Author: Gerald Mcisaac

The working class has now spontaneously gravitated towards socialism, so in response, the capitalist class, the bourgeoisie, which is to say the billionaires, the class of people who are currently running the country, as well as their henchmen, which is to say their belly crawling boot lickers, have responded by mounting a furious attack on the great leaders of the working class, which of course includes Lenin and Stalin.

As members of the working class, we have been robbed of our history. I use the term working class in its broader sense, to include the proletarians and peasants around the world, as proletarians are the technical term for workers and peasants are the technical term for farmers. Whether proletarians or peasants, regardless of the country, we all have a common enemy, which is the imperialists, the monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, as that is their correct scientific term.

With that in mind, it is necessary to set the record straight, to delve into some history which many of my readers may find boring. Just bear in mind that knowledge is power, and one reason the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, are so powerful, is because they are so knowledgeable. To become aware of our history will help to erode their power, if only slightly. Every little bit helps. They certainly use the ignorance of our history against us.

In the nineteenth century, it was Marx and Engels who placed socialism on a scientific basis, so that now it is referred to as scientific socialism, which is most reasonable. We now refer to it as Marxism, and are careful to distinguish it from utopian socialism, which is the idealist concept of socialism, and is most unreasonable. This is to say that the various attempts to set up a socialist society, without the guidance of the revolutionary theories of Marx, have been a failure. That is a fact, and a most unpleasant fact it is, and it is also a fact that any further attempts to set up a socialist society will be doomed to failure, unless such a society is based on the theories of Marx. Those who are taking part in the revolution which is currently gaining strength in North America, as well as other parts of the world, would do well to bear that in mind.

As capitalism progressed, it advanced to its monopoly stage, as was predicted by Marx. This monopoly stage of capitalism, which is referred to as imperialism, has characteristics which are different from the earlier stage of capitalism, in which competition was predominant.

This latest and highest stage of capitalism was thoroughly analyzed by Lenin, and fully exposed in his excellent book, Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism. It is highly recommended for everyone, especially those who have recently ”woken up”, as they put it, are now no longer apathetic, but are concerned with the political situation.

Lenin was of course a citizen of Russia and a member of the middle class, a well educated man, a lawyer, an intellectual, a member of the intelligentsia, as is the correct scientific term. He could have chosen to live a life of relative comfort, working as an attorney, but chose instead to embrace the revolutionary theories of Marx. He was determined to force through changes in his country of birth, and he most certainly did.

At that time, Russia was an autocracy, which is to say that the country was ruled by a Czar, a man who had almost unlimited power. He used that power frequently, crushing anyone and everyone whom he considered to be a threat. He was aided in his rule by the rural landlords, those who crushed and exploited the peasants, and the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, those who crushed and exploited the workers, the proletarians.

This was an alliance of three classes, the nobility, the landlords, and the bourgeoisie, all of whom were completely reactionary. As opposed to them stood the workers, peasants, and the middle class. The workers form the most revolutionary class, while the poor peasants tend to follow the workers. The middle peasants and middle class people, which is to say the petty bourgeois, tend to vacillate, between the workers and the capitalists, and the rich peasants, the kulaks, tend to follow the bourgeoisie.

I mention the class makeup of the population, as that is the only way to understand that which is happening during a revolution. Here in North America, it is customary to deny the existence of classes, and we are on the edge of a revolution, in which different classes  are about to engage in open warfare, so it is vitally important to stress this point.

As a Marxist, Lenin was well aware that it was necessary to first overthrow the Czar, as a means of establishing a democratic republic, so that people could at least have some democratic rights. He did not consider this an end in itself, but merely as the first step towards a socialist republic. He was also well aware that the movement for scientific socialism, which is to say socialism based on the revolutionary theories of Marx, develop separately from the working class movement. He determined to merge the two movements, to make the working class movement the movement for scientific socialism.

With that in mind, in 1898 Lenin and a few other middle class Marxist intellectuals came together and formed a political party, the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, the RSDLP. The name of the party reflects the belief that those who fight for socialism also fight for democracy. That is just as true today as it was in 1898.

True to their belief, all of the earliest members of the RSDLP became involved with the working class, assisting them in their struggles, at the same time explaining to the workers the theories of Marx, of the necessity of revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. They were making a supreme effort to merge the movement for scientific socialism with the working class movement. They did not get too far. Almost immediately, each and every member of the newly formed RSDLP  were arrested and thrown in jail, and of course that included Lenin.

Lenin learned the hard way that it is not just people on the left, which is to say middle class intellectuals and aspiring working class revolutionaries, who read Marxist literature. People on the right, which is to say the billionaires, the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, and their henchmen, their belly crawling boot lickers, also read such Marxist literature. If anything, they read it more avidly. There is no doubt in their minds whatsoever that Marx was absolutely correct. But there is a big difference between believing in the correctness of the scientific theories of Marx and embracing those theories. No one has ever accused the capitalists of embracing the theories of Marx. To this day, a great many capitalists admit that Marx was right, that capitalism is progressing precisely the way in which Marx said it would. That merely drives home the point to them that Marxists are supremely dangerous, and should be suppressed with the utmost determination.

The capitalists are well aware that the key to a successful revolution involves raising the level of awareness of the working class to that of a Marxist, to make the members of the working class aware of themselves as a class, with interests which are diametrically opposed to those of the capitalist class. At the same time, they are equally determined to conceal this fact from the workers. The last thing any capitalist wants is for the workers to become aware that they are destined to overthrow the capitalists, through revolution, and establish the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, crushing the bourgeoisie under the iron heel of the proletariat.

From the viewpoint of the capitalists, that is all the more reason to crush anyone who attempts to spread such subversive propaganda. That is the reason Lenin and the other Social Democrats were thrown into jail. From jail, Lenin was exiled to Siberia, and was eventually allowed to leave the country.

If the Russian authorities thought that was the end of Lenin, they were sadly mistaken. It merely strengthened his resolve. He needed all the resolve he could get, as it soon became clear that it was not just the Russian authorities with whom he had to fight. There were also members of the RSDLP who thought it necessary to revise the theories of Marx. They were determined to change the party to one of a liberal party for petty reforms. In this, they performed a very valuable service for the Russian capitalists, the bourgeoisie, as such reforms are completely acceptable to the bourgeoisie.

These revisionists were of the opinion that the theories of Marx were obsolete and had to be revised. They actually believed, and many still believe, that there is no need for a revolution, that the capitalists do not have to be overthrown. They think that under a democratic republic, it is merely necessary to elect socialist politicians into office and the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, will become sweetly reasonable and hand over their wealth and power. As if that is about to happen!

Lenin pointed out the fallacy of this revisionist theory, which he called Economism, in his excellent book, What Is To Be Done? I highly recommend this book, as it is as relevant today as at the time it was first written. The only insignificant difference is that modern day revisionists tend to be rather shy, and prefer not to refer to themselves as revisionists.

Many of these current revisionists refer to themselves as Marxist-Leninists. They are able to speak in revolutionary terms, but are careful to make no mention of revolution or the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. They do not want to offend their lords and masters, the capitalists, the bourgeoise, as that is one term which terrifies them. It is their worst nightmare. The idea of the working class revolting, overthrowing them and crushing them under the iron heel of the proletariat, keeps them awake nights. Their fears are well grounded.

But now to return to the situation in Czarist Russia, after the arrest of Lenin and all the other Social Democrats, the Russian authorities probably thought that would be the end of the working class movement. No doubt at the time, it seemed to be a reasonable assumption, as the working class was deprived of all their leaders. But even without leaders, the working class movement continued to grow and develop, until in January of 1905, it broke out into full scale revolution. This revolution raged for over two years, and the autocracy was shaken but not toppled. By the middle of 1907, the revolution died down and the Czar remained firmly in charge.

This Russian revolution of 1905 has gone down in history as the first Russian revolution. Even though it did not topple the Czar, it provided the people of Russia with a great deal of valuable experience. In much the same way, the various anti war movements, as well as the occupy movement, have provided the American workers with similar valuable experience. We can expect the veterans of those movements to make fine use of those lessons. Experience is a fine teacher. We learn so much more from our mistakes, our defeats.

After the first Russian revolution died down in 1907, the forces of reaction were in their glory. This is to say that the authorities, those who were avid supporters of the monarchy and the capitalists, were having a field day, imprisoning and hanging all and sundry. They took particular delight in hanging any and all Social Democrats, Marxists. This went on for several years, while the working class movement gradually once again built up strength. This finally boiled over in the second Russian revolution of February, 1917, in which the Czar was finally overthrown.

It was the fourth year of the great imperialist slaughter known as World War 1, and Russia was allied with Britain, France, Italy and America against the Central Power of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire, which was essentially Turkey and its colonies. All of these countries were quite highly industrialized, hence the term ”great powers”, although Russia was no where near as highly industrialized as Germany or Britain. In fact, three quarters of the population of Russia was composed of peasants, so that of the roughly two hundred million people, perhaps one hundred fifty million people were peasants. From a military standpoint, the industrial output of the country was rather limited, but the exceptional population meant that the country could produce a great deal of ”cannon fodder”. It also meant that the leaders of the other industrial countries considered Russia a rather ”backward” country.

