Author: Gerald Mcisaac

Bangladesh is a densely populated country in South Asia. With a population of 174 million people, it is the eighth most populous country in the world. The country is largely agrarian, with possibly half of the population working in agriculture. Rice is of course the primary staple food crop, as well as wheat and corn, referred to as maize. The cash crops include tea, coffee, cotton, sugarcane, tobacco and jute, otherwise known as burlap.

Yet it also has a considerable amount of industry, especially textile mills, sugar factories, fertilizer factories, cement factories and aluminum works.

These industrial plants are of vital importance, as they employ a great many workers, proletarians. It is these workers who are about to play a key role in the revolution, which Bangladesh is now experiencing. 

It is the students who are ‘’spearheading’’ the revolution. It started when they called for the abolition of the ‘’quota system’’, in which thirty percent of all government jobs, go to the descendants of the ‘’freedom fighters’’, those who won the war of independence in 1971.

The Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, denied this request, and ‘’cracked down’’ on the protesters. This involved the use of wide spread violence, on the part of the police and military, which resulted in the death of numerous people. As well, a great many student leaders, and members of opposition parties, were arrested. In addition, a country wide curfew was imposed, along with an internet blackout. The fact that Hasina was referring to these protesters as ‘’traitors and terrorists’’, did not endear her to them.

These measures did not have the desired effect of ‘’quelling the protests’’. On the contrary, the protests ‘’spiralled into a campaign of social disobedience, all across the nation, worsening by the day, with more and more people joining the students’’, according to the journalists.

In fact, the student led protests spread all across the country, so that all ‘’common people’’, workers and farmers, from all walks of life, young and old, joined the students in demanding the end to the quota system. 

This placed a great deal of pressure on the government, so that the quota system was annulled. Perhaps it was thought that this would satisfy the protesters, as their demands were being met. It most certainly did not. Instead, their demands merely changed, increased to that of demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina.

To those of us who are ‘’conscious people’’, which is to say Marxists, Communists, this came as no great surprise. After all, according to Marx, ‘’Reforms are a byproduct of revolutionary motion. They merely serve to strengthen and further the revolutionary movement’’.

It is estimated that in the capital city of Dhaka alone, a ‘’crowd’’ of possibly four hundred thousand people defied the curfew, and marched on the ‘’most highly guarded residence in the country’’, the private home of the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. 

The journalists report that the ‘’mob’’ ignored the police, military and armoured vehicles, and ‘’stormed the home of Prime Minister Hasina’’. Those who were guarding that building, rather wisely decided to ‘’step aside’’.

In a state of shock and disbelief, with mere minutes to spare, Hasina was able to jump on a helicopter and escape to India. Rather than facing the people she has been ‘’leading’’, for the last fifteen years, she chose to seek political asylum, in a foreign country. 

Even though she was allowed to enter India, it is not clear that she is entirely welcome. The ‘’Indian Intelligence Services’’ have placed Hasina in ‘’protective custody’’, and moved her to an ‘’undisclosed location’’. She has been granted permission for an ‘’interim stay’’. (Bear in mind that interim means temporary)

Other countries also, are ‘’less than enthusiastic’’ about accepting her. The United States has rescinded her passport, and the United Kingdom has reportedly ‘’shut its doors’’, at least temporarily.  

By contrast, Bangladesh is certainly anxious to welcome her back! They have even requested that India arrest Hasina, and send her back, so that she can face criminal charges. 

As a result of this revolution, the curfew has been lifted, and all previously arrested ‘’protesters’’ have been released from jail. They even succeeded in dissolving Parliament.

Into this ‘’power vacuum’’, an ‘’interim government’’ is being created, with Mohamed Yunus as the ‘’chief advisor’’. He is a very popular figure, an ‘’entrepreneur, banker and economist’’, the winner of a Nobel Peace Prize, for ‘’pioneering the concepts of micro credit and micro finance’’. 

It is perhaps not too surprising that the army has plans of their own. The Army Chief of Staff is calling for people to have ‘’faith and trust’’ in the army, as the army promises to ‘’protect the lives and property of people’’, to ‘’bring peace and harmony back to the country’’, to ‘’stop the violence, murders, looting, hooliganism and protests’’.

In other words, the Army Chief of Staff wants to crush the revolution! 

These plans include taking over the interim government. As the Army Chief of Staff stated, ‘’Now we will form an interim government and continue our work to lead the country. The country is witnessing a period of revolution right now. I have invited all the leaders of the political parties. They came here and we had a good discussion. We have decided to form an interim government. Through the interim government, all the functioning of the government will take place.’’

From this, it is clear that the army and all ‘’opposition parties’’, plans to replace the rule of Hasina and her political party, with their own rule!

