In my previous article, I mentioned that we are in desperate need of a true Communist Party, one which calls for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. There are numerous political parties, all of which can legitimately be referred to as ”Leftist”, and some of whom refer to themselves as Marxist. Each and every one of these parties says something different. As a result of this, the members of the public, the common people, tend to be confused. The best way to draw a clear distinction between the revisionist Communist parties and the true Communist Party is revealed by Lenin in his work, State and Revolution. ”A Marxist is one who extends the acceptance of the class struggle to the dictatorship of the proletariat...This is the touchstone on which the real understanding and acceptance of Marxism should be tested.”(italics by Lenin)
The fact is that Marx stated quite clearly that he did not discover the existence of classes, just as he did not discover the struggle between them. These had been discovered by bourgeois historians, and bourgeois economists had described the ”economic anatomy of the classes”. It is to be stressed that the struggle between the classes is well known and accepted by the bourgeoisie. The step forward which Marx did was not acceptable to the bourgeoisie. As Marx put it, ”What I did that was new was to prove: 1) that the existence of classes is only bound up with particular historical phases in the existence of production; 2) that the class struggle necessarily leads to the dictatorship of the proletariat; 3) that this dictatorship itself only constitutes the transition to the abolition of all classes and to a classless society.”(italics by Lenin)
I have chosen to use capital letters as a means of emphasizing the importance of that dictatorship, rather than italics. So my suggestion is that the name be Communist Party, Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, CP,DOP.
Without doubt, the Party will have to be formed by intellectuals, most of whom will be current or former members of the middle class, although others could be working class intellectuals. A Party platform will have to be worked out, and I could suggest a platform similar to the original platform of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, RSDLP, written by Lenin.
For the sake of those who are new to the revolutionary movement -and I hope there are a great many of you- I will mention that in the year 1898, a handful of middle class revolutionary Russian intellectuals gathered together to form the nucleus of that which came to be known as the Russian Communist Party. The meeting was conducted in great secrecy, as the Czar was completely reactionary and such gathering were strictly forbidden. This did not stop those few people from doing that which had to be done. They put their freedom and even their lives on the line, as a matter of principle. One of those dedicated revolutionaries was Lenin. He and several others were quickly rounded up, sent to prison and then exiled. A couple others were left free, but only for the purpose of attracting other ”subversives”.
I mention this as a precaution to all Marxist, those who are interested in forming a true Communist Party. We are not cursed with a Czar, as was Lenin and the early revolutionaries. In fact, Americans are blessed with a Bill of Rights, thanks to the American founding fathers, those who refused to sign the American Constitution, as it did not contain a Bill of Rights. Those men stood on principle, and we owe them a debt of gratitude. Now it is our turn to follow in their footsteps.
With that in mind, I can suggest that reasonable precautions be taken. Just because we have certain democratic rights, as is guaranteed in the Constitution, does not mean that those rights will be respected. A certain circumspection is probably a good idea. Meetings are required, but it is perhaps best not to advertise. Those who are proficient with computers can very likely set up such events on the internet, using skype or some other ”social networking” program, assuming that is the proper terms. Even then, various government agencies may well try to eavesdrop. On the other hand, there is a group who call themselves Anonymous, and they are broadcasting with considerable success. Then there is the White House Resistance, which appears to be still on the loose. The federal government has as yet failed to track them down and silence them.
The original platform of the RSDLP, as written by Lenin, is available on the internet, and is no doubt contained in his collected works. Those works are not readily available. However, as we have the internet, feel free to make use of it.
The very important point is that the introduction contains the following clause: ”A necessary condition for this social revolution is the dictatorship of the proletariat, that is, conquest by the proletariat of such political power as will enable it to suppress any resistance by the exploiters.” I consider that to be an absolutely key clause, one which is completely unacceptable to the bourgeoisie. The introduction also calls for the organization of the proletariat into an independent political party, opposed to all the bourgeois parties, a proletarian party which exposes the lies and deception of the bourgeoisie, guides and explains the revolution to the working class.
It also calls for a legislative assembly, a ”single chamber”. In terms of the American revolution, this means that the Senate should be abolished, in order to make the federal government more democratic. Then there is the call for a ”progressive tax” on income, and an inheritance tax. All judges should be elected. I am sure we can all agree on those points.
The new platform of the American Communist Party should also call for the abolition of the Electoral College. All student loans should be declared null and void. Education should be tuition free. There should be an increase to the minimum wage and to pensions. Everyone should be guaranteed free medial care, a human right.
