NIST AND WORKERS" E

By WILLIAM KASHTAN

- General Secretary, Communist Party of Canada

For four days last month representatives of 73
Communist and Workers’ parties throughout the
world met in Sofia, Bulgaria to exchange views in an
international theoretical conference on The Con-
struction of Socialism and Communism and World
Progress. It was organized jointly by the Bulgarian
Communist Party and the editorial council of the
international journal World Marxist Review.

The conference focussed particularly on issues of
‘peace and detente and the existence of the socialist
world as a mainstay of the world peace movement,
with some 100 speakers presenting papers to the
conference. There was no main conference document
or resolution although Todor Zhivkov, chairman of
the state council of the Republic of Bulgaria, and
Konstantin Zarodov, editor-in-chief of World
Marxist Review gave keynote addresses. ,

In the context of the emphasis on world peace,
delegates also touched on issues within the world
communist movement, notably the Maoist policies
of China and Eurocommunism. :

Canadian Communist Party leader William Kash-
tan was among the Communist spokesmen at the
conference. His address appears below.

Ou: Party welcomes the initiative dis-
played by World Marxist Review and by the:
Communist Party of Bulgaria in convening this
international theoretical Conference around the
theme of construction of socialism, communism
and world development. The subject matter
under consideration is extremely important.
Socialism has been influencing world develop-
ment since 1917. It demonstrated once and for

_all that capitalism is.not eternal. It made possi-
~ ‘ble the emergence of the World socialist com-
munity which in turn altered the relationship of
forces in the world in favor of peace, democra-
cy, independence and socialism. In this way it
produced new conditions for the struggles of the
working class and national liberation move-
‘ments and made it possible for the international
working class to become an effective world
force.
_ Inevitably as the forces of socialism advance
and imperialism is more and more compelled to
retreat, reaction concentrates its fire on social-
ism and its achievements. What we have been
witness to in the recent period is an all-sided
offensive against socialism. Not being able to
attack the Soviet Union on its accomplishments
__ inthe economic and social spheres, imperialism
_ has undertaken to criticize the so-called lack of
human rights and democracy in the Soviet Un-
ion. By pushing on that front with all its strength
imperialism is out to convince the broad masses
- that freedom and capitalism are Siamese twins,
that is, that they go together. Socialism has,
however, since 1917 clearly demonstrated how
to achieve real human rights and democracy by
putting an end to exploitation, national discrim-
ination and inequality. Socialism has created the
material conditions to ensure that the rights of
man are not abstract ideals, but a reality. This is
reinforced by the fact that as the economic
foundations of socialism have become stronger
and deeper, socialist democracy has been ex-
tended and this will continue to be so. This is an
absolute law of socialist development.

It is also an absolute law of capitalism that in
its period of historic decline it tends to limit, to
undermine, to take away democratic and human
rights. We can see this very clearly in Canada as
in other capitalist countries.

This campaign on human rights is directed to
divert peoples’ attention from the growing crisis
of capitalism and its inability to satisfy the needs
of the working people. The heady days of an
affluent society, of a welfare state, of acrisisless_
capitalism and its economic miracles have dis-
appeared. In its place there are increasing signs
of growing political and economic instability in
the capitalist world. The contrasts between
capitalism and socialism are becoming sharper
and clearer. Capitalism means exploitation,
crisis, social inequality, racism, corruption,

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JANUARY 19, 1979—Page 6

oy

militarization and threat of nuclear war. Social-

~ ism, on the other hand, means peace and social

progress. Instead of boasting of its achieve-
ments imperialism is today trying to take away
the gains won by the working people in bitter
struggles.

_ Despite the efforts of imperialism to hide or
denigrate them, the many achievements of real
socialism are becoming apparent to growing
sections of the people. The contrast between the
dynamic growth of socialism on one hand and
stagnancy, rising unemployment and inflation in
the capitalist world on the other, is here for
every one to see. The efforts of imperialism to
overcome its crisis by coordinated action of the
main capitalist states have led nowhere. On the
other hand, the coordinated efforts of the social-
ist countries have brought about continued

- growth of the productive forces of society and of
living standards. The power of attraction of
socialist ideas grows in direct proportion as
capitalism shows its inability to resolve the
problems facing the people.

