SEATTLE (US)—Ten thousand demonstrated at the federal jail against the deportation and separation of immigrants’ children from their parents. The week before, the party and friends started mass debates among hundreds of Boeing workers about how only communism is the solution. That was the same message we brought to the protestors. A Boeing friend, inspired by the discussions and debates at work, went with his wife to visit the encampment outside the prison. The potential for putting communism on the agenda was apparent.
Our party club followed up at a number of workplaces and schools. Our discussions centered around whether only communism could put an end to these fascist policies. In particular, could socialist candidates make the situation better?
Only communism, not socialism, can end nations and borders. Socialism maintains both.
Furthermore, socialism is not a stepping stone towards communism. Nor is it a more palatable form of communism (lite). It is an obstacle. That’s why the ICWP fights directly for communism.
In particular, the democratic socialist movement has a long, treacherous history that many friends and comrades are not aware of. It betrayed the communist aspirations of workers over and over again, all around the world.
The social democratic movement in the U.S was born out of just such a betrayal. The majority of the old socialist party members supported the 1917 Russian Bolshevik revolution. The pro-Bolsheviks followed the party’s constitution and elected a new executive committee. The old right-wing committee annulled the election on bogus grounds. When the newly elected leaders tried to take their seats on the executive committee, the right-wing called the cops. The left-wing walked out. Such was the beginning of both the democratic socialist movement and the new communist movement in the U.S.
Even given this history, some friends and comrades are skeptical that the U.S. ruling class will use these democratic socialist politicians to build the anti-communist campaign that the capitalists need today. These friends and comrades think the bosses are only using these socialists to attract youth to the Democratic Party.
Whether or not you think the capitalists will use them to mount an anti-communist campaign depends on how receptive you think workers will be to our communist ideas and therefore, how the bosses will react. Even more important than what the capitalists think and do, is what the party and its base think and do.
The Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating
Our communist mobilizations in the workplaces and streets (and the follow-up) have made the opportunities to put communism on the agenda in every class struggle clearer. Self-critically, we haven’t always put building a base for communism at the head of the agenda during our party meetings.
Inspired by the struggles of the last few weeks, we tried to correct this weakness at our last club meeting. We spent most of our time discussing a comrade’s new work among immigrant workers.
The main obstacle was communicating with these workers. Many were not proficient in English. They spoke a half-dozen other languages.
We attacked the problem with revolutionary enthusiasm. We enlisted help from friends and comrades locally and from other areas. We would not accept the proposition that these problems were insurmountable.
Despite our best intentions, our plan had flaws. Rather than throw up her hands, the comrade in charge of this work found out what changes had to be made. Now we are back on track.
Nothing proves the potential for communist revolution like building the close, personal communist relations with workers that can lead to a bigger party.