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I

p The content and forms of ideological struggle carried on by imperialism against socialism have now undergone some important changes. To start with, various problems in this struggle are being increasingly tackled by generals from NATO headquarters, diplomatic officials, professional intelligence officers, and representatives of various sections of the state-monopoly capital machine.

p Anti-communism has become a special industry, directed by major centers and employing all manner of mercenary writers. Anticommunism has become the business of all the mass media—radio, television and the press—which are subservient to state-monopoly capital. In short, the struggle against the ideology of socialism has become one of the key functions of state-monopoly capital and its policies.

p The concept of ideological struggle in the old sense is ever less applicable to this kind of activity and there is good reason why the apologists of the bourgeoisie prefer to use the term “psychological warfare" instead of “ideological struggle”. The architects of this “warfare” are not inhibited in their choice of weapons, including the “great lie”, slanders, and a falsification of the facts. Everything serves their purpose, with reports capable of poisoning men’s minds being of especial value. The “psychological warfare" arsenal includes diverse “operations”, including “bridge-building”, for the purpose of smuggling ideological contraband into the socialist countries.

p Since the Second World War, the old bourgeois theory which held that socialism could be put down by means of armed force, economic blockade and diplomatic pressure has been blasted. Socialism has 399 displayed a vast internal strength and the ability to develop as a world system. The imperialists, without abandoning their old theory, have been forced to amend and supplement it. Their search has been mainly in one direction: they have been casting around for a way to secure the desired “erosion” of Marxist-Leninist ideology, the ideological basis of socialist society, to unhinge its political organisation and to engage freely in anti-socialist activity within this or that country.

p The attacks by the reactionary forces on Czechoslovakia’s socialist gains have illustrated this imperialist tactic in action.

The CPSU Central Committee, having analysed the world situation in depth, issued a timely and clear-cut indication of the much greater importance of the ideological front in the present struggle between socialism and capitalism, showing the close connection between political and ideological forms of struggle at the present stage. The fraternal Marxist-Leninist parties have also given growing attention to this front.

II

p The theorists and propagandists of capitalism taking an active part in the present-day ideological struggle hate the very notion of “ideology”. They have written about the “end of ideology”, and have held forth vigorously on the “deideologisation” of mankind’s spiritual life. What are the true purposes of these fishers of immature men, what is the purpose of their hustling?

p The point is that the ideologists of capitalism have come up against a mighty opponent whose strength they have realised: the ideology of socialism is a coherent system of ideas, views, and convictions, which has been well elaborated and scientifically substantiated, and which has been and is being put to the test through the experience of millions of people, developing on this basis a wealth of experience. Bourgeois theorists have repeatedly admitted that they are incapable of putting forward a system of views that could attract the masses. That is why they want to eliminate the very idea of ideology, which means socialist ideology in the first place.

p The sugared lies which are designed to save capitalism and which permeate the whole of present-day bourgeois ideology have failed to stand up to the test of life. The severe winds of the epoch sweep away the web woven by bourgeois ideologists, and it is seen to hang in shreds. What remains today, for instance, of the myth about capitalism being a “welfare state"? After all, this used to be one of the pillars on which the ideology of capitalism rested. The riots staged by poor Blacks driven to desperation have dispelled the myth about the USA being a country of “equal opportunities for all”. Less and less people now believe the lying claims that bourgeois society is based on “humanism and democracy”. 400 What remains of the much vaunted bourgeois democracy, after the deliberate killing in the USA in broad daylight first of the President, then of his brother, a Senator, and a prominent Black preacher, to say nothing of the many other lesser known victims.

p This is an indication of a deep crisis in bourgeois ideology ultimately reflecting the deep general crisis of capitalism.

p The advocates of capital, coming out against ideology in general, and against the Marxist outlook, in particular, employ all manner of gross sophisms, like the claim that if a world outlook is coherent, harmonious and principled, it is for that reason “dogmatic” and “doctrinaire”, while the unprincipled and fragmented consciousness is declared to be “freedom”, and “independence”.

