What Does it Mean to Be a Communist? here ♦ Revolutionary Greetings here ♦ Long Live Communist Youth here ♦
May Day El Salvador, 2024
What Does it Mean to Be a Communist?
EL SALVADOR, May 12— “Red Flag united us, opened our minds and made us understand areas where the same capitalist system in which we have grown up has kept us blinded. Our discussions have led to political growth and motivated us to participate in more meetings and, for the first time, to attend the May Day march,” commented E.
“Thank you for inviting us to the march. I was filled with joy and excitement to share with many factory workers, students, and healthcare workers chanting the slogans and collaborating in handing out Red Flag newspapers. Fighting for liberation from wage slavery. This made me understand what it means to be a communist,” said J. “I had misunderstood the reason to be a communist.”
“I had also misunderstood why to be a communist and how to get to communism. I always believed that to get to communism we had to go through socialism first. Now I see that would lead us to nothing,” mentioned D.
“Socialism is a mistake that has occurred over the years. That now allows us to have a starting point to not make these same mistakes. The solution for system change is to fight directly for communism, which is our main objective,” explained A.
“I am a communist and I fight for communism, because human labor is the pillar of human society and the basis of its development,” A concluded. “I fight for future generations to live in a free society under the power of the workers. And I know that only communism will liberate the masses all over the world organized in the International Communist Workers’ Party that we are building today.”
Among all of us we discussed the importance of the unity of the collective in all the cells of our party, ICWP. It was a very important point that was reflected in the May Day March. It led us to discuss what it means to be a communist.
These discussions lead us to great results in the political struggle to strengthen and be consistent in building communist relationships among friends and co-workers. Our main goal is building more communist collectives to mobilize the masses in our revolutionary struggle.
Being a communist is hard and very rewarding political work, of struggle, of constantly building, with discipline, a collective working-class base among workers, family, friends, and neighbors. It means fighting hard to recruit more comrades to fight directly for communism. In other words, strengthening communist relations with many people, whether they are youth, industrial workers, farm workers, neighbors, or soldiers.
What Should We Do as Communists to Develop New ICWP Members?
Be consistent and patient in the political struggle, making and meeting contacts, distributing our Red Flag newspaper, distributing leaflets, writing articles, being present and active in the struggle.
We must analyze how to reach and organize the masses for the growth of more communist collectives around the world. Learn to sharpen and resolve the internal contradictions that prevent us and others from moving forward.
To be active and improve the consciousness of our oppressed class. Learn from others, including people who are not yet communists.
To collectively help each other resolve the dialectical contradictions that hold us or our friends back, so that we can recruit and consolidate more comrades. So that we become aware of communist ideology and how to be communist. This is work that we must put into practice as members of our Party.
Being a communist means commitment and solidarity every day. It is to be in a position of struggle prepared and involved with the masses, analyzing the contradictions in every situation to be faced to achieve our Communist Revolution.
A communist world is the main objective of ICWP. Today is the ideal time for our struggle. We, the oppressed masses, have built and can build the Party and be victorious. The masses have always made history. We will do so again.
The communist revolution needs you! Join ICWP today! Long live communism!
Revolutionary Greetings from El Salvador
First, I am a member of the International Communist Workers Party. I am a healthcare worker. I have never been a sympathizer of right-wing parties. Ever since I can remember, I have had left-wing ideas— now specifically for Communism.
I have read Red Flag for a long time, and now I meet with the collective of the city where I live. Although we are few right now, we are going to work to get more members to fight for Communism.
I also want to tell you that I have been participating in the May Day march with ICWP for several years. This year it was very impressive how we were able to capture the attention of the people watching from the sidewalks. So was the sympathy of members of the different participating unions towards our ICWP contingent.
The response of the people who received Red Flag newspaper was also very gratifying. Several did not expect to be offered it. Instead, they approached us and asked, “Please give me one.” They were glad to receive it.
We were very well observed in a positive way that provoked a lot of satisfaction and enthusiasm to move forward. However, we had some weaknesses, such as the lack of sound to make the slogans heard a little more. I think that for next year we could have a mobile sound system, and more posters with the different messages to the population about the communist struggle. Perhaps we could involve other comrades or delegate the work to other members to continue with and expand on the success of this May Day 2024.
Comradely hugs and a push for us to go forward in the struggle towards the victory of communism.
—Comrade Healthcare worker in El Salvador
“Long Live the Communist Youth”
I have been participating in the May Day march for five years. I began participating when I was a student. My parents are workers and have been members of the International Communist Workers’ Party for several years.
They inspire me a lot. This year I marched as a worker. I am learning about all the exploitation to which we are subjected. Before, I only heard about it in the meetings my father had with the other comrades in the factory.
I work in another area, but the conditions of exploitation are the same or worse. They make us work many hours more than the established hours, without pay.
This May Day, it was my turn to work the shift, but I didn’t go. I decided instead to march with my class brothers and sisters.
I was very inspired by the party’s participation this year. There was a lot of enthusiasm among the comrades.
We young people have the duty to fight to change this oppressive and exploitative system.
During the march, I heard several chants calling for organizing more workers for the communist struggle. And some about the genocide in Gaza to which, as young people, we cannot be indifferent.
I am already part of wage slavery, but I am also part of the International Communist Workers’ Party, which gives me the strength to fight for a change, for the Communist system.
We reached the end point of the march. I found it incredible to be able to participate once again. I hope to have the strength to be able to be in the next marches to come.
We young people should follow the example of strength and determination of the workers and comrades who mobilized from the interior of the country to be able to demonstrate on May Day, International Workers’ Day.
Long live the communist youth!
—Red Youth in El Salvador