The leaders of the revolution have made it perfectly clear, that they are opposed to the plan of the army, to seize power! As they stated, ‘’We do not want a military government, this is not just the end of the tyrant Hasina, we are going to ensure a citizens government….We were ignored by authorities when we were protesting peacefully to reform the quota system. They thought that the students would get tired after protesting for two days. But because they were mistaken, it is no longer a quota reform protest. It’s been turned into a protest to reform the state. The state must take responsibility for all those who have been killed and injured so far…. what we need is a citizens charter, we need a civilian government, and we are going to ensure it’’. 

It is clear that the Bangladesh revolution is far from over! Now that Hasina has been removed from office, the common people have now secured some democratic rights, and not just on paper. 

We can compare this to the revolutionary situation which existed in Russia, immediately after the Emperor, Czar Nicholas was overthrown, in February of 1917. 

At that time, the capitalists seized power, and established a democratic republic. This provided the common people, workers and family farmers, referred to as peasants, with some democratic rights, if only on paper. Yet it did not provide them with much more. 

They remained largely poverty stricken, hungry and cold, still at war with Germany and the Central Powers, longing for ‘’peace, land and bread’’. Their new government responded with an abundance of promises. Nothing else. Sound familiar?

Yet Lenin, who was in exile, was able to return to Russia, in April of that year. He found that, as a result of the revolution, there existed a ‘’dual power’’ in Russia. On the one hand, there was the state power of the capitalists, as was expressed in the government, and supported those capitalists. On the other hand, there was the ‘’Soviet Power’’, in that Soviet means Council, which represented the common people, the workers, military personnel and farmers. 

The ‘’state power’’, of the Soviets, was almost as strong as that of the capitalists! For that reason, the capitalists dared not arrest Lenin, as soon as he stepped off the train, much as they desired to do so. 

The fact is that revolutionary motion frequently gives rise to Soviets. It is a spontaneous creation of working people. They first appeared in Russia, in the first revolution of 1905. They reappeared in 1917. They have since appeared in numerous other revolutions. It is entirely possible that they have also been created in Bangladesh. 

Assuming that is the case, then those Soviets are the nucleus of a new state power. These may take the shape of Soviets of Workers, Farmers, Military and possibly Intellectuals. It is these Soviets which are destined to assume power in Bangladesh. 

As yet, the leaders of the Bangladesh revolution are not speaking in class terms. They are speaking merely in terms of democracy, and that is certainly a step in the right direction. Now they have to be made aware that democracy is nothing other than a method of class rule! It is a form of government in which one class, in this case the ruling class of capitalists, subjugates all lower classes! The classes of workers and farmers. For that reason, no democratic republic can be inclusive! The government can represent only the class in power!

In this case, the ruling class is that of the capitalists, technically referred to as the bourgeoisie. The ‘’lower classes’’ include the family farmers, also known as peasants, and the working class, technically referred to as proletarians.

This brings us to that which the protesters refer to as a ‘’civilian government’’. This is really a ‘’state apparatus’’, or a ‘’state machine’’, to put it in popular terms. Such an apparatus has been set up, by the ruling class of capitalists, in order to crush the ‘’lower classes’’, the workers and family farmers. This apparatus includes that of the police, military, courts, prisons and other ‘’coercive institutions’’.

It is not at all surprising that the Army Chief of Staff wants to quell the revolution, to restore ‘’peace and harmony’’. As part of the state apparatus, one which supports the ruling class of capitalists, the leaders of the Army are most emphatically counter revolutionary!

Incidentally, by contrast, the ‘’rank and file’’ members of the military, the ‘’enlisted personnel’’, and not just those of the army, also tend to be revolutionary. Not too surprising, as most of them are workers and farmers.

Now to return to the fact that the leaders of the army want to seize power, to ‘’form an interim government’’. 

Their plan is to seize control of the existing state apparatus, which was abandoned by Hasina, as she fled the country.

It should be noted that this ‘’state apparatus’’ is treasured, by the capitalists! Even the Crown Jewels could not be more highly valued! Or protected! 

Now with Hasina ‘’out of the way’’, this has created that which is referred to as a ‘’power vacuum’’. She may be gone, but she left behind the ‘’state apparatus’’! It is still very much intact! Just waiting for someone to gain possession!

It is this supremely valuable state apparatus which is now ‘’up for grabs’’! The leaders of various political parties, as well as the leaders of the army, are determined to seize control of that apparatus, and set themselves up, as the new rulers!

This is to stress the fact that the existing state apparatus, which has been established by the capitalists, with the sole purpose of crushing the working people, cannot be used for any other purpose! It must be destroyed! Smashed!

It is up to the revolutionaries to smash the existing state apparatus, as it cannot be used to crush the capitalists, after the revolution. Yet their resistance will ‘’increase tenfold’’, after they lose power, as they make every effort to ‘’restore their paradise lost’’, according to Lenin. 

