Marxism–Leninism–Maoism

Poster produced by the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA showing Marx, Lenin, and Mao

Marxism–Leninism–Maoism (MLM) is a term used by some communist groups to emphasize the significance of Maoism as a new stage in Marxist theory and practice. Adherents of Marxism–Leninism–Maoism claim it to be a unified, coherent higher stage of Marxism, saying that it was not synthesized until the 1980s through the experience of the people's war waged by the Shining Path in Peru. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with "Maoism" by adherents.

Besides Shining Path, Marxism-Leninism-Maoism has been espoused by a number of insurgent groups in the global periphery, including the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (which entered government in 2006), the Communist Party of India (Maoist), and the Communist Party of the Philippines. In developed countries (the "imperial core", in Marxist parlance), MLM has been promoted by the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA (RCP) in the 1990s, and more recently by smaller groups such as the American Red Guards and Norway's Serve the People. In the 1990s the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement (dominated by the RCP) served as an international coalition of MLM groups. More recently the International Communist League has served this function.

Historical development

Communist groups outside of China influenced by Maoism have existed since the Sino-Soviet split of the 1960s. In particular, the Canadian Maoist philosopher J. Moufawad-Paul identifies Charu Mazumdar, Joma Sison, and Ibrahim Kaypakkaya (and their associated revolutionary organizations, all of which were involved in "people's wars") as forebears of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism. However, Moufawad-Paul argues that prior to 1988 organizations that were called "Maoist" subscribed to "Mao Zedong Thought" or versions of anti-revisionist Marxist-Leninism that privileged China over the USSR, rather than "Maoism-qua-Maoism". He writes that Marxism-Leninism-Maoism--Maoism as "the third stage for revolutionary science"--was first theorized by Shining Path in 1988 and further elaborated by the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement in 1993. Moufawad-Paul argues that this is the version of Maoism now "hegemonic" among Maoists worldwide. The document "On Marxism-Leninism-Maoism," released by Shining Path's central committee in 1988, describes "Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, principally Maoism" as "the third, newest and highest stage of the ideology of the international proletariat." Similarly, RIM's statement "Long Live Marxism-Leninism-Maoism!", published in 1993, described MLM as the movement's "guiding ideology."

Components

New Democracy

Main article: New Democracy

The theory of New Democracy holds that the national-bourgeois in semi-feudal and semi-colonial countries has a dual character in that although it is an exploitative capitalist force, it can also but not always side with the proletariat against colonialism, imperialism and the comprador-bourgeoisie (whose existence is due to imperialism).

Much like the New Economic Policy in Russia, New Democracy is conceived of as a necessary (but temporary) stage for the long-term development of socialism, or in this case for the construction and consolidation of socialism in the first place. It holds that the national-bourgeois in the New Democratic stage must always be firmly under the command of the proletariat and they must be firmly dispensed with as soon as the national situation allows (in other words, when the contradiction between feudalism and the masses is no longer the primary contradiction of the nation, or when the bourgeois-democratic revolution is at a sufficiently advanced stage) for an outright dictatorship of the proletariat.

Mass line

Main article: Mass line

Building on the theory of the vanguard party by Vladimir Lenin, the theory of the mass line outlines a strategy for the revolutionary leadership of the masses, consolidation of the dictatorship of the proletariat and strengthening of the party and for the building of socialism. The mass line can be summarized by the phrase "from the masses, to the masses". It has three components or stages:

1. Gathering the diverse ideas of the masses.
2. Processing or concentrating these ideas from the perspective of revolutionary Marxism, in light of the long-term, ultimate interests of the masses (which the masses themselves may sometimes only dimly perceive) and in light of a scientific analysis of the objective situation.
3. Returning these concentrated ideas to the masses in the form of a political line which will actually advance the mass struggle toward revolution.

These three steps should be applied over and over again, reiteratively uplifting practice and knowledge to higher and higher stages.

Law of contradiction

Main articles: Antagonistic contradiction and One Divides Into Two

Marxist–Leninist–Maoists uphold Mao Zedong's philosophical works, particularly his work on dialectics in On Contradiction and on epistemology in On Practice.

Protracted people's war

Graffito at Tsinghua University promoting Marxism–Leninism–Maoism: it translates as "Long live Chairman Mao! Long live Chairman Gonzalo! Protracted People's War!"

Main article: People’s war

People's war is strategy for revolution which holds the following tenets:

• Any attempt to begin fighting with the bourgeoisie on its own terms, using the same tactics and strategies as they do would be crushed (Marxist–Leninist–Maoists cite that apart from the October Revolution every single revolutionary attempt that immediately used conventional warfare was crushed by the bourgeoisie).
• It cannot be predicted when the objective conditions for revolution will exist. Thus the subjective conditions—i.e. class consciousness—must be built long in advance.
• Seizure of state power generally does not happen in one fell swoop. A situation of dual power through the course of protracted people's war arises when the proletarian vanguard controls sections of the country at the same time as the bourgeoisie.
• The party cannot possibly hope to lead the proletariat in a seizure of power if it itself has no military experience. Thus military experience—i.e. experience gained through actually fighting, even if on a limited scale—must be gained long in advance of a seizure of power. In addition to being a necessary development towards the dictatorship of the proletariat, dual power is invaluable in providing this military experience (along with civil knowledge, fuel for propaganda efforts, material aid for the party and the expansion and improvement of the mass line).

