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p The development of the theory of Scientific Socialism can be examined in two periods. The first period starts in 1840s and goes until 1871 the year following the French Revolution (The Paris Commune) which was predominantly lead by Marx and Engels’ ideas and the theory put forward by them within the period could be called 19th century Marxism. The second period however starts with the Russian Revolution in 1917 and goes onto the very near past. The theory within this period extensively supplied by Lenin and Mao Ze Dong’s ideas. This classification not only fits neatly into the economic development in these periods. It is shaped by the economic development within the periods.

p The 19th century Marxism is a product of the 19th century Europe. The revolutionary theory raised by Marx and Engels within the period should be considered a European Model. The picture seen from today particularly after millions of peoples demonstrated their interest and hope in socialism globally over the past years may well show that looking at the idea of socialist revolution just in Europe is no longer relevant. What was seen as the progressive world in the 19th century was the Continent and some areas neighboring it, but not a lot else beside. In fact people living in the "outside world" were not even perceived to be part of the process of development of the human race at the time. So the centre of revolutionary hope was pinned on Europe and nowhere else. Marx and Engels, as materialists, always sought the truth in facts. The truth of their theory was proven in the revolutions of 1848 and the Paris Commune of 1871. But the facts from which they had to rely upon were bounded to the 19th century view of a European based world though correcting their analysis. The analysis was limited in so far as the facts from which they drew from was limited.

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p According to Marx, revolutions would take place in the developed capitalist countries and occur all around Europe concurrently. The working class-proletariat would get the power for defeating capitalism and setting up a dictatorship over the bourgeoisie.

So the revolutions in this century are expected to take place in the most developed countries first and the only cause for a counter revolution may be the undefeated bourgeoisie. Indeed workers and artisans succeeded in taking power in Paris but this success could not survive for long as the revolution did not spread wide enough which in turn enabled the bourgeoisie to stage a successful counter revolution.

The Focus of the 20th Century Revolutions : The
Exploited World

p The most important development in the 20th century is that massive populations live in Asia, Africa and Latin America to step onto the world’s political arena, in other words, started being influential over the history of the world. This development has come about through imperialism. As a result of capitalism spreading out and becoming international, the idea of anti-capitalism was set up in its wake and revolutionary movements developed outside Europe. This struggle was started with the reaction of the people living in the rural areas against metropolis. So that it was an antiimperialist struggle. Capitalism seemed to solve its fatal crisis in Europe by spreading out capitalist relations all around the world. But this was not the solution.

p In the 19th century the main divisions within the class system in Europe was bourgeoisie and working class, however in the 19th century this division became that between a result of the exploiting countries and the exploited ones, as polarization based on class conflict again.

p Lenin built up the Scientific Socialist Theory which changed all socialist strategies according to this fact. The conflict between the exploiting countries and the exploited countries is the main act in this century. Nevertheless struggle against imperialism has always been led by the working class of that particular exploited country.

One of the topics in this century is that the revolutionary movements have shifted to those underdeveloped countries. As a 264 result of this the core of the revolutionary ideas also shifted to those underdeveloped exploited countries. This fact though which was proven in many occasions over the century, is the cornerstone of our theoretical heritage. There is no other starting point to set up a proper socialist revolutionary strategy than designating the right centre of the revolutionary core. As it can be easily seen from today, the Russian Revolution was not a classical 19th century revolution but one occurred in a comparatively underdeveloped country. The main effect of the revolution was that it spread out more widely among the Asian nations rather than European nations. Lenin and his colleagues in the Bolshevik Party believed that the European revolution was the only way for the Russian revolution to survive and simply waited for it up untill 1920’s. After the unsuccessful revolutionary attempts in Germany and Italy, they realised that the eastern countries would be a better target The Russian capitalism when compared with the other major capitalist countries was the weakest but on the other hand when compared with underdeveloped countries it was strong in comparison. So the revolution had succeeded not only in a country least developed among the developed countries but the most developed one of the underdeveloped countries. The Russian Revolution could not lead the revolutionary potential of Asia, Africa and Latin American revolutionary movements. The Russian revolution was followed by the Eastern European, Chinese, Korean, Cuban and far eastern Revolutions.

