KIM JONG IL
ON THE
FUNDAMENTALS OF REVOLUTIONARY PARTY
BUILDING
October 10, 1992
Safeguarding and developing the
socialist cause is the most important
task now facing revolutionary parties
and peoples. Although it is undergoing
trials, socialism is as ever the
objective of the struggle of
revolutionary parties as well as the
aspiration of progressive people. This
is shown clearly by the fact that many
revolutionary parties throughout the
world have signed the declaration, which
was adopted in Pyongyang
in April this year, the declaration for
safeguarding and promoting the socialist
cause.
How
the socialist cause is promoted depends
on how the party, which leads this
cause, is built and how it's leading
role is enhanced. The history of the
struggle for socialism can be called the
history of building the working-class
party and of its activities. The whole
course of the bloody struggle of the
working class and other sections of the
working masses for socialism shows that
the key to victory lies in party
building and party activities and that
the failure has its causes in party
building and party activities.
Now
that revolutionary parties have adopted
the Pyongyang Declaration as their
common fighting program and are
undertaking a fresh struggle for
socialism, it is extremely important to
conduct a correct review of the
historical experience and lessons of
party building. Such a review is also a
pressing matter in enabling our
officials and party members to heighten
their vigilance against all the attempts
of the class enemies who are hell-bent
on destroying the revolutionary party of
the working class, to strengthen the
party steadily, to enhance its leading
role and thus to continue to promote the
socialist cause vigorously.
1. THE HISTORICAL LESSONS IN
BUILDING A GOVERNMENT PARTY UNDER
SOCIALISM
The
setback faced by socialism in a number
of countries is a serious lesson for us.
Here it is particularly important for us
to understand clearly why parties that
had guided the socialist cause through
arduous struggles for many decades
collapsed so quickly. That is important
because party leadership is vital to the
socialist cause.
A
socialist society is an advanced society
that represents the popular masses'
desire for independence, and humanity's
advance towards socialism is the trend
of historical development. The
working-class party guides the tide of
human history towards socialism, and the
progress of socialist society requires
that the working-class party should be
developed and strengthened steadily. The
collapse of socialist ruling parities
and socialism's return to capitalism in
some countries in recent years can be
considered as abnormal, passing
phenomena in the light of the general
trend of human history.
The
collapse of parties, which had been
building socialism, was an abnormal
occurrence also in view of the
circumstances and conditions for party
building and party activities. The
circumstances and conditions for party
building and party activities in
socialist society are incomparable
superior to those in capitalist society.
In socialist society there are no
socio-economic and class conditions
restricting the building and activities
of the working-class party, the party's
social and class foundations are broad,
and the party has greater possibilities
for winning the support and confidence
of the popular masses through the
implementation of popular policies. The
collapse of socialist ruling parties in
spite of this is explained by the fact
that party building and party activities
were no conducted properly.
The
most important factor in party building
and party activities is to strengthen
the party's organizational and
ideological bases.
The
working-class party is a political
organization that has been formed on the
basis of the working-class ideology, and
as such how its organizational and
ideological bases are built is a basic
factor that is essential to its
existence. The working-class party must
lay and strengthen its organizational
and ideological foundations in the whole
process of preparing its foundation and
development. The strengthening of its
organizational and ideological
foundations is particularly important
when the inheritance of the party
leadership is an issue, because at that
moment the class enemies at home and
abroad and schemers and ambitious
elements that are greedy for power
maneuver more overtly than ever.
If
its organizational and ideological bases
are solid, the socialist ruling party
can thwart all the schemes of the
imperialists and class enemies to
undermine the party. Treachery within
the party is a greater danger to the
existence of the party than destructive
moves from outside, but whether or not
treachery can be prevented depends on
the solidity of its organizational and
ideological foundations. If the party
adheres to revolutionary principles and
has durable organizational and
ideological foundations, its leadership
will not fall into the hands of traitors
to the revolution, and should the
leadership fall into their hands, the
traitors will find it difficult to
impose their counterrevolutionary line
upon the party organizations and party
members. But the organizational and
ideological foundations of several
parities were weakened because of a bend
towed bourgeois liberalism that had
infiltrated them. Taking advantage of
this weakness, the traitors to the
revolution were able to dictate their
counterrevolutionary line to their
subordinates openly. In particular the
body of cadre, the backbone of the
organizational and theological
foundations of the party, was not built
up well and ideological degeneration was
evident among them. Therefore, many
cadres failed to distinguish between the
revolution and counterrevolution clearly
and, even when the counterrevolutionary
nature of the traitors was identified,
they ideologically sympathized with them
and followed them blindly or flattered
them submissively, for the purpose of
self-protection in preference. Of
course, the staunch communists preserved
their conscience of party membership and
fought to defend the party and
socialism. But their struggle could not
halt the adverse current of
counterrevolution that had emerged due
to the long-term degeneration of the
party.
Another
important matter in the building and
activates of the working-class party is
the fortification of its mass
foundation.
It
is an essential condition for the
existence of the working-class party
that represents the interests of the
masses to strike root among the masses.
Without the support of the masses the
working-class party cannot maintain its
existence.
For
the socialist ruling party to
consolidate its mass base it is
essential for it to build socialism
successfully so as to display the
advantages of the socialist system to
the full, and at the same time, to work
well with the masses and equip them
fully with the socialist ideology.
Fundamentally speaking, the
working-class party is a party of the
popular masses themselves, which fights
in defense of their interests.
Therefore, if the working masses oppose
the working-class party it means that
they are opposing themselves. But if the
socialist ruling party fails to bring
the superiority of the socialist system
into full play because of the
inefficient organization and leadership
of socialist construction, and if it
fails to overcome bureaucracy and other
outmoded work methods and styles, and
bribery and other forms of
irregularities and corruption, within
the party, it may become divorced from
the masses. As for bureaucracy, it was
in evidence in the early days of the
building of socialism. It was more or
less inevitable that officials should
employ outmoded work methods and styles
because they retained the remnants of
outmoded ideas and had no experience of
the management of socialist society. But
the officials' outmoded work methods and
styles at that time did no result in
such a serious consequence as
jeopardizing the revolutionary
achievements, because the workers and
peasants were giving strong support to
the working-class party and the
socialist power that had freed them from
exploitation and oppression. With the
passage of time, however, the people's
class awareness dulled and their demands
increased, whereas bureaucratic
practices grew more serious as the
cadres were replaced by members of the
new generation that lacked revolutionary
training and, worse still,
irregularities and corruption which had
been a minor problem in the early period
of building socialism increased to a
considerable extent.
These
evils do not emanate from the nature of
the working-class party and the
socialist society, but from outmoded
ideological remnants and bourgeois
ideology. So they can be overcome if the
party strengthens its organizational and
ideological work and combats them. But,
many parties paid no due attention to
the organizational and ideological work
of the party. As a result, they were
unable to eliminate such unsound
elements as bureaucracy, irregularities
and corruption. Meanwhile, they
neglected the work of educating the
popular masses in the socialist ideology
and tolerated ideological and cultural
infiltration by the imperialists.
Consequently, the political
consciousness of many people dulled and
they were deceived by the anti-socialist
maneuvers of the imperialists and
reactionaries. Renegade socialists and
reactionaries, talking about "democracy"
and "glasnost", used the shortcomings
revealed in the socialist ruling parties
as a means of misleading public opinion.
But, if the popular masses had been
fully armed with the socialist ideology,
many people would not have been fooled
by the counterrevolutionaries and would
not have opposed their parties and
governments.