I do not like the term ”backward” country, as it sounds rather derogatory, and I think the term agrarian is more accurate, as the majority of the population was composed of peasants, but the term is deeply entrenched in literature, so I have chosen to stay with it. There is no point in fighting a battle I cannot possibly win.

As a result of this successful revolution, a bourgeois democratic republic was established, with the capitalists and landlords in charge. The working people then had some democratic rights, at least on paper. This second Russian revolution was the result of a rather strange coalition of proletarians, peasants and petty bourgeois, or middle class, against the nobility and the landlords. It is notable that all the peasants, rich and poor, came together, united in their hatred of the landlords.  As soon as the Czar abdicated the throne, the alliance came to an end.

The democratic republic is the best possible political shell for capitalism, which helps to explain the reason that the bourgeoisie may have welcomed the revolution, or at least maintained a position of ”benevolent neutrality” towards the revolution. They had a great deal to gain from such a successful revolution, from the abdication of the Czar, and gain they did.

The fact that the workers and peasants were being exploited and degraded was not a factor in their decision to at least welcome the revolution, as the condition of the workers and peasants was of no concern to them. That is true to this day.

At the conclusion of the February revolution of 1917, with the nobility out of the way, the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, came to undisputed power. They established a democratic republic, led by Karensky. The working people and peasants had some democratic rights, if only on paper. That was very nice, but as they were the first to point out, it is not possible to eat democratic rights. The people in the cities were literally starving, and the rich peasants, referred to as kulaks,  had grain but no way to get that grain to market. Besides, the more the people in the cities starved, the higher the price of grain. Kulaks are merely typical capitalists.

It should come as no great shock to anyone to learn that the first thing the capitalists did, once they had secured undisputed political power, was to break their promises. The peasants had been promised the land which was owned by the landlords, and the workers, peasants and soldiers had been promised an end to the war, in order to alleviate their suffering. Instead, the war continued and the landlords kept their land. The suffering of workers, soldiers and peasants continued at horrendous levels.

It was in this revolutionary state of turmoil that Lenin returned from exile in April of 1917. The Czar had been overthrown but the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, were in charge, and the exploitation and degradation of the Russian people was still in high gear. The German Kaiser allowed Lenin to pass through Germany, on a sealed train, but only because he knew that Lenin was the greatest enemy of the Czar and the newly created Karensky regime.

The Kaiser was not the only one to have such a high opinion of Lenin. The officials of the Karensky regime completely agreed that Lenin was indeed their greatest enemy, and promptly set out to murder him. As a result of this, Lenin, with the assistance of Stalin, escaped to Finland and prepared for the approaching revolution from a distance. It was in Finland that he wrote another masterpiece, State and Revolution. That book too is required reading for anyone interested in taking part in the approaching American revolution.

In great secrecy, Lenin returned to Saint Petersburg in October of 1917, as it was absolutely necessary to overthrow the corrupt Karensky regime. Karensky had decided to surrender Saint Petersburg to the Germans, in an attempt to forestall the Russian revolution. This was nothing less than an act of treason.

By that time, Lenin was well known to the imperialist leaders of the world, and much as they hated each other, were giving serious consideration to concluding the war, just so they could kill Lenin and crush the Russian revolution. They figured they could always go back to killing each other after they dealt with their common enemy. God forbid workers and peasants should get the idea that they could take control of their own lives!

They thought perhaps it would be best to first kill Lenin and crush the Russian revolution, and then return to the business of dividing and redividing the world. Their quest of ever greater profits, at the expense of course of the working people, could wait.

If nothing else, this should give workers an idea of just how much the billionaires, the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, hate and fear revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Their fears are well grounded.

On the evening of November 7, 1917, under the leadership of Lenin and the Social Democrats, in the two main Russian cities of Saint Petersburg and Moscow, the workers seized political power.

There is a lesson to be learned here, as the timing was critical. The insurrection was successful because it did not rely upon a conspiracy or upon a party, but it relied upon a class, in that case the working class. In terms of timing, it relied upon a revolutionary upsurge of the people. It was at a turning point in the revolution, when the movement of the most advanced workers was at its peak, and the vacillations within the ranks of the enemy was at its greatest. The greatest threat came from the Allies, as they could not decide between a war to a victorious finish or a separate peace directed against Russia. In addition, internally, the middle class Russian democrats were also vacillating, and in fact rejected a coalition with the counter revolutionary Constitutional Democrats, referred to as the Cadets. The enemies of the revolution, both internal and external, were vacillating.

At such a point in the revolution, not to mount an insurrection would have been a betrayal of the revolution. Such a revolution, civil war, is the sharpest form of the class struggle. It is that point in the class struggle when clashes turn into an armed struggle of one class against another. This happened in Russia in November, 1917, and will soon happen here. We had best be prepared.

The November Russian Revolution is of particular importance to us, because of all the revolutions which have happened throughout history, this revolution most closely resembles our own. Further, that first successful socialist revolution was led by Lenin, which drives home the point that his theories are correct. Since that time, capitalism has been restored in Russia, but that in no way diminishes the accomplishment.

I deliberately refer to the November Russian revolution as a separate revolution and not merely as a continuation of the February Russian revolution, as there were a separate set of classes involved. The February revolution was a bourgeois revolution, in that the autocracy was overthrown and the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, as well as the landlords, came to power. The November revolution was a socialist revolution in which the bourgeoise and the landlords were overthrown and the workers and poor peasants came to power. They established the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, the worst nightmare of all capitalists.

It is important to consider history from a viewpoint of class struggle, if for no other reason than that we can best understand our own situation.

Immediately after the conclusion of the successful socialist November revolution, Lenin and the other Social Democrats, those whom at the time referred to themselves as  Communists or Bolsheviks, took action which their class enemies found to be unforgivable. The secret treaties which the Czar had approved and the Karensky government had kept hidden, were made public. In addition, the new Soviet government, that of the revolutionary workers and peasants, proposed a just peace, a peace without annexations or indemnities, a peace which guaranteed equal rights to all nations – and it proposed that peace to all the belligerent countries.

The Anglo – French and American bourgeoisie refused to accept the proposal. In fact, they refused to even consider the proposal of peace. They betrayed the interests of all nations and prolonged the imperialist slaughter. They even accused the Soviet Union of negotiating a separate peace with the Central Powers and thereby betraying the cause of the Great War. They neglect to mention that the cause was one of profit.

It should be noted that Lenin and the Soviet high command had no choice in the matter. The Russian soldiers were worn out and demoralized from three and a half years of war. As they put it, they were ”drowning in blood”. They had reached the limit of their endurance. Even the Russian generals, including those who could not have been accused of being Marxists, admitted as much. The Russian army was spent. The only options were peace or assured defeat.

It was only the Central Powers who agreed to negotiate a peace treaty. They agreed to a cease fire and in mid December of 1917, met with the Soviet delegation, led by Trotsky, in  the town of Brest-Litovsk. Trotsky was under orders to negotiate the best terms of peace that he could, to stall as long as possible, in order to give the country time to recover and rebuild. He was also ordered to accept any terms, as a last resort, in case the Central Powers issued an ultimatum. The ultimatum was issued and Trotsky refused the terms.

Trotsky had a better idea. He announced that Soviet Russia would demobilize the army and cease waging war. There would be neither victory nor defeat. The troops would merely ”stick their bayonets in the ground”.

The Central Power took a rather dim view of this ”better idea” of Trotsky, and to the surprise of no one, except perhaps Trotsky, resumed the offensive. The demoralized Russian army was in no state to resist, and fell back in disarray.

In response to this treachery of Trotsky, Lenin and the Soviet high command, which is to say the Central Committee of the Communist Party, once again sued the Central Powers for peace. Once again they met, and once again the Central Powers issued an ultimatum. The only difference was that the newest terms for peace were far more onerous that the initial terms for peace, which Trotsky had refused. The Central Powers demanded and received Poland, the Ukraine, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Georgia, as well as other  territories, not to mention reparations which had to be paid over a great many years.

In effect, the Soviet Union lost about a third of the population, around half of their industry, perhaps ninety percent of their coal mines and oil fields, as well as much of their food growing area. Lenin accepted this because there was no choice in the matter. The only way in which the first socialist republic could be secured and built, was by first securing peace.

Our current situation in North America is similar to the situation in Russia immediately before the November revolution. At that time, the suffering of the members of the public, the common people, had reached appalling proportions. By common people I refer to working people as well as peasants. By contrast, the capitalists and landlords never had it better. They were living in the lap of luxury. Now in our situation, the peasants have been practically wiped out, along with the landlords, and the middle class, the petty bourgeois, have been severely depleted. The class conflict is thus simplified. The situation of the working class is also appalling, with most people merely scraping by, at best. Monopoly capitalism continues to grow ever more complete, strangling smaller capitalists, forcing these middle class people, the petty bourgeois, into the ranks of the proletariat. The current situation is just as revolutionary here and now, as it was in Russia in 1917.

