Author: Gerald Mcisaac

This is a time of revolution, or at least a time of the revolutionary upsurge of members of the working class. Millions of Americans, including those who have previously been apathetic, are now taking an interest in politics. From within this spontaneous uprising of citizens, certain leaders are emerging. In particular, four women, those who describe themselves as ”women of colour” and whom the press refer to as ”the Squad”, are distinguishing themselves. They have been elected to the House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the Congress, and are taking a principled stand. They are standing up to Trump and the Speaker of the House, truly representing their constituency, and not the party bosses in Washington. This is truly a revolutionary development, unheard of in Washington.

For that reason, I refer to them as the Proletarian Headquarters, because they are precisely that.  It is very likely that they are not aware of this as yet, but that in no way diminishes their importance. They will soon find out that they are spearheading the American revolution.

They constitute a dual level of power, one which the capitalists cannot crush, as they have been elected to the Congress. It is almost certain that their numbers will rise dramatically in the next election, as ever more Americans join the two mainstream political parties, as card carrying members, and nominate ever more members of the working class for political office, on behalf of both parties. It matters not whether democratically elected politicians are members of one particular party or another. The important thing that they serve the working class.

For the benefit of the countless members of the working class who are just now becoming politically active -Welcome, my Brothers and Sisters!- I will mention that we live under capitalism in its highest, most decadent form, which is monopoly capitalism, technically referred to as imperialism. As Lenin says, ”Imperialism is reaction, right down the line”. This is to say that there is nothing progressive about imperialism.

I explained in a previous article that it is easy to become a party boss, which is the name people have for a card carrying member of either party. It is as simple as applying for membership, which can be done on line. It is such members who decide the individual to run for any and all political office. As I fully expect countless working class Americans to join the two parties, it is reasonable to expect that Washington will soon be flooded with working class politicians, or at least people who represent the working class. Such politicians will join the Squad, the Proletarian Headquarters, and will further strengthen the dual level of power.

All of the other politicians in Washington, as well as in other parts of the country, represent the monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. That class of people, the bourgeoisie, are not about to tolerate such a challenge to their authority, and we had best be prepared for their response.

It is quite likely they will attempt to resort to a ”coalition” government, in order to fool, divide and weaken the workers. In other countries, most notably Britain and France, such a ”coalition” has been used with considerable success. In such cases, a joint cabinet is formed, containing loyal servants of the bourgeoisie, as well as turncoats to socialism, traitors to the working class. Invariably, whenever these ”socialist” leaders joined a bourgeois cabinet, they proved to be puppets, figureheads, screens for the capitalists, instruments for deceiving the workers.

It may be objected that the members of the Squad make no claim to be socialists. That is absolutely true, just as it is true that most of the working people who are about to be elected to political office, in the 20-20 election, will very likely not be socialists. It is also true that the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are not impressed by this. They are supremely well aware that the government can represent the class of capitalists, the bourgeoisie, or it can represent the class of workers, the proletarians. It cannot represent both. There is no middle ground. There can be no dual level of power, or at least, not for long. One class or the other will emerge triumphant.

In almost all previous coalition governments, in other countries, the bourgeoisie triumphed, if only because the number of working people elected to office were rather few. These few people, who were supposed to represent the working class, if not socialism, were then successfully bribed. They were given well paying if meaningless posts within the government, complete with a generous expense account, and allowed to make speeches to deceive the working class. For the most part, this was successful, at least for a short time. We can expect our current crop of parasites, our very own bourgeoisie, to resort to the same tactics.

Yet there is strength in numbers. As long as a great number of working class people are elected to office, then that tactic will not be successful, if only because there will be too many working class people to bribe. As an alternative method of rule, the bourgeoisie may decide to amend the constitution, in order to give a semblance of legality to their rule. Such amendments require a vote of two thirds of the states, and if nothing else, drives home the importance of electing people to office on a state and local level, not just a federal level.

As Lenin pointed out, ”The bourgeoisie will betray their country and commit any crime to retain both their power over the people and their profits.” If these efforts towards a coalition government are unsuccessful, then we can expect these people, the members of the class we refer to as the bourgeoisie, to resort to more primitive methods, such as scrapping the constitution and setting up  an autocracy, in which only the select few have the right to vote. Or then again, they may just declare martial law.

Now it is up to Marxists, conscious people, to raise the level of awareness of the working class. Working people have got to be encouraged to join the two mainstream political parties, as card carrying members, and nominate candidates for office, at all levels. At the same time workers should be advised that the capitalists are not about to relinquish power voluntarily. They will resort to any subterfuge, any crime, any act of treason, to maintain their wealth and power.

It is merely a matter of time before the working class people who are elected to office, including the Squad, the Proletarian Headquarters, come to realize that Marxists are right. The only alternative to capitalism is scientific socialism, in the form of the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. The same is true of the working class people who are about to assume office, as well as the members of the public. Now it is up to conscious people, Marxists, to hasten the process, to bring that awareness to the working class,

As Marx said, the proletariat has nothing to lose but their chains.

