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Baltimore Uprising Shows Revolutionary Potential of Black Youth and Workers to Mobilize Masses for Communism

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The science of the working class–dialectical materialism–teaches that the contradiction between the working class and the capitalist class must be resolved violently by communist revolution. Rebellions are opportunities to lead the masses in that direction.
Rebellion - that’s what it is in Baltimore. The uprising of black workers and youth protesting the racist police murder of Freddie Gray has raised the question of violence. It shows that violence is a class question. It has different meanings for the capitalist class and for the working class.
Working class violence against the capitalists’ state apparatus –as in Ferguson and now in Baltimore –paints a vivid picture of the revolutionary violence needed to destroy inhumane capitalism and build a communist world where workers’ lives will be valued and treasured.
Overthrowing capitalism will require violence on a large scale – a Red Army that will wipe out the bosses. The Bolsheviks were a small party when they took power in Russia in 1917. They quickly realized they needed a real army to defend the revolution and started one from scratch on February 23, 1918 (Red Army Day). By the end of the Civil War in 1922, it had grown to 5 million strong – the largest army on earth at the time. The Chinese communists also built a 3 million-strong Red Army, and a militia of 20 million, to overthrow the capitalists.
Understanding the revolutionary potential of mass violence, the US bosses’ media, politicians, and community and religious “leaders” condemn the “senseless violence in Baltimore.” Obama called the perpetrators “thugs and criminals.” This from the representatives of capitalists-imperialists, the biggest criminals, thugs, and mass murderers in history!

Wage Slavery: Capitalism’s biggest weapon of mass destruction. The capitalists won’t give us a job if we can’t produce profits for them. NO job, NO money, NO money, NO food. As a result 9 million people – mainly children under five – die yearly of starvation worldwide. NO money, NO medicine. 18 million people die yearly from diseases preventable and curable for a dollar per person.
When the angry masses in the streets loot and burn down pharmacies, supermarkets and stores, they are attacking these capitalist instruments of exploitation and mass murder. They are pointing the way and the need to destroy them and the whole capitalist system and build a communist YES society without money or wage slavery.
If capitalism is the system of NO, communism is the system of YES. Will everyone’s needs for food, clothing and shelter be taken care of? YES. Will everyone have healthcare? YES. Will people live in integrated housing and work in integrated vocations? YES. Will everyone work? YES. Will we be free of drugs and gangs? YES. Will killer cops and hanging judges be gone for good? YES.

Let’s compare the destructiveness of the Baltimore masses- 15 structure fires; 144 vehicles destroyed; and more than 20 police officers injured with that of the capitalist-imperialist rulers waging their wars for profits and empire. They reduce whole cities to rubble, destroy countries, kill or displace tens of millions. They, however, blame this savagery on us, claiming it is all because of human greed. But, the cause is their greed and their system’s need for maximum profits.

The racist rulers have long targeted black youth.  In the 70s they flooded black neighborhoods with crack cocaine to mass incarcerate a whole generation of black youth. This was as punishment for leading the anti-racist urban uprisings in the 60s and 70s, and the rebellions in the Army and Navy during the Vietnam War.


May Day in Seattle

Black youth led the rebellion in Ferguson and now in Baltimore. The bosses’ ploy to keep the youth drugged and their campaign to subdue them with mass racist police terror and murder are not working. Black youth are once again rising to occupy their place in the revolutionary process. They will inspire others to do the same.
Their actions show: 1) Rebellions train the masses for the class war they must wage against capitalism, and creates the conditions to win them massively to communism. 2) When mass rebellions erupt, the police are useless. The bosses must then rely on the military to protect them. The soldiers, however, are our class brothers and sisters. History shows they can and must be won to fight alongside us. This shows the need to do communist organizing inside the military.

Let’s welcome our rebellious youth and give them political guidance. They should join ICWP and as communists become industrial workers and soldiers: the key sectors for a successful communist revolution. ICWP members and friends in Los Angeles MTA, Boeing, in industry in South Africa, and El Salvador should organize industrial political strikes against all racist police murders, in support of these rebellious youth, and for communism. This would have a galvanizing effect on these rebels and others, nationally and internationally. Let’s spread Red Flag and build ICWP to mobilize the rebellious masses for communism. Join us!\

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