Many Open to Revolutionary Communism here; Heroic Rebellions Are Not Enough here
Many Protesters Open to Revolutionary Communism
LOS ANGELES (USA), September 16— “This is Red Flag, a revolutionary communist newspaper. Care for one?”
“No, thank you. We are not communist,” answered the middle-aged Iranian woman.
The comrade then asked three men standing nearby. One took it.
Immediately, that first woman came over, saying, “What are you doing? That’s a communist paper, don’t take it!”
The man folded the paper nicely, put in his pocket, and said, “Thanks. I will read it.”
This demonstration marked the one-year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of the Iranian government’s morality police. It was organized by anti-communist pro-Shah forces. Some three to five thousand demonstrators attended.
Another comrade distributing Red Flag approached a dozen people who sat on a low wall listening to the speeches. She offered the paper to the first person.
“Communism? I don’t want it and none of these people here want it! Go away!” she shouted belligerently.
Undeterred, the comrade offered it to the next woman. She went down the line offering it to everyone. They were mainly women. They all took it, sincerely and openly thanking her, in defiance of the anti-communist.
A young man in a wheelchair put his hand over his heart. His mom explained, “He wants you to know that he admires what you are doing.”
We had many such moments as we passed out all our 135 papers and some 300 leaflets in about an hour and a half.
We had great conversations. Many agreed that “heroic rebellions” are not enough, that we need revolution. We discussed why it should be for communism and not for socialism.
We talked about the need for one international communist party and for a revolution worldwide, not only in one country. We explained that we fight to build ICWP everywhere, that we are small but growing in India, South Africa, El Salvador, the US, and Spain. “That’s very good,” many responded. This shows an internationalist outlook, not a nationalist one.
We talked to some about the growth of the Chinese and Russian-led BRICS alliance, and the sharpening fight between it and the US-led G7 block. That this is leading to World War III. We said that no capitalist-imperialist cares about us, the masses, anywhere. That we must destroy their system before they destroy us. People agreed, taking our literature.
After a year of courageous mass demonstrations there has been no change in the government. Activists among the Iranian masses seem to be realizing that rebellions, even when militant and massive, are not enough. And that revolution is needed for a permanent change. They are open to communism.
We tried to get their contact information but were unable to, except for one young man. We hope it will lead to a lasting revolutionary relationship.
Only Communist Revolution Can End Sexism
The rebellion began after the morality police arrested Amini for “not wearing the hijab properly.” She died in prison. Masses erupted in anger against the regime’s sexism, oppression, and exploitation.
Sexism isn’t “natural.” In pre-class societies, men and women shared work and responsibilities with mutual respect. Class society created sexism. Capitalists use it to divide our class to keep us from uniting for revolution. They use it to divide and control us, along with dividing us by “race” and nationality.
Capitalists make $billions in extra profits by paying women less. That brings all wages down. The capitalists’ decadent culture objectifies women, whether through pornography or by forcing women to hide their bodies and faces and depend completely on men.
Women often led the Iranian rebellions, united with men. Many are open to seeing that we need revolution, not reform, to get rid of capitalism’s sexism and its wage slavery.
Together we’ll build a society based on communist relations of sharing, love, and respect. Women and men worldwide will all participate fully in fighting for and building communism. We will contribute according to commitment and ability and receive according to need.
Only communism can end capitalism’s six hundred years of terror and murder. Let’s honor our sisters’ and brothers’ heroism by organizing to bury capitalism forever.
This is the leaflet that Comrades distributed at the demonstration:
Heroic Rebellions are not Enough: Only Communist Revolution Can End Capitalism’s 600-Year-Reign of Terror!
It’s been a year since the Morality police murdered Masha Amini in Iran. Massive defiant nationwide demonstrations turned cities into open battlefields. Thousands were arrested. Hundreds were killed. But the masses’ anger and hatred of the regime’s fascism continue.
Since 1979, the Ayatollahs have used jailings, torture and murder to smother the fighting spirit of the Iranian masses. It hasn’t worked. During the last 44 years several mass rebellions have shaken the capitalist Islamic rulers in their boots.
Mass terror is the last resort of all capitalist-imperialist rulers to stay in power. It makes them appear ruthlessly powerful and invincible. Reality shows them as the weakest ruling class in history. Their economic and military might – even their physical wellbeing – are completely dependent on us, their mortal class enemies.
If we refuse to work, their multitrillion dollar industries and cities would come to a standstill. If our working-class brothers and sisters in their armies turn their guns around and join industrial workers in a revolutionary uprising, the rulers would be history.
How, if so few and weak, can they rule over the biggest, most powerful, revolutionary class in history?
Because they are organized. We are not. They control the police and army to smash our rebellion. They also own the means of production. To survive, we must sell our labor power to them for a wage. This is wage slavery. Money (wages) is the chain that binds us to our modern slave masters.
Most important is their ideological control. Their education system, media, and culture keep us divided through sexism, racism, religious fundamentalism, Islamophobia, reformism, and anticommunism – among others.
Defeating anticommunism: life and death question for our class.
It is key to defeating capitalism’s poisonous ideologies. Communist ideology teaches us that money and production for profits is the root of racism, sexism, and all social evils.
Communism teaches us that we can’t reform capitalism to meet the masses’ needs. Whether an Islamic republic, or a secular capitalist nation like the US, the rulers exploit our labor to enrich themselves. They draft us in their armies to fight their wars for profits and empire.
We can organize ourselves to destroy this vicious murderous system and build a communist world without money, markets, borders, nations, or capitalism’s poisonous ideologies. A world where we will collectively produce and distribute the products of our labor to meet the needs of all. The guiding principle of our communist world will be from each according to their ability and commitment, to each according to their need. A classless world will have no need for jails or police.
Communist ideology: crucial to understanding the need of a communist party of a new type.
Without a revolutionary communist Party there cannot be a communist revolution. The old communist movement built small parties of professional revolutionaries. This restricted the number of workers that could be admitted into the parties. They therefore ended making revolutions – like in Russia and China – with small parties.
The masses were excluded. The International Communist Workers’ Party (ICWP) aims to build a worldwide mass party of millions of members and leaders. These masses of communist workers will run society without any privileges for anyone.
Mass rebellions – no matter how heroic – are not enough! We need revolution and one international ICWP.
Mass rebellions from Iran to Ecuador to France to India to Sri Lanca to Sudan, and beyond, have shaken the capitalist world. Yet not much has changed for us. Capitalism exploits, jails, tortures, and murders us daily.
Only communism can end capitalism’s 600 years of terror and murder. Let’s honor our brothers’ and sisters’ heroism by organizing to bury capitalism forever. The old communist movement failed because it fought for socialism. Socialism is state capitalism. It keeps money and production for sale and profits.
The communist rulers in Russia and China became rich imperialists, competing now with US imperialism for world supremacy. Iran and five other countries joining the BRICS just intensified this competition. The BRICS +6 now threatens the survival of the US controlled G7-G20. Thus, WWIII looms closer on the horizon.
But these are also revolutionary times: Our class’s mass heroic rebellions show this! It shows we can and must organize to turn the coming imperialist war into a war for communist workers’ power. Organizing a mass ICWP worldwide is key.
If you agree with communism, and are willing to help, join us! Organize an ICWP collective with your friends, family, or coworkers. Read, write for, and distribute Red Flag, our revolutionary communist newspaper!
Front page of this issue
