Author: Gerald Mcisaac

Now that Super Tuesday is a thing of the past, the journalists are in their glory. They are quite cheerfully reporting that Biden is the clear front runner, and it appears to be a two way race between Biden and Sanders. The billionaire who dropped out, Mike Bloomberg, is now supporting Biden. As Bloomberg has already spent half a billion of his own money, he has a ”party machine” well established. He is reported to have hundreds, if not thousands of people, serving at his beck and call. He and numerous other politicians have bent over backwards, in an effort to show their support for Biden.

The reason I mention this is because it is the very thing the common people are watching, if for no other reason than they have no choice in the matter. Working people watch the news and discuss it, in an attempt to make sense of that which is happening. It is up to conscious people, Marxists, to explain to working people, in terms which they can understand, precisely what is happening. It is the duty of the journalists to sanitize the news, to report events devoid of all class content. This they do supremely well, if only because they are not able to examine a situation in class terms.

The significance of the fact that Bloomberg has enlisted a small army of people to work in the political arena is an example of the ”state apparatus” which has been set up by the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, as a means of crushing the working class, the proletariat. This is the point which must be driven home to the working people, using common terms followed by the correct scientific terms, at least for the benefit of the most advanced. More popular terms can be used for the less advanced, while being careful not to be condescending.

Now we are faced with ”Super Tuesday, Round Two”, of March 10, in which voters of six ”key states” will get to cast their ballots. In certain states, all voters are allowed to vote in the Democratic primaries, while in other states, only ”registered members” of the Democratic Party are supposed to vote. In such states, those who are registered as Republicans or Independents are barred from voting in the Democratic primaries. As Donald Trump is not a complete idiot, he has noticed that such a rule is impossible to enforce. So he got the bright idea of encouraging everyone to vote in the Democratic primaries, in an attempt to disrupt the democratic process.

I think this is a fine idea, but for different reasons. It is important to encourage people to become as politically active as possible, and that certainly includes voting, wherever and whenever possible. The fact that certain voters, in certain states, may not be ”allowed” to vote in the Democratic primary, yet do so anyway, may mean that those voters are being a bit ”naughty”. It also means that those same people are concerned with the current state of affairs, to the point where they are prepared to wait in line, in some cases for hours, for an opportunity to cast their ballot. That is most commendable, not to be discouraged. The implication is that these same voters are among the most advanced members of the public, the working class. They are doing their part, going to great length to change the system. It is safe to say that they are working to their full capacity.

Now it is up to conscious people, Marxists, to do our part. It is up to Marxists to ”expand their horizons”, so to speak. It is not reasonable to expect these advanced workers to take the next step, to consciously become revolutionary, to call for the overthrow of the monopoly capitalists, the bourgeoisie, and to establish the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, as they are not aware of themselves as a class!

Granted, there are several organizations and parties in North America who claim to be socialist, democratic socialist, independent socialist, Communist or Marxist-Leninist. Those who claim to be socialist, but not Marxist, are utopian socialists, and they deserve our respect. We are all entitled to our beliefs and we must respect the beliefs of others. This does not mean that we must share the beliefs of others. We can disagree without becoming confrontational.

This stands in sharp contrast to the people who claim to be Communist or Marxist-Leninist, but whom have revised the theories of Marx and Lenin. Some of these people openly admit to being revisionists, and for this we give them credit. They maintain that there is no need for revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, that which I consider to be the very heart and soul, the ”touchstone”, of Marxism. Numerous others are more subtle. They do not deny the necessity of the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, just as they do not admit this necessity. They merely avoid the issue. They are careful to make no mention of the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat! This is commonly referred to as ”straddling the fence”, and as wits have pointed out, ”must be hard on the rear end”. In scientific jargon, this is referred to as ”moving to the centre”. In fact, it is another form of the revision of Marxism.

As it is absolutely necessary to raise the level of awareness of the working class, the proletariat, to make them aware of themselves as a class, this must be explained to them. It is hoped that by using popular terms, followed by the correct scientific terms, they will be better able to understand this. Bear in mind that the most advanced members of the proletariat must be raised to the level of awareness of Marxists.

As working people are focused on the Democratic primaries, it is up to Marxists to point out the fact that the election is ”rigged”, to put it in popular terms. The ability of either candidate to win a majority of delegates, at the Democratic National Convention -preferably Sanders- is determined by the party bosses. It is such people, the card carrying members of the Democratic Party, the ”party bosses”, who ”call the shots”. They make the rules and change the rules as they see fit. This is all the more reason for working people, in fact all members of the public, whether working class or middle class, to become card carrying members of both mainstream political parties, Republican and Democratic, or at least Democratic. Under no circumstances should working people be placed under any pressure to join both parties. Merely point out to people that it costs nothing, and as ”party bosses”, they get to determine the candidate for any and all political office. In addition, such card carrying members can make sure that the election at the Democratic National Convention is fair and ”above board”. For that matter, those same card carrying members, with their new political power, can take steps to amend the Constitution, abolishing the Electoral College, thus making the democratic process more democratic. Or to phrase it more accurately, they can try.

