IMGpapers 1976–79

Newspapers of the International Marxist Group and its forerunners, 1976–79

NI VNIHO TONAL

Socialist Challenge No. 75, 7 December 1978 · pp. 8-9 of the scan · 1,503 words

The scan: sc-n75-dec-7-1978.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive, opens at this page)

Uncorrected machine reading. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from a scan of a newspaper page, and the page was cut into articles by machine, at the headlines found by their type size. Nothing has been corrected: expect misread words, text from a neighbouring article, and titles that are the machine reading of the headline, some of them only fragments. Quote from the scan, not from this page.
How this article was cut and titled: headline found by type size in the OCR geometry (split_tabloid.py); 2-6 of 7; machine-segmented newspaper page; uncorrected Vision OCR.

page 8 of the scan

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page 9 of the scan

at men look so great| are kneeling, Selected Works of Marx and Engels, VOL.IV. D.355)

Second, both dictatorship and democracv - DCORO to the structure and serve the economic base. Neither of them is the final goal.

Third, democracy and dictatorship and inter-dependent and complementary. Those who consider dictatorship should be higher than democracy are absurd, both in theory and practice.

When we have completely built socialism and eliminated classes and differences between classes, dictatorship of the proletariat will no longer required ana WIl because by then it will have lost its role.

If we don't clearly understand or don't understand this at all, we are apt to consiact alctarorsmip as adsorute and sacred, and may wantonly expand the scope of dictatorshiD reduce the main body which enforces dictatorship.

This teaches us that those who 'had an obsession of the dictatorship of the proletariat' and clamoured 'enforcing an all-round dictatorship' banning pople's democracy precisely the most vicious enemies of the dictatorship of the proletariat. superT that create AHOLE the Constitution end vote, Frequently, following.

ICDOFES LO while This were authorities Lenin "In the election this representatives, IV To safeguard socialist democracy, legislative and judicial work must be strengthened class enemies and all transgressions of law and disipline must be resolutely sanctioned in order the CHYHUHLICHL dilCi • conditions under which the people can enjoy the law's protection.

LIC VaROUS

democratic rights stipulated in the and law. MOS important are the pople's right to dismiss and SUPCIVISC the personnel of the state's executive and administrative organs.

something like the occurs: a certain unit's leader is highly incompetent, and even abuses his authority and does all sorts of evil things. But the masses can do nothing to him, not even after writing June nigner authorities exposing his deeds.

big burden on their minds cannot be taken off until the higher decide to replace him Cases like this have greatly impaired the prestige of the Party and the government among the people.

repeatedly said that proletarian democracy is a million democratic than any DOUrECOs ccmocracy KnO una InIs 'higher class democracy" is expressed DOCESSes ane une constant opportunities of elections as well as in the conditions of re-electing and recalling the representatives; for the workers in cities and rural areas, much easier and convenient than the best bourgeois democratic style'. (Selected works of Lenin, Vol.Ili, p.743).

The pople's rights to vote, dismiss and supervise have not been effectively exercised fora very long time. It is now imperative to implement firmly the measures that call for ciccuing une representatives through secret ballot and to adopt measures to rectify the situation in which the masses haven't the slightest knowledge and understanding of their still less how they work and what opinions they present.

A recall system with legal validity should be established that includes the required percentage of people of a unit needed to recall a leading person and an effective procedure set up to effect a recall so that the people have the right to recall in reality, not in name.

It is also necessary to encourage and moDulse ine masser organisations, including trade unions, mecre mewomen sicueranons and the various other mass bodies, exercise supervision over the leading organs and leading cadres.

At the same time, criticism of major administrative and management defects snouia be pudisnea in papers and journals to facilitate timely correction ana provide une caares and masse: with education through example.

uus.udor ISSuCS implementation of the line policies, and minor issues, such as the examination and publication of a piece of literary work, are all subject to the people's superision and decided by the people's will.

TRADITIONS Today, nearly 30 years after the Tounc ne orNew camna. me issue ove socialist democracy SCH OCC HoC oc e bacc0n the work agenda — this is determined by our national history.

