LETTERS, CRITICISM AND SUGGESTIONS
More on Organizing Communist Class Struggle
The letter “Communists Must Organize Resistance to Wage Slavery” (Red Flag v. 9 #8) states that we are doing unprecedented communist work by “introducing serious debate about communism among industrial workers at the point of production. We take up day to day issues and discuss how they would be handled in a future communist society.”
The author then criticizes us for just concluding that “only communism can end the wage system, while aiming to increase the circulation of the paper.” Thus, the author states, “one of our main jobs as revolutionaries – promoting the ideas of communism – ends up being our only job.”
The comrade raises the question: How do we organize communist class struggle? It is the burning question of the day. It is a question that has dogged the communist movement from its very inception. It needs to be answered not only in theory but in practice.
A comrade from South Africa, in a recent letter, raised the question in a slightly different way: How do we participate in the class struggle without becoming reformists?
In “Mobilize the Masses for Communism” ICWP states that the masses must be mobilized for communism and nothing else. However, we have limited this communist mobilization, as our comrade correctly points out, to denouncing capitalism and painting a vision of communism where things would be different.
We also put forward communist slogans. We call for a world without borders or nations, for abolishing wage slavery, or for political strikes against capitalism and for communism, etc. But, we don’t usually address the question of how to mobilize workers at the point of production to respond in a communist way to all capitalist attacks on our class.
The author of the letter suggested slogans like: “Smash the Dictatorship of Capital! Fight for Wheel chair lifts that work! Fight as Communists!” This is definitely not the answer. Fighting for “wheel chair lifts that work!” is a reformist demand.
Communist class struggle must refuse to raise any kind of material or political demands on the capitalist rulers. No matter how politically advanced or revolutionary these demands may sound, they are reformist and lead only to reformist class struggle.
Communist class struggle has never been practiced, certainly not consistently. The sharpest expressions of our class’ mass revolutionary activities, the Russian and Chinese Revolutions, had very little of communist class struggle. The masses were won to fight for reforms – the biggest reform being socialism – not for communism.
We won’t make the same mistake. Marx wrote, “Theory also becomes a material force as soon as it has gripped the masses.” This is more appropriate for where we are at the present.
We need to develop further the theory of mobilizing the masses for communism in relation to organizing communist class struggle and massifying it. Only then will theory become a force capable of “altering the existing order of things” by destroying it and replacing it with worldwide communism.
—A Comrade
How Do We practice Communist Principles Today?
I have been having this question.
First, the communist revolution will require us to be very Disciplined Communists who always keep and practice communism and communist principles. But as I understand this, communist practice will not come automatically after the revolution. It will be a development of the practices that were there even before our revolution. Now at present time, to practice communist principles or communism is always hindered by the Capitalist system we live under. With this in place, how do we then forge or build a foundation of communist practices that we will expand on during and after the revolution? How do we find solidarity with workers around the world and build these communist relationships and practices with them without looking like we want to reform capitalism?
How can we build collectivism and shareand- share kind of relationships amongst workers and the masses generally on a practical level, not just on a political level, which obviously we can expand on during and after the revolution?
—Comrade in South Africa
Visiting Miners in Marikana
We arrived on Monday at mid-day after an 18- hour bus trip. Then on the following day we were on a mission to mobilize the masses in the Marikana mines. I was so excited, confident and looking forward to meet the miners for the first time.
On our arrival there were few mine workers outside the premises and I was told by my fellow comrades that we are not allowed to enter the premises of the mines. As we were standing outside the mine premises, we decided to go to the miners’ hostels (dormitories). It sounded like a bad idea to me because I was now invading their private life. But I was wrong, it was a master plan. As we were heading towards the hostels there were buses parked outside. Mine workers were coming from work and others were still going to work. And that made it easy for us to mobilize. As we were about to reach the buses we decided to go and see if there were workers inside but unfortunately, they were empty. There were only bus drivers inside. We ended up mobilizing the bus drivers. We had a fruitful conversation with them although it was difficult to get their contacts because they were bit skeptical. As we approached the gate we saw mine workers who were off duty sitting in groups and playing popular games. We walked inside, split in groups and mobilized individuals. I met a group of old guys and I explained the purpose of my visit, but it was difficult to explain clearly because of the language barrier.
The next day when we visited it became easier because of the experience of the previous day. Thanks to my comrades for helping me overcome those obstacles. There is a lot to be done and I will take everything I learned in Marikana.
—Comrade in South Africa
Soccer World Cup: Patriotism, Nationalism and Racism: Communism Will Develop Sports Based On Human Needs
A tweet went viral last week critiquing France, England, and Belgium, three of the finalists in this years’ World Cup. “Good morning everyone except people in France, Belgium & England who don’t like immigrants when they move into your neighborhood but love them when they’re scoring goals for you at the World Cup.”