The
degeneration within socialist government
parties, which resulted in the
frustration of socialism, began with
their discarding the revolutionary
principles for building a working-class
party. The revolutionary principles for
building a working-class party were put
forward in Marxism-Leninism. The
founders of Marxism, who believed that a
vanguard for the working-class was
needed to lead its revolutionary
struggle to victory, formed the
Columnist Union, the political
organization of the working-class, and
founded the First International, and
they worked hard to develop the
international communist movement under
the party's leadership. In the course of
this, the founders of Marxism
established a number of party-building
principles. Lenin, upholding Marxist
principles for party building, developed
the theory of party building in
accordance with the historical
conditions in which the proletarian
revolution became necessary with
capitalism's transition to the stage of
imperialism. He defined the poor
peasantry, along with the working class,
as the motive force of the revolution
and, on that new class basis, founded a
revolutionary party. With the victory of
the October Socialist Revolution in Russia
under the leadership of Lenin's Party,
Marxist-Leninist principles for party
building became the universal principles
for party building recognized by the
communist and workers' parties.
The
new era of independence in which the
popular masses shape their destiny
independently and creatively required a
fresh development in party-building
theories. As a theory in the period of
the struggle of the working-class party
for the seizure of power, the
Marxist-Leninist theory of party
building did not clarify the details of
how the working-class party in power
should develop itself and conduct its
activities. Many new theoretical and
practical problems occurred in the
building and activities of the party as
the leading political organization of
society after its seizure of power and
the establishment of the socialist
system.
But
several parties followed
Marxism-Leninism dogmatically, claiming
that it was their guiding principle. As
a result they did not develop a
party-building theory as required by the
situation in which socialism was being
built. Therefore, they failed to find
correct solutions to such new problems
as those of strengthening their ranks
organizationally and ideologically and
consolidating their mass foundations to
suit their ruing position. When the
limitations of the Marxist-Leninist
theory of party building were revealed,
the modem revisionists, taking advantage
of them, led the working-class parties
to degeneration. Under the pretext of
developing the Marxist-Leninist
party-building theory in accordance with
the changed circumstances and
conditions, the modern revisionists
emasculated the theory's revolutionary
essence, weakened their parties
systematically and paralyzed their
leadership functions.
A
socialist society requires that the
working-class party should be
strengthened steadily and its leadership
role enhanced. Socialist society, which
is based on collectivism, can neither
maintain itself nor blaze a trail
successfully towards socialism and
communism without the correct political
leadership of the party.
In
the course of many years of living in
comfort in socialist society, the
revolutionary spirit may gradually
disappear and idle and easy-going
practices come to prevail among the new
generation and other people who have not
experienced exploitation, oppression and
hardship. All this requires the
strengthening of the party and the
improvement of its leading role, as well
as a more positive effort to educate
party members and other people in the
revolutionary spirit. But, many
socialist ruing parties neglected to
strengthen themselves and to provide
party members and the people with
revolutionary education, believing that
everything would go well merely if they
built the economy after the
establishment of the socialist system.
Economic construction is an important
task for socialist ruling parties after
the establishment of the socialist
system. But, if they emphasize only
economic construction and neglect to
strengthen them and to educate party
members and the people in the
revolutionary spirit, they cannot build
even the economy successfully and may
lose the gains of the socialist
revolution.
The
socialist government parties and the
socialist systems collapsed in many
countries, not just a few, because they
had failed to establish Juche in their
development and activities.
Establishing
Juche is the fundamental requirement in
the building and the activities of a
revolutionary party. The revolutionary
party of the working class is an
independent political organization,
which combats domination and
subordination in all forms and struggles
to realize the independence of the
working masses. Therefore the
revolutionary party must resolve all the
problems that arise in its building and
activities with its own ideas and by its
own efforts. Of course, in the early
days of the imitational communist
movement the guidance and assistance of
the imitational center was necessary for
the countries whose communist hard core
was not sufficiently prepared to carry
out the cause of party building.
As
history developed and the revolution
progressed, a columnist hard core and
revolutionary forces grew up in
different countries and every party
became able to conduct the revolution
independently in keeping with the
specific conditions in its own country.
In this historical situation it was not
realistic for an international center to
guide the parties and revolutionary
movements of different countries in a
uniform way, so the Communist
International ceased to exist.
But
even after the Comintern
had been dissolved, old practices lasted
for a long time in the relations between
communist and workers' parties,
practices expressed in their dogmatic
acceptance of the party lines and
policies of a major country which had
carried out the socialist revolution
earlier. The good experience of others
should be adopted, but in such a case it
should be assimilated creatively to suit
the specific situation in the country
concerned. Since the specific conditions
vary with the country, socialism cannot
be built successfully if foreign
experience is adopted dogmatically.
Nevertheless, many parties, being in the
habit of copying the lines and policies
of the party of another country,
followed the other when it abandoned
socialist principles and pursued
revisionism. They even accepted the
counterrevolutionary lines, which the
traitors to socialism dictated to them.
This resulted in the collapse of the
socialist government parties in the Soviet Union
and east European countries and in the
almost simultaneous collapse of the
socialist systems in these countries. If
the socialist government parties had
resolved all the problems arising in
their development and activities from
their own point of view, with an
attitude befitting masters who are
responsible for the revolution in their
own country, and to meet the
requirements of their own people and the
situation in their own country, the
socialist government parties and
socialist systems in these countries
would not have collapsed.
The
process of the disintegration of parties
that had seized power after an arduous
revolutionary struggle and had spent
decades building socialism, and of the
destruction of the socialist systems is
a serious lesson.
The
historical lesson from the collapse of
the socialist ruling parties and of the
socialist systems in many countries is
that the purity of the socialist idea
must be maintained firmly if the cause
of socialism is to be completed.
Historical
experience shows that when people's
ideology degenerates, both the
working-class party and the socialist
system will also become degenerate and
cease to exist. The emergence of
renegades from the party, the
organizational and ideological
disintegration of the party and the
change in public feelings all started
from degeneration in ideology. If
ideology degenerates, even great
economic and military powers will
collapse and the socialist system that
has been developed for decades will
inevitably be destroyed.
The
most dangerous ideological trend, which
undermines socialism, is that of
revisionism, dogmatism and flunkeyism.
The
idea, which is directly antagonistic to
the socialist idea, is the bourgeois
idea, but the bourgeois idea cannot
prevent the attraction of the socialist
idea. The bourgeois idea, that reflects
the avaricious demands of the exploiter
classes, cannot conceal its reactionary
nature, no matter what hypocrisy is used
to embellish it. It is natural that the
working masses should accept the
socialist idea, which reflects their
demand for independence instead of the
bourgeois idea, which reflects the
demands of the exploiter classes that
infringe upon their independence.
Therefore, the imperialists and
capitalists have used revisionism, which
is the revision of the socialist idea,
to cater to their desires, as an
ideological installment. As it was in
the past, so at present, too,
revisionism is the main threat to the
accomplishment of the socialist cause.
Being the reflector of the bourgeois
idea, which emerged in the communist
movement, revisionism has prevented
revolutionary transition to socialism in
capitalist countries and has been used
by the imperialists as their ideological
instrument in their strategy of
“peaceful transition”, by opening the
road to the return to capitalism in
socialist countries. But no matte how
carefully modem revisionism may disguise
itself, we must identify its reactionary
nature and categorically oppose and
reject it.