President Trump has stooped to an all new depth of depravity, suggesting that the newly elected members of Congress, the four members of the Democratic Party who refer to themselves as ”women of colour”, should ”return to their country”. The press is now referring the them as ”The Squad”, which shows that they have managed to separate themselves from the other Democratic members of Congress. (I should mention that the House of Representatives is generally referred to as the Congress). Perhaps it is more accurate to refer to them as the Proletarian Headquarters, which is currently based in Washington, because that is precisely what they are.

These four women, the members of The Squad, are clearly women of principle. They are doing the right thing, their duty, representing their constituency, defying the president and the Speaker of the House. As the Democrats now have a majority in the Congress, the Speaker of the House is a Democrat and she expects all Democratic members of the House to do as they are told. It is safe to say that all other Democratic members of the House are ”behaving themselves”, while the members of The Squad are answering to their voters. Such a display of courage is rarely seen in Washington. In fact, it is nothing less than revolutionary, class warfare in the heart of the American empire.

As all Marxists are well aware, the two mainstream political parties, Democratic and Republican, serve the same class, which is the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. The capitalists do their best to give working people the impression that there is a difference between the two parties. The Democratic Party in particular is billed as the party of the middle class. The capitalists would have us believe that American citizens who are managing to make ends meet, even with great difficulty, are members of the middle class. They are not. Such working people are members of the working class, and the Democratic party serves the bourgeoisie, which is the same class which is served by the Republicans.

In fact, the vast majority of Americans are working class, proletarians, working for wages. The middle class, or petty bourgeois, are the small business owners, and there are very few of them. Most of them have been ruined by the monopoly capitalists, the bourgeoisie. The small business owner simply cannot compete, just as the peasants, referred to as farmers in North America, cannot compete. Both classes have been practically wiped out. Any and all competition to the monopolies, no matter how slight, is simply not allowed. The capitalists go to great length to protect their profits.

If nothing else, that simplifies the class struggle. Now it is workers against capitalists, proletarians versus the bourgeoisie. There is no middle ground.

Trump is now in a frenzy. It is very likely that he is aware, if only instinctively, that the Squad is nothing less than a dual layer of power, one which he cannot crush by brute force. They are a threat to him and his class. They have been elected to Congress and have assumed a leadership role. He may not be able to crush them, but he can certainly slander them. He is suggesting they return to their country of birth, even though only one of them was born in a different country, and she has been an American citizen since she was in her teens. Such little details do not concern Trump. His only concern is that of protecting the class of which he is a member and which he represents, the bourgeoisie. Perhaps he thinks that he can silence them by insulting them. We have got to make sure that never happens.

The press is reporting that Trump is a racist, which is certainly true, and it is also true that he is prejudiced against women, especially women who do not ”know their place”. As far as Trump is concerned, a womans place is horizontal.

As further punishment, Trump is accusing these women of being socialists. They are not socialists, or at least not yet, but as far as Trump and the other members of the bourgeoisie are concerned, that is the supreme insult.

These women, the members of The Squad, are on the right track. They are taking a principled stand. At the same time, they are providing the working class, the proletarians, with an education. Whether they know it or not, they are letting working people know that any and all politicians either represent the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, or the workers, the proletarians. Once again, in the class struggle, there is no middle ground.

We can only hope that the capitalists continue to accuse those women of being socialists. With any luck, they may even be accused of trying to establish the dictatorship of the proletariat. That can only help to raise the level of awareness of the working class. No doubt the capitalists are using the word socialist to scare themselves and other people, in that the other people are members of the working class. The fact is that members of the working class have nothing to fear from socialism, which can only benefit the workers. But then no one in his right mind has ever accused the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, of being logical.

On the other hand, the bourgeoisie have every reason to be scared, as scientific socialism implies the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, which is the state apparatus which will be soon set up, after the revolution, and used to break the resistance of the capitalists.

Now we have to prepare for that dictatorship, and there is no time to lose, as the revolution could break out any day. Perhaps the first order of business is to protect the Squad, the proletarian headquarters. As they are a mere four members out of four hundred thirty five members of Congress, they are likely feeling like a minority, which is precisely what they are. They are also spearheading the assault on the capitalist headquarters in Washington, and must be protected. It may help to think of them as having a toe hold on the beach head of the fortress of the enemy. They must be encouraged to hold their ground, at least until reinforcements arrive, in the next election.

With that in mind, I can only suggest that those who have recently become members of the two parties, Republican and Democratic, flex their muscles. By that I mean a possible march on Washington, and in particular to the office of the Speaker of the House. (I should add that for the purpose of this article I refer to card carrying members of the two parties as members.) Even those who have applied for membership and are waiting for their cards to arrive should join the march. I suggest carrying signs with a number on them, which represents the days until the next election, at which point numerous Leftist people will be elected to office in Washington, especially in the Congress, and one of the first orders of business will be to depose the Speaker of the House. I am sure that such a demonstration will make headlines, which is precisely what we need to raise the level of awareness of the working class. It will also raise the morale of the Squad, the Proletarian Headquarters. They will know that they are not alone, that they have the support of the working class.

