As I write this, the press is preoccupied with the countdown to the November presidential election. They would have the American public believe that the end to the ”nightmare” which is currently gripping the country is right around the corner. Of course the name of the ”nightmare” is Trump, the ”serpent” who has weaselled his way into the White House. But now, lo and behold, they see a Knight in Shining Armour on the horizon! This hero, in the form of the Democratic presidential candidate, is destined to slay the dragon and restore peace and tranquility to the country. The Age of Aquarius is right around the corner!
Granted, the members of the press, the journalists, do not present the news in quite that manner. Yet all seem convinced that the salvation of the country lies in the upcoming elections. They foresee the Democrats winning a resounding victory in both House and Senate, as well as a landslide defeat for Trump. Then in January, with head down and tail between his legs, Trump will be placed in chains and marched off to prison.
Countless people may take some consolation in the thought of a new president being sworn in, followed immediately by the police slapping the handcuffs on Trump. As the president, head of state, it is doubtful that Trump can be charged, at least for now. But as a former head of state, it becomes ”open season” on Trump. Without doubt, various law enforcement agencies have gathered a great deal of evidence, and are prepared to charge him with various crimes, both federal and state. At the same time, the members of his family and close friends will also be charged.
These happy thoughts should be put aside, as such a fairy tale has no place in the real world. Trump has no intention of relinquishing power, surrendering to the authorities and facing numerous, very serious criminal charges. Such a course of action would almost certainly result in him spending the rest of his life in prison. The man knows this, as he is not entirely stupid.
It should be noted that the president has the legal right to pardon anyone for breaking any federal law -possibly even himself!- but no right to pardon anyone for violating any state law. Trump is well aware that he is looking at federal charges of abuse of power and tax evasion, among other things. As well, the state of New York is now examining his ”financial records”, with a view to possible fraud and money laundering. As the man is a habitual liar, it is not beyond the realm of imagination. To imagine Trump as a man of honesty and integrity, is well beyond such a realm.
Trump is already laying the ground work for his continued occupation of the White House, regardless of the results of the November elections. He has no intention of vacating the premises. He has already suggested an ”election delay”, due to the Corona Virus. Then there is the ”bogus” of mail in voting, in which ”Russian interference” will lead to ”false results”. When asked by his friends at a news channel, he refused to admit that he would honour the election results, saying instead that he ”would see” after the election. The Attorney General, a loyal Trump boot licker, testified to Congress that he would honour the election results, but only ”if the results are clear”. No doubt, the only ”clear” results are those which place Trump back in power for another four years.
This is not to say that Trump is the problem, because he is not. He is merely the most visible presence. He represents the capitalists, the class of people whose scientific term is the bourgeoisie. In fact, he is a member of that class. All members of that class are reactionary, completely devoid of principle, and Trump is clearly no exception. He is merely more arrogant than most, boasting that he can sexually assault any women he pleases. There are numerous women who can testify to the fact that he has done just that. What is more, he has gotten away with it, at least for now.
This brings us to the class opposite the capitalist class, the working class, the proletariat. The capitalists have done a fine job of decimating all other classes, so that mere remnants of the peasants, or farmers, remain in existence. The nobility was eradicated many years ago, and now the middle class, technically referred to as the petty bourgeois, is in the process of being wiped out. This class of people, small business owners, cannot compete with the monopolies. The optimists who try to establish a small business are quickly crushed by the monopoly capitalists. The capitalists are not about to tolerate any competition, no matter how slight.
The current pandemic of the Corona Virus is not sparing America. On the contrary, it is devastating the country. One quarter of all the infections and deaths around the world are happening in America. People are complaining that Trump is not being a leader. Such people are mistaken. Trump is very much a leader, and countless people are following him.
Those who are familiar with American history are well aware of numerous leaders. In the ”old west”, the James – Younger gang was led by Jesse James and Cole Younger. Billy the Kid had quite a following. Wes Hardin was well known as a gun fighter, as was Wyatt Earp. The only difference between the two was that Earp carried a badge and used it to commit murder. In more modern times, during the Great Depression, we have been blessed with Public Enemy Number One, John Dillinger, Ma Barker and her sons, Machine Gun Kelly, Baby Face Nelson, Mad Dog Vachon and Scarface Al Capone. More recently, John Gotti, the Teflon Don has become a household name, as has Sammy the Bull Gravano. Charles Manson had quite a following, including several lovely young ladies.
The point being that these people were leaders and countless people followed them. In fact, they followed them to the gallows, to the grave and to prison. The girls who followed Manson were able to ”cheat the hangman”, but only at the expense of spending the last fifty years in prison.
So for those who say that people need leaders, I can only respond that you are mistaken. People need proper leaders, and there is a big difference between the two. Trump is a leader of the capitalists, the bourgeoisie. Common people, working people, proletarians, need leaders for the working class, and the one and only people who can provide that leadership is the scientific socialists, the Marxists. That is always the case, now more so than ever.
