Chapter 7 Communists must take an analytical attitude towards mistakes[1]

(April 1956) one If we do not want to fall into such a quagmire[2], we must pay all the more attention to implementing such a mass-line leadership method, and should not be negligent.To this end, we need to establish a certain system to ensure the implementation of the mass line and collective leadership, avoid individual prominence and individual heroism that are divorced from the masses, and reduce subjectivism and one-sidedness that are divorced from the objective reality in our work. two Our party's historical experience has also tempered itself in the process of fighting against various erroneous lines, and thus has won great victories in revolution and construction.As for local and individual mistakes, they often occur in the work. Only relying on the collective wisdom of the party and the wisdom of the people to expose and overcome them in a timely manner prevents them from gaining opportunities for development and failing to become national and Long-term mistakes have not become big mistakes that endanger the people.

three Communists must adopt an analytical attitude towards the mistakes that have occurred in the communist movement.Some people think that Stalin was completely wrong, which is a serious misunderstanding.Stalin was a great Marxist-Leninist, but he was also a Marxist-Leninist who made several serious mistakes without realizing that they were mistakes.We should look at Stalin from a historical point of view, make a comprehensive and proper analysis of what he was right and wrong, and draw useful lessons.Whether he is right or wrong, it is a phenomenon of the international communist movement with the characteristics of the times.On the whole, the international communist movement is only a little over a hundred years old, and it has only been thirty-nine years since the victory of the October Revolution, so much experience in revolutionary work is still insufficient.We have great achievements, but also shortcomings and mistakes.Just as one achievement appears and then creates new achievements, once a shortcoming or mistake is overcome, new shortcoming or mistake may arise again, and we need to overcome it.And the achievements are always more than the shortcomings, the right places are always more than the wrong places, and the shortcomings and mistakes are always to be overcome.A good leader is not about not making mistakes, but about taking them seriously.There have never been people in the world who have never made mistakes.Lenin said: "Openly admitting mistakes, revealing the causes of mistakes, analyzing the circumstances in which mistakes were made, and carefully discussing the methods of correcting mistakes - this is the sign of a solemn party, this is the party's fulfillment of its obligations, this is education and education. Train the class so that the masses.” [3] Following Lenin’s legacy, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union is now taking seriously some of the serious mistakes made by Stalin in leading socialist construction and their consequences.Due to the seriousness of the consequences, it is necessary for the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to sharply expose the essence of Stalin's mistakes while affirming Stalin's great achievements, and call on the entire party to take this as a warning and resolutely eliminate the consequences caused by such mistakes. Adverse consequences.We Chinese Communists are convinced that after this sharp criticism at the Twentieth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union[4], all positive factors that were seriously suppressed by certain wrong policies in the past will become active on a broad scale. The people of the Soviet Union will be more united than ever before in their struggle to build a great communist society and to achieve lasting peace throughout the world, such as has never been seen by mankind.

All the reactionary forces in the world are laughing at this incident, they are laughing at our camp for overcoming its mistakes.What will be the result of this ridicule? There is no doubt that the result will be that before them stands before them a great camp of peace and socialism headed by the Soviet Union, stronger than ever before and forever invincible, while the cannibalism of the scoffers Career is not good. Published according to Mao Zedong's manuscript. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] This is a few paragraphs added by Mao Zedong when reviewing the article "Historical Experience of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat" by the editorial department of "People's Daily".This article was published on April 5, 1956.

[2] Refers to the article "Historical Experience on the Dictatorship of the Proletariat" that "after the victory of the revolution, when the working class and the Communist Party have become the class and political party leading the national political power, the leading staff of our party and the country, Attacked by bureaucracy from many directions, they are faced with the great danger of using state organs to act arbitrarily, alienate the masses and collective leadership, practice commandism, and undermine the democratic system of the party and the state.” [3] See Lenin's "Infantile Disease of the Left Wing in the Communist Movement".The new translation reads: "Openly admitting mistakes, revealing the reasons for making mistakes, analyzing the circumstances in which mistakes were made, and carefully discussing ways to correct mistakes—this is the sign of a solemn party, this is the party's fulfillment of its obligations, this is the It is the education and training of the class, which in turn educates and trains the masses.” (Volume 4 of Selected Works of Lenin, People’s Publishing House, 1995 edition, p. 167)

[4] The Twentieth National Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, held in Moscow from February 14 to 25, 1956.After completing the main agenda of the meeting, Khrushchev, the first secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, made a secret report "On Overcoming the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences" to all representatives.This report exposed the mistakes made by Stalin during his period and their serious consequences, and played a certain role in breaking superstition and emancipating the mind. However, the report completely denied Stalin's historical status and role, which brought a huge impact to the international communist movement.