Editorial


First Published: Canadian Revolution, No. 1, May 1975
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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They brought guns loaded with powder here,
they came with orders to kill without mercy,
hey found a people joined in song
a people united by duty and love,
and a thin girl fell clutching her banner
and a youth fell wounded at her side
and the people amazement fed by fury and sorrow
watched the dead fall.
Then, in the place where the victims fell
the banners bowed to soak themselves in blood
to be raised again in the face of the assassins.

Pablo Neruda

As we prepare again to celebrate the holiday of the International Working Class, these words of the great Chilean poet take on a special meaning. In the past year liberation struggles have made great inroads in their battles against imperialism. Liberation movements have raised their flags over Portugal’s former colonies in Africa, fascist regimes in Greece and Portugal have been toppled. The Palestinians have won international recognition and support, and are represented in the United Nations. By the time this appears in print, American puppets will have been driven from Cambodia and perhaps from all of Indo-China.

In Canada, native people marched three thousand miles to the state capital in Ottawa, their cries for justice heard the length and breadth of the land. Struggles are being waged over control of the land and its resources in Northern Quebec, Manitoba and British Columbia.

Only Italy among the industrial countries of the world, had more strikes in relation to its population this past year than did Canada. But the working class in Canada has demonstrated not only a willingness to do battle with the capitalists. In the 16 month strike against United Aircraft, the workers have demonstrated that kind of fearless perseverance which ultimately will carry the Canadian working class to victory over the forces of the bourgeoisie.

In Quebec, Marxist-Leninist organizations are advancing in their struggle to build a strong and united Marxist-Leninist centre of leadership. In the Maritimes, in Ontario, the Prairies and in B.C., Marxist-Leninists have organized themselves into collectives and study circles for the purpose of applying Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tse-tung Thought to the task of proletarian revolution in Canada.

It is into this situation that the first issue of Canadian Revolution comes. This journal is published by a working collective of Marxist-Leninists in Toronto for the purpose of promoting debate and furthering analysis among Marxist-Leninists throughout Canada. This task is one of many that must be tackled on the road to building a genuine Marxist-Leninist Party in Canada to lead the proletarian revolution. The journal is not the centre or the leadership of this process. Rather, it is our hope that the journal will catalyse this struggle and help break down the geographical barriers of this country which serve to make difficult frequent meetings among Marxist-Leninists from different regions.

Our publishing priorities fall into three broad areas. The first is concrete analysis of the conditions in Canada. Analysis of the history, nature, and balance of forces among classes in Canada is a serious weakness of the Marxist-Leninist movement at this time, and, in the beginning, the journal will reflect this deficiency. We do, however, present two articles which address the question of the character of the revolution. The first of these is by En Lutte in Montreal, a section of their position, Creons l’Organisation Marxiste-Leniniste de lutte pour le Parti, published in December 1974. The translation here has been approved by En Lutte. It is our intention to continue to translate and make available in English some of the important theoretical work presently being done in Quebec. The second by a group of Toronto Marxist-Leninists, is the first of two articles on Canada and imperialism. The second part will appear in the next issue of Canadian Revolution.

The second major area of journal attention will be the development of a revolutionary strategy for Canada. In this area is included a systematic refutation of counter-revolutionary theories and strategies which retard and sabotage the building of a revolutionary movement. Two of the articles in this issue address the question of party-building as a present task facing the Marxist-Leninist movement in Canada. Towards the Marxist-Leninist Organization is an excerpt from the pamphlet by the same name published by the Mouvement Revolutionaire des Etudiants du Quebec last October. This edited version, about one third the length of the original, addresses specifically the MREQ’s position on party-building. Editing and translation was done by MREQ. D. Stover and Nina Perri are Toronto communists who authored the second article on party-building.

Additionally, a series of articles dealing with the opportunist nature of social-democracy is presented. The analysis of the nature of social-democracy reprinted from Albania Today forms the basis for the analysis of the demise of the Ontario Waffle by two former members and a criticism of the latest shufflings of its former leadership by Dennis Corcoran.

Finally, we wish the journal to become a forum for discussion of some of the ’burning issues’ of our time. This must include such questions as the struggle for the liberation of women, the struggle against racism, for the rights of Native people, and practical work among the people. The review in this issue, of E. F. Hill’s book Looking Backward, Looking Forward provides an analysis of the role of communists in the working class and particularly in the trade union movement.

We would like to thank all of those who have contributed articles, letters, their time and their skills to the production of this issue. Special thanks are extended to the Vancouver Study Group for the generous donation they included with their letter. While this issue is top-heavy, perhaps, with material originating in Southern Ontario and Quebec, the letters indicate that there is sincere interest in our progress across Canada and we expect that future issues will reflect that interest through participation. The articles and letters published here also clearly reflect some of the differences present in the Marxist-Leninist movement and serve to point out the need for the kind of debate in which these differences are aired and resolved through investigation and principled struggle.

Criteria for what is to be included in the journal is as follows: articles should be consistent with the stated editorial priorities and principles of the journal and will be judged according to the clarity and significance of the political line presented. Summations of mass work should take a political line on the nature of that work or reflect a two-line struggle on the role of Marxist-Leninists in that mass work. We are particularly desirous of soliciting articles that present class analysis of Canada, views on the character of the Canadian revolution, the liberation of women, and analysis of the contemporary political situation from a Marxist-Leninist viewpoint. The emphasis of the journal will be material originating in Canada and relating to Canada, but important questions of proletarian internationalism, and significant positions originating elsewhere will not be ignored.

Contributions to the journal should be signed either individually or by an organization and represent the views of the contributor. Only those positions signed by Canadian Revolution represent the viewpoint of our collective. We reserve the right to solicit replies to articles with which the journal group disagrees prior to their publication.

We have also instituted the policy of printing letters to the journal. This, we hope, will make possible responses to particular points of analysis or disagreement with specific articles, and will facilitate participation by persons unable or unwilling to prepare a full position on a given question. Letters not intended for publication should be so marked.

Submissions to the journal should be typewritten, double spaced on 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper. All submissions will be acknowledged upon receipt.

Among the articles planned for the second issue of the journal are the second part of the analysis “Canada and Imperialism” and a reply to CPC(M-L)’s call for unity among Marxist-Leninists under the leadership of the ’Party’ which states why this call should be rejected, A position on the question of women has been solicited from comrades in Quebec, and an analysis of social democracy in power has been solicited from B.C.

We look forward to your comments and criticisms of this issue and your suggestions on how we might improve. We also urgently solicit your contributions, both written and financial. The response from our readership will ultimately determine the success or failure of this venture.

The Editorial Board