This is not to say that we can achieve socialism by taking over the two parties and flooding Washington with socialists. At least, that is the opinion of all Marxists, but not all Leftist people are Marxists. There are a considerable number of Leftist people, many of whom consider themselves to be socialists but not Marxists, who think that a peaceful transition to socialism is possible. Even though they are mistaken, we have got to respect their belief. At the same time, there are a great many working people who are of that opinion. It is only natural that they believe the lies of the capitalists, as they are constantly being bombarded with such propaganda. Working people who are honest tend to believe that others are also honest.

With respect to such honest people, those who are conscious members of the Left or working class people, members of the public, a certain amount of patience is required. They will soon learn, from their own experience, that the capitalists are not about to surrender their power peacefully.

As I write this, the 20-20 elections, as they are called, are still over a year away. Yet the various Democratic candidates for president, and there are about two dozen of them, have already raised possibly hundreds of millions of dollars, in total. A greater waste of money is difficult to imagine. Yet the press is keeping close track of the fund raising amounts of each candidate. They think the candidate who raises the most money will win the nomination for president, on behalf of the Democratic Party. Sadly, I can see their point.

Under capitalism, everything is for sale. That includes the presidency.

Now it is up to us, by which I mean Leftist people, to let the working people know that is about to change. At the same time, the press should get the message. The tidal wave of revolution is about to sweep the country. The days of political offices being sold to the highest bidder are over. The working class, the proletariat, is on the offensive. We will first flood the two parties with Leftist people, and the two parties will in turn flood Washington with Leftist politicians.

Very soon the Squad, the Proletarian Headquarters, will no longer be a minority. They will be a majority.

There are striking similarities between the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the American revolution of today, that which is currently brewing. I should note that, strictly for the purposes of this article, I am referring to the Russian spring revolution, in which the Czar was deposed, as the Russian revolution.

Further, in the interests of clarity, I should also point out that the word Czar is the Russian word for emperor, and that such an individual is the ruler of an empire, which may compose of many kingdoms. Of course the king is the ruler of a kingdom, while a dictator controls a country through military might. I mention this for the benefit of the members of the working class who are just now becoming politically active, taking an interest in the class conflict. I have no doubt there are a great many of such people, and the numbers are growing. Welcome!

President Donald Trump makes no secret of the fact that he intends to serve a second term as president, and continue to serve as president after his second term ends, even though that is forbidden by the constitution. But then Trump is not a man to be bothered by such incidentals as a constitution, which is a mere ”scrap of paper”, as far as he is concerned. He is a man of impulse, a man who is accustomed to getting his own way. After all, money talks, and in fact it talks loud and clear, and Trump has no shortage of money. He decided to run for president on a whim, and was rather surprised at his own success. But now that he is president, he has decided to remain as president, more or less as a favour to the country. It is the least he can do for America!

His ambition is to set himself up as president for life, effectively a dictator. He has also decided that at some point, after he is tired of playing president, his daughter should take the reins of power. He is effectively blurring the lines between a president who plans to become a dictator, and a monarch, in that a monarch is a king or an emperor. A monarchy does not end with the death of the king or queen. The throne, as it is called, is merely passed on to one of the offspring, usually the oldest son.

In the case of Trump, he has decided that his daughter should inherit the throne. Accordingly, he has already set her up as his top advisor, and she has wasted no time in antagonizing a number of high ranking American officials, while at the same time confusing a great many foreign officials. It is bad enough that Trump changes his mind on various matters on a daily basis. Now the foreign officials have to determine if his daughter speaks for him or if the designated officials speak for him. Very likely, no one speaks for Trump, as he merely does as he pleases.

In fact, this is just a continuation of the chaos which reigns within the Trump administration, which is the current American government.

We can compare this to the situation which existed in Russia in 1917. It is reported that on March 15 of that year,  Czar Nicholas Romanov 2, otherwise known as Nicholas the Bloody, abdicated the throne. It is also reported that there are two dates for events of that year, according to the old calendar and the new calendar. As I am not terribly concerned with dates, I just refer to this as the abdication which was the result of the spring revolution. The important thing to remember is that Nicholas the Bloody had his own idea concerning the meaning of the word abdicate. To most people this means to ”renounce or relinquish a throne”, as per the dictionary, but not to Nicholas the Bloody. He had his own ideas.

Nicholas wanted the throne to be placed in the hands of his brother, Michel Romanov, at least until such time as the son of Nicholas, which was Alexei, aged 12, could be of age to ascend the throne, possibly on his nineteenth birthday. During the intervening years, the ex Czar Nicholas wanted to be placed in charge of the whole Russian army. That way, with the army behind him, he could ensure a smooth transition of power. In other words, the new Czar Michel would do as the ex Czar Nicholas told him, and in due time, his son Alexei would become emperor and also do as his father told him. Some abdication! But then this is typical of such people, whether monarchs or dictators. When placed under extreme pressure, rather than relinquish power, they prefer to place a puppet in their place, and promptly pull the strings. We can expect some such similar shenanigans from Trump, as soon as he is deposed.

