In America, the suffering of the common people has reached horrendous proportions. Unemployment and under employment is wide spread. Ever more people are becoming homeless. Countless people are faced with making the impossible choice of either paying the rent, or putting food on the table. The food banks are running out of food. Drug and alcohol addiction is wide spread. Deaths, due to drug overdoses and suicides, are common place. The ”rule of law” is largely a thing of the past. Now it is ”jungle law”!
Various criminal gangs now terrorize whole neighbourhoods. The gangsters are well armed. The competition between the gangs is intense, especially over control of the drug trade. This results in frequent ”drive by shootings”, in which the gang members shoot at each other, often with automatic weapons. The ”accidental” shooting of innocent bystanders is common place.
These gangs also consistently extort ”protection money” from small business owners, as well as those who are poverty stricken. The gangs generally ”make an example” of those who object to being robbed!
The local police have largely been reduced to the role of documenting the shootings, and picking up the bodies. Any ”investigation” is a mere formality. After all, any witness who dares to step forward, can expect the gangs to ”express their disapproval”, in a manner which leaves no room for any misunderstanding. There is almost no chance of any witness being allowed to live long enough to testify!
Even this modest duty of the police, that of documenting the gun violence and picking up the bodies, is not entirely recognized by the government. Any shooting which results in the injury or death of less than four people, is not ”counted” by the government!
To think that with the ”stroke of a pen”, the violent crime rate in America has been drastically reduced! It is simply a matter of not ”counting” any shooting which involves less than four victims!
Yet, in all fairness to the government bureaucrats, they have decided to take even more action, in the interests of ”reducing gun violence”. It is simply a matter of disregarding the Constitution, or at least the Second Amendment to the Constitution. That Amendment contains the pesky clause of the ”right to bear arms”. The passage of ”gun control” laws directly contradicts that Amendment! A more accurate term might be that of ”scrapping the Constitution”, so that Americans ”do not have the right to bear arms”!
The fact of the matter is that the current state of affairs is completely unacceptable. Working people can take only so much. The common people, the members of the working class, the ”proletariat”, are becoming increasingly impoverished. By contrast, the wealth of the billionaires, the ruling class, technically referred to as the ”bourgeoisie”, is currently sky rocketing. During the recent two year Covid Virus pandemic, their wealth doubled! Now with high inflation, their wealth is continuing to increase dramatically, at the expense of the working class, of course.
This is another way of saying that the situation is revolutionary. The country is a ”powder keg”, so that any ”spark” could cause an explosion. What is more, the capitalists are well aware of this! The last thing they want to see, is a well armed proletariat! Hence the real reason of the call for ”gun control”!
Yet a great many working people are in favour of gun control. They are well aware that ”something must be done”, in order to bring the wide spread lawlessness under control. They think that ”gun control” is the answer.
They are certainly mistaken, but we must respect their belief. We must also make it clear that only honest people respect the law, so that ”gun control” would apply only to honest people, not to criminals. Such a law would serve merely to disarm working people. The gun violence would certainly continue.
It is of critical importance that we stress to working people, the fact that we live in a class society. It is the capitalists who are responsible for gun violence. Until they are overthrown, nothing of substance will change.
The existence of classes must be explained to working people. On the one hand, we have the class of monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, technically referred to as the bourgeoisie. They live off the proceeds of their ”invested capital”, and contribute nothing to society. For purposes of this article, I refer to them as ”capitalists”.
On the other hand, we have the working class, the ”common people”, technically referred to as the ”proletariat”. We work for wages. We sell ourselves by the hour, to the capitalists, if only because we have no choice in the matter.
Simple common sense tells us that it is in the interest of working people, to sell themselves for as much as possible, while it is in the interest of the capitalists, to pay their workers as little as possible. The less they pay their workers, the higher their profit. They refer to this as their ”bottom line”. As anyone who has even a passing acquaintance with capitalists can testify, they are entirely focused on their ”bottom line”.
It stands to reason that our interests are diametrically opposed. In other words, that which is in the best interests of the capitalists, is in the worst interests of the workers.
