Red Flag Letters

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Open For Discussion--But Not For Racism

Building an international party to destroy capitalism and construct communism out of the rubble of capitalism has never been done before. This requires humility, patience and openness to struggle, to make mistakes and correct them in a comradely way.
The letter in Vol. 7 #2 criticizing the previous editorial unfortunately was written in an offensive way. It ends up making a racist complaint by mocking the weavers whose thumbs were chopped off as part of the British policy to eliminate any competition to the emerging textile mills in Britain (“poor” weavers).
The pages of Red Flag should never be used to promote such racist ideas to make criticism. Let us keep the letters to Red Flag as a platform for workers, students and soldiers to express their experience fighting capitalism and building the party as well as promoting comradely criticism and self-criticism to advance communist theory and practice.
--a comrade

The editorial committee accepts this criticism. We agree there is no place for racism in the pages of Red Flag. The comment was dismissive, mocking and therefore racist, although that probably was not what the writer intended. In this case we failed to go back and compare the editorial in Vol. 7 #1 with the letter criticizing it, and mistakenly thought that “poor weavers,” meaning impoverished weavers, was in the original. We need to be more careful.

Burning Calais: On January 22, refugees in the tent-filled refugee camp in Calais organized a sit down strike and started fires to protest the French government’s demolition of the camp. Witnesses say the police prevent people from putting out the fires. Thousands of refugees have gathered in Calais, France to cross to England. This camp with its squalid conditions, is a testimony to capitalism’s inability to meet the needs of refugees forced by the war in Syria and crushing poverty elsewhere to migrate for their survival. We need a communist world without borders which welcomes workers everywhere and builds housing for all.

We are a group of students at the University where a Dalit student committed suicide. We are reading Red Flag sent by ICWP. There is a big debate about the origins of caste system. It is very important for us to have a clear class view on the caste system as your article pointed out.
What we read in the Red Flag is very different. Many think that because the caste system has existed for thousands of years, it will stay here forever. What we liked about the article is that it destroys the myth that caste system cannot be crushed. The political parties are pushing this reactionary interpretation of history.
We are determined to build a solid chapter of ICWP in Hyderabad. More history articles on this topic will help us in the ideological struggle against our enemy. This will surely help a lot to build a Hyderabad Chapter of ICWP
—Students in Hyderabad, India

The literature of ICWP is very good. It’s not only the real identity of communism but it also teaches how we can live like real human beings. Nice articles and pamphlets! I am sharing that literature with my friends and classmates. Thank you.
—SP, student in India

I read the article about the caste system in India. In Pakistan also we have a similar caste system. Although Islam has no castes, it was introduced during the British colonialism divide-and-conquer policy. They applied the Hindu caste system to Islam so workers fight among each other. As the article pointed out, the caste system implemented by the British was the result of capitalism. The rulers in India and Pakistan use this same system to attack the working class. Because this was created by capitalism, we must finish capitalism with communism by uniting workers of the world.
—SA, worker in Pakistan

The Red Flag is the most revolutionary communist paper in the world. Please keep sending us your literature. I started reading the articles about India. They are very good and attack the real enemy. We have many fake parties here that are based on the caste system. ICWP has the correct line.
—JC, student in Chennai, India

Thanks for sending me the link to your newspaper. There is so much new information about how in India the caste system is only a matter of capitalism. That’s true. I would like to add some points. Ambedkar (a popular Indian reformist) also said that we have to fight Brahmanism and capitalism. But Ambedkar believed caste is more important than class. This is false. The article makes it clear: we have to fight for communism based on the unity of workers of the world.
—AJ, a worker from Mumbai, India

ICWP Fighting Directly for Communist Revolution

Comrades, it is a great pleasure to meet and join the ICWP since the 2015 conference in South Africa. During the conference I acknowledged that I have been robbed by the Government of the capitalists who led me to believe that capitalism is the right system for the working class whilst our brothers and sisters are suffering day after day because of the poverty that has been caused by the capitalist government. Under capitalism the rich get richer and the poor are getting poorer.
It was a great honour to notice that the ICWP is the multi-racial international party fighting directly for communist revolution. ICWP is not like the fake communists of the Communist Party of South Africa who are busy wearing the cap of the capitalists.

—Comrade in South Africa

MTA Security: Question of Money

It is standard for any one in power to hide the real facts behind the word “safety,” mostly to justify abuse or killings. In [MTA operator] Singh’s case, we can easily see the systemic association that led to his assault.
Can you see how the media, businesses, politicians’ profit and self-centered interests encourage public hysteria? We are born without distinction of races or religions but leaders poison our minds into liking or disliking one another.
Singh’s assault is a clear case of identity racial hatred. It is obvious that his looks (a beard and traditional Sikh turban) triggered a negative aggressive reaction landing him under medical care. Hopefully his body may eventually heal but his mind will be affected for life. He was known to be a community pillar. Public bus drivers have become a punching bag of our society’s systemic frustrations.
The US is considered throughout the world to be better off than the average nation. But how can we explain that in third-world countries “fare cheats” are not a problem? MTA claims that 34% of the incidents out on the road are fare disputes, between driver and passenger, due to negative attitude mostly instigated by bus operators. MTA would have been delighted to label Singh’s case a fare dispute and blame him for it.
MTA puts bus drivers into these unmanageable challenges and then finds a way to blame the drivers.
We can easily see the care and dedication given to the train operations, from nice facilities to fare-check security mostly intended to deter the homeless from using the trains as a source of protection from the elements and a safe place to rest.
MTA pays professional speakers to tell the public how they care for the drivers, but we know best. MTA can talk about safety and concern for the bus drivers but the facts are clear that MTA forces bus drivers into challenges requiring certain outcomes. If there is to be a potential liability toward the company, it is standard for the driver to be blamed. This sets up an inappropriate mind set, hindering the problem- solving capabilities of bus drivers.
A passenger called for assistance for Singh. Do buses have adequate safety communication?

—An MTA operator

We’ll Live IN Communism, not UNDER Communism

The history of the world tells me we will never live under communism.We humans started out organized in small egalitarian groups.
Then, splintered into classes, we passed through various stages. We lived under Ancient Civilizations, under feudalism, under capitalism even some of us under socialism.The whole purpose of our movement is to smash class rule and live in a communist society.

—A communard

FIGHT FOR COMMUNISM!

International Communist Workers Party

Letters to Red Flag

	FIGHT FOR COMMUNISM!
	International Communist Workers Party


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