Marx said: 'People do not create their history at will, not under the conditions of their own choice, but under the existing conditions directly confronting them which they inherit from the past'. (Selected works of Marx and Engels, Vol.1, p.603).

Just babies cannot cnoose unei momers, peopie cannol possibly choose their own historical racons. OTLanSIS new-born motherland, though full of vitality, bear the birthmark of the fedalistie tradition of thousands of ycal)

In past generations our productive forces developed slow! within a narrow and natural economic structure. Peasants overwhelming majority population, but lived an isolated, secluded life To a very great extent, existence did not rev intercourse. Lack of common contacts rendered them unable to protect their own class interests, necessitating the because we them.

unrestricted CinTouet-mass power Marx and Engels, Vol.1, p.693).

Such exposure and and mistakes years.

monarchy, religious such as the and chateneee -LO C monarchy power of the monarchy.

OTSOuTe 1911 revolution.

legal "genuine son Emperor.

could be subject's republic in name only: possibly country.

OU l CmnDeTO failed to enjoy an was even darker and crueller Can ti their difference between SUCdE need for someone else to represent *Their representatives were invari- don't ably their masters at the same time, the freedom. authority towering high above them Tsetung, government protected them encroachment by other classes and Destowea rain ana sunsaine uvon unen from high above'. (Selected works of CCO OMY backward mode of production was the solid fondation of the feudal autocratic system that reigned our country for thousands of In the course of world history the aristocracy shared power with the authority sur- from an passed the authority of the monarchy, 'human rights' during the Renaissance aU nObE OTERE in Huence and finally the political oower o lic oourecos e reacu ut But in China there never was a class or a religious authority strong enough CEHE aoso ute authority' of the monarchy before the In the orthodox minds of the people there had to exist a of heaven' the It never occurred to them that there other kinds of political systems. The Emperor's will was law, continues to and all other laws were subordinate to intucuce him. There was no such thing as a personal rights; there was four only the Emperor's infinite authority, heavily feudal-socialistic?

The 1911 revolution established the actually dictatorship by feudal warlords of al descriptions reigned throughout the be "heresy".

Although during the period from Yuan Shih-kai to Chiang Kai-shek the was Cansed menla President and the term Kingdom to thoroughly Republie, the Chinese people not only is called democracy, but also suffered under a Following fedal and fasist domination which Chairman Mao made an incisive analysis of those autocratic oligarchs wearing new clothing: hat's the equally them and the China autocratic emperors? Theconstitution development. and president they are talking about Despite are all sham... I'm not attacking them without cause. What I'm saying is well grounded: They are talking about constitutional government they give the people the least (Selected works of Mao Vol.2, p.694).

The Chinese people have lived too an autocratic system!

Feudal tradition has put too heavy a burden on the people!

The pernicious influence of fedal COLLEV persists because it has existed for over 2,000 vears and because the power of thi monarchy, unlike that in Europe, was never questioned.

The influence of fedal ideology also continues to persist because the new social system was directly created extremely inferior semi-colonial and semi-fedal state, and more importantly, the ideology's Contaue pecause the conditions for its survival still exist in LIC DICSCHL SOCICLY.

Today, China's social productive forces remain very backward, manual labour is quite extensive, agricultural yields sent to market are low, and socialisation, division of labour and specialisation in industrial production not highly developed.

This is why the masses still have a backward standard of living as well as why fedal ideology frequently crops up under the guise of 'socialism' and exert its poisonous Weren't the 'theories advertised by Lin Piao and the gang o and the policies they pushed Even today, it is still common that people abruptly fall silent wheneve they hear such words as 'democracy and 'freedom', deming these terms to nere ore is moerauveto alne! a new movement of enlightenment and emane bano! -OTUC to liquidate feudal traditions and ideology. Our Chinese nation has great potential.

epoch-making victory of the Chinese revolution in • 1949, the victorious smashing of the gang of four - which has attraeted the attention of the whole world and is epoch-making brought into period of detours, socialist democracy and its legal system have radiant prospects.

----- pull-quotes -----

SE COISIN Ino

мон jo sassem past шол

э4.1, Jo

ourselves Stand Up!

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