Author: Gerald Mcisaac

As I write this, the number of candidates for the office of president of the United States, on behalf of the Democratic Party, has officially risen to twenty. That number is expected to grow. The one and only Independent Socialist candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders, is facing some stiff competition.

Not the least of this stiff competition comes from Senator Elizabeth Warren. That became clear from the first town hall meeting in New Hampshire, in which she stated positions which are perhaps further to the ”left” than those of Sanders. In particular, she wants to make all public universities free and cancel all student loans for those who are of somewhat lower income. She refers to this as the college debt forgiveness plan. That is an excellent idea, one which should appeal to all young voters, and many voters who are not so young, those who have been saddled with huge student loans for a great many years. At the same time, she wants to place an extra tax on the multimillionaires and billionaires, the bourgeoisie.

She is careful not to use the word bourgeoisie, as that would imply a recognition of the existence of classes, a fact which she and the capitalists are determined to deny. Instead, she refers to this as an ”ultra millionaire tax”, one which would cover the costs of tuition of public universities and even produce a surplus. This extra tax on the bourgeoisie is an even better idea, and one which is sure to be opposed by that same bourgeoisie, the class of people whom she is careful not to mention by name.

At the same time, the political ”gong show”, which is unfolding in Washington, continues to develop. Most members of the public, the working class, are paying strict attention to this, if for no other reason that it is so entertaining, every bit as good as a ”soap opera”. These ”soaps” are very popular among the working class, especially housewives. Consider the following:

The Democratic members of Congress have recently held a conference concerning the heavily redacted Mueller report. They want the full report, and may subpoena Mueller to testify before Congress. They plan to continue the investigation. They are also considering the feasibility of impeaching Trump.

The Washington Post reports that the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are worried about the ”fate of American capitalism”, as a result of the ”huge wealth inequality”. Of course, they are reluctant the use the ”R word”, revolution.

The House Judiciary Chairman has issued a subpoena for the former White House councillor, Don McGahn.

The White House is ordering all members of the staff, as well as all former members of the staff, to defy all senate and congressional subpoenas. Those who respect the subpoenas will likely be fired, losing their jobs. Those who defy the subpoenas will likely face some serious jail time, losing their freedom.

It is clear that the executive branch of government is at war with the legislative branch of government.

The Attorney Generals of D.C. and Maryland are suing Trump over business ties, and may demand his tax returns for the last several years.

In retaliation, Trump and his sons are suing Congress over their demands for his financial records. These are the same financial records which Trump describes as his ”red line”, not to be crossed.

It has recently been revealed that his daughter, Ivanka Trump, recently met with the Mueller team for a ”presser”. (That is the word that is being used, and may be fabricated, a bit of slang.) Apparently, it means she was being investigated by the Mueller team and they met with her and her lawyers to offer a possible plea agreement, perhaps a reduced sentence, in return for any information she may have concerning other matters. The only reason she had for agreeing to meet with the members of the Mueller team is that she is almost certainly facing some very serious charges.

The journalists are speculating that the reason Trump is so determined to keep his finances a secret is because he is nowhere near as rich as he says he is, a multi- billionaire. He may be ”pulling a Madoff”, in that he is deeply in debt, owes a great deal of back taxes, and is facing bankruptcy.

The ”High Court” is reported to be taking up LGBT employment rights, and may overturn the Trump decisions discriminating against such people in the military.

It is reported that the enthusiasm among voters is at the level of the 2016 election, especially among the 19-31 year old age group, those who favour Sanders.

The press is reporting that the Mueller report did not ”follow the money”, which is rather strange, as that is the first rule of any investigation. Instead, there are various government agencies which are determined to do just that.

Various lawyers are maintaining that the only reason Trump is not being charged with obstruction of justice is because so many of his trusted employees refused to follow orders, did not break the law as they were instructed, thus saving Trump, and themselves, from criminal charges.

Other lawyers maintain that instructing people to obstruct justice is a crime in and of itself, an attempt to obstruct justice, and the fact that the people who were instructed to break the law failed to notify the appropriate authorities, such as the FBI, may also be a crime. They too could be charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, along with Trump. It is entertaining to imagine Trump sharing a jail cell with the very people who tried so hard to protect Trump from himself.

There are various ”sanctuary cities” across the country, cities which are defying the federal government. They refuse to allow the undocumented immigrants to be picked up and deported. This is a big step towards the secession of various states from the country and the subsequent break up of the American empire.

The politicians are referring to this as a constitutional crisis, even though it is not. It is a crisis in capitalism. The three branches of government, legislative, executive and judicial, are not working together.

That is a fact which the monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, the imperialists, either cannot or will not admit.

It is my personal opinion that this is the way in which the crisis must be presented to the working people, the common people, the members of the public. Many of them object to being referred to as the ”masses”, as it sounds too impersonal. At the same time they have to learn the scientific terms, and that is the reason repetition is so important.

I have listed a few highlights of the crisis in capitalism, in order to drive home the point that the revolution is fast approaching. The best way to prepare for this revolution is to gather as many people as possible to our side, including politicians in Washington. We want these politicians to be socialists, or at least sympathetic to the idea of socialism. At the same time, we want to educate the working people, making them aware of the existence of classes, aware that they are members of the working class, the proletariat, with their own class interests, which are diametrically opposed to the interests of our class enemies, the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. These scientific terms too, the workers have to learn.

The best way to do this -if not the only way- is to unite the Left. It is absolutely necessary to come together with people whom we may consider to be completely disagreeable. In such cases, it is safe to assume they feel precisely the same way about us.

