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No. 17, July 1985

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Nettpublisering ved Forvaltningsorgan for AKPs partihistorie (www.akp.no) 2012 WORKERS AND OPPRESSED AKP(M•1)1 4th Congress: OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE! New CLASS leader- ship NK 15,- No. 17 July 1985 elected No. 1/85 SIDE 3 • f141111n11F Pal Steigan inter- viewed about his last visit to China I would assert that in mate- rial terms China is under- going a very sound develop- ment. What worries China's friends is whether socia- lism and the leading role of the working class will surv- ive this process. For det ti- me being we consider it too early to draw any prelimi- nary conclusions. SIDE 8 AND 9 PHOTO: PETER M. JOHANSEN The Soviet Union: lanced Caoilalisin PHOTO: ARNE TRiELDAL In recent years people the world over have time and again been shocked by the political adventurism of the Soviet go- vernment. Inside the country all opposition is silenced by the dictatorship. This is a fact. It shows the imperialist class content of the Soviet government administration. SIDE 10 AND 11 AKM•1) developed The struggle for women's liberation is world-wide. The picture shows a woman in a refugee-camp in the Tigre provinse. PHOTO: SVEIN TORNAS into a maturejarty I All other political parties in Norway will claim that the WCP(m-I) is insigni- The Women's Question ficant, mostly because it has no parliamentary re- AKP(m-I) sees women's struggle peoples and nations. At the same ti- presentative in the national assembly. But that doesn't for liberation over the whole world me it is necessary to look critically at prevent the huge social- as an important revolutionary poten- «the woman question's» place in the democratic party to name tradition of marxism-leninism. We in WCP(m-I) as their most im- tial. Marxist-Ieninists must lead this portant opponent in the tra- struggle and fight for directing it AKP(m-I) believe we have taken im- de-union movement. against the bourgeoisie and imperia- portant steps in this direction. SIDE 2 AND 3 PHOTO: LEIF GABRIELSEN lism and in this way create a united SIDE 6 AND 7 front among the world's supressed Nettpublisering ved Forvaltningsorgan for AKPs partihistorie (www.akp.no) 2012 2 CLASS STRUGGLE JULY 1985 How has the AKPon-i) of Norway Developed into a Mature Party? Many people from different countries ask me why it is so that the Workers' Com- munist Party (m-1) of Norway has not only 4111t **WA Airo A survived the general crisis of the western Ag; communist movement, but has also succeded in doing a lot of good work. I use to answer that it is due to a happy mixture of objective xwo conditions, skill and luck, says Pal Steigan, ' "Nor the former leader of WCP(m-1), in this arti- .11P 11!Ni '4110,,, 41F cle. That is of course a not very scientific poit, „ , , summing-up, so my point has to be explai- :Pitt e ned a little further. ly In a way the revolutionary rough over the tradeunion #011N000141), 4 P movement in Norway is a sort movement, hitting down on of anachronism. It is one of anything faintly resembling the stronger of the new par- radicalism, not mentioning ties in the most tranquil and communism. At the same reformist country in Europe. time it managed to play the With the general state of architects role for the state- splits and demoralization that monopoly capitalism in Nor- you find in the ml-movement way. The bourgois parties in on our continent, it isn't to be Norway are all social democ- The picture shows AKP(m-1)'s 3rd anniversary in 1976. PHOTO: KLASSEKAMPEN expected that you should find rats whatever they call them- a revolutionary party with a selves. This position of vement following the youth- and become as one with broader movement. This has ding of the norwegian mar- countrywide organization, a strength also became a weak- movement, namely against them, trying to chart routes been the case with the strike xist-leninist has all the way daily newspaper, a lot of ness when the youth move- norwegian membership in the towards victory for these mo- movement, the leftwing of been our newspaper. Foun- tradeunion militants and lots ment erupted. That move- Common Market. This pro- vements. This has been the the anti-common market mo- ded in 1969 as a monthly of other activities too. But ment had to rebel against the longed the waning time from case with the strike-move- vement, the movement «Klassekampen» (The Class still it is there. All other poli- establishment, and therefore the student movement and ment, with the anti-Common against Soviet expansionism Struggle) has been an impor- tical parties in Norway will against socialdemocracy in all gave the