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Democratic centralism

2025-11-15T19:53:57Z

75.210.123.80: Altered citation -C:

{{Marxism–Leninism sidebar}}
'''Democratic centralism''' is a practice in which political decisions reached by voting processes are binding upon all members of the [[political party]]. Although mainly associated with [[Marxism-Leninism|Marxism–Leninism]],<ref name="freedomunity">{{Citation|author=Lenin, Vladimir|year=1906|title=Report on the Unity Congress of the R.S.D.L.P.|title-url=https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1906/rucong/index.htm|chapter=The Congress Summed Up|chapter-url=https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1906/rucong/viii.htm#v10pp65-376|mia=https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1906/rucong/index.htm|series=|volume=|retrieved=2020-02-14}}</ref> democratic centralism has also been practiced by [[Social Democracy|social democratic]] parties.<ref>{{Citation|author=Lih, Lars|year=2005|title=Lenin Rediscovered: What Is to Be Done? in Context|publisher=Brill Academic Publishers|isbn=978-90-04-13120-0}}</ref><ref>{{News citation|author=Sunkara, Bhaskar|date=2020-01-15|url=https://jacobinmag.com/2020/01/social-democracy-democratic-socialism-capital-unions-strategy|title=The Long Shot of Democratic Socialism Is Our Only Shot|newspaper=Jacobin|retrieved=2020-02-14}}</ref>

== In practice ==
In party meetings, a motion (new policy or amendment, goal, plan or any other kind of political question) is proposed. After a period of debate, a vote is taken. If the decision passes, all party members are expected to follow that decision, and not continue propagandizing or otherwise working against it, even if they disagree with it. In the development of [[socialism]] in the [[Soviet Union]] and [[China]], democratic centralism was largely taken up in response to instability following their respective revolutions which required faster mechanisms of decision-making.

The decision can always be recalled if there is grounds for it, but until it is cancelled, all members of the party are expected to uphold it as if they agreed with it.

Consensus is generally sought over pure results, and there is often a lengthy period of debates before a decision is put to the vote. The debate period is used to refine the proposal that will be voted on until all (or most) members agree to it.

== History ==

=== Lenin's conception ===
The text ''[[Library:What is to be done?|What Is to Be Done?]]'' written in 1902 is generally considered the foundational work of democratic centralism. At the time, democratic centralism was generally viewed as a set of principles for the organizing of a revolutionary workers' party. However, [[Vladimir Lenin]]'s model for such a party, which he repeatedly discussed as being "democratic centralist", was the German [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]], inspired by remarks made by the social democrat [[Jean Baptista von Schweitzer]]. Lenin described democratic centralism as consisting of "freedom of discussion, unity of action".<ref name="freedomunity" />

The doctrine of democratic centralism served as one of the sources of the split between the [[Bolsheviks]] and the [[Mensheviks]]. The Mensheviks supported a looser party discipline within the [[Russian Social Democratic Labour Party]] in 1903 as did [[Leon Trotsky]], in ''[[Our Political Tasks]]'',<ref>{{Citation|mia=https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1904/tasks/index.htm|title=Our Political Tasks|author=Leon Trotsky|year=1904}}</ref> although Trotsky joined ranks with the Bolsheviks in 1917.

The Sixth Party Congress of the [[Russian Social Democratic Labour Party|Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party (Bolsheviks)]] held at [[Saint Petersburg|Petrograd]] between 26 July and 3 August 1917 defined democratic centralism as follows:

# That all directing bodies of the Party, from top to bottom, shall be elected.
# That Party bodies shall give periodical accounts of their activities to their respective Party organizations.
# That there shall be strict Party discipline and the subordination of the minority to the majority.
# That all decisions of higher bodies shall be absolutely binding on lower bodies and on all Party members.<ref>{{Citation|title=History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks)|year=1939|city=New York City|publisher=International Publishers|page=198}}</ref>

After the successful consolidation of power by the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]] following the [[October Revolution]] and the [[Russian Civil War]], the Bolshevik leadership, including Lenin, instituted a [[Ban on factions in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|ban on factions in the party]] as Resolution No. 12 of the [[10th Congress of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks)|10th Party Congress]] in 1921. It was passed in the morning session on 16 March 1921.<ref>{{Citation|title=Protokoly|year=1933}} ed. 585–7; 1963 ed. 571–573.</ref> Trotskyists sometimes claim that this ban was intended to be temporary, but there is no language in the discussion at the 10th Party Congress suggesting such.<ref>{{Citation|title=Protokoly|year=1933}} ed. 523–548.</ref>

The [[Group of Democratic Centralism]] was a group in the Soviet Communist Party who advocated different concepts of party democracy.

