Studying change here ♦ Capitalism’s contradictions here ♦ Building ICWP here ♦
Letters: Dialectical Materialism – Studying Change
Dialectical Materialism—Weapon of the Working Class
First, “Materialism” means the material world comes first, not Ideas or God. What you eat, where you sleep, whether you have a job—that’s the base. Ideas come from that base.
So, when the rent goes up and wages don’t, don’t ask “why are landlords greedy?” Ask, “What are the material conditions that make landlords able to charge that?” The answer is: Private Ownership of land and housing under capitalism. Materialism means we start from reality, not speeches.
Second, “Dialectics.” That means everything is in motion, full of contradictions and changes through struggle.
Nothing stays the same. A seed doesn’t just grow into a tree. It struggles against soil, water, and weather. Quantity turns into quality. Water heats up degree by degree, then boom, it boils and becomes steam.
Let me end with this: big changes don’t start big. They start with one member deciding to do one right thing, today. If we can do that, the International Communist Workers’ Party won’t just grow. We’ll transform lives.
—Comrade Unathi
What I Understand about Dialectical Materialism
I am grateful for the opportunity to work under your guidance.
Your clear vision, dedication, and passion for our work is truly inspiring. Thank you for being a supportive leader and for believing in our potential. Your trust has continuously motivated me to strive for excellence.
In Dialectical Materialism, change happens because of contradictions. A contradiction is when two opposing forces or ideas clash. For example, the conflict between workers who want higher wages and business owners who want to keep costs low and profits high is a contradiction that can lead to changes in labour laws or wages.
Dialectical Materialism is a philosophical approach to reality, derived from the writings of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels. For Marx and Engels, materialism meant that the material world, perceptible to the senses, has objective reality independently of the mind or spirit.
—Comrade Phelisa
Dialectical Materialism
“Dialectical” means everything changes through conflict.
Old ideas fight new ideas. They clash and something new comes out.
The text says that society changes in the same way: workers versus capitalists clash, and that struggle creates change.
So, to change the society, you look at the real condition: who owns the factory and who does the work.
Put together: Dialectical Materialism means studying life conditions and conflicts to understand how society changes so that we can change it on purpose.
Recruitment, Organizing, Outreach
Recruit: Go where people are. For example: workplaces, campuses, tenants’ meetings. Join struggles already happening.
—Comrade Buhle
Understanding through Practice
I am 22 years old. I joined ICWP on the 18th of November 2024.
I understand most things through practice. I am no stranger to theory. I love and I continue reading it. It’s just that, while I’ve grasped some concepts of it, dialectical materialism as a whole eludes.
I believe that Dialectical Materialism is an integral part of learning, not just Marxism, but in general. It is vital for it to exist in everyday thought, and it is important for developing critical thought.
—Comrade Ana
Letters: Contradictions of Capitalism
You produce everything, so why can’t you afford to live!
In the last four years, rent, food, gas, and healthcare all went up 20 to 40%!
Workers produce everything socially, and a small class owns it privately and takes the profit for themselves.
The solution: Only the working class, organized and armed with communist politics. NO WAGES, NO RENT, NO BOSSES!
—Comrade Asanda
The Contradiction in Capitalist Society
Society is the same. Under capitalism, we have a contradiction. Workers produce everything together, but a small class owns it privately. That contradiction doesn’t sit still. It grows. More profit for them, more crisis for us. Strikes, wars, depressions, that’s the struggle. And that struggle creates change.
Comrades, we can overthrow capitalism and build communism. We need to read Red Flag and dialectical materialism because without a scientific world view, we’ll keep fighting blindly. With it, we can win.
—Comrade Nozuko
Capitalism Is Not in Our Best Interest
The only thing we can do to fight capitalism is to convince people that capitalism is not in their best interest. Otherwise, we’ll be screwed. Good luck!
The profit motive of a capitalist society, in conjunction with competition among capitalists, leads to unnecessary cycles of booms and depressions, ultimately encouraging selfishness instead of cooperation.
—Comrade Esilhe
Letters: Building the International Communist Workers’ Party
Great Day, Comrades!
I am honoured to stand here today as a member of ICWP.
Why me? We are not just a name or an organization. We are a group of people who decided that waiting for a change is not enough. We must create it.
First, why we exist. ICWP was built on the belief that women’s voices, workers’ rights, community welfare deserve a real seat at the table. Too long decisions have been made about us, without us. Today we change that.
Second, what we do.
Service: We show up on issues others avoid.
Voice: We speak up on issues others avoid.
Unity: We don’t fight each other. We build each other.
Third, my commitment as a member. I pledge to listen more than I speak, to work more than I complain, and to put the people before politics.
—Comrade Lindani
What a Communist Is
A Communist is a worker who understands that capitalism is a system based on exploitation and fights to end it. We are not just people with ideas. We are organizers. We unite the international working class to destroy capitalism and its wage slavery, borders, racism, and imperialist wars, and to build a communist society.
How would a society with no money, no wages, and no markets actually work, day by day? Who decides what gets produced?
What is ICWP’s view on elections and working within capitalist governments?
How would communism address climate change differently than capitalism?
—Comrade Bathandwa
How Can we Attract People?
The goal of attracting people is to win workers and youth to the line that only communist revolution can end war, exploitation, and crisis.
What is uniting people right now: wages not keeping up with rent, layoffs, unsafe work, war, sending their kids overseas, schools underfunded.
You produce the food, but you can’t afford groceries. That is capitalism.
—Comrade Luthando
How to Make People Join ICWP
Start with trust. Show up with issues that people are already struggling with.
Invite. Don’t pressure.
Make it useful. Offer free stuff that matters. People stay when the ground is useful.
Make joining easy — numbers.
—Comrade Anathi
Learn more about the communist philosophy of dialectical materialism here
Please send your letters, responses, and suggestions to : contact@icwpredflag.org