If nothing else, this simplifies the class struggle. Now it is us against them, the workers against the capitalists, the proletarians against the bourgeoisie, the poor folks against the billionaires. That is just the way it is.

Our biggest problem now involves starting the revolution. In Russia, this was a relatively easy matter, as the Russian bourgeoise was not nearly as well organized as the bourgeoisie in other countries. Without the advantage of easy plunder, they were unable to bribe the upper stratum of workers. As a result of this, the whole of the working class of Russia was able to rally around Lenin and the Marxists in their class struggle against the capitalists.

That is one problem the American bourgeoisie do not have. They are well organized, and have been able to extort vast sums from all and sundry, which has enabled them to bribe a great many leaders of the working class, especially union leaders. For that matter, the same is true of all highly industrialized countries, as the working people of those countries can testify, if only from bitter experience.

As a result of this, the Russian November revolution was easier to start, but far more difficult to continue, as it was primarily a petty bourgeois country, which is to say a middle class country. This may sound strange, but the fact of the matter is that every peasant is a small time capitalist. Every peasant wants to own the land he tills and the land of his next door neighbour. This is simply characteristic of peasants, but this does not make the peasant, or at least the poor peasant, the enemy. In fact, the poor peasants are the natural allies of the working class, the proletariat, and must be treated as such. The November revolution was led by the working class, in alliance with the poor peasants.

By contrast, the approaching American revolution will be far more difficult to start, due to the fact that many of the working class leaders have been bribed, and to the fact that the bourgeois propaganda is far more intense. On the other hand, once the revolution begins in America, it will be far easier to continue, if only because almost all of the peasantry and most of the middle class have been wiped out. No doubt, it will also spread to many other industrialized countries of the world. This is the reason the American revolution is of such vital importance. The American working class, led by American working women, are in the vanguard of the world wide revolutionary movement for scientific socialism.

Now the immediate problem is one of starting the American revolution. Although more difficult, the solution is the same. We have got to face the fact that the working class is not aware of itself as a class. This awareness must be brought to it by an outside source, and that outside source is of course the middle class. The well educated middle class intellectuals must become involved with the struggles of the working class and explain to the workers, in language they can understand, that the interests of the workers, and the interests of the capitalists, the billionaires, are diametrically opposed.

This is perhaps not as difficult as it may sound, as a great many middle class people have joined the working class, of necessity. Middle class people, intellectual or not, are aware of themselves as a class, and bring that class awareness with them. As the capitalist monopolies increase their strangle hold in all areas of business, ever more middle class people, owners of small businesses, are being forced into bankruptcy. They have no choice but to join the working class, like it or not. Rest assured, most of them do not like it. In addition, modern technology has equipped the working class with digital equipment, that which I refer to as computers, although my grandchildren would disagree with me. Call these digital devices what you will, they are information sources which are a very valuable tool. Marxist literature is readily accessible with these devices.

That being stated, it is also a fact that there is a great deal of literature on the internet which is counter revolutionary. Just as at the time of Lenin, there are a great many people who claim to be Marxist-Leninists, but have distorted the theories of both Marx and Lenin. These are the people who are determined to divert the revolutionary movement of the working class onto a harmless path of social reform. Lenin referred to these people as Economists or Mensheviks, and there is no shortage of such people. The true Marxist-Leninists advocate for revolution and the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, which is absolutely unacceptable to the billionaires, the bourgeoisie.

As for those who think this is a minor problem, bear in mind that our revolution is rapidly approaching. It has one chance and one chance only of being successful. That one chance involves adopting the correct revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. The experience of all previous revolutions, however bitter, leaves no room for doubt on that point.

This puts in perspective the importance of the fact that the current American revolutionary movement is being led by women. There are very few American working class leaders who are women, and even fewer have accepted bribes from the capitalists. It is also a fact that women are far less likely to be deceived by the propaganda the American capitalists are constantly spitting out. It is the nature of women that they tend to be a bit more suspicious. Their condition of life forces this upon them.

Even though America is a most democratic country, women are still placed in a position of inequality. Granted there are laws emancipating women, placing them on a par with men, at least on paper. The fact remains that the vast majority continue to remain domestic slaves, because petty housework crushes and degrades women, chains her to the kitchen and nursery, where she slaves away in petty, crushing drudgery. The real emancipation of women will begin only where and when an all out struggle begins against this petty housekeeping. This can only happen after the proletariat, the working class, overthrows the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, through revolution, and establishes the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

Under that dictatorship, that of the proletariat, this petty housekeeping will be transformed through the use of public nurseries and kindergartens, which will not be run for profit, but for the common welfare. Women will be freed from the drudgery of housework, allowed to take part in the socialist economy. This can and will happen, but only under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. The capitalists have no interest in such nonsense.

It may be objected that there are a few women who have risen in the world, becoming successful, as indeed they have. Many of them have achieved great success in the field of entertainment, which is to say they are famous in television and movies. All too many have found there is a price to be paid for this, in the form of sexual assault. The understanding is that if they resist, their careers will be ruined. Of course the purpose of this sexual assault is to establish control over these women. It is just another form of degradation.

Many of these women are now coming forward as part of the Me Too movement. The point must be driven home to these women that there will be no significant change under capitalism. The only way in which the status of women will be changed is under socialism, the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, and that can happen only through revolution.

We can expect the ruling class, the capitalists, the billionaires, to attempt to frighten us with cries of ”rivers of blood” which will be shed in the revolution. No doubt blood will be shed, but that is the only way to secure an end to the wars of which the imperialists are so fond. There is a price to be paid for peace, for working people to be fed and housed properly, for jobs which pay well, an end to unemployment and under employment, an end to homelessness, of senseless shootings, of gang warfare, child pornography, of girls being lured into the country under the promise of jobs, and then sold into sex slavery or forced to work in sweat shops. I could go on, but I am sure the reader gets the idea. So to the bootlickers of the billionaires who cry ”rivers of blood”, I can only respond that there is a price to be paid, in order to destroy that which capital has created. There are more than a few people who are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to leave our children a much better world.

As for those who think that I am exaggerating, may I mention that recently, in the city of Chicago, on merely one day, forty four people were shot. The gangs now roam at will, killing any and all and the police are powerless to prevent this. Very soon the people will rise up, as part of the revolution, and establish law. This will not be a bourgeois law, but a proletarian law, and the gangsters and the bleeding heart liberals will be dead set opposed to this. We can expect these gangsters, those who have been exploiting and terrorizing people all their lives, to be grabbed by the revolutionaries and summarily executed. We can also expect the bleeding heart liberals to complain that these people, these cold blooded killers, rapists, child molesters, pimps, pornographers, scum of the earth, one and all, have been deprived of due process. In fact, they will soon be processed by the working class, and that same working class will soon set up a new constitution, a constitution of the working class, by the working class, for the working class.

This is all part of setting up the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, and the transition period will be wonderful, if not pretty. It will be every bit as unpleasant as the capitalists want it to be. The sooner they submit to that dictatorship the easier it will be for them. The only way in which this dictatorship can happen is by having the working class people rise up, overthrow the people who have been exploiting and crushing them all their lives. The emancipation of the working class has to be, and will be, an act of the working class. Those who oppose the revolution can expect, at best, public humiliation, just as in the first American revolution, in which the class enemies of the working people were tarred and feathered.

In a time of revolution, people resort to measures which are not normally considered appropriate. This is the only way in which working people can overthrow their class enemies, the bourgeoisie, and establish the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

This much better world is a world of socialism, one in which those who have created this nightmare world will be suppressed, crushed under the iron heel of the working class, the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Those people, the monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, will have no rights, will be forced to earn their living, to earn an honest days pay. If they do not work, they will not eat. Their choice.

We currently live on the eve of the great proletarian socialist revolution, a revolution which will sweep the world, starting with the most industrialized countries. It is a great opportunity and calls for great sacrifice and great effort on our part. The great revolutionaries of the past have left us this heritage. Now it is up to us to carry on in their footsteps.

With that in mind, I can only suggest flooding the posters, banners and internet with the revolutionary messages, starting with:

Dictatorship Of the Proletariat!

Workers Of the World, Unite!

Scientific Socialism!

The revolutionary movement currently sweeping North America is very similar to the situation which existed in Czarist Russia in the late nineteenth – early twentieth century, during the time in which Lenin lived and worked. Of course, we are faced with the same theoretical confusion which Lenin faced. He dealt with this confusion at length in his excellent book, What Is To Be Done?

This requires a little explanation. As for those who want nothing to do with boring history lessons, I can only point out that we can choose to learn from the mistakes of the past or we can choose to repeat those mistakes. I prefer to learn from previous mistakes.