For that reason, a new state apparatus is required, to be established after the revolution. This apparatus is known as the Dictatorship of the Proletariat! Lenin explains this supremely well in his master piece, State and Revolution. 

To put this book in historical perspective, it was written in the summer of 1917, in preparation for the Russian Great October Socialist Proletarian Revolution, of that same year. That revolution was successful, because it followed the advice of Lenin. 

Now it is up to the leaders of the Bangladesh revolution to become class conscious, to raise their level of awareness,to become aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. 

They can then bring that revolutionary awareness to the ‘’common people’’, the workers and family farmers, or at least to the most advanced strata of those classes. Those advanced members will in turn explain it to the less advanced.

In this way, the Bangladesh revolutionaries will secure their ‘’citizens government’’, one which will ‘’hold accountable’’, those responsible for the death of so many innocent people. There is no other way! The existing state apparatus cannot be reformed!

Although this is indeed a ‘’tall order’’, it is nowhere near as difficult as it once was. A careful reading of the essential works of Marx and Lenin will be sufficient, at least for the present. At a bare minimum, State and Revolution, by Lenin, is absolutely required. That work is readily available on the internet.

A proper understanding of that work will ‘’pave the way’’ towards a successful Bangladesh Great Proletarian Socialist Revolution. 

With Fraternal Revolutionary Communist Greetings,

Gerald McIsaac 

The Republican National Committee, RNC, has now officially endorsed Donald Trump, as their candidate for the office of President, in 2024. Trump, in turn, chose J.D. Vance as his ‘’running mate’’, the candidate for Vice President. Vance is a Senator from the state of Ohio, considered to be a ‘’swing state’’.

It is anticipated that on August 19, the Democratic National Committee, DNC, will officially endorse Kamala Harris, as their candidate, for the office of President, in 2024. It is further anticipated that, even before the official endorsement, Harris will choose a suitable ‘’running mate’’, as the candidate for Vice President. Various officials have been mentioned, with the field narrowed down to three, from the states of Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Arizona. It is not by chance that all three candidates are from states that are considered to be ‘’swing states’’.

In the stilted political jargon, a ‘’swing state’’ is ‘’any state that could reasonably be won by either the Democratic or Republican candidate for President’’. 

It stands to reason that the choice of a ‘’running mate’’, from such a state, makes it far more likely for the candidate for President, to win that state. 

Now the mainstream press is conducting a ‘’countdown’’, the days remaining until the ‘’Presidential Election’’ of November 5. As well, they are also keeping track of the money being donated to the two ‘’Presidential Campaigns’’. This money is being measured in ‘’hundreds of millions’’!

Each ‘’Campaign’’ is anticipated to cost several billion dollars!

This will culminate on the day voters ‘’go to the polls’’, of course on November 5, to vote for their candidate for the office of President. Not that American voters get to directly vote for their candidate for the President. Indeed not. It is not that simple. Under the complicated ‘’electoral system’’, the candidate, of one of the two Parties, Republican or Democratic, either Trump or Harris, who wins the majority of votes, in a particular state, will in turn receive all of the Electoral votes, of that state!

It is reasonable to assume that, shortly after all the votes are counted, probably late in the day of November 5, the bourgeois journalists will be able to announce the next ‘’President Elect of the United States’’. 

The voting of the Electors, who are appointed by the States, as well as the District of Columbia, is a mere ”formality”, to take place ‘’on or before January 3’’. Or at least, that is the plan.

There is just one little problem. That which they have planned, all of the aforementioned, is completely Unconstitutional! It is in direct violation of the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution!

Even though I have reproduced it before, it is of vital importance, so I have chosen to do so again:

Twelfth Amendment

The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate;–the President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted;–The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. [And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President.–]The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.

By law, Constitutional law, there is no ‘’presidential election’’! There is only a federal election! It is the Electors, and only the Electors, who are appointed by the States, and only by the States, who get to vote for the individual of their choice, for the office of President. As well, those same Electors get to vote, on a separate ballot, for the individual of their choice, for the office of Vice President. The states have no right to meddle in a federal election!

Further, the Twelfth Amendment makes no mention of any political party! Nor is there any mention of any ‘’popular vote’’! The scheduled November 5 vote is meaningless! For that reason, there is no ‘’President Elect’’! In fact, by Constitutional Law, the American voters are excluded from any federal election!

As for those who may object that this is hardly democratic, I can only respond this is the law! Constitutional Law! Further, all elected federal officials have taken an oath, to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution!

Hold those federal officials accountable! Demand that they honour their oath! Demand that the 2024 federal election follow the procedure laid out in the Twelfth Amendment! Also demand that both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris be removed from office immediately! Both came to office by means of a fraudulent election!

