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!