I can also point out that Lenin led the first revolution of workers and peasants to a successful conclusion, against all the odds, I might add. If nothing else, this should persuade people of the correctness of his theories. And yet to this day there is no shortage of well meaning people who are determined to repeat the mistakes of the past.

The fact is that the rise of revolutionary scientific socialism in Russia, which the Marxists of the time referred to as Social Democracy, can be divided into several distinct periods. The first period covers the years of approximately 1884 to 1894. This was the time of the rise and consolidation of Social Democracy, and existed completely independent of the labor movement. It is to be stressed that all of the earliest Marxists, in Russia, were middle class intellectuals, or intelligentsia, as is the scientific term.

The second period covers the several years of 1894 to 1898, and was far more interesting. The well educated, middle class intellectuals went into the labor movement, bringing with them their knowledge of the existence of classes, of which the working class knew nothing, and their crumbs of knowledge of Marxist revolutionary theory. The fact is that their knowledge of Marxism was limited, and this is completely understandable.  Marxist literature was severely limited and for the most part, equally forbidden. The mere possession of such literature could result in an arrest, followed by a rather lengthy prison sentence or even execution. It is to their credit that a great many intellectuals persevered and this resulted in the formation of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party in the spring of 1898. This Party was led by Lenin.

This led of course to the third period, after 1898, in which almost all of the Marxist intellectuals, those who were involved in the Russian working class revolutionary movement, which is to say the Social Democrats, were thrown into prison. That of course included Lenin, who was first  exiled to Siberia and later allowed to leave the country. As a result of this, the Russian working class was deprived of their Marxist intellectual, Social Democratic leaders.

Perhaps the ruling class in Russia thought this would put an end to the revolutionary motion. More accurately, there were two classes who were ruling Russia, as at that time the country was an autocracy, so that the Czar had absolute power. He and his family were part of one class, the nobility, while the capitalists formed a class of people which we refer to as the bourgeoisie, and they shared power with the nobility. As a result of this, Russia was crushed by the nobility and the capitalists.

The immediate problem in Russia, at that time, was to overthrow the autocracy and establish a democratic republic, so that the people could at least have some democratic rights. No doubt the members of the ruling classes, which is to say the nobility and the capitalists, thought there was no chance of this, as the working class had no leaders. They were mistaken.

The working class revolutionary movement continued to grow, even without leaders, until it exploded into full scale revolution in 1905. The autocracy was shaken but did not collapse. In 1907 the revolution died down and the Czar remained firmly in charge.

Part of the reason for the failure of the first Russian Revolution, in 1905, was the fact that the working class was, for the most part, deprived of leaders. There were a few Social Democrats working secretly within Russia, but many of them were revisionists. Then there were a great many Social Democrats in exile, including Lenin, and he was doing his best to give direction to the revolution, but from a distance.

After the revolution died down, reaction set in, as it always does under such circumstances, and lasted for several years. In a time of reaction, people become apathetic, and show little interest in any political issues. The Russian working class was in retreat, as it were, and the powers of reaction were in their glory. The reactionaries are those who want to keep everything precisely the way it is, opposed to any progressive change. The goal was to keep the nobility and the capitalists in power and keep the working people, the proletariat and peasantry, crushed and exploited.

But then the working class revolutionary movement picked up again, as it always does, and within several years gave birth to the second Russian revolution in February of 1917. As a result of this revolution, the autocracy, which is to say the Czar, was overthrown, and the capitalists, which is to say the bourgeoisie, came to undisputed power. We can only stress that all of this happened without the assistance of the Social Democrats, which is to say the Marxists. The reason for this is quite simple. Almost all of the Marxists were either dead, exiled or in prison.

Without the leadership of Lenin and the other Marxists of the time, the Russian revolution would have ended right there, with the capitalists in undisputed power. The conditions of life of the working class, the proletariat, does not lead to the awareness of itself as a class. As that is the case, it stands to reason that the awareness of the other side of the coin, the class opposite to it, the capitalist class, the bourgeoisie, is also absent. So to suggest, as so many self proclaimed socialists say, that the working class can spontaneously overthrow the bourgeoisie and seize political power, is utterly absurd.

It may be objected that at that time, in Russia, the majority of the people were peasants. That is true, and in fact three quarters of the people were peasants, and peasants are aware of themselves as a class. It is also a fact that every peasant is a small time capitalist. Their ambition in life is to own the land they are tilling and the land of their neighbours. For that reason, they could not lead the revolution against the capitalists.

But then Lenin returned to Russia, after the Czar was removed from power. He and other Marxists, most notable Stalin, were able to lead the Russian revolution to a successful conclusion, which is to say that the capitalists were overthrown and crushed under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

This was only possible because the revolutionaries followed the correct revolutionary theories of Marx. We say this in order to drive home the point that the revision of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin is a very serious matter. Without a correct revolutionary theory, there can be no successful revolution. The revisionists have to be exposed and kicked out of the revolutionary movement. They are agents of the capitalists within the working class.

Lenin waged a merciless war with these revisionists. In the year 1902, he wrote a book titled What Is To Be Done?, in which he exposed the fallacy of revisionism. True, he also provided some very practical advice concerning the organization of the Social Democratic Party, with a view to carrying on Social Democratic work within autocratic Russia. The problem was that the people carrying on such work were frequently thrown into prison and executed. It is this organizational work which modern day revisionists have seized upon, while completely ignoring the importance Lenin stressed upon raising the level of awareness of working people to the level of Social Democratic consciousness, which is to say Communist consciousness.

The fact remains that modern day revisionists, just as in autocratic Russia, continue to maintain that they are Marxists, but at the same time they maintain that the revolutionary theories of Marx have to be revised. By that they deny the necessity of revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. They are convinced that it is simply a matter of working within a democratic republic. Under such a republic, they argue, it is majority rule, so it is merely a matter of  organizing the working class so that the working class can seize political power, led of course by the intellectuals.

They could not possibly be more mistaken. It was in this state of theoretical confusion that Lenin wrote What Is To Be Done?

The current situation in North America is similar, to the extent that we are ”blessed” with a great many leftist groups and organizations. Some claim to be political parties while others claim to be mere organizations. Some claim to be socialist, others claim to be merely leftist, while still others claim to be Marxist Leninist or Communist. There are some political parties which claim to be Marxist, while admitting to being revisionist, while still others are revisionist, but deny this.

If this sounds confusing, it is only because it is confusing. As for those who consider revision of Marxism not to be a serious matter, bear in mind that it means denying the necessity of revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. It means reducing Social Democracy, now referred to as Marxism Leninism, to a struggle for social reform, no different from a liberal party.

Need I add that this is perfectly acceptable to the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. In fact, this makes them very happy. Such people are supremely well aware of the existence of classes, just as they are well aware that they are in charge and fully intend to remain in charge. They are also well aware that the working class is not aware of itself as a class, and that is fine by them.

As such people tend to be well educated, they are also well aware of the Marxist Leninist theory of revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. In fact, it is their greatest nightmare. The last thing they want is for the working class to be made aware of itself as a class, complete with its own class interests, which include revolution and the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. That is where the Marxist Leninist revisionists play a key role, in that they are determined to keep the working class unaware of such things.

To return to the present situation, the working class movement, here in North America, has also developed separately from the movement for scientific socialism, which of course in Czarist Russia was referred to as Social Democracy. Here too the middle class intellectuals, those who consider themselves to be Marxist Leninists, are flocking to the working class movement, becoming involved in the struggles of the working class.

For its part, the working class has now spontaneously gravitated towards socialism, but that does not mean that socialism is right around the corner. The fact is that the bourgeois ideology is much older than the Social Democratic ideology, and as such is deeply entrenched, well established and is constantly being preached from countless sources. As a result, it reasserts itself, time and time again. If anyone has any doubt, feel free to watch the news.

The problem now, as it was in Czarist Russia, is to merge the working class movement with the Social Democratic movement, which is to say the working class movement must become the movement for scientific socialism, for revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. It is therefore imperative to persuade the middle class intellectuals, those who have decided to join the working class, to bring to the working class the awareness of itself as a class, with its own class interests, and to raise the consciousness of the workers to the level of Marxist Leninists. This can best be done by becoming involved in the struggles of the working class. The main thing is not to secure paltry reforms, but to use this as a platform to drive home the point that our interests are diametrically opposed to the interests of the bourgeoisie. The ultimate goal  of course is a socialist revolution and then to establish the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

We stress that it is of paramount importance to raise the consciousness of the workers to the level of the consciousness of Social Democrats, or Marxist Leninists, as that is now the politically correct term. Of course, not all workers can be expected to rise to this level, but the more advanced workers can and will rise to the occasion. Bear in mind that the advanced workers lead, while the less advanced follow.

At the same time we can encourage workers, or at least the most advanced workers, to study key works of Marx and Lenin, such as the Communist Manifesto, State and Revolution, Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism, and What Is To Be Done? This will provide them with a fine grounding in the theories of Marx and Lenin, of the necessity of revolution and the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. They in turn will carry the message to the less advanced.