The fact of the matter is that the monopoly capitalists, the bourgeoisie, are in charge, and fully intend to remain in charge. They are not about to allow a self described ”independent socialist” to separate them from their wealth and power. For that matter, Washington can be flooded with Leftist people, not that it will do any good. At least, they have every intention of making sure it does no good.

In our opinion, that of Marxists, this will do a world of good. It is sure to provide working people with valuable training towards the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. They will learn, from their own bitter experience, that the bourgeoisie are in charge and fully intend to remain in charge. After the revolution, workers with very little training, or even no training whatsoever, will be placed in positions of authority. Any training they receive now will prove most valuable after the revolution.

As there are so many self proclaimed socialists, and even self proclaimed Marxists, who deny the importance, or at best evade the issue of, the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, perhaps we had best examine the matter. Two and a half years after the Russian revolution, Lenin spoke from that experience: ”The Dictatorship Of the Proletariat means a most determined and most ruthless war waged by the new class against a more powerful enemy, the bourgeoisie, whose resistance is increased tenfold by their overthrow…and whose power lies, not only in the strength of international capital, the strength and durability of their international connections, but also in the force of habit, in the strength of small scale production …and small scale production engenders capitalism and the bourgeoisie continuously, daily, hourly, spontaneously, and on a mass scale. All these reasons make the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat necessary…”(italics by Lenin)

Here in North America, thanks to the monumental efforts of the bourgeoisie to eliminate any and all competition, regardless of how insignificant that competition may be, we have far less ”small scale production”, but we do have a great deal of ”force of habit”, as well as ”the strength of international capital”. There are still a significant number of people, either current or former members of the middle class, the petty bourgeois, as well as many members of the working class, the proletariat, who have apparently not ”received the memo”, in that they are still determined to ”get ahead”. This is not about to happen, the ”good old days” of the ”little guy” owning a small business is a thing of the past. Any starry eyed optimist who dares to attempt such a thing will quickly receive his ”comeuppance”. In other words, the bourgeoisie will ”nip such an attempt in the bud.” They are not about to tolerate such ”shenanigans”.

As for the reader who objects to such popular language, I can only respond that I am mainly focused on the advanced members of the working class, and it is such popular language all can understand. It gives them a place to start. Welcome, my Brothers and Sisters, my Comrades!

In my opinion, the problem now is to prepare for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. If we are not properly prepared, the revisionists and those who are completely devoid of principle, technically referred to as opportunists, will merely see the revolution as an opportunity to seize political power. They will not hesitate, and if successful, will merely set themselves up as the new rulers. In response to those who think that the sheer power of the revolution will inspire those people to ”turn over a new leaf”, to act in a manner which is honest and principled, may I respond that perhaps you are confusing these people with the ”Grinch Who Stole Christmas”. It is beat not to confuse the fantasy of children with reality. For that matter, it is difficult to separate the revisionists from those who are devoid of principle, possibly because the two are one and the same.

For that reason, I am encouraging all truly conscious people, Marxists, to come together and form an honest Communist Party, Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. The most advanced members of the public, working class and middle class, are making a supreme effort, doing their best, trying to figure things out. Whether they know it or not, they are looking for leaders. That is your cue, feel free to act on it.

After the formation of the Party, then act as the leaders you are. Raise the level of awareness through encouraging the study of classic works of Marx, Engels and Lenin. Organize demonstrations and protests at ”town halls” and primary meetings. Carry signs and banners which contain class content. Encourage workers to join the two mainstream political parties, to run for office on a state and federal level, to support Sanders, to demand the abolition of the Electoral College. This is the best way to train the proletariat for their approaching Dictatorship.

If all goes well, we will not have to make too many compromises with the unprincipled, the supposed Marxists, at the time of the revolution. The better prepared we are now for the revolution, the smoother will be the transition to the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

As I have long maintained that the best way to get through to as many people as possible is through the use of slogans, may I suggest the following:

Unite the Left!

Sanders For President!

Join the Two Parties!

Scientific Socialism!

Workers of the World, Unite!

The Nevada primary is now history, and the small herd of Democratic candidates for the nomination for the presidency has thinned out slightly. Steyer has just thrown in the towel, so that is one less member of the bourgeoisie who wants to occupy the oval office, while another billionaire, Bloomberg, has yet to run in even one primary. That has not stopped him from already spending a reported 400 million dollars on his candidacy. Altogether, he and the other candidates have spent a billion dollars, and there is still eight months to go before the election!

Perhaps the Leftist people should disrupt these ”town halls” and ”primary debates” with signs and posters which question the wisdom of spending such money on advertising, when there are so many people who are homeless, hungry, working for minimum wage or unemployed, scraping by as best they can on food stamps. The bourgeoise can afford to waste such money on campaigns, but have no money for the working class.

