“October” stands before its task

This is a translation by me of the first article in the September issue of 1938 of the Vietnamese journal Tháng Mười (October in English). This is part of my investigation into the ideological splits and factions of Communist ideas during the 1930s in Vietnam (and also how this led to the Vietminh's dominance by 1945 of the entire country). This specific articles opens up the September issue, and gives a broad overview of the international situation, and the purppose the journal wishes to serve. For more background information about the journal itself, scroll to the bottom.

The journal “October” was founded to champion the very ideas that we have been advocating in Indochina for the past eight years, ideas that the International Left Opposition (ILO), later the Fourth International, have continued for the past fifteen years to prevent the degeneration of the Stalinists, those ideas that were principles for the revolutionary action of the victorious proletarian vanguard in Russia. 

Taking the name “October,” we are loyal to the October Revolution of 1917, the successful revolution that had established the dictatorship of the proletariat, implemented through the Soviet system; we are loyal to the proletarian vanguard that bravely brought the people to victory, the vanguard that that now are subjected to exile, imprisonment, execution, and other forms of brutal mistreatment at the hands of those who exploited the revolution; we are loyal to the revolutionary socialist programme of the two October Revolution leaders, Lenin and Trotsky; we are loyal to the principles of Marxism that the experiences of revolution have crystallized, principles that helped the Bolshevik party of Lenin to become solid as bronze even when the Second International was crushed like fermented bean paste, principles that have guided the ILO and the Fourth International on the revolutionary road while the Third International has fallen into depravity through speculation and betrayal. 

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In the past ten years or so, the working class has many times tasted defeat. The first greatest defeat was that in Germany in 1923, due to the hesitation of the German Communist Party leadership. From this follows, one by one, the working class were beaten back: in England in 1926, through the initial activities of the Stalinist faction while it was collaborating with British trade unions; in China in 1927, due to the capitulation and submission of the Stalinist faction to Chiang Kai-Shek’s Kuomintang; in Germany in 1933, because the Stalinist faction pursued the tactic of a “united front from below;” in Austria in 1934 because of the cunning social democrats. From 1935 onwards, the movement gained momentum in France, Spain, the US. Yet, through their “Popular Front” tactic, the Stalinists have crippled the movement, a failure currently playing out in Spain and France. 

Every time the working class is defeated, those cunning bastards of the second and third International once again revise Marxism-Leninism, concocting new deceptions to suit their latest acts of betrayal. To discuss all the changes the Stalinist faction made to revolutionary politics would require more than just a few books. TPolitical failure leads to ideological degeneration> people repeat the same errors that the revolutionary theory of Marx and Lenin had clearly identified and exposed.

This rotting of ideals infect even the ranks of those who consider themselves loyal subjects to the revolution. That is in the world many “centrist” trends (courants centristes) develop: holding on to a few revolutionary ideas of Marx and Lenin, modify somewhat along the lines of the Stalinist faction’s compromises, and incorporate some characteristic vacillations of those currents, that is the very essence of centrist political tendencies.

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“Reactionary epochs like ours not only disintegrate and weaken the working class and isolate its vanguard but also lower the general ideological level of the movement and throw political thinking back to stages long since passed through. In these conditions the task of the vanguard is, above all, not to let itself be carried along by the backward flow: it must swim against the current. If an unfavourable relation of forces prevents it from holding political positions it has won, it must at least retain its ideological positions, because in them is expressed the dearly paid experience of the past. Fools will consider this policy “sectarian”. Actually it is the only means of preparing for a new tremendous surge forward with the coming historical tide.”

The words of comrade Trotsky above have defined for revolutionary elements a “minimum program” for activities in periods where the movement is in decline. Besides other political activities, we intend to carry out the “minimum program” with the journal “October”: struggle against reformism, against centrist tendencies, to maintain the revolutionary theory of Marx-Lenin-Trotsky.

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Those schemers will shrug their shoulders in disgust at us for being too “dogmatic” at the expense of “practice”. They say that to cover up their opportunism, to hide their lack of principles. Trotsky has said that the preference of “theory” over “practice” is a characteristic of centrism. The moderates mentioned here are at odds in their theory and practice. With discipline, to Marxism, the theoretical fight is one of three forms of the proletarian struggle. Lenin added, saying: Without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement. 

A revolution is not brought about by theorists. But the struggle of the masses lacking a vanguard leading force will not arrive at the point of victory. The vanguard movement is forged through ideological struggle, by critiquing the lessons of the past and accumulating the experience gained from past struggles; so that in the midst of ongoing struggle, it may discern the proper math forward and lead the masses toward victory. 

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Now, the advancing movement is nearing its arrival. The contradictions of imperialism have built up to where it seeks resolve through fascism, through wars, which will inevitably lead to countless class struggles of unparalleled intensity. The current situation is in favour of the Fourth Internationalists than the sabotage by the Stalinists did to harm it. Joining forces with the Bolshevik-Leninist groups worldwide to secure victory for the proletariat and the Fourth International, the journal “October” will remain dedicated to its mission: that of providing the proletariat with the weapon of theory. 

We are certain that the principles we champion will triumph in the ideological arena, just as the proletariat and the Fourth International will triumph in the political arena.

T.M.

 

The journal is backed by a group of the same name, the October Left Opposition, and headed by Ho Huu Tuong The group remained an underground organization. Its establishment came as a result of a split of Indochinese Communism into three factions: Left Opposition, October Left Opposition and Indochinese Communism. For more information, visit Vietnam and Trotskysim.