Genocide in Palestine Calls Us to Organize for Communist Revolution, Not Reform

When Is a Win Not a Win?

PASADENA (USA), May 23— “We won! We won!” Activists celebrated the passage of a Pasadena City Council “ethical investment” resolution. It affirmed that city reserves would not be invested in tobacco, fossil fuels, private prisons, or weapons manufacture. The resolution called on the Police and Fire Commission to do likewise with the pension fund it administers.

An ICWP comrade couldn’t stay silent. “This campaign started by demanding that the city divest from the genocide in Gaza,” she reminded her friends. “We spoke passionately about this for over a year. Then this ethical investment resolution came along. It didn’t mention Palestine or the genocide. We said, ‘It’s a start. We can add that later,’ and poured energy into advocating for it.

“We saw tonight,” she continued, “that there was no way the council would add any mention of Palestine. We thought maybe ‘don’t invest in genocide’ (without mentioning Palestine) could be added. But no.

“So here we are celebrating a ‘victory’ that did not achieve our original goal. That’s one problem with fighting for reforms. It lowers our sights. Bogs us down. Leads us to ‘settle’ for less.

“You all know I think we need revolution, not reform,” she concluded. (Everyone has seen Red Flag. Many take it regularly.) “I’m sorry, but I don’t think that the tremendous energy and commitment that went into the ‘ethical investment’ resolution brought a ‘free Palestine’ any closer.”

At that moment, nobody wanted to discuss this. But a week later, the comrade was talking with a lead organizer. She started to make the same point. He interrupted: “I know that! You don’t have to tell me!”

He asked what the comrade thought the group could do now that might be more effective. “People want something to do,” he said.

They discussed a possible mass campaign exposing and opposing US complicity in the genocide. “What if we asked everyone we canvassed whether they know people in the US military?” the comrade asked. That started an interesting discussion. The friend knows quite a few people who joined for lack of other opportunities, not for patriotism.

Responding to Genocide with Urgency and Patience

Seventy-eight years of ethnic cleansing! Two and a half years of genocide! Mass outrage is growing worldwide. Even in the United States. Even in mainly Jewish cities like Tel Aviv.

The Zionist rulers have grabbed almost two-thirds of the Gaza Strip. Two million Palestinians struggle to survive on the fifty square miles left (130 km2). Mainly in rat- and insect-infested tents. Most can’t access farmland. They’re not allowed to fish. The inadequate trickle of food and medical aid has been slashed further because of rising costs due to the Iran war.

Zionist settlers in the West Bank violently evict, brutalize, and kill Palestinian farmers and their animals to steal the land. Palestinian hostages, including children, imprisoned without charges, are systematically tortured.

The Zionist military recently kidnapped 430 volunteers aboard 50 ships in international waters. They beat and tortured these “internationals” who tried to bring food and medical supplies to Gaza.

No wonder workers and youth around the world are outraged. Of course activists desperately want any victory at all against the fascist monsters and their US imperialist partners.

It’s true that piling up small wins can transform into big changes. But not “wins” like city council resolutions. Pile up a hill of beans and you get… a hill of beans.

But what happens when we patiently rack up small advances in people’s understanding of capitalist society? And in understanding the communist society we need? Then we can transform mass outrage, step by step, into communist revolution.

Pasadena has seen over thirty months of weekly streetcorner protests against the Gaza genocide. Plus movie screenings, social events, alliances with pro-immigrant activists, and more.

Participants have built strong ties and close friendships. Some disagreements have led to rifts. But most have not. Some have grown tired or discouraged and stepped back. But newcomers have stepped forward. Red Flag is widely known and generally respected.

Those most sympathetic to communist ideas often want to know more about how ICWP puts them into practice. They want something to do. More articles and letters in Red Flag about our work will help supply answers.

Pamphlet: Genocide in Palestine Demands Communist Revolution here, in Arabic here, in Spanish here

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