Some revisionists, echoing the bourgeois ideologists, have attacked loyalty to principles under the pretext of “combating dogmatism" and urge the elimination of the revolutionary convictions, the principles of socialist ideology, and their substitution by a package of fashionable bourgeois political, philosophic and economic theories. Contemporary revisionism means ideological surrender to capitalism and abandonment of the socialist ideology as a coherent system of ideas, views and convictions, which enable the working people to transform the world. In Czechoslovakia, for instance, the revisionists openly urged a “dismantling" of Marxism-Leninism, seeking to prove that Leninism was not international but a purely “eastern” doctrine that was unfit for the advanced countries of the West. The revisionists would like to erode the class content of socialist ideas, including denial of the struggle between capitalism and socialism as the most important aspect of mankind’s whole life today. But the strength of socialist ideology lies precisely in its coherence and its organic bond with life and practice.

III

p Another method is also widely used in capitalism’s present struggle against socialist ideology: bourgeois ideologists insist on a “plurality” of ideologies. Actually, they offer a “choice” of diverse versions of bourgeois ideology. In the USA, for instance, this means that one can support the Democrats or the Republicans, or patent fascists. There is a similar choice in philosophy, political economy, aesthetics, ethics, etc. But what is flatly denied is one’s right to adopt the scientific socialist ideology and struggle against bourgeois ideology.

p Making use of this method to erode Marxist-Leninist ideology, the advocates of capitalism insist that there should be different “socialist” ideologies in the world. Socialism commands a high prestige and has been attracting more and more social strata. That is why an attempt is being made to invent “another socialist ideology”, another view of 401 socialism acceptable to the bourgeoisie and to spread this view in contrast to Marxism-Leninism.

p Efforts are being made to formulate a system of “amendments” to socialist ideology so as to make it “different”. This system of amendments has come to be known as “liberalisation”, that is, diverse easements with respect to anti-socialist activity in the socialist countries. This system is also known as “democratic socialism" despite the fact that when anti-socialist elements take over the political arena there is no sign of socialist democracy. That was well shown by the course of events in Czechoslovakia.

p There can be no “other” socialism following the origination and development of scientific socialism, or any “other” socialist ideology that is not based on Marxism-Leninism, because it is impossible nowadays to abolish the great criterion of the truth—the practice and experience of millions of men.

p In the early years of the century Lenin wrote that “the only choice is—either bourgeois or socialist ideology. There is no middle course”. From this he drew the necessary conclusion: “Hence, to belittle the socialist ideology in any way, to turn aside from it in the slightest degree means to strengthen bourgeois ideology."  [401•3 

p Scientific socialism is called scientific because it is based entirely on scientific analysis and does not recognise any equality between truth and error. Of course, search for the truth implies creative discussion and debate, but the search must be based on scientific principles, indisputably established by Marxism-Leninism and tested in struggle and victory.

p The bourgeois propaganda of “pluralist” socialist ideologies is aimed to undermine the international character of Marxism-Leninism and socialist ideology. Bourgeois theorists and revisionists have tried in vain to refute the basic uniformities underlying the formation and development of socialist society which Marxist-Leninist science has discovered.

p Very many books, pamphlets and articles have appeared in the West claiming that the socialism built in the USSR is good only for this country. But tsarist Russia was an epitome of the contemporary imperialist world, for it had industrialised areas with their working class, which was on a par with the working class of the other centers of the capitalist world in organisation, consciousness and revolutionary tradition. The experience in transforming Russia’s industry on socialist lines has enriched the treasure house of Marxism-Leninism, being of much value also for the proletariat of the industrialised capitalist countries today.

p Russia also had agrarian areas, and experience in developing them on socialist lines has set an example for other countries where agrarian 402 relations prevail. Bourgeois theorists experience a sense of fear when they realise that the peoples of the East are taking a close look at the prospering Soviet socialist republics in Central Asia.

p The experience of socialist construction in the USSR has also shown that the new society cannot be built without the leading role of the working class and its Communist Party or without a cultural revolution, which means a transformation of the spiritual atmosphere in society.

p Thus, Soviet experience contains general regularities without which socialist construction is impossible. But it also has its specific aspects, reflecting the specific conditions of development in the USSR and this cannot, of course, be mechanically adopted by other countries taking the socialist path.

Loyalty to the basic principles of Marxism-Leninism and scientific socialism, their creative application in the differing conditions of various countries, and implacable struggle against bourgeois ideology and revisionism—those are the necessary prerequisites for the success of the socialist cause.

