The current crisis in capitalism is causing the various mainstream political parties to show their ”true colours”. In fact, both the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party, NDP, recently opposed the truckers protests, both in Ottawa and at the Ambassador Bridge.
This is significant, as the Liberal Party portrays itself as the Party of the middle class, while the NDP claims to be the Party of the ”little guy”, the working class. Further, they would have us believe that working people who can manage to ”make ends meet”, although with great difficulty, are middle class. By implication, the working people who are unemployed or under employed, frequently homeless and relying on food banks, are members of the working class. Such is hardly the case!
No doubt many readers are new to the class struggle, as the revolutionary movement has caused countless people to become politically active. As Lenin phrased it, ”symptomatic of any genuine revolution is a rapid, tenfold and even hundredfold increase in the size of the working and oppresses masses -hitherto apathetic- who are capable of waging the political struggle, weakens the government, and makes it possible for the revolutionaries to rapidly overthrow it.”
As countless working people are now politically active, it is clear that we are facing a ”genuine revolution”.
It is significant that so many working people refer to this awakening in a slightly different manner. As they phrase it, ”We woke up!” The fact that the two mainstream political parties, Liberals and NDP, came together against the very people they claim to represent, shows that they too are in the service of the ruling class of capitalists.
The important thing to bear in mind is that this ”awakening”, effectively ”weakens the government, and makes it possible for the revolutionaries to rapidly overthrow it.” In other words, the working class, the proletariat, must overthrow the ruling class of capitalists, seize political power and establish socialism, in the form of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.
Now that we are blessed with the internet -and the internet is indeed a blessing!- the first impulse of most people, those who are just now becoming politically active, is to use it, to get a definition of the term working class, as opposed to middle class.
The response is that of mass confusion. Various definitions are given, mainly with a reference to the amount of money a person earns, over the course of a year. Other definitions include the type of employment, such as that of a labourer or waitress. All are careful to avoid a proper Marxist definition of working class.
With that in mind, it is best to provide a proper Marxist definition of various classes, starting with the working class, the proletariat.
According to Marx, working class people are those who have nothing to sell but their labour power. We work for wages, if for no other reason than the fact that we have no choice in the matter. We are technically referred to as proletarians, a term with which working people must become familiar. If we are not familiar with this term, the capitalists will use it against us.
Then there are the middle class people. These are the people who own small businesses, perhaps a corner store or a small shop. They tend to work countless hours, trying to ”make ends meet”. Others may own a machine, perhaps a taxi or a truck, drive those machines as much as possible, and effectively become ”owner-operators”. It becomes a constant battle to find work for the machine, and to get paid a decent rate. The trouble being that all such small business owners are in competition with each other, constantly under bidding the other. The end result is that of desperation, generally resulting in bankruptcy. Yet while in business, these middle class people are referred to as ”petty bourgeois”. That is another term with which working class people must become familiar.
Another class is that of the peasantry, although in North America they are referred to as farmers. There are even fewer farmers than there are middle class people. Most of the people who previously owned family farms have either been driven into bankruptcy, died or have retired. Very few young people are prepared to take over the burden of a family farm. Most are well aware that there are easier ways to go broke!
Yet many of those few remaining farmers took part in the recent ”truckers protest”, especially at the border crossings.
That brings us to the monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, technically referred to as the ”bourgeoisie”. They perform no useful service. They contribute nothing to society. They are mere parasites, leaching off the labour of others. They own all the major banks, mills, mines, factories, railroads, shipping lines, communications networks and anything else of any considerable value. That includes the internet. They are also the class of people who are running the country. Our democratically elected politicians ”dance to their tune”. The fact that both the Liberals and the NDP opposed the truckers protest, is proof of that!
The capitalists do not want the working class, the proletariat, to become aware of themselves as a class. After all, the class interests of the working class and that of the capitalists are diametrically opposed. That which is in the best interests of the working class is in the worst interests of the capitalist class. It is in the best interests of the capitalists to pay the working class as little as possible, while working us as hard as possible. Of course, precisely the opposite is in the best interests of the working class.
But as the capitalists own the internet, they are careful to spread as much confusion as possible. It is to be hoped that the proper Marxist definition of classes will prove to be helpful.
But now to return to the subject of the political parties in Canada. Aside from the Liberal and NDP, there are three other mainstream political parties. These are the Conservative Party, the Green Party, and the Bloc Quebecois. The Conservatives refer to themselves as the ”Party of Business”, while the Bloc Quebecois is active only in Quebec.
The Green Party is apparently an alternative to the other mainstream political parties. It is somewhat strange, to put it politely. It has four ”organizational pillars”, which include ”ecological wisdom, social justice, grass roots democracy, and non violence”. Perhaps someone should let the Greens know that most Canadians have no idea about the first three, but as for the fourth, that of non violence, may I suggest a reality check? Canada is a country which was built on violence! Most Canadians have firearms, and are fully prepared to use them!
