In the factories, the mines, the barracks, the farms, the schools, the streets
SEATTLE, USA, June 24— A world without borders is a popular idea. The struggle against anti-immigrant fascism—sparked by the forced separation of children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border—has made it even more popular. But many think it’s only a nice dream. The ICWP has a plan to make it a reality. A communist world will smash all borders.
After a week of struggle with his fellow workers at a Boeing plant, a Red Flag distributer and organizer came up with what he thought was a solution.
“You take all these owners and throw their asses in jail. Then all this bulls—t of pitting native-born workers against immigrant workers—or any group of workers against another group of workers—will end.” It’s a start!
At least a half-dozen Red Flag readers and distributers—native-born and immigrant, black, white and Asian—were impelled to start struggles among their factory crews around the racist persecution at the border. Discussions went on all over the plant. We turned this into a mass debate on communism. For days these organizers came to comrades for more “ammunition” to advance the struggle.
Non-party people started to discuss communism with their friends. It is precisely at times like this past week that our base is most willing to give communism a chance. Not every battle in every area followed the same path, but the discussion and debate of communist ideas gave strength to us all.
Everyone agreed ending borders is an impossible dream under capitalism. A pissed-off shop steward said, “It [the atrocities visited upon immigrants] goes on and on, Democrat or Republican. It just gets worse!”
Nations and patriotism were invented by the capitalists to guarantee their power and profits. Fascist attacks on immigrants are the normal way this system functions. Capitalism must pit not only company against company and nation against nation, but also worker against worker.
How Communism Will Smash All Borders
In communism, there will be no jobs to compete over. Capitalists give us jobs only if they can exploit us. If he can exploit someone from a different group or nationality at lower wages, he will give that job to that person.
Communism will have no wages or jobs. Everyone will get what they need. We’ll struggle with everyone to contribute their work according to their abilities and commitment. We can welcome helping hands without fear of losing our livelihood.
In a communist world it won’t matter where you work. We are all going to work for the common good, not compete against each other for market share. In fact, there will be no markets.
If workers must flee the oppression of the capitalist system somewhere, we’ll welcome them with open arms. We won’t have to turn military bases into gigantic detention centers. New immigrants and refugees will be quickly integrated by the masses into the life and work of our communist society. They will get the rest and training they need to expand the revolution worldwide.
As we get rid of nations, classifying workers as immigrants will end. Communism welcomes every worker everywhere!
The Communist Road Forward
Our collective communist at-work discussions amid plant-wide debates strengthened our work beyond our forces in the plants. These workers have families, friends and activities outside the factory as well.
We’ve begun to see echoes of our communist plan among the many people these factory workers interact with. One organizer volunteers at a local high school with many students who are immigrants of who have immigrant parents.
“The bosses need us!” one of these students told another comrade. “But we don’t need them!” When we get rid of them and their capitalist system with communist revolution we will be able to eliminate borders and nations for good.
Building one International Communist Workers’ Party without borders today is the key to winning and building a world without borders tomorrow. A lasting victory of this week’s struggle will be the decision of more workers and students to become Party members.
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