Los Angeles Firestorms: Only Workers Can Save Workers From Capitalism

Only the Workers Can Save the Workers here ♦ Communism in Action: here ♦

Los Angeles in Flames: Only the Workers Can Save the Workers

LOS ANGELES (USA), January 23— “My family was burned out of Tulsa, Oklahoma in the 1921 race riot,” a Black worker told a community gathering. “They moved to Altadena. We have been here for generations. Now we have been burned out again.”

Deadly, unprecedented firestorms continue to destroy workers’ lives and homes across Los Angeles County. International media coverage focuses on movie stars and millionaires’ mansions. But LA is mainly a working-class city. About half of its households make less than it takes to live a modest lifestyle. One-third of its residents were born outside the US, and over half of its households speak a language other than English at home.

Thousands of workers lost everything in the firestorms. Tens of thousands (mostly low-paid) lost jobs as their workplaces burned. Black and Latinx families were hit the hardest. Some houses that burned in Altadena had been in the family for generations.

Comparing Altadena to Tulsa is no exaggeration. North Lake Avenue divides West Altadena (mainly Black and Latinx) from mostly white East Altadena. When the Eaton Fire erupted the night of January 7, East Altadena residents quickly received evacuation warnings. But most West Altadena residents received no official notifications until early the next morning. By then, many had already seen homes burning on their streets and fled. All the deaths from the Eaton Fire were in West Altadena. This is racist manslaughter or worse.

Capitalist vultures swooped in, trying to buy up Altadena on the cheap. These “developers” seek to take advantage of people, especially Black and Brown folks, while they are distraught and desperate. They, and price-gouging landlords, are the real looters. The community is resisting, declaring that “Dena Is Not For Sale.”

WE Are All We Have

When the fires broke out, “mutual aid” groups quickly sprang into action. Around Altadena, Black and Latinx workers took the lead. Immigrant day laborers from the Pasadena Job Center organized and trained hundreds of young people and led them in clearing away fallen trees and branches.

It is workers, including displaced workers, who are organizing a flood of donations of food, water, clothes, and other necessities. Who have set up distribution centers in their own neighborhoods.

These workers, and many more, are more open than ever to communism. We have seen that over and over again: at distribution sites, at community meetings, in the streets, and among people we know.

This is how we, the International Communist Workers’ Party, know that communism can win and that it can work. Because workers have the skills and collective attitude needed to make decisions and run the world. Because so many of us want to do meaningful work to help each other, without personal reward. And because so many welcome and embrace communist ideas.

Communism Is What We All Need

“Mutual aid” can save each other from the worst that capitalism throws at us. But we must save ourselves from capitalism itself.

The slogan “only the people can save the people” is popular from Quito to Los Angeles. But who are “the people”? This is a class struggle. The working class must lead the masses to save ourselves from the disaster that is capitalist rule. And this will take armed communist revolution.

Communist revolution will put the working class in charge of all production and distribution. Of an entire world without borders or nations. And that requires an international communist party, not just a loose association of autonomous collectives.

Today, even as we confront one disaster after another, one imperialist war after another, we must mobilize workers, soldiers, sailors, and youth for communism. To build a communist society based on “mutual aid” instead of on money and markets. A world organized “from all according to ability and commitment, to all according to need.”

That means building the International Communist Workers’ Party. Please connect with us. Join and contribute your ideas, your energy, and your skills.

Communism in Action: Four Letters from Comrades in Los Angeles

Communism and Mutual Aid

Party comrades in Los Angeles quickly mobilized to help other comrades affected by the fires here. The party has provided mutual aid to others in the past on an international basis, so I was not surprised.

Then I heard about the LA Mutual Aid Coalition meeting. I was interested in seeing how other groups were doing this. Their theme was: What are the possibilities for a revolutionary Mutual Aid Coalition?

I was impressed by the approximately 100 young people that attended this meeting. Myself and another comrade took 20 ICWP fliers to the meeting. Clearly, we should have brought more. We arrived just before the meeting started and we all wore face masks due to the poor air quality. This made it difficult to interact with people before the meeting.

The meeting started with introductions. I noticed a few nods as I mentioned that we were with the International Communist Workers’ Party.

We were then divided into groups of about 6-8 people. Initially, discussion focused on relief efforts for people affected by the wildfires. They talked about how law enforcement and Red Cross had hampered some of their efforts.

A young person complained about a different group that regularly shows up but does not provide mutual aid. It only wants to shout at people about their ideas. I agreed that this would not be an effective approach. But we can’t leave politics out of mutual aid efforts. We must find a balance if we are to eliminate the system that creates constant crises and misery. All agreed.

