Revolution is the Main Trend in the World Today!

So 'Ex Party Member' comes on again. Good. First I wish to accept unconditionally both his and Terry's statements that 'Ex Party Member' is not Terry Auld. Of course, I did not say that he was. But the response has been gratifying. Thanks, boys. More is now known about both of you than was the case before the correspondence opened.

Now, Comrade 'Ex', you say that the CPNZ is a rotten tree and must collapse. Your public declamation denies your contention that you would not join any group which actually did oppose the CPNZ. Your action in writing to 'Salient' puts you firmly among those people generally referred to as the Bailey/Manson group. Whether these people are firmly organized or not is beside the point. They are firmly united with you in their attempt to kill the CPNZ.

One thing comes through clearly from 'Ex Party Member's' letters. He or she demands that Party members who have been elevated to leading positions should, ipsofacto, become superhuman. Many people regarded Stalin in almost this light and accepted any and all statements made by him as gospel, thus substituting a religious, dogmatic, non-critical ideology for a critical Marxist-Leninist one. If 'Ex Party Member' was so easily put off from Party membership by a couple of statements, then obviously his Marxism was but a shallow veneer.

When Dev wrote under the heading of 'Another Look at Economic Problems' his shots were aimed, not at Stal in, but at those who while claiming to be Marxist-Leninists, had taken up the metaphysical formulation by Stalin in 'Economic Problems of Socialism', namely, the theory of maximum pro fits.

These people included some in all Communist parties who later became openly revisionist in their political orientation. Where did 'Ex Party Member' stand in the controversy? He does not say. Does he dare? But if Dev's poor effort was such as to cause him to give away the revolutionary path, we are entitled to enquire as to the depth of his Marxist-Leninist convictions. We are, of course, completely unaware of his contributions to this movement. The CPNZ is the only organized group attempting to bring a revolutionary consciousness to the NZ working class. We do this in the face of the bitter opposition of the 'non-existent' Bailey/Manson group. We will carry on precisely because imperialism is revolutionizing the whole of social existence. It has, or is in the process of, destroying the small scale nature of all industry, the basis which made New Zealand 'the paradise of the Second International' as Lenin put it (not a social democratic paradise' as 'Ex Party Member' has.) Huge monopolies dominate the total life of the NZ people and the strong hold of small scale capital in agriculture is coming under attack.

This is the foundation upon which we build and upon which a revolutionary movement is emerging. 'Ex Party Member' is such apparently be cause he/she is unable to see the connection between the economic base and the consciousness of the people who serve that base. What is true for NZ also applies in France, Greece, Australia. Canada and the USA.

Revolution is the main trend in the world today in this material sense. It is the duty of Marxist-Leninists to bring the working class to realize this trend in its own consciousness and practice.

The CPNZ is doing what its forces are capable of to achieve that end and will be successful in spite of the efforts of the groupings of ex-party members whether or not they are an organized oppoistion.

Now I close, wondering whether Auld's acquaintance be forgot.