It is only in this manner that the members of the working class, the proletariat, will become aware of themselves as a class, with their own class interests, and they can, and will, overthrow the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, and establish the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. This will happen only through revolution, not paltry reforms, and not through the democratic republic.

As for the Social Democrats, those who now refer to themselves as Marxist Leninists, it is necessary to distinguish those who are the true revolutionaries from those who are social chauvinist, which is to say those who are socialists in words, chauvinists in deeds. The true Marxist Leninists are those who become involved with workers and take part in their struggles, with a view to raising the level of consciousness of those workers to the level of Marxist Leninists, and not merely in order to secure paltry reforms.

Lenin makes it quite clear that the struggle for improved living and working conditions, however important in their own right, are merely trade union work, or Economism, and that is a far cry from Marxist Leninist work.

Sadly, there is no shortage of such people. These self styled Marxist Leninists are concerned only with paltry reforms, and are careful to avoid any mention of revolution or the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Their rationale is that workers are not talking of such things. To this I can only respond – Of course the workers are not talking of such things, for the very fine and simple reason that they are not aware of such things!

Lenin made it very clear that it is the duty of class conscious people, by whom he meant Social Democrats, to raise the level of awareness of working class people to that of Social Democrats. Yet to this day there are people who preach – in the name of Lenin, no less!- that Marxist Leninists must not mention such things as revolution or -especially not!– the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

Now in North America, there are a great many people who are becoming politically aware and are anxious to become involved in the working class struggles and make a difference. Such people can choose to become involved in the struggle for paltry reforms or they can choose to become involved as Social Democrats, which is to say Marxist Leninists. Those who are content to be ruled by the capitalists, the billionaires, which is to say the bourgeoisie, will no doubt join the battle for reforms and make no mention of revolution. Such a course of action is safe, as the bourgeoisie have no problem with people who demand paltry reforms. Such demands do not pose a threat to their rule.

As for those who have higher standards, by which I mean those who are class conscious and are aware of the necessity of revolution, aware that the bourgeoisie have to be overthrown and subsequently crushed under the iron heel of the proletariat, I can only suggest that you pay strict attention to Marx and Lenin. We can take their advice and  lead the coming revolution to victory, or flounder in the quagmire of revision.

It remains to be seen if the parties which currently exist in North America, those which claim to be Marxist Leninist, are truly focused on raising the consciousness of the workers to that of Social Democratic consciousness, or if they are merely trying to secure paltry reforms. That is the touchstone of a true Marxist Leninist.

If there is one thing we can all agree upon, it is that we now have better tools of communication than ever before. Of course I am referring to computers and the internet. With these new and improved tools, we can all study the works of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin and Mao. Some people are even forming study groups on the internet, in chat rooms, whatever that is. That is excellent, and should help to separate the wheat from the chaff.

This also makes it much easier for individuals, those who desire to get involved with the revolutionary workers movement, to decide just which political party or organization they should choose to become involved with, if any.

With that in mind, I read an article published by The Left Wind, with a rather strange title: Where’s the Winter Palace? On the Marxist – Leninist Trend in the United States.

I mention this article because it is typical of  a trend in North America, that of becoming focused on ”organizing”, while making no attempt to raise the level of consciousness of the members of the working class. The article was filled with analysis concerning the revolutionary trend within America, as that is the common name of the United States. It was clearly written by an assortment of middle class intellectuals. These people are wildly enthusiastic concerning their right to criticize, but live in constant fear of criticism. There is a reason for this. They do not want working people to understand that their goal is to use the working class to seize political power.

Perhaps the most clear cut statement was given by Avery, who stated that ”Socialists win over workers by organizing alongside them to improve material conditions and build institutional power.”

It is not clear just what Avery meant by ”win over workers”, but perhaps it just means that workers should agree that socialism is a good idea. As a great many workers already agree that socialism is indeed a good idea, to ”win them over” in this manner is not a great accomplishment.

That brings us to ”organizing alongside them to improve material conditions and build institutional power.”

Compare this to that which Lenin says: ”our very first and most imperative duty is to help to train working class revolutionaries who will be on the same level in regard to Party activity as intellectual revolutionaries”. That is very clear and stands in stark contrast to ”improving material conditions”, by which is very likely meant working and living conditions. As for ”institutional power”, it  is very likely a reference to the winning of political office.

It is clear that Avery is working towards reforms and securing political offices under capitalism, and is not interested in revolution or the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. This is perfectly acceptable to the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, and has nothing to do with scientific socialism, Social Democracy, that which is now referred to as Marxism Leninism.

It also helps to explain the reason such people are wildly enthusiastic about the young lady who won a seat in Congress. As someone who is young, female, and a member of a minority, she has become the poster child for their campaign to ”build institutional power”.

This begs the question: Why does Avery refer to himself as a Marxist Leninist?

An individual very much like Avery once mentioned to me, in a rare moment of candour, that as we, meaning the working class, have the capitalists out numbered, it is merely a simple matter of organizing the working class and ganging up on the capitalists. We can then seize political power. Further, every organization needs a leader. Who better to lead that organization than the person who organized the revolution?

If only it were that easy! The people who adopt that course of action are completely devoid of principle, technically referred to as opportunists. They are concerned only with themselves, focused on seizing political power. Of course they are afraid of criticism, as they do not want anyone to determine their goals.

To return to the time of Czarist Russia, all of the revisionists were pretty well agreed that Social Democracy had to change from a party of social revolution to a democratic party of social reforms. The necessity of putting socialism on a scientific basis was denied and also, the necessity of revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat was most emphatically rejected. It was denied that there is any difference between socialism and liberalism. The theory of the class struggle was rejected on the grounds that it could not be applied to a strictly democratic society.

That is quite similar to the situation we now face in North America. The same old revisionist garbage is still being dished up, but now these revisionists refer to themselves as Marxist Leninists. Many of them are merely more subtle in their distortion of Marxism.

It was in this state of theoretical confusion that Lenin, in 1902, wrote What Is To Be Done?, in an attempt to straighten out this tangled web. It is a book which deserves careful study, especially as it is so relevant.

It is frequently objected that this haggling over details is tiresome, and we should all just get along. That could well prove to be a great mistake.

As Lenin points out, ”without a revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement”. He goes on to say that ”the role of vanguard can be fulfilled only by a party that is guided by an advanced theory.” It follows that the only way the coming revolution can hope to be successful is if it is led by a Marxist Leninist party which follows a correct revolutionary theory. That which at first sight appears to be an unimportant detail could lead to most deplorable consequences. It is also true that Marxism Leninism is an international movement, so that it is vitally important that it assimilate the experience of other countries. In the case of North America, this means that we must learn from the third  Russian Revolution of November, 1917, as it closely resembles our own coming revolution.

Last but certainly not least, the American workers, and in particular the American working women, have assumed a leading role in the vanguard of the international working class Marxist Leninist movement. They are now spearheading the revolutionary movement against the bourgeoisie, at least in North America, and very likely in South America.

This gives it a greater sense of urgency and I have no doubt that the American workers will rise to the occasion. The American working class has a history of revolution, of which they can well be proud. They have risen to the occasion before, and no doubt will do so again. I have complete confidence in them.

To finish off our history lesson, after the Czar was overthrown in the second Russian revolution of February 1917, Lenin returned to Russia and led the people in the third Russian revolution in October of 1917. The capitalists were overthrown and the workers established a socialist society, in the form of the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. The bourgeoisie was crushed but with insufficient enthusiasm, as they were able to return to power after the death of Stalin. That is a lesson we should all take to heart.

The November Russian revolution of 1917 was successful, but only because it was led by Lenin and a proper revolutionary theory.

Those who are class conscious and are just now becoming politically active would do well to bear that in mind. Each and every one of us can choose to fight for paltry reforms, or we can choose to fight the good fight, the proletariat against the bourgeoisie, the working class against the capitalists. In addition, those who choose to stand on principle, as fine Marxist Leninists, will have to determine if the self styled Marxist Leninist parties are authentic, or merely revisionists who have adopted Marxist Leninist  terminology. These parties will have to be judged by their actions, not their words.

If in fact there is no true Marxist Leninist party in North America, then one will have to be created. That is a tall order, but then I am sure we can all rise to the occasion.

May Day is fast approaching, and most working people in North America are vaguely aware that it is some sort of socialist holiday.

If nothing else, this shows that the capitalists have done a fine job of robbing us of our history. Most working people are not aware that this international workers holiday has its origins in Chicago.

In 1886, the American working class was in the vanguard of the battle of the international working class against the capitalist class. In particular, they were determined to legislate the 8 hour work day, against the will of the capitalists, of course. Remarkably enough, they succeeded, against all the odds. They were opposed by the forces of police, army and mercenary troops, and in fact anyone and everyone who could be bought by international capital.