=== Soviet practice ===
Within the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922–1991)|Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]], evey citizen, regardless of race, gender, or nationality, and of voting age, was eligible to vote for a person, recall somebody, or run for a position themselves. The most fundamental unit of these elections would be the soviet (worker council), in which every person from a local soviet could vote for leaders to govern said soviet or even a larger governmental unit. Furthermore, it would be common for the people in that soviet to hold discussions about the candidate, often to assess the candidate's skill for the administraitive post. The soviets themselves would often include a village, factory, or group of factories.

The soviets would also be able to elect delegates to represent them in the higher organs of the government. Furthermore, it was common for the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|communist party]] to ask the soviets about their thoughts and experiences with particular policies.<ref>{{Citation|author=Pat Sloan|year=1937|title=Soviet Democracy|title-url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36659963-soviet-democracy|chapter=Electors and Administraitors|page=170-173|pdf=https://mltheory.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/pat-sloan-soviet-democracy-victor-gollancz-1937.pdf|publisher=Victor Gollancz LTD|trans-lang=English}}</ref>

Such democratic procedures where further reinforced by the constitution of the USSR. For example, in the [[Soviet Constitution of 1936]], it states in chapter 11:<blockquote>Article 134'''.''' Member s of all Soviets of Working People's Deputies - of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R., the Supreme Soviets of the Union Republics, the Soviets of Working People's Deputies of the Territories and Regions, the Supreme Soviets of the Autonomous Republics, the Soviets of Working People’s Deputies of Autonomous Regions, area, district, city and rural (stanitsa, village, hamlet, kishlak, aul) Soviets of Working People's Deputies - are chosen by the electors on the basis of universal, direct and equal suffrage by secret ballot.<ref>{{Citation|year=1936|title=Constitution (Fundamental law) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|title-url=https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1936/12/05.htm|chapter=11|city=Moscow}}</ref></blockquote>

=== People's Republic of China ===
Democratic centralism is also stated in Article 3 of the [[Constitution of the People's Republic of China|present Constitution]] of the [[China|People's Republic of China]]:<blockquote>Article 3. The state organs of the People's Republic of China apply the principle of democratic centralism''.'' The National People's Congress and the local people's congresses at different levels are instituted through democratic election. They are responsible to the people and subject to their supervision. All administrative, judicial and procuratorial organs of the state are created by the people's congresses to which they are responsible and under whose supervision they operate. The division of functions and powers between the central and local state organs is guided by the principle of giving full play to the initiative and enthusiasm of the local authorities under the unified leadership of the central authorities.<ref name="art3">English language text of [http://en.people.cn/constitution/constitution.html Constitution of the People's Republic of China] adopted 4 December 1982. Chapter 1. Article 3. Retrieved 29 December 2014.</ref></blockquote>This idea is translated into the supremacy of the [[National People's Congress]], which represents China's citizens and exercises legislative authority on their behalf. Other powers, including the power to appoint the head of state and head of government, are also vested in this body.

=== Vietnam ===
The [[Communist Party of Vietnam]] is organized according to the Leninist principle of democratic centralism. In article 8 of the [[2013 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam]] the ideas of democratic centralism are laid out as:<blockquote>Article 8 1. The State is organized and operates in concordance with the Constitution and the laws, governs the society by the Constitution and the laws, and practices the principle of democratic centralism. 2. All State agencies, cadres, officials and employees must show respect for the people, devotedly serve the people, maintain close contact with the people, listen to their opinions and submit to their supervision; resolutely struggle against corruption, wastefulness and all manifestations of bureaucracy, arrogance, authoritarianism.<ref name="2013_VConst">English Version of the [https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Socialist_Republic_of_Vietnam_2013.pdf?lang=en Vietnamese Constitution]. This version of the constitution was ratified on the 28th of November 2013.</ref></blockquote> The Vietnamese constitution makes it law to follow the ideals of democratic centralism. In practice, legislators of [[The National Assembly of Vietnam]] are in charge of ratifying laws made by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, and to elect the Chairman and Prime Minster of the National Assembly.<ref name="2013_VConstart95">English Version of the [https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Socialist_Republic_of_Vietnam_2013.pdf?lang=en Vietnamese Constitution Articles 95-100]. This section of the constitution outlines the powers of the government.</ref> The National Assembly is the supreme body for legislature and executive motions and with the [[Communist Party of Vietnam]] as the vanguard, it follows the principles of democratic centralism.

