First Published: Vanguard, Vol. 1, No. 6, July 1964.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba and Sam Richards
Copyright: This work is in the Public Domain under the Creative Commons Common Deed. You can freely copy, distribute and display this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit the Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism On-Line as your source, include the url to this work, and note any of the transcribers, editors & proofreaders above.
THE great debate in the Communist movement has led to the necessity to distinguish between two trends, the revisionist and the Marxist-Leninist. Broadly, these trends may be defined by their attitude to three questions: peaceful co-existence; peaceful competition; peaceful transition to Socialism.
The revisionists see peaceful co-existence as the be-all and end-all, Marxist-Leninists work for peaceful co-existence of countries of different social systems but at the same time recognise that peace can only come with the end of imperialism.
The revisionists believe that peaceful competition in raising living standards etc. will show the benefits of a Socialist system (in twenty years time) to the people of the capitalist countries and make them demand Socialism. Marxist-Leninists, while not ignoring this factor, also emphasize that peaceful competition cannot be allowed to override struggle and solidarity now.
The revisionists place nearly all their hopes on a peaceful transition to Socialism. Marxist-Leninists point out that it is deceiving the people not to point out, that while we work for a peaceful transition, it is more than likely that this will not be the case, and we must therefore also prepare ourselves for a non-peaceful transition.
All else stems (in my opinion) from these three main strategical considerations. They have been better expressed elsewhere, I admit!
In the drive to unite all Marxist-Leninists there must be some criterion as to what is a Marxist-Leninist. Do comrades consider the above three points to be too low a minimum standard? Opinions would be most welcome.