End Fascism And Wage Slavery By Fighting Directly For A Classless Society
LOS ANGELES (US) “That’s what I’m talking about. I’m interested in fighting for a classless society,” a young man responded enthusiastically after a comrade offered him Red Flag and explained what ICWP was about.
“Then you should join us,” said our comrade, adding, “Give me your telephone number to keep in touch”
“I’ll give you my email address,” said the young man.
“Great!” said our comrade, “Take an extra paper for a friend.”
“I sure will, thanks.”
Many similar conversations occurred outside an event sponsored by the Democratic Socialist Alliance (DSA) of LA featuring Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
We explained that we fight for a society where we produce only for human need. Socialism will not lead to communism—it is state capitalism. Voting won’t stop fascism. Only revolution to destroy capitalism and building a communist world will end fascism and meet the needs our class.
The response was very positive. Many gladly took the paper. Some nodded thoughtfully when we said that the rulers need to push candidates like Ocasio-Cortez because they fear the masses opting for communism.
Some one asked, “But how do we get there?” We talked about mobilizing the masses for communism now. She took an extra copy of Red Flag to show a friend.
Self-critically, we should have asked more people for their contact information and brought more than the 100 papers we distributed. Lots of people are taking the alternative of communist revolution seriously. We have to be serious about making bold plans to put it forward and get to know them.
Ocasio-Cortez is part of a long line of Democratic Socialists who have been used by the ruling class to try to divert the masses from revolution and communism by building anti-communism and illusions in electoral politics and peaceful reform.
The DSA, of which Ocasio-Cortez is a member, was founded by Michael Harrington in 1972. He campaigned for the lie that the “extreme” left and the extreme right were equally bad. He sought to make the DSA the left wing of the Democratic Party. The rulers used this to bring youth and workers angry at capitalism into the Democratic Party to keep them away from communist revolution.
Ever since her victory in the Democratic Party primary in New York, The NY Times and other mouthpieces for US imperialism, have given Ocasio-Cortez a lot of favorable publicity. While the old guard leadership of the Democratic Party does not support her, many US rulers and politicians view her differently. They see no threat from Bernie Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez or other socialist candidates. They see these candidates as a way to win masses to support capitalist reform and patriotism.
At the event in LA, some people said they disagree with Ocasio-Cortez when she supports protests against ICE only in the short term in order end family separation. They said she does not call to abolish criminalization of immigrants altogether. They said that Ocasio-Cortez states that she does not intend to condemn the Israeli government’s violence against the Palestinians—even though Israeli snipers recently shot and killed 127 unarmed Palestinians.
These persons want more principled socialists to take on the old guard in the Democratic Party.
Their concerns are understandable, but they are dangerously wrong to think that they can change the Democratic Party into representing the interests of the working class! Only by building a mass communist party, ICWP, to fight for a communist world without borders, wage slavery, racism, sexism or money can the interests and needs of the working class be met.
Times are ripe with opportunity and danger. Fascism is growing in the US and worldwide. Angry masses are looking for an alternative to capitalism-imperialism. Social Democrats are mobilizing, with the support of the rulers’ media, to try to divert masses into the dead end to reform capitalism.
They push the lie that communism doesn’t allow mass participation, that democratic socialism will. But only communism will inspire millions to take leadership and initiative to collectively build a society that meets the needs of workers everywhere, where every one will have the health care and housing they need. Masses of youth and workers, like the ones we met, are open to the real alternative to capitalism: communist revolution. We need to more boldly build ICWP at work, school and in mass events.