I should mention that on August 20, 1918, Lenin wrote a letter to the American workers. His message is just as valid now as it was when first written. He expressed his opinion of the American working class, quite clearly. Bear in mind that this was written a few months after the first great successful proletarian revolution in Russia, which happened in the fall of 1917. The great slaughter of the competing imperialist powers, for the division of the world was still taking place, that which is referred to as the First World War. As Lenin phrased it:

”The history of modern, civilized America opened with one of those great, really liberating, really revolutionary wars of which there have been so few compared to the vast number of wars of conquest which, like the great imperialist war, were caused by squabbles among kings, landowners or capitalists over the division of usurped land or ill-gotten gains. That was the war the American people waged against the British robbers who oppressed America and held her in colonial slavery, in the same way as these ‘civilized’ bloodsuckers are still oppressing and holding in colonial slavery hundreds of millions of people in India, Egypt, and all parts of the world….America has taken first place among the free and educated nations in level of development of the productive forces of collective human endeavour, in the utilization of machinery and of all the wonders of modern engineering. At the same time, America has become one of the foremost countries in regard to the depth of the abyss which lies between the handful of arrogant multimillionaires who wallow in filth and luxury, and the millions of working people who constantly live on the verge of pauperism. The American people, who set the world an example in waging a revolutionary war against feudal slavery, now find themselves in the latest, capitalist stage of wage-slavery to a handful of multimillionaires, and find themselves playing the role of hired thugs who, for the benefit of wealthy scoundrels, throttled the Philippines in 1898 on the pretext of ‘liberating’ them, and are throttling the Russian Socialist Republic in 1918 on the pretext of ‘protecting’ it from the Germans.”

That was the opinion of the great Lenin, and there is no higher praise.

Now the American people are in the vanguard of the world socialist revolution in the war against capitalism, against the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. As the leaders, the role they play is crucial. It is much more difficult than the previous wars of liberation against the British oppressors in the eighteenth century and the war against the slave owners of the nineteenth century. Yet there is a great deal we can learn from the American revolutionary tradition.

In the eighteenth century, the Americans waged a war which they refer to as the Revolutionary War. At the same time, they had to deal with the French and Spanish oppressors, those who owned a large part of that which is now the United States of America. Each of these countries was far stronger than the newly formed fledgling republic, and the Americans knew this.

They were also well aware that all three empires hated each other, and the Americans decided to take advantage of this. They formed an alliance with the French, against the British, to the benefit of the colonials, soon to be referred to as Americans. The revolution succeeded, the Americans won their independence, but it is doubtful this revolution could have succeeded without the American alliance with the French.

An even more clear cut example happened in the nineteenth century, when the Americans went to war with the southern slave owners, in their war to end slavery.

At that time, the country was deeply divided, of course. Then, as now, classes were in conflict. The twenty states of the north had embraced capitalism, while the sixteen southern states still practiced slavery. The capitalists of the north were anxious to invest their capital in the south, while the slave owners of the south were dead set against industrial development. Tensions rose until finally, in early 1861, eleven of the southern states separated from the union and formed the Confederate States of America. That left twenty five states within the union, but five of them still practiced slavery, the so called ”border states” of Delaware, West Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland and Missouri. The capitalists of the north decided to destroy the slave owners in the country, and chose the tactic of entering into an alliance with the slave owners!

Incredible but true. In 1861, the Americans made an alliance with the slave owners of the border states, in order to destroy the slave owners. They no doubt thought that the best way to defeat the southern Confederacy was by uniting with the slave owners who remained loyal to the union, rather than antagonizing the slave owners in those states, which would likely result in the border states joining the Confederacy.

Historians are deeply divided over the correctness of this policy, but the results are beyond dispute. In the spring of 1865, the southern Confederacy was defeated and in December of that year, slavery was abolished in the United States of America.

No doubt the Americans have learned from the experience of previous revolutions. The lesson is that it is sometimes necessary to enter into alliances with people whom we find to be completely disagreeable, if not completely obnoxious. There are occasions when we must place the interests of the revolution, the interests of the oppressed people, the working people, before our own tender feelings.

Lenin goes on to say: ”The American people have a revolutionary tradition which has been adopted by the best representatives of the American proletariat, who have repeatedly expressed their complete solidarity with us Bolsheviks….The American workers will not follow the bourgeoisie. They will be with us, for civil war against the bourgeoisie. The whole history of the world and of the American labour movement strengthens my conviction that this is so.”

Lenin went on to give credit to one of the great American revolutionary leaders, Eugene Debs. It was Debs who helped to organize the Industrial Workers of the World, a truly fine trade union, and spent time in prison for his service. He also helped to set up the Social Democratic Party of America, and several times ran for president. He was absolutely opposed to American involvement in the great slaughter, beginning in 1914, the war to divide and redivide the world, now referred to as World War 1. In that case the so called  ”Great Powers”, that of Britain, France and Germany, was each determined to secure for themselves ever more colonies, at the expense of the others, of course.

For this service to the working people of the world, Debs was once again thrown in prison. This shows that the revolutionary tradition of the American people extended into the twentieth century, and now we can expect the revolutionary movement to carry on into the twenty first century. We can further expect that revolutionary motion to be even finer than before, with the American working class among the vanguard of the world revolution.

No doubt, most Americans have never heard of Debs. There is a reason for this. Americans have been robbed of their history, especially their revolutionary history. The capitalists, the bourgeoisie, are determined to gloss over and obscure that history, one of which all Americans have every right to be proud. Very soon, we can expect Americans to build upon their revolutionary history.

Now we have to prepare for the forthcoming revolution. As a result of this ”constitutional crisis”, as they refer to it, we can expect the bourgeoisie to do that which they are loath to do, which is to take action. They are the ruling class and are now unable to rule in the old way, so they have to change their method of rule. One of the simplest and easiest ways to do this is to modify the election process, in order to ensure that only the most loyal belly crawling boot lickers are elected to office, at least in Washington.

This may not be as difficult as it sounds. Every two years there is an election for each and every member of the House of Representatives, referred to as the Congress. The vote is held in early November and those who are elected are sworn into office in late January. This means that immediately after being sworn in, they have less than two years to plan for the next election. Yet the first order of business is the ”Party primary”, which is usually held the following spring, perhaps March, but sometimes as early as February. This gives each member of Congress just over a year to prepare for that all important primary, because if they are not nominated to run for re-election, on behalf of the Party, either Democratic or Republican, then the chance of another term in Congress is practically non- existent.

It is the Party bosses who decide the individual to run for office on behalf of the Party, and the primary vote is something of a formality. At least it used to be, until the registered members of each Party started to stand up and refuse. Only the registered members of each Party are allowed to vote in the primary.

The American capitalists love the two party system. It has served them well since the days of the Civil War, a century and a half ago. It is doubtful that they will abandon such a system. Rather, it is more likely they will modify it, in an attempt to preserve their method of rule. Possibly the simplest way to do this is to allow only ”card carrying” members of the Party to vote in the primary, rather than ”registered” members of the Party. In that way, only the individuals who are approved by the Party bosses will be allowed to run for office. The American voters will then have the option of voting for the Democratic candidate or for the Republican candidate for the Congress. Either candidate can be counted upon to be a loyal belly crawling boot licker of the capitalists.

