The April Theses – Vladimir Lenin

1) In our attitude towards the war, which under the new [provisional] government unquestionably remains on Russia’s part a predatory imperialist war owing to the capitalist nature of that government, not the slightest concession to ‘revolutionary defencism’ is permissible.

The class-conscious proletariat can give its consent to a revolutionary war, which would really justify revolutionary defencism, only on condition: (a) that the power pass to the proletariat; (b) that all annexations be renounced in deed and not in word; (c) that a complete break be effected in actual fact with all capitalist interests.

‘Left’ Communism: An Infantile Disorder – Vladimir Lenin

In what sense can we speak of the international significance of the Russian Revolution?

During the first months after the Russian proletariat had conquered political power, it might have seemed that the proletariat revolution in other countries would be very little like ours because of the tremendous differences between backward Russia and the advanced countries of Western Europe. But we now have considerable experience of an international scope which establishes that some fundamental features of our revolution are not local, not peculiarly national, but of international significance.

The Principles of Communism – Friedrich Engels

1. What is communism?

Communism is the doctrine of the conditions of the liberation of the proletariat.

2. What is the proletariat?

The proletariat is that class in society which lives entirely from the sale of its labor and does not draw profit from any kind of capital, whose sole existence depends on the demand for labor – hence, on the vagaries of unbridled competition. The proletariat is the working class of the 19th century.

Combat Liberalism – Mao Zedong

We stand for active ideological struggle because it is the weapon for ensuring unity within the Party and the revolutionary organizations in the interest of our fight; every Communist and revolutionary should take up this weapon. But liberalism rejects ideological struggle and stands for unprincipled peace, thus giving rise to a Philistine [indifferent] attitude and bringing about political degeneration in certain units and individuals in the Party and the revolutionary organizations.

Liberalism manifests itself in various ways.

1-To let things slide for the sake of peace and friendship when a person has clearly gone wrong, and refrain from principled argument because he is an old acquaintance; or to touch on the matter lightly instead of going into it thoroughly.

What is to be done? – Vladimir Lenin

Dogmatism and ‘Freedom of criticism’

What does freedom of criticism mean?

‘Freedom of criticism’ is used in controversies between Communists and Social-democrats. This new trend believes Socialism must change from a party of social revolution into a party of social reforms. They deny the scientific basis of Socialism, the growing impoverishment and the intensification of capitalist contradictions; they reject the idea of the dictatorship of the proletariat, and the theory of class struggle. 

On Authority – Friedrich Engels

Authority means, on the one hand, the imposition of the will of another upon ours; on the other hand, authority presupposes subordination. Since these two aspects sound bad, and the relationship which they represent is disagreeable to the subordinated party, the question is to find out whether there is any way of managing without it; whether we could not create another social system, in which this authority would be given no scope any longer, and would consequently have to disappear.

On examining the economic conditions which form the basis of present-day bourgeois society, we find that they tend more and more to replace isolated action with combined action of individuals.

The relationship between Social-democracy and Fascism

The following ideas are extracted from an article by the Encyclopedia of anti-Revisionism On-Line (EROL) titled ‘The concept of Social-fascism and the relationship between Social-democracy and Fascism’.

Joseph Stalin

Comrade Stalin writes an article entitled ‘Concerning the International Situation’ in September 1924. He opposes the idea that “the bourgeoisie adopted ‘pacifism’ and democracy’ not because it was compelled to do so, but voluntarily”. “[This idea] assumed that, having defeated the working class in decisive battles [like the Spartacist Uprising in Germany in 1918-1919 or the Biennio Rosso in Italy in 1919-1920], the bourgeoisie felt that it was the victor and could now afford to adopt ‘democracy’. In other words, while the decisive battles were in progress, the bourgeoisie needed a fighting organisation, needed Fascism; but now that the proletariat is defeated, the bourgeoisie no longer needs Fascism and can afford to use ‘democracy’ instead”. “This assumption is absolutely wrong”, he declares.

Socialism: Utopian and Scientific – Friedrich Engels

The Development of Utopian Socialism

Modern Socialism is the direct product of the recognition of the class antagonisms existing in today’s society between capitalists and wage-workers, and also the recognition of the anarchy existing in production. But in its theoretical form, it appears as a more logical extension of the principles laid down by the great French philosophers of the 18^th century.

These philosophers recognised no external authority and subjected everything – religion, natural science, society, political institutions – to the most unsparing criticism. Reason became the sole measure of everything. Every form of society and government that existed then was disregarded as irrational; everything in the past deserved only pity and contempt. Now, for the first time, appeared the kingdom of reason – superstition, injustice, privilege, oppression were to be superseded by eternal truth, eternal right, equality based on nature and the inalienable rights of the human.

Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 – Karl Marx

WAGES OF LABOUR

Wages are determined through the antagonistic struggle between capitalist and worker. Victory goes to the capitalist, as he can live longer without the worker than the worker can without the capitalist. The lowest and only necessary wage rate is that which provides for the subsistence of the worker for the duration of his work and as much more as is necessary for him to support a family and for the race of labourers not to die out.

Combination amongst capitalists is customary and effective; instead, combination amongst workers is prohibited and has painful consequences for them. The landowner and the capitalist can increase their revenues, but the worker has neither rent nor interest on capital to supplement his industrial income – hence the intensity of the competition amongst the workers. For workers, the separation of capital, land and labour is a damaging separation.

State and Revolution – Vladimir Lenin

What is the State?

The State is a product of society at a certain stage of development. It is an organisation of the exploiting class for the forcible holding down of the exploited class in the conditions of oppression determined by the existing mode of production. It is the manifestation of the irreconcilability of class antagonisms which society is powerless to eliminate. The existence of the State proves that the class antagonisms are irreconcilable.

In order that these antagonistic classes with conflicting economic interests did not consume themselves in a struggle, it became necessary to have a power, standing above society, which would alleviate the conflict and keep it within the bounds of ‘order’. This power, arisen out of society but placing itself above it – and alienating itself more and more from it – is the State.