Author: Gerald Mcisaac

The contradictions in the world of capitalism are becoming ever more intense. Now even the journalists are daring to mention that capitalism is in a state of crisis. They are further reporting that unemployment is at a level which has not been seen since the days of the Great Depression. There is currently a great abundance, a vast surplus of almost all commodities. Under socialism this is a great blessing, but as we live under capitalism, it is considered to be a terrible curse, in that prices have been driven down. The business reporters are suggesting that profits have been ”negatively impacted”, which is to say that the capitalists are losing money.

As well, the corona virus is causing death and devastation on a scale not seen since the days of the flu epidemic of a century ago. Of the confirmed number of dead due to the virus, roughly a quarter of them are confined to one country, which is America. In fact the official death toll in that country is approaching 100,000. As well, tens of millions of people in the same country are currently unemployed. The ruling class, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are at their wits end, not sure of which way to jump.

The government first responded to the twin crises by shutting down the country, aside from essential services, and initiating various ”economic stimulus packages”, in an attempt to get the country ”back on its feet”. The latest such package, approved by the House of Representatives, amounts to 3 trillion dollars. If approved, this will send the national debt to heights never before imagined, possibly 30 trillion dollars. Of course, that is just the debt the government chooses to acknowledge. They manage to keep the national debt at artificially low levels, by simply denying the existence of money they owe.

Now the government has decided to initiate ”limited reopening”, in an attempt to further ”stimulate the economy”. This has also resulted in further ”stimulating the virus”, in that hospitals are reporting an increase in the number of patients who are suffering from the virus. We can count on the bourgeoisie to deal with a situation which is desperate and transform it into an absolute disaster.

This is another way of saying that the situation is truly revolutionary, as the ruling class, the bourgeoisie, can no longer rule in the old way. As well, the class which is being ruled, the proletariat, is no longer content to be ruled in any manner. They are rising up, demanding change, holding their leaders accountable. At least, they are making a supreme effort.

In response to these twin crises in capitalism, President Trump has managed to scale the twin peaks of stupidity and incompetence. His latest brainstorm is to declare religious services as ”essential services”, and to order the buildings of all such religions, whether churches, mosques or synagogues, to be opened. He is also threatening to override any governor who dares to disobey that order.

The journalists are reporting that Trump does not have that authority, as no where does the Constitution grant him that power. That is certainly true, yet those same journalists are overlooking the fact that Trump declared that he has ”total power”. He was not joking. He was also not joking when he said that any governor who dared challenge his authority was committing a ”mutiny”. He ”welcomes mutiny”, and promises to be harsh with the mutineers. The various governors of the states, as well as any one else who dares to cross Trump, would do well to bear in mind that he has just threatened such people with death by hanging, as that is the penalty for mutiny.

Incredibly enough, it is just possible that the spark which sets off the American revolution, or at least the break up of the country, could well be the presidential directive to reopen the religious buildings!

Cracks are now appearing in the American empire. A number of states on each coast have come together in alliances, to form the nucleus of two republics. These are the two major population centres. As well, several states in the midwest, the industrial heart land of the country, have also come together, to form the nucleus of a third republic.

As mentioned in a previous article, the breaking up of the American empire and socialist revolution is on the horizon. Trump is doing his best to hasten the collapse of capitalism, at least in America. Now it is up to conscious people, Marxist intellectuals, to form a proper Communist Party. Working people need proper leaders, as they are not capable of setting up a scientific socialist society by themselves, a truly Marxist Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Their conditions of life do not lead to this awareness. This class consciousness can only be brought to them from conscious people, those who are aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin.

In years gone by, that meant only middle class intellectuals were aware of those theories, and it was up to them to bring that awareness to the proletariat, to form a proper Communist Party. But now the situation has changed, in that most working people in America are literate and have access to the internet. As that is the case, I am encouraging all working people who are deeply discontent with the current situation to take action. By that I mean that all advanced workers, proletarians, must study the essential works of Lenin, raise their level of awareness and also take part in the creation of the Communist Party. Of course middle class intellectuals are also welcome to take part in creating the Party.

As members of that Party, they can expect to be faced with three trends in the revolutionary movement, according to Lenin. It is absolutely essential to recognize the existence of these trends and to fight consistently for the trend that is truly revolutionary.

The first trend is that of the social chauvinists, those who are socialists in words and chauvinists in deed. They may claim to be Marxist or Marxist -Leninist or Communists, while at the same time defending the bourgeoisie. They may or may not be members of a political party, while at the same time demanding nothing but paltry reforms. They absolutely do not demand anything that is not acceptable to the bourgeoisie. They are careful to not make any reference to revolution or to the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. They are MINO, Marxists In Name Only.

Historically, these people have generally not been members of the working class, the proletariat, but middle class intellectuals. That was before the virus and the Second Great Depression. Now the situation has changed quite dramatically. A great many middle class people have recently been ruined, forced into the ranks of the working class, and most of the remainder are soon to follow. That includes many of the social chauvinists, now being reduced to the level of proletarians. Now these former members of the middle class are joining their ”comrades in arms”, the upper stratum of the working class, those who have been bribed by the bourgeoisie. Together they do a fine job of defending the bourgeoisie, making every effort to divert the revolutionary motion onto some harmless path of social reform. As that is the case, these people, the social chauvinists, are the enemy.