It is in this light that one must note the alleged
concern of imperialism about human rights,

even while it continues to support reactionary

governments everywhere. Let us look at indi-
vidual rights. According to the MacDonald
Commission which was set-up by the Trudeau
government to investigate cettain illegal actions
by the Royal Canadian Mourtited Police (RCMP)

that body has for many years been opening the .

mail of citizens, bugging homes and offices,
undertaking surveillance of individuals. And
this while the capitalist media was attacking the

socialist countries for the lack of so-called:

human rights! How about collective rights of the
working people, of the French Canadian people,
of the Native people, of immigrants, of the
young generation?

In Canada the right to collective bargaining
and the right to strike is presently under attack.
Indeed, a parliamentary majority of the parties
of monopoly adopted legislation recently taking
that right away from postal employees and forc-
ing these 23,000 workers back to work under
penalty of losing their jobs. Racism and discrim-
ination have become increasingly wide-spread
in Canada. The national rights of the French
Canadian people are not yet guaranteed. Nor
are the nghts of the Native people guaranteed
including their land claims. Poverty and in-
equality continue to operate in Canada and have
in fact become more acute. And today with a
continuing crisis, one sees growing attacks on

_ the unemployed, on social security, on un-

employment insurance benefits and family allo-
wances, on health and education. Interestingly

MEET IN SOFIA

Uniting our forces f

Love America day in Peking told of the love of the people of the U.S. far the people of China. While ihe),
~ establishment of U.S.-China relations is long overdue, genuine fears increase as it becomes clear that L§

pro-imperialist policies of the Chinese Communist leadership, prodded by aggressive militarism of NATO, will pe
‘used as a bludgeon against the worldwide movement for disarmament, national liberation and détente.

' of NATO commitments has increased its aril

. all the evidence available: would support th
view. ca 4

_ aims. If the arms race. is not halted, politic

enough while these gains of the working peop \
are under attack as monopoly ‘seeks to find®
way out of the crisis, the government as a resuD

expenditures by almost the same amount saver
on social security. The working people alle
learning that more guns means less bread al
butter on the table. This is human rights -
capitalist style. PS
Some who claim to be: Marxists have su
cumbed to the pressures of imperialism on
human rights front and have joined in the um
principled attacks on the Soviet Union and 0
socialism. This is impermissible for parties ba
ing themselves on Marxism-Leninism. A
Sovietism does not strengthen our movement. #4
strengthens capitalism. It is directed to unde?
mine faith in socialism. Nor in our view does
strengthen those parties which succumb to sue&
opportunist practices. Our Party long ago toda
the position that a Party shows its independene®
by its attitude and criticism of capitalism, not bi
its unfounded criticism of socialism. We beliew

6 examining socialism and world dé
velopment, we cannot ignore the fact that tH
process of relaxation of tensions has slowé
down. A new danger is threatening peace. A
we can see, the extremists in the USA 4
NATO strive through new types of weapons!
achieve military superiority over the Soviey
Union and the socialist community. There ;
increasing discussion today in the United Stat
of a “‘strike first’’ strategy. This goes togethty
with advocacy of a new strategy of a limite
nuclear war. All of this is taking place on thh
background ofa stepped up arms race by NA TG,
over the next 20 years. These facts emphasiz
that imperialism has not given up its aggressive

détente which has been achieved as a consequ
ence of considerable effort, may come t
standstill. Imperialism, despite its inner c
tradictions, is coordinating its efforts throu;
NATO with the aim of slowing down détenti
and directly interfering-with and suppressing tht)
movements for national and social liberatio
The reactionary forces of imperialism are stri
ing to return to a policy of cold war and confrom

tation with all its dangerous consequences if
world peace. A

In this they are being supported by the Pekit
leadership. The Peking leaders have becon
allies of imperialism in its struggle again
socialism, the international working class af
the national liberation movements. Peking