As I write this, I have just learned of a ”town hall” meeting which was disrupted and even cancelled in Minnesota, the home state of Senator Amy Klobuchar. She was not allowed to speak, forced to leave the high school, due to the protests of Black Lives Matter. This is certainly encouraging, and we hope to see more such disruptions. It is hoped that further disruptions of such meetings will contain class content, going beyond the racial implications. Possibly as a result of this -it could be that Klobuchar can take a hint- she has just thrown in the towel, will no longer attempt to run for the presidency. It may have occurred to her that as she cannot campaign even in her home state, the reception she is bound to receive in other states is bound to be even more discouraging.

Or it could be that the bourgeoisie, working through their loyal boot licking servants, have decided that the best way to stop Sanders is by narrowing down the field. They may have ordered Klobuchar to step aside, while at the same time ordering her to throw her support behind the former Vice President, Biden. The same could well be true of Pete Buttigieg, a candidate who has also stepped aside and endorsed Biden.

The latest line of political hog wash is that the Democratic Party has to appeal to the ”moderate” wing of the Democratic Party. Apparently those who have rather spontaneously gravitated towards socialism are considered to be too ”radical”. Very soon, those who consider utopian socialism to be radical will be faced with scientific socialism, in the form of the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Then they will learn the meaning of the word radical, at least in the form of the Dictatorship.

The press is further reporting that the field is narrowing down to Sanders versus Biden. As it is common practice for government officials to ”leak” classified information to the press, it is reasonable to assume that they have access to plans and details which the capitalists would prefer to conceal from the public. But then the capitalists are also constantly squabbling among themselves. As a means of ”stabbing the other in the back”, one will disclose confidential information to the press, ”off the record”, which is bourgeois speak for preferring to remain anonymous. As the members of the press have the democratic right, as guaranteed in the Constitution, to refuse to reveal their sources, this is perfectly legal.

Now the press is focusing on Biden versus Sanders, or capitalism versus socialism, although as yet they are careful to avoid the word capitalism. They are using the expression ”results versus revolution”, which is not terribly accurate but a step in the right direction. Not that Sanders is a revolutionary, and is not calling for revolution, but the bourgeoisie are thoughtfully raising the issue. As their thinking is now completely muddled, this is not too surprising.

Sanders has responded to this attack by saying that the government supports and gives tax breaks to the sixty billionaires in the country. Someone should correct him, in that there are over ten times that many billionaires in the country. Aside from that little detail, he is absolutely correct.

It is up to conscious people, by whom I of course mean Marxists, to point out that the ”results” to which Biden is referring, is nothing other than reforms. As a utopian socialist, Sanders is of course determined to ”change the system from within”, which means no revolution. He refers to himself as an ”Independent Socialist”, which is another term for a utopian socialist, and such misguided souls actually believe it is possible to elect Leftist people to any and all political office, including the presidency, and establish a socialist, democratic republic, under capitalism. These are their beliefs, and we have got to respect those beliefs, especially as a great many common people are also of that opinion.

It is further the duty of Marxists –wake up, people!- to assist Sanders and other Leftist people, whether socialist, democratic, communist, Marxist or just plain working class progressive, to run for any and all political office. This will serve the dual purpose of raising their level of awareness, as well as the awareness of the working class, and provide valuable training for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. After the revolution, workers will, of necessity, be placed in key positions of authority. Any training they receive now, under capitalism, will prove to be most valuable.

That is the reason I am suggesting that all Americans join the two mainstream political parties, as card carrying members, party bosses. I have no doubt the students and seniors, in particular, will be anxious to do so. Then, as party bosses, they can nominate their own candidates for all offices, on behalf of both parties. Once elected, those politicians can fight for free tuition, cancellation of all student loans, free medical, increase the pensions, raise the minimum wage, housing for the homeless, guaranteed annual income, welcome to immigrants, etc. This can all be paid for by forcing the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, to pay their fair share of taxes. As if that is about to happen!

As all Marxists are well aware, the bourgeoisie are in charge and fully intend to remain in charge. No change of face in Washington or anywhere else is about to change that. At the point where their authority is challenged, when ”push comes to shove”, then they will change their method of rule. That point is rapidly approaching.

For what it is worth, this infatuation with reforms is characteristic of all utopian socialists, as well as all ”would be” Marxists. Those who claim to be Marxists, but are focused only on reforms, denying the necessity for revolution and the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, are referred to as revisionists. Some of these people openly admit the fact that they believe Marxism should be revised, while others deny this, while practicing it in deeds. Either way, the fact of the matter is that any reforms they manage to secure, under capitalism, are absolutely paltry.

Also in the news, the Republicans are concerned that Biden may be a threat, so they are trying to open a ”Burisma Probe”, in an attempt to discredit the former Vice President. The fact that he very likely had nothing to do with any illegal activity which may or may not have taken place, is of no consequence. They are also reported to be ”deposing” Hillary Clinton, over her role in the ”email scandal”, whatever that is. The idea is to ”throw mud” at the democrats, as that is the popular expression.