As I can think of no reason that we should do the capitalists any favours, my suggestion is that we should come together, as members of the Left, and even go to the extreme of shaking hands and pretending to like each other. Then we can join both mainstream political parties, Democratic and Republican, as card carrying members, and encourage the members of the public to follow suit. As this is quite easily done online, those who are proficient with computers can offer to assist those with less developed computer skills.

With that in mind, I can suggest that Leftist people approach people in the senior centres, as well as those in sports clubs, union halls, sewing circles, schools and universities. In addition, there are churches, mosques, synagogues and temples which can be reached. After each service, booths can be set up where the faithful can be assisted in joining the two Parties, if they so desire. I would even go so far as to say that booths can be set up in shopping malls, in the interests of helping citizens take part in the democratic process.

As for those who consider this nothing but an idle dream, I can only respond that you are right. It is a dream, but it remains to be seen just how idle it is. That depends on the members of the American Left. There are many millions of Americans who took part in the Occupy Movement of several years ago, millions of others who took part in the more recent Womens’ March of 2017, as well as the veterans of the Anti-War Movement of the sixties. There are countless others who are dissatisfied but not sure just how to proceed. It is up to us, the members of the Left, to offer them an alternative. Do not be surprised if they are enthusiastic to join the two Parties.

There are also a great many people who maintain that the capitalists will never allow socialists to flood Washington. They think that an Independent Socialist as president will never happen, the capitalists will never allow this. The only response I can give to such cynical souls is that I think you are right. In that case, if the democratically elected members of Congress who are socialists or at least Leftist are not allowed to assume office, if the democratically elected president, also a socialist, is not allowed to be sworn in, then a great many honest citizens will be convinced of the correctness of our Marxist position. We maintain that there can be no peaceful transition to socialism, that socialism can only be achieved through violent revolution. At that point, the common people, the members of the public, from their own bitter experience, will believe us.

In conclusion, I consider it best to quote the final words in the letter Lenin wrote to the American workers a century ago:

”The workers are breaking away from their social traitors…Slowly but surely the workers are adopting communist, Bolshevik tactics and are marching towards the proletarian revolution, which alone is capable of saving dying culture and dying mankind…. we are invincible, because the world proletarian revolution is invincible.”

The fact that Sanders is running for president, as an Independent Socialist, is already bearing fruit. The capitalists, or at least the journalists who do their bidding, are now using the word capitalism, admitting that we live under a capitalist system. That is a first, a step in the right direction.

Those same journalists are also biasing the news, which is not too surprising, as they work for the capitalists. They do as they are told or end up looking for a job elsewhere. That being said, I suspect many of them are at least sympathetic to the cause of socialism, so it is best not to be too hard on them.

As Sanders is running for president, he did the principled thing and released his tax returns, and for this he deserves full credit. These tax returns reveal that he is a millionaire, as the book he wrote sold very well. That too is commendable, as the money he earned was as a result of his own work, and not earned from the labor of others.

Now the personal attacks have started from the capitalists. They are accusing Sanders of being a fellow capitalist who claims to be a socialist, in other words, a hypocrite. This is of course complete nonsense, as there is a big difference between having a little money in the bank, a life savings, and investing money in business, making money from the labor of others. Such investments are referred to as capitalism.

In addition, the capitalists are suggesting that Sanders should insist on paying a higher percentage of taxes, as he is in favour of raising the tax rate on the wealthy. That is still more nonsense, just another personal attack.

It is not too surprising that the capitalists have stooped to such tactics, as they are right at home in the gutter. It would never occur to them to discuss the issues, such as universal health coverage, a decent minimum wage, an equitable tax rate, food for the hungry, free tuition for students, and decent housing for the homeless. It is so much easier and satisfying to slander a good man.

The only reason they are attacking Sanders so savagely is because they see him as a threat, as indeed he is. Clearly, the man is doing something right, or the capitalists would merely leave him alone, just as they are ignoring the other Democratic presidential candidates. For that reason, if no other, Sanders deserves our support.

It is clear that these personal attacks are taking their toll, making Sanders feel quite uncomfortable. The man is only human, so that is completely understandable. Now the worst thing that can happen is for Sanders to buckle, to move to the centre, to water down his Leftist position, to make his platform more acceptable to the capitalists, to appeal to the middle class.

I say that is the worst thing that can happen because in America today, there are two classes of people that have been almost completely wiped out. The first class is the peasantry, referred to as farmers, and the second class is the middle class, the petty bourgeois, referred to as small business owners. That is not a coincidence, as every peasant is a small time capitalist. Their business is in growing crops, and selling those crops at the highest possible price. The small business owner is also focused on selling his wares at the highest possible price. Both are focused on making a profit, and both are being driven into bankruptcy by the monopoly capitalists.

On the one hand, the farmer is forced to sell his crops to the monopoly agricultural corporations, and those corporations set the buying price. The more the farmer raises, the more the corporations reduce the buying price. In addition, the huge farms owned by the corporations raise ever more crops, further reducing the price of the crops. The small farmer, mainly the owner of a family farm, cannot compete. It is just a matter of time before he goes broke, or more often becomes too old to work or dies. In any event, very few of the children are interested in following in their fathers footsteps. Who can blame them? They generally leave the farm and look for work elsewhere, becoming workers, or proletarians. The children of farmers tend to become members of the working class.

In the case of the small business owner, the petty bourgeois, the middle class, the situation is even more clear cut. The monopolies see this small business as a threat to their profit, and regardless of how small the threat, any one who is buying anything in that small store is not spending their money at the store of the monopolies. They immediately respond by driving that small business into bankruptcy.

The owner of the small business is forced to look for a job, immediately joining the ranks of the working class, the proletariat.

As a result of this, the class struggle is quite simple, at least in America. There is no middle ground, no middle class, no centre. On the one hand we have the monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, or the Right. On the other hand, we have the working class, the proletariat, the Left. There is no point in urging a politician to move to the centre, to appeal to the middle class, as there is almost no middle class, no petty bourgeois, and consequently, no centre. It is now either Right wing, the bourgeoisie, or Left wing, the proletariat.

