Ted Hill was Chairman of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) from 1963-1984. He died in 1988. One of his major works was published posthumously in 1989: E.F.Hill ‘Communism and Australia – Reflections and Reminiscences’.
It is timely to consider some of the basic formulations by Ted in his summing up of a lifetime of work in the Australian Communist movement. In the following excerpts, Ted was particularly dealing with some fundamental errors of the Australian Communists:
Excerpt from p.155-156:
‘It is improbable that Australian socialism could be attained without a complete break from all forms of dependence on imperialism. Preliminary to establishing socialism, breaking from imperialism is essential. This affects the problem of the sections of the population to accomplish the task. Capitalism in Australia has called into being a proportionately large working class. It is this working class which is most directly tied to the factories of the US and other multinationals and monopolies. It is disciplined and organised by the very process of production in these factories. It is the decisive and leading force. But there are also other important sections of the population who suffer by imperialist domination, such as agricultural workers, farmers who are threatened by the ever-encroaching acquisition of land by US multinationals and US invasion of Australian markets overseas, capitalists who are, for example, component manufacturers for multinationals, other black and white working people, intellectuals, and Australians who are simply motivated by patriotism. These sections of Australians already wage struggles that have a common objective. Struggles can develop into more conscious unity for anti-imperialist independence. If too early, they are asked to unite on socialism, there will be divisions. The issue of socialism can be determined after the attainment of anti-imperialist independence.’
In this excerpt Ted gives a profound insight that the objective conditions in Australia show that obtaining anti imperialist independence is a prerequisite to achieving socialism. This is revolution by stages led by the working class and uniting all classes who are oppressed by US imperialism and their local, collaborating monopoly capitalist class.
Ted Hill with Norm Gallagher, General Secretary of the Builders Labourers Federation and Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist- Leninist)
Excerpt p.163
‘Sectarianism in this connection involves the attempted imposition of minority views on a mass of people without taking account of the phases through which those people must go before coming to an understanding of advanced views. It is a product of political subjectivism, in Australian Communists the wish that despite the facts showing the impossibility of immediate socialism, there should be immediate socialism and making that immediate socialism à condition of Communist participation in the mass movement. In this way the Communist Party of Australia in its advanced ideas became a sect. While it correctly participated in many mass movements, its participation was marred by this subjectivism and sectarianism.
Political subjectivism is a deadly enemy of Communism. Truth must be sought from facts and action must be based on the truth so revealed. This is so no matter how much those facts may depart from what one wishes them to be. Wishes will not alter the facts. Failure to see the facts caused Australian Communists to commit serious political errors. However, by committing such errors and by also at times correctly seeing the facts, Communists learned rich lessons. All experience must be comprehensively summed up. Political subjectivism and its organisational expression in sectarianism need to be thoroughly eradicated. In ‘On Practice’ written for a position essentially concerned with political subjectivism and dogmatism, Mao Zedong said: “We are also opposed to ‘Left’ phrase-mongering. The thinking of ‘Leftists’ outstrips a given stage of development of the objective process; some regard their fantasies as truth, while others strain to realise in the present an ideal which can only be realised in the future. They alienate themselves from the current practice of the majority of the people and from the realities of the day, and show themselves adventurist in their actions”.
Ted sums up a constant problem that has dogged the Communist movement in Australia.
Lenin also wrote the Marxist-Leninist classic ‘’Left-Wing’’ Communism, An Infantile Disorder’, (1920). This too, dealt with problems of certain Communists in Russia and internationally getting far ahead of the objective facts and the masses.
Ted’s writing is relevant and deals with problems in the Australian Communist movement today, where some people give lip service to anti imperialist struggle but really seek a jump to socialism immediately and attack others as sellouts who don’t advocate the immediate overthrow of capitalism.
They also fail to see the objective fact that China is a great friend to the Australian people. They fail to see that China is in the preliminary stage of establishing a truly independent, anti imperialist socialist country of their own that is developing their productive forces for the benefit of their people. They are successfully applying Marxism-Leninism as a guide in their own objective conditions.