The current situation is becoming ever more tense, ever more revolutionary. The contradictions are becoming ever sharper. The journalists are describing Trump as in the grip of a ”melt down”. He has produced a propaganda video, at tax payer expense, in which he denies the warnings he received concerning the virus. His lies are becoming ever more blatant. One journalist even went so far as to use the word ”dangerous”. This is in a reference to the claim of Trump that he has the ”absolute right” to ”reopen the country”, to open up all states for business. He does not have that right. His power is not absolute. As a result of this, the governors of various states, on each coast, are coming together, forming ”coalitions”. It is a small step from coalitions to the formation of separate republics, independent from the United States. Such republics could well trigger another civil war, a true revolution.
All of this in no way changes the fact that Americans are among the leaders of the international revolutionary movement. Further, it is American women who are in the forefront of the revolution, if only because the upper stratum of the working class has been bought off by the capitalists. At least, that used to be the case. Now that we are entering a depression, the ”perks” those worker used to receive are a thing of the past. As well, the middle class is being devastated. Countless small businesses are closing, with more on the way. It is difficult to see how any small business can survive the depression.
With that in mind, I can suggest that the leaders of the women’s movement, many of whom are, or were, members of the middle class, should once again become active. No doubt many of you are aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. Feel free to put those theories into practice. The ”good old days” of a comfortable middle class existence are a thing of the past. Now there is a need for a true Communist Party, and it is doubtful that anyone else is prepared to rise to the occasion. I have complete confidence in you.
Only a true Communist Party can bring to the working class, the proletariat, the awareness of themselves as a class, with their own class interests, which are diametrically opposed to the interests of the bourgeoisie. They have to be prepared for the approaching revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. There are various ways to raise the level of awareness, so feel free to be creative. So much of the propaganda from various Leftist groups is a supreme bore. People get tired of listening to the same old expressions, so that they tend to lose any meaning. The best way to educate people is to entertain them at the same time. As a bonus, this also irritates the bourgeoisie to no end.
A number of leaders of the women’s movement are professional entertainers, and they did some fine work exposing the bourgeoisie in the recent past. Several of these performances were so fine, they appeared on the main stream media. We need more of this, except with more class content. This can be in the form of signs, banners, slogans or even songs. You ladies are talented -do not deny it- so put those talents to good use.
There is a time and a place for protests and demonstrations, and there are other ways to raise the level of awareness of the proletariat. Of course I am referring to the internet. Most members of the public are literate, and now the vast majority have personal computers, or at least have access to them. Certain videos go ”viral”, if that is the correct word, in that people find them to be quite entertaining. For the most part, this happens more or less by accident. Feel free to produce such videos, hopefully to go viral, but by design.
The American revolution is of particular importance because it will no doubt spread to other countries of the world. Other revolutions in other parts of the world will also spread, so that in the not too distant future, we will see a World Socialist Republic, of which Lenin wrote.
The monopoly capitalists, the bourgeoisie, in the most highly industrialized countries have to be overthrown and crushed under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. In such countries, it is exceptionally difficult to start the revolution, but once started, it is much easier to proceed. This stands in stark contrast to under developed countries, in that it is relatively easy to start a revolution, but far more difficult to carry it through. The fact that capitalism was restored in Russia as well as China, both under developed countries, is not a coincidence.
Perhaps the ladies who are leading the revolution will take some encouragement from the fact that we can expect a great many more men to take part in the revolution. Those workers who were receiving extra ”perks” from the capitalists are now feeling the pinch. A great many middle class people, men as well as women, are now ruined, forced into the ranks of the proletariat. The proletarian army has just increased dramatically in size, becoming far stronger. Now it is no longer quite so difficult to start the revolution, thanks to the bourgeoisie.
This is not to say that we are about to enter the ”Age of Aquarius”, at a time of ”peace and tranquility”, because we are not. As anyone who has ever lived through a revolution can testify, it is anything but peaceful. It is on the horizon, it is going to be difficult, it is necessary, and without the proper leadership provided by the Communist Party, it will be a failure.
I have no doubt that conscious people, those who aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin, will rise to the occasion and form a true Communist Party. We will know we are on the right track when the expression Dictatorship Of the Proletariat is on the lips of all working people.
Forward to the Revolution, my Brothers and Sisters, my Comrades!
Gerald McIsaac Science Project 