As opposed to the social chauvinists, there exists a second trend, referred to as the ”centre”. The members of this second trend, that of the centre, are best described by Lenin: ”the ‘Centre’ is not convinced of the necessity for a revolution against ones own government; it does not preach revolution; it does not carry on a whole hearted revolutionary struggle; and in order to evade such a struggle it resorts to the tritest ultra ‘Marxist’ sounding excuses”. (italics by Lenin)

As anyone with any considerable experience in the revolutionary movement can testify, there is no shortage of such people. They tend to be middle class, or at least of a middle class background, petty bourgeois. As the middle class is currently being wiped out in America, we can expect a great up surge of such people into the ranks of the proletariat, and into the class struggle. They may refer to themselves as Leftists, although most prefer the term Democratic Socialists or Independent Socialists. They tend to be well educated, aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin, including the theory of the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Yet few of them are at all anxious to put those theories into practice. There is a big difference between being aware of the revolutionary theories and believing those same theories.

On occasion, individuals drift from one position to the other, from Centre to social chauvinist or the reverse, much as boats without anchors tend to drift around a lake. In fact, such people have no anchor, which is to say they take no guidance from the theories of Marx and Lenin.

This is not to say that the members of the centre are the enemy, because they are not. A great deal of patience is required in dealing with them, as they seem to be impervious to logic. No doubt their conditions of life, as members of the petty bourgeois, have led to this vacillating outlook on the class struggle, one day supporting the proletariat and the next day siding with the bourgeoisie. As the revolution gains strength, ever more of them will gravitate towards the proletariat.

This brings us to the third trend, and we will once again quote from Lenin, as it is so important. In reference to the third trend, he stated: ”Its distinctive feature is its complete break with both social chauvinism and ‘Centrism’, and its gallant revolutionary struggle against its own imperialist government and its own imperialist bourgeoisie. Its principle is: ‘Our chief enemy is at home’. It wages a ruthless struggle against honeyed social pacifist phrases (a social pacifist is a socialist in words and a bourgeois pacifist in deed; bourgeois pacifists dream of an everlasting peace without the overthrow of the yoke and domination of capital) and against all subterfuges employed to deny the possibility, or the appropriateness, or the timeliness of a proletarian revolutionary struggle and of a proletarian socialist revolution in connection with the present war”.(all italics and punctuation by Lenin. It should be noted that this was written at the time of the great imperialist slaughter referred to as the First World War)

It is people who are members of this third trend who are destined to form a true Communist Party. It matters not if they have a petty bourgeois or a proletariat background. The important thing is that they are true Marxists, dedicated to scientific socialism, the revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Their class background is of absolutely no consequence.

This is not to say that it is easy to be a Marxist, a member of the third trend, and to take part in forming a true Communist Party. It is not easy at all. That is a fact, just as it is a fact that certain things simply have to be done. May I suggest that those of you who are aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin consider it your duty to take action, as it is your duty. As the old proverb states, ”To whom much is given, of him much is required”. To once again quote Lenin: ”Such people are few; but it is on such people alone that the future of socialism depends; they alone are the leaders of the people, and not their corrupters…It is not a question of numbers, but of giving correct expression to the ideas and policies of the truly revolutionary proletariat”. (italics by Lenin)

It is to be expected that the members of the public should be confused, if only because the social chauvinists make a supreme effort to spread confusion. It is for that reason I recommend the name of the party be Communist Party, Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, or CP,DOP. The social chauvinists are dead set opposed to the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, as it is the worst nightmare of their lords and masters, the bourgeoisie. This should help to draw a clear distinction between the social chauvinists and the true Marxists.

May I suggest that Lenin wrote the previously quoted lines immediately before the German revolution of 1919, a revolution which spread across Western Europe. As is well known, that particular revolution was not successful, mainly because most of the leaders betrayed the working people and called for ”defence of the fatherland”, in support of their ”own” bourgeoisie. Now it is up to American Marxists, true internationalists, to make sure that history does not repeat itself. There is only one way to do that:

Embrace the third trend. Form the Communist Party, Dictatorship Of the Proletariat!

The number of ”confirmed” deaths, due to the corona virus, is now over 70,000. There are a great many unconfirmed deaths, due to the corona virus, but the government prefers not to recognize them. Most of the states are now beginning a ”process of phased reopening”, as they explained it. At the same time, the number of daily cases of confirmed deaths, due to the virus, has reached an all time high. The medical professionals expect the daily death rate to possibly double as states ”reopen”, people mingle, and the virus has a better chance to spread.

As the virus runs its deadly course, the Second Great Depression also takes root. Within the last several weeks, thirty million workers have filed for benefits. That number is expected to rise dramatically as ever more small businesses file for bankruptcy. As well, various states are also close to that point, and are already in the process of laying off workers. For that matter, the federal government is in danger of going broke, although the officials are reluctant to admit this.

