By Gus Hall

Following is the conclusion statement by Gus Hall to the First Ideological Conference of the Communist Party USA, July 14-16, 1989

Conclusion

“From the beginning we said that ideology is not memorizing formulas. It is a way of thinking, a way of responding, a way of reacting almost reflexively. It is the accumulated rich essence of our theory, philosophy and history, our science of Marxism-Leninism and our experiences in the class struggle.

Our ideology is not stale or lifeless. In the ways of ideology, it reflects and responds to changes in the class struggle.

We can deepen our ideological heritage through continuing, probing study of our science. To help us set up a permanent, systematic program, we are establishing an Ideological Commission of the Communist Party. We are going to put much greater emphasis on ideology in our schools, classes and meetings.

The People’s Daily World and Political Affairs will make room for more articles on ideological questions.

As a follow-up to this conference, each state and district should plan to hold an ideological conference. Each club should plan a special ideological discussion conference twice a year.

The National Committee has elected a committee that will review our Party Program, with an eye to revising it in accordance with the new objective and subjective developments, world and domestic, with emphasis on ideological questions.

At the risk of being accused of “official optimism,” let me state a basic truth.

Like Humpty-Dumpty in the children’s verse, capitalism will have a great fall, and not all the king’s horses and all the king’s men – nor capitalist ideology or Wall Street thugs – will ever put capitalism back on history’s stage again.

The working class will fulfill its mandate from history: to eliminate forever the last of the big exploiters, the capitalist class.

Comrade W.E.B. DuBois, whose far-reaching vision enabled him to see many things ahead of his time, also foresaw the demise of capitalism and the advent of a communist world.

In his letter applying for membership in the Communist Party USA almost 30 years ago, Comrade DuBois prophetically wrote,

Today I have reached a firm conclusion: capitalism cannot reform itself; it is doomed to self-destruction. No universal selfishness can bring social good to all.

Communism – the effort to give all men what they need and to ask of each the best they can contribute – this is the only way of human life. It is a difficult and hard end to reach. It has and will make mistakes. But today it marches triumphantly on in education, science, in home and food, with increased freedom of thought and deliverance from dogma. In the end communism will triumph.
I want to help bring that day. The path of the American Communist Party is clear: it will provide the United States with a real third party and thus restore democracy to this land.

In the Communist Party’s response to Dr. DuBois, we proudly and enthusiastically welcomed him:

I read your letter to our National Board where it was greeted with the highest enthusiasm and responded to with many heartfelt testimonials to the titanic labors which you have performed over a glorious span of 60 years of dedicated service and leadership in the cause of human progress, peace, science and culture.

Dear Dr. DuBois, welcome into the membership of our Party! The title of Party member is an honorable and worthy title, worn with pride by the most dedicated and far-seeing, the best sons and daughters of the workers and peoples of all lands in the first ranks of the struggle for mankind’s happy future.

It is to that beautiful expression by Dr. DuBois, of full confidence in the people, in the working class, in our Party and in the lofty future of communism, that we dedicate this Ideological Conference.”