As a result of this, the people who supported the monarchy were divided. All of the monarchists, as they referred to themselves, wanted to place a Romanov back on the throne, but some backed Michel and some backed Nicholas and his son Alexei. The capitalists, the bourgeoisie, were also divided. Some of them wanted to restore the monarchy, while many others were in favour of a democratic republic. (It should be noted that a republic does not recognize any monarch.) The capitalists were also divided over the precise form the new republic should assume.

It is an understatement to say that the situation in Russia, after the spring revolution, was unusual. On the one hand, political power passed from the feudal landed nobility, led by Czar Nicholas Romanov, to a new class, the capitalists, the bourgeoisie. This did not surprise the Marxists in the slightest. It was merely the natural result of two classes which were in conflict, in this case the nobility and the bourgeoisie. Of course, the bourgeoisie, with their ever increasing wealth and power, were able to wrest power from the nobility.

That which amazed the Marxists were the events which were unfolding in Petrograd, otherwise known as Saint Petersburg. At that time, Petrograd was the capital of the country, and possibly the largest city. Also at that time, most of the military personnel were peasants. Much to the astonishment of everyone, especially the Marxists, the workers and military personnel of Petrograd spontaneously came together and formed the Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies. (I should add that this was the term that the military personnel chose for themselves, which is not entirely accurate, as many of them were member of the navy.) For possibly the first time in history, at least under capitalism, there appeared a dual power-the dictatorship of the proletariat existed side by side with the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie.

This working class organization, that of the Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies, was not formed by the Marxists of the day, if only because all the Russian Marxists had been thrown into prison and either executed or exiled.

Of course, no Marxist had foreseen this event taking place, for the very fine reason that it had never before made an appearance. Now that this particular working class organization has revealed itself, it is reasonable to assume that it will again appear, within the American revolutionary movement, possibly in a slightly different form. In fact, the nucleus of such an organization may already exist in Washington, in the House of Representatives, in the form of members of the House who refer to themselves as ”Women of Colour”, also known as the Squad. At the moment there are merely four of them, but that number is expected to grow. The spokesperson for the group claims that they are being ”singled out” by the Speaker of the House, and that such behaviour is ”outright disrespectful”. The Speaker of the House says that the only thing these freshman members of Congress have going for them is  ”public whatever”. To this the spokesperson responded that the ”public whatever” is nothing less than ”public sentiment”. In this she is absolutely correct.

Clearly the Speaker of the House is completely unaware of the firestorm, the full rage and fury of the working class, which is about to be unleashed upon Washington.

For the moment, this small but vocal minority, these self proclaimed ”women of colour”, is nothing more that a minor annoyance to the leaders of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives, and to the capitalists, the bourgeoisie. I suspect that even the women are not aware that they form the nucleus of a dual power, an American Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

For the moment, these few ”women of colour”, this nucleus of the American Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, this proletarian headquarters within the heart of the American capital, are very few in number and rather weak. No doubt they are under extreme pressure, as the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, are determined to crush them. They need our support. The least Americans can do is to send emails, from individuals and especially from groups, expressing solidarity with those women. Let them know that reinforcements are on the way. Soon they will no longer be a small minority, and possibly not a minority at all, but the nucleus of a majority.

The experience of the Russian revolution is most instructive. The bourgeoisie, the capitalists, were determined to crush the Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies, but were hampered by the fact that it was physically not possible. Within the capital city of Petrograd, there was no police force, no army apart from the people and no officials standing over the people. Much as the capitalists found this to be extremely frustrating, they took comfort in the fact that these same workers and peasants, the members of the Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies, were voluntarily surrendering their power to the bourgeoisie! The point is that the bourgeoisie maintains itself in power not only by force but also by virtue of the lack of class consciousness and organization.

In America, we can expect the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, to be faced with the same problem, especially as ever more working people, members of the Left, are elected to office in Washington. This will happen as a natural result of working people joining both parties, as card carrying members, and nominating Leftist people to run for office on behalf of both Democratic and Republican parties. The American capitalists will be faced with the same frustration that the Russian capitalists faced in 1917, in that the American capitalists will be unable to physically crush the proletarian headquarters in Washington, because they are the democratically elected leaders of the country!

But then the bourgeoisie counts upon the lack of class consciousness and organization of the proletariat, and expects the leaders of the proletariat, including the democratically elected officials in Washington, to surrender their power. It is up to Marxists, conscious people, to make sure that does not happen.

With that in mind, I can suggest that as working people receive cards in the mail which certify them as members of the two parties, they should notify the four women in Congress. Let them know that they are not alone, that a great many more Leftist people are heading for Washington, and not just as members of Congress. Further, such Leftist people will soon be flooding the local and state offices. As students, seniors, union members, members of sports clubs and others join the two parties, feel free to let the Squad in Washington know about this. They are spearheading the proletarian revolution, are under great pressure and need the encouragement. The last thing we need is for those women, those who constitute the proletarian headquarters, to voluntarily surrender their power to the bourgeoisie.

Instead, it is up to Marxists, and in fact all conscious people, by which I mean all people who are aware of the existence of classes, to explain to the working people the fact that classes exist. There are any number of ways that this can be done, but it is best to use current examples of abuse which are making headlines. The mistreatment of undocumented immigrants is currently a hot topic, including the separation of children from their parents and placing these children in jail.

