Author: Gerald Mcisaac

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.

For many years it has been my contention that only the largest reptiles can survive in this cold climate. I have used this to help to explain the reason that only the largest of flying reptiles, those which are technically referred to as pterosaurs but are commonly known as pterodactyls, are reported to live in this rather cold country, that of northern Canada. It was a fine theory and it seemed to make perfect sense, and in fact I still think that smaller flying reptiles exist in warmer parts of the world.
Be that as it may, the fact is that recently someone dropped by with a garter snake, one which he had found in a nearby meadow. This snake is a small reptile and proves that small reptiles can and do live in this cold climate, and that proves that my previous theory is mistaken.
No doubt these small reptiles go deep underground for the winter and do not come out of those caves until spring. So now I can say that only the largest reptiles are able to come out of those caves in the winter, in temperatures which are considerably below freezing.
This is not to say that smaller flying reptiles do not exist in this cold country, but if they do, I have heard no mention of them.

Turmoil, turnover and trouble. These are the terms the press is using to describe the Trump administration, after the latest firing, that of the communications director. She was widely considered to be the most powerful person in the administration, one who controlled access to the president. Apparently she was one of the few people whom Trump truly trusted, but that was before she committed the unpardonable sin of admitting that she lied.
As a member of the Trump team she was expected to lie, and in fact it is a requirement of the job, especially as the director of communications. She was absolutely forbidden to admit to telling these lies, even ”little white lies”, as she phrased it, which is nothing more than another version of ”alternative facts”.
The official version is that she is ”resigning within the next few weeks”, but in fact she is being fired. Trump in not about to tolerate anyone within his inner circle who has any trace of honesty. He expects them to lie, even under oath, and if this results in a prison term as a result of a conviction of perjury, then so be it. This is Trumps idea of loyalty, and loyalty he values above and beyond all else. His idea of loyalty is loyalty to him, not to the constitution he has sworn to ”preserve, protect and defend”, and he of course has no loyalty to the people who work for him.
There are several former members of the administration who have cooperated with the special prosecutor who is investigating possible ”wrongdoing” on the part of the Trump team in connection with alleged collusion with the Russians in the recent federal election. At least one of these people ”wore a wire”, which is to say a listening device, while still working for the administration. There are numerous people in Washington who shudder to think of that which was recorded on that wire.
The special prosecutor, as well as several other congressional investigation committees, are ”working their way up the totem pole”, as is the popular way of phrasing this, and Trump is sitting at the top of the totem pole. His former campaign manager is currently facing a great many serious charges, including money laundering and fraud, and if convicted could be sentenced to thirty years in jail. That is in addition to other serious charges he is facing in a different state, even though those charges too are federal in nature, not state. This is just one more example of the inefficiency of bureaucracy. Think of it as tax payer money being put to good waste.
The business partner of this former campaign manager was also faced with similar charges and was also facing thirty years in jail. He, rather wisely, agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges and is now facing a mere four to six years in prison, in return for his ”cooperation” with the prosecutor, which is to say that he has agreed to testify against his old partner, as well as anyone else the prosecutor chooses to charge.
President Trump would be well advised to take note of this. As the current head of state, he very  likely cannot face criminal charges, at least not while he holds the office. On the other hand, after he leaves office, he becomes a private citizen and is then liable to criminal charges.
As for those who object that people who have money are able to hire lawyers and avoid jail time, I can only respond that this is true, but only up to a point. The people whom the special prosecutor has ”flipped”, to use the popular term, are mere millionaires, not billionaires. They are well aware that there are ”good” lawyers and there are ”cheap” lawyers, but there are no good, cheap lawyers. They have no doubt done the math, as they are not entirely stupid, and determined that considering the severity and number of charges they are facing, their few millions are not sufficient to pay enough lawyers to keep them out of prison, or at least not for very long. Pleading guilty to lesser charges and cooperating with the prosecutor is the lesser of two evils, which will result in a shorter time in prison.
This is one ”moral dilemma” which the billionaires never have to face, as they have money to buy expensive lawyers by the truck load. Aside from which, they have no morality, so such dilemmas are never an issue.