It is these simple facts of life under capitalism which are completely beyond the limited intellectual capacity of the political ”strategists”, as they refer to themselves, the people who coach the candidates for political office. They tend to be supremely well paid and equally incompetent. They either cannot or will not face the fact that the political situation has changed, and changed quite dramatically. The middle class has been effectively wiped out and the working class has spontaneously moved to the Left, is now embracing socialism. As long as Sanders continues to call for radical change under capitalism, he will almost certainly win the White House. If on the other hand, he submits to pressure from the strategists and moves to the centre, then Trump will almost certainly win another four years in office.

Now more than ever, Sanders needs our support. With that in mind, I am reminded of the millions of women who recently marched, all across the country, in protest against Trump. Now is the time to get in motion again, this time in support of Sanders. I am suggesting that the American women, those who are leading the world revolutionary movement, try a different approach. Join the two mainstream parties, Democratic and Republican, as card carrying members, and let Sanders know that he is not alone. Flood the two Parties with Leftist people, your people. You women are the leaders of the American revolution, and no doubt the men will follow suit. (Sorry guys, but you know it is true.)

As well, I am sure there are organizations or groups of women across the country. I am suggesting that you come together, as you did at the time of the inauguration, district by district and state by state. Within each district, feel free to appoint a leader and demand, as a card carrying member of both parties, that this leader be the candidate for office of the House of Representatives, the Congress, as a member of the Party. It matters not if the woman runs as a member of the Democratic Party or the Republican Party, but it would be best if she is the candidate for both Parties. Her chances of being elected increase dramatically in such a case. This is not only possible but probable, with the two Parties swamped with Leftist people. It should be a piece of cake.

Then the various districts within the state can come together and when appropriate, decide the Leftist person to run for other offices, such as Governor or Senator. Last but certainly not least, every district in the state can endorse Sanders for president.

In the mean time, Sanders should be notified that he is going to Washington, but he is not going alone. A great many people are going with him, many of them socialists, but all of them Leftist, those who are at least sympathetic to socialism.

This is our best chance of placing Sanders in the White House, and at the same time removing Trump from power. In fact it is very likely our only chance. The alternative is to campaign for Sanders, as happened in the previous presidential election, and very likely end up with the same result.

At that time, there were several candidates for the Democratic Party and a dozen candidates for the Republican Party. Each candidate raised possibly tens of millions of dollars for the campaign. Then the field was narrowed down to Trump and Clinton. It is reported that the Clinton campaign spent a billion dollars and yet she still lost to Trump.

It is simply not reasonable to ask people on the Left to donate a billion dollars or so to the Sanders election campaign, on the off chance that he may be elected. It has not worked in the past and very likely will not work in the future.

It is my belief that there is no point in repeating that which has proven to be ineffective in the past. Under such circumstances it makes far more sense to try something which may have a chance of success. My latest brain storm has the added virtue of being practical, cheap and with a reasonable chance of success. It is also completely legal. There is no law against ”occupying” the two Parties. There is no chance that the police will be called in to evict card carrying members of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party from their offices.

The Democratic Socialists of America -DSA- have a membership of fifty thousand people, and their statement mentions that they are fighting for socialism, even though many of their members think this cannot be accomplished under capitalism, that there can be no peaceful transition to socialism. Of course they are right, as the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are not about to part with their hard stolen wealth and power without a fight. That is a fact, just as it is a fact that those same capitalists have been encouraging us to change the system from within. Now is our chance to attempt to do just that.

That is of course my opinion, and no doubt there are many people on the Left who disagree with that opinion, as is their right. The internet, which has various instruments of social media, allows us to work together towards a common cause while at the same time being able to express our differences on that social media.

The rebellion within the two mainstream political parties, Democratic and Republican, has already begun. The registered members of both Parties, as well as a few of the card carrying members, are currently defying the Party bosses. The least we can do is to fan the flames of revolt.

The recent results of the latest midterm elections leave no room for any doubt in that department. A number of Leftist people were elected to Congress, and have distinguished themselves, especially those who are rather young and female. Of course I am referring to the women referred to as The Squad.

They are not terribly shy, do not bow down to the Party bosses, or the Speaker of the House or the president. At the moment, they are the exception, possibly feeling like a minority, which they are. It is up to us to change that, to place them in the majority.

This is not to say that the Leftist people we are about to send to Washington have to be young and female. This is to say that they cannot be shy. They must have the backbone to stand up to the capitalists and their belly crawling boot lickers, their henchmen, including the party bosses, the Speaker of the House and the president. They must also be made aware that we have their backs, we are behind them, we support them.

Very soon, the few lonely Leftist politicians in Washington will cease to be a minority and will become a majority. The bourgeoisie will be forced to change their method of rule. We have no way of knowing just what form this change will take, but as they are completely reactionary, we can expect that the change will be accordingly reactionary.

The members of the public, the rank and file, will then become convinced that there can be no peaceful transition to socialism, and this will very likely trigger a revolution. The support for the revolution will be deep and widespread. It will even extend to Washington, where we will have many people placed in positions of authority. This will give the revolution a far better chance of success.

For now, our banners should also read:

Occupy the Democratic Party!

Occupy the Republican Party!

Occupy Washington!

Sanders for President!

It has come to my attention that I am not an American and therefore am not an expert on American politics. That is certainly true, just as it is true that I have a great many relatives who are Americans. We are very close, and they keep me abreast of the political winds within the country. So I write in the spirit of the slogan coined by Marx, no less, Workers of the World, Unite!

With that in mind, I have chosen to expand on my previous article concerning the possibility of placing Sanders in the White House and flooding Washington with socialists, or Leftist people, or at least people who are sympathetic to socialism. I am convinced this can be done, if the people on the Left come together, unite in a common goal and use the system the capitalists have created, that which is used to protect them. We can use that same system against them.

Since the days of the Civil War, the American government has embraced the two party system, which is of course the Democrats and the Republicans. Over the years, various leftist parties have challenged this system, attempting to run as a third party alternative, with limited success. The capitalists have found various ways to defend the system which has served them so well. My idea is that instead of challenging this system, we should embrace it.

So I considered some ballpark figures, which is to say very rough figures. As for those who find such figures boring, bear with me, as this is important.

In the country, there are four hundred thirty five districts, and each is represented by a member of the House of Representatives, referred to as the Congress. As there are just over three hundred million people in the country, it means that each district has an average of less that one million people, those who are eligible to vote. Perhaps we can use the figure of three quarters of a million people per district. Of those, one third may consider themselves as independent, which leaves half a million people. Of those half million voters, half may consider themselves as Democrats and the other half may consider themselves as Republicans. It follows that each party may contain a quarter of a million people, within each district, at least on paper. These voters are commonly referred to as registered members of the two parties.