As working people watch the news, and in fact they follow the news rather closely, it is up to Marxists to also pay close attention to that which is being reported. We can then use these news items as a means of raising the level of awareness of the working class. From the point of view of the capitalists, the significance of ”Super Tuesday” lies in the fact that fourteen states have primaries on that day, with a third of the delegates ”up for grabs”. From the point of view of Marxists, the significance lies strictly in the fact that it makes a mockery of the democratic process. It is strictly democracy for the bourgeoisie. The abolition of the Electoral College can only serve to make their rule more difficult. Now that is a cause which should serve to unite all Leftist people!

As I write this, the results of the Super Tuesday votes are being reported, and the capitalists are delighted that Biden is a clear front runner. He now has more delegates who are committed to him than Sanders. That concerns us, as Marxists, because that concerns working people. It is also being reported, by self described political ”pundits”, that the allocation of delegates is quite complicated. It depends not only on the state, but also on the district within the state, and the rules change according to the will of the leaders of the Democratic Party. The only reason they have for mentioning this is because their viewers, the members of the public, the working people, are trying to make sense of this.

It is not the duty of Marxists to explain to working people the precise details of the electoral system, especially as the party bosses change those rules, as they see fit, in order to maintain the rule of the capitalists, the bourgeoisie. It is sufficient to choose one detail, such as the role of ”Super Delegates”, those who are not elected, but chosen by the party bosses, and vote as the bosses order. From the particular, it is necessary to go to the general, which is the fact that Trump is not the problem. The problem is the fact that the bourgeoisie rule, and will continue to rule, until they are overthrown and crushed under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

The fact is that conscious people, Marxists, tend to be former or current members of the middle class, the petty bourgeois. The reason is that members of the working class tend to be not terribly well educated, through no fault of their own. The bourgeoisie goes to great length to make sure of this. That in no way changes the fact that workers, or at least the most advanced members of the proletariat, must be raised to the level of Marxist. They will lead, and the less advanced will follow.

The best way to raise the level of awareness of the workers -if not the only way- is by becoming involved in matters which interest them. At the moment, that means the primaries and the approaching presidential election. It is reported that the primaries will run until possible June, although the party bosses can change this, as they see fit. That in no way changes the fact that this has the attention of the public, the working class and the middle class, so it is up to Marxists to get active!

Explain to working people, in terms they can understand, the fact that they are members of a class of people referred to as the proletariat, and that the monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, are members of a class of people referred to as the bourgeoisie. Further, our interests are diametrically opposed. Be sure to use popular language followed by scientific terms, as workers have to learn these terms. At the same time, do not be condescending.

Encourage people to join the two mainstream political parties, as card carrying members, party bosses. Also encourage more marches, more disruptions of town halls, rallies and primaries. Make every effort to unite the Left. Carry banners and posters which contain class content. Support Sanders for president, as well as Leftist candidates for other offices. Harass the bourgeoisie at all opportunities. Allow them no peace.

In the interests of raising the level of awareness of as many people as possible, the use of slogans is recommended. It gives people a place to start. With that in mind, may I suggest:

Sanders For President!

Abolish the Electoral College!

Unite the Left!

Scientific Socialism!

Workers of the World, Unite!

Dictatorship Of the Proletariat!

Now that the South Carolina primary is behind us, the press is focused on ”Super Tuesday”. As the working people watch the news, and in fact they pay strict attention to the news, it is up to conscious people, Marxists, to also watch the news. The only way in which we can hope to raise the level of awareness of the proletariat and bring that awareness to the level of Marxists, is by becoming involved in that which interests the workers. At the moment, that is the Democratic primaries, and in particular the nomination of the self declared independent socialist, Bernie Sanders. The corona virus is also in the news.

The press is most generously assisting us in our noble endeavour, although they, no doubt, are not aware of this. They are quite cheerfully pointing out the fact that in the ”Nordic” countries, which are thought to be socialist, there are more billionaires, per capita, than there are in America. These facts are carefully documented, as is the fact that the highest taxes are paid by the ”middle class and poor people”. Note that they are careful not to use the correct scientific expressions of petty bourgeois and proletarians, and of course the bourgeoisie are referred to as billionaires. This is consistent with the North American lie, as propagated by the American bourgeoisie, that classes do not exist.

Those of us who are scientific socialists, which is to say Marxists, have been saying right along that utopian socialism does not work. Sanders has his own version of utopian socialism, which he refers to as ”independent socialism”. This is merely a ”rose by a different name”, a different shade of the same colour. The only effective socialism is scientific socialism, as expressed by Marx, and that is in the form of the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. That is the one and only way in which the class enemies of the proletariat, the bourgeoisie, can be crushed, after they are overthrown through revolution.

It is only the proletariat that can emancipate the proletariat. No amount of well meaning middle class utopian socialists can do this for the working class. Further, in a monopoly capitalist country such as America, one which has so fervently embraced imperialism, there can be no thought of a peaceful transition to socialism. The one and only way in which socialism can be established is through violent revolution. That revolution could break out any day now.

