World Socialist Revolution Underway!

France. ‘’The land where, more that anywhere else, the historical class struggles were each time fought out to a decision’’, according to Engels. 

It would appear that the country of France is, once again, fighting the class struggle to a decision! This time the class struggle is between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.

For the last three months, the government of France, led by President Macron, has been trying to enact ‘’pension reform’’, as they put it, in that they want to raise the retirement age by two years, from sixty two, to sixty four. As the French Parliament refused to agree to this, they managed to ‘’ram the bill through’’, so that it is now law.

The trade unions have responded by calling for strikes. So far this year, there have been nine strikes. Each strike has grown progressively stronger, with ever more popular support. 

The strike on March 23 was exceptionally strong, with protests happening in 250 towns and cities across the country. The government estimated one million people took part in the protests, while the unions estimated the number at three and one half million. 

People of all ages and all walks of life took part, so that the movement is very broad and deep. Trains were shut down and flights were delayed. The workers refused to pick up the trash, so that garbage is now piled up on the streets. Most metro lines were closed. A great many teachers joined the protests. The oil refineries were picketed. In the city of Bordeaux, the Town Hall was set on fire. As well, numerous dumpsters and vehicles have been set ablaze.

The journalists who are covering these ‘’protests’’ are, for the most part, doing a rather fine job of reporting the facts. The videos support their broadcasts. On the other hand, their analysis is frequently in direct contradiction to those facts. Not too surprising, as it is in their best interest to do so. 

One of these facts is that the ‘’fury is mounting’’. The violent clashes are ‘’escalating’’. It is ‘’hitting the streets like a tidal wave’’. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested, and a great many police have been injured, some quite seriously. 

One sign stated, ‘’let us destroy what destroys us’’. Excellent! This is an indication that the Revolutionary Motion has now gone beyond opposition to ‘’pension reform’’, and has also gone beyond opposition to President Macron, and the government he represents. It means there is a growing sense of class consciousness, if only in embryonic form. 

It is perhaps significant that the ‘’protesters’’, those who are really Revolutionaries, have adopted a tactic which we have not seen before. They are using umbrellas, to good effect. While facing the riot police, they present the umbrellas as a ‘’wall’’, which screens them from the police, and from between these umbrellas, are able to fire ‘’projectiles’’. From the videos, it is not clear what these projectiles are, or how they are fired. Yet it is clear that these projectiles are effective, as in one video, a member of the riot police, covered in body armour, was knocked down, apparently unconscious, and dragged away by his buddies.

The press is reporting that the police are also being pelted with ‘’molotov cocktails and acid’’, although there are no videos to support this. A molotov cocktail is nothing other than a glass bottle, filled with petrol, with a rag in the spout. The rag is set afire, the bottle is thrown, and as the glass breaks, the flaming petrol splashes about. Truly a Revolutionary weapon!

Some of the protesters are now openly talking of Revolution. As one girl stated, ‘’No great Revolution was ever achieved with a bouquet of roses’’. Clearly, the level of class consciousness among the working class, the proletariat, is rising!

President Macron is being referred to as a member of the ‘’modern day royalty’’, a different class entirely. As the French have a  history of dealing rather harshly with their royalty, this does not bode well for Macron, or the members of his class. 

It is true that ‘’France is under siege, by its own citizens’’, as is reported by the journalists. The country is truly ‘’convulsing’’, with a ‘’tidal wave of violence’’ washing over the streets. Yet the press is careful to avoid the word ‘’Revolution’’!

The response of the police has been condemned by the Council of Europe, and by Amnesty International. They think the police are being too brutal. 

Now the French Revolution has reached the point where some fire fighters have joined the Revolutionaries. The experience of previous Revolutions suggests that before long, the police will also join the Revolution. 

Now unions are calling for another general strike, on March 28. Clearly, a Revolution is happening, yet it is not the duty of trade unions to lead a Revolution.

This is not to denigrate the role of trade unions. By no means. To put it in popular terms, ‘’the right tool for the job!’’ 

As Lenin explained, quite clearly, in Left Wing Communism, An Infantile Disorder, ‘’The trade unions were a tremendous step forward for the working class in the early days of capitalist development, inasmuch as they marked a transition from the workers disunity and helplessness to the rudiments of class organization’’. He went on to say that it is the role of trade unions to ‘’educate and school people, to give them all round development and an all round training, so that they are able to do everything’’ (italics by Lenin)

He went on to point out, ‘’the development of the proletariat did not, and could not, proceed anywhere in the world otherwise than through the trade unions, through reciprocal action between them and the Party of the working class’’. 