The working people are rapidly approaching the point of desperation. So many people are living paycheck to paycheck, and those paychecks are running out. As a result, people are being faced with the choice of paying rent or putting food on the table. The government officials have graciously decided to bless the fortunate few with paltry handouts, which merely delays the day when so many people will lose their homes.

Working people are rising up, in violation of any ”stay at home” orders, as well as any ”social distancing” orders. In the state capital of Michigan, armed protesters made this abundantly clear. As well, in the state capital of California, protesters also gathered, but without any firearms. As these citizens were not such a threat, the government officials became quite brave and arrested a great many of them.

People are protesting more than just ”social distancing”. They are convinced that the government is doing next to nothing to prevent the spread of the virus, and even less in trying to find a cure for the sickness. As well, workers want jobs. There is an increasing awareness, or at least a growing suspicion, that nothing is about to change. If the government has its way, that is precisely the way it will remain.

Under these conditions, it is only natural that thoughts of socialism should enter the minds of people. It is also only natural that the capitalists, the billionaires, technically referred to as the bourgeoisie, should respond that socialism, or Communism, has been tried, and has been proven to be a disaster. They then give the examples of Russia and China.

In fact, I have personally spoken to numerous people from Eastern Europe, those who are clearly not ”Communists”, but have lived in ”Communist countries”. These people, workers one and all, say that ”Communism is not what Lenin thought it would be”. In this, they are absolutely correct.

This calls for a little explanation. It is true that the Russian Revolution of October, 1917, gave birth to a socialist republic, in that the bourgeoisie were crushed under the working class, the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. A similar thing happened in China, after the Chinese Revolution of 1948. Since that time, in each country, the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, have managed to return to power. In Russia, or the USSR, as it was then called, this happened after the death of Stalin. In China, the capitalists returned to power after the death of Mao.

This does not mean that scientific socialism, the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin, are not valid. It does mean that after the revolution, after the billionaires are separated from their wealth and power, after they are deprived of their life of luxury, after they are no longer being waited upon hand and foot, then their rage, their fury, their hatred, will rise to heights which cannot be imagined, at least not by mere mortals. After these people are ”reduced” to the state of ”paupers”, a state of life which they never imagined, a state in which they are forced to ”work for their daily bread”, ”degraded” to the lot of common toilers, then they will make every effort, they will resort to any length, any subterfuge, they will spare no lies, in an attempt to return to power.

That is precisely the thing which happened in Russia and China. The capitalists of those countries went to the extreme length of pretending to be Communists, infiltrated the Communist Parties of each country, and managed to restore capitalism.

Strangely enough, this is not as surprising as it may sound. It was Lenin who pointed out that it is far less difficult to start a revolution in a ”petty bourgeois” country, but far more difficult to carry it through in successive stages. By contrast, it is far more difficult to start a revolution in ”developed” countries, but far easier to carry it through in successive stages.

A developed country is far more cultured, so that the bourgeois influence is far more wide spread. By contrast, most people in a petty bourgeois country, as was Russia in 1917, were illiterate peasants. Those peasants were less exposed to the bourgeois influence.

Lenin explained that in 1917 Russia, the ”overwhelming majority” of the population was ”petty bourgeois”. I found this rather surprising as it was my idea that small business owners are middle class or petty bourgeois. That is true, but Lenin pointed out that the vast majority of peasants are also ”small proprietors” and can be ”nothing else…They have not been schooled; their economic and political conditions do not bring them together, but rather tend to separate, alienating them from each other, and transforming them into millions of lone wolf small proprietors”. This is to say that all peasants, even the most poverty stricken, are small time capitalists!

At the time of the October revolution in Russia, all peasants were united in their hatred of the landlords. As the landlords were the allies of the nobility, as well as the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, the revolution was against all of these classes. This made the peasants the natural allies of the working class, the proletariat. Immediately after the revolution, the landlords were stripped of their property and the land belonged to the tiller. This is referred to as the land socialization law, so that the land the peasant was tilling belonged to him. Further, much of the equipment, such as draft animals and tractors, was distributed to the poor peasants.

This is certainly not socialism, but under the circumstances, a step forward. It was simply not reasonable to expect the peasants to embrace socialized, collective farming. They only gradually became aware of this, so that it took time and patience. In the mean time, the capitalists did their best to ”stir the pot”, to ”cause trouble”, to spread discontent.

It is partly for this reason that the capitalists were able to restore capitalism in Russia, after the death of Stalin, and to restore capitalism in China, after the death of Mao. This is no reason for despair. This does not mean that we are destined to endure capitalism until the end of time. This does mean that we have got to learn from the mistakes of previous revolutions.

The current situation is far different, at least in North America. The capitalists have succeeded in simplifying the class conflict. The family farmers, the American equivalent of the European peasant, have been all but wiped out, although a few are still in existence. The vast majority of small businesses, the petty bourgeois, are either broke or going broke. That leaves the working class, the proletariat, and the capitalists, the bourgeoisie. That narrows it right down. It also means that the revolution is far more difficult to start, but once started, will not face the resistance from the petty bourgeois, as the class of people we refer to as the petty bourgeois, has been all but wiped out.