That is merely one example, and the point must be driven home that Trump is merely a figurehead, a man who serves the class of people whom are technically referred to as the bourgeoisie. Explain to workers that these monopoly capitalists, these billionaires, are the problem. Be sure to use popular language language, along with technical terms, as I do, which is repetitive, but that is the way in which we learned the alphabet. On the other hand, avoid all vulgarity.

There are now a great many entertainers who are involved in the revolutionary movement, and they should be encouraged to protest in a manner which is entertaining. One of the finest examples of this was the disruption of a fancy dinner, which a high ranking official of the Trump administration was enjoying, which caused her great embarrassment. It also appeared on the mainstream news, so that countless working people saw this.

We need more such entertaining exposures, but complete with posters, banners and signs which contain class content. We want to reach as many working people as possible, making them aware of the existence of classes, as well as the fact that it is the capitalists who are the problem, and not just Trump. We have to face the fact that working people get tired of reading literature which is at best boring. It may be true, but if it is not presented in a manner which is entertaining, workers will very likely not read it.

In short, I can only say to the entertainers: Keep it up, Entertain!

On a more practical, day to day basis, we should pay particular attention to the four congressional districts which are represented by the ”women of colour” who compose the proletarian headquarters, based in Washington. Within those districts, the working people who join the two mainstream political parties should notify those women, possibly by email. Let them know that we are behind them, they are not alone. Soon more Leftist people will be sent to Washington, and not just to Congress. As well, numerous others will be elected on a state and local level. The working class, card carrying members of the two parties, Democratic and Republican, will make sure of this.

The main thing is to make sure that the capitalists cannot place any undue pressure on them. Although they may not be aware of it yet, they are the proletarian head quarters, based in Washington, the spear head of a great wave of proletarian revolutionary movement. They must be protected.

The country of America is deeply divided. There are a great many people, those whom I refer to as Leftist, who are determined to enact change. Such people include those who consider themselves socialists, democrats, democratic socialists, independent socialists, Marxists, Communists, and feminists, among others. Some of these people are members of political parties and organizations, while many others are not. A great many people are simply fed up, disgusted with the current situation, tired of all the lies and deception of their elected leaders. They do not trust the two mainstream political parties, and are equally suspicious of the alternative parties and Leftist groups. Who can blame them?

To such people I can only respond that if nothing else, there is strength in numbers. Yet there is more to it than that, much more in fact. As long as the people who are on the Left are conscious people, which is to say aware of the existence of classes and the antagonism between the classes, the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, and are also prepared to take guidance from such great leaders of the proletariat as Marx and Lenin, then that is half the battle. Just bear in mind that the emancipation of the working class must be an act of the working class itself. No other class can do this for them.

With that in mind, I am calling upon all members of the Left, which is to say class conscious people, to join the two mainstream political parties, to become card carrying members of  both the Democratic and Republican parties. Such members are referred to as ”party bosses”, because that is precisely what they are. Those are the people who decide the individual to run for any and all political offices. They are the ”power behind the throne”, if you will excuse the expression. They work ”behind the scenes”, so to speak. They ”call the shots”, and any and all elected politicians, or even those who desire to become elected, ”dance to their tune”, if you will excuse the mixed metaphors.

I have deliberately chosen these very popular expressions for the benefit of the readers of this article who are working class, or at least of a working class background. The conditions of life of the working class does not lead to the awareness of itself as a class, and the ruling class, the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, is careful to deny the existence of classes, at least in North America. This awareness of itself as a class has to come from an outside source, which is to say the middle class, the petty bourgeois. We are now presented with a golden opportunity to raise the level of awareness of the working class and at the same time to motivate working people to take up the class struggle.

Those same class conscious Leftist people who become card carrying members of the parties can then approach various working class groups, such as seniors, students, trade unions and sports clubs. It is the approach that is critical. Instead of asking for their vote, ask for their help. All such people can be asked to become card carrying members of the two parties, ”party bosses”, and the Leftist people can offer to assist them in this. It is possible to apply for membership online, and many seniors are not terribly familiar with computers. Feel free to offer your assistance in this little task.

Explain to them that as ”party bosses”, they get to decide the person to run for office. You may also suggest that they choose someone, perhaps one of their own, who is prepared to go to Washington to fight for the rights of seniors. No doubt all seniors are agreed that they should be provided with free medical coverage, among other things. Such other things could include an increased pension, one that is tax free, at least for people who are forced to live on a fixed income.

A similar approach should be made to the students, except that it is reasonable to expect students to be quite familiar with computers. An offer of assistance in this department may be considered an insult. It is also reasonable to expect the students to be concerned with student loans, properly so. The person doing the approach may suggest to the students that they choose someone to be sent to Washington who will fight for the cancellation of all student loans, and free tuition for all.

When approaching the trade unions, bear in mind that all workers organizations are in favour of an increase in the minimum wage. They are supremely well aware that such an increase will increase the wages of all, including those who earn a higher wage.