In a joint document released in 1998, several Marxist–Leninist–Maoist communist parties affirmed the difference between the specific strategic line of protracted people's war and the more general and universally applicable people's war. Protracted people's war is identified as being a specific application of the concept of people's war to countries with a large population or majority of peasantry and involving encircling the cities from base areas of communist control in the countryside.

The issue of applying people's war to fully industrialized first world nations is the subject of much debate. Many Marxist–Leninist–Maoist organizations such as the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement have put forward that much of a hypothetical people's war in the First World would take place in urban areas.

Differences from Mao Zedong Thought

The three most notable differences between Marxism–Leninism–Maoism and Mao Zedong Thought are the following:

1. Marxism–Leninism–Maoism is considered to be a higher stage of Marxism–Leninism by its followers, much like Marxism–Leninism is considered a higher stage of Marxism. However, Mao Zedong Thought is considered to just be Marxism–Leninism applied to the particularities of the Chinese Communist Revolution.
2. Marxism–Leninism–Maoism is considered to be universally applicable whilst aspects of Mao Zedong Thought are generally not.
3. Marxism–Leninism–Maoism completely rejects the Three Worlds Theory of Mao Zedong Thought, considering it part of the right-wards turn in the Communist Party of China led by Deng Xiaoping near the end of Chairman Mao's life and a deviation from Marxist–Leninist theories of imperialism. Marxism–Leninism–Maoism–Gonzalo Thought only rejects Deng's application.

International influence

Perhaps the most notable international was the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement (RIM). RIM was founded in 1984 and included such organizations as the Shining Path and the then-Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), eventually known as the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). Today, the RIM appears to be defunct or near defunct. The magazine associated with the RIM, A World to Win, has not published an issue since 2006, though A World to Win News Service still publishes regularly on the Internet. In addition, many of the one-time RIM organizations have become increasingly critical of each other and this has resulted in many public splits.

Latin America

Many Marxist–Leninist–Maoist groups exist across Latin America, including the Communist Party of Brazil (Red Fraction), the Communist Party of Chile (Red Fraction), the Communist Party of Ecuador–Red Sun, the Red Fraction of the Communist Party of Colombia and the Committee to Reconstitute the Communist Party of Mexico.

Peru

In the 1980s and 1990s Shining Path, which claimed Marxism-Leninism-Maoism as its ideology, fought an insurgency against the Peruvian state that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. This insurgency was largely defeated in the 1990s, although sporadic violence has continued into the present. Remnants of Shining Path are organized as the Militarized Communist Party of Peru.

Asia

India

The Communist Party of India (Maoist) is a Marxist–Leninist–Maoist political party which aims to overthrow the government of India. It was founded on 21 September 2004 through the merger of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War and the Maoist Communist Centre of India. The merger was announced to the public on 14 October the same year. In the merger, a provisional central committee was constituted, with the erstwhile people's war leader Muppala Lakshmana Rao (alias Ganapathi) as the general secretary. It is currently proscribed as a terrorist organization by the Indian government.

Nepal

Mural in Kathmandu reading "Long Live Marxism-Leninism-Maoism and Prachanda Path"

The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), a national communist party with a revolutionary background, is a follower of Marxism–Leninism–Maoism. However, the party has also developed its own guiding thought known as Marxism–Leninism–Maoism–Prachanda Path which was developed taking Nepal's political, sociological and geographical constraints into consideration.

The Communist Party of Nepal is another Marxist–Leninist–Maoist party in Nepal. It claims that the UCPN(M) is a revisionist organization and is continuing the people's war against the UCPN(M) government.

Philippines

The Communist Party of the Philippines, which has been fighting an insurgency against the Philippine state since 1968, has espoused Marxism-Leninism-Maoism. In its earlier years, party documents referred to Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought rather than Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.

United States

Members of the Austin Red Guards marching in 2019, carrying pictures of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and Abimael Guzmán

The Revolutionary Communist Party, USA (RCP) was previously a Marxist–Leninist–Maoist political party in the United States. The RCP participated in the founding conference of the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement on 12 March 1984. The RCP signed the "Declaration of the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement" and supported the RIM's declaration "Long Live Marxism–Leninism–Maoism!" on 26 December 1993 which recognized "Marxism–Leninism–Maoism as the new, third and higher stage of Marxism". However, today the RCP uses the "New Synthesis of Communism" to describe its ideology, although they still call themselves Maoists. Because of this, the RCP has been accused of revisionism by several Marxist–Leninist–Maoist groups such as the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and the Revolutionary Communist Party of Canada.

Founded in 2015, the Red Guards espoused Marxism-Leninism-Maoism and had branches in several US cities.

Europe

MLM groups in Europe have included Serve the People in Norway and Youth Resistance in Germany.

Further reading

• Marxism–Leninism–Maoism Basic Course (PDF) (5th ed.). Paris: Foreign Languages Press. 2019. ISBN 9781539435761.
• Moufawad-Paul, Joshua (2016). Continuity and Rupture: Philosophy in the Maoist Terrain. Winchester, UK: John Hunt Publishing. ISBN 9781785354762.