The reason I say this is because the situation is truly revolutionary. The Corona Virus is raging unchecked across the country. Countless people are unemployed, partly as a result of the virus and partly as a result of the fact that the country is now entering another Great Depression. Any day now the stock market will crash. The bourgeois economists expect this crash to be even more intense than the famous crash of 1929. The latest ”stimulus package”, which offered a measure of relief to a great many people, has just expired. Those same economists expect that a third of all Americans will soon be unable to meet their payments for housing, either in the form of rent or mortgage expenses. Tens of millions of Americans will soon be not only unemployed, but also homeless.
On the other hand, the situation now is far different from a century ago. By that I mean working people are far more aware, if still not class conscious. They are somewhat instinctively moving towards socialism. An example of this is the Capital Hill Autonomous Zone, in which people lived together communally, sharing the little they had. Another example is the fact that in three parts of the country, the east coast, the west coast and the industrial heart land of the country, various states have come together to form the nucleus of separate socialist republics. It is doubtful that the people who are taking part in the creation of these – soon to be – socialist republics are aware of that which they are doing. This is referred to as being spontaneous, and is quite common.
Spontaneous actions are perfectly acceptable for common people, members of the public, working class people, proletarians, as well as middle class people, petty bourgeois. The working class is not aware of itself as a class. This awareness has to come to the working class from an outside source. Of course that outside source is middle class intellectuals. As for those who are prejudiced against such people, bear in mind that Marx, Engels and Lenin were middle class intellectuals. In short, get over that prejudice!
I also mention middle class people, petty bourgeois, as a great many such people are either ruined or in the process of being ruined. Before the virus hit, they were under great pressure by the monopoly capitalists. Now, as most small businesses have been shut down for several months and will very likely be shut down again, possibly for a much longer time, the owners are ruined. They cannot possibly stay in business. They are being forced into the ranks of the working class, the proletariat. At the same time, they are bringing with them their awareness of the existence of classes, as all middle class people are class conscious.
This is not to say that they are all Marxists, as most of them are not. Some are not even aware of the theory of the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, although many are aware of such Marxist theories. All are quite capable of helping to raise the level of awareness of the working class. Those who are aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin should bring that awareness to the working class, the proletariat. Such people have nothing to fear. As proletarians, they are free to take part in the revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. In fact, I strongly recommend this.
Trump is becoming ever more brazen, first forcing peaceful protesters out of Lafayette Square and now sending government agents, in plain clothes, into the city of Portland to arrest protesters and carry them away in unmarked vans. These are reported to be ”police” from DHS, Department of Homeland Security. Perhaps it would be more accurate to refer to them as Secret Police.
The fact is that the country is deeply divided, as almost everyone is prepared to admit. It is set to explode, or to put it in scientific terms, the contradictions are sharp and clear. Civil war could break out at any day. This is to say that time is not on our side. The level of awareness of the working class must be raised. Workers must be prepared for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.
Now is the time for workers to join the two parties, Democrats and Republicans, as card carrying members. Assume positions of responsibility. Run for any and all political office.
Perhaps of even more importance, it is necessary to organize. The women and students have proven their ability in the past, and now an even greater effort is required. The leaders of the women’s movement of several years ago may have sold out to the capitalists, becoming members of a corporation. If so, no doubt others can take their place.
Feel free to take inspiration from other female revolutionary leaders, such as Rosa Luxembourg and Clara Zetkin. They set a fine example.
Of critical importance is the creation of a truly Communist Party, one which calls for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Only in that way can it be distinguished from the social chauvinists and the centrists. Those people would sooner crawl on their bellies over broken glass, rather than endorse the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.
All workers, or at least all advanced workers, should read the Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels, as well as the Essential Works of Lenin. In this manner, such workers will receive a fine grounding in Marxism. As the middle class intellectuals are as yet silent, it is up to workers to take the initiative. They can take part in the formation of a truly Communist Party, Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.
Bear in mind that Lenin referred to America as the ”freest and most civilized country…a democratic republic. But what do we find? The brazen rule of a handful, not even of millionaires, but multimillionaires, while the people are in slavery and servitude”.
As this was written a century ago, it is now correct to say that we have the ”brazen rule” of billionaires and multi billionaires, while still ”the people are in slavery and servitude”.
Just as Lenin was the leader of the Marxist party of Russia, which came to be known as the Communist Party of Russia, so too we are in desperate need of an American Communist Party, Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Only such a party can provide the proper leadership!
Bear in mind that as Lenin stated, it is easy to start a revolution in a ”petty bourgeois” country, as was Russia in 1917, but far more difficult to carry it through. By contrast, it is far more difficult to start a revolution in a ”cultured” country, as is America, but far easier to carry it through.
Perhaps it would be best if I ended this article with a slogan coined by Lenin:
Victory or Death!
Gerald McIsaac Science Project 