LOS ANGELES (USA) — “Welcome, friends, comrades, family. I’m glad to be here, with people who believe that a better world IS possible! That world is waiting for us to build it, by joining together, by studying the past, by looking into the future.”
That was how a newer comrade opened her talk to a recent ICWP dinner/forum about Trump, the USA elections, war, fascism and our communist response.
“Trump did NOT create the political situation that turned voters against both major parties,” she continued. “He was able to use the anger and fear from a shrinking middle class and from neglected blue-collar workers…. Trump was able to ride a wave of popular discontent all the way to the White House.”
The comrades and friends at the forum generated a long list of things that make us angry.
“Trump has shown himself to be a heartless fascist,” the speaker declared. She listed three major defining characteristics of fascism: aggressive nationalism, militarism and racism. We see all of these today.
She summarized recent Red Flag articles on sharpening inter-imperialist rivalry, especially between the US and China. She related it to the global capitalist crisis of overproduction and the potential for world war.
“But their crisis is our opportunity. Capitalism has created billions of enemies searching for a better world. That world is communism,” she emphasized. “A world without borders or nations, where everyone is welcome everywhere. A world without the wage system, where workers’ power eliminates the racist police, courts and jails.”
The speech ended with a call to build the ICWP, concentrating on recruitment in industrial concentrations and in the military. This led to a thoughtful discussion of what gives us hope and what more we can do.
One worker encouraged everyone to bring family members and friends to the next forum, noting that he had brought his wife and daughter to this one. They protested that they hadn’t been “brought” but had come because they wanted to be there. Both said they wanted to be more involved.
“I found the research/work for writing a talk to be exciting—learning of events in Africa/USA/China,” reflected the main speaker afterward. “I had a much clearer knowledge of ‘One Belt, One Road’ and the confrontation in the South China Sea. And it was stressful — meeting deadlines, rewrites and standing to address a roomful of people. After the talk itself, I was glad that I was able to be of service to the party’s aims.”
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