Appeal of the CPSU and the Union of Communists of Finland

   Dear Comrades, representatives of fraternal Parties!

   We, representatives of the Communist party of the Soviet Union and the Union of Communists of Finland, during a long discussion have examined a question of a modern state of decline in the Communist and working-class movement. We are deeply disturbed by the future of the working people, labor and Communist movement all over the world, and we would like to jointly address to your Party/organization with the following letter.

   About the tasks of the Communist and working-class movement

   After the end of 1980s when a former tactics of struggle of the Communist and worker’s Parties has been exhausted, our world has thoroughly changed. The Socialism has suffered serious failures, the imperialism became stronger and carries out a new redivision of the world, also by force of arms. There were significant changes in the structure of the working class, numerous social, economic and geopolitical contradictions sharpen between the countries. The working class and working people all over the world need to develop a new tactics of anticapitalist struggle and achieve the historical aim of the working class – the overthrow of the capitalism and the building of a classless society. We would like to state some considerations about the ways of achievement of this purpose.

   As before we think that a Marxist-Leninist theory is a scientific basis for the estimation of all social phenomena - estimation which should be constantly updated. However some of Communists quite often address to such condition of a society which is not actual anymore. On the other hand, an inability to estimate the social events of our time by means of a Marxist science has led to such situation that masses, earlier faithful to class labor movement, lost contact with a vanguard and went their own way.

   Numerous Marxist groups and Parties have a problem with use of Marxism-Leninism as an instrument of their own policy. Only in the Europe there are hundreds of Marxist Parties and groups which in some form existed already decades ago. Many of these movements and the currents, originated in conditions of difficulties in Communist and labor movement, try to solve today's problems on the basis of the line adopted at that time. However problems of today are absolutely different. Therefore they certainly should be solved with the use of a Marxist science, but addressing to realities of today. In the same way it is necessary to estimate a new tactics of anticapitalist struggle.

   The question of a breakdown of Socialism is a central question here. Why the Socialism suffered a certain setback, what led to a long stagnation in strategy and tactics of the class struggle of the Communist and working-class movement? Without the answer to this question we cannot move further, it gives us a key to a decision of many other problems.

   If over many decades the Socialism successfully developed and gained large victories in science, economy, culture and social sphere why it could not repulse a political and ideological attack of 1980s years? We think that a degradation of the system similar to world socialist system is possible only when it is determined by the internal laws of development of a society, economy and class struggle. Only very few of Marxist-Leninists managed to foresee them, but to overcome these negative tendencies was quite impossible. Here we would like to make some basic observations on the subject of the approach to this question.

   1) The Socialism of 1900s years was based on traditional industrial production which dominated in the industry and accordingly in the national economy. However a growth of productive forces promoted the automatic processing of information and its introduction in production. For development of productive forces it was the same revolutionary jump as 200 years ago was a transition from manufactory to machine production. In a similar situation the capitalism managed to quickly introduce in production new methods that has given a new strength to it.

   2) The world socialist system, especially the USSR, adhered to principles of the centralized planned economy. However in 1970s years, when in the USSR there were already hundreds of thousands enterprises, the centralized management began to give the certain failures, the rate of economic growth became slower. A task of accelerated adoption of scientific and technical achievements was not also fulfilled. As a result in a given particular historical situation the economic gap between capitalism and Socialism has ceased to reduce. In the USSR since 1950s years a problem of the improvement of economic mechanism was tried to solve by introduction of various economic stimuli. These measures gave a certain effect, however in the final analysis they rather aggravated problems of socialist society because economic stimuli of that time distorted representations about the aims and values of Socialism. The economic executives who assigned primary importance to the achievement of economic parameters, also not always took into account principles of Socialism. The shadow economy has started to form and together with it - a certain social group or stratum which began to concentrate in its hands money received in a shadow sphere.

   3) An important ideological question of a correlation of phases of development of a socialist and communistic society was not also decided. Already in initial stage Marx and the Communists spoke about a Communist society. In his work “Critique of the Gotha program” Marx has shown a division of the Communist society into the lower and supreme phase. At the first phase the problems inherited from the capitalism continue to exist for a long time. Then, as Marx notes, at higher, Communist phase the labor, in particular, already is not only a source of existence but turns to the first vital need. And only after that a society can trace on its banner “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”.

   Today we can ascertain that the first phase of a Communist society has been successfully realized within the limits of the world socialist system. Achievements of the USSR and other socialist countries in development of a national economy, science, education and social sphere were huge. However theoretical notions about the Socialism and Communism almost did not develop. Published in the USSR in 1950-80 (and also translated from Russian into many foreign languages) the most important textbooks on Marxist-Leninist philosophy and political economy define the major aim of a socialist society as a constant growth of production, consumption and a material well-being. Not enough attention was devoted to propositions of the Marxist theory on phases of development of a socialist and Communist society and interrelation of these phases, though the real society developed by huge steps.

   Whether a Crisis of Socialism was Inevitable?