This show of force by the capitalists, against the workers, amounted to a declaration of war. Rather than bow down to the capitalists and submit, the workers rose to the occasion and called for a strike on May 1, 1886. Across the country, an estimated 300,00 workers walked off the job. In Chicago alone, possibly 40,000 workers went on strike. This is significant, as at that time, it was the Chicago workers who were leading the American revolutionary movement.

Of course, tensions were running very high, and it culminated in a conflict at Haymarket Square in Chicago. It is thought that police provocateurs placed a bomb nearby, and when it exploded, the police responded by firing into the crowd of peaceful, unarmed workers. A great many workers were either killed or wounded.

The capitalists were not content to kill unarmed workers. They decided to make an example of the leaders of the workers, and had those people arrested and charged with murder. All of those charged were convicted, including those who had not even been present at the demonstration. Several working class leaders were hung, and others were given lengthy prison sentences. To say that this trial made a mockery of the American justice system is an understatement. It is also fair to say that this response of the capitalists, to workers who dare to rebel, is typical.

Now the workers of America are once again rising up, once again in the vanguard of the revolutionary working class movement, in solidarity with workers of all other countries.

As yet, they are not aware of their revolutionary history, as the capitalists have not only crushed and exploited them, but also stolen their history. Americans have every reason to be proud of their revolutionary history, and now they must be made aware of it and build upon it.

May Day is the day the workers of the world celebrate the sacrifice the workers of Chicago made on May 1, 1886. It is due to their sacrifice that we now have the 8 hour work day. It also is celebrated as the day on which workers around the world awakened to a class conscious life, their awareness of the solidarity in the struggle against the monopoly capitalists of the world, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. Workers stand united in this struggle, this war of exploitation and slavery, represented by the capitalists, against the world of labor, the world of brotherhood and freedom, the world of the proletariat.

It is the workers who create all wealth by their labor, and yet it is the billionaire blood suckers, a handful of super rich parasites, who control that wealth.

But now workers around the world are once again rising up, once again being inspired by American workers, once again fighting to free labor from wage slavery, from poverty and want. They are fighting to overthrow the capitalist system, one in which all the wealth created by labor goes to benefit a few individuals. It must be replaced by a socialist system whereby the fruits of the labor go to the labourers.

This great struggle of labor against capital has cost the workers of all countries great sacrifices.

In recognition of the sacrifice of the workers of Chicago, I can only suggest that workers around the world take up a collection, in the interests of building a monument, to be placed at Haymarket Square, in order to honour those brave working class heroes.

This will also let the American workers know that the workers of the world are with them, that we recognize the sacrifice American workers have made in the past, and are continuing to make now.

Any differences workers of other countries of the world may have with the Americans is limited to the capitalists, the billionaires, the imperialists. We stand with the American workers, united in our struggle with our common enemy, international capital.

Workers of the World, Unite!

Capitalism has had its day. Socialism is right around the corner.

As for those who doubt that statement, may I draw your attention to the revolutionary movement which is currently sweeping the world. It is nothing less than a tidal wave of political unrest which is destined to sweep away the capitalist system, which is based on the profit motive and replace it with a socialist system, which is based on the basic needs of all people.

These are the facts, and it is also a fact that people need leaders. Working class people need working class leaders. This is not to say that these leaders must be born into the working class, because that is not true. Some leaders are born into the working class, the proletariat, while others are not. Karl Marx was one of those people who was born into the middle class, the petty bourgeois, and yet devoted his life to the service of the working class. As a result of this, Marx lived a life of poverty. There is a price to be paid for doing the principled thing.

Those members of the working class who are prejudiced against middle class people would do well to bear this in mind.

The members of the middle class are supremely well aware of class distinctions, which is more than we can say about working class people. The conditions of working class life do not lead to that awareness. This awareness can only come from an outside source, and that outside source is the members of the middle class, or at least, former members of the middle class. There is no great shortage of former members of the middle class, as capitalism, in its current stage of monopoly, is doing a splendid job of ruining the middle class, driving ever more of them into bankruptcy, and consequently into the ranks of the proletariat, which is to say the working class. After all, once people lose all their money, then they are forced to get a job and earn a living.

Working people must welcome these former members of  the middle class into their ranks, while rejecting any capitalist, or bourgeois mentality, as that is the correct scientific term, that they may harbour.  At the same time we must encourage them to educate other workers concerning the capitalist mentality, and of the awareness of class distinctions. No doubt some of these former middle class people will assume leadership roles. As long as they have the proper proletarian mentality, this is to be welcomed. We must not hold their class background against them.

With that in mind, the working class of each country has to find leaders who will form a political party which will serve the working class. At present, at least here in North America, all existing political parties are in the service of the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, as that is their scientifically correct term.

No doubt there are countless people who will dispute that statement, yet I stand by it. The fact is that the right wing parties, such as the Conservative party of Canada and the Republican party of America, openly admit to be in the service of the capitalists, the billionaires, while the centrist parties, such as the Liberal party, the New Democratic Party, the Green Party of Canada and the Democratic party of America, claim to represent the middle class. Neither party acknowledges the existence of a working class, which they refer to as a lower class.

They conveniently ignore the fact that the middle class, or petty bourgeois, are those who own small businesses and have a few people working for them. Under the current state of affairs, here in North America, in which we are living under monopoly capitalism or imperialism, the small business owner has been pretty well wiped out. The few middle class people who still survive are exceptional and are living on borrowed time. It is just a matter of time before the billionaires get around to ruining them. They have already ruined the peasantry, those who are referred to as farmers in North America, although there still remain remnants of that class. By this I mean that there is still the odd family farmer in North America. Most farmers have long since been ruined, and are now members of the working class, which is to say that they are now proletarians.

This does not stop the capitalists from confusing the issue by referring to those of us who work for a living, and are even capable of making ends meet, as middle class. We are not. We are working class, proletarians, which means we have nothing to sell but our labor power. We are nothing more than slaves to the capitalists, wage slaves, and we are forced to sell ourselves to those capitalists by the hour.

Those of us who are poverty stricken, have lost everything and are living on the street, are simply ignored by the capitalists. They prefer to pretend that the homeless do not exist.

This brings us to the left leaning parties, including those which claim to be socialist or communist or Marxist Leninist.

There is no shortage of such parties or individuals, and one of the most commendable is Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. He makes no claim to be a Marxist, and his honesty is most refreshing. He is truly a rare gem. This in no way changes the fact that he too is in the service of the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. It is doubtful that he is aware of this.

By contrast, there is no shortage of individuals and political parties which claim to be Marxist but are not. They have decided to revise Marx, and deny the necessity of revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Some of them admit that they are revisionist, while others do not admit this. Both types are in the service of the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie.

We need a true workers party in each country, one based on the theories of Marx and Lenin, as that is the only way to lead the revolution to a proper socialist society, which is to say, the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. It is important to distinguish that party from the phoney socialist parties, and the name of the party should reflect that difference.

As those who fail to embrace the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat are not true Marxists, may I suggest the name of the party be American Communist Party, Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, or ACP,DOP.

As for those who object that the name is not entirely accurate, I can only respond that you are correct, but then no name is entirely accurate. We just have to choose a name which will distinguish us from the phoney socialists.

As countless workers have spontaneously gravitated to socialism, it is natural to expect a certain confusion on their part. They may well wonder how it is that we, who claim to be socialists, do not get along and work together.

That is a good question, and the answer is that we, who are true Marxists,  are determined to stand on principle, that there is one way and one way only to socialism, and that is through the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. There can be no peaceful transition to socialism, at least not in highly developed capitalist countries, those countries which have embraced imperialism. The billionaires have the wealth and power and fully intend to hang onto both. They are the enemy of working class people, and there can be no peace between the classes. The revisionists claim that the two classes can live in peace.

These same revisionists, who claim to be Marxists, are opposed to revolution. They favour peace with the billionaires, the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, the class of people who crush and exploit us. As if we can ever live in peace with the class of people who are parasites, do not work for a living but live in luxury at our expense! Such people have to be overthrown and crushed under the iron rule of the working class, the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. This can only be accomplished through revolution.

With that in mind, I can further suggest adopting a platform which is similar to the platform of the Social Democratic Party of Russia in the years before the revolution of 1917.

Among other things, it should be made clear that:

the revolutionary movement of each country is part of the international Social Democratic movement of the workers of all countries

its aim is to assist the struggle of the working class by developing the class consciousness of the workers, by promoting their organization, and by indicating the aims and objects of the struggle

the emancipation of the working class must be an act of the working class itself

our aim is to abolish the private ownership of all factories, mill, mines and banks, as well as any and all other instruments of labor, to be placed at the service of the whole society, production to be directed by the workers themselves

this can only be accomplished by overthrowing the rule of the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, smashing the existing state machine which has been set up to crush the working people, and replacing it with a workers state machine in order to crush the desperate and determined effort of the capitalists to return to power, this state machine of the workers to be called the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

At present, the working class of America is focused upon the midterm elections. They are determined to register as many people to vote as possible, and to get as many people into Washington who are not Republican as possible.