Now comes the not so little matter of starting the revolution, which is very difficult in a developed country, although perhaps not as difficult as in previous years. As Lenin stated it, ”It is much more difficult to start a revolution in West European countries because there the revolutionary proletariat is opposed by the higher thinking that comes with culture, and the working class is in a state of cultural slavery”. He also explained that ”the culture of the advanced countries has been, and still is, the result of their being able to live at the expense of a thousand million people.” As a result of the export of capital, ”the capitalists of these countries obtain a great deal more in this way than they could obtain as profits by plundering the workers in their own countries…out of this tidy sum, at least five hundred millions can be spent as a sop to the labour leaders and the labour aristocracy, on all sorts of bribes. The whole thing boils down to nothing but bribery. …In America, Britain and France we see a far greater persistence of the opportunist leaders, of the upper crust of the working class, the labour aristocracy; they offer stronger resistance to the Communist movement… the purging of the workers parties, the revolutionary parties of the proletariat all over the world, of bourgeois influences, of the opportunists in their ranks, is very far from complete... Opportunism is our principle enemy. Opportunism in the upper ranks of the working class movement is bourgeois socialism, not proletarian socialism. It has been shown in practice that working class activists who follow the opportunist trend are better defenders of the bourgeoisie than the bourgeoisie themselves. Without their leadership of the workers, the bourgeoisie could not remain in power…This is where our principle enemy is, an enemy we must overcome.” (my italics)

I should add, for the benefit of those who are just now becoming politically active, that opportunism merely means unprincipled or dishonest. As Lenin has pointed out, there is no shortage of that scum in the working class. The capitalists are quite adept at identifying such people, those whom are generally referred to as ”trouble makers”. They are then offered a bribe of one sort or another. Those who accept are ”off to the races”, in the ”pocket of the capitalists”, referred to as ”labour lieutenants of the capitalist class”. They soon become devoted servants of the bourgeoisie, earning every dime of their pay.

Then along comes a crisis and there is weeping and wailing in the land of the class traitors. Our present crisis comes as twins, in the form of a virus and a Depression. The profits of the capitalists have been reduced dramatically and they have responded by cutting expenses. The bribes are an expense, and they have been suspended, or at least dramatically reduced. Hence the crying of the class traitors, true crocodile tears.

As I have mentioned in previous articles, now is the time for working class people to become active. Prepare for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Assume leadership positions in working class organizations, especially trade unions, but also sports clubs and any other organization. As well, become card carrying members of the two mainstream political parties. Run for any and all political office, on behalf of both parties. Study the Essential Works of Lenin, and prepare to form a true Communist Party, one which calls for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

Without such a party, it is doubtful that the revolution can succeed. Membership in the Communist Party must be exclusive, as only such a Party can give the required leadership. By contrast, we want to have as many working people behind us as possible, from all walks of life, in as many organizations as possible, everything from trade unions to mainstream political parties.

All of this is a tall order, but we have to start some where. Feel free to draw inspiration from the words of Lenin: ”World imperialism shall fall when the revolutionary onslaught of the exploited and oppressed workers in each country, overcoming resistance from petty bourgeois elements and the influence of the small upper crust of labour aristocrats, merges with the revolutionary onslaught of hundreds of millions of people who have hitherto stood beyond the pale of history, and have been regarded merely as the object of history.”

The current situation is such that the virus has spread around the world, and is causing widespread devastation. As well, the Depression is adding to the suffering of countless people. It is clear that many of the countries which are being hit very hard are the same countries which are the most developed. It is a fact that a successful socialist revolution in all of those countries, or at least many of them, will make a huge difference. It will be a big step towards a World Socialist Republic.

Assuming that the revolution is successful in all, or at least several advanced countries, it is a mistake to assume that the capitalist stage of economic development is inevitable for under developed countries. Lenin was asked such a question, and he replied: ”If the victorious revolutionary proletariat conducts systematic propaganda among them, and the Soviet governments come to their aid with all the means at their disposal -in that event it will be mistaken to assume that the backward peoples must inevitably go through the capitalist stage of development….with the aid of the proletariat of the advanced countries, backward countries can go over to the Soviet system and, through certain stages of development, to Communism, without having to pass through the capitalist stage.”

It is clear that the revolutionary motion is raging in several countries of the world. In North America, it is being led by women, if only because so many working class leaders are men, and many of them have been bribed by the bourgeoisie. As those bribes are drying up, it may well be not so difficult to expose them and remove them from positions of authority. Not that it will be easy, as people who are in such positions generally get the idea that it is their God given right to rule.

On the other hand, as Lenin pointed out, ”The experience of all liberation movements has shown that the success of a revolution depends on how much the women take part it it.” In North America, the women are leading the revolution. Well done, ladies! Now is no time to be shy. Place no restrictions on yourself. Exercise the talents you have, whether it is in the field of entertainment, organization, music or writing, to name a few. As well, study the essential works of Lenin. There is no time like the present to learn Marxist revolutionary theory. You have distinguished yourselves in the recent past, so build upon that which you have started. Like it or not, countless people are counting on you. How is that for pressure?

Without doubt, the revolutionary motion is also taking place in other parts of the world. At the moment, the press is focused mainly on the corona virus, so it is difficult to obtain any particular facts on the subject.

