Puerto Rico Teachers Protests here ♦ Education is more than Schooling here ♦ Joy of Communism here ♦
Puerto Rico: Mass Teachers’ Protests
PUERTO RICO, February 16— Thousands of teachers have led other government workers for weeks in island-wide strikes and protests. They are rejecting pension cuts and demanding pay raises to partly offset runaway inflation. A US federal judge provoked them by approving an imperialist debt restructuring plan. This guarantees loan repayments to banks and bondholders and promises growing profits for industrial capitalists – all at the expense of the working class.
A general strike is planned for February 18. Many strikers have little hope that any meager concessions from the governor—even if approved by the imperialist oversight board—would make a difference in the long run.
The long-run solution is not more militant trade-unionism, statehood, or independence. Everywhere in the world, it’s armed revolution for a communist society without money or nations. In communism, the masses will make all decisions based on providing for the needs of all. We’ll contribute our work as we’re able, and study and teach, throughout our lives.
Education is More than Schooling
OAKLAND (USA), February 15—Education is more than schooling. Students, parents, and teachers here have been getting some powerful lessons. First we saw strikes, led by students and supported by teachers and parents, for Covid-safe schools. Now we are amidst a massive movement opposing the bosses’ sudden attempt to close eight schools this year (now just one, the others are reprieved until next year). These schools all serve working class families.
And exactly what are we collectively learning? That a huge section of our community cares deeply about students. And that, acting in unity, our power is impressive. Now we are also learning that other sectors, like the Longshore workers (Oakland is a port city) are fighting a similar battle against privatization and so also support our battle.
It’s a powerful lesson and allows us communist teachers to offer the question:
If Longshoremen know they can run the docks better than profit-grabbing Port Commissioners, and teachers, parents and students realize they can run education better than the stooges for real estate interests on the School Board, what is stopping us?
Workers united across all lines the bosses use to divide us – “race” and “nationality,” gender and the kind of work we do – can run this world. That is what the fight for communism is about. Join us!
Read our pamphlet: Communist Education for a Classless Society
Bihar, India, February 2022: “I was a teacher. Now I am with the protesters learning from them.”
The Joy of Communism
Healthcare was a big issue even before Coronavirus. The real question is: why are so many people so sick? The answer is that capitalism makes workers sick in so many ways. Under communism people will be much less sick, less often.
Life under capitalism is extremely stressful for workers. Never enough money to pay the rent or mortgage, to buy food or gas or clothes. Worrying about losing a job or getting sick. Bosses driving them crazy, kids getting into trouble. For many, racist/sexist attacks.
Stress aggravates most illnesses, from diabetes to depression. Under communism, the abolition of money and unemployment, sexism, racism, and xenophobia, will mean a life of joy rather than stress.
Reducing stress will practically eliminate the harmful addictions that workers contract. No more (street) drugs, smoking, alcoholism, or eating disorders.
Work will become joyful because we will be working together to satisfy peoples’ needs. No economic competition and therefore no speedup or short staffing. Workers will do different activities in a day. No wearing out body parts doing repetitive motions.
Learning will be joyful and mixed with work. Students will learn by doing, not sitting silently cooped up in classrooms.
Replacing stress by joy will make a huge difference in health.
People won’t be lonely. You can choose to be alone, but most activities will be communal. Loneliness is a health risk factor – as harmful as smoking or obesity.
Good food is vital to health. But for capitalism, what’s vital is cheap food, so bosses can pay low wages. Cheap processed foods and junk foods are slow poisons. Communism will guarantee we eat well. Nutrition-based diseases like diabetes will practically disappear.
Under communism, we’ll breathe healthier air. We’ll eliminate all the poisons that choke us daily, like fine particle pollution. How? Mainly by using vastly less fossil fuel and fewer private automobiles, this pollution’s main source. Instead: clean, safe, public transportation – buses and trains– eliminating most traffic accidents, which currently kill or injure ten million people annually.
People will walk more, or ride bicycles, or run. Engage in physical activity, including participatory sports. An estimated 25% of US adults are not active enough to preserve their health.
Good housing, including sewage and clean drinking water, is also vital. Capitalism figures that good housing does not make workers more productive – they can live in squalor and still produce big profits.
Life under communism, once capitalism is finally gone, will above all be peaceful. No more nations, no more bloody wars. Without private property, no more crime. People will have their disagreements, but normally no one will raise a hand against a fellow worker.
Communism will have great medicine, healthcare workers, and hospitals for those who need them. Basic medical knowledge will be widespread, not confined to experts. Media will not spread disinformation about vaccination, diet, etc. If pandemics or new diseases emerge, we’ll mobilize the masses to snuff them out.
But thanks to the communist lifestyle, workers won’t experience illness on the scale they do under capitalism.
—Comrade in Canada
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