Perhaps the former campaign manager of Trump, who is facing such serious charges, is confident that his former boss will give him a presidential pardon, as is his right by law. From all accounts, the evidence against him is overwhelming, and the trial date has been set for the fall. It is very likely that a presidential pardon is his one and only chance of remaining out of prison. If that is what he is betting on, then that man is a fool. It is extremely unlikely that Trump would even consider giving him a presidential pardon.
As a comparison, the flunkies of Trump would do well to bear in mind the fact that it was President Nixon who ordered the now famous Watergate burglary, and when those incompetent would be burglars were arrested, it was that same president Nixon who ordered the cover up. As Nixon phrased it, ”stone wall it”. Then, as now, when the special prosecutor was closing in, Nixon sacrificed his closest, most loyal supporters, or as it is commonly phrased, ”threw them under the bus”. He did not give them a presidential pardon. Nixon too demanded loyalty, but gave none in return. Nixon was merely a typical psychopath.
The former campaign manager of Trump would do well to take note of this.
The communications director may now find herself facing obstruction of justice charges, or even charges of perjury, as the law does not distinguish lies from little white lies. She too would be well advised to take note of this.
As the special prosecutor climbs up the totem pole, it is very likely the next in line is the son in law of the president, as well as the son and daughter of the president. With that in mind, it is very likely a matter of time before the president fires the special prosecutor.
There is a great deal of speculation on this turn of events, and it is widely thought that this will lead to a ”constitutional crisis”, which is the delight of all lawyers. In such a case, batteries of lawyers can be expected to argue the legality of the firing, and whether or not it rises to the level of ”high crimes and misdemeaners” as is required by the constitution, in order for a president to be impeached and removed from office. Such arguments merely serve to enrich the lawyers.
It is important to remember that it is relatively easy to impeach a president, but supremely difficult to remove him from office. To be impeached is merely to be charged, and the president then goes on trial by the senate. To be convicted and removed from office requires a vote of two thirds of the Senate. As there are one hundred senators, that means sixty seven senators would have to find him guilty, and that is not too likely to happen, at least under the current political climate, in which there are a great many people who still support Trump. Then again, if public opinion turns sharply against Trump, it would then be a distinct possibility.
As for those who are hoping and praying for such an outcome, I can only suggest that nothing substantial would change. By law, the vice president, Pence, would then become president. Bear in mind that Pence was hand picked by Trump, and can be expected to do exactly as he is told. We can expect no meaningful change, merely a change of names and faces. Trump could even take a page from the book of Nixon, in which he, Nixon, made a deal with his hand picked vice president, Ford, in that he, Nixon, agreed to resign in return for a presidential pardon from the new president, which was Ford. Of course Ford agreed and Nixon was exempt from any and all criminal charges.
This is merely typical psychopathic behaviour. The people who were loyal to Nixon ended up serving jail sentences, properly so. As president, he could have first given them pardons before resigning, but of course he did not. His one and only concern was in saving himself. It never occurred to Nixon to reward his flunkies for the loyalty they had for him.
If Trump is ever faced with such a choice, it is reasonable to expect him to first grant a presidential pardon to his immediate family, and no one else, before resigning. Then again, he may well decide to grant himself a presidential pardon as well. Considering the arrogance of the man, that is a distinct possibility. We can only imagine the public uproar which may  well take place as a result of this!
All members of the Trump team would do well to bear this in mind.
Regardless of the names and faces of the president and leaders of the country, it remains a capitalist country, and a capitalist country in its highest form, that of monopoly capitalism, technically referred to as imperialism. All imperialists are completely reactionary, which is to say that they have absolutely no progressive qualities, are concerned only with preserving their power and wealth, at the expense of the working people of course. The monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are in power and fully intend to remain in power.
The fact that countless people are now closely watching the gong show which is currently unfolding in Washington is an excellent sign. It indicates that the vast majority of working people are no longer apathetic, no longer content to sit back and allow the rich and powerful to run their lives. As the working people phrase it, they have ”woken up”, are taking an interest in their lives and demanding change. As a result of this, the country is deeply divided. There is a considerable minority, mainly those who are relatively well off, who are of the opinion that Trump will indeed ”make America great again”, while the vast majority, for the most part those who are less well off, have a less charitable attitude towards Trump. They tend to express opinions towards that man which are somewhat less than flattering, and long for the ”good old days” when less civilized options were available to the working people. As best I can gather, they favour a form of vigilante justice which is commonly referred to as lynching.