The Revolutionary Potential of peasants

p The shifting process of the revolutionary core from capitalist countries to the surrounding underdeveloped exploited countries has brought up the issue of peasants to an important stage. Simply because in these exploited areas peasants are the biggest proportion of the population. In these the working class population in the cities usually finds itself surrounded by a sea of peasants. This massive community of peasants is also faced with imperialist exploitation. It is not possible to envisage a successful revolutionary strategy without considering the problems faced by the peasantry and drawing up a programme which fuses the problem of the feudalistic elements in the community with a revolutionary socialist goal. The Chinese, Korean, Cuban and Far East Revolutions show that it is possible and works. In the underdeveloped countries the proletarian forces find their main ally in the peasantry. In the 265 imperialist period which we are in, the exploited countries have no chance to develop their own capitalism and the indigenous bourgeoisie has no way to defeat the feudal elements within their own countries. Moreover they can not establish their own democracy. Imperialism has set up a comprador bourgeoisie who acts as a local agent for the international capitalism and run this market and agreed to support the conservative reactionaries within the country who are mainly feudal landlords. Neither the comprador bourgeoisie nor the native capitalists in these countries are able to defeat the feudal medieval elements out of the system and set up a real democracy which will improve the country economically and ethically. So this establishment seems to be of the working class duty as well as setting up the socialist revolution. Inevitably the situation of these extra responsibilities shape the socialist revolutionary strategies.

p Therefore the main conflict between bourgeoisie and working class in the 19th century has been transformed into the conflict betweenimperialist, comprador bourgeoisie, feudal elements verses the worker peasant alliance. The struggle against feudalism has to be integrated with the struggle for socialism against imperialism in this century and peasants inevitably will take a very important role in the revolution. Those who insist on not understanding this very crucial fact are looking at the 20th century through the 19th century library windows, no matter how sound their socialist convictions are. Those who are expecting the working class to take over without the help of peasants, as it was envisaged in Europe will be disappointed and they will be waiting for a long time. Although this unfortunate miscalculation may well cause them to take part on the imperialist side. That is the only possible result of not seeing the potential of the peasants in the revolution in the exploited countries in the 20th century.

p The unequal and irregular development of the history can be easily observed in this century. While the western bourgeoisie have developed their economies the exploited countries have lagged behind not being able to advance their economies.

In the 20th century capitalism has lost its revolutionary’ features because of the organic changes within its internal corimraictory relations. Only socialism now offers a brighter future tor humanity. There is only one way for peasants to break oiit of the medieval feudal condition in which they are trapped, which is to 266 join with the working class in a socialist revolutionary struggle. The Russian and Chinese revolutions illustrate this.

Gradual and Continuous Revolution

p As a result of the revolutionary potential shifting away from the advanced countries towards the exploited underdeveloped countries in which feudalistic elements still exist means establishing a higher cultural level and setting up of a democratic regime which also has to be on the revolutionary agenda of the proletariat. Invariably what follows from this is a form of gradual revolution. It is essential for a revolutionary party to work this into its theory, a theory whose first step includes intensive land reform aimed at distributing the land to those that work it. Other vital issues to be addressed freedom, independence, anti racist internationalism, human rights, education etc. which are essential for democracy. At the end of the day, giving the land to the peasants along with selfdetermination, secularism, independence etc are features which are characteristics of a democratic bourgeois regime. Although they can also serve as a stepping stone towards socialism which includes the nationalisation of the means of production, collective use of the land, proletarian internationalism and socialist democracy which in the exploited world lead humanity towards a classless society.

p In past years the two steps of revolution were confused in exploited countries with only the second step being taken into consideration. The difference between stepping into socialism in a developed and underdeveloped country were constantly ignored. The theory of gradual revolution prior to a socialist revolution has to be considered as an addition to Marxism in the 20th century.

The USSR and Chinese cases of trying to establish socialism without first addressing the problems of an uncompleted bourgeois democratic revolution shows the importance of the gradual and continuous revolution theory.

International Front and the Weak Link of the
Imperialist Chain

p One of the major developments of the 20th century is the capitalism has become a global system spreading out its imperialist tentacles over the world.

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p This fact obviously has reshaped the revolutionary strategy of the proletariat compared with the strategies of the 19th century. The class conflict is not the one between capitalists and the working class within a southern country as it was in the 19th century Europe but between imperialistand anti-imperialist forcesacross the world. This war can only be won by breaking the weakest link in the imperialist chain.

It is easy to see mat revolutions in this century has faced enormous pressure from imperialist countries trying to undermine the revolutioruThis should not be understood that the revolution will occur all around the world simultaneously. World revolution would start from the countries which are the weakest link of the imperialist chain.