The country can be compared to a ”powder keg”, in that any spark could set off an explosion. It is entirely possible that the other item in the news, that of the ”corona virus”, could well be that spark. We have no way of knowing. We do know that the stock markets have been tumbling, and may continue to tumble. We also know that Trump is speaking of a ”miracle”, in that the corona virus will magically disappear, while his son, Donald Trump, Junior, is saying that the Democrats are hoping that ”millions of people will die from this sickness, just to make President Trump look bad”.

It is characteristic of the bourgeoisie that a sickness which is killing thousands, concerns them only in so far as it affects their wealth and power. People are dying and they are concerned because it is affecting the stock market! It is facts such as these which should be driven home to the working class.

As working people are paying attention to the press reports concerning the stock market, feel free to explain that the capitalists refer to a drop of ten percent as a ”correction”, while a drop of twenty percent they refer to as a ”bear market”. Then there is a recession and the dreaded ”D word”, a depression. As yet, they have not dared to use that word. If, as medical experts fear, this virus spreads around the world and becomes a pandemic, then they may be forced to use that word. A depression could be ”right around the corner”.

Explain to the working people that the capitalists have tied together the economies of the world. That which has an effect on the economy of one country affects the economies of all countries. As the journalists are quick to point out, the fear of becoming infected with the virus causes people to avoid travel, and the profits of airlines and ocean cruise vessels, among others, takes a ”nose dive”. Then too, as people cannot go to work, for fear of catching the virus, factories shut down. The companies which count upon the goods provided by these factories are also affected. As China is most effected by the virus, and because so many companies now buy from China, the ”ripple effect” is felt throughout the world. So say the journalists, and they are probably correct, as far as they go.

No doubt the workers are aware of recessions and depressions. The more advanced workers may ask the difference between the two. The capitalists have a definition, which may not be very accurate, but gives a place to start: ”A recession is the contraction phase of the business cycle. A common rule of thumb for recessions is two quarters of negative GDP growth. A depression is a prolonged period of economic recession, marked by a significant decline in income and employment. There is no widely accepted definition of depressions”. We may add that GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product, while a quarter is a three month period.

That is the best definition the capitalists can provide, for what it is worth. Those same capitalists are blaming the drop in the stock market on the corona virus. Although that may be a contributing factor, that is far from the whole story.

A more accurate explanation is provided by Lenin, in his book, Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism. As he phrases it, ”The statement that cartels can abolish crises is a fable spread by bourgeois economists whom at all cost desire to place capitalism in a favourable light. On the contrary, when monopoly appears in certain branches of industry, it increases and intensifies the anarchy inherent in capitalist production as a whole.” We may add that by now, monopoly has taken root in almost all branches of industry.

It is clear that the corona virus is not responsible for the ”correction” in the stock market, just it will not be responsible for any possible ”bear market”, never mind recession or depression. These crisis in capitalism are a natural result of that which Lenin explains as ”the extremely rapid rate of technical progress gives rise more and more to disturbances in the coordination between the various spheres of industry, to anarchy and crisis.” Lenin goes on to say that ”Crises of every kind-economic crises more frequently, but not only these- in their turn increase considerably the tendency towards concentration and monopoly”. Perhaps the key statement is ”economic crises more frequently, but not only these”. (my italics) It is entirely possible that we may be facing an economic crisis along with a medical crisis, that which the capitalists may refer to as a ”perfect storm”.

The capitalists are referring to a possible ”panic” among politicians, those who are terrified at the prospect of Sanders becoming the Democratic Party nominee for president. They are also reporting ”panic” among stock brokers. Perhaps a bit of this ”panic”, or at least deep concern, should extend to the Left. We have no way of knowing what will happen to the stock market, just as we cannot predict the course of the outbreak of the corona virus. We do not expect a ”miracle”, as Trump suggested. We do know that the revolutionary motion is becoming more intense and could explode any day now. We also know that an economic crisis, such as a severe downturn in the stock market, could rapidly intensify the conflict. As could a rapid spread in the virus. The two together could lead to a complete out break of hostilities, revolutionary war.

I mention this as an incentive to all Leftist people. Feel free to come together and take action. Put aside your differences, at least until after the revolution. For that matter, by the time the revolution is over, your differences may be pointless. The revolution may resolve those differences. But in the mean time, join the two mainstream political parties. Run for office. Encourage your families and friends to do the same. Organize protests and demonstrations. Disrupt the town halls and primaries the capitalists so love. Women and students have worked miracle before, now do it again. Only this time carry the protests through to the revolution. Do not rest until the bourgeoisie are overthrown and crushed under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Last but not least, Marxists must come together and form a Communist Party, Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. For the Love of God, take action!

The revolution will not wait until you are ready. The proletariat is counting on you.