As for those who may suggest that I am being ridiculous, I can only respond that you are correct. The federal officials are not about to perform their duty! That would never occur to them! The very thought would never cross their minds! Such heresy!

As I have mentioned in various previous articles, my focus is on the ‘’common people’’, and in particular the working class, the proletariat. That is the class which ‘’holds the future in its hands’’. It is just not aware of this, or at least, not as yet. 

In the interests of raising the level of awareness of the proletariat, it is necessary to expose the monopoly capitalist class, the multi billionaires, the bourgeoisie. That is the class of people in charge. They are running the country. In fact, they are running the country right into the ground! Yet so many working people still believe their lies.

Those same working people pay strict attention to the news, at least as presented by the mainstream press. As well, countless workers are now quite cultured, in possession of various digital devices, so that they have access to the ‘’Leftist’’ press. All the press is now focused on the ‘’Presidential election’’, and the two ‘’running mates’’, for the Presidency. For that reason, we can use this to our advantage. 

All ‘’conscious people’’, those who are aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin, must become active. It is your duty! The level of awareness of the proletariat must be raised. They, or at least the most advanced workers, must become class conscious. The working class, the proletariat, must become aware of themselves as a class, with their own class interests. They must be made aware of those same revolutionary theories. They must be prepared for Scientific Socialism. This can happen only through overthrowing the bourgeoisie, smashing the existing state apparatus, and replacing it with a new state apparatus, in the form of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. 

Middle class attorneys, preferably experts in Constitutional law, must challenge both federal elections, that of 2020 and 2024. Every effort must be made to remove both Biden and Harris from office. As well, the 2024 federal election must follow the procedure laid out in the Twelfth Amendment. These are the arguments which must be made in federal court, preferably the Supreme Court.

Such a court challenge will be closely monitored by the press, both mainstream and Leftist. The working people will be sure to follow all developments, and in the process, receive a valuable education. 

There are various other suggestions I have made, in previous articles, concerning the manner in which we can assist the working class, or at least the most advanced members of the proletariat, in becoming true Marxists, Communists. Much as I tire of repeating this, perhaps a brief summary is appropriate. 

Flood social media with Leftist literature. Join the two mainstream political parties, as ‘’card carrying members’’. Take part in marches and demonstrations, as Communists, carrying signs with class content. Unite the various Councils- Soviets- which have spontaneously taken shape. Encourage ‘’celebrities’’, especially ‘’Hollywood Movie Stars’’ to become active. Their fans pay strict attention to anything they say! 

There is an urgent need for a true Communist Party, one which calls for the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. Middle class intellectuals, in cooperation with the most advanced, ’’internationalist workers’’, can take part in that creation. 

Encourage all workers to read the Essential Works of Marx and Lenin. The importance of State and Revolution, must be stressed. The Revolution could break out at any moment. It is best to be prepared! 

That which the press, rather politely refers to as ‘’popular uprisings’’, and is in fact revolutionary motion, is taking place in various parts of the world. These include the West European countries of France, Britain and  Germany, among others.

There are also revolutionary uprisings in South America, in the country of  Venezuela. In South Asia, the country of Bangladesh is ‘’seething’’. In West Africa, Nigeria is ‘’in turmoil’’.  

Bear in mind that these ‘’revolutionary motions’’, these ‘’mass movements’’, tend to spread, to other countries. It is not just in North America that a Revolution is about to take place!

It was Lenin who foresaw a ‘’World Socialist Republic’’. Sadly, he was murdered, so that he never lived to see that day. We can only honour his memory by taking his advice, ’’following in his footsteps’’, carrying out the policies, that he was able to only outline. 

In this way, the younger generation will live to see a world without classes, a world without capitalists fighting to re-divide the world. A world of working people living together in peace. A world of Communism.

That is a goal upon which we can all unite. 

Venezuela is a South American country of possibly thirty million people, and quite highly industrialized. The main industries are oil, mining and steel. There are not a great many family farmers, referred to as peasants. This means that there is a high percentage of workers, proletarians. 

As it is located in South America, it is considered to be a ‘’Latin American’’ country, in that the official language is Spanish. In fact, all countries of South America are considered to be Latin American. For that reason, people from such countries are referred to as ‘’Latinos’’. 

Incidentally, the word ‘’Latino’’ comes from the fact that Latin gave rise to various ‘’Romance’’ languages. These include Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian. Yet the expression ‘’Latino’’ is generally restricted to Spanish speaking people from South America. 

A Presidential election was recently held in Venezuela. President Nicholas Maduro is claiming victory, even though the opposition, led by Maria Machado, says that Edmundo Gonzales won the election, in a ‘’landslide victory’’. 

The political party of Maduro, refers to itself as the Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela, PSUV, or in English, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela. 