We can only support them in this worth cause, while suggesting that perhaps a better idea is to encourage as many Americans as possible join the two parties, as card carrying members of both parties, to become party bosses and not just registered members of the parties.

Those of us who are class conscious, which is to say Marxist, should assist them in these efforts. The posters and banners of the people who are working on these voter registration drives should make it clear that women were not put on Gods green earth to be groped by billionaires, and students go to school in order to get an education, not to be used as target practice.

At the same time we should make it clear that Trump is merely a figure head. The capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are in charge and no change of personnel in Washington or any other capital is going to change that. The members of the working class will learn, through their own bitter experience, the correctness of this theory.

The recent events which were so well organized by the women and students have proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that they need no assistance in the area of organization. For those of us who are in our declining years and not too familiar with computers and the internet, this is a relief.

Of course, this is only a guide line and I am mainly focused on the situation in North America, partly because Americans are in the vanguard of the  international working class revolutionary movement. Of course, this American revolution is being led by women, and for this they deserve full credit. Then too, I  have little information concerning the working class socialist political parties in other parts of the world. The little I do have is not terribly impressive.

If there are any truly revolutionary, Marxist political parties in other countries, they are maintaining a low profile, possibly of necessity, or possibly out of shyness.

Shyness is one problem that I do not have. With that in mind, I can only suggest that the best way to raise the level of awareness of the vast majority of working people is with slogans:

Dictatorship Of the Proletariat!

Scientific Socialism!

Workers of the World, Unite!

On February 18 of this year, a psychopath walked into the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, with an automatic weapon and calmly proceeded to murder seventeen people in cold blood. As such mass shootings, with automatic weapons, is now rather common place in the United States, a country which is commonly called America, this did not come as any great shock to the members of the public.
Previous shootings with automatic weapons at other locations, including schools such as Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook Elementary School and Red Lake High School have apparently hardened members of the public to the point where such acts of butchery are accepted. By contrast, the students are absolutely not accepting this.
The politicians are now saying that no law could have prevented the massacre. They would have us believe that this slaughter of innocent students was an act of God.
The students refuse to accept this explanation. They are calling it ”b.s.”, which is somewhat crude but rather accurate. They are pointing out that natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes are acts of God, and cannot be prevented, but cold blooded murder is an act of people and can be prevented. Further, the key to prevention is action on behalf of our democratically elected leaders, our politicians, those who are morally obligated to pass laws in order to protect the people they are supposed to be serving.
This is absolutely not that which the politicians want to hear, as they are experts at inaction. They serve the class of people who are ruling the country, the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. The job of these politicians is to maintain the status quo, to keep things precisely the way they are, to allow the capitalists to continue to make a profit. In short, their job is to do nothing that will come between the capitalists and their never ending quest to make a buck, at our expense of course. Passing laws which would limit the sale of automatic weapons could possibly cut into their profits, God forbid.
It should be noted that automatic weapons are good for one thing and one thing only, and that is killing people. Such weapons do not belong in the hands of private citizens.
The students who are protesting are now referring to this inactivity of the politicians as ”slacktivism” and are letting these same politicians know that those comfortable days of doing nothing are over. The Never Again movement is concerned with change.
This movement of the students is most encouraging, and with good reason. It clearly embraces all members of the working class, and is not based on any particular race, creed, gender or stratum of the class. They are focused on forcing change by voting in politicians who will represent the working people and not the capitalists, all of which sounds very reasonable. Very soon, they will learn from experience that this is not about to happen.
They are a small percentage of the millions of working class people who have formerly been apathetic but are now taking an interest in politics, and these young people are not swallowing the lies of the politicians. This is not to say that these students have ever been apathetic, as they do not have what it takes to be apathetic. It takes age to be apathetic, and these students are as yet too young. They just want action and they want it now.
The students are not to be underestimated, as the murders at the Douglas High School happened a mere five weeks ago and the students were able to organize the successful march on Washington in that very short time. It was well planned. The students were not only able to raise money for supplies, equipment and transportation, but also to coordinate with many other groups in other cities, not just in America, but around the world. That was a most impressive feat.
The implications are staggering. To think that students, children, could carry out such a protest, on such short notice, on such a broad scale, not just national but international, is an absolute marvel.
It has been compared to the women’s march of the previous year, although the student turnout was not quite as high.
In all fairness to the students, there are a great many more women in the country than there are students, so the turnout was still most impressive.
It is doubtful that too many students are aware of it yet, but they are part of a revolutionary movement, one that is sweeping the world. Further, they are playing a leading role in that revolution. Very soon, they will come to realize that with the leading role comes responsibility.
As yet, most of the young people are not aware that they are involved in a class war, that of the working class, the proletarians, against the capitalist class, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, the class in power. At least, it would be rather surprising if they were class conscious, as the capitalists consistently deny the existence of classes, at least here in North America. This is all part of their method of rule. As far as they are concerned, our ignorance is their bliss.
It is very likely that one reason the students were able to organize such a successful demonstration in such a short period of time is because of their knowledge of social networking, assuming that is the correct term. The lesson for the working class is that the internet, complete with the various electronic devices, broadly referred to as computers, has given the working class a very powerful tool to use in our struggle against the capitalists. The students have taught us a very valuable lesson, and we would do well to pay strict attention.
We can thank the people in charge of the internet, capitalists one and all, who have very thoughtfully set up various social networking sites such as FaceBook, YouTube, Twitter, Skype, Instagram, Tumblr and Stumble. They can be accessed from cell phones, tablets, ipads and personal computers.
I believe I have the technical terms correct. My grandchildren did their best to explain this to me and I just wrote it down as best I was able. There was a time when a phone was used for talking and a camera was used for taking pictures, but the kids now refer to that as the olden days. I feel like an old dinosaur.
All joking aside, the precise details are not as important as the fact that we now have a whole generation of working class people who are skilled in the use of this valuable new tool, that which I refer to as the internet. What is more, they are not at all shy in terms of using that tool.
Those of us who are older do not have to be skilled in the use of this tool, as the younger generation can assist us.
In all previous revolutions, communications was a very serious problem. It was difficult, if not impossible, to coordinate various activities. Frequently, the only practical method was by word of mouth, although sometimes leaflets were available, for those who were capable of reading. Those who were distributing the leaflets were taking their lives in their hands, as such acts were considered to be subversive and if caught, frequently the penalty was death.
The students have just proven that those days are gone, that communication is practically instantaneous and there is no need for paper. Now the printed word can be sent around the world at the push of a button. The kids have just proven that beyond any shadow of a doubt. For that matter, the spoken word can also be sent, and I am sure the kids have a term for that also.
This makes the task of the Marxists considerably easier.
Our task remains one of bringing to the working class the awareness of itself as a class, with interests which are diametrically opposed to those of the capitalist class, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. We can now do this without resorting to paperwork. We have merely to send Marxist material, including books by Marx and Lenin, to various hand held devices, which are broadly referred to as computers.
With that in mind, we have got to call upon the veterans of the women’s march of the previous year, the veterans of the occupy movement of several years ago, the veterans of the revolutionary movement of the sixties, the working people who are fighting for various causes, to come together with the students and join in the revolutionary movement. This revolutionary movement is a class movement, not a movement for narrow reforms in one area, for one stratum of the working class. It is a movement for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.
In order to overthrow the class of capitalists it is necessary for all working class people to come together, as a class, and oppose the capitalist class.
The correct approach is to support the students in their demands, that of banning all assault weapons, banning all high capacity magazines for rifles, and demanding background checks on all gun purchases, including online and at gun shows. All of these demands are reasonable and we should assist them in any way possible.
At the same time we should make it clear that we live under capitalism and that as such, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are in charge. No paltry reform will change that. The only way to enact any significant change is through revolution.
As for those who object that banning automatic weapons is an attack on one of our democratic rights, that of our right to bear arms, I can only respond that there is a big difference between a firearm which is meant to be used for hunting purposes and an automatic weapon which is useful only to kill people.
The plan of the students is to focus on the upcoming midterm elections, in which all members of the House of Representatives and one third of the members of the Senate will be running for reelection. Most of the students are too young to vote but they are determined to encourage everyone who has the ability to vote to do so, and to vote against those who are opposed to gun control. The largest firearm organization in the country is dead set opposed to any restrictions on the sale of firearms, including automatic weapons. They have a great deal of money and use this money to buy the loyalty of politicians. Profits first, people second. Working people are of no concern to the capitalists.
While the students are too young to vote, they are not too young to make a difference.
The working class has to be educated, to be made aware of the existence of classes, of the necessity of revolution, as that is the only way to overthrow our class enemies, the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, the class of parasites which crushes and exploits the workers. Rather than preach to workers, it is best to support them in their struggle for reforms, at the same time making no secret of our belief that the only way to enact any long lasting meaningful reform is through revolution. This way, the workers will learn from experience the correctness of our theory.
As millions of people have now ”woken up”, as they phrase it, all people who are aware of the fact that this is class warfare, by which I mean true Marxists, should join the working people in those struggles, starting with the students in their goal of banning the sale of automatic weapons. At the same time we should make it clear that real change will only come about as a result of revolution.
The fact is that the students are determined to enact change by becoming involved in the democratic process, and this is an indication of the breadth and depth of the revolutionary movement. We should encourage them to continue to attempt to change the system from within, to elect people to office who are sympathetic to the working class, politicians who are prepared to place people before profits. They will quickly learn, from their own bitter experience, that it cannot be done.
Very quickly, they will learn that the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are in charge, and fully intend to remain in charge. They are deeply entrenched, and no change of personnel in the capital of the nation is going to change that. A few paltry reforms, although important in their own right, will not change the fact that we live under capitalism, not socialism.
The students will no doubt expect immediate results and will be deeply disappointed when this does not happen. The people they have trusted and admired all their young lives will be exposed as liars and hypocrites, and we can expect them to be devastated, as soon as they realize this. There is no harm in this, as it is all part of the tempering process. While at first they will appear to give up, they will soon return to the class war stronger and more determined than ever.
It is only to be expected that working class people will demand socialist revolutionary leaders, which means that they will first turn to existing parties which claim to be socialist. There are a number of such parties, but none of them are truly revolutionary. While they claim to be socialist or communist or Marxist Leninist, they are in fact merely advocating for social reform.
As a result of this, it will soon be necessary to establish a true socialist party which will represent the working class, the proletariat, a true Marxist party, one which will call for socialism through revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. But then it will also be necessary to give a name to that party, in order to distinguish it from the phoney socialist parties. With that in mind, perhaps it would be best to examine our socialist history.
In the early days of the struggle for scientific socialism, Marxists were referred to as Social Democrats, because those of us who fight for socialism also fight for democracy. It was only when the workers of Paris revolted and set up an independent commune, independent of capitalism, independent of the profit motive, in that people cooperated and supported each other, that the Marxists were referred to as Communists.
As the Marxists were very popular, and not at all concerned with the profit motive, various groups emerged and took advantage of the situation by referring to themselves as Marxists. Now it is necessary to set up a true Marxist party of the working class, a socialist party which will need a name and must be distinguished from the other parties. With that in mind, I can only suggest that the name of the party be the Communist Party, Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, or CP,DOP.

