Centrism

Centrism is an opportunist position which attempts to reconcile and otherwise adopt a supposedly neutral stance between revolutionary communism and revisionism, liberalism, and other manifestations of bourgeois ideology. Centrists refuse to engage in ideological struggle against these counter-revolutionary tendencies and, therefore, practically side with these tendencies and against the working class movement.^[1]

References

↑ Vladimir Lenin (1920). Theses on Fundamental Tasks of The Second Congress Of The Communist International. Available on the Marxists Internet Archive.
"The proletariat’s conquest of political power does not put a stop to its class struggle against the bourgeoisie; on the contrary, it renders that struggle most widespread, intense and ruthless. Owing to the extreme intensification of the struggle all groups, parties and leaders in the working-class movement who have fully or partly adopted the stand of reformism, of the 'Centre', etc., inevitably side with the bourgeoisie or join the waverers, or else (what is the most dangerous of all) land in the ranks of the unreliable friends of the victorious proletariat. Hence, preparation for the dictatorship of the proletariat calls, not only for an intensification of the struggle against reformist and 'Centrist' tendencies, but also for a change in the character of that struggle. The struggle cannot be restricted to explaining the erroneousness of these tendencies; it must unswervingly and ruthlessly expose any leader of the working-class movement who reveals such tendencies, for otherwise the proletariat cannot know who it will march with into the decisive struggle against the bourgeoisie. This struggle is such that at any moment it may—and actually does, as experience has shown—substitute criticism with weapons for the weapon of criticism. Any inconsistency or weakness in exposing those who show themselves to be reformists or 'Centrists' means directly increasing the danger of the power of the proletariat being overthrown by the bourgeoisie, which tomorrow will utilise for the counter-revolution that which short-sighted people today see merely as 'theoretical difference'."

[1] Vladimir Lenin (1920). Theses on Fundamental Tasks of The Second Congress Of The Communist International. Available on the Marxists Internet Archive.
"The proletariat’s conquest of political power does not put a stop to its class struggle against the bourgeoisie; on the contrary, it renders that struggle most widespread, intense and ruthless. Owing to the extreme intensification of the struggle all groups, parties and leaders in the working-class movement who have fully or partly adopted the stand of reformism, of the 'Centre', etc., inevitably side with the bourgeoisie or join the waverers, or else (what is the most dangerous of all) land in the ranks of the unreliable friends of the victorious proletariat. Hence, preparation for the dictatorship of the proletariat calls, not only for an intensification of the struggle against reformist and 'Centrist' tendencies, but also for a change in the character of that struggle. The struggle cannot be restricted to explaining the erroneousness of these tendencies; it must unswervingly and ruthlessly expose any leader of the working-class movement who reveals such tendencies, for otherwise the proletariat cannot know who it will march with into the decisive struggle against the bourgeoisie. This struggle is such that at any moment it may—and actually does, as experience has shown—substitute criticism with weapons for the weapon of criticism. Any inconsistency or weakness in exposing those who show themselves to be reformists or 'Centrists' means directly increasing the danger of the power of the proletariat being overthrown by the bourgeoisie, which tomorrow will utilise for the counter-revolution that which short-sighted people today see merely as 'theoretical difference'."

[1]

Centrism

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Centrism

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