Dogmatism
and flunkeyism are also dangerous
ideological elements in the
accomplishment of the cause of
socialism. Dogmatism and flunkeyism
prevent the socialist idea from
displaying its full vitality. Those who
are steeped in dogmatism and sycophancy
will dance to the tune of others instead
of acting in accordance with their own
beliefs, will adopt revisionism if
others practice revisionism and,
ultimately, will harbor illusions about
the developed capitalist countries and
recklessly introduce capitalist methods.
We must not tolerate even the slightest
expression of dogmatism and sycophancy
and must solve all problems to meet the
requirements of our people and the
situation in our country, maintaining
our own beliefs at all times.
Another
historical lesson to be learned from the
collapse of the socialist ruling parties
and of the socialist systems in some
countries is that continuity of
leadership must be ensured if one is to
complete the cause of socialism.
We
cannot regard the responsibility for the
disintegration of the socialist ruling
parties as resting with ordinary party
members. In any of those countries
ordinary party members have faithfully
supported the cause of the working-class
party and grieved at its collapse. The
problem was that the continuity of
revolutionary leadership was not
ensured.
The
destiny of the cause of socialism, which
emerges in the fierce struggle against
the class enemies, depends on how
leadership of it is ensured. The
struggle for socialism has developed in
many countries over a long historical
period, but correct leadership for it
has not always been ensured. Leadership
of the cause of socialism can be ensured
only when an outstanding leader stands
at its center. There is no greater
fortune for people than being guided by
a leader who enjoy their absolute trust
for his brilliant wisdom, outstanding
leadership ability and noble virtue as
well as for his lasting achievements.
This does not mean that people who have
no such great leader cannot carry out
the cause of socialism. The most
valuable of the traits of a leader who
leads the cause of socialism is his
loyalty to this cause and to the people.
A leader derives wisdom, leadership
ability and virtue from the popular
masses. The people are teachers, and
there cannot be a prominent leader who
is isolated from the people. Correct
leadership will be ensured when the
leader mixes with the popular masses at
all times, listens to their opinions and
solves everything by relying on their
strength, and the leader who has such
popular leadership qualities is a true
leader of the people.
Disregarding
the opinions of the people and not
believing in their strength are the
traits of a renegade. If such a renegade
holds power, the misfortune the people
will suffer will be immeasurable. The
greatest misery for people is to have
the wrong leader.
If
continuity of leadership is to be
ensured in a socialist society, the
party should be strong.
In
general, the personality and qualities
of the leader of a communist movement
are formed through a process in which he
is tempered and tested in a fierce class
struggle. But the personality and
qualities of the leader of the new
generation in a socialist society are
shaped in the course of his being
tempered and seasoned through a party
life and the practical work of building
socialism. If an admirable leader is to
come forward, a leader who has been
tempered and tested through a party life
and revolutionary practice in a
socialist society, the party should be
powerful. Historical experience shows
that it is quite possible for an
excellent leader to come forward who is
faithful to the cause of socialism and
the people and is well-qualified and can
carry forward the cause of socialism
successfully if the problem of
continuity of leadership is solved in a
foresighted way on the basis of
strengthening the party organizationally
and ideologically and observing party
principles.
The
collapse of the socialist ruling parties
and the destruction of the socialist
systems in many countries are a great
loss to the cause of independence for
the popular masses. But if one learns a
lesson from one's failure and opens up
the revolutionary path of party building
independently and creatively, one will
be able to build a more revolutionary
and militant party and continually
promote the cause of socialism under the
leadership of the party.
2. THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE
BUILDING OF A JUCHE REVOLUTIONARY
PARTY
The
bitter experience of the collapse of the
socialist ruling parties and the
destruction of the socialist systems in
many countries demands that we should
recognize more clearly the validity of
our Party's line of building a Juche
party and work still harder to implement
it.
Our
Party has always solved in its own way,
proceeding from a Juche stand, all the
problems which have been raised in the
building of the Party and in its
activities. Had our Party followed
others in the building of the Party and
in its activities, it would have been
harmed. In the history of our Party,
too, there were at one time pressure
from outside forces and schemes by
factionalists infected with flunkeyism
who demanded that we should follow
others. But, our Party did not move even
a single step from its Juche line.
Because we have built our Party and
conducted its activities in our own way,
our Party is leading the revolution and
construction energetically as a militant
detachment, which is united in one mind,
even in today's complex situation.
The
great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung has created a
Juche theory on party building and
comprehensively systematized it after
founding a Juche-based revolutionary
party which he has led on the basis of
the Juche idea, and has also performed
immortal exploits and accumulated
valuable experience in party building.
This is a great achievement and a sure
guarantee for continually strengthening
and developing our Party as a
revolutionary party of a Juche type.
The
Juche idea is the sole guiding idea of
our Party.
The
guiding idea of a party is its
fundamental idea, which clarifies the
goal of its struggle as well as the
principles and ways for achieving that
goal. The character of the party and the
basic direction of its building and
activities are defined by its guiding
idea. The party is a political
organization of people with the same
idea. Therefore, a scientific and
revolutionary guiding idea for the party
should be established before anything
else in party building. It is only when
the party has a scientific and
revolutionary guiding idea that it will
be able to convince its members and
other people of the validity of its
cause and give them confidence in
victory, to achieve the unity and
cohesion of the party and the
revolutionary ranks in ideology and will
and to lead the revolution and
construction to victory based upon a
correct strategy and proper tactics.
The
guiding ideas of the revolutionary
parties of the working class share
common ground in that they reflect the
desire of the popular masses, the
driving force of the revolution, for
independence, and their interests.
Nevertheless, they have their own
specific features because the situation
in every country is different. In the
past it was stressed that the parties of
all countries should have one guiding
idea, which was approved by all. But the
fact that the party of each country
should work independently, with its own
guiding idea, and that it should develop
its guiding idea creatively, was
neglected. This was an obstacle for
every country in building the party and
making the revolution independently to
suit its own situation. It is only when
a correct guiding idea is created and
developed from an independent and
creative stand that a party can be built
independently and the revolution and
construction be conducted successfully,
taking the idea as its guiding
principle.
Because
a party has to create a guiding idea to
keep abreast of the changing
circumstances and its own situation, it
should not renounce the revolutionary
principles that should be maintained
invariably in the building of the party
and in its activities. The conditions,
under which the party works, as well as
its duties, change in the course of
accomplishing the cause of socialism;
therefore, the theoretical and practical
problems arising in the building of the
party and in its activities should be
solved creatively to conform to this.
But, revolutionary principles should
invariably be maintained because the
class character of the party and its
historical mission cannot change.
Renouncing revolutionary principles
because of changes in the circumstances
and conditions means destroying the
revolutionary party and betraying the
revolutionary cause of the popular
masses.
The
great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung created the
Juche idea and thus found a brilliant
way of providing a guiding ideology for
the Party to meet the requirements of
the times and the situation in our
country.
The
validity and vitality of a revolutionary
idea are defined by how correctly the
idea reflects the masses' desire for
independence and their interests and how
scientifically it explains the way to
meet them. The Juche idea accurately
reflects the fundamental requirements of
the working class and other working
masses and explains the way it should be
implemented in an absolutely scientific
manner. The fundamental demand of the
working class and the other working
people is to end exploitation and
oppression of man by man and to enjoy an
independent and creative life as masters
of the state and society. Because it
mirrors the masses' desire for
independence and explains the way in
which it should be implemented in a
comprehensive manner, the Juche idea is
a perfect revolutionary ideology of the
working class which reflects the new age
in which the popular masses have emerged
in the arena of history as masters of
their destiny. It is only when party
building and its activities are guided
by the Juche idea that the party can
consolidate and develop itself steadily
and conduct the revolution and
construction with success. This has been
proved in our revolutionary practice.