== Arguments for ==
In ''On Party Unity'', Lenin argued that democratic centralism prevents factionalism. He argued that factionalism leads to less friendly relations among members and that it can be exploited by enemies of the party.

By the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922–1991)#Brezhnev period|Brezhnev period]], democratic centralism was described in the [[Constitution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1977)|1977 Soviet Constitution]] as a principle for organizing the state: "The Soviet state is organized and functions on the principle of democratic centralism, namely the electiveness of all bodies of state authority from the lowest to the highest, their accountability to the people, and the obligation of lower bodies to observe the decisions of higher ones". Democratic centralism combines central leadership with local initiative and creative activity and with the responsibility of each state body and official for the work entrusted to them.

== See also ==
*[[Autonomy]]
*[[Blanquism]]
*[[Cabinet collective responsibility]]
*[[Disagree and commit]]
*[[Dominant-party system]]
*[[Eastern Bloc politics]]
*[[Federalism]]
*[[One-party state]]
*[[Organic centralism]]
*[[Revolutionary spontaneity]]
*[[Twenty-one Conditions]]
*[[Vanguardism]]

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Marxism-Leninism]]
[[Category:Leninism]]

Conspiracy theory

2025-11-13T05:44:28Z

75.210.123.80: Added two more sources, fixed a link that was redirecting back to this page -C:

[[File:White-Genocide paper..png|thumb|391x391px|A person promoting the "[[White genocide|Great Replacement"]] conspiracy theory.]]
A '''conspiracy theory''' is an attempted rationalization of an event or pattern of events through which a small yet powerful group of people coordinate to propagate a lie or act maliciously, often for the purpose of keeping their power. Conspiracy theories often reject commonly held knowledge or empirical data and rely on a number of cognitive biases to be believed in. Technically, whether or not something is a "conspiracy theory" has little bearing on whether or not it is true, as actual conspiracies can and do happen; however, the methodology of conspiracy theories is still flawed by their nature.<ref>{{Citation|author=Harambam, J., & Aupers, S.|year=2021|title=From the unbelievable to the undeniable: Epistemological pluralism, or how conspiracy theorists legitimate their extraordinary truth claims.|title-url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1367549419886045|pdf=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/1367549419886045|doi=10.1177/1367549419886045|trans-lang=English}}</ref>

Conspiracy theory often attempts to give the government/state an independent character, divorced from [[class struggle]].<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=Lorenzo|newspaper=Popaganda|title=Chomsky vs. Parenti, part 2: "Conspiracy Theorism"|date=2016-05-31|url=https://lorenzoae.wordpress.com/2016/05/31/part-2/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531193908/https://lorenzoae.wordpress.com/2016/05/31/part-2/|archive-date=2016-05-31|retrieved=2025-11-12|quote=[I]t’s possible for investigations rooting out “conspiracies” to go wildly wrong. This is what happened in the case of Marcel Lehel, the Romanian better known as the hacker “Guccifer.” Guccifer gained illicit access to the private online accounts of Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell, and George W. Bush, amongst many others. As he was reading then-Secretary of State Clinton’s personal emails, many exchanged with the CIA on the subject of Libya, Guccifer was looking for evidence of Illuminati connections. In Guccifer’s case, the bad conspiracism was blinding him to the valid conspiracism—he was watching the regime change-sausage get made, and all he could see was a non-existent cabal. This is an object lesson in the dangers of attributing blame to one set of actors in contravention of existing evidence. The most insidious such theory in history is likely anti-Semitism: an idea that attributes the predatory behavior of a capitalist ruling class to a group that has been victimized throughout history, namely Jews. The perversion of class-based analysis earned anti-Semitism the nickname “the socialism of fools,” and similar tropes pop up in many instances. Any time that blame is taken off the ruling class and diverted onto a set of bad apples is an example of bad theorizing[.]}}</ref> As noted by [[Lenin]] in his seminal work, [[Library:Vladimir Lenin/The state and revolution|The State and Revolution]], governments do not have independent character or agency. They are byproducts of the conflict in-between and [[Contradiction|inability]] to [[Harmony(chinese philosophy)|harmonize]] the differences of the [[Class|classes]].<ref>{{Citation|author=Lenin|title=The State and Revolution|title-url=https://en.prolewiki.org/wiki/Library:Vladimir_Lenin/The_state_and_revolution|quote=On the one hand, the bourgeois, and particularly the petty-bourgeois, ideologists, compelled under the weight of indisputable historical facts to admit that the state only exists where there are class antagonisms and a class struggle, “correct” Marx in such a way as to make it appear that the state is an organ for the reconciliation of classes. According to Marx, the state could neither have arisen nor maintained itself had it been possible to reconcile classes. From what the petty-bourgeois and philistine professors and publicists say, with quite frequent and benevolent references to Marx, it appears that the state does reconcile classes. According to Marx, the state is an organ of class rule, an organ for the oppression of one class by another; it is the creation of “order”, which legalizes and perpetuates this oppression by moderating the conflict between classes. In the opinion of the petty-bourgeois politicians, however, order means the reconciliation of classes, and not the oppression of one class by another; to alleviate the conflict means reconciling classes and not depriving the oppressed classes of definite means and methods of struggle to overthrow the oppressors.}}</ref>