Of course, the ‘’Party of the working class’’ is the Communist Party. Further, the only true Communist Party is one which calls for the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, the ‘’touchstone’’ of a true Marxist. It is up to the Communist Party to help the proletariat develop through ‘’reciprocal action’’, with the trade unions. 

This brings us to the role of the Communist Party. Lenin refers to this as the ‘’Revolutionary Party of the Proletariat, the highest form of proletarian class organization’’. It is up to the Communist Party to ‘’educate and guide the trade unions’’,  as they are an ‘’indispensable ‘school of Communism’ and a preparatory school that trains proletarians to exercise their dictatorship, an indispensable organization of the workers’’(italics by Lenin)

Perhaps as a means of stressing the difficulty of this task, Lenin went on to say that it is the ‘’necessity, the absolute necessity, for the Communist Party, the vanguard of the proletariat, its class conscious section, to resort to changes of tact, to conciliation and compromises with the various groups of proletarians, with the various parties of the workers and small masters. It is entirely a matter of knowing how to apply these tactics in order to raise –not lower- the general level of proletarian class consciousness, revolutionary spirit, and ability to fight and win.’’ (italics by Lenin)

We hope that clarifies the roles of trade unions, as well as that of the Communist Party.

It would appear that there are a number of strong trade unions in France, but no true French Communist Party. Of course, by this we mean one that calls for the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. 

This is a serious matter, as the one and only way the Revolution can succeed, is through the Dictatorship of the Proletariat! True, the existing government, referred to as the Macron Regime, must be overthrown. Yet that is not enough! This government merely represents the monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. The existing state apparatus, which has been set up, by the capitalists, in order to crush and exploit the working people, must be smashed! it must be then replaced by another state apparatus, in order to crush the ‘’desperate and determined’’ resistance of the bourgeoisie, as they try, after the Revolution, to restore their ‘’paradise lost’’. This new state apparatus is known as the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. The worst night mare of every capitalist!

It is entirely possible -even likely!- that there are a number of social chauvinists in France, working diligently, in order to divert the Revolutionary motion onto some harmless course of ‘’social reform’’. By ‘’harmless’’, we mean harmless to the bourgeoisie! Social chauvinists are socialists in words only, chauvinists in deeds! They are among the most loyal, devoted servants of the bourgeoisie! 

Lenin refers to these people as ‘’Economists’’, or ‘’Mensheviks’’, and documents the struggle he had with them, in his excellent article, What Is To Be Done? 

But then capitalism gives rise to such people, in all countries! It is up to true scientific socialists, Marxists, Communists, to expose these people. They must be rooted out, as they are counter revolutionary.

Now it is up to class conscious people, those who are aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin, to bring to the working class, the proletariat, the awareness of themselves as a class, with their own class interests. By and large, this means middle class people, as those revolutionary theories are taught only in University. 

Yet now that we have been blessed with the Internet, the situation has changed, quite dramatically. Many of those revolutionary works can be directly downloaded, such as the Communist Manifesto. Others can be ordered online. As well, with the use of email, documents can be sent, quite easily. It is no longer necessary to resort to the written word, on paper, referred to as leaflets. This makes the job of Communists ever so much easier!

Further, as mentioned in other articles, due to the ‘’process of dissolution’’ going on within the capitalist class, a great many middle class people are joining the working class. Some voluntarily, others not so voluntarily. It matters not, as long as they bring with them their awareness of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. 

To such people, we can only suggest that it is a ‘’win – win’’ situation. You have nothing to lose! After the Revolution, your experience and training will be in demand! You will be rewarded accordingly! Your past, in the service of the capitalists, will not be held against you!

That brings us to one more detail, which is conspicuous by its absence. That is Soviets, or Councils. We do not know the name in French. Yet Revolution, or more accurately, Revolutionary motion, gives rise to such organizations. They have almost certainly made an appearance, yet there is no mention of them, on the Internet.  We can only suggest that Communists become active within these strictly proletarian creations.

It is clear that the French working people are now in the vanguard of the World Socialist Revolutionary motion. We can only hope that they will honour their Revolutionary ancestors, the Communards, the heroic workers of Paris, those who took part in the Paris Commune, of 1871! The example of the Paris Communards will forever serve as an inspiration to all Revolutionaries!