CALIFORNIA (USA), October 26— Millions of people, in big cities and small towns across the US, turned out on October 18 to oppose Trump’s fascist attacks. Many (though not most) understood that the problem isn’t just Trump and his billionaire backers. It’s a capitalist system in deep crisis.
That the system, not a particularly nasty individual, is destroying workers’ standard of living. Kidnapping our neighbors. Enabling genocide in Gaza. Dragging us deeper into worldwide war.
We know many people understand that because they took Red Flag newspapers and told us so. Many didn’t. But we didn’t encounter much open anti-communism. Even where the crowds skewed older and “whiter.”
There was widespread anger at the fascist ICE raids aimed at immigrant workers. For example, the Santa Cruz-Salinas-Watsonville area is home to many immigrant farmworkers. The rallies mainly drew white people, who carried many posters against ICE. Many were offering their homes to undocumented workers. There was a ‘crisis’ help line for immigrant defense.
Democratic Party operatives (through their organization Indivisible) sponsored these rallies. They have a two-fold strategy aimed at “rebranding” after last year’s electoral losses. On one hand, to bring angry (and often anti-capitalist) young people back into their capitalist party. On the other, to build strength among “moderate” voters who find their image “too radical.”
That’s a contradiction! And it showed. For example, pro-Palestine contingents were welcomed at some rallies and harassed at others. “We were the only two people representing for Palestine,” said a friend who brought flyers to a rally in suburban Santa Clarita. “People were polite but not very interested. Some talked about us poorly or laughed as we walked away.”
Event organizers promoted a circus atmosphere. They encouraged US flags, inflatable costumes, and witty Instagrammable posters in the name of “peaceful patriotic protest.”
In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson referred to the Civil War. “If my ancestors, as slaves, can lead the greatest general strike in the history of this country, taking it to the ultra-rich and big corporations, we can do it too!”
Mayor Johnson’s historical analogy was certainly not perfect. But the important thing was that it took a war to end legalized chattel slavery. Formerly enslaved Black workers who liberated themselves and enlisted in the Union army were critical to that victory.
“Peaceful patriotic protest” won’t liberate us from fascist wage-slavery today.
Trump lies that “Democrat cities” are “war zones” as an excuse to wage war on them. Silly costumes ridicule his lies. “I liked the costumes and fun atmosphere,” said a friend. “It shows that we’re peaceful.”
A comrade responded, “Would you have worn costumes like that to protest the Nazis in Berlin in 1933?”
Her friend was startled. “I guess they would have arrested you,” she admitted.
We need to take fascism more seriously. We need to learn and teach the lessons of the massive Communist Party of Germany (KPD) as Hitler rose to power. Comrades bravely fought Nazi goon squads in the streets of “Red Berlin.” Tragically, however, the KPD organized mainly in neighborhoods, around elections. Instead of in the factories and barracks, for communist revolution.
In March 1933 the KPD won one hundred seats in the national parliament (Reichstag) with almost nine million votes. Two weeks later, the German capitalists and their “centrist” parties turned the government over to Hitler.
Fascism is the sharpest form of the class war that all capitalist rulers wage on the working class. ICWP understands that the only way to defeat it is with armed struggle for communist revolution, led by industrial workers and soldiers. And, in the process, building the communist relations necessary for a world without money: “from all according to ability and commitment. To all according to need.”
Many young people – whether or not they participated in No Kings –already reject capitalism. The Democrats need Brandon Johnson and “socialist” Zohran Mamdani to bring them back into dead-end – and deadly — electoral politics. Moderates like Kamala Harris, LA Mayor Karen Bass, California Governor Gavin Newsom can’t do that.
Our party’s urgent task everywhere is to unite in struggle with anti-capitalist, anti-fascist young (and older) activists. To build relationships with them that enable sharp political discussions about communism. To convince them to help ICWP become a revolutionary force that can defeat fascist capitalism and build the world we need and deserve.
If you are already convinced, let us know how you’d like to help.