And the crucial point here is that Australian Communists must study Australian objective conditions very carefully and apply Marxism-Leninism as a leading guide for the liberation of Australia from US Imperialism and their local allied monopoly capitalist class.
In regards to China, some comrades attack it as ‘Revisionist’ and of having ‘restored capitalism’ to China and that it is even worse than US Imperialism because it is ‘Chinese Social-Imperialism’, which is allegedly ‘more dangerous’ because it is ‘socialist in words and imperialist in deeds’. This is infantile, at odds with reality and the true objective conditions both internally and externally in China. China has applied Marxism-Leninism to the objective conditions of China and lifted 1.5 billion people out of poverty. It is in the preliminary stage of building a thriving anti imperialist socialist society with great respect at home and around the world.
Talk about not seeing the wood for the trees. This muddle-headed view of the world by our ultra ‘Lefts’ is at odds with reality and the objective facts.
Further they do not understand a crucial fundamental in life of who are their true friends and who is their main enemy.
They do a great disservice to the Communist movement in Australia and mislead the Australian working class and its potential allies.
We believe in revolution by stages. We fight for a first stage of Australian independence from US imperialism and its allied, local monopoly capitalism, a second stage of socialism and a third stage of communism.
And in the anti imperialist stage we subordinate class struggle to the national struggle. Or put another way the class struggle takes the form of the national struggle. Likewise, ‘the demands of the national struggle’ and the need to resist the US, ‘are the point of departure for all class struggle’. (Mao Zedong ‘The Question of Independence and Initiative Within the United Front – The Identity Between the National and the Class Struggle,’ November 5, 1938.)
The Left must grow up. In the late 1970s and early 1980s Australian Communists had the struggle against the Red Eureka Movement, who arose in reaction to the reforms to the Chinese program in 1978 under Deng Xiaoping. This was in the Australian Party! And they sought to take over the Communist Party in Australia and at that time failed, some left the Party and some remained. The Party under Ted’s leadership firmly rejected the Red Eurekas and fully endorsed the Party’s line in Australia and also supported the Chinese Communists and the reforms in China. This was the case in the Party up to Ted’s death in 1988 and further into the mid 1990s.
The Chinese Communists learnt from the collapsing of socialism in the Soviet Union which was becoming apparent by then and altered course to the betterment of the Chinese people. But our Red Eurekas said Deng’s reforms were not ‘pure’ communism and accused the Chinese Communists of betrayal. They said that the Communists in China had gone the same way as the Soviet Union, that is as ‘social imperialists restoring capitalism’.
As always, objective facts rule. Pragmatic ways forward are tried and tested through actual practice in a real situation, not in some pure ‘Marxist’ vacuum. Our infantile Red Eurekas were apoplectic with rage at this alleged betrayal. The true test of the correctness of the Chinese Communists is the outstanding results they have achieved for the Chinese people. Whereas, unfortunately, the Soviet Union and the great Russian Communist Party collapsed into ignominity.
Mao Zedong , Ted Hill and Joyce Hill
Some of those Red Eureka people and their disciples still muddy the waters for the Australian people and the way forward for Australia.
China and Chinese conditions is strictly a matter and a great duty for the Chinese Communists to study and to apply Marxism-Leninism as a guide in solving China’s problems.
Australia and its conditions is the primary focus of Australian Communists. They must apply Marxism-Leninism as a guide to the real, not imagined, objective conditions of Australia.
Excerpt p. 164
‘It is not difficult to understand that the breach between the ALP and the Communist Party resulted largely (not wholly) from the attempt by the Communists to realise aims that could not be realised, namely the rapid revolutionisation of the Australian working class.
Communist attempts to ram “pure” Communist theory down the throats of others resulted in isolation of those who tried to do the ramming. Revolutionisation of Australian workers has not yet been realised. The phases through which the movement must go include good relations amongst all political parties and groups that have connections with the working class and good relations among the members of the respective parties.’
