists and opportunists as well as adopted the analysis for which they have earnt such a notoriety. We rightly ask: why are you carrying on such activities? From the report sent to us by ZZZ on your activities amongst their supporters and the other known and related activities, it seems that you are indignant that CPC(M-L) does not have “fraternal relations” with you. Yet, at the same time, you have zealously taken measures which are pushing you farther and farther from Marxism-Leninism and the forces of revolution and socialism. On what basis do you establish relations with other genuine Marxist-Leninist parties? Do you sincerely believe for a minute that you can establish fraternal relations with other genuine Marxist-Leninist parties through pressure and blackmail and gross interference in their internal affairs? Fraternal relations can only be established with revisionist and opportunist organizations and sects on this basis.

Our Party is not happy that we have not established fraternal relations with your organization, but it is you who bear the sole responsibility for the situation. Nor should you idly draw the erroneous conclusion that our unhappiness with this situation is because of your provocateur activities. If you persist in such a path, we, of course, will fight you as we fight all revisionists and opportunists and the bourgeoisie and all reaction. We call upon you, once again, to put an end to such dastardly activities and take the path illuminated by the ever-fresh theory of Marxism-Leninism.

In conclusion, we point out to you that these are harsh criticisms but they are being sent to you for the purposes of assisting you to take up the glorious path of building the Marxist-Leninist party of the proletariat in the U.S.A. on the basis of Marxism-Leninism and the principles of proletarian internationalism. If you wish to obtain our views and analysis in detailed form, we invite you to send a delegation of the CC of your Party to pay a visit to Canada, and we will present to you our detailed analysis and study of your communique and the resolutions of your Founding Congress as well as our views on other pertinent questions. Because you have declared that you are the “fraternal party” of CPC(M-L), then we are certain that you will accept our proposal and send a delegation of your CC to receive the detailed views of our Party. This will assist you to understand and comprehend the positions of our Party thoroughly and deeply. At the same time, this will also give you ample opportunity to actually acquaint yourself with the views on these and other important and serious questions of the Party with which you have proclaimed that you have fraternal relations with. We can only reiterate, in conclusion, our call to you to end your provocateur activities and to base your Party on the immortal theory of Marxism-Leninism and the principles of proletarian internationalism, but that choice is yours, and yours alone to make.

Central Committee, Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist).
May 29, 1980.

Endnotes

[1] In the above letter the name of a certain Marxist-Leninist organization in a country outside North America has been replaced by ZZZ.