Regardless of the fact that they refer to themselves as ‘’Socialist’’, they are anything but Socialist! They are supremely ‘’right wing’’, completely reactionary. It is important to bear in mind that any political party can refer to itself as ‘’Socialist’’. The only requirement is the ability to spell the word!

Since the vote, there have been widespread protests. The mainstream press is reporting that ‘’Venezuela is on the brink of collapse’’, that ‘’there is chaos in the streets’’, that ‘’the country is in the midst of a popular uprising’’. 

Without doubt, the country is experiencing a ‘’mass movement’’, or a ‘’revolutionary uprising’’, to phrase it in scientific terms. Most common people think that the election was ‘’rigged’’, that Maduro ‘’stole the election’’, that Gonzalez was the ‘’real winner’’. This has given rise to ‘’violent demonstrations’’, with protesters chanting such slogans as  ‘’Out the Dictator!’’, and ‘’Long Live Freedom!’’.

It is clear that the ‘’common people’’ of Venezuela, both workers and family farmers, are determined to secure their democratic right to elect the leaders of their choice, through free, fair and independent elections.

This is most encouraging, as according to Engels, ‘’Universal suffrage is an index of the maturity of the working class. It cannot, and never will be, anything more in the modern state’’.

This ‘’spontaneous mass movement’’, these protests against a ‘’stolen election’’, is an indication that the Venezuelan working class is ‘’quite mature’’. 

Further, according to Lenin, ‘’The omnipotence of ‘wealth’ is thus more secure in a democratic republic, since it does not depend on the faulty political shell of capitalism. A democratic republic is the best possible political shell for capitalism, and therefore, once capital has gained control of this very best shell…it established its power so securely, so firmly, that no change, either of persons, of institutions, or of parties in the bourgeois democratic republic, can shake it’’. (italics by Lenin)

This is to say that, even if the protesters succeed in securing a new, democratically elected President, complete with a different Party, nothing will change! The monopoly capitalist class, the bourgeoisie, will still be in charge! Now it is a matter of making the working class, the proletariat, aware of this!  

President Maduro has responded to these protests with a display of brute force. He has ordered the police and military to ‘’crush the attempt of the far right to seize power’’. This despite the fact that Maduro represents the ‘’far right’’! He has also ordered the arrest of ‘’opposition leaders’’.

For that reason, Maria Machado has gone ‘’into hiding’’, in fear for her life. She has also called for ‘’nation wide protests’’, to be held on Saturday. 

The journalists have conducted interviews with numerous protesters. As a result, they are convinced that these protests are ‘’different from previous protests’’, in that the common people are ’’fed up’’, that they are ’’determined to enact change’’. As the protesters phrase it, ‘’enough is enough’’!

Perhaps we can compare this situation, in Venezuela, to that of Russia, in the spring of 1917. 

In February of that year, the Russian Czar, or Emperor, had been overthrown, and a democratic republic established, with Kerensky as the leader. The common people, workers and family farmers, had some democratic rights, if only on paper. This made it possible for Lenin to return from exile, in April of that year. 

As I have documented, in previous writings, he found a ‘’dual power’’ in place. The state power, of the Kerensky regime, was being challenged, by the state power of the ‘’Soviets’’- or ‘’Sovietica’’ in Spanish- of the working people!

The fact is that revolutionary motion frequently- but by no means always!- gives rise to Soviets. These are also referred to as Councils, in English. For the purposes of this article, I will refer to them as Soviets. 

It is very likely that Soviets have also made an appearance in Venezuela, as a result of that revolutionary motion. Assuming that is the case, then they are the nucleus of a new, proletarian state power. It is up to the Venezuelan Soviets to unite, to overthrow the corrupt capitalist regime of Maduro, smash the existing state apparatus, and establish a state of Scientific Socialism, in the form of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.

But first it is necessary to raise the level of awareness of the common people, especially the working class, the proletariat. They must become ‘’class conscious’’, aware of themselves as a class, complete with their own class interests. The conditions of life, of the working class, do not lead to this awareness. 

For that reason, it is up to middle class intellectuals to bring that awareness to the proletariat. It is only the middle class which is aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin, as those theories are taught only in Universities, and then only with a view to distorting those same theories. 

This is the duty of a true Communist Party, but it is doubtful that such a Communist Party exists in Venezuela. Bear in mind that the Dictatorship of the Proletariat is the ‘’touchstone’’ of a true Communist Party, according to Lenin. 

In the absence of a Communist Party, those whom Lenin refers to as ‘’internationalist workers’’, will come together. To such groups of advanced workers, I can only suggest a careful reading of State and Revolution, by Lenin. 