Developing
our Party into a mass party of the
working people is a basic policy of
building it.
Formerly
a party was regarded as a political
organization of a class, representing
and defending the class's interests, and
as a weapon in the class struggle. The
party is the vanguard of a class, which
fights to realize the demands and
aspirations of that class. But, if it is
built into a party for that class alone,
it is impossible for it to perform its
duties properly as a revolutionary party
or to win the support of the broad
masses of the people. The situation now,
in which the broad masses of the people
have emerged as the masters of their
destiny, requires that the working-class
party be developed into a mass party
which represents the interests of all
the people and embraces progressive
elements from all classes and sections
of the working population. In socialist
society in which all strata of the
popular masses have become socialist
working people and the social and class
composition is becoming more and more
homogeneous, it is all the more
necessary to develop the working-class
party into a mass party.
The
great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung, displaying
scientific insight into the requirements
of our times and the specific situation
of our revolution, put forward the
theory of building a mass party, thus
paving a new way for the building of a
revolutionary party. The theory on
building a mass party evolved by the
great leader is based on the Juche
revolutionary principle that the popular
masses are the masters and the motive
force of the revolution and
construction. The cause of socialism is
an undertaking by the people and for the
people. Today, when the broad masses of
the people are aspiring to socialism and
the social and class foundations of
socialism have been expanded as never
before, the party which fights for the
cause of socialism must naturally be
developed into a mass party which
represents the interests of all the
people and strikes root among the broad
working masses.
The
party's development into a mass party
must not result in the weakening or
alternation of its revolutionary and
working-class character. The class
character of the party is defined by its
guiding ideology and fighting
objectives; its revolutionary character
is manifested in its loyalty to the
revolutionary ideology of the working
class and to the socialist cause. The
cause of the working class conforms to
the interests of all the people, and the
working class can achieve the socialist
cause successfully only when it rallies
broad strata of the population behind
it. It is, therefore, a legitimate
requirement in building the
revolutionary party to develop it into a
mass party which champions the interests
of all the people and comprises farmers
and intellectuals as well as the working
class. Experience shows that when it
fails to become a mass party of the
working people, a party may be reduced
to a political minority of communists
when faced with difficulties in the
revolution. Only when it is built as a
mass party which thoroughly champions
the masses' desire for independence and
their interests and strikes root among
wide sections of the working people, can
the party maintain unbreakable ties with
the masses and succeed in the socialist
cause by relying on the inexhaustible
energies of the people who are rallied
behind it.
The
great leader, on the basis of the line
of building a mass party, built a
revolutionary party of Juche which
consists of advanced elements of the
workers, farmers and working
intellectuals and champions the
interests of the popular masses, and
thus set a brilliant example in the
building of a mass party. He had not
only a hammer and sickle symbolizing the
workers and farmers but also a brush
symbolizing the working intellectuals
form the Party's emblem, to suit the
characteristics of our Party, a mass
party, and has led the Party to form a
harmonious whole with the masses and
render loyal service to all the people
so as to provide them with an
independent and creative life. Our Party
has developed into an unconquerable
revolutionary party, which enjoys the
unqualified support and trust of the
popular masses. It has become a powerful
motive force for the revolution by
welding itself with the masses into a
socio-political organism, which shares a
common destiny. This is an excellent
fruition of the great leader's line of
building a mass party, and it ensures
all our victories.
Firmly
establishing monolithic ideology and
leadership within the Party is a
fundamental principle in the building of
our Party.
Its
monolithic ideology and leadership
ensure the durability and vitality of a
revolutionary party. Monolithic ideology
and leadership is essential for the
unity of idea and purpose within the
party and for its effective leadership
of the revolution and construction.
Monolithic
ideology and leadership in a party is
best achieved when a distinguished
leader guides the party. A leader who is
endowed with great intelligence,
outstanding leadership ability and noble
virtue can formulate lines and policies
which reflect the masses' desire for
independence and their interests
accurately and organize and guide their
creative activities successfully. A
party, which does not support its
leader's ideology and guidance or does
not inherit his cause, cannot be called
a revolutionary party.
Monolithic
ideology and leadership in a party is
guaranteed by centralist discipline, and
can be ensured only when the party has
established a centralist work system and
order by which all party organizations
and all its members obligatorily
implement its lines and policies, and by
which its entire membership acts as one
in accordance with the instructions of
its central committee.
The
establishment of monolithic ideology and
leadership in a party does not conflict
with democracy, but provides a sure
guarantee for genuine democracy. When no
such ideology and leadership is
established and unprincipled democracy
is permitted within the party, democracy
may be suppressed by bureaucracy and
arbitrariness manifested among officials
who lack in party discipline, and the
unity and cohesion of the party may be
broken and division encouraged by
undesirable elements hidden in the
party. The occurrence of undisciplined
practices and disorder and the emergence
of factions in some parties over recent
years, which led finally to their
disintegration and collapse, were due in
no small measure to the failure to
ensure their monolithic ideology and
leadership, resulting from undue
emphasis on "democracy". It is only when
monolithic ideology and leadership are
combined properly with democracy in a
party that true comradely unity is
achieved among party members, the unity
of superiors and subordinates is
guaranteed, and its lines and policies
are implemented with success. Making it
the basic principle in party building to
maintain monolithic ideology and
leadership, our Party has established
the monolithic ideological and
leadership system firmly among its
entire membership and thus has been able
to develop and strengthen itself into an
unbreakable, militant organization which
thinks and acts as one under the
guidance of the leader.
Our
experience in party building shows that
democracy based on unshakable,
monolithic ideology and leadership makes
it possible for a party to promote the
revolution and construction forcefully
by uniting all its members firmly with
one ideology and purpose.
It
is our main task in party building to
strengthen the Party's unity and
cohesion. The unity and cohesion of the
party is its lifeblood and the source of
its might. The party whose unity and
cohesion is disrupted cannot maintain
its existence. The unity and cohesion of
the party is a prerequisite for
achieving the political and ideological
unity of the whole society. The unity of
the broad masses behind the party and
the leader in their struggle constitutes
the major driving force in the rapid
development of socialist society and is
the source of its unconquerable might.
The political and ideological unity of
the whole society is inconceivable
without the unity and cohesion of the
party. The party is the hard core
joining the popular masses with the
leader organizationally and
ideologically. In order to achieve the
political and ideological unity of the
whole society by rallying the popular
masses firmly behind the leader it is
essential, before all else, to achieve
the unity and cohesion of the party's
ranks, the hard core.
The
unity and cohesion of the party behind
the leader in ideology and purpose, as
well as in morality and loyalty, is the
most durable of unity and cohesion. An
association, which is based on a mere
sense of duty or on business routine
cannot last long, nor can it withstand
the severe trials of the revolution.
Only solid, single-hearted unity behind
the leader which is based on one
ideology and purpose and on loyalty to
the revolution can be unbreakable unity
and cohesion that are capable of
overcoming all hardships and trials.
The
work of strengthening the unity and
cohesion of the party must be steadily
intensified. If we, resting content with
the unity and cohesion of the Party that
has been achieved, do not make continued
efforts to consolidate it, the unity and
cohesion may be gradually weakened and,
in the long run, destroyed. It is
important to launch an effective
struggle to preserve the unity and
cohesion of the party, especially when
one revolutionary generation is replaced
by another and when the situation,
internal and external, is complex.
