By WILLIAM KASHTAN

: General Secretary
Communist Party of Canada

April 22 will mark the 110th Anniversary of Lenin.
This event will be celebrated by progressive minded
people, by revolutionaries in all parts of the world.
And properly so. After all, Lenin’s ideas are as big,
broad and deep as the world itself. How true this is
can be seen in the rapidly changing world.

Wherever one turns one can see Lenin’s ideas as
significant factors in the revolutionary changes taking
place. Indeed this is the era of the triumph of the ideas
of Marxism-Leninism. This is why one can say that
Lenin and his ideas belong to the working people of all
countries. These ideas remain a guide for all those
concerned with the need to bring about fundamental
change in society.

Lenin’s ideas are like a searchlight which outlines
clearly and distinctly the path ahead.

Lenin made a profound analysis of imperialism as
the highest stage of capitalism. He showed how it
leads to a further intensification of the concentration

-and centralization of production and capital. He
showed how this leads to state-monopoly capital and
to the increased economic role of the state. His
analysis of imperialism and of state-monopoly capital
still remains valid.

Imperialism has not changed although the world
has. Imperialism has been weakened but it remains
aggressive, predatory, reactionary in its essense.
How true this is can be seen today in its striving to
take control of raw materials, capture markets,
achieve hegemony over other countries, including
even advanced capitalist states. Despite the efforts of
those who try to embellish it, modern day imperialism
has not eradicated exploitation, has not resolved the
nationai question or that of inequality, has not ended
discrimination and racism, has not eliminated pover-
ty, has not brought an end to crises.

Today, capitalism, be it in Canada or elsewhere in
the capitalist world, suffers from the chronic diseases
of inflation and unemployment. Capitalism has
reached a stage where it cannot be maintained without
state intervention. Indeed, without it, it would col-
lapse. State-monopoly capitalism has shown a marked
inability to cope with market forces and subordinate
them to the interests of society as a whole. Nor is it
able to prevent the upheavals shaking the entire cur-
rency and financial system in the capitalist world, a

mirror of the ruthless trade and. currency war pre-..

sently in progress in the world of state-monopoly
capitalism. :

Lenin characterized capitalism at the stage of
monopoly capitalism as ‘‘moribund. capitalism’,
meaning that it was coming to the end ofits life span in
world history. Contemporary capitalism is indeed be-
coming moribund. As has been correctly stated, it
“‘has no future’’.

Uneven Capitalist Development

Lenin’s analysis of imperialism led him to the dis-
covery of the absolute law of uneven economic and
political development of capitalism. From this he
drew two conclusions, first, that revolutions would
not break out simultaneously in all countries but in the
weakest links in the imperialist chain. Events soon
corroborated the truth of this law. It led to the triumph
of socialism in one country, the Soviet Union, and the
beginning of the transformation of the world, that is,
the transition from capitalism to socialism on a world
scale.

The very existence, growing economic, political
and military strength of the Soviet Union acted as a
vital force in the struggles of the peoples of the world
for an end to exploitation, to colonialism, to oppres-
sion, both national and social, for equality for women.

The defeat of fascism in turn made possible the

emergence of the socialist system and an end to the
colonial system.

The second conclusion Lenin drew from the law of
uneven economic and political development of
capitalism was that capitalism and socialism would be
living side by side for an entire period, the period of
- transition from capitalism to socialism.

In these conditions he advanced the necessity of
peaceful co-existence of differing social systems, not
as a tactic but as an objective necessity. The banner of
peaceful co-existence was raised by the Soviet Union
and fought for consistently under all conditions. It
was made clear that peaceful co-existence did not
apply to the class struggle and the ideological struggle
or the struggle of oppressed people.

The struggle for peaceful co-existence took on a
new quality in the post war, when U.S. imperialism,
in its drive for world domination, brandished the atom
bomb and threatened its use against the land of social-
ism. However, socialism ended the U.S. monopoly of
the atom bomb, and the relationship of forces began to
change in favor of peace, democracy and social pro-
gress. In these conditions imperialism was compelled.
to accept the necessity of peaceful co-existence, of
détente and economic cooperation.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 25, 1980—Page 8

Onthe |
10th ;
anniversary
of Lenin

Top photo: Lenin’s home during his childhood. Today it is a
museum. Centre: Lenin in 1922 with Krupskaya. Bottom: Lenin
seated on the far right with his family in 1876.