[[Fascism|Fascists]] and [[reactionaries]] are the biggest believers in conspiracy theories (of any kind) which is a way of blaming the difficulties of [[capitalism]] on other causes, usually minority groups. In the past, conspiracy theories have been used to justify large atrocities, such as [[genocide]].<ref>{{Citation|author=Douglas, Karen M.; Uscinski, Joseph E.; Sutton, Robbie M.; Cichocka, Aleksandra; Nefes, Turkay; Ang, Chee Siang; Deravi, Farzin|year=2019|title=Understanding Conspiracy Theories|title-url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pops.12568|pdf=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/pops.12568|isbn=0162-895X|doi=10.1111/pops.12568|trans-lang=English}}</ref> Indeed, there is a link between conspiracy theories and fascist rhetoric, best exemplified by the "reptilians" conspiracy theory. One reason why right-wingers are prone to conspiracy theories is because they have an [[Elite theory|elitist]] view of history, where events are caused by autonomous human agents with power, and therefore write off mass movements as having some kind of secret elite origin.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Michael E. Acuña|newspaper=Common Ruin|title=The Origins and Ideological Function of Cultural Marxism|date=2015-01-13|url=https://commonruin.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/the-origins-and-ideological-function-of-cultural-marxism-revised.pdf|quote=As a consequence of the right’s elitist conception of history, conspiracy theories abound in conservative historiography and social analyses when events develop in a manner contrary to their economic and/or cultural preferences. This is especially so on the fringes of the right, among its various fascistic and religious fundamentalist sects. Whether it be a cabal of malicious Zionists seeking to subvert gentile societies in order to achieve racial hegemony, or secular humanists unwittingly fulfilling the antichrist’s unholy objectives through the promotion of nonreligious educational curricula, conservative sociology is fundamentally based upon autonomous human agents directing the course of history. This applies equally to when society happens to be in accord with the values conservatives espouse: the institutional hierarchy is thought to be occupied by men of principle in these instances.}}</ref> On the other hand, accusations of conspiracy theorism may be used against those on the left and/or outside the [[imperial core]] who use inductive reasoning to discuss [[covert action]] or make systemic critiques, which cannot be done without the use of some induction, categorically excluding them from "reasonable" and "moderate" discussion.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Web citation|author=Lorenzo|newspaper=Popaganda|title=Conspiracy Facts|date=2014-12-26|url=https://lorenzoae.wordpress.com/2014/12/26/conspiracy-facts/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919191033/https://lorenzoae.wordpress.com/2014/12/26/conspiracy-facts/|archive-date=2015-09-19|retrieved=2025-11-12}}</ref>

== History ==
The term "conspiracy theory" has been in use since the 1860s but was largely revived after [[United States of America|Statesian]] President [[John F. Kennedy]]'s assasination.<ref>{{Web citation|author=GRAPH MASSARA|newspaper=Associated Press|title=‘Conspiracy theory’ coined long before JFK assassination|date=2023-01-06|url=https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-conspiracy-theory-jfk-941578119864}}</ref> Conspiracies have existed throughout history, e.g. when the tobacco industry conspired to downplay or even cover the effects of their products on health.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Neil Francey, Simon Chapman|newspaper=National Library of Medicine|title=“Operation Berkshire”: the international tobacco companies' conspiracy|date=2000-08-05|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1118337/}}</ref> The difference between a conspiracy and a conspiracy ''theory'' is that the latter requires someone to spread the rumor. As such, a conspiracy theory may very well turn out to be true eventually.