This has to be explained to working people, as we live in a society which denies the existence of classes. More accurately, the ruling class of capitalists has chosen to deny the existence of classes. It is part of their method of rule.
It may be objected that there is also a middle class. True. The small business owners are small time capitalists, technically referred to as ”petty bourgeois”, Then there are the family farmers, technically referred to as peasants. Yet the numbers of both classes are shrinking, as the monopolies become ever more rich and powerful. They make a supreme effort to eliminate all competition, regardless of how insignificant. This is commonly referred to as ”putting the little guy out of business”.
I must stress that both the middle class and the family farmers are the natural and desirable allies of the proletariat. Most of them are currently ”working themselves into bankruptcy”! We have a common enemy!
There is also a significant group of people who are referred to as ”intellectuals and salaried personnel”. According to Lenin, they ”correspond to the middle class”. They too are under extreme pressure. The capitalists may choose to fire them for any reason, or for no reason. Because they can!
It is clear that, due to the current crisis in capitalism, the ruling class of capitalists can no longer rule in the old way. Further, it is also clear that the common people, the working class, is finding it impossible to live in the old way. According to Lenin, this is the very definition of a revolutionary situation!
As Lenin explained it, in his outstanding article, Left Wing Communism, An Infantile Disorder, ”The fundamental law of revolution…is as follows: for a revolution to take place, it is not enough for the exploited and oppressed masses to realize the impossibility of living in the old way, and demand changes; for a revolution to take place it is essential that the exploiters should not be able to live and rule in the old way. It is only when the ‘lower classes’ do not want to live in the old way and the ‘upper classes’ cannot carry on in the old way that the revolution can triumph.” (italics by Lenin)
It is significant that as part of the revolutionary movement, working people have been coming together, quite spontaneously, and electing leaders, as members of a Council.
The importance of these Councils must be stressed. They first appeared, also quite spontaneously, in Russia, in 1905, during the first Russian revolution. They were of necessity spontaneous, as all of the Social Democrats, as the Marxists of the day referred to themselves, had first been thrown in prison, and were then either killed or exiled. Lenin had been exiled.
The word Council, in Russian, is ”Soviet”. They are a creation of the working class. Within a few years of their first appearance, they spread across the country of Russia, challenging the authority of the government. After the 1917 Russian October Revolution, they quickly replaced the Constituent Assembly.
It would appear that a similar situation is developing in North America. Working class Councils are spontaneously taking shape, spreading across the country, becoming ever more common and ever more powerful. After the forth coming Revolution, we can expect them to replace the current government establishment, including that of the Congress and Senate.
It remains to be seen if these Councils, which are currently taking shape, will continue to be referred to as Councils, or as Soviets.
As is well known, the first Russian revolution of 1905 was crushed. To say that the revolution ”failed” is not completely accurate, as countless common people, both workers and peasants, gained valuable experience in revolution. At the start of the revolution, most people believed that the government represented them. The Russian Czar and the capitalists quickly dispelled those illusions!
Lenin referred to the Revolution of 1905 as a ”dress rehearsal” for the Revolution of 1917!
In much the same way, we can think of the recent Occupy Movement as an ”educational experience”, if you will excuse the awkward expression. This is to say that countless working people received a rather ”rude awakening”, to put it in popular terms. Their illusions were dispelled. The ruling class of capitalists made it perfectly clear, that they are not about to tolerate any challenge to their authority!
At that time, among the protesters, there was a rather instinctive awareness of classes, as expressed in the terms ”one percent”, versus the ”ninety nine percent”. This is referred to as ”class consciousness in embryonic form”. As the protesters phrased it, ”we woke up”!
At the start of the Occupy Movement, with few exceptions, the working people who were protesting, thought that the government represented them! After all, they voted for the politicians who were in office. What is democracy, if not majority rule? The capitalists wasted no time in straightening them out!
The government made it quite clear, by their actions -not their words!- that democracy is a method of class rule! The state apparatus, which is commonly referred to as the government, is set up to protect the ruling class, in this case the capitalists! The capitalists are determined that working people must ”know their place”! That ”place” is under the heel of ”their betters”, as the capitalists refer to themselves!