Historical experience shows that in such
a situation, ambitious elements and
renegades appear and try to wreck the
unity and cohesion of the party.
The
struggle to maintain the unity and
cohesion of the party is, in the final
analysis, a fight against heterogeneous
ideological trends that are detrimental
to the unity and cohesion of the party.
The most dangerous of the ideological
trends that undermine the party's unity
and cohesion is factionalism and other
counterrevolutionary ideological trends.
If we tolerate counterrevolutionary
ideological trends within the party,
anti-party groups will be formed on
their basis and will destroy the party.
In order to maintain the unity and
cohesion of the party, it is also
necessary to guard against parochialism,
nepotism and other unsound ideological
elements. Parochialism and nepotism are
seeds of factions and, if they are
connived at, may grow into factions and
break the unity and cohesion of the
party. We must remember that
heterogeneous ideological elements that
are harmful to the Party's unity and
cohesion can germinate from the remnants
of outmoded ideas or infiltrate from
outside, and we must always be vigilant.
Historical
experience shows that, if we neglect the
consolidation of the unity and cohesion
of the party, in the belief that the
unity and cohesion of the party will not
be destroyed in socialist society,
factional forces may appear in the party
and challenge the party, in collusion
with counterrevolutionary forces outside
the party, and this will incur grave
consequences. Only when we develop the
work of consolidating the unity and
cohesion of the party, regarding it as
the main task in party building, can we
strengthen and develop its unity and
cohesion down through the generations.
Our
Party achieved solid unity and cohesion
a long time ago. Not resting content
with this, however, it has continued to
work hard to strengthen the
single-hearted unity of the whole Party
around the leader, so that it maintains
unbreakable unity and cohesion, without
any vacillation even in the present
complex situation.
It
is the consistent policy of our Party to
stress ideology in party building.
A
party is a political organization of
people who are united by a common
ideology. Therefore, its ranks should be
strengthened with the main stress on
ideology. This means that the party's
ranks should be made up of people who
are loyal to the cause of socialism,
judged mainly by how strong a belief
they have in the party's ideology. Only
when the party's ranks are strengthened
with the people who have a high level of
ideological consciousness and are loyal
to the cause of socialism, is it
possible to ensure the party's solid
unity in ideology and purpose and its
strong revolutionary character, and
enhance the vanguard role of the party
members in the revolutionary struggle
and construction work. Therefore, it is
essential in building up the party's
ranks to judge people mainly and always
by their ideological level and their
loyalty to the cause of socialism, while
taking into account their socio-class
position and background. Even in a
society where the hostile class has been
eliminated and all the members of
society have become socialist working
people, the principle of giving priority
to ideology in building up the party's
ranks must not be violated.
In
a socialist society, too, some people
who are not prepared politically and
ideologically may possibly attempt to
join the party in pursuit of selfish
interests and fame. But such people are
not qualified for party membership and,
if they are admitted to the party, the
dignity and prestige of the party may be
damaged and the party itself be
weakened.
In
building a party by judging people's
ideological criteria, it is extremely
important to form the ranks of cadres
with officials who are infinitely loyal
to the party, the leader and the
revolution. Cadres are the backbone of
the party; they educate the masses and
direct the revolution. The strength of
the party depends largely on the quality
of its cadres. Cadres need to be
competent but more importantly, should
have a sound ideology. Loyalty to the
party, the leader and the revolution is
the first criterion of a cadre. To form
the cadre ranks mainly on the criterion
of loyalty to the party, the leader and
the revolution is a fundamental matter
that has a bearing on the future of the
party. The major obstacle to forming the
cadre ranks with the main stress on
ideology is the violation of party
principles because of favoritism,
personal acquaintance and the like in
the work of personnel administration. If
party principles are disregarded in
personnel administration, unqualified
people may be admitted to the ranks of
cadres or even alien elements may worm
their way into them.
With
a view to ensuring the purity of the
ranks of cadres, our Party has
established strict procedures for the
appointment, the dismissal and the
ratification of cadres and has ensured
that cadres are selected and appointed
on the basis of collective discussion by
the Party committee and on the principle
of unanimous approval. Thus, only those
whose loyalty and ability have been
verified in revolutionary practice have
been selected and appointed as cadres.
The experience of our Party shows that
only when the ranks of cadres are built
up mainly on ideological criteria can
the Party be strengthened
organizationally and ideologically and,
on this basis, the cause of the Party be
accomplished down through generations.
Establishing
a monolithic ideology is the major task
of our Party.
The
building of socialism and communism is
the process of modeling the whole
society on the revolutionary ideology of
the working class. Our Party set the
ultimate objective of our revolution to
be the modeling of the whole society on
the Juche idea and has worked hard to
occupy the ideological and material
fortresses of socialism and communism by
transforming our ideology, technology
and culture to meet the requirements of
Juche.
The
main aspect of modeling the whole
society on one ideology is to instill
our monolithic theology in all the
members of society. People are the
masters of society and a person's value
and quality are defined, and all his
activities are regulated, by his
ideological consciousness. Therefore, in
order to transform the whole of society
on a single ideology, it is essential,
above all else, to educate people and
transform their ideology.
People
not only transform nature and society
but also reform themselves. The
ideological transformation of people is
also influenced by changes and
developments in the objective conditions
of society. In particular, the change
and development of the social system
exert a great influence on the change
and development of ideological
consciousness. But a change in the
objective conditions does not bring
about that of people's ideological
consciousness spontaneously. Ideological
consciousness is consciousness, which
reflects the demands and interests of
people and it, has relative solidity.
Unless people work to remold their
ideological consciousness, regardless of
changes in the objective circumstances
and conditions, their ideological
consciousness will not be transformed.
If we believe that people will acquire
the socialist ideology automatically
after the establishment of the socialist
system and neglect their ideological
transformation, old ideologies may
revive. The transformation of people's
ideological consciousness is more
difficult than the reform of the social
relations and the development of the
forces of production. The remnants of
old ideologies are very conservative and
revive whenever the possibility arises.
Ideological transformation, particularly
in confrontation with imperialism, is
accompanied by a serious class struggle.
Therefore, we must direct greater
efforts to ideological transformation
and give definite priority to it over
all other work.
The
ideology with which we should equip the
members of society should be an
excellent one. There cannot be a vacuum
in people's ideological consciousness.
Unless we have a good ideology that is
superior to the old ideologies we cannot
succeed in ideological transformation.
The
great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung originated the
Juche idea and, while leading the
arduous revolutionary struggle for
nearly 70 years, has produced a full
clarification of how a revolutionary
should live and struggle, setting a fine
example in doing so, and thus providing
us with good ideo-spiritual
wealth for ideological transformation.
The revolutionary ideology of the great
leader and the history of his
revolutionary struggle are an invaluable
textbook and example for imbuing the
whole society with one ideology. The
loyalty to the Party and the leader of
our anti-Japanese revolutionary
forerunners, the heroic soldiers who
fought in the Fatherland Liberation War
and the heroes of socialist revolution
and construction and their devoted
service to the country and the people
are also a priceless asset in
ideological transformation.
