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Book Review:
Lord of the Flies = Ruling-Class Lies!
William Golding's Lord of the Flies argues that
man is naturally selfish and violent and we must
strictly control this impulse through rules and
fear of punishment to avoid chaos. We say capitalist
social relations favor violence and individualism,
while communist social relations
encourage selfless collectivity. What do you
think?
The book depicts the children of England's elite.
Their plane crash-landed on an island and while
being evacuated to the safety of other countries
during WWII, they must discover how to
survive long enough to get rescued. Ralph is
elected leader. He rules briefly, to ensure a "civilized"
conduct that mirrors their 1940's British
society. The violent Jack holds more influence
as time passes. He uses force and fear to "win"
leadership from Ralph.
Golding believes, as we do, that man struggles
with the contradiction between selfishness and
collectivity. We use Marxist dialectics to understand
this internal contradiction, so we can
solve it. However, Golding thinks our selfish
and violent nature is best controlled by external
means. One character warns against growing
crisis by asking, "What are we, ...humans ... or
savages?" He proposes stricter obedience to
the rules because they're "the only thing we
got [to keep us in line]!"
Golding describes how , without fear of punishment,
the boys now feel free to live more "naturally."
That is, they now ignore responsibility
and getting rescued and occupy themselves
with hunting and pleasure seeking. As communists,
our ability to "live naturally" comes once
we destroy capitalism and start producing directly
for society's needs. However, we must
start building communist social relations now,
as we mobilize the masses for communist victory.
The boys destroy the island as they hunt Ralph.
They're about to kill him, when they are rescued
by the British Navy. An officer thinks they
are pretending and reprimands them for abandoning
proper English conduct.
While we certainly have the capacity for selfishness
and violence, communist social relations
encourage a selfless and collective society.
Communists should view this struggle dialectically.
Where capitalist and communist social relations
contradict, we must ensure that
communist social relations win. We must discourage
selfishness and other anti-social behaviors
now – inside and outside our party – and
address them with comradely struggle.
Love for the International Working Class
El Salvador—It was a night that was both ordinary and special like every night, and maybe it wasn't. Yesterday I had the opportunity to present a book that I wrote, a history that belongs to everyone, even though sometimes we do not realize it, in the theater of this city. A history that goes some feet past some memories of love.
Among those present, some seats were occupied by our comrades from ICWP. I say ours because even though you, the reader, don't know them, we are all comrades. And our struggle unites us no matter where we are. And not only were they attendees, they helped me and collaborated to help make the presentation possible, from the beginning of this attempt of the writer that I'm trying to be. The story of the book is the story of the tireless love of man for woman. A man who is moved by feelings of love. And this feeling is what brings us and what has us here.
I can't conceive of a communist who is not guided by feelings of love and justice, solidarity. Participating in this fight is the most beautiful and humane argument that we can give to life.
Capitalism is what it is: a weapon of mass destruction for the masses. And we are what we are: this struggle that comes from the past for this worthy future today. As capitalism develops indifference toward life; we develop this love without borders like the sky, that we must reflect, like the sky is reflected in the sea. Capitalism with its individualist vision, egotistical and charitable; we with our communist vision of the masses, humane and supportive. Many times it means to abandon individual dreams, so that the dreams of all are possible. It's a beautiful sacrifice. If that isn't love, what is?
Soon we will fill the streets, the squares, the parks and the hearts of the world. As someone already said, "What good is the life of one person if humanity is at risk?"
Thanks to the comrades of ICWP for knowing and feeling that, although some have abandoned this real dream, this love and this struggle is more relevant than ever.
Until the victory!
--Young Red Poet
Friend, brother, comrade…
From here I greet you
With these lines that I hope embrace you
With the heat that these cold days demand
From this distance in land
And from this closeness of our struggles.
I want to greet you with this brief message
Wherever you are,
And for you to know
That I am here walking with you
Shoulder to shoulder,
All of us together.
We will be fighting from different roads and trenches,
But our goal is the same.
We have reproached those who abandoned struggles
They never should have left;
We have taken on this commitment
It is not easy,
Now more than ever it is not easy
And also, now more than ever our struggles are in force.
Neither you, nor we, are alone.
Justice, love and liberty are with us
We fight for those who fought and died
For this real and close dream.
We are a family,
From the past to the future
That we are building today.
We don't know each other,
But it is enough to know that we are communists
To know each other.
So long.
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