As a result of the Occupy Movement, countless working people became aware, if only instinctively, of the awareness of classes. With that instinctive awareness came the awareness that ”something must be done”. That ”something”, which ”must be done”, is the overthrow of the capitalists!
It is the capitalists who are responsible for the current epidemic of gun violence. As well, we can thank them for wide spread sexual assault, of women and children. Then there is the army of unemployed and homeless, widespread addiction of drugs and alcohol, as well as criminal gangs who terrorize at will. Of course, wars are constant, as the capitalists of various countries fight for control of the world.
This is not going to change until capitalism is replaced with scientific socialism.
I can only stress the fact that socialism must be scientific, as the alternative, that of utopian socialism, has been proven to be ineffective. Of course, the only scientific socialism is that of Marx and Lenin.
It is a fundamental tenet of Marxism, that after the revolution, after the capitalists are overthrown, they must be crushed under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. Lenin refers to this as the ”touchstone of a true Marxist”!
Experience -bitter experience!- has proven this to be true! After the revolution, after the proletariat seizes political power, the capitalists do not ”resign themselves to their fate”! On the contrary, their bitterness and hatred know no bounds! Their determination to regain their ”paradise lost” increases ten fold! They do not hesitate to resort to any deception, any subterfuge, including that of pretending to be fine Communists, in order to return to power!
As for those who dispute that statement, allow me to point out the fact that both the Soviet Union and China were, at one time, Communist countries. In each country, the capitalists were overthrown, through revolution. Then the working people, in each case the proletariat and poor peasants, were able to seize political power and crush the capitalists. Yet in each case, the capitalists were able to return to power. So what went wrong?
In both countries, after the revolution, the capitalists were not crushed, at least not with sufficient enthusiasm. The Dictatorship of the Proletariat is just that, a Dictatorship! Under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, the capitalists must be allowed no rights! Democracy for the working people, but a Dictatorship for the capitalists! After the approaching American revolution, after the capitalists are overthrown, we must be sure not to repeat the mistakes of previous revolutions. The capitalists must not be allowed to return to power!
For the benefit of those working people who are just now becoming politically active -Welcome, my Brothers and Sisters, my Comrades!- perhaps a little explanation is in order. I will try to be as brief as possible.
For one thing, there are certain scientific terms with which we must become familiar. Otherwise, the capitalists will use our lack of awareness against us. For that reason, I have placed those words in quotation marks, and explained them.
The only true scientific socialism is that of Marx. He and Engels lived and worked in the mid to late nineteenth century, at a time when capitalism was still in the early stage of competition. They wrote the Communist Manifesto, required reading for true revolutionaries.
Then, around the beginning of the twentieth century, capitalism reached the stage of monopoly. Monopoly capitalism, referred to as ”imperialism”, has characteristics which are different from those of pre monopoly capitalism. It was Lenin who conducted a thorough investigation of imperialism. For that reason, scientific socialism is frequently referred to as ”Marxism-Leninism”.
I previously mentioned ”required reading” of certain revolutionary literature, in that case the Communist Manifesto, and there is a reason for this: The working class is not aware of itself as a class! This is a very serious matter! It is of the utmost importance that the working class, the proletariat, become aware of themselves as a class, with their own class interests! The capitalist class, the bourgeoisie, are supremely well aware of themselves as a class, with their own class interests! As part of their class interest, they choose to deny the existence of classes! The less the working class knows of itself as a class, the better for the capitalist class!
Lest we give the capitalists undue credit, bear in mind that this is not a new idea. In all class societies, it is in the interest of the ruling class, in this case the capitalist class, to provide the ”lower classes”, in this case the proletariat, with as little education as possible. Just enough to operate machines and earn a profit for the capitalists!
This in no way changes the fact that workers and capitalists are class enemies. The two classes are in a constant state of war. Frequently this war is hidden, dormant, but on occasion it flares up into open rebellion. All indications are that it will soon explode into a second Civil War in America!
With that in mind, it stands to reason that in a state of war, all generals are supremely well aware of the importance of information, concerning the enemy. For some reason, they refer to this as ”intelligence”. The point being that the more they know of the location, strength, weapons and defences of the enemy, the better the chances of a successful attack. This just makes sense.