An
old ideology does not give way to a
good, new one of its own accord. A good
ideology, needless to say, is very
attractive. But, since the imperialists
and the reactionaries are playing many
tricks in an attempt to slur the
socialist ideology and beautify and
embellish the bourgeois ideology, it is
not easy for people to accept an
advanced ideology. Only through a
struggle to oppose the reactionary
bourgeois ideology and equip the people
with the advanced socialist ideology can
they be educated and reformed along
revolutionary lines. It is the most
important task for the parties building
socialism to carry out vigorous
ideological work to prevent the
penetration of the reactionary bourgeois
ideology and equip people with the
socialist ideology. Only when the
revolutionary parties conduct good
ideological work to overcome the
reactionary bourgeois ideas of all hues
and arm people with the advanced
socialist ideology can they firmly
guarantee the victory of the socialist
ideology and succeed in imbuing the
whole society with it.
For
the ideological transformation of the
whole society the party must give
priority to the ideological education of
its members. In other words, a party
must educate its members first and then
make them educate the hard core of the
masses who, in turn, will educate the
broad masses. The education of the hard
core of the masses by party members and
the education of the broad masses by the
hard core of the masses is an effective
method of educating and transforming all
the members of society, with one person
educating ten people, ten people a
hundred, a hundred people a thousand,
and a thousand people ten thousand.
A
party member is a political activist by
nature and it is the duty of a party
member to conduct political work to
educate and transform the masses. When a
party refuses to give precedence to the
ideological education of its members
they cannot do their duty as political
activists and may degenerate
ideologically. It cannot be said that
the traitors to the revolution who
appeared in some socialist ruling
parties were anti-socialist from the
first. The parties neglected the
revolutionary education and tempering of
their cadres and members, with the
result that some people gradually
degenerated and became traitors. In the
light of this lesson we must always pay
primary attention to the revolutionary
education and tempering of cadres and
party members.
In
order to succeed in the ideological
tempering of party members we must lead
them to live a good party life. A party
life is a furnace for ideological
tempering. When party members fail to
lead a party life and leave the control
of their party organizations they may
become liberal and degenerate
ideologically. Proceeding from their
need of political integrity party
members must participate voluntarily in
a party life. Our Party has established
a well-regulated system for a party
life, which enables its members to raise
their political integrity and fulfill
their duties through leading a party
life. Our Party has led all its
organizations to guarantee proper
organization and guidance so that their
members lead a party life consciously
and faithfully in compliance with party
rues, having a correct view of their
party organization, and temper
themselves steadily in a revolutionary
way through leading a party life.
Ideology
is reformed through ideological
education and an ideological struggle.
Ideological education is work to equip
people with revolutionary ideas; it
requires a certain system and definite
forms and methods. Our Party has
established a well-knit system of
ideological education within itself and
has run it regularly. It has steadily
improved the forms and methods of
ideological education as required by the
developing situation. The ideological
struggle is an important form of
ideological transformation that is
through criticism; criticism is a tonic
for preventing ideological sickness. Our
Party has established a sound atmosphere
for criticism within itself so that an
ideological struggle is conducted
through criticism to temper the cadres
and its members on revolutionary lines.
For
the ideological transformation of the
whole society the Party must also
educate the masses responsibly.
Equipping them with the consciousness of
independence and awakening them
ideologically manifest the greatest love
for the people, and the most serious
crime against the people is to paralyze
their consciousness of independence and
make them ideologically degenerate. The
responsible education of the popular
masses by a party is an expression of
its boundless love for them.
Party
organizations should guide all its
cadres and members to conduct political
work widely among the masses, while at
the same time educating the masses
through working people's organizations.
Conducting work with the masses through
working people's organizations is our
Party's principle in guiding the masses.
The
proper guidance of those organizations
is an important duty of the socialist
ruling party, which is the political
leadership organization of society.
Working people's organizations must work
independently, but they should not be
left without the guidance of the
working-class party. It is the
working-class party that represents the
interests of the popular masses most
thoroughly in socialist society. So the
working people's organizations must
always conduct their activities in
accorded with the party's lines and
policies. The "independence" of the
working people's organizations that
means freedom from the leadership of the
party eventually reduces the working
people's organizations to a tool for the
counterrevolutionary forces. The
socialist ruling party must give correct
guidance to the working people's
organizations so that they conduct the
work of educating and reforming the
masses of all strata independency,
creatively and skillfully, in accordance
with their duties and character as
organizations for ideological education.
The party's norms for an organizational
and ideological life should serve as an
example of the organizational and
ideological life in the working people's
organizations. But, unlike the party
that is composed of advanced elements of
the working people, the working people's
organizations are mass organizations,
which embrace the broad masses. As every
working people's organization has its
own characteristics, its organizational
and ideological life should be arranged
accordingly.
The
fundamental method of mass education is
explanation and persuasion. People's
ideology cannot be reformed by
administrative orders or by coercive
methods. People should be encouraged to
accept the ideology as their faith
through explanation and persuasion.
Officials should always explain to the
masses and try to persuade them steadily
and patiently. Influencing people by
positive examples is an effective method
of educating them. The affirmative is
the progressive and beautiful things
that meet the demands of people for
independence, so they exert a great
influence on people. Support for the
affirmative is a criticism of the
negative, and shows people the ways of
overcoming the negative. Our Party's
experience shows that there is no one
who cannot be educated and reformed if
we conduct explanation and persuasion
and influence people properly by
positive examples in education.
Great
efforts should be directed particularly
to the education of the younger
generation in the education of the
masses. The oldest generation of the
revolution should pass down to the
younger generation great revolutionary
spirit and creative ability. Of course,
material wealth should be handed down to
the younger generation, but however much
martial wealth they may inherit, they
will misuse it if they lack
revolutionary spirit and creative
ability. In those countries where
capitalism has revived, many young
people took the lead in opposing
socialism. This was due to their
parties' failure to guide them properly.
It is an important duty for socialist
ruling parties to educate the younger
generation on revolutionary lines so
that they firmly defend the socialist
system and continue to work for the
revolution and accomplish the cause.
Historical lesson shows clearly that
when the younger generation is not
educated in a revolutionary way the
revolutionary gains achieved at the cost
of blood are lost.
Today
in our country the young people are
working with devotion to develop
socialism further under the leadership
of the Party, and all the young people
and children are growing up as
dependable successors to the revolution.
This shows that the leadership of our
Party, which has put great effort into
the education of the rising generation,
is absolutely correct. But we should not
rest content with the successes, which
have been achieved in the education of
the younger generation; we should train
them more as revolutionaries of a Juche
type.
It
is the basic mission of our Party to
guarantee its political leadership of
the whole society.
The
revolutionary working-class party in
socialist society is charged with the
mission of assuming responsibility for
the destiny of the people, forging it
and providing independent and creative
lives for them. If the party is to
fulfill its mission it should ensure its
political leadership in politics, the
economy, culture, national defense and
all other spheres. The party's
responsibility for the destiny of the
people is inseparable from its leading
position. The revolutionary party's
renunciation of its leading position and
role is the evasion of its
responsibility for the destiny of the
people. It is the fundamental direction
in the building of a socialist ruling
party to enhance the leading position
and role of the party so that it can
fully ensure its political leadership
over the whole society.
The
great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung wisely guided
our Party to strengthen its position as
the political leader of society and
enhance its role as such. Our people
recognize only the Workers' Party of
Korea as their political leader and
entrust their destiny entirely to the
Party, and they are full of firm
determination to complete the
revolutionary cause of Juche under the
leadership of the Party.
The
leadership of a revolutionary party to
the revolution and construction should
be political leadership.
First
of all, the party should draw up correct
policies. The lines and policies of a
revolutionary party should accurately
reflect the masses' desire for
independence and their interests and, to
this end, the party should heed their
aspirations and demands. Our Party has
believed in the popular masses as its
teacher, always mixed with the masses,
listened to them and shaped its policies
to reflect their demands and interests.