I most fervently hope and pray that many members of the working class, those who are just now becoming politically active- Welcome, my Brothers and Sisters, my Comrades!- are reading this article. With that in mind, I can only point out that the best way to get the attention of as many people as possible is with slogans. It is a place to start. Feel free to come up with slogans of your choice, but these are suggestions only:

Unite the Left!

Join the two Parties!

Sanders For President!

Scientific Socialism!

Workers of the World, Unite!

As I write this, the voting in South Carolina to determine the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party is under way. It is an understatement to say the Democratic Party bosses are worried. It is more accurate to say that those same bosses are nearly in panic mode. They are terrified that Senator Sanders will win enough electoral votes to clinch the nomination of the Democratic Party, in order to run for president. As there is an upsurge in revolutionary motion to the Left, in that a great many Americans are spontaneously gravitating towards socialism, there is good reason for their concern.

Now is the time for conscious people, Marxists, to take advantage of this spontaneous movement of the members of the public, in order to raise their level of awareness. We have got to transform this vague fondness of socialism into a love of scientific socialism, and not just utopian socialism. As an explanation, we should add that Sanders is a self described Independent Socialist, which is to say a utopian socialist, not a Marxist, a scientific socialist.

The best way to prove to the members of the public that utopian socialism does not work is by endorsing a socialist for president, in this case Sanders. Further, it is also correct to endorse candidates for other offices, who refer to themselves as socialists or just plain Leftist people. The idea is to flood Washington and all state capitals with Leftist people.

As for the skeptics who consider this to be no more than a ”pipe dream”, may I suggest that all Americans join the two mainstream political parties, Democratic and Republican, as card carrying members, referred to as party bosses. Those same party bosses can then determine the candidate to run for any and all political office. As long as the same candidate is running for office on behalf of both parties, the campaign expenses should be kept to a minimum. In that case, there will be no need to ask for campaign contributions, thereby also keeping the influence of capital to a minimum. As a bonus, those same candidates, once elected, can determine, by an act of Congress or two thirds of the states, to amend the Constitution and abolish the Electoral College.

It is not only the party bosses who are determined to stop Sanders. The other presidential contenders are also focused on Sanders. It is best to bear in mind that each of the candidates is well coached. The millions they receive in campaign contributions is spent on something more than television ads. They also spend a small fortune on ”handlers”, as is the common expression. These include professional make up artists, wardrobe experts, hair stylists, speech writers, ”body language” experts, which is to say those who train candidates on proper tone of voice, posture, gestures and the correct response to anticipated questions. The presidential contenders who give the best impression are those who have managed to hire the finest coaches.

This was illustrated quite clearly in a recent ”town hall”. Senator Elizabeth Warren was asked by a citizen: ”Can you explain why the will of the voters should not matter if no candidate reaches a majority of delegates?” -Way to go, citizen!- It is possible the citizen was told to ask that question, or not. Either way, Warren was prepared for the answer. She immediately ”pivoted” and said that in the last federal election, Sanders also felt that way.

Clearly, Warren had a fine coach. She was trained to turn the question onto Sanders, otherwise known as pivoting, and avoided a direct answer.

An even more illuminating answer was given by the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. For the purpose of this article, I refer to the House of Representatives as the Congress, which is the name most people use. Her response, to a question concerning Sanders, was quite instructive: ”It is not unusual for a party platform or the candidates for president to have their own aggenda that they would put forth. And it is not unusual for the House of Representatives to have its aggenda, as well. We have to win in certain particular areas. We are not about a popular vote in the country or in particular states, in terms of your Electoral College. We are in district by district. And thats how we won last time we demonstrated that we know how to win.” To say that this she makes no sense, is an understatement.

This little speech was given by one of the most powerful people in Washington, and one of the finest members of the ”establishment”. As she is the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi is the person who runs the Congress. Further, as the Congress controls the money, it is safe to say that she is arguably the most powerful person in Washington. She is certainly one of the most intelligent. Yet this same speech makes clear that even Nancy Pelosi, the best of the lot, has been reduced to muddled thinking. As Lenin put it, they ”cannot help committing irreparable blunders. That, in fact, is what will bring about the downfall of the bourgeoise.”

He went on to explain that as we are all human, we all make mistakes. The difference is that the mistakes we make, as Marxists, tend to be minor and easily rectified. Such mistakes can only be rectified by first acknowledging that we made a mistake. The bourgeoisie are not capable of admitting that they made a mistake, regardless of the magnitude of that mistake, and are therefore not capable of rectifying that mistake.

To return to the question the citizen asked, it is entirely possible that Sanders endorsed the Electoral College four years ago. That is of no concern to us. We are endorsing Sanders because he says he is a socialist. The fact that the citizen wants to abolish the Electoral College -otherwise the question makes no sense- implies that there are a great many Americans who feel the same way. All such Americans should be encouraged to join the two parties and amend the Constitution.

