By Cathal

1. In the formula of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism it is Maoism that is principal, it is mainly Maoism which serves as the theoretical framework for conquering and maintaining power in the modern world. It is mainly Maoism which is universal and must be applied creatively to the concrete conditions of all countries on earth.

2. There are only two possible ways in which Maoism does not remain principal in the formula. The first is by a revisionist deviation, which undermines Mao Zedong’s contributions to Marxist theory and practice; this comes in the form of trying to maintain Marxism or Marxism-Leninism as it once was in an under developed form, the argument that Marxism-Leninism Mao Zedong Thought is the same thing as Marxism-Leninism-Maoism and only the name of the ideology has changed, adherence to a “Maoism” that is incomplete or not completely comprehended—false or incomplete “Maoism”. The second, which is not a deviation; when principally Maoism is applied creatively to the concrete conditions of a given country, producing a guiding thought, which itself becomes principal, in all of the world this has only been accomplished in Peru with the emergence and command of Gonzalo Thought. In Peru it is Marxism-Leninism-Maoism Gonzalo Thought, mainly Gonzalo Thought which is the guarantee of victory.

3. Marxism-Leninism-Maoism principally Maoism is Marxism-Leninism-Maoism and not a demarcation from it. There is no two Maoisms. There is mainly Maoism and so-called-Maoism which is only partially comprehended, or intentionally eclectic, dogmatic, outdated, or revised.

4. Maoism, or MLM or Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, principally Maoism is the synthesis developed by Chairman Gonzalo and the Communist Party of Peru by 1982. The Peruvian comrades struggled not only to impose this on Peru, but also struggled to impose it upon the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement in its earliest embryonic form, by pressuring the Revolutionary Communist Party of the USA to unite around Mao Zedong’s Thought and not simply “Marxism-Leninism” as they were attempting to do, accomplishing this the RIM was founded in 1984 on the basis of Mao’s Thought, and by 1993 would formally take up MLM. This was, however, only partial, and the followers of the RCP-USA’s leader Bob Avakian insisted on limiting this intervention to impose partial Maoism in the interest of preserving Avakian’s deviations which would be formalized in the “New Synthesis of Communism” (Avakianism) an ideology that is totally revisionist, pacifist and rotten.

5. Although discredited from handling the contradictions in the international Communist Movement incorrectly, Avakian’s ideology as well as vestiges of it, present themselves in opposition to both Maoism and Avakianism. These trends and followers of them, view “principally Maoism” which was the original formula, as not only a deviation, but as a demarcation, this is an effort to maintain adherence to the germinal form of Avakianism before it presented itself as such. Hence the shorthand for Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, principally Maoism is MLM.

6. Within Maoism it is power that is principal, that is both the conquest of power as well as the maintenance of power, both through revolutionary violence. Revolutionary power through the defeat of the old state in People’s War which is revolutionary violence. Power for the dictatorship of the proletariat, reliant on revolutionary violence, maintained through cultural revolutions, also reliant on revolutionary violence. With power being the principal or main thing within Maoism, revolutionary violence is a universal and immutable law, in which all stages rely on—the reconstitution of the Party, the conquest of power, the maintenance of power—the issue of revolutionary violence will only be settled when the world enters peace, only possible with the realization of Communism. In the final analysis power is the means to accomplish Communism, which is the guarantee of world peace.

7. All that which calls itself Marxist, but rejects the role of Maoism being principal universally, also rejects Maoism as the third and highest state of the ideology of the international proletariat, and hence falls into a dogmatic revisionism, and loses all status as Marxist.

8. Importantly, Maoism is still relatively new, and because of this newness, in spite of the decades of battles to impose it as the sole command and guide of the world proletarian revolution there are still those who have not come to reality on the question, but maintain their posts in the revolutionary struggle, fighting for Communism. This matter will be settled on two-fronts, with the unity of Maoists in a New International as the centralized command of the world revolution, and through the initiation of new People’s Wars generating their own guiding thought. The ICM has entered two-line struggle on this matter, and there are those who will come to Maoism, those who impose Maoism, and those who undermine Maoism (including those claiming to be Maoists and those rejecting it outright).

9 The directives of Chairman Gonzalo issued from the cage of the old-Peruvian state are universally valid and must be taken up—“we need Maoism to be incarnated, and it is being incarnated, and by generating Communist Parties to drive and lead this new great wave of the world proletarian revolution that is coming.” No one in denial of this truth can accomplish an understanding of Maoism. 

10. It is impossible to comprehend MLM without comprehending Gonzalo Thought, as the two are integral to a full understanding. Gonzalo Thought and MLM are concentrated in the documents of the General Political Line of the Communist Party of Peru, which all comrades, revolutionaries, and progressives must study closely.