marxist-leninist Market movement, with the in the northern areas. tant lever for organizing the claim that the WCP(m-1) is its hues, also against the so- movement good conditions movement of the samic nati- The party has been concer- party and creating revolu- insignificant, mostly because cialdemocrat «communist» for growth. And so on. It was onal minority and many ned with classanalysis and its tionary and progressive pu- it has no parliamentary re- party. The mere lack of any a matter of being at the right others. program is developed from a blic opinion. When the party presentative in the national other alternative, the gravita- place at the right time. classanalysis of Norway. The was formed in 1973 the news- assembly. But that doesn't tional field of the young Of course there couldn't Composition same with its military policy paper allready had developed prevent the huge social- marxist-leninist movement have been a marxist-leninist There has been a fairly good and its work with the woman- into a weekly and 4 years later democratic party to name was strong enough to attract movement of any significant quality of the party mem- question. it finally became a daily. WCP(m-1) as their most im- lots of dissidents. It also suc- strength in a country like bership and cadre. From the The newspaper has allways portant opponent in the tra- ceded in winning over some Norway if there hadn't also start there was a strong link Importance of focussed on the interests of de-union movement. The sections of the social- been some skilful work. I be- with the former generation the working class and the claim of insignificance does democrat youth movement, lieve that our party has gai- radical workers' movement anti-EEC struggle working people and on soli- neither prevent the biggest socialdemocracy then being ned some experiences during and with the national resis- In the early seventies the ru- darity with oppressed peoples bourgois newspapers from at- at its nadir among young peo- our developement, that may tance during the second ling class and most political as well. It has demasked a lot tacking the party every now ple. be of interest to comrades in World War. Though most of parties in Norway wanted the of under-cover-activity co- and then in their editorial co- Another objective factor other countries as well. But I the membership were young country to join the Common mitted by the ruling circles of lumns. Nor does it prevent was the impotence of the old stress that these are our own people, high school and col- Market. But there developed Norway, it has become a lojal the party's daily from being party. The Communist Party experiences and _I would not lege students, they were most- a massmovement against organ of all people fighting one of the most frequently of Norway had become so insist that they are compatible ly from working class or radi- membership among the wor- for justice. At any time wor- quoted newspapers in the much a copy of the social- to conditions elsewhere. Most cal intellectual background. kers, peasants and fishermen. kers on strike or women ac- country. democrats in its domestic po- probably they are not. The party managed early to This movement had a consi- tivists or foreign workers ha- The claim of insignificance licies, and very much of an recrute some of the most ac- derable impact on all political ve found their interests best also runs counter to the fact echo of the Kremlins in its tive and radical young wor- activity in the country for represented by «Klassekam- that the electoral alliance in foreign policy that it lacked I. Theory and practice kers to the party. Together more than two years. Mass- pen». which the party plays a lea- all possibilities of attracting From the very outset the the students, young workers demonstrations, rallies, pro- I am totally convinced that ding role polled enough votes young revolutionaries. It ml-movement in Norway was and a few veterans form a testcampaigns and so forth. if it hadn't been for the daily in the capital in the latest wasn't even militant in trade- dedicated to practical revolu- healthy body of dedicated re- The ruling echelon of the tra- our party would have been elections to become represen- union affaires. tionary work. The cadres volutionaries. It wasn't a par- deunions were in favour of much more seriously harmed ted by two out of 85 delega- For various reasons the studied theoretical works of ty of «ivory-tower-revolu- membership, but rank and by the international crisis of tes. In spite of all wishful basis for trotskyism and si- marxism, but insisted upon a tionaries», but rather prac- file members voted against.
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