Of course, those figures are not entirely accurate, but that does give us a ball park figure, something with which we can work.

This means that within each district there may be a quarter of a million voters who consider themselves to be Democrats and another quarter of a million voters who consider themselves to be Republicans. In other works, two hundred fifty thousand people for each party. That is an impressive number but it does not tell the whole story.

Within those quarter of a million people of each party, there are very few certified members of that party, which is to say card carrying members, those whom I refer to as party bosses, because that is precisely what they are. These card carrying members of the party determine party policy and the candidates to run for any and all political offices.

There may be as few as one in a hundred, or one percent, which is to say that there may be perhaps twenty five hundred certified, card carrying members of each party, in each district, on average. I also consider that to be a high estimate.

That is important, because it is not a great deal. Simple math tells us that there may be as few as a million card carrying members of each party in the whole country, and probably a great deal less. Those are the people who choose the candidates for political office throughout the whole country.

No doubt there is a way to determine the precise number of card carrying members of each party, on the internet, but I cannot seem to find the exact figures. Perhaps that is the way the capitalists want this. They may not want people to determine just how few people are card carrying members of each party.

In order to elect Sanders to the White House and flood Washington with Leftist people, by which I mean people who are at least sympathetic to socialism, we do not have to fight the whole capitalist system, including the two party system. Instead, we can embrace the system by persuading Leftist people to join both of the parties, and encouraging their family and friends to also join the parties. If even a thousand people on the Left, within each district, join the parties, and each and every one of them persuades even ten others to also join the parties, then the two parties in each district will be blessed with ten thousand new members.

As for those who consider this a ridiculous idea, to have four or five million Leftist people join the two parties, may I remind the readers that a great many people, far more than several million, took part in the Occupy Movement. The discontent within the country is deep and widespread. Countless people, hard working, law abiding, tax paying citizens, workers and middle class, house wives and professionals, employed and unemployed, underemployed and homeless, students and retired, are anxious for change. Now is the time to force that change, and this is the way to do it.

I am calling for people on the Left to come together against a common enemy. It only makes sense to hit the enemy at the point where he is weakest. For the moment, the two parties are wide open. Almost all adult American citizens are welcome to join. That is important, because as I understand it, the card carrying members of each party determine the candidate for all political offices. Then there is the formality of a primary, in which the registered members of the party, the rank and file, get a chance to approve the candidate who has been chosen by the party bosses.

At least, it used to be a formality. Not any longer. Now, as part of the revolutionary motion of the country, the registered members of both parties are standing up to the party bosses, and demanding that the candidate of their choice run for office.

The days of the party bosses deciding just who gets to run for political office are long gone. Not that the party bosses ever had that authority, but since the working class has ”woken up”, the rank and file of both parties are taking back their power, the power which is rightfully theirs.

No doubt there are those who object that it is not principled to be a member of more than one political party. To such people I can only point out that the closest the capitalists ever came to principle was in learning to spell the word. For that matter, it may help to think of this as simply taking the capitalists at their word. For years, they have been telling us that if we do not like the system, then we can change it from within. A splendid idea, and now is our chance to do just that.

To be sure, there are a great many people who choose to place restrictions upon themselves. To such people I can only say that the capitalists have placed a great many restrictions upon all of us, so there is no need to add to the burden. It is class war, us against them, workers against capitalists, proletarians against bourgeoisie, and the less we tie our own hands, the better our chances of success.

With that in mind, I am urging my American comrades to join both parties, Democratic and Republican, as card carrying members, which is to say party bosses. Most people have computers, or at least have access to computers, and if need be, know people who can assist them in using those computers. Almost all adult American citizens can enrol online, as it is called. I have been assured that it is simplicity itself.

For the benefit of older working people, I can only point out that computers and the internet are merely tools, no different from hammers and wrenches. At least, that is the very thing I tell myself. I also find that my children are a great source of assistance.

The point is that it is possible to join both parties by using the computers, simply by going on the internet. There is no charge. Then, as a card carrying member of each party, such a person is assured to assist in setting party policy, and in determining the candidate to run for office. Then the registered members of the party, the rank and file, have to approve that choice.

No where does it say that Americans cannot be members of both parties.

For that matter, such citizens can be members of other political parties, as well as members of trade unions, sports clubs, cycling clubs, sewing circles, religious bodies and scientific organizations. The other political parties can include the Green Party, the American Party of Labor, the CPUSA, the CPML, as well as other groups and organizations such as Green Peace, Democratic Socialists of America, the National Rifle Association, the Spartacus League, various anarchist associations, cryptozoologists and creationists, people who are pro life and people who are pro choice, the members of the Flat Earth Society, et al. The list is endless.

If I am not mistaken, the first primaries are less than a year away, so there is no time to lose. Most members of the older generation feel neglected, with good reason. The only time the politicians approach them is during an election, and only for purposes of securing their vote. These seniors should be approached, by younger Leftist people, and encouraged to join the two parties. If necessary, they can be given computer assistance at the same time. As well, students should also be encouraged to be politically active, also joining the parties. Even those who are quite young, soon to be eighteen, are eligible for membership. It is doubtful that such young whippersnappers need any assistance in the use of computers. On the other hand, as such people tend to be bubbling with enthusiasm, they may well be quite anxious to assist their parents and grandparents in joining the parties.

Those of us who are in our declining years tend to pay strict attention to our children and grand children. They are among the few people we can trust. After all, they are our own flesh and blood.

Within each state, there are various districts, and these districts collectively get to decide just who gets to run for Senate, in the appropriate election year, for that state. As well, all the states get to decide, in a federal election year, just who gets to run for president. There is no need to remind my readers that an election year is fast approaching, but I am reminding you anyway, as I cannot resist the temptation.

The implication is very likely one which has not occurred to any capitalist, and very likely to very few Leftist people. If enough Leftist people join the two parties, Democratic and Republican, we can determine the candidate for president for both parties. As such, there is no reason in the world we cannot nominate Sanders for president, not only on behalf of the Democratic Party, but also on behalf of the Republican Party. At the same time we can make sure that each and every member of the next Congress, as well as all of the new Senators, are Leftist people.