When we returned to the larger meeting, each group shared similar messages. There was widespread anger and general agreement that capitalism should be eliminated. But the solution was not something being discussed.

I gave leaflets to a few specific individuals and left the rest behind as we had to leave before the end. Unfortunately, we did not talk to more people. But we are supposed to be added to their chat group. We plan to participate actively to provide the only solution to capitalism that we see: communism.

The next week, we helped set up a location for giving out free water, food, toiletries, diapers, and even haircuts to people affected by the Altadena fire. We spoke with many people of different backgrounds. I commented to a Black man next to me that when we get rid of capitalism, this is how we’ll live, sharing what we have and receiving what we need. He responded, “That’s right!”

A young friend commented that anyone could walk up and simply take items even if their home had not burned down. A young comrade responded, “What’s wrong with that? Doesn’t it make sense that people would get what they need.” This comrade has become re-ignited with energy since the fires. She had to evacuate her home, but luckily it was not burned. She agreed to attend our ICWP LA fires forum.

—Comrade in Los Angeles County

People Want to Step Up and Help

As I was shopping for a couple of things at a market, an employee asked me how my day had been.

“I spent the last five hours feeding people at the Job Center. You’ve heard?” I responded. “They’re a hub for getting volunteers out to clear the streets and for collecting donations to hand out to people!”

“You see?” the man replied. “When something like this happens, while it’s still a disaster, it gives people a chance to step up and be there for each other.”

I told him about the personal chef who brought two trays of chicken and pasta, with a very tasty sauce. A worker had spent his day off cooking for people he had never met. And restaurants, both large and small, sent dozens of meals.

I’ve been telling different people that my faith in humanity has been restored.

—Comrade volunteer

People We Know Are Open to Communist Ideas

Another comrade and I attended a community meeting at First A.M.E. Church in Pasadena. We listened, we learned, and we distributed all the communist literature we had (55 leaflets and about 70 copies of Red Flag) before and after the event.

It is a historically Black church, but many Latina/o people attended the meeting and welcomed our literature. So did most white and Asian people there. Solidarity of Black and Latinx workers, and the protection of immigrant neighbors, were important themes of the meeting.

When I went inside and sat down, I realized I knew the woman next to me. We had a friendly conversation, and she took the leaflet. Another woman I knew was standing nearby. Afterward, a former student (from when I taught high school over twenty years ago) came up to talk and took the paper. She was burned out of her home and is spending a lot of time volunteering with relief work at her church. We exchanged contact information. I talked to several other people I knew, too.

Meanwhile, people were coming up and taking papers out of my hand as I was talking to someone else. Three or four asked for one, two, five extra copies. They included a few younger people but also older church ladies.

I saw two things. First, there is even broader openness to communism than I have seen in the past. Second, it makes a difference to have relationships with people in this disaster-stricken community. This is what turns openness into opportunities to start recruiting more people I know to help and to join the party.

—Comrade who evacuated from the firestorm

Capitalist Disasters Create Communist Opportunities

Soon after the Eaton Fire, a huge resource distribution center was set up at a nearby racetrack.

When I was at the racetrack bringing food and distributing Red Flag and a communist leaflet, I talked to workers about the situation. I included that the US government was spending money on bombs for Israel to kill Palestinians and to Ukraine rather than paying for enough firefighters, hospitals, etc. That we need a revolution for communism.

Later, I asked a volunteer who was hurrying by if he wanted the paper. He said, “I heard you talking about Israel.”

“When did I talk about Israel?” I inquired. “I don’t remember.”

“When you were talking to that group of workers about the Genocide in Gaza,” he replied, adding, “PREACH, sister! Keep it up!”

“You should join us, brother, “ I said as he gladly took Red Flag. He said he had to go as he hurried off to help distribute food.

“I’m already with you,” he shouted as he hurriedly walked to go help. He’s part of the movement but doesn’t yet see the need to join us.

He was much impressed (not turned off) by our mass approach to taking communist ideas to workers.

Self-critically, I didn’t get his contact information. But I can in the future engagements. Also, we didn’t bring the leaflet in Spanish or enough literature. Comrades won’t make those mistakes again, I hope.

Other comrades have had many more experiences. This capitalist disaster and more to come are opportunities to build ICWP – if we take them.

— Los Angeles (USA) Comrade

Read More about the Los Angeles Firestorms:

Capitalist Climate Crisis Behind Los Angeles Firestorms: Burning Need for Communist Revolution

Prisoner Firefighters On The Front Lines: Capitalism’s Racist Super-Exploitation

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