Insurrection!

Tuesday, June 10. Day five of the ‘’Insurrection’’, based in Los Angeles, California, according to the mainstream media. 

An agency of the federal government, known as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, is determined to round up and deport countless people, those whom they refer to as ‘’undocumented aliens’’, commonly referred to as ‘’illegals’’, as they are in the country illegally. 

There are a great many concerned citizens, referred to as protesters, who are attempting to prevent this. They maintain that those who are being arrested, are being denied their democratic rights, as is guaranteed in the Constitution. 

Even though these protests are in defence of democracy, the federal government is taking this very seriously. They see this as a challenge to their authority, as indeed it is.

For that reason, President Trump has ‘’mobilized’’ four thousand members of the California National Guard. As well, seven hundred Marines have also been ‘’called up’’, ordered to ‘’deploy to Los Angeles’’. In direct violation of federal laws!

In particular, the ‘’Posse Comitatus Act’’, forbids federal troops from taking part in law enforcement, except when ‘’expressly authorized by law’’. No such ‘’express authorization’’ has been enacted, which gives Trump no right to send in federal troops! That law can be enacted only by Congress! Sending in federal troops is completely unconstitutional!

It is to the credit of the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, that he first politely requested that President Trump ‘’rescind that order’’, as it is ‘’illogical, illegal and unconstitutional’’, not to mention a ‘’breach of state sovereignty’’. He also stated that Trump is ‘’acting like a dictator’’, as by calling out federal troops, he is ‘’taking a step towards authoritarianism’’. 

Of course, Trump responded to this polite request, with a typical display of ignorance. First came the personal insults, closely followed by the suggestion that his ‘’Border Czar’’, Tom Homan, should arrest Governor Newsom! All in the interests of maintaining ‘’law and order’’! 

Reality check, Mr. President! There is no law and order to ‘’maintain’’! The criminal gangs are completely out of control! Drugs are openly being sold on the streets! The police are powerless against these well armed and organized gangs! Drive by shootings are common place! As are mass murders! The police have been reduced to picking up the bodies, documenting the slaughter!

The very idea that sending in the military, in opposition to people who are exercising their democratic right to protest, in order to ‘’restore law and order’’, is ludicrous! Yet such ‘’muddled thinking’’, is characteristic of the bourgeois! 

So now Governor Newsom is currently filing a lawsuit, against the Trump administration, for first deploying the National Guard, and now the American Marines, without state approval. It should be interesting to see how the courts respond.

Regardless of the outcome, there can be no doubt that this conflict, between the state and federal branches of government, is of great significance. As the Communist Manifesto states:

‘’Finally, in times when the class struggle nears the decisive hour, the process of dissolution going on within the ruling class, in fact within the whole range of old society, assumes such a violent, glaring character, that a small section of the ruling class cuts itself adrift, and joins the revolutionary class, the class that holds the future in its hands. Just as, therefore, at an earlier period, a section of the nobility went over to the bourgeoisie, so now a portion of the bourgeoisie goes over to the proletariat, and in particular, a portion of the bourgeois ideologists, who have raised themselves to the level of comprehending theoretically the historical movement as a whole.’’ 

This conflict, between President Trump and Governor Newsom, is merely an example of the ‘’process of dissolution’’, going on within the current ruling class, the bourgeoisie. 

At least, we now know what to expect. A number of ‘’bourgeois ideologists’’, those who have ‘’raised themselves theoretically’’, to the level of Scientific Socialists, are about to ‘’join the revolutionary class’’, the working class, the proletariat, the ‘’class that holds the future in its hands’’. 

This begs the question: Why are the bourgeois so concerned with the protests in Los Angeles? Similar protests are taking place in various other parts of the country.

The answer is that Los Angeles is not only the second largest city in the country, but is also the cultural centre of the country. After all, it is the home of Hollywood, widely considered to be the entertainment capitol of the world.

With that in mind, as is well known, I have long maintained that this, the Second American Revolution, will closely resemble the Russian Revolution of 1917. This despite the fact that there were two revolutions in Russia, that year. As well, there were important differences. Yet the similarities are striking. 

Russia was a huge country, as is America. Russia also had a considerable amount of industry, so that gave rise to a sizeable working class, the proletariat. As the proletariat is the only consistently revolutionary class, their influence over the other classes, especially the class of family farmers, the peasants, far exceeds their numbers. 

By contrast, America has no nobility, almost no landlords, very few family farmers, and a constantly shrinking middle class. This serves to simplify the class struggle! Capitalists against workers! Bourgeoisie against proletarians!

This also makes the task of starting the revolution far more difficult, than it was in Russia in 1917, but at the same time, much easier to carry through. All according to Lenin. Now to proceed.

The Russian February Revolution of 1917, started in the capital of Petrograd, currently referred to as Saint Petersburg. It was also the cultural centre of the country, much as Los Angeles is the cultural centre of America. 

The nobility, the Romanovs, had been ruling Russia for three centuries. At that time, the Emperor, referred to as the Tsar, was Nicholas II. He ruled the empire with an ‘’iron hand’’! Not one to tolerate discontent! He had weathered a previous revolution, that which has gone down in history as the Russian Revolution of 1905. He was not about to tolerate another one!

He knew that Petrograd was the centre of all revolutionary activity. At least, the Revolution of 1905 had started in Petrograd. Even the shooting down of peaceful protesters had failed to stop that Revolution! Yet the fact that the Cossacks had carried out his order to shoot them, was at least encouraging. Those troops could be counted upon to follow orders! Or so he thought!

