Although it seems like it was only yesterday ,30 years have passed since comrade KIM JONG IL published his excellent work titled “Giving Priority to Ideological Work Is Essential for Accomplishing Socialism” . It was published on the 19th of June 1995 , significantly on the same day as the anniversary of comrade KIM JONG IL’s work at the Central Committee of the Workers Party of Korea .
At the time the international communist movement and socialist forces were in a state of disarray ; disillusion prevailed , there was retreat and confusion . However , People’s Korea under the leadership of President KIM IL SUNG and Chairman KIM JONG IL held high the Red flag of socialism and resisted anti-socialism and modern revisionism .
Many did not understand why socialism had been frustrated in some countries and the reactionaries sneered and cackled about the ‘end of socialism ‘ , claiming it was a historical mistake or a ‘failed experiment ‘.
With great clarity comrade KIM JONG IL explained the simple and basic truth that the neglect of ideological work in some socialist countries had brought about the degeneration and frustration of socialism. Comrade KIM JONG IL wrote that “The most serious lesson of the collapse of socialism in several countries is that the corruption of socialism begins with ideological corruption, and that a break-down on the ideological front results in the crumbling of all socialism’s “fronts and ends in the total ruin of socialism.”
This is very true. Ideological weakness or retreat will lead to retreat in other areas of socialist society . I remember visiting Hungary in the 1980s , there was virtually no sign of ideological and political work being carried out but there were Western newspapers , Madonna and Rambo posters and also McDonalds .
In the work comrade KIM JONG IL exposes so-called freedom and “ideological diversity “ ;pointing out that “in any society, the ruling class tries to bring about the unchallenged predominance of its own ideology. In capitalist society, where the society is split into classes and Peoples interests conflict, one ideology cannot hold undivided sway and it is inevitable that different ideas exist. The imperialists and their mouthpieces claim the existence of these ideas is a source of pride for the “free world “ However,progressive ideas can never develop freely in capitalist society, where the means of propaganda and education such as the mass media are in the hands of monopoly capitalists and reactionary rulers. The reactionary bourgeois ruling class tolerate progressive ideas to some extent, to make capitalist society seem democratic; but when they are considered the slightest threat to its ruling system, it mercilessly suppresses them. Outwardly, different thoughts appear to be tolerated in capitalist society, but all kinds of thoughts throughout it are, without exception, none other than various forms and expressions of bourgeois ideology. The freedom of ideology talked about by imperialists is a deceptive slogan to dress up under the signpost of freedom their oppression of progressive ideas in capitalist society and their resorting to every method to propagate reactionary bourgeois ideas. It is a deceptive slogan to justify the ideological and cultural infiltration into other countries”
When I read this at the time I was strongly impressed . It struck a chord with me that the so-called plurality of thought in capitalist society simply means nothing other than different forms of bourgeois ideology. In Britain we have the fake Left , the revisionist , social democrats ,Trotskyites and anarchists but they all represent bourgeois ideology at the end of the day.
Comrade KIM JONG IL clearly defines the nature of socialism pointing out that
“Socialism is incompatible with private ownership and the capitalist market economy.”
This deals a telling blow against those who advocate “reform” and “opening up “ and the So-called “plurality of ownership. Therefore socialist ownership of the means of production must be consolidated. If this is not done comrade KIM JONG IL warns that
“If remnants of old society in socialist society are encouraged to grow, or capitalist economic management methods are introduced into socialist economic management, or worse still, if capitalist ownership is revived by encroaching upon socialist ownership, this will result in the economic, material basis of socialist ideology being pulled down, and conditions created for the growth of individualism, selfishness and other bourgeois ideas”
Lastly comrade KIM JONG IL , warns against the infiltration of imperialist,bourgeois ideology and culture pointing out that
“Through their ideological and cultural infiltration into other countries, the imperialists are working ceaselessly to affect people with ideological diseases, disintegrate those countries from within and then put them under their domination and control. The imperialists’ ideological and cultural infiltration is a way for them to be aggressive and to intervene under the guise of “cooperation” and “exchange”. It is a vicious means of counter-revolutionary subversion, by which to paralyze people’s sound ideological consciousness and to corrupt and make people degenerate by means of reactionary bourgeois ideological poison.”
This is a work that everyone should read and it can be read again and again because it contains such clear and brilliant answers.
Dr Dermot Hudson
Chairman Korean Friendship Association UK
Chairman British Group For the Study of the Juche Idea
Hon Secretary General Global Farmy for the Study of KIM JONG UN People’s First Policies.
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