Dear reader,

You are holding in your hands the 11th issue of the “International Communist Review” (ICR), which we edited and published under the difficult and unprecedented for all of us pandemic conditions. We consider it encouraging that the ICR, although forced to adjust some of its procedures, did not stop its action and was able to publish this issue.

We worked on this issue in a year when the new synchronized global capitalist crisis manifested itself, signs of which, such as the slowdown in the economies of large capitalist countries, could be seen earlier, with the pandemic acting as a catalyst. In conditions of crisis, we can see both a sharpening of intra-imperialist competition, reaching the point of an outbreak of open bloody wars (Syria, Donbass, Nagorno-Karabakh), as well as an upsurge of social problems for the working class and the other popular strata caused by the capitalist mode of production. In all countries, growing workers’ discontent and protests are being suppressed by the authorities and, more and more often, by the use of police and repressive forces.

In our days, monopoly and state competition over vaccines and medicines against the pandemic, as well as the tragic shortages and the collapse of commodified public health systems, even in the most advanced and powerful capitalist countries, have stressed the timeliness of socialism even more clearly. Even some bourgeois analysts and politicians or representatives of opportunism refer to the notion of socialism. But is it truly socialism? In fact, they distort its essence and present a caricature of socialism, actually a modernized and allegedly human capitalism. In the very ranks of the international communist movement there are strong forces, such as those coming from eurocommunism or the so-called “socialism of the 21st century”, which, invoking “national particularities”, deny the existence of scientific laws in the struggle to overthrow capitalism and construct socialism.

The parties cooperating in the framework of the ICR consider that the struggle for socialism is governed by scientific laws, which were described by Marx, Engels and Lenin in their works and are confirmed by both the positive and the negative experience of the construction of socialism in the 20th century.

For this reason, in 2020, commemorating the 150 years since the birth of Lenin, the 200th anniversary of Engels’ birth as well as the 140th anniversary of his pamphlet “The Evolution of Socialism from Utopia to Science”, we dedicated this issue to the scientific laws of socialist revolution and construction. At this point, we would like to clarify that the Communist and Workers’ Parties of the ICR clearly take into consideration any kind of national, cultural, historical, religious and other particularities that exist in our countries. At the same time, we believe that since the main contradiction between the social character of production and the individual appropriation of its results continues to exist throughout the capitalist world, so does the unrelenting class struggle between the modern proletariat and the bourgeoisie. This struggle must objectively lead to the resolution of the main contradiction with the revolutionary overthrow of capitalism, the socialization of the means of production, the scientific planning of the economy and workers’ power, which the classics of scientific socialism defined as the dictatorship of the proletariat.

The articles in the 11th issue approach the above joint assessments by analyzing a number of related issues. Thus, the 11th issue of the ICR introduces the readers to the following articles:

• The article of the RCWP titled “Contribution of Lenin to the theory of Marx and Engels on general laws of transition to socialism in different countries”. In this article, the author highlights important aspects of Marxist theory on proletarian revolution and socialist construction that V.I. Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution, further enriched.
• The article of the Communist Party of Mexico titled “National pathways to socialism: the path of reforms, not the revolution”. The article refers to the continuous struggle of the revolutionary forces with the forces of opportunism and social democracy.
• The article of the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain under the title “From Eurocommunism to the participation in the bourgeois government”. This article critically presents the course of the eurocommunist opportunist current through the example of Spain, up to its current participation in the social democratic bourgeois government.
• The article of the Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan titled “The process of socialist and national construction in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Current conclusions”. This article presents the difficulties and achievements of the peoples during the socialist construction, under the particular conditions of Central Asia, and responds to bourgeois and opportunistic perceptions.
• The article of the Communist Party of Greece titled “Which characteristics will Socialism have during the 21st Century?”. This article critically examines the Soviet experience of socialist construction, draws basic conclusions for the future, through the prism of the possibilities offered by the development of productive forces and new technologies.
• The article of the Communist Party of Turkey under the title “The 100th year of a party pursuing revolution”. This article provides a brief overview of the revolutionary events of the 20th century, as well as the aims of imperialism against the revolutionary forces, and brings us to today, describing the current challenges for the contemporary revolutionary communist movement.

Dear reader,

The ICR expresses its warm thanks to the doctors, nurses, and the staff of the hospitals and health units that gave and are still giving the fight against the pandemic, facing great difficulties. We express our solidarity with those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, wishing them a speedy recovery.