Now that Super Tuesday is a thing of the past, the journalists are in their glory. They are quite cheerfully reporting that Biden is the clear front runner, and it appears to be a two way race between Biden and Sanders. The billionaire who dropped out, Mike Bloomberg, is now supporting Biden. As Bloomberg has already spent half a billion of his own money, he has a ”party machine” well established. He is reported to have hundreds, if not thousands of people, serving at his beck and call. He and numerous other politicians have bent over backwards, in an effort to show their support for Biden.
The reason I mention this is because it is the very thing the common people are watching, if for no other reason than they have no choice in the matter. Working people watch the news and discuss it, in an attempt to make sense of that which is happening. It is up to conscious people, Marxists, to explain to working people, in terms which they can understand, precisely what is happening. It is the duty of the journalists to sanitize the news, to report events devoid of all class content. This they do supremely well, if only because they are not able to examine a situation in class terms.
The significance of the fact that Bloomberg has enlisted a small army of people to work in the political arena is an example of the ”state apparatus” which has been set up by the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, as a means of crushing the working class, the proletariat. This is the point which must be driven home to the working people, using common terms followed by the correct scientific terms, at least for the benefit of the most advanced. More popular terms can be used for the less advanced, while being careful not to be condescending.
Now we are faced with ”Super Tuesday, Round Two”, of March 10, in which voters of six ”key states” will get to cast their ballots. In certain states, all voters are allowed to vote in the Democratic primaries, while in other states, only ”registered members” of the Democratic Party are supposed to vote. In such states, those who are registered as Republicans or Independents are barred from voting in the Democratic primaries. As Donald Trump is not a complete idiot, he has noticed that such a rule is impossible to enforce. So he got the bright idea of encouraging everyone to vote in the Democratic primaries, in an attempt to disrupt the democratic process.
I think this is a fine idea, but for different reasons. It is important to encourage people to become as politically active as possible, and that certainly includes voting, wherever and whenever possible. The fact that certain voters, in certain states, may not be ”allowed” to vote in the Democratic primary, yet do so anyway, may mean that those voters are being a bit ”naughty”. It also means that those same people are concerned with the current state of affairs, to the point where they are prepared to wait in line, in some cases for hours, for an opportunity to cast their ballot. That is most commendable, not to be discouraged. The implication is that these same voters are among the most advanced members of the public, the working class. They are doing their part, going to great length to change the system. It is safe to say that they are working to their full capacity.
Now it is up to conscious people, Marxists, to do our part. It is up to Marxists to ”expand their horizons”, so to speak. It is not reasonable to expect these advanced workers to take the next step, to consciously become revolutionary, to call for the overthrow of the monopoly capitalists, the bourgeoisie, and to establish the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, as they are not aware of themselves as a class!
Granted, there are several organizations and parties in North America who claim to be socialist, democratic socialist, independent socialist, Communist or Marxist-Leninist. Those who claim to be socialist, but not Marxist, are utopian socialists, and they deserve our respect. We are all entitled to our beliefs and we must respect the beliefs of others. This does not mean that we must share the beliefs of others. We can disagree without becoming confrontational.
This stands in sharp contrast to the people who claim to be Communist or Marxist-Leninist, but whom have revised the theories of Marx and Lenin. Some of these people openly admit to being revisionists, and for this we give them credit. They maintain that there is no need for revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, that which I consider to be the very heart and soul, the ”touchstone”, of Marxism. Numerous others are more subtle. They do not deny the necessity of the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, just as they do not admit this necessity. They merely avoid the issue. They are careful to make no mention of the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat! This is commonly referred to as ”straddling the fence”, and as wits have pointed out, ”must be hard on the rear end”. In scientific jargon, this is referred to as ”moving to the centre”. In fact, it is another form of the revision of Marxism.
As it is absolutely necessary to raise the level of awareness of the working class, the proletariat, to make them aware of themselves as a class, this must be explained to them. It is hoped that by using popular terms, followed by the correct scientific terms, they will be better able to understand this. Bear in mind that the most advanced members of the proletariat must be raised to the level of awareness of Marxists.