   At the first stages of development of Socialism, when the economy and material well-being were on a very low level, it was natural that in a definition of the aims of Socialism the main thing was a development of its material basis and a well-being of society. In his book "The State and Revolution” Lenin wrote: “Politically the difference between the first, or lower, and the higher phase of Communism will in time, probably, be tremendous; but it would be ridiculous to take cognizance of this difference now, under capitalism”. Today we know that a social development alongside with questions of social and economic well-being has generated new global contradictions, a simultaneous decision of them is necessary from the point of view of a survival and well-being of mankind. Here we can refer, for example, to a change of climate, ecological accident or pandemia, and also on a global problem of food production. The theory of Socialism and Communism should develop successfully connecting questions of increase of a material well-being with a solution of other aggravating problems of society. It was not done in 1980s and earlier years. The initial thesis that a constant growth of material well-being is a primary goal of Socialism could not mobilize the masses anymore and, in effect, not greatly differed from that which capitalism could offer.

   Even in conditions of Socialism the society could not politically adapt for constantly growing productive forces. Except for growth of well-being for Socialism was not defined any other clear function though changes in development of society could even in the intermediate term considerably change a daily life. The situation was determined by the law of conformity of productive forces and relations of production, well-known in Marxist economic and a social science. Unfortunately, public relations have been inhibited at level of 1930-1940s years. Since a level of development of society could not or has not be dared to harmonize with the increased productive forces, a return to capitalism waited ahead.

   A gradual drift of Socialism to crisis was basically inevitable. If previously the world socialist system and the international working-class movement due to their own existence managed to prevent a new growth of imperialism, at some point the imperialist centers have noticed the increased uncertainty of Socialism. Capitalist blocks have begun actions for a new repartition of the world, for their support has been developed a neoliberal economic policy.

   Even in the USSR as a result of the growth of shadow economy come into existence a social group in which hands were concentrated money and ideas how to keep and use this property by its capitalization into the capitalist one. This group has gladly met a neoliberal policy to which the disoriented broad masses could not offer any organized resistance.

   Role of Subjective Factor

   Many Communists think that a process of disintegration of Socialism was a result of mistakes and treachery of public figures or whole Parties. Actually this process was determined by more wide objective laws and actions of these or that leaders served as a form of display of the certain laws of social development. It at all does not mean that the politicians who made erroneous and even criminal decisions may be released from any responsibility. On the contrary, these persons can be equated to war criminals.

   Nevertheless, regarding a chain of events which led to a disintegration of Socialism as a display of the laws of class struggle and social development, to us it’s much easier to develop a new anticapitalist strategy and tactics of class struggle. Such estimation can mark the beginning of the unity of Communist movement, moving out all Communists to the same starting point. Now the causes of crisis must be searched not in the mutual mistakes, we should concentrate on the analysis of modern situation and new tactics of actions.

   Character of Modern Epoch

   Not meeting any counteraction, the capitalist blocks again divide among themselves the world markets and economic resources. Using a cheap labor force of developing countries, they to a considerable extent have transferred there a large-scale production. However social contradictions are simultaneously aggravating. In connection with such transfer of workplaces to "cheaper" countries a situation with employment in the old industrial countries is becoming worse. In the newly industrializing countries capitalists aspire to maintain a standard of living of the working people below the real value of labor.

   Such contradictions in the form of aggravation of the class struggle appear even now, however the real explosion will happen when a modern imperialist phase will achieve its maturity and will experience the first global crisis of overproduction, which first impacts are probably observed already now. Furthermore the wall before a modern market economy rises also from the other direction. The consumption and production must be regulated and developed in coordination, in particular for prevention of eco-catastrophe.

   In a present-day situation we, Communists, should develop a modern tactics of class struggle from positions of a modern epoch - in particular in consideration of an aggravation of global social contradictions and change of structure of the working class.

   It’s completely depends on us if we could name a modern epoch «an epoch of temporary restoration of imperialism and the new organization of working class».

   Shortly about the Basics of New Tactics

   Without a precise scientific substantiation of our socialist future we are not in condition to create such force which can organize class struggle at a new level. However the mass movement not always can be built on the basis of awareness of socialist perspectives. It is necessary to have such movement which simultaneously supports direct, actual aims so that it wouldn’t contradict a socialist perspective.

   Before a breakup of the world socialist system the tactics of international Communist and working-class movement consisted in creation of wide antimonopolistic front. We still consider that such united front of various social organizations and social strata remains now actual. However as it’s necessary to raise to a much higher level the theory of building of a socialist and Communist society the united front also should put before itself such political aim which will touch upon major problems of the present.

   Comrades Communists!

   Our major task consists in the strengthening of our mutual cooperation. At the first stage we suggest to exchange opinions on theoretical and ideological aspects of new tactics of joint actions - both distantly and by organization of personal meetings. For this purpose it would be useful to convene even a small amount of Communists from all ends of the Europe and, probably, other countries of the world for serious discussion of the formulated questions to develop a common document/estimation of the present stage of class struggle. In this document we could also set the tasks of coordination of joint actions with a prospect of creation of new organizational forms of consolidation of Communists all over the world.

   The stage of general disorganization and disunity should come to an end. For really Communist forces it’s time to rally, at last, for a new resolute attack on the world capital.

   Proletarians of all countries, unite!

For the CPSU

Sergey Skvortsov,

First (general)

secretary of the CPSU

For the Union of Communists of Finland

Kalevi Wahrman,

Chairman of the CLF

Received from Irina Malenko