The Egyptian masses are in motion. They–like many others from South Africa to Greece to Brazil – are proving that the masses are the architects of history. This is the history of class struggle. Although it is written with their blood, it is not necessarily consciously molded by them nor is the outcome representative of their class interests.
For thousands of years, the different ruling classes that emerged, when pre-class communism was divided into exploiters and exploited, have steered historical developments to serve their class interests. Their culture upheld their heroes as the makers of history and ridiculed the masses as ignorant, despicable and insignificant beings. But the class struggle produced capitalism and capitalism created its grave-diggers: the working class. It also set the scientific basis for the development of the science of the working class: Dialectical and historical materialism. This science not only proves that we, the masses, are the makers of history but, most important, it teaches us how to take history into our hands to fight for our class interests.
It shows irrefutably that our class interests can only be satisfied with communism. This requires an armed insurrection and a massive communist party that mobilizes the masses for communism. That is what the Egyptian masses, and the millions worldwide in motion against capitalism, desperately need.

Capitalist rulers can survive anything except communism
Without this communist leadership and the goal of communism, the masses can upset the bosses' plans and intensify the class struggle, but not fight them for state power. So far, upsetting the bosses' plans is all the masses in motion in Egypt have managed to accomplish.
The aroused masses, however, even without their revolutionary communist leadership, instill tremendous fear in the rulers. The chaos engulfing Egypt is a direct result of a desperate ruling class, fearful of the masses, trying to pacify or shoot them into submission.
This has sharpened the contradiction between the Egyptian rulers and threatens to engulf Egypt in a civil war – which will further intensify the class struggle there.
The question of how best to deal with the masses has also sharpened contradictions between the rulers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and US imperialists. These local rulers are prioritizing their own interests over that of US and European imperialists. This exposes a weakened Western imperialism less and less able to control events in the strategic Middle East. But, a slap in the face to these rulers by some of their "staunchest" allies is a far cry from a communist revolution and in no way benefits Arab workers or workers anywhere.
Neither will it aid our class if the China-Russia- Iran axis becomes dominant in the region. It will, however, sharpen the contradiction that is deepening capitalism's worldwide crisis of overproduction and propelling all these butchers to wider wars and to an eventual but inevitable world war.

These two developments limit the concessions the rulers can make to appease the masses
To appease the masses the Egyptian bosses must appease the Egyptian industrial working class. These workers played an important role in organizing massive strikes that influenced the events that spelled Mubarak's demise. They have continued to strike during Morsi's rule and now under Sisi - the new military dictator. As one analyst puts it, "Class conflict is also deepening as austerity programs being discussed by Sisi's puppet government threaten to cut subsidies of food and other vital essentials. The labor movement has responded by demanding increased salaries and benefits. Strikes have increased apace, many being crushed by military force." (www.atimes.com)
Class War for Communism must be our goal Neither jailing, beatings or outright massacres have ever stopped the working class. Egyptian textile and transportation workers are proving this once more (see box). However, their struggle needs to be for communism.
That means winning masses of soldiers to turn the guns around and fight for communism. The opportunity for doing this already exits, but will increase tremendously as the Egyptian bosses use the army massively against striking workers or to fight a civil war.
The 500,000 active duty soldiers and one million reservists are dirt-poor urban and rural workers. They suffer brutal treatment by the officers. Over half are draftees making $17 to $28 a month. Many are forced to slave in the generals' factories. Their interests are opposite from these exploiters. They can and must be won to fight for communism.
Now more than ever building a massive international ICWP is a question of life and death for the international working class. We call on workers, soldiers, students and youth everywhere to join us in this crucial task.

Striking industrial workers have been in the forefront in the struggle against the Mubarack, Morsi and now Sisi governments. This shows their potential key role in mobilizing the masses for communism.
Workers' protests are on the rise, with a new strike wave across the Egyptian textile industry challenging the military government, in power less than a month. They are battling the same anti-worker policies which they massively organized against last year. Textile workers in the Nile Delta struck on July 31 in protest at delays in paying their wages, and the failure to pay three months of their annual profit-sharing bonus. Other factories have followed their lead.
The new Minister of Labor was the president of the Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions. Despite his promises of far-reaching social reforms, textile workers have found their pay cut or delayed just as they did before Morsi's overthrow. Two thousand one hundred Suez Steel workers took over the factory demanding higher wages and the release of their arrested leaders. The armed forces surrounded the factory to force them to leave. The workers have been on strike for three weeks.
Transit workers are also on the move. Last April, 73,000 railway workers struck over pay and benefits, their biggest strike in 30 years. The government threatened that the army would take over the railroads.
One driver responded, "Neither the army nor the police are capable of driving or operating these trains…we even operate the army trains." So government officials tried to get Cairo Metro workers to drive railway trains, but they also threatened to strike. Then the military leadership attempted to conscript rail workers, ordering them to work "in a military capacity for the armed forces" and threatening those who refused with a six-month jail sentence. In answer, Metro workers threatened to strike in solidarity with railway workers. The army retreated, cancelled the attempted conscription and said they would implement the strikers' demands.
When these garment, steel, and transit workers decide that only communism can meet their needs and mobilize the masses to fight for it, no power on earth can stop them.