I reposted this and shared this with allies and friends because it’s true. Most countries including the U.S. hyper-exploit immigrants and black people in the sports industry as well as other industries in countries who oppress these people otherwise.
The presence of immigrants is a contentious issue in France, England and Belgium but when you look at the team rosters for their football teams most of their star players are Moroccans and African immigrants or children of immigrants and this goes for the rest of the world to some variation or another.
In this capitalist society it’s like President John F. Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” It would seem the only time immigrants have value under capitalism is when they are helping make more money for the bosses, whether it’s hyper-exploitation of cheap labor or running a ball for a country which helps building nationalism and keeping workers separated.
As neo-fascists build their anti-immigrant movements, communists in ICWP are building the unity of citizen and immigrant workers. As a united working class we’ll fight for a world without borders, racism and exploitation. A communist world.
—a comrade
Soccer, recognized as the King of Sports, holds a World Cup every four years. Different countries compete to be chosen by the FIFA association to be the venue for this event.
This desire involves great economic and political interests that an event of this magnitude in the host country generates for FIFA as well .as for the capitalists. This time it opened the doors to Russia through the 2018 World Cup.
Soccer, like all sports under the capitalist system, is only one of many tools of social inequality for the working class. It promotes patriotism, racism, nationalism, and above all it is used to keep people entertained within a circle of passivity.
The celebration of soccer produces a high dose of adrenaline among its hard-core fans, the most passionate. It is also the most nationalistic sport on our planet.
The millionaire salaries of the athletes who play in the big leagues of the world represent an insult to humanity, particularly to the working class. For example, recently the huge sale of a player to an Italian soccer club has been completed. He will get more than 35 million Euros a year (about US$40.8 million), apart from other royalties and perks.
The workers of Fiat, the Italian auto maker, have protested against this hiring since they are exploited to the maximum by these same bosses who sponsor this soccer club and who pay the workers poverty wages and cut their benefits.
These Fiat workers understand the reality that we live in under a system that represents oppression and social inequality. Let’s applaud with workers’ solidarity these workers who angrily denounce this, showing their disagreement with the capitalist system!
A popular phrase says that soccer unites peoples, but unites them to separate them. As a result of this phenomenon, nationalism plays a fundamental role. Fans and players listening to “their” national anthems feel great emotion and demonstrate their patriotism with pride before their rivals.
On the other hand, African soccer players who play in Europe and other continents are victims of racist acts by the hooligans and other groups promoted by fascism world wide.
In essence, sports in a true communist system will always be part of physical activity to develop healthy minds and bodies without the need to compete or buy any human being as superior to another.
—a fan of communism
Accounting in Communism: For Need, not Profit
If we do away with money, what will those people who have done accounting at school do? How will they contribute in a society without money? Will they have to learn some new skill(s)?
What we learn and how we learn it are tied up with how society organizes production. Capitalist schools prepare the children of the rich to be bosses and most children of the workers to be workers and soldiers.
Communism will do away with money, classes and private ownership of the means of production. Production will not be for profit and everyone will contribute as they can. Accounting is the skill of managing money in the current system (Capitalism). What does accounting under communism mean?
In a communist society, factories will exist. Therefore, production for the needs of the collective will exist. To produce we will need to know how many to produce. We will also need to know what is required to make such products, the quantity of each material required to produce certain products, and the labour hours required.
But unlike in the capitalist system this information will not be used to reduce cost of production. It will be used to produce quality products that meet the needs of the masses.
There will need to be records of the products completed to make sure that the targeted production to meet the needs of the collective has been met. Unlike in the current system we won’t need this information to know that targeted profit will be extracted in the market.
We will also need a record of what is required on a daily basis where production takes place, such as cleaning materials in order for the workers to work in a clean environment which is not a health hazard and also a record of the quantity of stationery required.
Corruption and special privilege will not exist because there will be accurate records of what the masses need and what should be produced by individuals who are part of a collective.
The machinery, vehicles, plant and equipment that will be used will depreciate. Therefore calculations of their depreciation will need to be recorded so that we can know when they’ve reached the end of their useful life for them to be replaced by new once. This we be easily learned when we mix mental labour with manual labour. Education will not be done in classrooms and it won’t require many years. Education will be done in factories where production takes place: ‘’ unite theory with practice’’- Soviet educator. This will only be achieved if we mobilize the masses, recruit them to join ICWP and turn the arms against the bosses and fight directly for communism.
—Comrade in South Africa
Los Angeles, USA, July 14 — Forty-five workers and youth enjoyed food, friendship and politics at the annual ICWp picnic. plans were made to bring communist ideas to upcoming pro-immigrant protests and to increase distribution of Red Flag to workers at their jobs.
Front page of this issue