The confirmed deaths due to the corona virus has now surpassed the number of Americans killed in the Viet Nam war. The confirmed cases of the virus, in America alone, is now over one million. The chief adviser to the president, his own son in law, is now referring to the response by the federal government as a ”great victory”. That is one way to put it, although I can think of others. The term ”national disgrace” comes to mind. The total number of deaths due to the virus is far higher than the ”confirmed cases”, as so many people prefer to die at home, surrounded by family, rather than alone in a hospital.
The press is now reporting that within the last six weeks, thirty million working people have applied for unemployment insurance benefits. That number is expected to rise dramatically as ever more businesses go broke. For the moment, a great many small businesses are able to meet their payroll due to government grants, referred to as Economic Stimulus Packages. Another such package has just been approved by the federal government, to the tune of half a trillion dollars. The last such package, of a few hundred billion, lasted only a few weeks, so this one will not last long either. When that money runs out, many more ”small businesses” will in turn go broke, resulting in more unemployment.
It should be noted that a ”small business” is defined as a business employing less than five hundred people. There are a great many such businesses which are merely subsidiaries of huge corporations. The money given to them is nothing less than corporate welfare. All of this comes at tax payer expense, of course.
The governors of various states are calling for money to support the hospitals and medical support agencies. The federal government is aware of the severe financial hardship caused by the virus and the Depression. Their response, as clearly stated by the minority leader of the Senate, is that ”it is better for the states to go bankrupt, rather than be funded by the federal government”. Even the federal leaders are aware that the country is facing bankruptcy, and as that is the case, are prepared to allow the individual states to go broke instead. It is to the credit of the minority leader that he has blurted out the fact, which the federal government is trying to keep secret, that they plan to allow the states to go broke. Every so often the loyal servants of the bourgeoisie speak the truth.
Trump is also calling for people to use disinfectant to combat the corona virus. It is not clear if he is suggesting that people drink this poison or to ”mainline it”, to use a needle to shoot it into their veins. Either approach is sure to be most unpleasant, possibly fatal. Even for Trump, it was a stupid thing to say. Then again, possibly it was merely a typical Trump statement. Just as typical of Trump is the fact that he now denies saying precisely the thing he said. Perhaps that is his idea of damage control.
The press is now pointing out that it is routine for Trump to lie. As soon as the press points out one lie, the members of his staff -belly crawling boot lickers, one and all- come out with a separate set of lies, as a separate means of damage control. Then Trump denies his original lie with an altogether new set of lies, in the process also contradicting the lies of his boot lickers. This may sound like political satire, but is the sad truth.
At least one of the states is heeding the call of Trump to open up for business. Such businesses as beauty shops, tattoo parlours and nail solons are now open, as part of a ”phased reopening” of the state. So on the one hand, citizens are being advised to stay at home, except those who are working in ”essential services”. All are being advised to exercise ”social distancing”. Those who are not working in essential services are being advised to leave their homes only for purposes of shopping for groceries or emergency medical appointments. On the other hand, they are being encouraged to go for a hair cut, get a tattoo and manicure. Just how they are expected to get their hair cut, a tattoo and manicure while staying home and exercising social distancing, is not clear.
Citizens of various states are heeding the call of Trump to protest ”social distancing”. It is the federal government, led by Trump, which is calling for social distancing, yet Trump is encouraging people to protest and defy this same order. There is an expression, to the effect of ”be careful what you pray for, you may just get it”. Trump would do well to take this to heart, as he may get what he wants. In spades, no less. These same protesters will likely turn against him, and capitalism in general, and start calling for revolution and a socialist republic. From there, it is a small step to calling for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.
There are also reports of demonstrations in the state of Michigan, at the government building within the state capital. People there are protesting the ”stay at home” orders. It is also reported that some of these protesters are also carrying firearms. If true, this is a huge escalation of the class conflict. This is especially significant as the state of Michigan is part of the industrial heartland of the country. We can expect the industrial proletariat to play a key role in the forthcoming revolution.
This is to drive home the point that the situation is revolutionary. We have a medical crisis caused by the virus, and a crisis of over production, which has given rise to a Depression. We have a great abundance, more than enough for everyone. Under capitalism, this is a terrible curse. It is only under socialism that a surplus is a great blessing.
People are protesting because they want jobs. Working people are proud, too proud to stay at home and receive hand outs. That is a fact, just as it is a fact that we currently live under capitalism. The capitalists are in charge, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. They do not care what workers want. They care only about their profits.
As the title of this article suggests, I am writing this with working people in mind. I most sincerely hope to God that there are a great many such people who are reading this. Aside from the virus, we are entering a Depression, one which is anticipated to be more severe than the Great Depression of the twentieth century.
Our parents and grandparents suffered through that Depression for ten years. To give an idea of the desperation faced at that time, I can give the example of my father, who dug ditches for twenty five cents an hour. Perhaps the billionaires of today think that our generation will also tolerate such massive unemployment, hunger and disease. If that is the case, they are sadly mistaken.