I can think of no more sure fire way of ensuring that Sanders gets to occupy the White House and Trump gets to vacate the building. After all, it is up to the rank and file members of the Republican Party, the registered members as well as the card carrying members, to decide the candidate for office of the presidency, on behalf of the Republican Party. If Trump does not like this, then he is free to run as an Independent Capitalist. Somehow, I do not think that is about to happen.

For the moment, we should be focused on uniting, putting aside our differences, encouraging students and seniors, veterans of the Occupy Movement and working people of all walks of life, to join the two parties, Democratic and Republican. Then, as card carrying members of the parties, we can truly make a difference. Our banners and posters should read:

Sanders for President!

Unite the Left!

Join the Party!

Sanders has officially announced his candidacy for the presidency, and not everyone is too pleased with that. He may continue to run as an Independent Socialist or as a member of the Democratic Party. To run as a Democrat would require Sanders to become a member of the Democratic Party, which is a mere formality. The only requirements for membership are to be an American citizen, at least 18 years of age and not certifiably insane. Sanders certainly meets those requirements.

There are currently a great many people who are determined to run for president, as a member of the Democratic Party, and Sanders is not one of them. Yet Sanders is considered one of the top contenders to receive the endorsement of the Democratic Party. Even though the election is a year and a half away, not to mention that the first state primary is still a year away, the election is in ”full swing”.

Within the Democratic Party there are people who work ”behind the scenes”, and they ”call the shots”, as is the popular expression. Such people are referred to as the ”party bosses”, as is indeed the case. These people are not elected officials, and yet they determine the Party member to run for office, and lay down the law to those Party  members who have been elected to office. At least, that is the way it used to be. Now the situation has changed, and quite dramatically. The registered members of both parties, the rank and file, are now standing up to the party bosses.

As a result of the revolutionary upsurge of the people, the party bosses all across the country have lost control of ”their” elected officials. This is nowhere more clear than in Washington, in the House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the Congress. The last two Speakers of the House, both Republicans, have been forced to resign, as they lost control of ”their” members, which is to say, members of the Republican Party.

The current Speaker of the House, a Democrat, is facing a similar situation, trying to keep control of ”her” members, fellow Democrats. As each member of Congress serve two year terms, such members are painfully well aware that their constituency, which is to say the voters of the district they represent, are keeping close track of the manner in which they vote, and if they vote against the wishes of their constituency, then in two years time, they will not even be able to run for re-election.

In the Senate, it is not quite so obvious, as members of the Senate serve six year terms, but they too are feeling the heat. There are only one hundred senators, with fifty three Republican Senators. Yet in a recent vote, in which Trump ordered the Senators to vote against, fifty nine senators voted for the measure. Simple math tells us that twelve Republicans ”crossed the floor”, as it is called, and voted with the Democrats. Even they are being influenced, feeling the ”pressure from below”, as they refer to the revolutionary mass movement.

This is significant, as the only way to remove a sitting president from office (of course I am referring to Trump), is by a vote of two thirds of the Senate, which is to say that sixty seven Senators would have to find him guilty of ”high crimes and misdemeanors”, as specified by the constitution. This means that a mere eight more Republican Senators are required to ”cross the floor” before Trump can be removed from office. In the unlikely event of such a removal, the Vice President would then take office. As the current Vice President could well double as a mannequin, it is likely no one would notice a vast improvement.

As a Marxist, I maintain that capitalism is the problem, not Trump and the Republicans. I have made my position quite clear in that respect, but I do not expect everyone on the Left to agree with that assessment. I do expect everyone on the Left to agree that we can all support Sanders for president. He is a socialist, and having a socialist in the White House can only be a good thing.

On the other hand, most of the ”bosses” in the Democratic Party are dead set against supporting Sanders for president. They consider that he is too far to the ”left”, and they are in favour of a more ”centrist” candidate. The mud slinging has already started, although not from the Republicans (at least not yet), but from the Democrats.

The Democratic bosses are of the opinion that the only way to defeat Trump and the Republicans in the upcoming 20-20 election is by moving to the centre. If anything, precisely the opposite is the case. The best way, if not the only way, to defeat Trump is by supporting Sanders and those who are referred to as ”Left Democrats”.

The fact is that as a result of the revolutionary movement of the working class, the country is deeply divided. Most working class people have, at least instinctively, gravitated towards socialism. Granted there are a good many working people, somewhat less advanced, who still support Trump, but even they are becoming ever more disillusioned. There is really no point in appealing to the centre, as there is no centre.

As for people on the Left who disagree with my assessment that the problem is capitalism, I can only say that I respect your belief. Even so, no doubt such people want to remove Trump from office, and replace him with Sanders, as do I. The best way to elect Sanders to the White House is to support him completely, as well as other Left Democrats. We can expect the attacks on Sanders to continue, becoming ever more frequent and intense. That man needs our support.

Let us face the fact that there are a great many people who are now ”on the Left”, so to speak, as a result of the revolutionary movement. Many such people are members of a political party, group or organization, while a great many others are not. In addition, the Left tends to be deeply divided. The right wing reactionaries have noticed this, to their great delight. In the interests of ”raining on their parade”, I am urging all members of the Left to unite in the common goal of removing Trump from office, and replacing him with Sanders.

The best way to do this, if not the only way, is to join the Democratic Party. The Democratic Socialists of America have already endorsed Sanders, and I am hoping that every member of the DSA joins the Democratic Party. In addition, I am hoping all members of the Socialist Workers Party, the American Party of Labor, the CP(USA), the CP(ML), the Green Party and various other parties and organizations on the Left, which includes the anarchists, join the Democratic Party. There are others, such as Black Lives Matter and members of the Me Too movement, smaller groups and various individuals, all of whom are disillusioned with capitalism. All together, they very likely total several million people, and if all join the Democratic Party, then the Left is sure to make a difference.

The important thing to remember is that in order to join the Democratic Party, it is not necessary to first resign from a different party. It is possible to be a member of two parties. The difference is that as a member of the Democratic Party, a member of the Left can be responsible for helping to ”change the system from within”, as the American government leaders maintain is possible. On the other hand, if as I believe, it is not possible to ”change the system from within”, then that too will be proven. Either way, the political situation will be changed, as many people on the Left, as well as a great many working people, will be convinced of the correctness of Marx.