IV

p Another bourgeois-propaganda line is to try to “make breaches" in socialist ideology, so as to infiltrate bourgeois views into various areas of human activity—culture, science, literature, art—in socialist society, “free” from the interests of the working people. This line is also aimed to undermine the economic theory of Marxism-Leninism, its assessment of present-day imperialism as the last stage of capitalism, and of the institution of social property and planning as the basis of socialism. Bourgeois ideologists make no secret of the fact that in this way they would like to play down the leading role of the Party in socialist society.

p The main aim of the “breaching” exercise is to divide the great army of labour, whose strength lies in unity. Bourgeois ideologists dream of separating the intelligentsia and the working class or, at any rate, of estranging some of its groups from the common struggle of the working class and all the other working people. The poison of bourgeois nationalism, they hope, will divide the working people on the nationality principle.

p Bourgeois propagandists have been trying mainly to “breach” the political consciousness of the working people, so as to make them lose their bearings and to confuse those who may succumb to their influence. They have attacked the principles of socialist democracy, the principles of democratic centralism in the first place, because they know its real power, by means of slander, lies and falsifications. Let us bear in mind that socialist democracy is the highest form of democracy because it awakens broad initiative and activity among the working people, and 403 fully releases their creative energies for the purpose of advancing social development, and throws up insuperable barriers in the way of any anti-socialist and anti-popular activity seeking to reverse the development of society or to plunge it into stagnation. The principle of democratic centralism, consistently practised by the Marxist-Leninist Party, the state, and mass organisations, helps to awaken massive initiative and to concentrate to the utmost the efforts of all on the solution of common problems, ensuring the necessary conditions for the most efficient action by millions of working people.

p Unfortunately, some people are inclined to make concessions on the main principles and so to agree to undermine the political organisation of socialist society, eliminate the leading role of the Marxist-Leninist Party, give the anti-socialist elements a free hand and, consequently, freedom to prepare for a return of capitalism.

p The CPSU has been tirelessly combating every attempt to dismember the coherent socialist ideology and to divide it among the national and regional detachments. The CPSU has done its utmost to strengthen the unity of the world communist movement on the basis of the principles of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism.

p Socialist ideology has a sound basis in the economic, social and political system in the socialist countries. It expresses the vital interests of the working class and all the other sections of the working people which it rallies. This ideology expresses the progressive tendencies in world history, and there is no power anywhere in the world that could block its successful development. Socialist ideology is not on the defensive but on the offensive.

p While socialist ideology has been developing and perfecting itself, penetrating ever deeper into the minds of millions of men in the course of the struggle against bourgeois ideas, bourgeois ideology is in a totally different condition. Its arms bearers have to use mainly subversive methods in their fight against socialist ideology, and that is evidence of the weakness of bourgeois ideas.

p Under present-day capitalism, the bourgeoisie is forced increasingly to abandon the old legacy, which no longer meets its class interests, for this legacy stems mainly from the period when the bourgeoisie was still a rising class. Today, many of the key ideas of the past are no longer palatable to the bourgeoisie. By contrast, the working class and the Marxist-Leninist parties are the legitimate heirs of all that is progressive in the past.

p At the same time, there is an ever growing process of emancipation from the influence of bourgeois ideology among new social sections. There is ever greater evidence of ideological crisis among the bourgeois intelligentsia, many of whose members have expressed dissatisfaction over the narrow framework in which they are invited to apply their capabilities and knowledge by state-monopoly capitalism with its 404 hidebound hierarchy. There is growing protest against the callousness and spiritual po.verty of bourgeois society and against the consumer mentality. There is a mounting struggle by the Communists to spread socialist ideology in the ranks of the proletariat and other sections of the working people siding with it. In the countries being swept by the national liberation movement, the prestige of bourgeois ideology has been plummeting because it is closely connected with the policy of colonialism and neocolonialism, while the prestige of socialist ideology has been growing. Those are the facts.

Socialist ideas are bound to win in the fierce struggle of ideas which is now in progress. Socialist ideology alone meets the vital requirements of social development, giving full and all-round expression to the interests and aspirations of millions upon millions of working people all over the globe, and reflecting mankind’s inexorable advance towards socialism and communism. Socialist ideology has the truth of life behind it, and the truth is invincible.