As a result, our Party has been able to
avoid deviations to right or left in
forming its lines and policies, and our
Party's policies have commanded the full
support of the popular masses. The party
should not only draw up correct policies
but also lead its organizations to carry
out its policies thoroughly. An
important duty for party organizations
at all levels is to organize, control
and guide the execution of party
policies. When party organizations
implement party policies correctly, they
can translate them into reality so as to
promote the revolution and construction.
The
party should give priority to political
work in all its activities so as to give
full play to the revolutionary
enthusiasm and creative ability of the
popular masses. It is an intrinsic
demand of socialist society to give
precedence to political work in all
activities. The revolutionary enthusiasm
and creative ability of the working
people who are masters of state and
society can be brought into full play
only by political methods. The
capitalist method of motivating people
by coercion or money, which is contrary
to the intrinsic nature of socialist
society, not only cannot give full play
to their revolutionary enthusiasm and
creative ability but also results in the
degeneration of the socialist system
itself. Only the method of giving full
rein to the revolutionary enthusiasm and
creative ability of the popular masses
by giving priority to political work is
a revolutionary method of strengthening
the socialist system and giving full
play to its advantages. By giving
precedence to political work in all its
activities our Party has been able to
promote the revolution and construction
dynamically in reliance on the high
revolutionary enthusiasm and creative
ability of the popular masses, and to
give full play to the advantages of
socialism of our own style which is
centered on the popular masses.
The
embodiment of the revolutionary mass
line is the consistent policy of our
Party in its leadership of the
revolution and construction.
The
revolutionary mass line is a principle
of activity, based on the view that the
driving force of the revolution and
construction is the popular masses. The
fundamental demand of the revolutionary
mass line is to ensure that the popular
masses hold the position of masters of
the revolution and construction and
fulfill their role as such. The
revolutionary party, which represents
the interests of the popular masses and
serves them must make the revolutionary
mass line the fundamental principle of
its activities and thoroughly implement
the revolutionary mass line throughout
the whole course of the struggle for
socialism.
If
the revolutionary mass line is to be
implemented thoroughly in the activities
of the party, the method and style of
work of officials should be improved
steadily. The connection between the
parties and the masses is established by
officials and the masses' support for
and trust in the party largely depend on
the officials' method and style of work.
In socialist society some ill-prepared
officials may throw their weight about
and act bureaucratically. Essentially,
wielding power and acting
bureaucratically is a ruling method of
the old society for oppressing and
exploring the people. As experience
shows, if officials abuse their power
and resort to bureaucracy, they will
cause the divorce of the party and the
masses, and may finally bring the party
to ruin. To struggle uncompromisingly
against the abuse of power and
bureaucracy is important work, which the
socialist ruling party should not
neglect even for a moment.
Since
changes of generation take place in the
ranks of cadres and the proportion of
officials who are not amply tempered in
the revolution increases, we have
continued to pay great attention to the
elimination of outmoded work methods and
styles. Under the slogan, "We serve the
people!" our Party has guided all our
officials to serve the people faithfully
and strengthen their kindred relations
with the popular masses. As a
consequence, our officials have
established the revolutionary work
method and popular work style whereby
they defend the interests of the popular
masses, go among them and work in
reliance on them, share good time and
bad with them, and lead the masses by
setting them examples. Our people's
strong support for and faith in our
Party is the fruition of its
revolutionary mass line that it has
implemented thoroughly in its
activities, and of its unremitting
efforts to ensure that officials
establish the revolutionary work method
and the popular work style.
We
must apply more thoroughly the Juche
theory on the building of the Party,
whose validity and vitality have been
demonstrated fully in practice, and thus
constantly strengthen our Party and
complete the revolutionary cause of
Juche under its leadership.
3. THE INTERNATIONALIST UNITY
AND SOLIDARITY OF REVOLUTIONARY
PARTIES
Strengthening
internationalist unity and solidarity
with revolutionary parties is an
important demand for our Party in
discharging its national and
internationalist duties.
The
basic task of a revolutionary party is
to provide independence for the popular
masses. Their cause for independence is
not only national but also the common
cause of humanity, and the struggle to
realize the independence of the popular
masses in each county is closely related
to the struggle to make the whole world
independent. An independent world is a
world, which is free from domination and
subjugation and intervention and
pressure and in which all countries, and
nations exercise complete sovereignty as
the masters of their destiny. With the
promotion of global independence a
favorable international climate is
created for the independent development
of all countries and nations.
Meanwhile,
victory in the struggle for the
independence of the popular masses in
each country reinforces the independent
forces of the world and thus accelerates
global independence. In league with one
another, the imperialists and the
reactionary forces of all shades are
impeding the fulfillment of the
independent cause of the popular masses,
and the internationally united
reactionary forces are challenging it.
This makes it absolutely necessary for
all the revolutionary parties and people
aspiring after independence to unite and
fight against them.
The
people of the world are joining the
common struggle because they share the
same goal and task of struggling for
independence. “People of the world
advocating independence, unite!”-this is
the slogan to be held up by all the
people of our era.
If
all the people advocating independence
are to unite and wage a struggle, first
of all the internationalist unity and
solidarity of the revolutionary parties,
their hard core, should be strengthened.
Strengthening
internationalist unity and solidarity in
the fulfillment of the cause of
independence for the popular masses is
an important factor in its triumph. The
struggle for the victory of this cause
is now going through an ordeal. But if
they strengthen their solidarity with
one another, unite in a comradely manner
and fight on, the revolutionary parties
of the world will be able to check and
frustrate the counterrevolutionary
offensive by the imperialists and
reactionaries who are opposed to
independence, and to pave the way to
victory.
The
internationalist unity and solidarity of
the revolutionary parties should be
realized on the basis of the socialist
idea. A revolutionary party that is
devoid of the socialist idea is
inconceivable and unity and solidarity
between the parties that are not based
on the socialist idea cannot be called
genuinely revolutionary unity and
solidarity. The aim of strengthening the
internationalist unity and solidarity is
not self-serving; it is to achieve in a
combined effort the common cause of
socialism. It is a bounden duty for
revolutionary parties to unite firmly on
the basis of the socialist idea.
The
Pyongyang Declaration reflects a firm
determination to defend and promote the
cause of socialism. Its publication is
of epochal significance in strengthening
the internationalist unity and
solidarity of the revolutionary parties
and in promoting the socialist cause.
The
Pyongyang Declaration has affirmed that
socialism is the ideal of mankind and
that socialist society is a society,
which represents the future of mankind,
and a genuine society for the people.
Although the socialist idea is the
ideology of the working class, it does
not represent the interests of one class
alone; it is a universal idea for
humanity, which reflects the social
nature of human beings.
Socialism
is not only an idea for class
emancipation but also an idea for
national and human liberation, which
reflects the desire for independence of
all nations and the whole of humanity.
Only when they advance along the road of
socialism where the popular masses are
the masters of everything and everything
serves them, can all the people lead a
free, equitable and dignified life that
is suited to the independent nature of
human beings and can all countries and
nations free themselves from domination
and subjugation, achieve independent
development and ensure lasting peace and
security in the world, thus guaranteeing
the survival and progress of humanity.
By
confirming the veracity and validity of
the cause of socialism and the
inevitability of its final victory, the
Pyongyang Declaration is infusing the
revolutionary people of the world who
aspire after independence with
confidence in victory and a
revolutionary fighting spirit, while
representing a serious setback for the
imperialists and reactionaries who are
waging a frantic anti-socialist
campaign, talking about the "end" of
socialism.