Bear in mind that in the summer of 1917, as the Russian Revolution was gaining strength, the Russian officials, under Kerensky, determined to kill Lenin. For that reason, he went into hiding, and prepared for the Russian Revolution. In anticipation of the Insurrection, he wrote State and Revolution.

That article lays out the procedure to be followed, in order to conduct a successful revolution. At the time of the Insurrection, the government must be overthrown, the existing state apparatus must be smashed, and replaced with a new and different state apparatus, in the form of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. 

This is to stress the fact that the existing state apparatus, which has been set up by the ruling class of capitalists, the bourgeoisie, in order to crush the ‘’lower classes’’, the proletariat and the family farmers, has to be destroyed. A new state apparatus is required, in order to crush the capitalists, as they make every effort, after the Revolution, to return to power, to ’’restore their paradise lost’’. 

The alternative, that at the time of the Revolution, the existing state apparatus is not smashed, then the current batch of rulers will merely be replaced by different faces, according to Lenin. Nothing of substance will change. The working people will continue to be crushed and exploited. 

The only alternative to capitalism is Scientific Socialism, in the form of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. Lenin makes that quite clear, in State and Revolution.

This book is available for sale, on the internet, and possibly also in audio form. It may even be possible to download it for free. As Venezuela is highly industrialized, it is reasonable to assume that the working class is cultured. No doubt a great many workers have digital devices, or at least have access to such devices.

Bear in mind that in Russia, in the summer of 1917, the Russian common people, workers and family farmers, were far less cultured. Many were illiterate. There was certainly no internet! Yet under far more difficult circumstances, Lenin and the Communist Party were able to raise the level of awareness of the common people, especially the proletariat, to the point that a successful Scientific Socialist revolution could take place. This has gone down in history as the Great October Russian Proletarian Socialist Revolution. 

With a supreme effort, on the part of the middle class intellectuals and advanced workers of Venezuela, we can expect to soon see a Great Venezuelan Proletarian Socialist Revolution. I have complete confidence in you!

With Fraternal Communist Greetings, 

Gerald McIsaac

Donald Trump recently gave a campaign speech, in West Palm Beach, Florida, in which he did something highly unusual, completely unexpected, and rather strange. Trump broke with his long standing tradition of ‘’speaking lies, only lies, and nothing but lies’’. Remarkably enough -even though his lips were moving!- he actually spoke the truth! This is what he said:

‘’You have to get out and vote. You won’t have to do it anymore. Four years, it will be fixed. You won’t have to vote anymore. In four years, you won’t have to vote again’’. 

We can only express our most sincere, heartfelt gratitude to this former President, and current candidate for the office of President, this multi billionaire, this monopoly capitalist, this member of the class of people, referred to as the bourgeoisie. Trump has just ‘’tipped his hand’’, revealed his plan to set himself up as ‘’Dictator, On Day One’’, so that American voters will be ‘’relieved of the burden’’ of voting! But first they have to ‘’get out and vote’’, just ‘’one more time’’! 

That ‘’one more time’’ is a reference to the upcoming ‘’November vote’’, the ‘’popular vote for the Presidency’’. A vote which is completely fraudulent! Unconstitutional!

It is to the credit of a certain ‘’Leftist’’ journalist, that he ‘’broke this story’’. It is available, on the internet, under the title ‘’President Trump Casts Vision For ’24 And Beyond’’.

As this Leftist journalist pointed out, if Trump wins the 2024 ‘’Presidential election’’, he will ‘’set himself up as Dictator On Day One”, deport immigrants en masse, strip citizenship from those who burn flags, which falls under the First Amendment right to free speech… Donald Trump will end our democracy if he gets back into power’’.  

For purposes of clarification, we should mention that there is no law against burning the American flag, as long as it belongs to the individual. Yet it should be discouraged, out of respect for the working people, patriotic Americans, many of whom have fought under that flag. We do not want to offend them. 

Another Leftist journalist, one with a strong sense of democracy, produced a video, titled ‘’Top Republicans Just Turned On Trump…Then Buried Him!’’

In this video, he gave credit to the former Vice President, Mike Pence. Even though he was hardly a fan of Pence, he pointed out that Pence took a principled stand. He refused to ‘’falsify the results of the 2020 Presidential election’’, according to the journalist. 

As Pence is reported to have said, ‘’Anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution, should never be President of the United States’’.

As the journalist pointed out, ‘’We are all pro democracy, we all believe the Constitution needs to be upheld. …Trump tried to steal our last election. There is no greater threat to our Republic. He resorted to lies and violence to keep himself in power. There was no evidence of election fraud’’. 

Except that there was election fraud! Not the fraud that Trump was referring to, but fraud nonetheless. As the 2020 ‘’Presidential election’’ did not follow the procedure laid out in the Twelfth Amendment, it was clearly fraudulent. 