Our current state of class conflict is about to break out into open rebellion. The army of the working class is about to confront the army of the capitalists. Yet the ”Generals” of the capitalists have a huge advantage, as they have excellent ”intelligence”, concerning the working class army. By contrast, the members of the working class, including any ”Generals”, are not even aware that they are members of a class! This is completely unacceptable!
The workers, or at least those who have just recently become politically active, are going to have to become leaders, to assume the role of ”Generals”, in the war against the capitalists. That is a ”tall order”, but not as difficult as it once was. The internet has provided us with a most valuable tool. Now it is just a matter of using that tool!
In the interest of becoming a scientific socialist, a ”conscious person”, I already suggested reading the Communist Manifesto. I can further suggest reading the ”Essential Works of Lenin”, starting with State and Revolution. That article is of particular interest now, as it was written immediately before the socialist October Revolution of 1917. At that time, the people of Russia were in a very similar situation to that which we are facing now. It was clear that an uprising was imminent, and that the capitalists had to be overthrown. Yet after the uprising, what sort of government apparatus should be established?
With that in mind, Lenin explained that the existing state apparatus has been set up by the capitalists, in order to crush the working people. In the case of Russia, this meant the working class and the peasants. In the case of America, the state apparatus is set up to mainly crush the working class, for the very simple reason that the peasants have been practically wiped out!
This in no way changes the fact that the state apparatus, which has been set up by the capitalists, for the sole purpose of crushing the working class, must be smashed! If it is not destroyed, then the leaders of the revolution will merely take over the existing state apparatus, and set themselves up as the new rulers! Out of the frying pan, into the fire!
Yet we are not anarchists, those who believe in no state. Indeed, a state apparatus is still required, as the resistance of the capitalists will be ”increased ten fold”, as they try to ”restore their paradise lost”! Indeed, a new state apparatus is required, in order to crush the ”desperate and determined” resistance of the capitalists. This new state apparatus must be of the working class, by the working class, and for the working class. Democracy for the working class, but a dictatorship for the capitalists. This is referred to as the Dictatorship of the Proletariat!
In popular jargon, we say that the ”shoe will be on the other foot”! Working people will have all the rights, the capitalists will have no rights! The days of ”Taking the Fifth” and ”hiding behind high priced lawyers” will be over! It is with good reason that the mere mention of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat causes the capitalists to shake in their boots!
The next work of Lenin which I highly recommend is Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism. Monopoly capitalism is imperialism, and it has features which are different from capitalism in its early, competitive stage. It is ”reaction, right down the line”, according to Lenin. As he stated, ”Imperialism is capitalism in that stage of development in which the domination of monopolies and finance capital has established itself; in which the export of capital has acquired pronounced importance; in which the division of the world among the international trusts has begun; in which the partition of all the territories of the globe among great capitalist powers has been completed”.
This book also, is required reading for all revolutionaries. It helps to drive home the point that imperialism cannot be ”patched up”! It must be destroyed!
This brings me to the book What Is To Be Done? It is more difficult to understand, but also critically important. One difficulty I had, was in not understanding the meaning of the Russian titles of various groups. I found that the English translation was helpful. So with that in mind, may I suggest that you read the Russian terms Roboyeye as Worker, because that is the English translation. As well, Dyelo means business, Mysl means Thought, Listok means Sheet, and Gazeta means Gazette. The newsletter Iskra, to which Lenin frequently contributed, means Spark. That may not be the absolutely correct translations, but it should serve the purpose. At least, I found that translation to be helpful. In this way, I was better able to understand that which was being said.
This calls for a bit more brief revolutionary history. At first the Party, which Lenin created in 1895, was called the Russian League of Struggle For the Emancipation of the Working Class. Then, in 1900, the name was changed to the Russian Social Democratic Party of Labour, as it fought for democracy as well as socialism. But then, numerous members were of the opinion that it should change from a revolutionary party of scientific socialism, to a democratic party of social reform. This led to a split in the Party. The majority, led by Lenin, became known as ”Bolsheviks”, as that is the Russian meaning of the word majority. The minority became knowns as ”Mensheviks”, as that is the Russian meaning of the work minority. After the October Revolution, the name of the Bolshevik Party was changed to the Communist Party.
