To put this in a concentrated way, what is embodied in this new synthesis is a further revolution in human thought—a further revolution which proceeds from the fundamental scientific basis of communism, since its founding by Marx (together with Engels), and is, in an overall sense, within the same fundamental framework, but at the same time involves a qualitative leap in the development of communism. Of course, as I have stressed many times, there will remain the ongoing need, as there is with all sciences, to continue to learn more and further develop communism, through the dialectical back-and-forth between work in the theoretical realm and further developments in the world, including the development of a revolutionary struggle whose ultimate aim is a communist world. But what is crucial to grasp at this point is the reality that the new synthesis represents and embodies a qualitative resolution of a critical contradiction that has existed within communism in its development up to this point, between its fundamentally scientific method and approach, and aspects of communism which have run counter to this. This new synthesis has, most decisively, established communism on a firmer and more consistent scientific basis.

So today, two things are true. First: Humanity, the masses of oppressed humanity, and ultimately humanity as a whole, really does need revolution and communism. Only through the revolution leading to communism, and the ultimate achievement of a communist world without exploitation and oppression, can all these horrors that people are subjected to in their billions around the globe actually be brought to an end, and can there be the basis for the environment to be dealt with in a way that doesn’t further destroy the potential for human life. So that’s fundamental. This is a fundamental truth: Only if there are people who actually are communists and are struggling to lead people on the road of making communist revolution—only to the degree that that is happening is there a way out of this madness and is there a means for finally ending the long night to which humanity has been subjected for millennia and millennia. That’s one thing that’s true.

The other thing that’s true is this: The new synthesis of communism, in terms of method and approach to understanding and transforming human society, and the application of this method and approach to crucial contradictions and problems of revolution, represents a decisive qualitative leap in the development of the science of communism.

In 1975, it was objectively true that if you were not with Mao and not taking up what Mao had brought forward, you were not a communist.

In 2015, it is objectively true that if you are not with the new synthesis and the leadership that has brought this forward, you can call yourself whatever you want, but you are not a communist, you are not taking up and applying the scientific understanding the masses of people in the world need to get free and to emancipate humanity.

All this speaks to the importance of this new synthesis of communism, and why people should care.

And, from this, the importance of a revolutionary communist vanguard really basing itself on, consistently applying, and contributing to the further development of, this new synthesis should clearly stand out. There is an urgent need for this new synthesis to be taken up, broadly, in this society and in the world as a whole: everywhere people are questioning why things are the way they are, and whether a different world is possible; everywhere people are talking about “revolution” but have no real understanding of what revolution means, no scientific approach to analyzing and dealing with what they are up against and what needs to be done; everywhere people are rising up in rebellion but are hemmed in, let down and left to the mercy of murderous oppressors, or misled onto paths which only reinforce, often with barbaric brutality, the enslaving chains of tradition; everywhere people need a way out of their desperate conditions, but do not see the source of their suffering and the path forward out of the darkness.