We just have to do out part, in preparation for the revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Perhaps that will serve as an inspiration for other revolutionaries in other parts of the world. Or perhaps they are doing their part too, and it is just not being reported.

It may help to give some thought to Rosa Luxemburg, one of the martyrs to the cause. She devoted her life to the cause of scientific socialism, to the emancipation of the working class, to the emancipation of women. As she put it, ”the working class has nothing to lose but their chains”. With her memory in mind, may I suggest another slogan:

Victory or Death!

The confirmed deaths due to the corona virus has now surpassed the number of Americans killed in the Viet Nam war. The confirmed cases of the virus, in America alone, is now over one million. The chief adviser to the president, his own son in law, is now referring to the response by the federal government as a ”great victory”. That is one way to put it, although I can think of others. The term ”national disgrace” comes to mind. The total number of deaths due to the virus is far higher than the ”confirmed cases”, as so many people prefer to die at home, surrounded by family, rather than alone in a hospital.

The press is now reporting that within the last six weeks, thirty million working people have applied for unemployment insurance benefits. That number is expected to rise dramatically as ever more businesses go broke. For the moment, a great many small businesses are able to meet their payroll due to government grants, referred to as Economic Stimulus Packages. Another such package has just been approved by the federal government, to the tune of half a trillion dollars. The last such package, of a few hundred billion, lasted only a few weeks, so this one will not last long either. When that money runs out, many more ”small businesses” will in turn go broke, resulting in more unemployment.

It should be noted that a ”small business” is defined as a business employing less than five hundred people. There are a great many such businesses which are merely subsidiaries of huge corporations. The money given to them is nothing less than corporate welfare. All of this comes at tax payer expense, of course.

The governors of various states are calling for money to support the hospitals and medical support agencies. The federal government is aware of the severe financial hardship caused by the virus and the Depression. Their response, as clearly stated by the minority leader of the Senate, is that ”it is better for the states to go bankrupt, rather than be funded by the federal government”. Even the federal leaders are aware that the country is facing bankruptcy, and as that is the case, are prepared to allow the individual states to go broke instead. It is to the credit of the minority leader that he has blurted out the fact, which the federal government is trying to keep secret, that they plan to allow the states to go broke. Every so often the loyal servants of the bourgeoisie speak the truth.

Trump is also calling for people to use disinfectant to combat the corona virus. It is not clear if he is suggesting that people drink this poison or to ”mainline it”, to use a needle to shoot it into their veins. Either approach is sure to be most unpleasant, possibly fatal. Even for Trump, it was a stupid thing to say. Then again, possibly it was merely a typical Trump statement. Just as typical of Trump is the fact that he now denies saying precisely the thing he said. Perhaps that is his idea of damage control.

The press is now pointing out that it is routine for Trump to lie. As soon as the press points out one lie, the members of his staff -belly crawling boot lickers, one and all- come out with a separate set of lies, as a separate means of damage control. Then Trump denies his original lie with an altogether new set of lies, in the process also contradicting the lies of his boot lickers. This may sound like political satire, but is the sad truth.

At least one of the states is heeding the call of Trump to open up for business. Such businesses as beauty shops, tattoo parlours and nail solons are now open, as part of a ”phased reopening” of the state. So on the one hand, citizens are being advised to stay at home, except those who are working in ”essential services”. All are being advised to exercise ”social distancing”. Those who are not working in essential services are being advised to leave their homes only for purposes of shopping for groceries or emergency medical appointments. On the other hand, they are being encouraged to go for a hair cut, get a tattoo and manicure. Just how they are expected to get their hair cut, a tattoo and manicure while staying home and exercising social distancing, is not clear.

Citizens of various states are heeding the call of Trump to protest ”social distancing”. It is the federal government, led by Trump, which is calling for social distancing, yet Trump is encouraging people to protest and defy this same order. There is an expression, to the effect of ”be careful what you pray for, you may just get it”. Trump would do well to take this to heart, as he may get what he wants. In spades, no less. These same protesters will likely turn against him, and capitalism in general, and start calling for revolution and a socialist republic. From there, it is a small step to calling for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

There are also reports of demonstrations in the state of Michigan, at the government building within the state capital. People there are protesting the ”stay at home” orders. It is also reported that some of these protesters are also carrying firearms. If true, this is a huge escalation of the class conflict. This is especially significant as the state of Michigan is part of the industrial heartland of the country. We can expect the industrial proletariat to play a key role in the forthcoming revolution.

This is to drive home the point that the situation is revolutionary. We have a medical crisis caused by the virus, and a crisis of over production, which has given rise to a Depression. We have a great abundance, more than enough for everyone. Under capitalism, this is a terrible curse. It is only under socialism that a surplus is a great blessing.

People are protesting because they want jobs. Working people are proud, too proud to stay at home and receive hand outs. That is a fact, just as it is a fact that we currently live under capitalism. The capitalists are in charge, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. They do not care what workers want. They care only about their profits.

As the title of this article suggests, I am writing this with working people in mind. I most sincerely hope to God that there are a great many such people who are reading this. Aside from the virus, we are entering a Depression, one which is anticipated to be more severe than the Great Depression of the twentieth century.