As working people are focused on the Democratic primaries, it is up to Marxists to point out the fact that the election is ”rigged”, to put it in popular terms. The ability of either candidate to win a majority of delegates, at the Democratic National Convention -preferably Sanders- is determined by the party bosses. It is such people, the card carrying members of the Democratic Party, the ”party bosses”, who ”call the shots”. They make the rules and change the rules as they see fit. This is all the more reason for working people, in fact all members of the public, whether working class or middle class, to become card carrying members of both mainstream political parties, Republican and Democratic, or at least Democratic. Under no circumstances should working people be placed under any pressure to join both parties. Merely point out to people that it costs nothing, and as ”party bosses”, they get to determine the candidate for any and all political office. In addition, such card carrying members can make sure that the election at the Democratic National Convention is fair and ”above board”. For that matter, those same card carrying members, with their new political power, can take steps to amend the Constitution, abolishing the Electoral College, thus making the democratic process more democratic. Or to phrase it more accurately, they can try.
The fact of the matter is that the monopoly capitalists, the bourgeoisie, are in charge, and fully intend to remain in charge. They are not about to allow a self described ”independent socialist” to separate them from their wealth and power. For that matter, Washington can be flooded with Leftist people, not that it will do any good. At least, they have every intention of making sure it does no good.
In our opinion, that of Marxists, this will do a world of good. It is sure to provide working people with valuable training towards the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. They will learn, from their own bitter experience, that the bourgeoisie are in charge and fully intend to remain in charge. After the revolution, workers with very little training, or even no training whatsoever, will be placed in positions of authority. Any training they receive now will prove most valuable after the revolution.
As there are so many self proclaimed socialists, and even self proclaimed Marxists, who deny the importance, or at best evade the issue of, the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, perhaps we had best examine the matter. Two and a half years after the Russian revolution, Lenin spoke from that experience: ”The Dictatorship Of the Proletariat means a most determined and most ruthless war waged by the new class against a more powerful enemy, the bourgeoisie, whose resistance is increased tenfold by their overthrow…and whose power lies, not only in the strength of international capital, the strength and durability of their international connections, but also in the force of habit, in the strength of small scale production …and small scale production engenders capitalism and the bourgeoisie continuously, daily, hourly, spontaneously, and on a mass scale. All these reasons make the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat necessary…”(italics by Lenin)
Here in North America, thanks to the monumental efforts of the bourgeoisie to eliminate any and all competition, regardless of how insignificant that competition may be, we have far less ”small scale production”, but we do have a great deal of ”force of habit”, as well as ”the strength of international capital”. There are still a significant number of people, either current or former members of the middle class, the petty bourgeois, as well as many members of the working class, the proletariat, who have apparently not ”received the memo”, in that they are still determined to ”get ahead”. This is not about to happen, the ”good old days” of the ”little guy” owning a small business is a thing of the past. Any starry eyed optimist who dares to attempt such a thing will quickly receive his ”comeuppance”. In other words, the bourgeoisie will ”nip such an attempt in the bud.” They are not about to tolerate such ”shenanigans”.
As for the reader who objects to such popular language, I can only respond that I am mainly focused on the advanced members of the working class, and it is such popular language all can understand. It gives them a place to start. Welcome, my Brothers and Sisters, my Comrades!
In my opinion, the problem now is to prepare for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. If we are not properly prepared, the revisionists and those who are completely devoid of principle, technically referred to as opportunists, will merely see the revolution as an opportunity to seize political power. They will not hesitate, and if successful, will merely set themselves up as the new rulers. In response to those who think that the sheer power of the revolution will inspire those people to ”turn over a new leaf”, to act in a manner which is honest and principled, may I respond that perhaps you are confusing these people with the ”Grinch Who Stole Christmas”. It is beat not to confuse the fantasy of children with reality. For that matter, it is difficult to separate the revisionists from those who are devoid of principle, possibly because the two are one and the same.
For that reason, I am encouraging all truly conscious people, Marxists, to come together and form an honest Communist Party, Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. The most advanced members of the public, working class and middle class, are making a supreme effort, doing their best, trying to figure things out. Whether they know it or not, they are looking for leaders. That is your cue, feel free to act on it.
After the formation of the Party, then act as the leaders you are. Raise the level of awareness through encouraging the study of classic works of Marx, Engels and Lenin. Organize demonstrations and protests at ”town halls” and primary meetings. Carry signs and banners which contain class content. Encourage workers to join the two mainstream political parties, to run for office on a state and federal level, to support Sanders, to demand the abolition of the Electoral College. This is the best way to train the proletariat for their approaching Dictatorship.
If all goes well, we will not have to make too many compromises with the unprincipled, the supposed Marxists, at the time of the revolution. The better prepared we are now for the revolution, the smoother will be the transition to the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.
As I have long maintained that the best way to get through to as many people as possible is through the use of slogans, may I suggest the following:
Unite the Left!
Sanders For President!
Join the Two Parties!
Scientific Socialism!
Workers of the World, Unite!
Gerald McIsaac Science Project 