As mentioned, this work of Lenin is of critical importance, as we are faced with a similar situation, to that of Russia, at the time of the Russian Revolution.
As Lenin explained, ”two separate tendencies have been formed in International Social Democracy”, as at that time Marxism was referred to as Social Democracy. He went on to explain that the demand was that ”Social Democracy must change from a party of the social revolution into a democratic party of social reform”.
It is noteworthy that those two tendencies still exist. To this day, among political parties and groups of people, there are a great many who claim to be Marxist, but maintain that it is necessary only to fight for social reform. Lenin refers to this as ”freedom to introduce bourgeois ideas and bourgeois elements into socialism.”
Indeed, the capitalists must be overthrown and crushed under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. That is a fact, and paltry reforms, ”half measures”, will get us nowhere! Yet it was Marx who warned against making ”concessions” to theory. As Lenin stated, ”Without a revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary movement”. He went on to explain the importance of revolutionary theory, including the fact that the ”role of vanguard can be fulfilled only by a party that is guided by an advanced theory.” (italics by Lenin)
The fact of the matter is that the American working class is ”in the vanguard” of the world wide revolutionary motion! It is not an exaggeration to say that the whole world is watching! Revolutions in other countries may well copy your example! The success of the American Revolution -and others!- may well depend on your actions now! It is absolutely essential that you follow the revolutionary advice of Marx and Lenin!
Without doubt, that is a ”heavy burden”! Equally without doubt, it is an unwelcome burden! No one asked for this! Yet it is what it is! The American working class leaders must become scientific socialists, dedicated followers of Marx and Lenin, true Communists, or the Revolution is bound to fail!
Bear in mind that I have great confidence in the American working people. You have a revolutionary history, of which you can be most proud! Your country was born through revolution! You threw off the yoke of British rule, and created a new country! Then you overthrew the completely reactionary class of slave owners, and created a truly democratic republic for all! Now it is time to build upon that revolutionary tradition, and overthrow another completely reactionary class, the monopoly capitalist class, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie!
They have managed to seize political power, but not for long! Your ancestors, your Founding Fathers, have given you Americans the ”right to abolish any government which does not represent you!” That right is enshrined in the Declaration of Independence! Now is the time to honour your ancestors, to make them proud, to follow in their footsteps! Now is the time for another Revolution! The Second American Revolution!
That being said, we have to face the fact that there are a great many people, members of allegedly ”Socialist” political Parties, who want only to divert the revolution onto a path of social reform. They claim to be Marxists, while making every effort to ”revise” the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. Of course, these people are referred to as ”revisionists”.
In popular jargon, we say they ”pay lip service” to Marx and Lenin, while denying anything that is not acceptable to the capitalists. The Dictatorship of the Proletariat ”tops the list” of that which is not acceptable to the capitalists! Soviet -or Council- Power comes in a ”close second”!
True followers of Marx and Lenin, Communists, can have nothing to do with such people! They are devoted servants of the capitalists!
On the other hand, there are those who make no claim to being Marxists, while fighting for various reforms. These people are our allies. We can unite with them, providing of course that we are able to put forward our own revolutionary message.
As an indication of the strength of the revolutionary movement, Councils -Soviets- are currently taking shape in America, although most of them are ”underground”, to use a popular expression. There is a good reason for this!
One exception took place within the city of Seattle. In that case, the working people got together and took control of a section of the city. They also elected a group of leaders, referred to as a ”Council”. The people who lived within that section of the city helped each other out. This is to say that their lifestyle was ”communal”.
The Council promptly referred to that part of the city as the ”Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone”. Bear in mind that the word ”autonomous” means ”freedom to govern itself”.
Perhaps the Council was not aware that they had just ”thrown down the gauntlet” to the capitalists! After all, ”state power is the fundamental question of every revolution”, according to Marx! By declaring that ”Zone” to be ”Autonomous”, they directly challenged the American capitalists! The capitalists quickly ”rose to the occasion” and the Zone was promptly crushed!