== List of false conspiracy theories ==

=== Flat Earth ===
[[Flat Earth|Flat earth]] is the disproved idea that the Earth is in the shape of a flat disk with a ring of ice on its exterior. Furthermore, they believe that gravity is merely caused by the earth constantly accelerating upwards. Those who believe in this idea often also believe other conspiracy theories such as the idea of the [[Moon landing conspiracy theories|Moon landing hoax]] due to the fact that should the Earth be flat, the pictures of the Earth from the Moon would have to have been falsified.{{Citation needed}}

=== Fluoridation ===
Fluoridation refers to the conspiracy theory that the addition of fluoride to the public water supply is intended for mind control purposes or for the benefit of pharmaceutical companies as fluoride makes people sick.{{Citation needed}} The reason some cities add fluoride to their water is because of its health benefits on teeth,<ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=American Cancer Society|title=Water Fluoridation and Cancer Risk|url=https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/chemicals/water-fluoridation-and-cancer-risk.html}}</ref> though some countries have stopped adding fluoride as the delivery mechanism (ingestion in the body) may not provide the desired effects as revealed by later studies.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Maitreyee P. Unde, Raju Umaji Patil, Persis P. Dastoor|newspaper=National Library of Medicine|title=The Untold Story of Fluoridation: Revisiting the Changing Perspectives|date=2018-12-22|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6309358/}}</ref>

=== Great Replacement ===
{{Main article|Great Replacement}}
The Great Replacement is a conspiracy theory claiming that immigrants from [[Latin America]] and [[Africa]] will replace white people as the majority of the population in the [[imperial core]]. [[Fox News Channel|Fox News]] host [[Tucker Carlson]] has promoted this conspiracy theory.<ref>{{Web citation|author=[[Brian Becker]]|newspaper=[[BreakThrough News]]|title=Buffalo Massacre Aftermath: Mainstream Media Still Validating Racist 'Replacement Theory'|date=2022-05-20|url=https://breakthroughnews.org/buffalo-massacre-aftermath-mainstream-media-still-validating-racist-replacement-theory-2/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930043804/https://breakthroughnews.org/buffalo-massacre-aftermath-mainstream-media-still-validating-racist-replacement-theory-2/|archive-date=2022-09-30|retrieved=2022-11-23}}</ref>

=== New World Order ===
The New World Order is an umbrella term for many conspiracy theories which surround a 'secret powerful government'. This correlates with the term 'deep state'. A popular conspiracy theory is the Illuminati, which was the name of a real secret society in the 18th century, but which conspiracy theorists wrongly claim still exists.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Fred Kelly|newspaper=The Week|title=What is the Illuminati conspiracy theory?|date=2024-09-26|url=https://theweek.com/62399/what-is-the-illuminati-and-what-does-it-control|retrieved=2024-10-21}}</ref>

=== QAnon ===
[[QAnon]] is a [[4chan]]-based conspiracy theory claiming that Statesian billionaire [[Donald Trump]] is saving the [[United States of America|USA]] from a cabal of Satanic pedophiles led by the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]].<ref name=":1">{{Web citation|author=Raul Diego|newspaper=[[MintPress News]]|title=From British Israelism to the Miami Model: What’s Behind QAnon’s 2020 Resurgence?|date=2020-10-06|url=https://www.mintpressnews.com/israelism-police-miami-model-qanon-2020-resurgence/271785/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016233224/https://www.mintpressnews.com/israelism-police-miami-model-qanon-2020-resurgence/271785/|archive-date=2021-10-16|retrieved=2022-08-08}}</ref>

=== Russiagate ===
{{main article|Russiagate}}
Russiagate is a conspiracy theory that the [[Russian Federation]] was responsible for Trump's victory over [[Hillary Clinton]] in the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 U.S. presidential election]] when it was actually caused by the [[slavery]]-based electoral college.<ref>{{Web citation|author=[[Brian Becker]]|newspaper=[[Liberation News]]|title=Past a point of no return: “Russiagate” and the reorientation of U.S. imperialism|date=2018-04-07|url=https://www.liberationnews.org/past-point-no-return-russiagate-reorientation-u-s-imperialism/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518233640/https://www.liberationnews.org/past-point-no-return-russiagate-reorientation-u-s-imperialism/|archive-date=2022-05-18|retrieved=2022-10-30}}</ref>

