First Published: Canadian Revolution No. 3, October-November 1975
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Malcolm and Paul Saba
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In this third issue of Canadian Revolution we again take up the vitally important question of party building. Although it is not the intention of Canadian Revolution to focus exclusively on this question,, the fact that this is the second issue of the journal where a major portion of the content is taken up by this question does, in fact, reflect the level of debate presently going on, especially in Quebec. We think it is essential for Marxist-Leninists in English Canada to be aware of the present debates and have the opportunity to learn from them. In Quebec the struggle among the Marxist-Leninist movement is no longer whether party building is the central task. It is instead, the actual steps toward this goal. In this issue we present the positions of two groups: from Quebec, EN LUTTE! and from Toronto, Workers Unity, both of whom outline the present tasks for Marxist-Leninists in building Marxist-Leninist organizations as a preparatory step in building the new communist party. What is significant is that both positions advance the level of debate from an abstract recognition of the need for a party to concrete formulations of the steps involved in carrying out this task. This we believe is a step forward.
“The Tasks of the Marxist-Leninist Movement: How to Build the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party” was initially presented by EN LUTTE! in their newspaper (of the same name). The first or introductory section puts forward what they consider to be a Marxist-Leninist viewpoint on the general methods and the stages of the formation and development of the communist party. It is the first stage, “the period of formation of the vanguard (of the party) of the proletariat, the period of grouping the cadre of the Party” that they believe Marxist-Leninists to be presently in, and they outline the political and organizational tasks of this period. To carry out these tasks a Marxist-Leninist organization needs to be created and they elaborate on the method for building this organization and how this organization should operate in the final three sections of their article.
Although the Marxist-Leninist forces are not as developed in English Canada as they are in Quebec, the same questions are being asked and debated. In Toronto, where the Marxist-Leninist forces tend to be isolated or scattered in a few small groupings, Workers Unity makes a positive step in putting to the fore their position on the necessity of building the party and the immediate tasks of Communists to begin this process. Within their article, “Unite to Build the Marxist-Leninist Party!”, they undergo self-criticism of their own past practice as well as pointing to other lines and tendencies which must be combatted in order to unite Marxist-Leninists.
Canadian Revolution feels that the articles from both EN LUTTE! and Workers Unity are serious contributions in the struggle for the party and think that it is essential that Marxist-Leninists across the country begin to debate these questions in their own localities. We hope also, that more contributions will be forthcoming from other parts of Canada.
In the strivings for Marxist-Leninists to advance the cause of proletarian revolution and the building of the proletarian party, we must be conscious not only of where we are going but also how we got here. We need to understand and to look critically at the historical background of Communists in Canada. For in doing this many important lessons can be learned. It is with this in mind that we are reprinting a “History of the Communist Party of Canada” prepared by Librarie Progressiste, a Marxist-Leninist formation in Montreal. The history, which will run in three consecutive issues of Canadian Revolution, takes a critical look at the Communist Party of Canada from the years 1921-1974. Very little is available on the history of the C.P.C and yet an understanding of it, especially in attempting to examine the historical basis for its’ revisionist practice today, is essential to Marxist-Leninists in their struggle to build a genuine proletarian party in Canada. Work of this nature, which attempts to analyse the C.P.C. from a Marxist-Leninist perspective is extremely useful.
Also in this issue is another reprint from Albania Today entitled “The Objective and Subjective Factors in the Revolution”. This article stresses the dialectical relationship between the objective and subjective forces and polemicizes most sharply against the right opportunists (the revisionists, the economists, the spontaneists) who reject the role of theory, who liquidate the proletarian party and deny the necessity for the dictatorship of the proletariat. However it warns, it will not do either to stress the subjective factors to the negation of the objective factors (as do the Trotskyists) and ignore the historical development of each country and the level of consciousness and organization of the masses.
But, understanding the particular balance between these two forces and building a Marxist-Leninist party which is armed with revolutionary theory and linked with the masses is the subjective factor indispensible to the revolutionary transformation of objective reality.
Canadian Revolution has reprinted this article from Albania Today for several reasons. Firstly, because of its relevance to the debates within the Canadian Marxist-Leninist movement on the need for such a party. Secondly, we feel that it is important to acquaint more of our readers with the theoretical articles coming out of Albania, in part because they are not widely available, but more importantly, because we feel that Albania takes very seriously the study of current trends within the western industrialized countries and has made some valuable contributions in the application of Marxism-Leninism to the present situation. And too, that Albania, along with China has been foremost in exposing and criticizing revisionism in all its different forms throughout the world.
The book review in this issue takes a look at the various resource material available in the study of political economy. The author, Treat Hull, concentrates on Political Economy; a beginners’ course, by A. Leontiev, originally published in the USSR but which has recently been reprinted by Proletarian Publishers. Since the study of political economy is so fundamental to being able to analyze correctly the world situation and Canada in particular and since so many study groups have embarked on this task only to be confronted by numerous non-Marxist-Leninist texts, we thought it would be very helpful to provide a critique of one of the better Marxist-Leninist texts available.
We are continuing to receive many letters of support and criticism. Both the letters and subscriptions to Canadian Revolution and the personal contact we have had with many readers of Canadian Revolution indicate to us that the journal has, so far, been successful in its goals to promote ideological and political debate nationally. To continue to carry out our tasks we need continual feedback and criticism as to your views on the debates within the Marxist-Leninist movement, what effect C.R. is having in your area and suggestions and contributions for content in future issues.
Another indication of our success has been the fact that we have completely sold out of the 1st and 2nd issues. We are presently reprinting more of them and intend to increase the numbers of copies printed in the future. As we mentioned in the last issue, the bulk of our copies are going to the main centres of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, and any aid from our readers in distribution outside these cities would be greatly appreciated. We also wish to thank the many people who have helped financially with subscriptions and donations. Your continued support both politically and financially is essential to the continuing publication of Canadian Revolution.