Then there are the members of the sports clubs. Such people tend to defend their democratic right to bear arms, as is guaranteed in the Constitution. Under no circumstances should the meeting become confrontational, regardless of the personal beliefs of the individual approaching the sports people. Perhaps it would be best to suggest that we harvest our wild meat with rifles and shotguns, not with machine guns and automatic weapons. We also shoot paper targets with hand guns, not hand grenades. The implication is that we should leave the military style weapons to the military. After all, the only thing those weapons are good for is killing people. It is very likely that most sports enthusiasts will agree with this. As for those who wish to argue the point, feel free to walk away. An argument will serve no purpose.

These are merely some common sense suggestions concerning the proper approach towards members of the working class. We want as many people as possible to become card carrying members of the two parties. (I suspect there is a proper name for such members, but I have no idea what that name is. Perhaps special members?)

If these people are interested, as no doubt most of them will be, we can also explain that running for political office usually costs a small fortune, or a large fortune, depending upon the office. Either way, it is out of the reach of working class people, those who have no fortune, large or small. Or at least it used to be out of the reach of working class people. That which we are suggesting is quite reasonable and not at all expensive.

Membership in the two parties is free, and such members get to decide the individual to run for office. Assuming the card carrying members of the two parties choose the same person to run for office, perhaps Congress, on behalf of both parties, then there is no need for any expensive campaign. After all, that person is running against him or her self. It matters not if such an individual goes to Washington as an elected Democrat or as an elected Republican.

The main thing is that we become politically active, and motivate working people to also become active. At the same time, we can help to raise the level of awareness of the working class, motivate working people to take up their struggles, to focus the working class revolutionary movement on their class enemies, the bourgeoisie. This will provide some very valuable experience in the class struggle, and can be considered as training for the positions of authority which working people will have to take up, after the revolution. Perhaps it is best to think of this not so much as running for office, but as training for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

In the process, we will no doubt flood Washington with a great many Leftist politicians, especially in the House of Representatives, the Congress. The precise number is of no consequence, as the ruling class, the bourgeoisie, the monopoly capitalists, the multi millionaires and the multi billionaires, are not about to submit to the rule of the majority, which in America is the proletariat. At least, they will not submit without a fierce fight.

I keep referring to the Congress, as that is the political body which controls the money, and all members serve two year terms. The Congress sets the tax rate for one and all.

Of course there are a great many supporters of the capitalist monopoly system, which is technically referred to as imperialism, who object to free medical coverage, if only for seniors. They also object to free tuition and cancellation of all student loans, as well as to an increase in the minimum wage, on the grounds that the country cannot afford this. To such people I can only respond that the country can afford this. The country can also afford free medical coverage for all, an increase in the pensions of the seniors, tax free for those who are on a fixed income, and a tax break for a great many working class people. The way to raise the money needed is to tax the bourgeoisie, the super rich. The tax rate for the millionaires should start at ninety percent, and increase to ninety nine percent for the billionaires. The same rate should be applied to an inheritance tax, which currently does not exist. The richest families in the country perpetuate their wealth by passing on that wealth to their children and grand children, tax free. That is precisely the reason so many people, such as the current president, was born as a millionaire.

This extra tax money, at the expense of the bourgeoisie, will cover the costs of medical coverage for the working class and the seniors, the tuition fees for students, and a great deal more.

The only thing I am suggesting is that Americans take the advice of their government officials. These are the same government officials who earn their very handsome salaries crawling on their bellies, licking the boots of their masters, the bourgeoisie. They object to American citizens who exercise their democratic rights to object to the various wars being fought around the world, such as the eighteen year old war in Afghanistan. They also object to the people who took part in the Occupy Movement, as well as the Me Too people, Black Lives Matter, the LGBT people and countless others. In fact, they object to anyone who does not blindly follow their political masters, the bourgeoisie.

That being said, I also believe in giving credit where credit is due. These same people also suggest that we change the system from within, and I think that is a fine idea. The fact is that people on the Left have been challenging the two party system since the days of the Civil War, and yet it is still in place. Perhaps the best way to destroy the two party system is to embrace it. If millions of Americans join the two parties, as I fully expect will happen, then indeed they will ”change the system from within”.

But then there are those who object, ” They will never allow such a thing! They will never allow Washington to be flooded with Leftist people and they are not about to consent to pay such high taxes!”

To such people I can only respond with a question: just who are ”they”? If by ”they”, you mean the bourgeoisie, the very people whom I am suggesting should pay their fair share of taxes, I most emphatically agree. Then ”they” will show their true colours, ”they” will defy the Congress as well as the Constitution, the very Constitution which the members of Congress have sworn to protect, and ”they” will change their method of rule, ”they” will be more exposed, and the working class of America, and indeed the world, will receive a valuable education. This is another way of saying that the bourgeoisie will soon show their true colours.

It is not just the working class people who will receive an education. There are a great many people on the Left who are of the opinion that this is the way, the only way, in which capitalism can be transformed into socialism. As if socialism can be voted into existence! They think there is no need for revolution, that the imperialists, the monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are prepared to peacefully submit to the rule of the majority. Such people are about to find out that is not the case, and the Marxists were correct the whole time.

