Red Flag Newspaper
International Communist Workers Party
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Red Flag NewspaperInternational Communist Workers Party |
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As the year 2016 was coming to a close, these past few days at work, we had quite interesting discussions. We were making use of the idle time at our disposal because most of the workers had already gone for festive holidays.
One worker raised a point that he has observed over the years that employers keep wages at the very low so as to keep workers at work all the time. The other one retorted, if they were to give workers high wages or more pay, you would not see them the next day, they would still be enjoying their money. We all burst into laughter.
One worker mentioned that we are the ones who make or produce everything but we get nothing for it. This is what Marx called alienation. Workers produce but are alienated from what they produce. In a simple and relaxed manner, workers were dealing with the most exploitative, oppressive system in the world. A point was made that this system cannot be made to work for workers, it favours only the bosses. Another worker made a point that workers continue to run production while the bosses are away on holiday. These and all other interesting observations were made in a relaxed atmosphere.
We will continue to dissect this barbaric system whenever we have time available. I suggested that we must make time available some time in the new year to ponder deeper about all these observations and mobilize other workers for communism, a system without money and classes. One worker remarked that the ANC once promised “free education for all” but now it is making a mockery of the promise. Students are languishing in goals for fees must fall protests while some have paid with their lives. Interestingly ICWP, our party, has made available pamphlets dealing with all these issues.
--A South African Comrade
LOS ANGELES, USA, Jan. 11--Thousands of high school students all over the US walked out of school and took to the streets in protest when Donald Trump was elected. Now, with his inauguration, they promise to do the same. We invite these young people to join the ICWP in mobilizing the masses for communism.
These brave young people show that youth are not passive, but active against everything that Trump represents: racism, sexism and xenophobia among others. These young people are leading the way in the struggle against these capitalist ideas and practices.
Many of these young people are realizing that capitalism doesn’t work. So these protests and student strikes against Trump aren’t just against him, but against the whole capitalist system.
However, many of these young people don’t realize that it will take a communist revolution to overthrow capitalism and replace it with something better. For this revolution to happen we need more communists. Young people must join the ICWP, form study groups around Red Flag newspaper, as well as building Red Flag distribution networks. All these are parts of mobilizing the masses for communism.
We can create a communist world. In that world, everyone will be welcome. There will be no racist, sexist or nationalist divisions. Borders will not exist. We will eliminate every form of money and exchange. We will share the same standard of living. Everything that we need to have a full life will be organized, produced and distributed through collective processes on every level. In other words, we will all have a say in what happens.
The young rebels of today are the future workers in the bosses’ factories and the future soldiers in the capitalists’ armies. These two sectors, basic industry and the military, are key to the victory of a communist revolution. The lessons that these young people learn in the mobilization for communism today will be valuable in the future when they continue their struggle as workers and soldiers for the elimination of capitalism and the construction of communism.
We must all dedicate and commit our lives to making communism a reality. This is our present, this is our future.
South Africa, 2012: Police, acting on orders from the African National Congress (ANC) government, shot and killed 41 striking miners. This terror did not stop the masses of workers from striking and marching against the capitalist ANC. It hasn’t stopped workers, soldiers and sailors from joining the International Communist Workers’ Party (ICWP) to organize for a communist revolution.
El Salvador, 1980-1992: Under brutal capitalist terror, rural and industrial workers, teachers and students organized and fought a 12- year war against the US-backed dictatorship. They were never defeated in the battle field. Their leaders betrayed them signing a peace accord. Today, many of those who fought, and others, are building ICWP to organize armed insurrection, this time for communism.
Los Angeles, USA, 1976-1985: The hated “Migra” regularly raided factories, arresting and deporting hundreds of undocumented workers. Workers then responded to the need to violently oppose these terror tactics. They will respond again.
Our Responsibility is to Mobilize the Masses to Smash Fascism with Communist Revolution
Worldwide, millions of workers are under the brutal heel of rising fascism. Our new communist international movement will put an end to fascism forever— by mobilizing the masses of workers, soldiers and youth for communism.
From India to South Africa to El Salvador to Mexico to the US and beyond, ICWP comrades participate in anti-fascist class struggles organizing for communism, and spreading our ideas with Red Flag.
This is starting to change the mood of the laboring masses. It’s channeling their anger into revolutionary enthusiasm and consciousness of our class’ power to change the world.
Masses of workers will learn through communist class struggle that communism can end capitalist wage slavery, the material basis of racism, an indispensable ingredient of fascism.
With a clear vision of communism, the masses will fight for a communist society where everyone will have useful, satisfying, collective work.
Anti-Trump Protesters Must Fight Fascism with Communism
“We have to put a stop to this racism. We need a different system,” said a US transit worker. This worker speaks for many who are disgusted with Trump and racist capitalism.
Growing numbers of workers, youth and others are preparing to fight fascism in the streets. They hate racism, sexism and xenophobia.
Unfortunately, many of them don’t yet have confidence in the power of the working class to transform society. They don’t yet grasp the vision of a communist world with the potential for permanently and completely defeating racism, sexism and exploitation; a world where everyone will contribute according to commitment and ability and receive according to need. So they turn again to creating “broad alliances” aimed at putting “lesser evil” politicians in power. In the US, this means the likes of Obama, Hillary and Sanders.
But Obama deported more people than any previous US president. Clinton planned a military draft disguised as “national service.” Sanders preached the dead end street of socialism.
We must show them that the problem is not just Trump, Modi, or the ANC. Its capitalism, which history has shown can only be destroyed with communism.
Fascism is capitalist rule without its mask of democracy. It’s the politics of weakening capitalism in an acute crisis of overproduction, which will inevitably lead to world war. The capitalists must move to fascism – using rabid racism and patriotism, sexism and religion – to terrorize us into slaving for them and fighting in their wars for empire and profits.
Communism will tear down all the borders, nations and walls that class society has created to divide us. The international working class belongs to only one race: the human race. Communism unites us to fight the only war worth fighting: the communist revolution that will enable us to build the world we want and need.
Mobilize for Communism in the Factories and Barracks
Industrial workers in the factories and fields know their lives and safety depend on each other. They can lead masses to destroy capitalism with communist revolution. They can lead in building a communist society.
Communists working in factories (and other large workplaces like transit and hospitals) must build ICWP clubs and Red Flag readers’ groups. They must forge ties of trust and confidence based on friendship and political struggle. Increasing numbers must spread communist ideas and lead communist class struggle.
Others, including students, must take Red Flag to industrial workers and soldiers. Even better, they should seek jobs in industry and also join the military to help organize these crucial sectors.
Many soldiers and sailors can and must be won to fight for communism. Most are sons and daughters of the working class. Their class interests lie with workers, not with the capitalists who force them to risk their lives and kill for the capitalists’ / imperialists’ empires and profits.
Liberals spread “doom and gloom” but communists know that the future is bright. Masses worldwide are in motion against racism, fascism and capitalism. We can be confident that many will understand why communism is the only way to meet the needs of workers, soldiers and youth everywhere.
We must start conversations with everyone possible, including those who disagree with us. We must persevere patiently so we and they learn how to build a communist society.
Communism will end the domination of the many by the few for good. This will create the material basis for ending the ideas and practices that today’s rulers must use to divide us. Communism, not liberalism, is the answer to fascism. Join us!