America Divided

Once again, a black man has been shot by the police, and once again the shooting has been captured on video. This time the shooting took place in Kenosha, Wisconsin. From the video, it is clear that the man was shot in the back, at point blank range, no less than seven times. As a result of this, he is reported to be paralyzed from the waist down. It is to the credit of the medical professionals that he is not dead. It is a testament to the stupidity of the local police that they went to the hospital and chained him to the bed. Perhaps they thought he would run away!

This continuation of violence, on the part of the police, has led to an escalation in protest. The most visible indication of this is in the field of professional sports. For the last several months, a great many players have been ”taking a knee” as a sign of protest, at the time of the playing of the national anthem.

Various professional athletes, in the fields of basketball, baseball and soccer have chosen to ”boycott” games, at least for the days of the previous Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. As a result of this stand by the athletes, the NHL issued a statement which is supremely vague: ”Black and Brown communities continue to face real, painful experiences. The NHL and NHLPA recognize that much work remains to be done before we can play an appropriate role in a discussion centred on diversity, inclusion and social justice”. This is another way of saying ”life goes on”.

By contrast, the members of the WNBA, Women’s National Basketball Association, not only boycotted the game, but demonstrated at Centre Court and issued a statement in support of the movement against violent police repression: ”We are lifting the name of Black and Brown women, whose names have been forgotten…We will continue to use our platform to speak of these injustices that are still happening and demand action for change. Black lives matter. Say her name. Say his name. We are not just basketball players. We are so much more than that. All lives matter, including the Black lives we are talking about.”

The contrast between the two statements is sharp and clear. The men issued a statement which is bland and meaningless, while the women issued a statement which is opposed to police brutality. The women are not about to ”shut up and play”. They are not ”just basketball players”. They are indeed ”much more than that”, and they have every reason to be proud. This is one more example of the American women leading the revolutionary working class movement.

As yet, there is no mention of class content, but the people taking part in the revolutionary uprising are moving in that direction.

Numerous government officials have pointed out that Trump is now ”fanning the flames of violence”. He plans to visit the city of Kenosha, against the wishes of city officials, who fear that such a visit will give rise to more violence. The governor of the state is opposed to this visit, and is practically pleading with Trump to stay away. Of course that is all the more reason for Trump to visit. Given a chance to ”stir the pot”, Trump is not about to pass it up!

Trump is ”appalled” at the ”violence” in the city of Portland, which has been ”going on” now for over ninety consecutive days. He had a few ”harsh words” for the mayor of that city, to put it mildly. To put it accurately, he was downright ignorant with the man. Trump referred to the man as a ”Radical Left Do Nothing Democrat”, in one of his tweets. That was one of the more pleasant things he said about the man.

Such behaviour, on the part of a head of state, is nothing short of contemptible. Trump is also threatening to send in the National Guard, to ”restore law and order”, even though such an order could be in violation of the very law he is so anxious to ”restore”.

In response, the mayor of Portland has accused Trump of ”creating hate and division”. He is appealing to the protesters to ”not tear each other apart”. Although the sentiment is a noble one, it is a bit late for that. The country is already torn apart.

In addition, Trump has ordered the Director of the National Intelligence to cancel all election security briefings for the Congress. The Speaker of the House has responded by calling this a ”shocking abdication of its responsibility to keep Congress informed”. Of course she is right that it is an ”abdication of its responsibility”, but the reason she finds this so ”shocking” is not clear. It is just another step that Trump is taking, in the process of setting himself up as ”king”.

The fact is that Trump is becoming ever more brazen. He has no intention of stepping down in January, regardless of the results of the election. If the vote goes against him, he will merely declare that the election was bogus, fraudulent, and therefore it is his patriotic duty to continue to serve as president. It is the least he can do for the American people!

It is significant that a spokesman for the military made a statement to the effect that they would not get involved in any ”election dispute”. As the president is the ”Commander in Chief” of all the armed forces, it is quite possible that the country may soon have two people who claim to be president, both issuing orders to the military. Under such a situation, it is difficult to imagine how the military cannot ”get involved”!

As a result of this insanity, on the part of Trump, even his most fervent supporters can now see the ”writing on the wall”. They are now ”jumping ship”, as there is no point is fighting for a ”lost cause”. The latest individual to ”come to her senses” was one of his closest, most devoted advisors, who resigned from her job, in order to ”spend more time with her family”.

No doubt her job, that of working for Trump, put a strain on her marriage, as Trump hires only attractive young females, those who have no objection to being groped. It is very likely that her husband took a ”dim view” of such ”shenanigans”. Then again, it is entirely possible that she had a twinge of conscience.

It is far more likely that she decided to ”cut her losses”. Trumps ”days are numbered”, and even his closest advisors are now aware of this. As they have about as much loyalty to him as he has to them -which is to say none whatsoever- they are merely walking away.