It can only aid the revolution to have as many Leftist people in Washington as possible. It is up to the working people to join the two mainstream parties, as card carrying members, and put forward their own working class candidates for office. At the same time, it is up to Marxists to let them know that the bourgeoisie will have to be overthrown, and that can only be accomplished through violent revolution. The rule of the bourgeoisie can and must be replaced, by the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

It is now clear that the vast majority of working people have spontaneously gravitated towards socialism. It is also clear that the American working people, which is to say the proletariat and petty bourgeois of the United States, are leading the revolutionary movement of the working people of North America. It is also quite likely that the working people of South America, the proletariat and peasants, will also join in the revolutionary movement. What is more, it is the American women who are leading the revolution.

(As an aside, I should explain that the citizens of the United States refer to themselves as Americans, so that is the terminology I am using.)

There is a reason for the fact that American women who are leading the revolution. As Lenin pointed out, ”One of the chief causes hampering the revolutionary working-class movement in the developed capitalist countries is the fact that because of their colonial possessions and the super profits gained by finance capital, etc., the capitalists of these countries have been able to create a relatively larger and more stable labour aristocracy, a section which comprises a small minority of the working class. This minority enjoys better terms of employment and is most imbued with a narrow minded craft spirit and with petty bourgeois and imperialist prejudices….No preparation of the proletariat for the overthrow of the bourgeoisie is possible, even in the preliminary sense, unless an immediate, systematic, extensive and open struggle is waged against this stratum…”

This means that on the one hand, we have the vast majority of American working people who are leading the revolutionary North American movement, and on the other hand we have a ”small minority” of workers who comprise a ”labor aristocracy”, those who enjoy ”better terms of employment”, and subsequently are hindering the revolution, defending the capitalists, the bourgeoisie. It is not by chance that the members of this ”labor aristocracy” are primarily men. Now it is necessary to wage ”an immediate, systematic, extensive and open struggle” against this stratum, this small minority of the working class, those whom Marx refers to as ” class traitors”.

This brings us back to the American working class women who are currently leading the revolutionary movement. There is a reason that very few of them are part of the ”labor aristocracy”.

It is characteristic of capitalism that women tend to be paid considerably less than men. It is also characteristic of the capitalists that they tend to regard women, or at least those whom they employ, as members of their personal harem. Such women tend not to be burdened with ”petty bourgeois and imperialist prejudices”. Their conditions of life, which frequently involves sexual harassment, especially in the field of entertainment, preclude such prejudices. Instead, these women tend to be revolutionary, and indeed that is most certainly the case.

Now the proletariat has to be trained for their approaching dictatorship by waging an ”immediate, systematic, extensive and open struggle” against the class traitors within their midst, which is to say the ”labor aristocracy”, those relatively few but well paid members of the working class who are cursed with the ”petty bourgeois and imperialist prejudices”. This stratum include a great many leaders of the trade unions and sports clubs, among others.

That little task may not be as difficult as it sounds, as the capitalists have very thoughtfully provided us with the tools we need, in the form of the two mainstream political parties, the Democrats and Republicans. As yet, they are blissfully unaware of this fact. The capitalists think they have all the bases covered. They do not. Since the days of the civil war, a century and half ago, the two party system has been their preferred method of rule, and it has served them well. Various attempts by leftist political parties to challenge this two party method of rule have largely failed. For that reason, I am suggesting a different approach. Instead of challenging the two party system, we should embrace it.

Perhaps a little explanation is in order. At the time Americans register to vote, they are asked if they prefer to be classified as Republican, Democratic or Independent. Those who choose one of the two mainstream political parties are classified as registered members of one of the parties, and such voters cannot be registered members of both parties. This stands in contrast to the card carrying members of the party, either Democratic or Republican. These card carrying members are referred to as the ”party bosses”, as indeed they are. They decide the individual to run for political office, on a local, state or federal level. On a local level, this may involve running for mayor of a town or city, as well as the members of the town or city council. On a state level, this may involve the office of governor and state legislature. On a federal level, this may involve members of the House of Representatives, generally referred to as the Congress, as well as members of the Senate. Then there are the delegates who go to the national convention to determine the individual to run for president. I believe I have all the technical terms correct.

This begs the question: How does an American become a card carrying member of either party? The answer is that they have to apply. Almost all adult Americans are eligible to join the party, and in fact they are free to join both parties. No American can be a registered member of both parties, but all Americans can be card carrying members of both parties. Strange but true.

As members of the American working class become card carrying members of one or both mainstream political parties, such people will feel empowered, for the very fine reason that they will be empowered. They will effectively become party bosses, able to determine the person to run for any particular political office. This feeling of empowerment will carry over into all aspects of their life, including their membership in trade unions and sports clubs, among others. This will most certainly bring them into conflict with the labor aristocracy, the small stratum of workers who are in the service of the capitalists. This is the very thing that is needed. This will help to raise the level of awareness of the working class and provide valuable training to workers, which will be put to good use after the revolution.

