Communist Struggle Prepares Groups to Confront “Little Hitlers” and Expand the Fight
SEATTLE (USA), October 27—The Boeing factory buzzed with heated arguments last Friday over what we should do about the refugee caravan headed for the U.S. from Central America.
Trump’s fascist, anti-immigrant rants emboldened a few racists in the plant. Where the ICWP had built a base grounded in previous advocacy of communist solutions, groups of workers shut them up. The conflict became personal, making the racists’ day a living hell.
For example, a class traitor in one area was nicknamed “little Hitler.” A party friend reported that he, and those he had been discussing the communist ideas with, had “calmed the right-winger down.” They isolated him.
Among some crews, a “live and let live” attitude has been challenged by principled struggle. These collective battles set the tone for the next week.
The next Monday’s discussion began when an immigrant machinist lamented, “This stuff [fascist attacks on immigrants] never ends.” Under capitalism this is true. Even an organizer who has a long history of trying to get Democratic Party officials elected agreed. “The Democrats also try to pit native-born workers against immigrants and refugees. They’re running from this issue.”
We circulated the party’s Los Angeles rally leaflet (see page 2). Co-workers were immediately drawn to the paragraph about the solidarity of the working class. “People wait for them [in the caravan] on the road with water, food, clothes money, even music and applause.”
Millions around the world have greeted refugee caravans like this, defying their own capitalist governments. There is a deep-seated desire among millions more to support and aid their fellow workers. This desire can only be fulfilled under communism.
Borders and nations pit workers against each other. In fact, we have more in common with the workers fleeing Central America than the CEO of Boeing.
Only communism can eliminate borders. Communist production will be collective: from each according to their ability and commitment, to each according to their need. Communist collective production eliminates profits, wages, and borders and competition for jobs.
Immediately after we liberate any area from the capitalist yoke, we will welcome any workers fleeing from horrors inflicted by the bosses. These workers will be quickly integrated into productive collectives. We’ll welcome the helping hands.
These collectives will not only produce material necessities, but communists as well. The few saboteurs the capitalists might try to infiltrate will soon be exposed by these collectives. Most liberated immigrants will likely opt to spread communism worldwide.
“Collectivity! That’s my favorite word!” exclaimed another machinist during this discussion, seeing the way forward.
Communist revolution will eliminate the material basis for borders and nations and how they divide the working class. We will be free to carry on the ideological and practical struggle to build a communist world where every worker will be welcomed everywhere.
Weeks like these help prepare comrades and friends to put communism upfront no matter what starts the struggle. In the last few months alone, everything from the lack of water during the dog-days of August to the separation of families at the border featured debates about our communist future.
This time some groups went on the offensive against fascist elements. In addition, party members and close friends became bolder, expanding the struggle to workers we hadn’t discussed these issues with before.
The next steps revolve around how we can take this struggle to the schools, collective social events and rallies. The best way to back the brave workers in the caravan is to mobilize for communism where we work or go to school. No matter what the tactics, developing and recruiting communist organizers must be our priority.