The fact that the country is deeply divided should come as no great surprise to anyone, as the situation is revolutionary. The press reports that legal analysts are concerned with a possible looming constitutional crisis, while in fact it is a crisis in capitalism, one which is right around the corner. The ruling class can no longer rule in the old way and will soon have to change their method of rule, in an attempt to maintain power.
The capitalists have various tricks they use in order to deceive the working class, the proletarians, and one of their favourite tricks is to confuse democracy with capitalism. In fact, they are careful to not use the word capitalism. They know that workers are not stupid and are well aware that the goal of capitalism is to make money, at our expense of course. Rather than deny this, they merely pretend that capitalism does not exist. So they refer to capitalism as democracy and they also refer to socialism, or communism, as a dictatorship.
Strangely enough, there is a particle of truth in this confusion. In fact, the democratic republic is the ideal political structure for capitalism. This means that the economic base is capitalism, while the superstructure is the democratic republic. And indeed the republic is democratic, but only for the class in power, which is the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. This is democracy for the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, but a dictatorship over the working people, the proletariat. We live under the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie.
This can and must change, and this change can only happen through a socialist revolution. The billionaire capitalists, the bourgeoisie, are determined to hang onto their wealth and power. So now it is necessary to overthrow the bourgeoise and crush them, to preclude any attempt on their part to return to power. This can only be achieved through the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. The working class, the proletariat, must establish a democracy for the proletariat, the workers, but a dictatorship for the billionaires, the bourgeoisie.
As for those who find this confusing, an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms, allow me to explain. Democracy and dictatorship are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are two sides of the same coin. Democracy is a form of government, a state apparatus, and this state apparatus first came into existence with the appearance of classes. This is to say that stone age people had no classes and therefore no need to keep a class of people under subjugation. Such people had leaders, those who were highly respected, and people listened to them for that reason. This is not to say that these leaders had any authority, because they did not. If anyone chose not to listen to these leaders, there was nothing the leaders could do about this. There was no way that these leader of the stone age could impose their will on the people, as there were no police, jails or standing army which could be used to force people do as their leaders demanded.
This all changed as soon as people became civilized. The cultivation of crops and the domestication of animals led to a surplus of food, and this surplus in turn led to the creation of classes. Sadly, the people with the surplus began to enslave those less fortunate, and this gave rise to a class of people who were slaves and a corresponding class of people who were slave owners.
As can be well imagined, the slaves were not at all enthused with their lot in life and tended to express themselves in very strong terms. In short, the slaves rebelled, and the slave owners took a rather dim view of this. So in the interests of persuading the slaves of the error of their ways, a state apparatus was established, with the one and only purpose of subjugating the slaves. If the slaves stepped out of line, they were tortured and frequently killed, usually in the slowest, most painful manner, not so much as as a means of punishment but as a deterrent to other slaves.
That was the origin of the state apparatus, the earliest form of government, and since then different classes have evolved, and different forms of government have also evolved, which is to say different forms of state apparatus which is used to keep different classes under control. The democratic republic is merely a modern form of state apparatus, one which is used to keep the working class under the rule of the capitalists.
At no point have classes disappeared, just as at no point has the state apparatus disappeared. They have merely taken different forms.
This brings us to the situation now in North America, in which we have a class of monopoly capitalists, billionaires, the bourgeoisie, and a class of workers, proletarians. The other classes, such as the peasants and middle class, have pretty well been wiped out, although the remnants of those classes still exist.
The capitalist billionaires have determined that the best method of rule is the democratic republic, in which the working people get to decide, every few years, just which particular members of the ruling class gets to go to the various capitals and misrepresent them. So now we have the current situation in which the bourgeoisie rule, and in fact it is a democracy for the billionaires, the monopoly capitalists, but a dictatorship for the working people, the proletarians.