Our parents and grandparents suffered through that Depression for ten years. To give an idea of the desperation faced at that time, I can give the example of my father, who dug ditches for twenty five cents an hour. Perhaps the billionaires of today think that our generation will also tolerate such massive unemployment, hunger and disease. If that is the case, they are sadly mistaken.

The one and only way out of this Depression is through scientific socialism. This stands in stark contrast to utopian socialism. The difference is that scientific socialism is based upon the scientific theories of Marx and Lenin. Those theories have been proven to be correct. Experience has shown that revolutions which follow the advice of Marx and Lenin are successful, while revolutions which do not follow their advice always fail.

The fact is that the working class, technically referred to as the proletariat, must overthrow the capitalist class and crush them under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat!

Notice that I have deliberately used capital letters to stress the importance of that Dictatorship. That is a strong term, no ifs, ands or buts. It is also a fundamental tenet of Marxism that there is no other way to establish socialism. Bitter experience has proven that, beyond any shadow of a doubt. Any and all revolutions which have taken place, without crushing the bourgeoisie under the iron rule of the proletariat, have failed!

The capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are well aware of this. In fact, the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat is their worst night mare. The middle class people, the small business owners, the petty bourgeois, are also aware of this. Most of them are now ruined, or about to be ruined, and are joining the ranks of the working class. It is up to middle class intellectuals to bring this awareness to the working class. By and large, this is not happening, so that calls for an alternative. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

Most working people are literate and have personal computers. Those of us who grew up with rotary telephones may not be terribly proficient with those computers, but our grandchildren are available to help us out. Just take my advice and do not try to explain the finer points of rotary phones. There are certain things the younger generation simply cannot understand. Perhaps that is just as well. Besides, being referred to as a dinosaur can become rather tiresome.

With that in mind, may I suggest to fellow working people that a careful reading of the Essential Works of Lenin is a fine place to start. Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism, is quite easy to understand, and gives a fine idea of the problem we are facing, that of monopoly capitalism. Then State and Revolution explains the importance of smashing the existing state machine, that which has been set up by the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, in order to crush the working class, the proletariat. Such a state apparatus must be replaced by an entirely different set up, a proletarian apparatus, in order to smash the ”desperate and determined” resistance of the bourgeoisie. As well, the book What Is To Be Done?, explains the resistance we can expect to encounter, among those who claim to be socialists or Marxists or Communists, but are opposed to the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. At the moment, that is almost all ”socialist” parties.

That should give working people a fine understanding of the basic principles of Marxism. It is certainly a place to start. Then such workers can advise their friends and coworkers. As well, the internet is available, with various ”social networking” sites, assuming that is the correct term. In this way, the level of awareness among the working class can be raised. No doubt the most advanced workers will be raised to the level of true Marxists. There is no time to waste, as the revolution could break out any day now.

Having said that, there is no way to predict the exact day of the revolution. Our task now is to prepare for the revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Working people, proletarians, must learn the skills in leadership now, which they will need after the revolution. For that reason I encourage working people to become active in working class organizations of all sorts, from trade unions to sewing circles. As well, feel free to join the two mainstream political parties, as card carrying members, and run for any and all political office, on behalf of both parties.

The fact is that at the time of the revolution, leaders will emerge! Many of these leaders will be servants of the bourgeoisie, boot lickers one and all. They will try to divert the revolution onto some harmless path of social reform, away from the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Many of them will do this in the name of Marx and Lenin, no less. They must be opposed. That is where true leaders of the working class come into the picture, proletarian leaders. This is not to imply that such leaders must be working class. Bear in mind that both Marx and Lenin were middle class, members of the intelligentsia. To be prejudiced against middle class intellectuals is to be prejudiced against Marx and Lenin! The important thing is not the class background, but the class they serve!.

This is to say that a true Marxist political party, a Communist Party, must be formed. Only such a party can provide the working class, the proletariat, with the leadership, the direction, it so desperately needs. Usually it is the middle class intellectuals who take part in the creation of such a party. As yet, that is not happening. Or if it is, it is a well kept secret, which only defeats the purpose. We need a Communist Party, one which openly calls for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. As that is the case, and as middle class intellectuals are not performing their duty, it is up to working class intellectuals to rise to the occasion.

Proletarian intellectuals are few in number, but they do exist. The important thing is quality, not quantity. They have also been schooled in the class struggle. If nothing else, bitter experience has taught them about the conflict between the classes. Not a great deal of persuasion is required to convince them that the capitalists must be crushed under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Now it is a little matter of raising their level of consciousness to that of Marxists. Then they can take part in the formation of a proper Communist Party.

Now is not the time for false modesty. Such advanced workers know who they are. To such proletarians I can only say, spare all of us the ”aw, shucks, I’m just a simple country boy” routine. Now is not the time for a song and dance. Now is the time for working class leaders to come forward and give direction. Your own people, your working class, is counting upon you.

As for those who think that we can have a political party which will represent all citizens, regardless of class, you are mistaken. We live in a class society, so any political party stands for the proletariat or it stands for the bourgeoisie. There is no alternative, no middle ground. At present, we live under the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. After the revolution, the only way to establish socialism is through the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

We will know that we are being successful in getting our message to working people when various Marxist slogans are commonplace:

Scientific Socialism!

