One Class – One Party?

Three months ago the Public Council of Red television (KTV) addressed "all party and non-party left activists, communists and three largest coalitions - ROT Front, the Left Front with request to unite into joint Russian anti-capitalist front – wide, really oppositional organization which doesn’t lean on one of capitalist groups which will contain revolutionary Marxist-Leninist theory in its core".

Unfortunately, for purely technical reasons I couldn't take part the discussion of that document in April-May. Meanwhile situation has got developed. Interregional association of communists broke off umbilical cord connecting it with the CPRF. Concrete work on formation of a new ("joint") party began. Term of carrying out of its Unifying congress has been declared – till December, 31 of this year. It is been officially registered as political party RotFront. At the same time traditional difficulties both of RotFront and "Communists of Russia" (though less rigidly) occupy position "Come!"

Therefore address of KTV is still actual as well as all problem as a whole. Further discussion is necessary.

The most valuable in the Address idea of creation of the general Anti-capitalist front uniting all left forces. It is absolutely practical, prepared by general actions of last years, ideologically and terminologically provided. Communistic movement is different thing.

I will remind that nowadays communistic movement is many-sided. All today's Communist Parties lean generally on the general social base — new proletariat which includes all people of wage labor. However this proletariat is rather diverse: from declassed elements to experts with top skills.

Strictly speaking, movement which today is called communistic as a whole actually doesn't lean on Marxism. All remember scandalous attempt of V. S. Nikitin, the chairman of Control Commission of the CPRF, to divide members of the party into Marxists and Marxists Leninists. Besides he tried to make Marxists leave the party. It is difficult to normal communist even to imagine similar comical views.

The fact remains. Today ideas of scientific communism and Orthodoxy, recognition of realities of post-industrial era and patriarchal rhetoric, slogans of the international solidarity and state patriotism, appeals to equality of people and nationalist installations, love to democracy and to Stalin mode are mixed in the communist movement.

Though in that part of communistic range which is traditionally considered left there are ideological currents often resisting each other. Their range – from Maoism and Trotskizm to conservative communism most often acting under Stalin banners.

So what association we are talking about? I have been propagandizing idea of creation of joint Communist Party not of unitary, but of federal type for many years. Parties entered it would keep status of autonomies, including saving of names, ideological positions, publishing of newspapers, etc. While central governing body which would get a number of powers of authority would be formed simultaneously. It would be differ it from numerous coordination councils which have been created before.

However life showed that majority isn't ready to accept this option. Therefore as of today I see the following more viable way, though it demands refusal of one of dogmas which have taken roots in our consciousness. This dogma is: "One class – one party!" Theoretically it was proved by Stalin: "So far as there are no classes, so far as boarders between classes have been erasing, there is only little, not radical difference between various layers of socialist society, there can't be nutritious soil for creation of parties fighting among themselves. No several parties could exist where there are no several classes because the party is part of a class". Let's note that if formula "party is part of a class" is right (and it’s certainly right!), it admits thereby that each part of a class, if there are such parts, naturally seeks for creation of "own" party.

It is necessary to recognize that existence of ruling party as the only one was inevitable in conditions of supercentralized political system of the USSR. Though whether historically it served strengthening of the Soviet power, socialism, the Soviet Union? Especially after the end of the post-war recovery period, by the end of the 50s years. Then two powerful flanks started developing alongside with "official" ideology which fluctuated together with the general line of the party: "men of the sixties" - supporters of expansion of political democracy, including inner-party and "pochvenniki" - opponents of any reforms with strong monarchic notes. Not including hidden "liberals" like Yakovlev, Gaidar, brothers Chubays who were members of CPSU fiercely hating it in soul.

We were brought up in belief that communistic multi-party system at socialism would perniciously influence our business. While bicentennial history of domination of capitalism showed that except in the dictatorial countries bourgeois multi-party system prevails there. It serves not to easing, but strengthening and preservation of exploiter society, giving it necessary flexibility. Thus there’s no and can't be any doubt: all these currents will rally into united anti-socialist front up to fascism in case of threat to bourgeois society as a whole.

So, different social groups inside uniform class generate various currents inside one general ideology and the last in their turn generate different parties. Therefore slogan "one class — one party" is no more, than "starry-eyed" remnant of "uniform" ruling CPSU.

Though then whether it is necessary to damn communistic (more widely socialist) multi-party system? We have been engaged in it for more than 20 years! Whether it is not better to recognize the truth, let even be unusual for us: whether we like it or not, existence of several anti-bourgeois parties is inevitable in the near future. However, same 20 years ago we (RCP-CPSU) proclaimed in our Program: "Recognizing the right of each group of the communistic movement to own position, both in assessment of the past and in ideas of that future society to which we aspire, RCP-CPSU supports unifying process of revolutionary communist parties standing on Marxist-Leninist positions". Though then we considered that all currents could be connected into one party. We were mistaken. Not all parties calling communistic and even separate groups share Marxist-Leninist positions.

I am convinced: organized development of the developed ideological currents will serve strengthening of our movement as a whole. The work on formation of the joint Communist Party began. It intends to incorporate both part of already existing organizations and groups and separaten communists standing on positions of Marxism (Marxism-Leninism). I.Ponomarev and S. Udaltsov declared about creation of social democratic organization. A.Shubin and A/Sakhin are followers of populists and left socialist revolutionaries. Parties-veterans have been working for more than one year: RotFront gravitating to Stalinism and the Revolutionary Workers’ Party professing Trotskizm. The CPRF has the right to remain one of the leaders, it should only change its name to something like the National and Patriotic or something similar. Then the whole bouquet or, if to use parable which has already become platitude, broom will appear connected in their base (by common goal).

Today we should discuss how to adjust allied or, at least, respectful terms between them, how to avoid mutual insults, hatred to the communists supporting other point of view in inevitable discussions. The more so at the crucial moment we will be on one side of barricades.

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