LOS ANGELES (USA) – “US policing grew out of slave patrols. Those only ended by abolishing slavery itself. Can policing today be abolished without ending racist wage slavery?”
A comrade asked this of a Black Lives Matter leader in a union meeting about “defunding” the college’s contract with the LA Sheriffs. The leader answered that this is a “critical moment” to win police reforms. Her group “believes in abolition” but promotes “defund” as a “winnable demand.”
Masses continue to march, rally, debate and organize against racist police murder. This in spite of the worsening Covid-19 pandemic, fascist attacks by federal forces, and constant pressure from the Democratic Party to drop everything for the November elections.
For liberals, this is the “moment” to take down the Republican Party. For some activists, it’s the “moment” to press for anti-racist reforms. We say it’s the “moment” to sharpen the political struggle between reformism and communist revolution.
This is a moment –a period – when open, principled advocacy for communism can help the ICWP to grow significantly in size and influence.
It can bring the international class closer, one step at a time, to ending wage slavery, in which racism is deeply rooted. Closer to building a web of comradely social relations based on commitment to working collectively and sharing according to need. To a communist society without money, exploitation, racism or police.
Not Just in the Streets!
The union committee meeting was one of many virtual events where the comrade and her co-workers have struggled to understand and fight racism. There are “inquiry groups,” book clubs, town-hall meetings and more.
Many urgently want to make whatever changes we can now. For example, reducing the “micro-aggressions” that inadvertently add up to a constant racist assault. Exposing and opposing classroom policies that can, without meaning to, make Black students and others feel unwanted.
For Party comrades, it’s part of becoming better communists. Meanwhile, we must seize every opportunity to remind folks that ending racism demands the destruction of capitalism.
Los Angeles (USA): Protestors demand abolition of Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department
We post links to Red Flag and other party literature in Zoom chats. We send Red Flag to new friends and invite them to virtual Party events. We become better friends to create a stronger basis for frank political struggle. In these difficult times, we look for new and better ways to advance communism.
“If not police, then what?” Many are thinking about “community-based alternatives” (reforms). It’s an opening to discuss how communist society will manage social problems without cops. Still, revolutionary communist society will need to deal firmly – sometimes violently – with racists and other class enemies.
Let’s Fight for What We Need
Red Flag explains why racist policing can’t be abolished without communist revolution. Some agree with us that capitalism must go, but still believe that fighting for reforms is how to get there. “Defund police” now, “abolish police” later, then “socialism” — and maybe communism in the distant future.
The 20th century international communist movement followed variations of this strategy. It underestimated the masses. It said they “weren’t ready” for a communist line. We would call this a politics of opportunism.
Seattle (USA): Protesting racist police murder
Some activists today believe in choosing “winnable” demands, no matter how limited. They celebrate every politician who jumps on board. The anti-communist Saul Alinsky developed this model to divert angry masses from revolution.
Others use “less controversial” demands like “defund police” to front for something more radical (“abolish police”). Do they believe that these more “advanced demands” are actually winnable?
An old socialist strategy is to propose a “maximum program” that purportedly meets the real needs of the masses, even though leaders know that those demands can’t be won in capitalism. That’s supposed to lead the masses to think about revolution. Never worked.
The ICWP has learned, from study and experience that socialism can’t develop into communism. We don’t make demands on the bosses, “winnable” or “unwinnable.” We demand of ourselves and the international working class: Prepare to take and exercise communist power.
Communism becomes possible when masses work for it consciously and intentionally. We have to learn, through this collective work, how to organize ourselves on the basis of commitment and sharing.
This is “mobilizing masses for communism.” It’s what we take to the anti-racist masses, in the streets, on the job, and in the communities. It’s what we hope you choose to join.
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