The fatalities in America, as a result of the corona virus, continue to soar. The reported deaths are currently over thirty six thousand, while the deaths of people who choose to die at home, surrounded by family, are not reported. As well, over twenty two million workers have filed for unemployment benefits within the last month! Even that number is expected to ”rise dramatically” as those who are currently employed, if only on paper, by various small businesses, are ”given their walking papers”. The three hundred fifty billion that Congress made available to small businesses has just run out. Without more government hand outs, far more workers will be laid off. As well, the current small business owners, the petty bourgeois, will also be joining the ranks of the proletariat, also unemployed.
This is to say that the country is sinking ever deeper into a depression. The political scientists, the Marxists, may say that the ”contradictions are sharpening”. I mention this for the benefit of the working people who are reading this article, and I most fervently hope there are a great many such people. All Americans are well aware that the country is deeply divided. Not so many people are aware that it is about to break apart. The country is on the verge of revolution. Separate republics are in the process of formation. The capitalists within those emerging republics are determined to make sure that capitalism persists, even after the revolution.
This could happen. It must be stressed that revolution does not necessarily lead to socialism! During a revolution, people rise up spontaneously, not consciously! I refer to this as an Act of God, while other Marxists, those who may object to the use of the work God, tend to refer to it as a ”mass movement”. I make no apologies for my belief in God. I respect the beliefs of all others, and merely ask the same respect in turn.
The important point to remember is that the vast majority of people who are about to rise up in the approaching revolution are not ”conscious people”. No one wakes up one morning and decides to take part in a revolution. Yet that is precisely what happens. That is also the reason we say that such people are acting in a ”spontaneous” manner. This is not to denigrate the importance of the spontaneous element. This is to say that the people who are spontaneously taking part in the revolution need to become aware that they are part of a working class, technically referred to as the proletariat. They also have to be made aware of the existence of the capitalist class, the class of parasites opposite to them, the billionaires who make up the class of people referred to as the bourgeoisie. The proletariat and the bourgeoisie are class enemies. In other words, we have to raise the level of awareness of the proletariat. In fact, the most advanced workers must have their level of awareness raised to the level of Marxists.
The most advanced workers are exceptional. Their importance lies in the fact that the vast majority of workers, those whom are somewhat less advanced, pay strict attention to what they say. Advanced workers are well respected. The less advanced workers, those who may scoff at middle class intellectuals, listen closely to the advanced workers.
This is not to say that we, as Marxists, should ignore the less advanced. We want to raise their level of awareness, and the best way to do this is through repetition and the use of slogans. Signs and banners must proclaim the existence of classes, that of workers as well as capitalists. Such terms as scientific socialism and Dictatorship Of the Proletariat must become common place. All workers must become aware that it is the Marxist belief that the capitalists must be overthrown and crushed under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.
Recently, the governors of various states have formed a loose alliance, in that they have agreed to ”work together” to ”reopen their economies”. On the east coast, the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts have formed a ”coalition”. In the midwest, the states of Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky have agreed to work in ”close cooperation”. On the west coast, the states of California, Oregon and Washington have also formed ”regional pacts”.
These loose ”coalitions” or ”alliances” or ”regional pacts” constitute nothing less than the nucleus of separate republics which are forming out of the impending collapse of the American empire. It is Trump who is forcing these states to come together, to form these alliances. He claims to have ”total authority”. He also stated that the governors who dispute his claim are ”engaging in mutiny”. As Trump put it, ”We have the authority to do whatever we want…will take strong action against states” who dispute this authority. He went on to compare this to the Mutiny On the Bounty.
At that time, the penalty for mutiny was death by hanging. Had the mutineers on board the Bounty been caught, no doubt those people would have faced the death penalty. Equally without doubt, all governors are aware of this. The fact is that Trump has just threatened the governors of all states with the death penalty, if they defy his authority!
Of course Trump does not have this legal authority. Under the constitution, there is a clear division of power, between state and federal branches of government. This does not impress Trump in the slightest, as he has all the power he says he has. As far as he is concerned, the constitution is merely a scrap of paper. No wonder the governors of various states are banding together! Their lives are on the line!
No doubt there are numerous people who think that is an exaggeration. They probably think the idea of the Commander in Chief of the American armed forces, sending troops into individual states, with the intent of hanging any and all governors who dare defy him, is madness. As I am not a medical professional, I am not about to argue the mental status of Trump. I will merely point out that Trump ”welcomes mutiny”, and is prepared to take ”strong action” against mutineers. We know this for a fact, because those are precisely the words he used!
As for those who are skeptical, may I draw your attention to a previous head of state, one whom also made some very wild, reckless statements. He threatened to invade neighbouring countries, kill most of the citizens, and enslave the rest. He also threatened to kill a whole race of people, an act of genocide. He was not joking. We know this for a fact, as he went on to do precisely as he threatened. It is not clear why so many people were shocked.
It was Marx who pointed out that in a time of crisis, ”the ruling class can no longer rule in the old way. They have to change their method of rule”. This is a time of crisis, the bourgeoisie are the ruling class, they can no longer rule in the ”old way”, and they have decided to ”change their method of rule”. They have decided to set Trump up as a dictator.
In a very short time, the situation has changed dramatically. It is doubtful that there will be a federal election in November, or if there is such an election, it will likely be pointless. The bourgeoisie have almost certainly decided that Trump will continue as ”president”, but with unlimited powers. He is one of their own, a fellow billionaire, and they can count on him to protect them.
No doubt other states will form other coalitions, or possibly join the coalitions which already exist. For their own safety, they are being forced into this. There is safety in numbers. It is very likely that Trump will send federal troops into states which he considers to be ”mutinous”, with the intention of hanging the governors of those states, as well as anyone else who dares defy him. It will no doubt come as a comfort to know that member states are about to come to their aid. This is another way of saying that America is on the brink of another civil war! Now it is up to conscious people, Marxists, to transform this approaching civil war into a revolutionary war, a class war, a war for scientific socialism, a war for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.
Trump has already introduced a ”three phase plan” to open up the country, because as he put it, ”there has to be a balance…there’s also death involved in keeping it closed”. He neglected to point out just what death was ”involved in keeping it closed”. Trump is merely focused in opening up the country, returning to ”business as usual”. He refuses to face the fact that those ”good old days” are gone, never to return.
Perhaps the idea of American troops invading states will be sufficient to motivate conscious people, those who are aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin, to become active. A Communist Party is desperately needed. That is the one and only Party which can provide the proletariat with the leadership they need. All other parties will merely steer the revolution onto the bourgeois path. Recall the words of Lenin: ”Without a revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary motion”. (my italics)
Trump has already been busy, hurling insults at various governors who have the gall to stand up to him. He appears to have a particular hatred for the governors of New York and Washington state. He is calling for citizens of those states, among others, to defy the bans on social distancing and to not stay at home. The governors are in turn confused and frustrated, as Trump consistently contradicts himself, first saying one thing one day and the exact opposite the next. Crazy or not, he is clearly not stable.
Any day now Trump could send troops into states which he perceives to be ”mutinous”. It is not clear that those troops would obey his orders. It is clear that such an act would likely cause the start of a civil war. Perhaps the thought of American troops invading American states will inspire American intellectuals, working class as well as middle class, to do that which needs to be done.
Form a Communist Party.
Gerald McIsaac Science Project 