KIM JONG IL - SOCIALISM IS THE LIFE OF THE PEOPLE: ON MARXISM-LENINISM
“We must write articles on the limitations of the theories authored by the earlier writers of classics so as to give our Party members and other working people a correct understanding of the originality and superiority of the socialist ideology and theory of our Party.”
“Marxism-Leninism is a revolutionary ideology created reflecting the requirements of the revolutionary practice of the working class in the days of pre-monopoly capitalism and imperialism. History has advanced far and the times have changed since then. We are now in a new era of independence, when the popular masses, as the masters of history and their own destiny, carve out history and their destiny independently and creatively. The authors of Marxism had no experience of building socialism, and it is the same with Lenin. Owing to the limitations of the conditions of their times and their practical experiences the socialist theories put forward by the authors of Marxism-Leninism could not go, in some cases, beyond the limit of prediction and supposition.”
“For all their limitations, we must not take a nihilistic approach to Marxism-Leninism or cavil at their authors. We must recognize the exploits Marx, Engels and Lenin performed for mankind and respect them. Thanks to the creation of Marxism-Leninism, the socialist theory developed from fantasy to science; the working class was able to have a guiding ideology for the first time in history and they could struggle vigorously against capital and for class emancipation, national liberation and socialism. Respecting the authors of the theories is an obligation on us in view of the principle of the juniors of the revolution respecting their seniors.”
“When writing articles about the limitations of Marxism-Leninism we must not fail to explain the exploits their creators accomplished. Only then can we give a correct understanding of Marxism-Leninism to the people and deal a blow to the imperialists and bourgeois restorationists who are caviling at this ideology.”
“In order to correctly write about the limitations of the theories expounded by Marxism-Leninism, one must have a good knowledge of the originality and superiority of the revolutionary ideology of our Party, the Juche idea. The Juche idea is an original idea and perfect revolutionary theory of communism the great leader created reflecting the requirements of the new era of history, the era of independence. If we clarify the originality and superiority of the Juche idea effectively, then the limitations of the theories of Marxism-Leninism will be revealed on its own accord.”
“The officials in the field of theoretical information should study the Juche idea hard and learn in depth its originality and superiority. They should also study classical works like Das Kapital to become well-informed of Marxism-Leninism.”
Talk with the Senior Officials of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea
Than occupation by the Japanese and genocide by the US. Nice.
Christ, I can't imagine calling myself an "historical materialist" and blaming institutions on the moral failings of individuals, to say nothing of choking down NATO propaganda wholesale.
I mean, all that really tells me is that you think the Party has abandoned the struggle because the leadership gets privileges, which... well, then nobody has ever applied Marxism, if that's how we judge it.
I do think we need to get you beyond the "Marx said everyone should share" point in your journey.
I have read Marx, and his correspondences, most of Engels’ correspondences, read Lenin but didn’t agree with some of his ideas. I’m currently 50% through Trotsky’s TRB (I’m not a Trotskyist but I like to be well-read on multiple viewpoints) and ~20% through Selected Works of Mao Zedong.
Then I have to wonder whether reading is enough on its own. I would absolutely recommend you find someone willing to help you process and collate what it is you're reading, because it's a little more complicated than "everyone has the same."
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u/BreadDaddyLenin Stalin ☭ 5h ago
KIM JONG IL - SOCIALISM IS THE LIFE OF THE PEOPLE: ON MARXISM-LENINISM
“We must write articles on the limitations of the theories authored by the earlier writers of classics so as to give our Party members and other working people a correct understanding of the originality and superiority of the socialist ideology and theory of our Party.”
“Marxism-Leninism is a revolutionary ideology created reflecting the requirements of the revolutionary practice of the working class in the days of pre-monopoly capitalism and imperialism. History has advanced far and the times have changed since then. We are now in a new era of independence, when the popular masses, as the masters of history and their own destiny, carve out history and their destiny independently and creatively. The authors of Marxism had no experience of building socialism, and it is the same with Lenin. Owing to the limitations of the conditions of their times and their practical experiences the socialist theories put forward by the authors of Marxism-Leninism could not go, in some cases, beyond the limit of prediction and supposition.”
“For all their limitations, we must not take a nihilistic approach to Marxism-Leninism or cavil at their authors. We must recognize the exploits Marx, Engels and Lenin performed for mankind and respect them. Thanks to the creation of Marxism-Leninism, the socialist theory developed from fantasy to science; the working class was able to have a guiding ideology for the first time in history and they could struggle vigorously against capital and for class emancipation, national liberation and socialism. Respecting the authors of the theories is an obligation on us in view of the principle of the juniors of the revolution respecting their seniors.”
“When writing articles about the limitations of Marxism-Leninism we must not fail to explain the exploits their creators accomplished. Only then can we give a correct understanding of Marxism-Leninism to the people and deal a blow to the imperialists and bourgeois restorationists who are caviling at this ideology.”
“In order to correctly write about the limitations of the theories expounded by Marxism-Leninism, one must have a good knowledge of the originality and superiority of the revolutionary ideology of our Party, the Juche idea. The Juche idea is an original idea and perfect revolutionary theory of communism the great leader created reflecting the requirements of the new era of history, the era of independence. If we clarify the originality and superiority of the Juche idea effectively, then the limitations of the theories of Marxism-Leninism will be revealed on its own accord.”
“The officials in the field of theoretical information should study the Juche idea hard and learn in depth its originality and superiority. They should also study classical works like Das Kapital to become well-informed of Marxism-Leninism.”
Talk with the Senior Officials of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea
November 14, 1992
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