NZ Communists Slate Dogma!

The joint statement of the smallest Communist party in the world and the largest makes interesting reading. New Zealand and Chinese delegates signed a joint resolution on the 25th. of May with V. G. Wilcox, General Secretary of the Communist Party of New Zealand, taking a leading part in the talks that preceeded its signing.

A significant fact in the light of the large ideological divisions becoming apparent in the Communist world, is the complete agreement reached between the two parties on "questions now confronting the Communist world." There is frequent mention to the support both parties give to the Marxist-Leninist line (for the Chinese interpretation of this).

"Modern revisionists emasculated the revolutionary soul of Marxist-Leninist theory, cast away the revolutionary will of the working class and serve the needs of imperialism." The New Zealand Communist Party seems bent on placing itself in a theoretical strait jacket by its statement on Yugoslavia. Referring to the vague "they" (so common in the whole statement) it says "They have been facilitating the restoration of Capitalism in Yugoslavia and are providing Imperialism with its policy of 'peaceful evolution' … aimed at restoring Capitalism in Socialist countries. To side with the Yugoslav Revisionists is nothing but betrayal of Marxism-Leninism."

The next paragraph, in the light of all that preceeds it and all that fellows it, seems outstanding. "While fighting against revisionism, we must also combat dogmatism. Dogmatists have no understanding of … the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism." We wonder whether either of the two parties has.

M.C.R.

By Sine, a well known European satirical cartoonist.