If all people on the Left were to join the Democratic Party, then the Party would be flooded with socialists and Left people, which is to say people who are at least sympathetic to socialism. That would most certainly make a huge difference, if for no other reason than force of numbers. After all, each and every member of the Democratic Party has a vote, and the candidate to run for any particular office has to first face a primary. In that primary, the registered members of the party vote for the candidate of their choice, as best I can gather. The winner of the primary then goes on to run in the election, as a member of the Democratic Party.

Among other things, this means that every two years, all Democratic Party candidates for the House of Representatives must first receive the endorsement of their party, by a majority vote of the rank and file members of the Democratic Party, for that district. Then there is the candidates for the Senate, Governor and various state and local officials, which vary from state to state.

That brings us to the Republican Party, otherwise known as the GOP, the Grand Old Party.  Contrary to popular belief, the leaders of the Republican Party are not more reactionary than the leaders of the Democratic Party. Both serve the same class, the bourgeoisie. Members of the public have been led to believe that the Democratic Party represents the middle class, the ”little guy”, while the Republican Party represents the upper class, the more successful business people. The capitalists would have us believe there is no working class, just as there is no bourgeoisie. The two party system is a method of rule, one which has worked quite well for a century and a half. Except that now the working class is in revolt, and the two party system is breaking down.

In both parties, Democratic and Republican, the party bosses have lost control of their registered members, the rank and file. In the interests of furthering the revolutionary movement, the least we can do is join both parties, as card carrying members, and deepen the division. Just as Left people can flood the Democratic Party, we can also flood the Republican Party. There is no law that says we cannot be members of both parties. We can expect the rank and file of the Republican Party to be less advanced than their counter parts in the Democratic Party, but the fact remains that the two previous Speakers of the House, both Republicans, were forced to resign. This indicates that there is also widespread discontent within the Republican Party.

It would appear that the Republican Party is every bit as anxious to increase their membership as is the Democratic Party. The requirements for membership are similar to those of the Democratic Party, which is to say a living, breathing American citizen.

Further research has revealed that a registered voter cannot vote across party lines in a primary election. It may well take a Philadelphia lawyer to explain all the legal details, but as best I can determine there is no rule that says Americans cannot become members of both parties. Assuming that is the case, we can urge Left people to join both parties and do our best to ensure that socialists, or at least Left democrats, run for office on behalf of the Republicans as well as the Democrats.

At the moment, this is out of the question, but if we are able to flood the Republican Party with Left people, then the situation could change dramatically.

Within both parties, we can expect to find members who are deeply dissatisfied. It is natural to expect to meet more advanced working people, as well as more progressive middle class people in the Democratic party. There is a very good chance we can work with such people, even bring them around to our way of thinking.

The Republican Party is considered to be more conservative, which is a polite way of saying more reactionary, than the Democratic Party. As a result of this, more reactionary middle class people, as well as the less advanced members of the working class, tend to gravitate to the Republican Party. That is no reason to ”write off” the working class people within the Republican Party. Such working people merely require more patience.

It is also natural to expect the party bosses to be completely reactionary, as they serve the completely reactionary bourgeoisie. There is no chance that we can work with those people. We can safely regard them as the enemy they are.

In summary, I am suggesting that all Left people put aside their differences and support Sanders for president. By extension, we can also support all socialist and Left candidates for other political offices. I am also suggesting we embrace the two party system which has been established by the American capitalists as the preferred method of rule. We can take the advice of the American capitalists and join both parties, en mass, and try to ”change the system from within”.

Whether or not we succeed in ”changing the system from within”, I guarantee something will change.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I write this, I have just learned that the Democratic Socialists of America have  endorsed Sanders for president. As the DSA is possibly the largest Leftist organization in America, with a membership of perhaps fifty thousand people, that is excellent news. Further, as Sanders is a well known socialist, there is a very good chance that he will soon be the next president. Further, it is also very likely that other socialists and Left Democrats will soon be sent to Washington.

From our viewpoint, that of Marxists, it matters not in the slightest if Sanders runs for president as an Independent Socialist or as a ”Left Democrat”, where the term Left Democrat is the expression people use to describe members of the Democratic Party who are at least sympathetic to socialism. The important thing is that Sanders refers to himself as a socialist and it is of the utmost importance to replace Trump with Sanders, a self proclaimed socialist. That is where we come into the picture. If those of us on the left campaign for Sanders, there is a very good chance he will be the next president.

By extension, at the same time we should work very hard to flood Washington with other socialists and Left Democrats. We should elect as many people to the Senate and House of Representatives, called the Congress, as we can.

Those of us who are Marxists are supremely well aware that this will not result in the overthrow of the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. We are also well aware that there are a great many people on the left, socialist and non socialist, Marxist and non Marxist, who disagree with this statement. These people think that a socialist society can be voted into existence, that the system can be changed from within. To such people we have only one response: Welcome, brothers and sisters, comrades! You will soon learn from your own experience that we are correct.

I am hoping we can all agree that the upcoming federal election, that which is commonly referred to as the 20-20 election, can be used as a political platform, so that everyone on the left can unite in our support for Sanders and other left candidates. If we do that, it is very likely that Trump and the Republicans will be defeated, we will have a socialist in the White House, and Left Democrats in the Senate and Congress. On the other hand, if we fight among ourselves, we may as well hand Trump and his fellow reactionaries another four years, on a silver platter.

I am also hoping that we can further agree to raise the level of awareness of the working class. The conditions of life of the working class does not lead to the awareness of itself as a class, so this awareness must be brought to it from an outside source. In other words, middle class intellectuals must bring to working class people the awareness of themselves as a class. Bear in mind that Marx, Engels and Lenin were middle class intellectuals.

With that in mind, I am calling upon all members of the left, democrats, socialists or merely Left leaning, members of a party, group, organization or members of no organization, to come together in a common goal, that of placing Sanders in the White House. At the same time, we can elect a great many other people, socialist and Left Democrats, to the Senate and Congress, as well as to the state and local offices.

My idea is that we can start by asking all people on the left to send an email to their families and friends, encouraging them to support Sanders for president, as well as other socialists and Left Democrats. They can also encourage their friends to send similar emails to their families and friends, so that we can have a snowball effect. We are not asking anyone to send money to Sanders, merely to rally for Sanders, to demonstrate, to carry signs and banners, to march, proclaiming Sanders for President!

There are other tools on the internet, such as facebook and youtube. We should use these to carry our message. People love videos, especially when such videos are entertaining. All too often, political statements are a crashing bore.