As we are still cursed with the Electoral College, perhaps it is best to do the math. It is reported that there are 3,979 delegates, so that a candidate needs 1,991 delegates in order to win the nomination. It is also reported that of the 3,979 delegates, 3,208 are ”pledged” delegates, and by law, have to vote the way their voters told them. The remaining 771 are Super Delegates. These Super Delegates are independent, not pledged delegates, but ”party leaders and elected officials”. If, in the first round of voting, no one candidate wins a majority, then in the second round of voting, the Super Delegates can vote and very likely determine the candidate to run for president, on behalf of the Democratic Party.

No wonder the citizen is concerned! This is the political system that the leaders of the Democratic Party want to maintain, along with all the candidates except Sanders. Way to go, Sanders!

In order to preserve their method of rule, the monopoly capitalists, the bourgeoisie, have determined to enter a small army of candidates into the primaries. In this way, they are attempting to ”split the vote”, so that there is no chance that Sanders will secure a majority of electoral votes on the first round of voting, at the Democratic National Convention. That will force a second round of votes, giving the Super Delegates the opportunity to secure the nomination of a candidate whom is acceptable to the bourgeoisie. Or so they hope.

The success -or failure- of this plan depends largely upon the strength of the revolutionary motion. That is where the Marxists come in. The working class needs leaders, but that is not to say that the leaders of the proletariat must be proletarians. Anyone who says otherwise is a demagogue. The only proper leaders of the working class are those who are aware of the scientific, revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. Whether those leaders are working class or middle class, is of no consequence.

This brings us to the primary in South Carolina. The journalists are reporting that it is a ”must win” state for Biden, the former Vice President. As I write this, it has just been reported that ”Biden won big”. No doubt the capitalists are breathing a sigh of relief.

Now all eyes are focused on the primaries on Super Tuesday. It is reported that perhaps as many as a third of the delegates are up for grabs. As Marxists, our only concern is in raising the level of awareness of the proletariat. We are not ”election watchers”. It is disappointing that the press is reporting no demonstrations or marches. May I suggest that the various Leftist groups across the country come together, put aside your differences and focus on a common enemy. That common enemy is not Trump. It is the bourgeoisie. They can and must be crushed, and that will happen only through revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Now it is a matter of making the proletariat aware of this.

With that in mind, I will end this article with my usual slogans:

Sanders For President!

Unite the Left!

Scientific Socialism!

Workers of the World, Unite!

The farce of determining a candidate for the presidency of the United States, on behalf of the Democratic Party, is now proceeding to the fourth state of South Carolina. Immediately after that, comes the major ”jackpot” of Super Tuesday, in which eleven states will get to decide the number of delegates to assign to different candidates. The two big prizes are the states of California and Texas. The press is focused on this ”election” to the exclusion of almost everything else.

For that reason, no doubt most members of the working class are also paying attention, if for no other reason than that they watch the news. As that is the case, Marxists should also be paying close attention. The only way to raise the level of awareness of the working class is by taking an interest in that which interests the working class, and using these as particulars in order to drive home the general, which is the fact that classes exist. Further, workers are members of a class of people called the proletariat, and the billionaires are members of a class of people called the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie is the ruling class, one which crushes and exploits the working class. The bourgeoisie must be overthrown and this can only be done through revolution. It is these points which must be driven home to the working class.

Among the numerous candidates, the only self described Independent Socialist is Bernie Sanders, and he clearly has the support of countless people. The press reports that the ”establishment” is worried, determined to stop Sanders. As Sanders is so popular, there is now a ”sense of panic” within the Democratic Party. Among his rivals for the candidacy, Buttigieg is reported to be accusing Sanders of having an ”inflexible ideological revolution that leaves out most Democrats, not to mention most Americans”, one which ”defies conventional wisdom”. Anyone who ”defies conventional wisdom” is a person to be admired, so the intended insult is in reality a compliment.

The press is reporting that the ”establishment” is in a panic, concerned that the public loves Sanders and his ”momentum is building”. They are concerned that the young people support Sanders, and the ”moderates” are moving to the ”left” in support. They are afraid that if Sanders does well in South Carolina and on Super Tuesday, then he is sure to be ”unstoppable”, which is to say that he will be the candidate for president, on behalf on the Democratic Party. The press further reports that even Trump is worried, as well he should be.

Numerous progressive people, including politicians and celebrities, are now endorsing Sanders. These include Michael Moore, a fine film maker and a thorn in the side of the capitalists, the bourgeoisie. As well, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, AOC, a member of Congress and a leader of the working class, has referred to the growing support of Sanders as ”a mass movement of working class people… multi racial, multi gendered, multi generational”. In this, she is absolutely correct.

It is encouraging that the press and the candidates are now using the word ”class”, even if is being used incorrectly. Since the creation of the country, it has been customary to deny the existence of classes, at least in America. Now they are indirectly acknowledging that such things as classes exist, so that they are moving closer to the truth. They still confuse the issue by claiming that those of us who work for a living are middle class, rather than being working class, proletarians. Then too, the super rich are referred to as the ”billionaire class”. As yet, they continue to avoid the correct term, bourgeoisie.