Still another Leftist journalist produced another fine video, titled ‘’Police Raid Library To Enforce Book Bans: Is Fascism Already Here?’’

In this video, the journalist pointed out that, in the state of Texas, the police are ‘’raiding libraries’’, in order to enforce ‘’book bans’’. It is apparently a ‘’crime’’ in Texas to ‘’pass out certain books’’. The legal guidelines are ‘’rather vague’’, but include ‘’books that make people feel bad about race’’, as well as ‘’any reference to a gay character’’. 

This journalist pointed out that ‘’This is the way the Nazis started. Book burning! First they come for the books. Librarians. Teachers. New fascist groups. All over social media. This is fascism’’.

This journalist certainly has good reason to be concerned. It is true that in Germany, the Nazis, fascists one and all, started by burning books. Yet book burning, by itself, is not necessarily fascist. It could well be reactionary. 

This ‘’begs the question’’. What is the difference between fascist and reactionary?

According to the internet, a fascist is ‘’A far right form of government, in which most of the country’s power is held by one ruler, or a small group, under a single party. Fascist governments are usually totalitarian and authoritarian one party states’’.

Also according to the internet, a reactionary is defined as ‘’opposing social or political liberalization or reform’’. 

From this, it is clear that all fascists are reactionary, but not all reactionaries are fascists. 

Lenin goes into this in his excellent work, Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism:

‘’The question as to whether it is possible to reform the basis of imperialism, whether to go forward to the aggravation of the antagonisms which it engenders, or backwards, towards allaying these antagonisms, is a fundamental question in the critique of imperialism. As a consequence of the fact that the political features of imperialism are reaction all along the line, and increased national oppression, resulting from the oppression of the financial oligarchy and the elimination of free competition, a democratic petty bourgeois opposition has been rising against imperialism in almost all imperialist countries, since the beginning of the twentieth century’’. (my italics)

May I suggest that we are experiencing ‘’reaction all along the line’’, in the form of ‘’book burning’’, which is not necessarily fascism. May I further suggest ‘’going forward to the aggravation of the antagonisms which imperialism engenders’’, by challenging the legality of the ‘’Presidential election’’, in a federal court of law. 

The alternative, that of ‘’reforming the basis of imperialism’’, possibly by supporting the presumptive Democratic Party candidate for President, Kamala Harris, can best be described as a ‘’petty bourgeois opposition’’, one which has no chance of success. After all, the bourgeoisie has recently announced that it plans to wipe out the middle class. Now is not the time for ‘’half measures’’. The election of Harris, to the Presidency, will change nothing.

The previous examples, of videos produced by concerned Leftist journalists, indicate that there are a great many middle class people, who are deeply concerned. Now is the time to unite all Leftist opposition, both middle class and working class, in a legal challenge to the federal elections. 

Such a court challenge will help to raise the level of awareness of the working class, the proletariat. They must be prepared for the approaching revolution, the insurrection, the smashing of the existing state apparatus, and the establishment of Scientific Socialism, in the form of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.

As the proletariat is the only consistently revolutionary class, the ‘’class that holds the future in its hands’’, that is the ‘’way forward’‘.

The Prime Minister of Israel, an individual who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, to face charges of war crimes, just addressed a ‘’Joint Session of Congress’’. This is to say that the House of Representatives, as well as the Senate, got together to hear Benjamin Netanyahu. 

The leaders of both political parties, Democratic and Republican, of both ‘’Houses of Congress’’, invited this individual to speak. 

The Republican Members, of both the House and the Senate, appeared to be wildly enthusiastic. Netanyahu was first met with a rousing applause, and during his speech, was frequently interrupted by ‘’standing ovations’’. 

The Democratic Members were somewhat more subdued. Even though the Democratic leaders had invited Netanyahu, over a hundred Democratic ‘’lawmakers’’, refused to attend. As well, one House Member, the only Palestinian American in Congress, held a sign with ‘’War Criminal’’ on one side, and ‘’Guilty of Genocide’’ on the other.

Outside that building, on the streets of Washington, tens of thousands of protesters, from all across the country, were expressing their opposition. Many of them represented an organization called ‘’Jewish Voice For Peace’’. Among them, were over a dozen rabbis. All were wearing T shirts that said ‘’Not In Our Name’’, and ‘’Stop Arming Israel’’. As well, their signs proclaimed,  ‘’Jews say: Stop the Genocide’’, and ‘’No More Weapons to Israel’’, and ‘’Anti Israel Is Not Anti Semitism’’. A great many of these Jewish protesters were arrested. 

Of course, numerous other organizations were represented, in the protests, including several ‘’major unions’’. This too, is of great significance, as it is an indication of the breadth and depth of the revolutionary motion. 