This method of rule has worked very well for the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, for many years, but not any longer. The working people, the proletarians, are now politically active, taking an interest in their lives, becoming ever more aware of the differences between themselves and the ”super rich”, which is the popular term for the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. This awareness of class distinctions is the beginning of class consciousness. The scandals which are rocking the Trump administration are being closely followed by the working people, if only because they are more entertaining than any television series. These scandals have been compared to ”soap operas”, which are popular among working people, especially members of the working class who are forced to stay at home and raise the children.
This vague awareness of the existence of classes, which may be referred to as class consciousness in embryonic form, must be nurtured and enhanced. The seed has taken root, so to speak, and now must be watered and fertilized, if we may be forgiven for mixing a few metaphors. The best way to raise this level of consciousness of the working class, the awareness of itself as a class, with its own set of class interests, is by focusing on the very thing which interests the working class the most, and that is of course the scandals which are currently rocking the Trump administration. We can use these as mere examples of the rule of the bourgeoisie, and the necessity of turning the tables on the billionaire capitalists.
This is not to say that we should gloat over the mess which Trump has created for himself, although the temptation to do so is overwhelming. It would simply serve no purpose and besides, it is too obvious.
No, the correct approach is to use these scandals as a means of driving home the point, to the working class, that classes exist, and further, the interests of our class, the working class, are diametrically opposed to the interests of the capitalist class, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. As president, Trump merely represents his own class, the monopoly capitalist class, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, and passes laws, including tax breaks, which merely serves to further enrich his class and at the same time further impoverishes the working class, the proletarians. These tax breaks for the bourgeoisie cannot perform any other service, as somebody has to pay taxes and the less taxes the bourgeoisie pays, the more taxes the workers, the proletarians, have to pay. This is another way of saying that the interests of the bourgeoisie and the interests of the workers, the proletarians, are not only diametrically opposed, but also antagonistic.
Of course, this is merely one example, and Trump has very thoughtfully set up an administration which provides us with numerous examples we can use as particulars. By this I mean that it is the duty of those of us who are class conscious to bring to the working class the awareness of itself as a class, as the conditions of the working class do not lead to such an awareness.
The socialist revolution is fast approaching and in order for such a revolution to be successful, certain conditions have to be met. The ruling class can no longer rule in the old way, and must change their method of rule. The working class is no longer content to be ruled in the old way, and are demanding change. These conditions are now being met, but the third condition, that of the working class becoming aware of the necessity of scientific socialism, and being prepared to make great sacrifices to reach that goal, has yet to be realized. However, it is safe to say that the workers are moving in that direction, or at least the most advanced strata of the proletariat, the most advanced workers, are now seriously considering the tenets of scientific socialism. The fact is that the most advanced workers lead, while the less advanced tend to follow. As I have gone into that in other writings, there is no need to repeat it here.
Now it is up to the working class to prepare for scientific socialism, which is to say the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. It is up to the proletariat to over throw the billionaire capitalists, the bourgeoisie, and to then crush them, to absolutely preclude any effort on their part to return to power. Make no mistake, they will not resign themselves to their fate. They will never give up, as long as they live and breath.
With that in mind, it is up to the workers to prepare for the coming dictatorship, to prepare to crush that class of parasites, the leaches which suck the life blood out of society, the dregs of humanity, the scum of the earth, the billionaire capitalists, the bourgeoisie. They contribute nothing to society and must be shown no mercy.
After the revolution, workers with very little training or even no training at all, will be placed in positions of authority. The immediate problem is to prepare for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. With that in mind, we should also remind ourselves that among the working class there are advanced workers and there are less advanced workers. The less advanced workers tend to listen to the advanced workers, and these are of course the leaders among the workers.
Such working class leaders should be encouraged to assume positions of leadership, whether in trade unions or sports clubs or any other working class organization. Such basic training will serve these workers well after the revolution, when they are placed in positions of authority.