With that in mind, the task of enrolling as many members of the working class within the two mainstream political parties, Democratic and Republican, becomes ever more urgent. Apparently, it is quick and easy, can be done online, is open to adult American citizens, and within five to seven weeks, an applicant can expect to receive a card in the mail.

That is where conscious people come in. It is now up to Leftist people, which is to say those of us who are aware of the existence of classes, and the fact that the two mainstream political parties serve the same class. As such, we can encourage working people to join one or both political parties. We can expect that those who are registered members of one party will be more likely to join that party, rather than the other, but not both, and that is perfectly acceptable. It is also perfectly acceptable for working people to not want to become card carrying members of either party. Such people should not be pushed.

We can also expect that those voters who are registered as Independents and vote a ”split ticket”, as they refer to it, to be slightly more advanced than others. They may be more likely to join both political parties. Then there are the seniors, those who are accustomed to being ignored by politicians of both political parties. Many of them may be downright anxious to become card carrying members of both parties, and send one of their own to Washington.

Of course it is reasonable to expect more from Leftist people, and it is hoped that all such people become card carrying members of both parties.

Due to the recent upsurge in the revolutionary motion, there are now millions of Americans who are anxious to become involved in the political process. Now is their opportunity to take the advice of the capitalists and attempt to ”change the system from within”. The two mainstream political parties are wide open, just waiting for American citizens to become card carrying members. Then such citizens can make every effort to do just that, to change the system from within.

If nothing else, this will allow working people to gain valuable experience in the class struggle. It may help to think of this as training for the roles they will have to assume after the revolution.

One possible complication is the fact that among the most advanced stratum of the working class, there are people who deeply distrust their elected politicians. They tend to be bitter, even to the point of hatred of the people who are supposed to be representing them. This is completely understandable, as their distrust is well rooted. As Lenin phrased it, ”the entire history of bourgeois democracy, particularly in the advanced countries, has converted the parliamentary rostrum into one of the principle, if not the principle, venues of unparalleled fraudulency, financial and political deception of the people, careerism, hypocrisy and oppression of the working people. The intense hatred of parliaments felt by the best representatives of the revolutionary proletariat is therefore quite justified.”

Those are the people, among the most advanced members of the working class, who deserve special attention. They are the leaders of the working class, and the less advanced among the working people pay strict attention to them. These advanced workers are the people whom we want elected to political office, especially in Washington. If we can manage this, then their friends will run for office also, and win positions in state and local elections. As well, with a sense of renewed confidence, they will assume positions of leadership in strictly working class organizations, such as trade unions and sports clubs. This is another way of saying that ”an immediate, systematic, extensive and open struggle is waged against this stratum”, by which is meant of course the labor aristocracy. This is all part of the ”preparation of the proletariat for the overthrow of the bourgeoisie”, which is absolutely necessary, in the interests of a successful proletarian socialist revolution.

In this way we can imbue the proletariat with confidence in its leading role as the revolutionary vanguard. As for those who doubt this, who question the importance of working class leaders in working class organizations, allow me to quote Lenin yet again: ”The more complete, lengthy and firmly established the rule of bourgeois democracy has been in a given country, the more the bourgeoisie will have succeeded in securing the appointment to such leading posts of people whose minds have been moulded by it and imbued with its views and prejudices, and who have very often been directly or indirectly bought by it. These representatives of the labour aristocracy, bourgeoisified workers, should be ousted from all their posts a hundred times more sweepingly than hitherto, and replaced by workers-even by wholly inexperienced men, provided they are connected with the exploited masses and enjoy their confidence in the struggle against the exploiters. The dictatorship of the proletariat will require the appointment of such inexperienced workers to the most responsible posts in the state; otherwise the workers government will be impotent and will not have the support of the masses.”

It is my opinion that the immediate task is to intensify the preparation of the proletariat for the coming revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. That is key to the success of the forthcoming revolution. With that in mind, I am calling upon all Leftist people and especially all Marxist people to become card carrying members of both mainstream parties, Democratic and Republican, and to encourage all of your friends to also join the parties. As well, it is essential to carry the message to union halls, sports clubs, seniors centres, churches, mosques, synagogues and temples. Schools and universities should be notified. As well, computer centres need to be established where citizens can be assisted in becoming card carrying members of the parties. It is very likely that a great many young people will be happy to assist in this little task.

No doubt there are a great many Leftist people who are of the opinion that there can be no peaceful transition to socialism, and in this they are absolutely correct. Equally without doubt, there are others who are of the opinion that such a transition to socialism can be accomplished by flooding Washington with Leftist people. Many of these misguided souls are honest members of the working class, and they have got to learn, from their own practical experience, that such a transition is not possible.

On the other hand, at the time of the revolution, it will be of enormous benefit to the revolution to have as many Leftist people as possible in Washington, those who are aiding the revolution.

With that in mind, I can think of no reason we cannot persuade millions of Americans to join the two mainstream parties. The only reason they have not done so before this is because no one has suggested it. Perhaps enrolment centres can be set up, complete with posters which read:

Join the Democratic Party!

Join the Republican Party!

Send Working People to Washington!