This lesson was not lost on other Councils. Now as Councils are being created and becoming ever stronger, they are arming and training workers in secret, in preparation for the approaching Civil War. Even the mainstream journalists are speaking of Civil War!
These journalists, who are devoted servants of the capitalists, can see the ”writing on the wall”! They bemoan the fact that ”American democracy is under attack”! And so it is! They just refuse to face the fact -or are not capable of facing the fact?- that American democracy is democracy for the American capitalists! For the working people, it is a dictatorship! The dictatorship of the capitalists!
I mention this as a means of stressing the importance of What Is To Be Done? In that work, Lenin points out the importance of political theory. Working people need political leaders! Scientific socialists! Followers of Marx and Lenin! Political leaders with the best interests of the proletariat in mind, not the capitalists! As we live in a class society, our leaders can represent the working class or the capitalist class, but not both!
All of the current ”Leftist” political parties in the country, including those which claim to be Marxist, deny the necessity of both the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, and of Council Power. Yet the success of the revolution depends upon both!
As Lenin phrased it, the ”Dictatorship of the Proletariat” requires ”special institutions…of a new type…the Soviets”. I repeat, the Soviets are nothing other than Councils!
As the revolutionary motion gains strength, ever more working people will become politically active. It is only natural to expect them to look to political parties which claim to be Socialist, Marxist or Communist. Who can blame them?
It is up to true Communists to explain to them that there is no point in overthrowing one set of capitalists, and replacing them with another! The only possible way a revolution can succeed is by destroying the existing state apparatus, and setting up a new state apparatus, in the form of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, and the use of Council Power.
This is to say that we need a true Communist Party. It is to be hoped that those who are just now becoming politically active will take part in creating such a Party. The success of the forthcoming Revolution could well depend upon such a Party. As I have gone into this in other writings, there is no need to repeat it here.
I can only stress that Lenin condemned those who claim to be Marxists, while calling for ”class collaboration”. At the same time, he called for an alliance with those who are fighting for reforms, in the name of ”democracy” or ”socialism”. Communists have no quarrel with those groups, as they do not claim to be Marxist!
As I write this, the press is focused on the ”midterm elections”. That is a reference to the fact that all members of Congress will soon be, once again, running for office. As well, one third of the Senate will also be running. With that in mind, may I suggest that we ”take the capitalists at their word”! The capitalists say that if we do not like the way things are, we should ”change the system from within”! Splendid! An excellent idea! What better time to ”change the system from within”?
May I suggest that all those working people who recently ”woke up”, join the two mainstream political parties, as card carrying members. Become Democrats and Republicans! Feel free to be naughty! There is no law against joining both Parties! It may be against the rules, but it is not against the law! Encourage your families and friends to join both Parties! Bear in mind, the candidates for any and all political office, is determined by the card carrying members!
May I suggest that, in the interests of becoming elected to political office, someone who wants to be a candidate for that office can call for all students to join the Parties. Your ”political platform” can include ”Free tuition!” ”Cancel All Student Loans!”. As for the Seniors, they too should be encouraged to join the Parties! ”Free Medical!” ”Tax Free Pensions!”, more ”planks” in the ”platform”! For the sports people, ”Defend the Second Amendment!” For working people, ”Raise the Minimum Wage!”
Allow me to qualify that remark, by stating that we want to flood Washington with leaders of the working class, common people. Understand that under no circumstances should we challenge the Members of The Squad, and certainly not Senator Sanders. The idea is that we should show them our unqualified support!
No doubt all common people, whether on the ”Left”, pro working class, or on the ”Right”, pro capitalist, can get behind this plan. Such an action will likely result in those who are now considered to be ”Right Wing”, in ”moving to the centre”, according to Lenin. Yet all will immediately receive a lesson in ”democracy”! The capitalists will see to that!
In this way the common people, the members of the public, the working class, will learn that the Communists are correct. The capitalists have to be overthrown. That requires weapons, including firearms. We must not allow the capitalists to disarm the working class. We must oppose all gun control laws.
Gerald McIsaac Science Project 