=== Reptilians ===
Antisemite and fascist [[David Icke]] in his book ''Children of the Matrix'' was the first to promote the theory that some of the world's leaders and celebrities are actually shape-shifting reptilians, or lizard people, taking the shape of humans so as to embed themselves in society and direct it from these positions of power. His theory has parallels with older antisemitic conspiracy theories, such as that Jewish people control banks, entertainment etc. forming a shadowy cabal, or that they were depicted in propaganda posters as having lizard-like features (likely itself originating from the original sin in the [[Bible]]).

=== Staged moon landing ===

== List of conspiracy theories that may be true ==

=== JFK assassination ===
{{Main article|John F. Kennedy#Assassination}}
According to the documentary ''JFK: Destiny Betrayed'', the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] assassinated [[John F. Kennedy]] as part of a coup to reassert the rule of the [[Imperialism|imperialist]] [[ruling class]].<ref>{{Web citation|author=John Potash|newspaper=[[CovertAction Magazine]]|title=New Four-Part Documentary “JFK: Destiny Betrayed” Leaves No Doubt That JFK Was Assassinated as Part of CIA Coup|date=2022-07-26|url=https://covertactionmagazine.com/2022/07/26/new-four-part-documentary-jfk-destiny-betrayed-leaves-no-doubt-that-jfk-was-assassinated-as-part-of-cia-coup/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623164517/https://covertactionmagazine.com/2022/07/26/new-four-part-documentary-jfk-destiny-betrayed-leaves-no-doubt-that-jfk-was-assassinated-as-part-of-cia-coup/|archive-date=2023-06-23}}</ref>

=== 9/11 ===
{{Main article|September 11 attacks#Alleged U.S. government involvement}}

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Outline needs additional content]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theories]]

Historical revisionism

2025-11-07T16:54:14Z

75.210.123.80: Added another source, updated link in Falsificators of History citation to a better version -C:

In [[historiography]], '''historical revisionism''' is the process of revisiting, reexamining, and attempting to revise the established, commonly-held view of an historical event. This can be a good thing when the conclusions reached are supported by the evidence and lead to a more accurate understanding of the past; or bad when it paints in inaccurate picture of the past and relies on incorrect, selective, or manipulated data.

When used in Marxist contexts it can mean the telling of historical events in a pseudohistorical or ahistorical way. A relative of political [[revisionism]], which implies a betrayal of the [[Scientific socialism|scientific political view]], historical revisionism refers to a betrayal of history or historical accuracy.<ref>{{Web citation|author=VNGiapaganda|newspaper=Marxist-Leninist Theory from VNGiapaganda|title=Defending Communist History in Practice|date=2016-04-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403185214/https://vngiapaganda.wordpress.com/2016/04/03/defending-communist-history-in-practice/|archive-date=2017-04-03|retrieved=2025-09-04}}</ref> History is a cornerstone of [[Dialectical materialism|dialectical materialist theory]]. [[Historical materialism]] ensures an accurate and scientific retelling of history, one which is told by the masses rather than by the bourgeoisie. To betray a [[Materialism|materialist]] conception of history in practice, whether by error or by intention is to engage in historical revisionism because it is a regression into [[idealism]] and idealist errors. In other words, historical revisionism is a falsification of history, whether intentional or unintentional.<ref>{{Citation|author=Rajani Palme Dutt|year=1963|title=Problems of Contemporary History|title-url=https://www.marxists.org/archive/dutt/1963/contemporary-history.htm|city=London|publisher=Lawrence and Wishart}}</ref>

[[Cultural revisionism]] is a related term that implies a historical revision of culture, one that is always necessarily false.

== Bourgeois historical revisionism ==
{{Main article|Historical nihilism}}

It could be argued that all bourgeois historians engage in some level of historical revisionism at least when it comes to certain topics, because their telling of history is biased towards the bourgeois class and loyalty to this class, rather than truth or the masses, is the measure of 'accuracy', as is the case for [[bourgeois science]] in general.

