From the documentary "Respected Comrade Kim Jong Il is a Great Thinker and Theoretician"
Korean title: 경애하는 김정일동지는 위대한 사상리론가이시다
Year of production: 2000
Ideological and Theoretical Activities To Defend And Advance The
Socialist Cause
(Continued from last chapter...)
On the basis of the comprehensive analysis of the reasons for the frustration of socialism in some countries Kim Jong Il concluded that historical experience shows that when people steadily strengthen the motive force of the revolution, with a strong conviction in socialism and a correct guideline, hold fast to socialist principles in all circumstances and strengthen comradely unity and cooperation on the basis of independence, the socialist cause will advance along the road of victory; otherwise it will suffer setback and frustration. He added that this is a serious lesson mankind has learned on its path to socialism.
...
Kim Jong Il published a discourse titled, Abuses of Socialism Are
Intolerable on March 1, 1993 in Kulloja, the official magazine of the WPK
Central Committee.
He said:
“It is sophistry to call socialism ‘totalitarian,’ ‘barracks-like’ and
‘administrative and commanding.’ ”
He laid bare the impropriety of the sophistry of the enemies who call
socialism “totalitarian.”
Totalitarianism served as the political idea of fascist dictators. The fascist dictators like Hitler and Mussolini stamped out even the most elementary democratic freedom and rights of the masses of the working people and enforced unprecedentedly tyrannical policies, behind the misleading name of “national socialism,” claiming that for the sake of the whole nation and the whole state no working-class movement and no class struggle could be permitted. The reactionary nature of totalitarianism is that the interests of the working people are sacrificed for the sake of the rapacious interests of the reactionary ruling class under the pretence that the individual should be subordinated to the whole.
What is meant by the whole in totalitarianism is not the whole of the masses of the people but a tiny handful of the privileged circles. Calling socialism, under which the masses of the people are the masters of everything, “totalitarianism” is, ultimately, a preposterous lie which identifies the most progressive idea that reflects the demands of the masses of the people with the reactionary idea of fascist rulers.
Kim Jong Il laid bare the impropriety of the preposterous lie of the enemies who are calling socialism barracks-like. Socialism is the most progressive of ideas that reflects the intrinsic demands of people, and the socialist system is the most advanced of systems under which the masses of the people enjoy an independent and creative life to the full. The restraint of their independence and creativity occurs not under the socialist system but under the capitalist system in which the working class are the slaves of capital. Claiming that socialism is “barracks-like” is pernicious propaganda that attempts to turn black into white.
Kim Jong Il also clarified the impropriety of the sophistry of the enemies who claim that socialism is barracks-like. In general, the administrative and commanding method of management is an old method of rule that serves the demands of the privileged classes by invoking legal authority in an exploiter society. In socialist society the masses of the people, who have become the masters of the state and society, hold the position of masters and play the role of masters in the administration. The administrative and commanding method of management which was manifested in socialist practices in the past did not emanate from the essential nature of socialist society but was a legacy of the exploiter society. Therefore, accusing socialism of being “administrative and commanding” is also unreasonable.
Kim Jong Il also presented important principles to be maintained in defending and accomplishing the socialist cause. He said that if the socialist cause is to be defended and completed, the socialist idea should be developed and perfected constantly and the masses of the people should be equipped with it, so that they accept socialism as their unshakeable conviction.
He clarified that in order to defend socialism and add eternal brilliance to it, people should regard it as their moral duty to defend it. ...
The pernicious propaganda of dubbing socialism “totalitarian,” “barracks-like” and “administrative and commanding” is aimed at undermining socialist collectivism and eulogizing bourgeois individualism. So opposing individualism and applying the principle of collectivism to the letter in all fields of social life is crucial to defending and accomplishing the socialist cause.
...
History of Revolutionary Activities of Chairman Kim Jong Il (2015)