In fact, the billionaires are a member of a class of people referred to as the bourgeoisie, and they are completely reactionary. That leaves the middle class, the petty bourgeois. There are still a few small business owners, although the bourgeoisie, through their control of monopolies, are driving ever more members of the middle class into bankruptcy. That leaves the peasants, or farmers, and the family farm is going the way of the small business owner, which is precisely what it is. A family farm is a small business. As the monopolies become ever stronger, ever more complete, no competition is tolerated.

It is notable that Marxists have been quite silent during this whole ”election process”. Perhaps they think that the Electoral College is archaic, a relic of the days of slavery. So it is, and must be abolished, but for the moment, it has the attention of the working people. As that is the case, it must be used to raise the level of awareness of the proletariat.

The fact is that Sanders, as well as the press, has been doing a fine job of documenting the lies and hypocrisy of Trump. This is not high praise, as Trump is the poster child for hypocrisy. Any school child could point out the fact that he lies constantly. Some people speculate that he was born that way, but it is more likely something he learned, growing up as a member of the bourgeoisie. It is safe to say that all members of the bourgeoisie are liars. Trump is merely the most visible presence.

No doubt the bourgeoisie are puzzled by Sanders. As they are a pack of thieves and liars, and expect nothing less from all others, to confront an honest man is a novel experience. They are truly bewildered, determined to stop him, but unsure of how to proceed.

The support of Sanders is growing, even extending to those who were formerly considered to be ”right wing”. This includes members of the Republican Party, even current and former members of the Trump administration. They are increasingly becoming disillusioned, seeking an alternative. The idea of abandoning their beloved Republican Party would likely never occur to them, and such people tend to be rabidly anti union. But then they may be open to the idea of an ”association”, which is merely a union with a different spelling.

Contrary to popular belief, Trump is not splitting the country apart. The country has always been split apart. The proletariat, the working class, has always been at war with the bourgeoisie, a ”cold war”, even though most workers were not aware of this. Now that the working class is in motion, the war is now more open, about to break out into open conflict, a ”hot war”, to borrow an expression from the bourgeoisie. Trump is merely forcing people to openly choose a side. So be it.

For that reason, I am suggesting that people, those who were formerly middle class, set up an association, or a society, which is non partisan. It must be as broad based as possible, open to as many people as possible. As Lenin phrased it, the task of Communists is ”to convince the backward elements, to work among them, and not to fence themselves off from them.” (italics by Lenin) The purpose of the society can be to strive towards a democratic republic, for example. For that matter, people with common interests can band together for a common goal. Such societies may not support the revolutionary motion, but very likely will not oppose it either. We may think of this as being in a position of ”benevolent neutrality”.

I am also suggesting that all Americans join the two parties, as card carrying members, party bosses, thus being able to influence party policy. They can also determine the candidates for any and all political offices. It is only natural that people should want to be part of something greater than themselves. After all, we are all herd animals, although we prefer to think of that as just being sociable. At the same time, those who have been cursed with the bourgeois ideology are determined to ”get ahead”. Such an outlook is particularly characteristic of professional people. We have to respect the fact that they are prejudiced against unions, while at the same time offering them the comfort and security of an organization greater than themselves.

A great many people, including those who have never been accused of having any ”Leftist” beliefs, are convinced that there is a ”ground swell” of support for Sanders. They fully expect this to grow and strengthen. It will very likely spread across the country, unless it already has, and Sanders will very likely be the Democratic Party candidate for president. It is further thought that in such a case, Sanders is sure to be the next president. Most people find this rather exciting. The strongest supporters of Trump and the bourgeoisie are the most excited. In fact, they are frantically trying to find some way to stop Sanders.

Those of us who are Marxists are well aware that the bourgeoisie are in charge and fully intend to remain in charge. They are not about to give up their power and wealth without a fight. They are not about to allow a socialist, even an Independent Socialist, to become president. This is all the more reason to support Sanders and many other Leftist people who would like to run for office. No doubt the bourgeoisie will make every effort to crush any and all such efforts. It may help to think of this as an educational opportunity, a school for socialists, provided by the bourgeoisie.

Our goal is not to establish a socialist society through the democratic process, because this cannot be done. The bourgeoisie will never allow this. Our goal is to raise the level of awareness of the proletariat to the level of Marxists, and this can be done only by becoming involved in the struggles of the proletariat. At the moment, that means the Democratic primaries. It is our duty to support them, while at the same time making clear our position that the bourgeoisie has to be overthrown, the state apparatus has to be crushed and a new state apparatus has to be set up, in order to crush the bourgeoisie under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

With that in mind, I can suggest the posters and banners call for our usual revolutionary slogans as well as support for Sanders:

Sanders For President!

Abolish the Electoral College!

Join the Two Parties!

Workers of the World, Unite!

Scientific Socialism!

Dictatorship Of the Proletariat!