One modern example of historical revisionism is the way the [[Tibet Autonomous Region#Ancient history|history]] and [[Tibetan sovereignty debate|status of Tibet]] is misrepresented by [[Capitalist propaganda|bourgeois ideologues]] and [[Tibetan nationalism|Tibetan nationalists]]. [[Xizang Autonomous Region|Tibet]] has been part of [[People's Republic of China|China]] for over a thousand years since the [[Tang dynasty (618–907)|Tang dynasty]], and no country has ever recognised Tibet as a sovereign nation, yet many bourgeois ideologues (particularly in the [[Imperial core|West]]) as well as Tibetan separatists argue that Tibet is an independent country that was only forced to join China in 1950 after [[Peaceful Liberation of Tibet|a supposed "invasion"]]. They also often glorify the [[Feudalism|feudal]] era of Tibetan history when over 90% of the population were either [[Slavery|slaves]] or serfs and living conditions were deplorable for most people.<ref name=":3">{{News citation|newspaper=[[Liberation School]]|title=China, Tibet and U.S.-sponsored counterrevolution|date=2008-04-01|url=https://www.liberationschool.org/08-04-01-china-tibet-ussponsored-coun-html/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210619132116/https://liberationschool.org/08-04-01-china-tibet-ussponsored-coun-html/|archive-date=2021-06-19|retrieved=2022-06-20}}</ref> This gross mischaracterisation of Tibet's history is made by bourgeois propagandists in an attempt to lend legitimacy to separatist movements in China, as China represents a threat to the [[liberal international order]], and the [[Capitalist Bloc]] consequently seeks the [[balkanisation]] of the modern Chinese [[nation-state]].

Bourgeois history of the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922–1991)|Soviet Union]] is similarly altered to suit the needs of their country's bourgeoisie. After the Second World War ended, the Soviet Union published a booklet replying to the historical revisionism of the western [[Allied Powers]] that was intended to portray the Soviets as supportive of [[German Reich (1933–1945)|Nazi Germany]] rather than their victims.<ref>{{Citation|year=1948|title=Falsificators of History|title-url=https://archive.org/details/Combinepdf15|city=Washington, D.C.|publisher=Soviet Information Bureau}}</ref> Nevertheless, the Soviet Union's role in the war was diminished so much in the following decades that by 1994 the majority of French citizens polled believed the United States contributed the most to the defeat of Germany when in 1945 they had named the Soviet Union.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Olivier Berruyer|newspaper=Les Crises|title=L’enseignement de l’ignorance : Quelle est la nation qui a le plus contribué à la défaite de l’Allemagne en 1945 ?|date=2019–05-08|url=https://www.les-crises.fr/la-fabrique-du-cretin-defaite-nazis/|retrieved=2025-09-05}}</ref> During the 1980s, a group of [[United States of America|Statesians]] and members of the [[Soviet Academy of Science|Soviet Academy of Science's]] Institute of World History gathered to review Statesian and Soviet elementary and high school history textbooks with both groups concluding that the Soviet textbooks contained more accurate historical information, while the Statesian textbooks undermined and downplayed Soviet history and contained basic factual errors.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Barbara Vobejda|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=U.S., SOVIET TEXTBOOKS GIVE DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS OF HISTORY|date=1987-12-05|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1987/12/06/us-soviet-textbooks-give-different-accounts-of-history/f51c95e0-a5ce-4ab1-96d8-4f5ef2f33935/|retrieved=2025-08-06|quote="All sides agreed that Soviet textbooks contain a great deal more solid information about the world in general and the United States specifically," said Ben Eklof, senior fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center here.}}</ref>

== Examples ==

* [[Anti-Katyn]]
* [[Armenian genocide denial]]
* [[Australian genocide of indigenous peoples|Australian indigenous genocide denial]]
* [[Canadian genocide of indigenous peoples#Denialism|Canadian indigenous genocide denial]]
* [[Clean Wehrmacht|Clean Wehrmacht myth]]
** [[Rommel myth]]
* [[Gay Nazis myth]]
* [[Holocaust denial]]
* [[Holodomor]]
* [[Irish slaves myth]]
* [[Jewish war declarations]]
* [[Lost Cause myth]]
* [[Nakba denial]]
* [[Native American genocide#Denial|Native American genocide denial]]
* [[Pearl Harbor advance-knowledge conspiracy theory]]
* [[Preventive War Myth]]
* [[Revisionist school of Soviet history]]
* [[Stab-in-the-back myth]]
* [[Tibetan sovereignty debate]]

== References ==
[[Category:History]]