Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism On-Line

Communist Workers Movement

The “Absolute Decline” of the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)


Social Democracy

Towards the end of the last century – the era of imperialism two new political forces emerged, Marxism-Leninism and Social Democracy. Marxism-Leninism was the political philosophy of a class-conscious proletariat, Social Democracy on the other hand, was committed to Monopoly Capitalism from the first, it claimed to rule in the name of the majority, using the polemical form of Socialism, and the class content of Capitalism.

It has been argued by the party that Social Democracy is a working class philosophy, but this is treading on treacherous ground. The arguments reduced to absurdity go like this:

1) Ruling ideas are the ideas of the ruling class (Marx)
2) Ruling ideas are Social Democratic.
3) Social Democracy is working class.
4) The working class is the ruling class.

This is the nonsensical conclusion the party brings us to in “Struggle of Ideas.”

Once again the party’s conception is idealist and one-sided – Social Democracy cannot be the inter-action between classes, but must be the product of one particular class – as part of the campaign of vilification against the industrial working class, Social democracy is laid at their door, as indeed since Fourth Congress has Fascism.