The only way for world Revolution: National
revolutions and the struggle for Socialism

p In such times whilst the world has been shared out among the imperialist countries, watching for the first attempts at establishing socialism from the north either from the US or Europe is a theory that makes the revolution a mere dream. American revolution for instance can only be triggered by the revolutionary upheavals in the exploited southern countries. Eventually the world revolution will come about from the total accumulation of the national revolutions.

p Today, demolishing the socialist governing body can not be expected as a criteria of socialism. This naive expectation comes from the 19th century Marxist theory and ignoring imperialism which is the new shape of capitalism in the 20th century.

A diminished governing body would weaken the fight against imperialism as could lead a civil war in many cases. In modern revolutionary conditions proletariat need a stronger governing mechanism. Socialism can be built in an underdeveloped country but mis would invariably mean a longer and sharper class war. The struggle for socialism in one country is the only internationalist theory and it is the only way of building socialism in the world.

The Leadership of the Proletariat, the Vanguard Party
and the Masses

p Marx stated the importance of the leadership of the proletariat in a socialist revolution. This importance has increased in the 20th 268 century in which socialist revolutions have taken place in some exploited countries having large peasant population. A revolutionary movement which fights against imperialism but ignores the class conflict can not ultimately succeed in defeating imperialism. For instance the Turkish independence war of the I92ffs lead by Kemalism, a native bourgeois anti-imperialist movement, which entirely fought against imperialism without a class consciousness eventually ended up compromising with it.

All the successful revolutions in the 20th century show that the only way the working class to take over is to ha ve a vanguard party. The important point in establishing the vanguard party is to set up proper relations with the masses. There is no example of a successful revolution which was led by the vanguard fighters without the support of the masses. Socialist revolution should be the product of the masses and the following step to establish the socialist regime should be shaped by the demands of the masses.

The Stalin Issue

The historical period in which Stalin took over was an experimental period for trying to construct socialism. As Stalin was the first leader trying to achieve this he made many mistakes. Undoubtably Stalin’s determination to abolish the private sector and reorganize the status of the classes would give him a place in the history of socialism. Having said this, it should be understood that Stalinism will be repeated again. The socialist movement which have come after Stalin learnt their lessons and went further from Stalinism. Nevertheless Stalin belongs to the history of socialism.

The Counter Revolution Theory of Mao Ze Dong

p In the 19th century socialist theories raised by the big masters was limited. They were limited simply because of the lack of practice in the socialist movement. Marx and Engels took lessons from the short experiences of the Paris Commune. In the 20th century another master Mao Zedong also took lessons from what had happened in this century. By observing the USSR and the revisionism taken over after I96ffs in the USSR, Mao raised his counter revolution theory as regards to the degenerations of the previous revolutionary movements. According to Mao, socialism is a long process starting with the proletarian revolution and lasting untill the establishment the classless society. During the period the 269 struggle between the working class and the bourgeoisie, socialism and capitalism, Marxism and revisionism would be carried out by the proletarian party. Within the period nationalising the means of production would not stop the counter revolution.

p After this stage biggest danger would not only come out of the defeated bourgeoisie but also from the capitalist minded members of the socialist government. The initiative of the working class should be kept alert all the time.

p This theory was actually a new description for a working class democracy. The party members should be there not only for governing the country but physically dealing with the needs of the people as well. The only guarantee of the real socialism is the working class to take over again and again.

p If the party can continue to harness the initiative of the masses then socialism can survive.

p Socialism should give the governing initiative to the ordinary people so that there would be no need for such a class whose duty is to govern. This can be a classless society.

With the fall of the USSR it can easily be seen how dangerous it is to have capitalist minded members in the governing body. The fall of the USSR indicates Mao’s theory is undoutably a very important supplement to the 20th century Marxism. No serious modern Marxist theory can be formulated without taking Mao’s insight into account.