Further, all Americans should be encouraged to become card carrying members of the two mainstream political powers, Republican and Democratic. It is reasonable to assume that those who are more advanced will flock to the two parties, while the less advanced are less likely to do so. These more advanced workers will then become party bosses and determine the individual to run for any and all political office, within the district. The end result will soon be state and federal capitals flooded with Leftist people, if not socialists.

We must stress that the goal is not to win as many political seats as possible, but to train as many advanced workers as possible. They will soon learn, from their own bitter experience, that the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, the billionaires are in charges and fully intend to remain in charge. It is in this way that the level of awareness of the working class can be raised to the level of Communist or Marxist conscious people.

As well, there are numerous jobs which only highly trained professional people can perform, those who are experts in various fields of science and medicine.
The workers have got to learn those skills, and this may not be as difficult as it sounds. Now that we have the internet and almost every literate worker has a computer, it is a rather simple matter of taking practical courses through the internet or even as night classes. There are a great many such courses available, and most of them are offered at a rather reasonable price. By practical, I am of course referring to courses in such fields as math, electrical and mechanical engineering, various fields of science, and certainly not liberal arts courses such as ancient Greek literature, which may be interesting but serve no practical purpose.
After the revolution, after the working class has seized political power, we will still need these professional people, but the more workers who are trained to perform these jobs, the better. Without doubt, the engineers and specialists who now serve the capitalists will also serve the workers, and they can be counted upon to serve the workers even better that they serve the capitalists.
We know this for a fact, because it is often said that the army cannot force any soldier to do anything that soldier does not want to do, but that same army can force that same soldier to wish he had. In much the same way, there are very likely a number of engineers and specialists who may at first resist the new reality, and may have to go through an involuntary period of adjustment. This is referred to as re-education, and the length of time which has to be spent on this re-education is entirely up to the individual.
The sooner we are able to train workers to take over these specialized jobs, the more smooth will be the transition, between capitalism and socialism.
Assuming these professional people initially choose to cooperate, as many of them will, they will continue to be paid more than the average worker, and this will lead to some friction with the lower paid, unskilled workers. Such workers, almost all of whom will no doubt embrace the revolution and socialism, can be expected to demand equal pay, equal to the pay of the professional people.
This is not about to happen, at least not immediately, as we do not live in a perfect world. Under socialism, we can expect to increase the wages of the lowest paid workers, but it will take some time, and very likely a considerable amount of time, before we reach the stage where classes are abolished and people do that which needs to be done, without a view to gain. At that point, we can expect to see a rough parity in wages, between labourers and intellectuals.
At that stage, society moves from a socialist society to a truly communist society, and while it is a goal to which we must strive, it is not likely that we will ever see this in our lifetime. But then, it is something we can leave to our children and grandchildren.
If nothing else, we can leave to our children a socialist society, one which is a vast improvement to the capitalist society under which we have suffered all our lives. The best thing we can do for our children is to bequeath to them a socialist society.
That alone makes any and all sacrifices we may have to make in order to further the revolution, well worth while.

For the moment, our immediate goal is to raise the level of awareness of the working class, the proletariat. With that in mind, our slogans must be:

Workers of the World, Unite!

Scientific Socialism!

Dictatorship Of the Proletariat!