Dictatorship Of the Proletariat!

Workers of the World, Unite!

Victory or Death!

As I write this, the official death toll, as a result of the corona virus, has reached 44,000. In one week, the death toll has doubled. The true death toll is far higher, as those who choose to die at home, surrounded by family, are not counted in the ”official” toll. For this reason, there are fewer admissions to hospitals and the ”curve is flattening”, to use the stilted language of the government officials.

A more accurate picture is presented by the World Health Organization, WHO. An official from that agency stated quite clearly that the ”worst is yet to come”. As well, the Centre for Disease Control, CDC, expects a second wave of the virus this winter, which ”could be worse”, as it will likely strike at the same time as the flu epidemic.

As well, the country is entering a deep Depression, one which is expected to be even more intense than the Great Depression of the previous century. The government has responded to these twin crises by spending trillions of dollars, which is thousands of billions, on that which it refers to as ”economic stimulus packages”. It is also calling for an end to the ”stay at home” orders and to the ”social distancing” policies, in an attempt to ”jump start” the economy.

The press is mainly focused on the havoc caused by the corona virus, and the various plans to reopen the economy. There is even the occasional interview with economists, those who do their best Guy Smiley imitations. Such economists ignore the fact that the country is now head over heels in debt, facing bankruptcy. Millions of small businesses are ruined, and the rest are hanging on by their finger tips. Millions of workers are now unemployed, with a great many more about to join them. As soon as the government hand outs run out, the rest of the small businesses will face bankruptcy. The employees and the owners will soon join the many millions of unemployed. There is simply no way out of this Depression.

This is a true crisis in capitalism, technically referred to as an economic crisis compounded by a medical crisis. Such economic crises occur periodically, as the capitalists produce ”too much”. This gives rise to a surplus of goods. According to the ”law of supply and demand”, a great supply tends to reduce prices, while a great scarcity tends to raise prices. The capitalists love scarcity, as it tends to raise prices and consequently profits. By contrast, an over abundance tends to reduce prices and profits suffer.

I am writing this for the benefit of the working class people, proletarians, those who are just now becoming politically active. Those who were formerly members of the middle class, petty bourgeois, are already well aware of this, as they used any and all scarcities to their advantage.

Now we have a great abundance of most commodities while at the same time we have a severe shortage of certain other commodities. The contrast between the price of oil and the price of medical equipment is most striking. We now have so much oil it has been reduced to a negative value! The stock traders now report that a barrel of oil is now worth less than nothing! On the other hand, the price of medical equipment has increased ten fold!

The corona virus pandemic has forced governments around the world to encourage their citizens to stay at home and to practice ”social distancing”. As a result of this, people are using less gasoline. This contributes to the glut of oil on the market. At the same time, the ”first responders”, as well as medical personnel, require personal protective equipment, or PPE, as the virus is so contagious. So now the capitalists are making a great fortune from the sale of medical equipment.

The point must be driven home to working people that this economic Depression was not caused by the virus. The virus is a crisis in itself, a medical crisis, which is causing the Depression to be more intense. The problem is not that society has too little. The problem is that we now have too much! We have a vast surplus, and this, from the standpoint of the capitalists, is a disaster.

It may be objected that under monopoly capitalism, the capitalists can come together and agree to limit the supply, thereby ensuring a continuous shortage. They certainly make every attempt to do just that. The organization known as OPEC, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, was set up with that in mind. The trouble being that the capitalists of all countries have one characteristic in common. All are completely devoid of principle.

Each and every capitalist has the moral fibre of a mobster. They do not hesitate to ”cut the throat” of the other, as that is the term they use. All are determined to ”make a buck”, so that their word is meaningless. They can and do ”turn on a dime” on each other.

That is one side of the coin, or as Marxists are fond of putting it, one aspect of the contradiction. The other side is the fact that many millions of working people, those who have formerly been apathetic, are now ”awake”, politically active, more consciously aware and determined to enact change. Now is the time to raise that level of awareness, to make them aware of themselves as a class, with their own class interests, which is diametrically opposed to the interests of the capitalists, the bourgeoisie.

That is the point where Marxists come into the picture. It is up to Marxists to raise the level of awareness of the proletariat. The best way to do this is through the use of specific examples, and not mere ”preaching”, the use of revolutionary phrases. That may sound rather harsh, and perhaps it is. The fact remains that working people get tired of listening to the same old expressions, which may be revolutionary but remain a bore. The contrast between the price of oil and the price of medical equipment is anything but a bore.

That contrast should get the attention of working people. Then the fact can be presented that under capitalism, a surplus is a curse, while under socialism, a surplus can only be a bonus. The idea is to go from the particular to the general. The particular should be of interest to people, and rest assured, the prices of gasoline and medical equipment is of interest to almost everyone.