The one and only way out of this Depression is through scientific socialism. This stands in stark contrast to utopian socialism. The difference is that scientific socialism is based upon the scientific theories of Marx and Lenin. Those theories have been proven to be correct. Experience has shown that revolutions which follow the advice of Marx and Lenin are successful, while revolutions which do not follow their advice always fail.
The fact is that the working class, technically referred to as the proletariat, must overthrow the capitalist class and crush them under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat!
Notice that I have deliberately used capital letters to stress the importance of that Dictatorship. That is a strong term, no ifs, ands or buts. It is also a fundamental tenet of Marxism that there is no other way to establish socialism. Bitter experience has proven that, beyond any shadow of a doubt. Any and all revolutions which have taken place, without crushing the bourgeoisie under the iron rule of the proletariat, have failed!
The capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are well aware of this. In fact, the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat is their worst night mare. The middle class people, the small business owners, the petty bourgeois, are also aware of this. Most of them are now ruined, or about to be ruined, and are joining the ranks of the working class. It is up to middle class intellectuals to bring this awareness to the working class. By and large, this is not happening, so that calls for an alternative. There is more than one way to skin a cat.
Most working people are literate and have personal computers. Those of us who grew up with rotary telephones may not be terribly proficient with those computers, but our grandchildren are available to help us out. Just take my advice and do not try to explain the finer points of rotary phones. There are certain things the younger generation simply cannot understand. Perhaps that is just as well. Besides, being referred to as a dinosaur can become rather tiresome.
With that in mind, may I suggest to fellow working people that a careful reading of the Essential Works of Lenin is a fine place to start. Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism, is quite easy to understand, and gives a fine idea of the problem we are facing, that of monopoly capitalism. Then State and Revolution explains the importance of smashing the existing state machine, that which has been set up by the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, in order to crush the working class, the proletariat. Such a state apparatus must be replaced by an entirely different set up, a proletarian apparatus, in order to smash the ”desperate and determined” resistance of the bourgeoisie. As well, the book What Is To Be Done?, explains the resistance we can expect to encounter, among those who claim to be socialists or Marxists or Communists, but are opposed to the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. At the moment, that is almost all ”socialist” parties.
That should give working people a fine understanding of the basic principles of Marxism. It is certainly a place to start. Then such workers can advise their friends and coworkers. As well, the internet is available, with various ”social networking” sites, assuming that is the correct term. In this way, the level of awareness among the working class can be raised. No doubt the most advanced workers will be raised to the level of true Marxists. There is no time to waste, as the revolution could break out any day now.
Having said that, there is no way to predict the exact day of the revolution. Our task now is to prepare for the revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Working people, proletarians, must learn the skills in leadership now, which they will need after the revolution. For that reason I encourage working people to become active in working class organizations of all sorts, from trade unions to sewing circles. As well, feel free to join the two mainstream political parties, as card carrying members, and run for any and all political office, on behalf of both parties.
The fact is that at the time of the revolution, leaders will emerge! Many of these leaders will be servants of the bourgeoisie, boot lickers one and all. They will try to divert the revolution onto some harmless path of social reform, away from the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Many of them will do this in the name of Marx and Lenin, no less. They must be opposed. That is where true leaders of the working class come into the picture, proletarian leaders. This is not to imply that such leaders must be working class. Bear in mind that both Marx and Lenin were middle class, members of the intelligentsia. To be prejudiced against middle class intellectuals is to be prejudiced against Marx and Lenin! The important thing is not the class background, but the class they serve!.
This is to say that a true Marxist political party, a Communist Party, must be formed. Only such a party can provide the working class, the proletariat, with the leadership, the direction, it so desperately needs. Usually it is the middle class intellectuals who take part in the creation of such a party. As yet, that is not happening. Or if it is, it is a well kept secret, which only defeats the purpose. We need a Communist Party, one which openly calls for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. As that is the case, and as middle class intellectuals are not performing their duty, it is up to working class intellectuals to rise to the occasion.
Proletarian intellectuals are few in number, but they do exist. The important thing is quality, not quantity. They have also been schooled in the class struggle. If nothing else, bitter experience has taught them about the conflict between the classes. Not a great deal of persuasion is required to convince them that the capitalists must be crushed under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Now it is a little matter of raising their level of consciousness to that of Marxists. Then they can take part in the formation of a proper Communist Party.
Now is not the time for false modesty. Such advanced workers know who they are. To such proletarians I can only say, spare all of us the ”aw, shucks, I’m just a simple country boy” routine. Now is not the time for a song and dance. Now is the time for working class leaders to come forward and give direction. Your own people, your working class, is counting upon you.
As for those who think that we can have a political party which will represent all citizens, regardless of class, you are mistaken. We live in a class society, so any political party stands for the proletariat or it stands for the bourgeoisie. There is no alternative, no middle ground. At present, we live under the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. After the revolution, the only way to establish socialism is through the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.
We will know that we are being successful in getting our message to working people when various Marxist slogans are commonplace:
Scientific Socialism!
Dictatorship Of the Proletariat!
Workers of the World, Unite!
Victory or Death!
Gerald McIsaac Science Project 