There is a reason that Trump is reluctant to part company with the reins of power. He does not want to spend the rest of his life in jail!

At best, as soon as he is no longer president, Trump can expect to be charged with numerous counts of fraud, tax evasion, money laundering and possibly abuse of power. The government can be expected to separate him from his wealth, so that his small army of lawyers will melt away as snow in June. At worst, his love and admiration for Putin may have crossed the line, if he in fact collaborated with Putin in betraying the American government. That is the very definition of treason, and that is the one thing the American people will not tolerate. If convicted of treason, all Americans, regardless of political persuasion, will be calling for his blood.

It is quite remarkable that a large part of the city of Portland is still occupied by protesters. Of course that infuriates Trump, with good reason. He sees it as a threat to his class, that of the monopoly capitalists, the bourgeoisie. They are afraid that such an occupation could spread to other cities, much as a virus spreads. In this, they are correct, and they are determined to contain it. That is the reason he has responded with his usual lies and slander.

It is perhaps not a coincidence that the people who are occupying a part of the city of Portland have established a council. Under similar circumstances, in Russia, 1917, on the eve of the Russian revolution, the workers established something similar. These similar councils were referred to as ”Soviets”, and of course they spread across the country.

At the same time, in Russia, under the rule of Czar Nicholas, a number of government officials came together and plotted against the Czar. This was a natural result of the revolutionary motion. Now, in America, in a similar situation, we have a number of self described ”government officials” who are also plotting against Trump. As they are being very secretive, it stands to reason that they are trying to draw no attention to themselves. This is not too surprising, as thieves love darkness.

The situation in Russia at that time was most exceptional. Among other things, the Russian people, workers and peasants, had the experience -most bitter experience- of the previous revolution of 1905. Although that particular revolution had been crushed, with the utmost brutality, it served as a ”school”, as a means of ”educating” the Russian people. The veterans of that revolution had no illusions. They knew exactly what to expect.

By the same token, the American people, in 2020, have the experience of the Occupy Movement, as well as the Anti War movement of the ”sixties”. The veterans of those two previous uprisings are now veterans, and they too know what to expect. We can expect them to lead the current American revolution.

Here now in America, the ruling class, the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, are concerned that Trump is a threat to their method of rule. In fact, the ”democratic republic is the best possible political shell for capitalism”, according to Lenin. To have Trump set himself up as a monarch would result in the loss of the democratic republic, which is not in the best interests of the bourgeoisie. That is the reason they are determined to stop him. They are not opposed to Trump as a matter of principle, if only because they have no principles.

Now the bourgeoisie is expecting the working class, the proletariat, to assist them in stopping that madman. Even though the two classes are the bitterest of enemies, it is up to the proletariat to assist the bourgeoisie, to form a temporary alliance, as they have a common enemy.

This is perhaps not as strange as it may sound. In Russia, in early 1917, the Russian workers, peasants and petty bourgeois came together to form an alliance with the Russian capitalists, the bourgeoisie, in order to overthrow the Czar. At that time, the madman occupying the throne was Nicholas the Second, also known as Nicholas the Bloody, and he had to go. In February – March of that year, the Russian people were successful, the Czar was deposed, and the alliance was over. A bourgeois democratic republic was formed, and in the process of overthrowing the Czar, the Russian working people received a valuable lesson. It served them well in the October revolution of the same year, in which the capitalists were overthrown, and a socialist republic was established.

A similar situation is now unfolding in America. Trump has to be stopped, the democratic republic has to be defended, and that calls for the broadest possible alliance of protesters. The experience the working people are about to gain will serve them well. After Trump is deposed, those same revolutionary protesters will proceed to overthrow the capitalists and to establish a socialist republic, under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

We can expect everyone on the ”Left” to take part in the motion to depose Trump, including the social chauvinists, those who are socialists in words, chauvinists in deeds. This will no doubt lead to some confusion on the part of the members of the public, as they will wonder about the difference between various groups who claim to be Marxists or Communists.

The best way to distinguish ourselves from the other ”Leftist” groups, while marching with them in defence of the democratic republic, is to carry signs and banners which call for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. As the social chauvinist are most passionate defenders of the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, they want no part of the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

After Trump is removed from office, no doubt the social chauvinists will call for all protests to end, as the democratic republic in ”now secure”. As loyal subjects of the bourgeoisie -although it would never occur to them to admit this- they want no part of revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

I should add that I have chosen to use these capital letter in order to stress the importance of the theory. It is the worst nightmare of every capitalist.

With that in mind, let the banner proclaim:

Workers of the World, Unite!

Scientific Socialism!

Dictatorship Of the Proletariat!