That in no way changes the fact that the Green Party is one of the mainstream Parties, and it has a following.
As that is the case, and as it is further my opinion that all Canadians should become politically active, then I maintain that it is one of the Parties that all Canadians should join. In fact, I think that all Canadians should join all the mainstream political Parties, or at least as many as possible.
The reason I say this is because it is the members of the Party who set the Party policy, elect leaders of the Party, and determine the candidates for any and all political office. Becoming a member of any Party is simplicity itself, according to the internet. As it is stated:
”Requirements to join a political party:
”You must agree with the general principles of the party (they will often get you to sign or tick a box online stating that you agree)
”Most parties will not allow you to join if you are a member in another party (there is no way for them to police this, they rely on the honour system)
”You must be a resident of Canada (no, you don’t even need to be a citizen, just a resident of Canada)
”You must be a minimum age (this differs between political parties, but is usually as low as 14 or 16; so if you are in high school, you can be a member of a political party with all the rights that come with it- which includes voting in a nomination race)
”Joining is easy! The membership of a political party is the bread and butter of the party. So the parties make it super easy for you to join online. The membership fees for the political parties differ.”
It goes on to say that the membership fees for the Conservative Party are the highest, at $15. per year. The Green Party comes in at $10. per year, the Bloc Quebecois at $5. per year, while the Liberal Party is free. The membership in the NDP varies, depending upon the province in which you live.
Those membership rates are well within the means of most Canadians. If nothing else, people can at least join the Liberal Party, as it is free. Better yet, people of high school age can join, as it is best to encourage people to become politically active, as soon as possible.
My suggestion is that as many Canadians as possible, join as many political Parties as possible, and become as politically active as possible. When applying for membership in more than one Party, feel free to be naughty. Just ”tick the little box” that says you are not a member of any other political Party. There is a certain sense of urgency in this.
The fact is that the NDP is in the process of forming an alliance with the Liberals. The leader of the NDP, Jagmeet Singh, has met with the leader of the Liberals, Justin Trudeau, our current Prime Minister, and that is their plan. Further, they want to increase the military spending, presumably to get more involved with NATO. This increase in military spending will almost certainly coincide with an increase in bureaucracy, so that Canada will end up embracing imperialism. They must be stopped!
The two leaders, by themselves, cannot officially come to any ”formalized agreement”. It must be endorsed by the members of both parties, the ”rank and file”. That is the reason it is so important, even urgent, that many Canadians join those two Parties.
As mentioned in a previous article, Lenin pointed out that in a country which does not embrace militarism and bureaucracy, it is possible to have a revolution, without destroying the ”ready made state apparatus”. It is simpler and cheaper to ”buy out” the capitalists. Yet once the country embraces militarism and bureaucracy, then the state apparatus must be destroyed. This makes the revolution far more difficult.
As for those who dispute that previous statement, may I suggest taking a close look at the revolutionary movement in America. All protests are met with the utmost brutality. That includes tear gas, pepper spray, clubs, water cannons and even ”rubber bullets”.
An American journalist, one who has extensive experience in covering protests in America, compared the recent truckers protests in Ottawa, as being ”in a different world”. The protesters were treated with respect. The occupation of the city, as well as of Ambassador Bridge, was dealt with in a manner which involved a minimum of violence.
Yet if Trudeau and Singh have it their way, that will all change. Protesters will then be treated the same way they are treated in America. Then the revolution will be far more difficult, far more bloody, as the existing state apparatus will then have to be destroyed.
The best way to stop them is by having as many Canadians as possible, joining the two Parties, Liberal and NDP. Of course, feel free to join the other Parties also. Encourage your friends and families to join. Those who are familiar with computers can assist those who are not. As members of the Parties, you can take part in setting policy. Choose someone from among yourselves to run for any and all political offices. Go on Facebook, and all other social media outlets, and encourage people to also join the Parties. No doubt all schools, including high schools, will be interested. The more people who join the Parties, the better.
Bear in mind, that the main thing is to raise the level of awareness of the working class, to get people politically active. The more people we send to Ottawa, the better. We want to stop the country from embracing militarism and bureaucracy. In the process of becoming politically active, working class people will learn that the capitalists are in charge, and have to be overthrown. Whether this will involve violence or not, largely depends upon the capitalists.
Those who become politically active now, possibly by taking part in protests or by joining the various political Parties, preferably both, will gain valuable experience in the class struggle. It is to be hoped that a great many people who are currently protesting, will join the Parties and choose one of their own to run for Parliament. Assuming enough people do this, all across Canada, then Ottawa will soon be flooded with Leftist people. Of course the same is true for the provincial and territorial capitals.
After the revolution, the capitalists will be overthrown and working class people will be placed in positions of authority, under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. Any training they receive now will prove to be most valuable.
Gerald McIsaac Science Project 