The
fact that well over a hundred parties
have signed the Pyongyang Declaration
and that the revolutionary people around
the world are responding to it proves
irrefutably that the socialist idea
contained in the Pyongyang Declaration
reflects the desires and aspirations of
progressive humanity. The revolutionary
parties will be able to strengthen their
internationalist unity and solidarity
based on the common idea and dynamically
promote
the cause of socialism when they wage a
struggle with the Pyongyang Declaration
as their common fighting program.
The
internationalist unity and solidarity of
the revolutionary parties must be
achieved on the basis of independence.
There is no need to establish an
imitational center of leadership since
each country is conducting the
revolution under different circumstances
and conditions and the party of each
country is acting independently. The
revolutionary parties will achieve
genuinely internationalist unity only
when they establish a comradely
relationship on the basis of
independence and equality instead of a
relationship in which one is higher and
the other lower and one dictates and the
other is dictated to. It is
impermissible in their relationship for
revolutionary parties to interfere in
the affairs of others and to force their
opinions on the other, contrary to the
principles of independence and
internationalism.
An
urgent, common task facing the
revolutionary parties at present is to
defend socialism from the
counterrevolutionary offensive of the
imperialists and reactionaries.
The
imperialists and reactionaries are now
engaged in vicious maneuvers against
socialism, but they are destined to be a
failure. The revolutionary partied and
people the world over are turning out in
a new struggle, overcoming the temporary
confusion. It is inevitable for the
masses of people to fight against a
force if it represses their
independence, and the cause of socialism
emerges victorious through this
struggle. This is a law governing
historical development. The imperialists
are now behaving arrogantly, but they
are in a serious crisis. As the
monopolies grow, the reactionary,
anti-popular character of modem
imperialism becomes more evident and the
discontent of the working people with
the corrupt and ailing capitalist
society grows as the days go by. The
desire to build an independent, new
world under the ideal of independence,
peace and friendship is becoming more
intense among the progressive people of
the world. Although socialism is
undergoing an ordeal, these people can
change a disadvantageous situation into
a favorable one and turn misfortune into
a blessing, if they counter the
counterrevolutionary offensive of the
imperialists and reactionaries with a
revolutionary offensive, full of
confidence in victory.
Now
that the imperialists and reactionaries
are concentrating the spearhead of their
attack on the socialist countries which
are faithful to revolutionary
principles, it is very important for all
the revolutionary parties and people to
unite and strengthen their
internationalist support for and
solidarity with the socialist countries.
Frustrating the criminal maneuvers of
the imperialists and reactionaries to
isolate, blockade and invade the
socialist countries is a common, urgent
task for the revolutionary parties and
people in their struggle to safeguard
socialism.
The
imperialists and reactionaries are
resorting to every manner of trickery to
prevent socialism from reviving in the
former socialist countries. This is a
scheme to bring the people of these
countries under the yoke of domination
and subjugation forever. A catastrophic
crisis has been created in the countries
where capitalism has revived owing to
the criminal moves of the imperialists
and reactionaries. The crisis these
countries are now faced with is not a
crisis of socialism but a crisis of
revived capitalism, and it shows the
irrelevance of the idea of bourgeois
revival. The resurgence of socialism is
the only way out of the political,
economic, ideological and moral
confusion and crisis which are becoming
more serious with every passing day in
the countries where capitalism has
revived.
The
imperialists are resorting to every
conceivable heinous plot to hold in
check the advance towards socialism of
the people of those countries which were
subjected to national oppression and
exploitation in the past and which have
now embarked on the building of a new
society. This is aimed at preventing
them from taking the road to
independence. Fighting against the
imperialists' moves for trampling down
their rights to independence and for
strengthening neocolonial exploitation
and plunder of them is an important link
in the whole chain of the common
struggle for socialism.
In
the developed capitalist countries,
bipolarization, “the rich getting ever
richer and the poor ever poorer”, is
intensifying and confrontation is
growing, with the social evil becoming
more serious owing to the strengthening
of monopolies. Accordingly, the
oppressed working masses are turning out
in the struggle, lifting up their voices
calling for the rights to existence,
democracy and independence.
The
victorious advance of the common cause
of socialism will be further accelerated
when the revolutionary parties and
peoples give active support and
encouragement to those parties and
peoples that are waging an undaunted
struggle for socialism under various
circumstances and conditions.
It
is an important task for the
revolutionary parties to form a united
front with the democratic political
parties and organizations in the
struggle to accomplish the cause of
socialism. In the implementation of the
socialist ideal of opposing exploitation
and oppression and realizing the
independence of the popular masses, the
revolutionary parties, and democratic
parties and organizations share similar
demands and interests. The socialist
cause will be promoted if the
revolutionary parties strengthen their
unity with all the democratic parties
and organizations and cooperate with
them actively on the principle of mutual
respect in the joint struggle for the
independence of the popular masses in
opposition to exploitation and
oppression.
If
the independence of the popular masses
is to be realized, a dynamic
anti-imperialist struggle should be
launched. The main target of the
struggle to defend socialism and achieve
global independence is the US
and other imperialist reactionary
forces. Taking advantage of the
destruction of the balance of power in
the international arena, the modern
imperialists are scheming more viciously
than ever before to realize world
domination by use of force. Without a
struggle against imperialism, it is
impossible to realize the aspirations to
and desire for independence of the
progressive peoples of the world who are
opposed to domination and subjugation
and aggression and war. Struggling
against imperialist domination and
subjugation and aggression and war is a
natural demand of the cause for
independence of the popular masses, and
compromising with the imperialist policy
of diminution is the betrayal of their
cause of independence. To maintain a
principled stand against imperialism is
the bounden duty of revolutionary
parties. The revolutionary parties and
progressive forces will be able to check
and frustrate the imperialists' moves
for aggression and war if they regard
the struggle against imperialism as
their common duty and fight resolutely
against it.
The
driving force of the struggle to make
the whole world independent is the
combined anti-imperialist, independent
force. The anti-imperialist, independent
forces must unite so as to put an end to
domination and subordination and
interference and pressure by the
imperialists, to establish a fair
international order based on
independence, to eliminate aggression
and war and to ensure world peace and
security. The imperialists are using all
sorts of crafty maneuvers to divide the
anti-imperialist, independent forces and
set them at variance with one another.
The anti-imperialist, independent forces
can frustrate the imperialists'
maneuvers for division and alienation
and emerge victorious only when they
counter their schemes with the strategy
of unity. The anti-imperialist,
independent forces can unite,
transcending differences in social
systems, political views, ideas and
religious beliefs, nations and races
because they have a common desire for
independence, peace and friendship.
Should
all the anti-imperialist, independent
forces, including the socialist
countries, the international communist
and working-class movements, the
national-liberation movement, the
Non-aligned Movement and the world peace
movement, unite in the struggle they can
put an end to imperialist diminution and
interference and build an independent,
new world.
The
cause of independence, the cause of
socialism, of the popular masses is a
sacred one for making the ideal of
humanity the reality. To unite and
struggle for the victory of the cause of
independence, the cause of socialism, of
the popular masses is the revolutionary
parties' honorable duty to history and
their peoples. The current complex and
difficult situation makes it necessary
for the revolutionary parties to fight
resolutely in firm unity, filled with a
conviction in victory and an
indefatigable revolutionary parties
across the world for the victory of the
cause of independence, the cause of
socialism, of the popular masses, and
will discharge its noble mission and
responsibility for the Korean revolution
and the world revolution.