p The reverse side of anti-communism is ideological defence of capitalism, an aggregation of ways and means used by bourgeois social science and propaganda designed to vindicate capitalism.

p These are theories, views and conceptions which seek to embellish capitalism, to camouflage it, to deny its antipopular, reactionary essence, and consequently to tramp fetters on the class consciousness of the working people, and to slow down the struggle for social progress, for socialism.

p Lenin repeatedly drew attention to the activity of the bourgeoisie in its efforts to corrupt the masses by means of reactionary slogans. He wrote that under bourgeois democracy “the capitalists must seek support among the masses . .. they strive to get the masses to defend capitalism”.  [189•1  He said that the bourgeoisie was unable to do without the masses, but that “it is impossible to gain the following of the masses without a widely ramified, systematically managed, well-equipped system of flattery, lies, fraud, juggling with fashionable and popular catchwords, and promising all manner of reforms and blessings to the workers right and left—as long as they renounce the revolutionary struggle for the overthrow of the bourgeoisie”.  [189•2 

p This activity in seeking to inject ideological poison into the minds of the working people has become of especial importance today, when deep-going internal contradictions, undermining capitalism itself, above all the contradiction between labour and capital, have assumed unprecedentedly sharp forms.

p The present-day ideological defence of capitalism is closely bound up with the overall line in bourgeois domestic policy under the scientific and technical revolution. The bourgeoisie has been seeking to make use of the tendency towards balanced development, which is inherent in modern production, in an effort to keep in check the elemental forces of the market in the interests of the monopolies, has resorted to the use of new means in trying to maintain its 190 influence on the masses. The growing exploitation of the working people has gone hand in hand with the use of ever more refined and diverse means of camouflage.

p The Main Document of the International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties says: “Everywhere the monopoly bourgeoisie tries to create the illusion that everything the working people aspire to can be achieved without a revolutionary transformation of the existing system. To conceal its exploiting and aggressive nature, capitalism resorts to theoretical whitewash (‘people’s capitalism’, the ‘welfare state’, the ‘affluent society’, etc.). The revolutionary working-class movement exposes these concepts and wages a determined struggle against them.”  [190•1 

p The “ideological myths”, forms of ideological mimicry—the adaptation of the ideologists of capitalism to the new conditions, and their efforts to cover up the actual apology of capitalism by means of an ostensible “transformation”—are highly diverse. There have been a great many in the past, and more are sure to appear in the future, as a reflection of actual processes going forward today within the capitalist mode of production, within the capitalist system itself, a reflection which is distorted by bourgeois class interests. That is why any critique of these ideological myths can be successful only if it rests on the basis of an actual knowledge of the specific features of present-day capitalism.

The facts, let us note, show that, despite the old and new methods of defending the capitalist system, the policy of imperialism has merely resulted in a growth of social antagonism, of economic difficulties facing the leading capitalist powers, in a chronic monetary and financial crisis, in unemployment and an aggravation of inter-imperialist contradictions.