Once a Marxist has the attention of an individual, or a group of people, their attention can be drawn to the general. Point out the fact that the ruling class, the monopoly capitalists, the bourgeoisie, are not about to give up their wealth and power without a fight. That is the reason it is necessary to overthrow them through revolution. After that, it is also necessary to crush them under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

As for those who may object that the working people are not capable of understanding this, may I suggest that you do not know too much about working people. The only reason the members of the working class are not discussing the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat is because they are as yet not aware of this! It is up to Marxists to bring this awareness to the working class. Bear in mind that as Lenin pointed out, ”without a revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary motion”!

Currently the middle class, the petty bourgeois, is in the process of being wiped out. Many of those people are aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. Now is the time to ”spread the word”, to let your fellow proletariats know of those theories. Face the fact that you are no longer middle class. Those days are ”gone with the wind”, never to return.

Prepare for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

For many years, I have been searching for various orders of prehistoric reptiles. Within each order, there are no doubt numerous species. The flying reptiles are referred to as pterosaurs, and are divided into those with long tails, called rhamphorinchus, and those with short tails, called pterodactyl. The long tailed species are far more numerous. All are predators, as well as nocturnal, which is to say that they avoid the light, spending all the day light hours in caves. They hunt in darkness, and as is characteristic of all predators, they have a keen sense of smell. As is also characteristic of predators, they are far more likely to attack when they smell blood. For that reason, they frequently prey upon females of child bearing age. They also prey upon children, as youngsters are easier to pick up and carry away.

These flying reptiles did not go extinct sixty five million years ago. They are very much alive and preying upon us, to this day. That is a fact, just as it is a fact that there are four orders of swimming reptiles which are also very much alive. They also prey upon us. These include the mosasaurs, ichthyosaurs, long necked plesiosaurs and short necked plesiosaurs. Within each order there are numerous species. Now it is just a matter of proving they exist.

I am sure that the various species of swimming reptiles have adapted to life in fresh water as well as salt water. I am also sure that the freshwater reptiles are nocturnal, and I strongly suspect that the same is true of the salt water reptiles. At the same time, I am no longer sure that all of the swimming reptiles lay eggs. The scientists suspect that at least some of them give birth to live young.

In particular, the animal in Okanagan Lake, also known as ogopogo, matches the description of the ichthyosaur. It is the scientific opinion that this reptile went extinct eighty million years ago. It is my opinion that they are completely mistaken.

I was also of the opinion that almost all reptiles lay eggs. The exceptional ones carry eggs inside their bodies until they hatch, then give birth to live young. Of course most reptiles are not exceptional, so it logically follows that the easiest way to prove the existence of these swimming reptiles is to locate the eggs they lay. As they lay eggs in sand, the easiest way to locate this nesting site is to keep an eye out for birds of prey, which gather immediately before the eggs hatch. Locate the flocks of birds of prey and locate the nesting sites. These birds of prey are referred to as raptors. All quite simple, or so I thought.

My investigation into the Okanagan Lake monster, opopogo, has left me puzzled, at least at first. Numerous eye witness accounts agree on the size and shape of the animal, among other things. Videos support these accounts. Yet people who live around the lake, swear that the only sand on the beaches has been trucked into the sites. There is no naturally occurring sand on those beaches, merely gravel. As that is the case, there is no way the ichthyosaurs can lay their eggs in gravel. The one and only alternative is that it must give birth to live young.

That being the case, the animal must either be a mammal, or perhaps a reptile with characteristics of mammals, in that it gives birth to live young. It is extremely unlikely to be a mammal, as pound for pound, mammals require ten times as much nourishment as reptiles. As this is a very large animal, it is very unlikely that one lake could support a population of such mammals. I am still convinced that it is a reptile.

Further research has revealed that there are fossils of the ichthyosaur which suggest the animal gives birth to live young. Even more surprising, it is clear that the animal gives birth head first. In that case, it is necessary for the animal to come out of the water to give birth, as otherwise the youngster would drown, in the process of being born.

Now the problem is one of locating the beach where the animal gives birth. This may not be as difficult as it sounds, as in this case also, it is very likely that birds of prey will gather. Not that the raptors are likely to prey upon the youngster, but the act of giving birth is bound to give rise to other material, referred to as afterbirth, which is merely food for predators.

It is possible that this lake is exceptional in that there is no naturally occurring sand along the beaches, and that is the reason the ichthyosaur can survive here. Perhaps the other apex predators, mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, lay eggs and therefore require sandy beaches. If that is the case, then this animal has no competition, at least not in Okanagan Lake. That remains to be seen.

From the fossilized remains of mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, it is not clear how they reproduce. It is very likely that they lay eggs, as do most reptiles, but that has yet to be determined. Either way, it is still my opinion that the best way to locate these animals, in fresh water or salt water, is to look for their nesting sites. The gathering of birds of prey, raptors, is sure to take place. As far as these raptors are concerned, there is no difference between freshly hatched eggs and the ”after birth” of an animal. Both are food.

From our viewpoint, that of humans, it is every bit as urgent to prove the existence of these swimming reptiles, as it is of proving the existence of the flying reptiles. All are predators, they prey upon us, and it is vital that the members of the public be notified. To be fore warned is to be fore armed.

For this reason, I am appealing to the members of the public to assist in locating these reptiles. The scientists either cannot or will not do this. Now it is up to us. Countless lives are at stake. Together, we can make a difference.