SEATTLE (USA)— “Which side are you on?”
A Boeing worker who distributes Red Flag asked his co-workers just that question after the fascist murders of Latinos/as in El Paso, TX. Too many workers did not answer. That was unacceptable to him.
Over the next two weeks, this led to heated discussions of what workers need to make a revolution: the only acceptable solution. The worker thought that masses must have “street sense” and “communist sense.”
He wondered whether the present-day generation would ever “get it.” He defined street sense as the willingness to fight and make sacrifices. Communist sense was not that clear to him.
First, we differentiated communist sense from trade union sense. This worker tried to get the Washington State Labor Council, considered one of the most progressive labor councils in the US, to discuss El Paso. They refused.
Second, we talked about how any communist movement must start with an international perspective.
An engineer tried to dismiss the El Paso attack. “What are you going to do about crazy?” he said.
It’s true that capitalism in crisis is creating an epidemic of mental illness. But very few mentally ill people are so racist, sexist and anti-social that they start shooting people. The “crazy man” theory is too often used to divert workers from appreciating the reach and danger of developing fascism.
The comrade explained to the engineer that open fascism becomes an attractive option for the world’s ruling classes when their crisis-ridden system is threatened. Not just the right-wing, but what is known as the liberal ruling class as well. Racist, sexist attacks on migrants become the norm.
The fascist “Replacement Theory” has spread around the world via the internet and the efforts of capitalist politicians. The results are seen from Christchurch, New Zealand to El Paso and many other places.
India’s Modi announced plans to take citizenship away from four million people, mostly Muslims, in the state of Assam. Less than a week later, Trump threatened to take away birthright citizenship. This was particularly directed at immigrants from Latin America and Africa. The Nazi Reich Citizenship Law of 1935, aimed at Jews, Communists and Socialists, did the same.
Communism will end the concept of citizenship altogether.
“We don’t need a birth certificate that tells where you were born,” added another friend.
“I know we have big differences when it comes to borders,” said a third. “But I’ve come to realize that nationalism led to some of the greatest tragedies of history.”
Another machinist wondered what the conversations were like in German factories in 1931. The implication was that they were having debates similar to those we are having now.
The engineer was writing in his day planner. “The Replacement what? By who?” he asked. “I’m going to look it up.” We concluded we had moved the needle a little to the left.
More of our friends and new comrades have said they will use this international approach with their friends and co-workers. Party members must engage in the sharpening struggle alongside our friends. It’s a gateway to communist solutions and recruitment.
We’ll have to forge the kinds of relationships that will last through thick and thin. We need rock-solid collectives. This will help recruit communist fighters to the party.
Every week comrades meet more potential communists at work, at multi-racial and international social events, at schools and in our daily lives. This brings us to a third lesson we learned these past two weeks: communist sense requires an unshakable confidence in our comrades, friends and the working class. This confidence in our class steels us for the prolonged and sharp battle to recruit the party members we need for communist revolution.