Faced with retreats, with a weakening position, ©
with an increasing number of countries leaving the
imperialist orbit, U.S. imperialism is reverting to cold
war, an accelerated arms drive, a policy of confronta
tion, the threat of nuclear war. Its aim is to reverse
course of history, re-establish its previous, positions,
aims which are beyond its means.

Present day events illustrate the marked differ
_ences between the policy of imperialism and that of
.»socialism: Imperialism, aggression and war are show:

ing themselves to be synonymous while socialism
stands out as a beacon of peace. Imperialism is try’
to cover up its aggressive aims by speculating that the
Soviet Union is pursuing a hard line and is throwil® >
détente overboard. However as has been said more
than once: lies have short legs. One has only to listet
to what President Brezhnev has to say on support
détente and compare it with what President Carte!
and company do against détente, to see how true
‘is.

Reduction of Arms

Listen to President Brezhnev: ‘To the doctrine of
military hysteria and the frenzied arms race, we coulr
terpose the doctrine of consistent struggle for pea’
and security on earth. We are true to the peace pia”
gram put forward by the 24th and 25th Congresses of
our Party. That is why, now in the 1980s, just 4
earlier in the 1970s, we stand for the strengthening
not the destruction of détente. We stand for the redu
tion and not the expansion .of arms. We stand fot
rapprochement and understanding among people
not artificial alienation and enmity. We confidently
hold high the banner of our Leninist foreign policy;
the banner of peace, freedom and independence of
peoples, the banner of social progress.”’

And what banner does President Carter and com
pany uphold? Their line is one of undermining détenté
and worsening the international situation. Their line®
one of military threats against Iran, threats to invade
the Persian Gulf, measures to set up military bases !#
other continents and countries, be they Africa, Lal
America, Middle East or Asia, decisions to establist
an expeditionary force for purposes of invading other
countries in the ‘‘national interest.”’ :

From all of this one must conclude that while war's
not inevitable, neither is peace. Peace won’t come 0
a platter. Peace rests in the hands of the people
United with the consistent battle for peace by the
Soviet Union and other socialist countries, the people
can compel the opponents of détente to give way an@
ensure that détente will be complemented by military
détente. :

Lenin correctly said that after 1917 no phenomeno”
could be correctly understood without taking full ac
count of the existence of the Soviet Union. Today 1©
phenomenon can be understood without taking due
account of the existence of the socialist system %
states. q

The forces of peace have a true friend and ally 7
existing socialism which today is the main and mos»
powerful locomotive of present day history. It ® \
exactly the socialist community which is making
a decisive contribution to preventing a world military
catastrophe while simultaneously ensuring mote
favorable conditions in which the peoples can fight
successfully for freedom and a better future.

Vindicated by History ¥

Lenin emphasized the great importance of unity of
action of Communist and Workers’ parties in the
struggle against capitalism. This is particularly valid
today when international solidarity is vital in te
struggle for peace and against imperialism.

In honoring the 110th anniversary of Lenin, and thé
Party he founded, it is useful to draw attention to thé
fact that his ideas, the ideas of Marxism-Leninis®™
have led to successes in all continents of the world.
This cannot be said of the ideas of social reformism, ©
social democracy. Social democracy, and its parties;
including the New Democratic Party, promised
continue to promise an easier road, a road without
upheavals, without class struggle, without the politi
cal power of the working class and its allies. Where
have these ideas led to victory, to fundamental
change? Nowhere.

It is useful to draw attention to this because of the

. efforts of the apologists of capitalism to denigraté
Marxism-Leninism, to speak of its being obsolete:
What they say in effect is that capitalism has changed
and is in fact not capitalism anymore, that exploita’
tion of the working class has ceased, that capitalism
has ended crises, inflation, unemployment, poverty,
indignity, inequality, not to speak of national oppres-
sion, discrimination and racism. Where is this so if
the capitalist world? sey

Lenin’s ideas, rather than becoming obsolete, have
been vindicated by history. They are not dogmas but
guides to action creatively developed to the changing
situation, and to the specific conditions of each coun-
try. This is why one can say that these ideas are all
powerful, and will continue to be a source of strength
for all those seeking fundamental revolutionary
change.

a