30)Concerning May Day

May Day is fast approaching, and most working people in North America are vaguely aware that it is some sort of socialist holiday.

If nothing else, this shows that the capitalists have done a fine job of robbing us of our history. Most working people are not aware that this international workers holiday has its origins in Chicago.

In 1886, the American working class was in the vanguard of the battle of the international working class against the capitalist class. In particular, they were determined to legislate the 8 hour work day, against the will of the capitalists, of course. Remarkably enough, they succeeded, against all the odds. They were opposed by the forces of police, army and mercenary troops, and in fact anyone and everyone who could be bought by international capital.

This show of force by the capitalists, against the workers, amounted to a declaration of war. Rather than bow down to the capitalists and submit, the workers rose to the occasion and called for a strike on May 1, 1886. Across the country, an estimated 300,00 workers walked off the job. In Chicago alone, possibly 40,000 workers went on strike. This is significant, as at that time, it was the Chicago workers who were leading the American revolutionary movement.

Of course, tensions were running very high, and it culminated in a conflict at Haymarket Square in Chicago. It is thought that police provocateurs placed a bomb nearby, and when it exploded, the police responded by firing into the crowd of peaceful, unarmed workers. A great many workers were either killed or wounded.

The capitalists were not content to kill unarmed workers. They decided to make an example of the leaders of the workers, and had those people arrested and charged with murder. All of those charged were convicted, including those who had not even been present at the demonstration. Several working class leaders were hung, and others were given lengthy prison sentences. To say that this trial made a mockery of the American justice system is an understatement. It is also fair to say that this response of the capitalists, to workers who dare to rebel, is typical.

Now the workers of America are once again rising up, once again in the vanguard of the revolutionary working class movement, in solidarity with workers of all other countries.

As yet, they are not aware of their revolutionary history, as the capitalists have not only crushed and exploited them, but also stolen their history. Americans have every reason to be proud of their revolutionary history, and now they must be made aware of it and build upon it.

May Day is the day the workers of the world celebrate the sacrifice the workers of Chicago made on May 1, 1886. It is due to their sacrifice that we now have the 8 hour work day. It also is celebrated as the day on which workers around the world awakened to a class conscious life, their awareness of the solidarity in the struggle against the monopoly capitalists of the world, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. Workers stand united in this struggle, this war of exploitation and slavery, represented by the capitalists, against the world of labor, the world of brotherhood and freedom, the world of the proletariat.

It is the workers who create all wealth by their labor, and yet it is the billionaire blood suckers, a handful of super rich parasites, who control that wealth.

But now workers around the world are once again rising up, once again being inspired by American workers, once again fighting to free labor from wage slavery, from poverty and want. They are fighting to overthrow the capitalist system, one in which all the wealth created by labor goes to benefit a few individuals. It must be replaced by a socialist system whereby the fruits of the labor go to the labourers.

This great struggle of labor against capital has cost the workers of all countries great sacrifices.

In recognition of the sacrifice of the workers of Chicago, I can only suggest that workers around the world take up a collection, in the interests of building a monument, to be placed at Haymarket Square, in order to honour those brave working class heroes.

This will also let the American workers know that the workers of the world are with them, that we recognize the sacrifice American workers have made in the past, and are continuing to make now.

Any differences workers of other countries of the world may have with the Americans is limited to the capitalists, the billionaires, the imperialists. We stand with the American workers, united in our struggle with our common enemy, international capital.

Workers of the World, Unite!