That is where celebrities can be so useful. Their job is to entertain, and many of them are on the left. They should be encouraged to take a stand for Sanders, and do so in an entertaining manner. They are professionals, this is what they do for a living, so let them take a stand in their own way.

We should bear in mind that our target audience, so to speak, is the members of the working class. Most of these people are honest, hard working, law abiding, tax paying members of society, just trying to make ends meet. That includes workers and house wives, unemployed and under employed, those who are retired and those who are collecting a pension but are unable to retire, as they cannot afford this. Some people are homeless and others are hungry, while most have been degraded to one degree or another. Many are forced to cheat just to survive, working ”under the table” as it is called, while others are forced to rely upon food banks. Try telling these people that they live in the richest country in the world!

The fact that Sanders was able to sneak into Washington as an Independent Socialist is a point in his favour, a testament to his determination. Let us hope he shows that same determination in his run for the presidency.

As the American government is so determined to maintain the two party system, and only two parties, I can only suggest we play that game, using their own system against them. As a united left front, there is every reason to believe we can succeed. A great many Americans are entirely fed up with Trump and the Republicans. Assuming we can come together and offer working people a left, socialist alternative, they will no doubt respond.

Let us face the fact that we cannot run as socialists, or at least not without great difficulty. In that case, it makes more sense to do that which Sanders will very likely do, which is to join the Democratic Party and run as a Left Democrat, one with socialist convictions. Strangely enough, it is quite easy to join both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, and become a ”card carrying member” of both parties. There may not even be any dues or membership fees, although it may vary, from one state to another, from one district to another. The only requirements are to be an American citizen, 18 years of age or older, not certifiably insane and preferably not a convicted felon. Most people on the left meet those requirements, although there are a great many people on the right who are prepared to swear that we are crazy.

People can even apply online, and expect a voter ID card within five to seven weeks. Such people are then able to run for office as Democrats or Republicans, preferably both. In addition, members are allowed to vote in primaries, in order to determine the candidate to run for office as a member of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Assuming there are sufficient card carrying members of both parties in a particular district, then that district can make sure, by a majority vote, that a left member, preferably a socialist, is the candidate for Congress, for that district. Ideally, the same candidate can run as a member of both parties. It matters not whether the politician goes to Washington as a member of the Democratic Party or the Republican Party.

In the not too distant past, it was the party bosses of both parties, who decided the candidate to run for office. Then the registered members of the party, those whom are commonly referred to as the rank and file, would vote for the candidate chosen by the bosses. That vote was generally considered a mere formality. Then came the revolutionary upsurge of the working class, and the bosses of both parties lost control. The rank and file of both parties defied the bosses and voted for the candidates of their choice. Shock waves rippled throughout Washington. Cracks were appearing in the time honoured method of rule, that of the two party system, a system which has secured the rule of the bourgeoisie for over one hundred fifty years.

At the time of the uprising of the rank and file, the Republicans had a majority in the Congress, and the Speaker of the House was of course a Republican. He ran the House with an iron hand, his word was law, and no member of his party questioned him. At least not until new Republican members were voted into the Congress. These new members, ”young turks”, had been told, by the voters who sent them to Washington, their constituency, that while in Washington, they were to vote the way their constituency demanded, not the way in which the party bosses demanded. They were ordered to not listen to the party bosses, or the Speaker of the House, or to the president or anyone else, unless they wanted to be a single term, two year member of Congress. These new members did as they were told, and the Speaker of the House was forced to step aside, as he had lost control of the Congress.

A new Speaker of the House was appointed, and he of course fared no better.

Rather than fight the two party system of the capitalists, I am suggesting that we embrace it. The party bosses have lost control of the party, the rank and file are in revolt, and this is a weakness we can exploit.

Now there is a majority of members in the Congress who are Democrats, and many of them are young, female and rebellious. The new Speaker of the House is of course a Democrat, and she is of course facing the same problem. It is very likely that her days as Speaker are numbered. She too can not control the Democratic members of Congress.

This is another way of saying that the ruling class, the bourgeoisie, can no longer rule in the old way. The capitalists are wounded, and now is the time to twist the knife.

Bearing that in mind, my idea is that we should embrace the two party system, as it now stands, under capitalism. People on the left, all across the country, should join the two parties. Whether individuals are members of other organizations or parties, makes no difference. As card carrying members of both parties, each and every one has the right to vote for a candidate to run for political office. If enough people join the two parties, we are sure to elect to office socialist candidates.

The vast majority of people who have joined the two parties are honest, law abiding, tax paying citizens who want to make a difference. They are concerned with the democratic process and are determined to force some changes, all quite legally. This shows a certain level of awareness on their part, which is rather commendable. We can expect such people to be open to the ideas of socialism. No doubt many are already quite disillusioned with the reality of capitalism, and the idea of sending a democratic socialist to Washington may well appeal to them.

In turn, we can expect the ”old guard”, especially the party bosses, those who have been running the place for many years, to oppose this with absolute intensity. They will see this uprising as a threat to their authority, as indeed it is.

For many years, the government has been telling us that the system can be changed from within. There are many people on the left, as well as countless working people, who believe this. It is time to put that theory to the test. Let everyone on the left get together, put aside our differences, join the two parties, place Sanders in the White House and send socialists and Left Democrats to Washington. Then we will see if the system can indeed be changed from within.

The fact is that we live under a democratic republic, ruled by the bourgeoisie. All are entitled to vote, which is referred to as universal suffrage, an instrument of bourgeois rule. Engels made this quite clear when he stated that universal suffrage ”is an index of the maturity of the working class. It cannot and never will be anything more in the modern state.”

As that is the case, we can use the upcoming 20-20 election to measure the maturity of the working class. At the same time, we can raise that level of maturity. That may be far more fun than just taking a measurement. It is very likely that many left people will be pleasantly surprised, as the recent occupy movement has helped to educate working people.

In summary, we can join the two parties and use that influence to support Sanders for president and appoint socialists and Left Democrats to run for office, preferably socialists, some of our own people. We can also use the various tools provided by the internet to endorse Sanders and socialists for office. At the same time we can make clear, on the internet, our own views, if we so desire.

In this way, the election of Sanders to the White House is practically assured. In any other way, his election is quite doubtful. The main thing is that we will also see if the system can indeed be ”changed from within”.