Great confusion arose in Australian Communist ranks over the position of the Labor Party and the trade unions. Ted gives vital clarity how to proceed with working relations with both.
Excerpt p.164-165
‘In Australia, the Communists confused two different matters. The first concerned the fundamental theory, outlook, ideology, politics and organisation of Communism. On that it is imperative to have a Communist Party which is clear and unwavering. Its internal life must be such that there is the greatest possible grasp of Marxist-Leninist ideology. The second concerned the stage to which Australia had developed as a capitalist country, the stage to which the working class had developed, the mass organisations which had arisen and particularly those which had working class connections (such as the ALP and the trade unions). The work of the Communist Party was required to proceed on a very careful analysis of this. It flowed from correctness on the first matter but the first matter could not be imposed on the second, nor should the second water down the independence of the first. The Communist Party must strengthen itself ideologically, politically and organisationally in order to work correctly in the broad working class and people’s spheres. There is a line of demarcation between the Communist Party and ALP. They have quite different fundamental purposes. Co-operation between them does not compromise the Marxist outlook of the Communist Party.
The correction of these errors is critical to the building of the Communist Party in Australia. The relation between the two matters referred to must be studied and understood. The phases of understanding of Communism in a mass sense involve a highly organised Communist Party which works tirelessly and patiently while the working class and other sections of people get the experience which turns them towards Communism.’
In this excerpt Ted gives great insight into the actual relationship between the Party and the Australian people and how best to proceed in helping to organise the Australian people.
Ted Hill with Comrade Bert Chandler and author Tom Keneally
Excerpt P.175
There is room and need for great flexibility in forms of Party organisation. Australia develops its own Australian Communist Party. It will draw on the lessons of the past. It will correct errors. It will experiment. It will continually sum up experience. It will recognise that the development of the Party is a process.
If the Communist Party does its work correctly it will have established itself among every section of the people. Particularly will it have established itself among the workers in the factories which belong to the multinationals and local monopoly capitalists. It will have established itself in the trade unions and have proper relations with the Labor Party. All Communists work in accordance with the situation in which they find themselves. They will have attracted the respect and support of the people amongst whom they work. The Party as an organisation brings it all together. It estimates when is the correct time for people to advance or retreat, when is the time to expand or contract a given sphere of activity, to fight a small battle or a large battle and so on. As the situation matures, it estimates the time at which the people are prepared for decisive battle. This is the life of the Communist Party. This is service to the Australian people. Australian people have a nation to win — a united peaceful Australia headed on the path of social emancipation.
Conclusion
So, summing up, Ted’s writings show great coherency and wisdom for the way ahead for Australian Communists and for Australia itself.
Australia sits in the worldwide stream of countries seeking to strengthen nationhood, independence, sovereignty, and sustainable development for the benefit of the people. This objective fact is developing to a higher stage, where world-wide the US and European imperialist powers, and their neo-colonialist methods of rule, are starting to crumble and are being increasingly challenged.
Like in the militant trade union struggle: ‘disunity is death’. That’s what happens in countries too. A United Front of people’s forces is what has to be patiently and thoroughly built up and all the enemy’s attempts to divide have to be defeated. People have to be motivated and experienced. They need correct leadership with clear ideology, astute politics and deep organisation. Each country has to go through this.
The worldwide trend is the people want nationhood, independence, sovereignty and sustainable development for the people. And the overall trend is that US imperialism is in decline. These are the great defining features of the 21st Century.
In Australia we identify U.S. hegemony as the primary enemy.
In the struggle to rid Australia of U.S. domination, and achieve true independence, a United Front of all patriotic classes is essential.
The working class and its Communist Party needs to identify the path ahead and must fight for correct leadership, guiding ideology, politics and organisation for the Party and Australia.
We are for an Anti Imperialist Democratic People’s Republic led by the working class and its allied classes, represented by the Communist Party.
Ted Hill , Joyce Hill with Mao Zedong and interpreter