Not Competing Capitalism but Breaking out of it

p Is trying to establish socialism in an underdeveloped country a hopeless attempt to pass to a higher stage of history? This is the dilemma faced by many socialist states since the beginning of this century. Those who criticized includes some “Marxists” who were stuck with the 19th century socialist theory. All the efforts made to defeat capitalism this century have come out of underdeveloped countries. Any modem socialist theory must square up with this fact. A theory which does not fit with reali ty that has changed, must be modified.

p Socialism is a system that aims to destroy capitalism and set up a civilised community. Recently a theory has been put forward which was based on competing with the capitalism in terms of economic competitiveness, this theory is bankrupt, the USSR 270 practice is a tragic example of this competing and catching up mentality. Since Kruschev’s time the USSR, adjusted to competition with capitalism. Actually this idea dates back from Stalin’s time, but became an official policy in Kruschev’s time.

p This competition lead to more and more revisionism sinking the system towards capitalism. By Brezhnev’s time the USSR even led in certain sectors of the world economy. But the more they competed the more capitalistic they became.

p Today it is plain for everyone to see even to those who clapped this competitive race that the USSR has lost any vestiges of socialism and has lost the competitive race with capitalism. The only thing it leaves behind is a unique lesson. A banning or competing mentality cannot comprehend the dialectic of the history. They insist on sticking on the European positivist philosophy. In actual fact the history of Europe does not verify them. The crude dialectic belief is that every single society must follow the same stage of development from primitive communism through to slave society; feudalism; capitalism and then finally through socialism. This theory does not fit neatly even in Europe. The history of the 20th century shows that socialist revolutionary flash points are not confined to countries that have reached a certain capitalist maturity as the 19th century theoretical model would suggest. Ruling out socialist revolutions in exploited countries and or seeing socialist improvement in terms of catching up with capitalism are ideas which came out of 19th century Euro-centrism which have been blown apart by events of the 20th century.

It is plain for any socialist to see that capitalism is in a bankrupt state unless it views from a northern country.

The most Destructive Systen in the Histotry: today’s
Capitalism

p Lenin stated that imperialism is the form of moribund capitalism. Today there is a media propaganda which says that capitalism still has a potential to move the world community forward. This extensive propaganda which is put forward by the bourgeoisi ideologues like Gorbachev etc find supporters among the “ socialist” intellectuals. They think that capitalism has some positive motives in it and socialism should not be considered as a separate system but a way should be found out integrating these two systems. However this is an easy question to answer for a 271 sociologist who is not looking from the north whether capitalism is good for an underdeveloped country or not This monster capitalism, a system based on profit not human need, a system which stifles individuals intellectually and spiritually alienating people from each other and themselves. A system which breathes hate in its wake.

p The creativity of individuals in the form of technology under capitalism turns into something which is used against the humanity not something for the benefit of mankind,

Capitalism is a barrier to human development and must be defeated. Capitalism has got no progressive potential left. Lenin’s phrase "imperialism is a moribund stage of capitalism" has never been more true and socialism has never been more needed.

Summary of Our Ideology

p Scientific socialism was born in the 19th century Europe. Socialism has become a world issue in the 20th century with the exploited countries stepping on the world’s political arena.

p Socialism is the only hope for exploited countries. Other theories and alternative systems which have been put forward are destined to stay in philosophy books.

p Scientific socialism is a revolutionary theory. It is the ideology of the proletariat which is the youngest class in the history of the world. An ideology which improves with the class struggle, matures with revolutions. The human race has been fighting against exploitation and oppression with the hope of socialism for over one hundred years. Scientific Socialism is continuously improving itself by leaving its conservative elements behind.

p Second International, Trotskyism, Euro Communism, ideas of Kruschev-Brezhnev-Gorbachev, these are all Eurocentric ideas which appeared in different periods. These are the theories that are based on the superiority of the north which sees no revolutionary potential in “underdeveloped” countries and does not regard socialism as suitable for those countries. This is what we mean by revisionism. The mutual points which revisionists and bourgeois theorists agree on is the Eurocentric contemptuous attitude towards exploited countries and ordinary working class people. As Mao said, revisionism is not a type of socialism, but a capitalist and bourgeois ideology.

p As a result, these revisionist ideas either collaborated with 272 imperialism (i.e. Second Internationale, Euro-Communism) or became imperialist like ideologies (i.e. Kruschev, Brezhnev, Gorbachev) or broke off all its connections with the real life and lost transformatory features at the end (Trotskyism).

p In the 20th century scientific socialism has made great advances with the theories of Lenin and Mao Zedong.

p The theories of Mao have brought scientific socialist theory to its present high point and will prove a lot for the future for socialism.

Obviously working class struggle of the world would go beyond the 20th century socialism. The only way to carry on this aim is to take part in an organised class struggle and carry out this until the revolution. The only way of developing scientific socialist theory is by taking part in the day to day class struggle through working class organisations.