For that reason, aware of the wide spread discontent, he was careful to place a detachment of Cossacks in Petrograd, in early 1917. Just in case the local police and military was not prepared to carry out the required dirty work! That of shooting civilians!

Nicholas had no way of knowing that the situation had changed, and quite dramatically, since the Revolution of 1905. His closest advisors were certainly not about to tell him! They were careful to tell him precisely what he wanted to hear! It was in their best interests to do so!

That in no way changes the fact that the Revolution of February, 1917, was far broader and deeper than the Revolution of 1905! It even extended to the Cossacks! Or at least, the rank and file Cossacks, the enlisted men. 

For that reason, at the time the Cossacks were ordered to, once again, fire upon peaceful protesters, they refused. Instead, they fired upon their officers. The Cossacks joined the Revolution!

Now here in America, the Marines are considered to be the elite, the most highly trained, disciplined troops in the American military. Similar to the Cossacks of Russia, in 1917. It is very likely that is the reason Trump is sending them to Los Angeles. They can be counted upon to open fire on protesters, if so ordered. Or not!

A retired Marine officer gave his opinion, concerning the deployment of Marines to Los Angeles. He is of the opinion that ‘’it could end horrifically’’, as Marines are trained to ‘’close with and destroy the enemy’’. Any other training they received, concerning ‘’dealing with civilians’’, was merely within the last day or two.

It remains to be seen, if they will indeed fire upon their own people, if so ordered, or follow the example of the Russian Cossacks, and join the protesters, the Revolutionaries.  

Now to continue our comparison with the Russian Revolution of 1917.

As is well known, the February Revolution succeeded in overthrowing the Tsar. This gave birth to a democratic republic, as Russia was no longer ruled by a monarch. A step in the right direction, but only a step. The country was still at war, the people were still hungry, and the farmers were still working land that was owned by the landlords. Not a vast improvement!

This is to say that the Russian February Revolution, was a bourgeois revolution. It replaced the rule of the nobility, with the rule of the capitalists, the bourgeois. 

The workers and farmers cannot be faulted for this! They went as far as they could! They succeeded in doing that which was considered to be impossible! They overthrew the monarchy! One of the largest, most powerful empires in the world, was no more!

They were not aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin, and could not be aware of those theories. Previously, the Social Democrats, as the Communists of the day referred to themselves, had all been arrested, and either executed or sent into exile. Lenin had been exiled, and was then living in Switzerland. In April of that year, he returned to Russia. 

The political situation he faced, was most remarkable. The capitalists were not fully in charge. But then, neither were the workers! Instead, they shared power! Dual power! The Provisional Government, of the capitalists, was forced to share power, with the Soviets of Workers and Soldiers Deputies!

This calls for a little explanation. It is important, as a similar situation may soon emerge in America, so bear with me. 

The Russian Revolution of 1905, gave birth to a new creation, that of Soviets, or in English, Councils. This is to say that workers got together and elected leaders, or Councillors. These Councils, or Soviets, were crushed, as the Revolution was crushed, in 1907. 

Or so the Russian government thought! They were mistaken. The Soviets merely ‘’went underground’’, which is to say that they remained hidden, working secretly, to improve the living and working conditions, of the working class, including the military personnel.

We know this to be a fact, because at the time of the February Revolution, they emerged, more powerful than ever. These Soviets rivalled the power of the newly created Provisional Government, of the capitalists. For that reason, they dared not arrest Lenin, as soon as he stepped off the train, and onto the platform, in Petrograd.

In much the same way, we can expect the Councils, which have taken shape in America, to ‘’emerge’’, for lack of a better word. As the revolutionary movement becomes ever stronger, these Councils will challenge the authority of the federal government.

From the posters the protesters are carrying, it is clear that they are not yet class conscious. The one poster which comes closest to having any class content, is the one which states, ‘’Billionaires are the Real Enemy, Not Immigrants’’. 

Incidentally, the cameras are reluctant to show most of the posters, because of all the vulgarity, contained on those posters. This is to say that the use of vulgarity defeats the purpose of posters, which is to spread the message. Also, no flag should be burned, American or any other, as the beliefs of all working people should be respected. A great many workers find such acts to be most offensive. 

It is safe to say that the class consciousness, the level of awareness, of the American working class, is at about the same level, as that of the Russian proletariat, immediately after the February Revolution. It must be raised. 

Now, anti ICE protests have erupted in other cities, across the country. The posters make it clear that they are also protesting in solidarity with the people in Los Angeles. 

As yet, there is no indication that the government has any intention of sending troops to any other areas, aside from Los Angeles. Perhaps they are of the opinion that LA is the centre of the insurrection, and with the centre under control, that should quell the insurrection.

Whatever the case, our task, that of Scientific Socialists, Communists, is the same task as that of the Russian Social Democrats, immediately after the February Revolution. This is to say that we must raise the level of awareness of the working people, the proletariat, as well as the family farmers. 

At the very minimum, the most advanced workers must be made aware, that the existing state apparatus must be smashed, and replaced with a separate state apparatus, in the form of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. That is absolutely necessary, in order to crush the multi billionaires, the bourgeoisie, as they make every effort to restore their ‘’paradise lost’’, after the revolution. 

This they managed to do, not only in Russia, but also in China! But only because the proletariat was negligent in exercising sufficient Dictatorship over them! We must not repeat their mistakes! Nothing less than complete and total Dictatorship over the bourgeoisie! After the Second American Revolution, we will make sure that those parasites never return to power!

We will know that we are being successful, in our goal of raising the class consciousness of the working class, when the posters read:

Dictatorship of the Proletariat! 

Workers of the World, Unite!

Peace! Democracy! Socialism!

Scientific Socialism!