Millions are in the streets around the world. The working class is furious. They are fed up with racism, sexism, xenophobia, exploitation and war. Communist organizers must focus on the only solution to every horror of capitalism: communism.
Workers and youth are rightly skeptical of reform movements that make big promises and then break them. We have seen many such examples.
Some of us fought among millions in the South African anti-apartheid movement and the national liberation struggle in El Salvador, only to be let down by leaders who become the new exploiters. Communism offers something very different from this endless cycle of hopes betrayed.
Communist revolution will usher in an age without racism, borders or war.
An age where we will produce for our collective needs, no longer exploited for bosses’ profits.
An age where we have destroyed the bosses’ state power and eliminated the cops who protect their system.
An age where the party will mobilize masses to finally end racism and build the communist world we need.
Working Class Needs More Communist Organizers Now
The potential exists today to recruit many more to join the International Communist Workers’ Party (ICWP). But communist organizers won’t emerge spontaneously no matter how bad the conditions nor how fierce the struggle. Even the most thoughtful Marxist exposé of capitalism isn’t enough. Red Flag works to promote a clearer vision of how communism can work. But even that’s not enough.
It’s good that we continue to increase the distribution of Red Flag, particularly at industrial sites and in the military. The communist content in Red Flag must be spread far and wide. But we can’t let it stop there.
We train ourselves and others as communist organizers by… fighting for communism. As some of us put it, we learn to do communist work “on the job.”
All of us – Party members, friends, and even first-time readers– can participate in many ways. We should invite friends to help distribute the paper in every class struggle possible. We should engage in communist debate and discussion with those who take our literature, and patiently struggle with our friends to do the same. We should be bolder in asking people we’ve just met to stay in contact with us or to join us.
A friend at Boeing started by giving Red Flag to his neighbor. The neighbor asked how we could provide for our families without money. The friend asked a comrade at work. Then he went back to his neighbor armed with communist ideas.
Next, he brought a few papers to a high school where he volunteered. That turned into regular distribution of dozens of papers. The students began giving papers to friends at other high schools. The worker started writing for the paper. Now he struggles with others to write.
This is an example of how industrial concentration can broaden the struggle.
Modest Progress Shows Potential for Much More
Washington State (USA): An immigrant farmworker was worked to death and died without proper medical care. The farmworkers went on strike.
Party comrades told friends and coworkers about the strike. They collected money and traveled to meet the strikers as ICWP, not hiding behind a union or anti-racist reform group. They brought Red Flag, with an article about communist health care. Some strikers read the paper on the spot. At the urging of a relatively new comrade, they took extra copies for other strikers and supporters.
Asking others to distribute the paper was a step forward. The new comrade is more confident he can struggle with others to become communists. He is learning to be a communist organizer “on-the-job.”
The Seattle comrades should have asked many other friends to come. Now they are making a list of people to invite to accompany more experienced comrades to every struggle they can. This will train future communist organizers.
Los Angeles (USA) – A veteran comrade has worked patiently for years to build a Party club of co-workers in MTA (mass transit). This club is growing.
Recently there was a march for young immigrants threatened with deportation. He and a new comrade helped to lead 20 Party members and friends who brought communism to the march with posters, chants, and over 500 copies of Red Flag (see page 3). This was a step forward. The experienced worker is organizing a study group with four youths who participated. But our comrades didn’t make a priority of making contacts. This was an opportunity missed.
South Africa —The youth club in South Africa has doubled in less than a year, and continues to grow. One of their greatest strengths is their commitment to building a strong collective. Another is that when they “mobilize for communism” they get contacts and invite new friends to join as well as getting out tons of literature.
We, like the rest of the working class, are angry. But we must keep our “eyes on the prize.” Today, that means mobilizing our base to bring communism to the intensifying class struggle. It means many more joining and building the Party, instead of relying on a few veterans or leaders.
Communist organizers learn by doing.