As for those who complain that the name is not entirely accurate, I can only respond that no name is entirely accurate. We just need a name which will serve the purpose, at least temporarily. It is the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat that terrorizes the bourgeoisie, and that dictatorship is a fundamental tenet of Marxism. Most self proclaimed Marxist groups either deny the necessity for that dictatorship, or simply ignore it. Both of those approaches are in the service of the bourgeoisie. It is up to us, conscious people, Marxists, Communists, to bring to the working class, the proletariat, the awareness of themselves as a class, complete with their duty to overthrow the capitalists and exercise dictatorship over them, the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

No doubt working people are confused, as they have spontaneously gravitated to socialism but are not impressed by the ”communist” countries of Russia and China. In fact, at one time both countries were socialist, but then the capitalists managed to return to power. Of course, the rulers of each country are not about to admit this, as this would be honest, and no one has ever accused the capitalists of being honest. But then if they were honest, they would not be capitalists.
The capitalists in North America are also careful not to refer to themselves as capitalists, but as business people, entrepreneurs, defenders of the ”free world”, and capitalism is referred to as democracy, while communism is referred to as a dictatorship.
The capitalists in Russia and China were able to return to power because after the revolution, the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, were not crushed with sufficient enthusiasm.
The working class has got to be made aware of this, and face the fact that even after the successful overthrow of the capitalists, the class war will continue. The bourgeoisie are not about to resign themselves to a fate of working for a living. The very thought would never occur to them. Any kind of labor is simply beneath their dignity. Hence the necessity of an all round Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.
This brings us to our attitude to the other parties who claim to represent the working class, those who claim to be socialist or communist or Marxist Leninist.
Broadly speaking, these parties fall into three groups. The first group is composed of social chauvinists, those who are socialist in words but chauvinists in deeds. They are able to parrot the socialist phrases, while consistently defending ”their” bourgeoisie. They are not at all concerned with the workers of any other country, and in fact are not concerned with the workers of their own country. They are in the service of the bourgeoisie, the capitalists, the billionaires. Some of them even admit that they are revisionists, that the theories of Marx and Lenin have to be revised, that there is no need for revolution and certainly no need of the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. They can be expected to oppose the revolution at every step.
These people, or at least the leaders of these parties, are our class enemies. They are in the service of the capitalists, agents of the bourgeoisie in our midst. We must oppose them just as we oppose the bourgeoisie.
The second group of ”socialist” parties is referred to as the ”centre” and such groups vacillate between social chauvinism and real internationalism, which is to say Marxism. We use the word internationalism in the sense that workers have no country. The workers of all countries are our brothers and sisters, our comrades, and the bourgeoisie of all countries are our common enemies.
The parties of the centre swear that they are Marxists and campaign endlessly for social reform. The centre is for unity, even with the social chauvinists. They do not believe in the necessity of revolution against the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, and do not carry on any revolutionary struggles. But then they do not oppose any truly revolutionary movement, if only because the members of the centrist groups tend to be bureaucrats who are determined to avoid conflict. Such people are not the enemy, although they can become the enemy if they decide to actively oppose the revolution. As long as they are campaigning the government for reforms, we can live and work with them, while at the same time making it clear that we are not one of them.
The third group of parties are true Marxists, internationalists one and all. These parties have made a complete break with the social chauvinists and the centrists, and are determined to overthrow the bourgeoisie of their country, whatever country that may be, and establish the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. The members of these parties are our comrades.
In the course of the struggle, the students and all members of the working class will figure this out, and the sooner the better. It is absolutely imperative that we learn to distinguish our friends from our enemies. It is the first rule of revolution. Those who support the revolution are our friends, while those who oppose the revolution, the counter revolutionaries or contras, are our enemies. It is just that simple.
The fact that the young people, students of high school age and even middle school age are now politically active, is most encouraging. It proves that the revolution has now reached a very wide strata of the working people.
We can compare this to the student movement of the nineteen sixties, which was mainly led by the university students, although at its peak, it did reach the high schools. The fact that this revolutionary movement has already reached the high schools and middle schools is an indication of just how broad and deep the movement has already become.
We can also compare this to the Chinese Cultural Revolution of roughly the same time, when China was at that time a socialist country. For years, the young people of China took the lead in rooting out the capitalists in their midst. They set the example which can help to inspire the youth of today.
True, after the death of Mao, the capitalists were able to return to power, but that in no way diminishes the sacrifice of the youth of China. Then again, those same people are now veterans of the class struggle, and are no doubt leading and advising the current young generation of China in their struggle against their current crop of capitalists.
As I mentioned in previous writings, this uprising of young people is precisely what we need. All too many working people have been corrupted by capitalism, which is not to say that these working people are the enemy. We just have to make allowances for them and who better to keep them honest than the young people. In the Chinese Cultural Revolution the students did a most impressive job of rooting out the capitalists, as well as the workers who were being corrupted by capitalism. Perhaps if they had been a bit more thorough, such a return to power would have been averted.
But one thing at a time. Our first order of business is to overthrow the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. That can only be accomplished through revolution, as they are not about to part with their hard stolen wealth without a fight. Further, the revolution must be conducted on a scientific basis, which is to say a Marxist Leninist basis, as all other methods are doomed to failure. The experience of previous revolutions leaves no room for doubt on this point.
The revolutionary movement, as fine and strong as it is, currently is fragmented and lacks focus. Separate groups have different goals and each is fighting for paltry reforms. These various groups have got to come together and focus on our common enemy, our class enemy, the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie.
The capitalists will be overthrown and a socialist republic will be established, but only after the working class unites under a socialist banner, embracing the Marxist theories, that of scientific socialism, including the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. These theories must be made available to the working class, and can easily be done so on computers.
This brings us to another group of working people who are very important, not to be ignored, and that is the enlisted members of the military. Most of the enlisted personnel are members of the working class, while the officers are members of the ruling class, or at least are in the service of that class.
To bring the awareness of the necessity of scientific socialism to these enlisted members of the military has historically been very difficult, as the very act of reading such revolutionary material is illegal. Enlisted people who are caught in such acts of ”subversion” are subjected to severe disciplinary action.
On the other hand, now that books and leaflets are considered ”old school”, we can communicate with the military personnel without resorting to such printed material. We can merely send the information to their electronic devices, computers, tablets, iPads or whatever else they have at hand. This way, they can read the material without the officers becoming aware of this.
Most military personnel are highly skilled with weapons, and in fact the military has done a fine job of teaching working people the use of weapons. Such skills can prove to be quite useful. It is simply a matter of directing those weapons at the proper target, at the proper time. At the rate the revolution is proceeding, that time may be sooner rather than later.