The racist murder of Charleena Lyles, the acquittal of the cop who shot Philando Castile, and so many others, have made us cry out, “When will it stop? How can we stop it?”
When will it stop? Never, under capitalism.
How can we stop it? With communist revolution.
It won’t stop under capitalism because capitalism requires racism and racism requires police terror. Racism is profitable. Black and Latin workers are paid less, providing $$billions in profits for the bosses. We call that racist super-exploitation. And racism divides the working class, making us weak.
But as one of the founders of communism, Karl Marx, famously said, capitalism creates its own grave diggers. And we certainly have
seen the anger and willingness to fight back in the last few weeks. Demonstrations and marches have been multiracial, and led by the most oppressed workers and youth. This shows us the tremendous potential to make revolutionary change.
But workers will never rid themselves of racist police terror without a communist revolution. Racist police murder has been around as long as we’ve had capitalism. It intensifies when the bosses’ system is in crisis. Trying to reform capitalism will not work.
Only communism can end racism (and with it racist police terror) – first by abolishing money, private property, and the wage system. Everyone will work collectively to supply everyone’s needs on an equal basis. Resources (raw materials, labor) will be allocated based on workers’ needs, not profit. Without wages, there will be no such thing as cheap labor. No exploitation, and therefore no racist super-exploitation. No ruling class, no borders, no wars – and no racist cops.
Racism and sexism won’t disappear right away. But without the bosses pitting one worker against another and sabotaging our efforts, we can win.
The struggle against racism will escalate as we fight to build communism. We will launch mass campaigns to beat back racism, sexism and xenophobia. Millions of workers, soldiers and youth will mobilize against class enemies who use racism to undermine the power of the working class.
The bosses need police terror to keep us in line. When communist revolution chases the bosses and their cops away, there will be no more police terror. Indeed, there will be no police force at all. There will be no super-exploitation to enforce, and there will be no private property to protect.
In communism, the ICWP will organize security teams of workers that will be ready to act on their own in an emergency, but normally will act as leaders to organize a mass response to threats. Their job will be to mobilize the masses, not to terrorize them.
The working class will learn how to deal with anyone who actively tries to bring back capitalist horrors like racism. First, we will try persuasion and struggle. If
necessary, we will mobilize masses to stop any organized attempt to promote racism.
Communists have a realistic and definite plan to end police terror and racism in general. But to carry it out we need you and millions of others. Mourn Charleena, but then join the ICWP and help us end racist cop terrorism for good.
Now available, a pamphlet by the International Communist Workers Party:
“To End Racism: Mobilize the Masses for Communism” (here)
Contact: icwp@anonymousspeech.com
Posted online 6/28/2017