Naturally, Netanyahu slandered these patriotic citizens, who were exercising their democratic right to protest. He accused them of being ‘’in the service’’ of a foreign power, of being ‘’Irans useful idiots’’. 

The protesters were a broad mixture of people, young and old, male and female, of various ethnic backgrounds, all opposed to the genocide being committed against the people of Palestine. They are especially determined to stop the American government from providing any more weapons to Israel, as these weapons are being used against Palestinian civilians. 

In their attempt to get closer to the government buildings, in which Netanyahu was speaking, the protesters came into conflict with the police. For that reason, countless people were ‘’pepper sprayed’’, and many others were arrested. 

Possibly the finest coverage of this protest, was by a journalist from TRT, Turkish Radio and Television. His article was titled the ‘’Corruption of American Political Power’’, by ‘’Pro War Billionaires’’. As he stated: ‘’That billionaire class is the reason why Netanyahu is being invited here…because of the corruption of American politics by pro war billionaires, who essentially control both Parties, and control Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump, who is set to meet with Netanyahu at Mar A Lago on Friday. The pro war billionaire class is the reason Netanyahu was invited to US.’’

Although the article suffers from a number of defects, that is incidental to the fact that the author makes reference to the existence of classes. That is precisely what is needed, in order to raise the level of awareness of the working class, the proletariat. 

He could well have added that the ‘billionaire class’’ is technically referred to as the ‘’bourgeoisie’’. He is also correct in pointing out that the ‘’billionaire class’’ is ‘’pro war’’, is responsible for the ‘’corruption of American politics’’, has ‘’control of both Parties’’, both Democratic and Republican, as well as control of the President and Vice President. 

True, he did not state it quite this clearly, but he documented it, and that is the important thing. We can only hope that other ‘’Leftist’’ journalists will ‘’follow suit’’, and start to report the news properly, in class terms.

Indeed, all high ranking politicians are ‘’in the pocket’’ of the bourgeoisie, the multi billionaires. It can hardly be otherwise, as the election of the President, as well as the Vice President, costs many billions of dollars. The multi billionaires finance the election campaigns of these candidates, of both Parties, and once elected, those same politicians are indebted to the multi billionaires! Both Parties serve the same class! The bourgeoisie!

The 2024 federal election is scheduled to be no different. The voters will be allowed to choose between the candidates of the two Parties. The Republicans are offering Trump, for the office of President, with Pence as his ‘’running mate’’, for the office of Vice President. The Democrats will almost certainly select Kamala Harris, for the office of President, with the candidate of her choice, her ‘’running mate’’, for the office of Vice President. All of which is completely Unconstitutional!

Yet this will almost certainly take place, unless the political parties are forced to abide by the Constitution!

Of course, I am referring to the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution, which lays out the procedure to be followed, in all federal elections! As I have documented in previous articles, the American voters have nothing to say, concerning the election of the President, or the Vice President. By Constitutional law! 

There is no need to repeat it here. I will merely point out that the ‘’Two Party System’’ is completely Unconstitutional! It has been established, by the multi billionaires, the bourgeoisie, as a convenient method of rule. Under this system, anyone who wants to become President, must first secure many billions of dollars. In the process, they become indebted to those same multi billionaires, the bourgeoisie. 

A court order is required to force a legal federal election. This will not have the effect of overthrowing the bourgeoisie. It will have the effect of raising the level of awareness of the working class, the proletariat. 

The revolutionary motion is growing ever stronger. The fact that so many people, of so many different walks of life, as well as the labour unions, are protesting, is a reliable indication of this. 

We have no way of knowing which ‘’spark’’ will ignite a full scale revolution. It could happen any day. It will result in the overthrow of the bourgeoisie, the smashing of the existing state apparatus, and the establishment of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. The more prepared we are, the smoother will be the transition. 

Also as previously mentioned, it is only middle class attorneys, those who are experts on Constitutional law, who can challenge the federal elections, in a court of law. This is well worth the effort, the time and money.

It may help to think of this as a ‘’future investment’’. An alliance is required, of the middle class, the petty bourgeois, with the working class, the proletariat, against the ruling class of multi billionaires, the bourgeoisie. 

Middle class people have nothing to lose, as the bourgeoisie has recently announced their intention of destroying the middle class. They are not joking. 

Nor are we joking. Those of us who are Scientific Socialists, Communists, are offering middle class people an alternative. Join us in establishing the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. Your training and skills will be in demand, under Socialism. Those who cooperate, will be respected and rewarded. Those who oppose us, will be treated in the same manner as the members of the bourgeoisie, the parasites who have no useful skills. The experience will not be pleasant.

Bear in mind that both Marx and Lenin were middle class intellectuals. Feel free to proudly follow in their footsteps. Join the revolutionary class of the proletariat, the class that ‘’holds the future in its hands’’. You will not be disappointed.