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Government Gridlock

It has been almost a week since the midterm elections, and yet we still do not know the identity of the mainstream political party which will take control of the House of Representatives. The votes are still being counted, in several states. The final result may not be known for several days yet, although it is very likely that the Republicans will take control, if only by the narrowest of margins. The Democrats have managed to maintain control of the Senate, also by the narrowest of margins.

The political pundits are scrambling to explain the reason the ”red wave”, which is the name they coined for the anticipated Republican overwhelming victory, has not materialized. Their idea of an ”explanation” is to play the ”blame game”! They are blaming the pollsters for producing false numbers, blaming the Republican Party leaders for poor leadership, and of course they are blaming their favourite ”whipping boy”, the press, for ”leading them astray”.

Some journalists are maintaining that the pollsters did not take into account the ”Gen Z”, in that Gen stands for Generation. According to the Internet, Gen Z is a reference to people born after 1995. while those born between 1980 and 1995 are referred to as ”mellinials”. These expressions are not mine.

The implication is that the younger generation is not at all impressed with either Party. With good reason, I might add. The fact that they are voting in ”record numbers” is a good sign. It indicates that they are deeply dissatisfied, demanding change. Outstanding! To those people, I have but one word: Welcome! I am counting on you!

Donald Trump, the former president and unofficial leader of the Republican Party, was careful to cover all the bases, immediately before the election. At that time, he announced that in case of a Republican Party ”red wave”, he would take all the credit for success. On the other hand, in case of a defeat, he would accept none of the blame. Trump was not joking!

It is not too surprising that his main fury is focused against those who are possible threats to his authority, within the Republican Party. He has every intention of running for president again, in 2024, and is determined to eliminate any competition. In fact, the journalists expect him to announce his candidacy, within a week.

The Republican Party is in disarray. Their leader in the Senate, the Senator who was expected to be ”promoted” from ”Minority Leader” to ”Majority Leader”, is now under extreme pressure. Other Republican Senators are calling for his resignation, if only because they want his job.

The situation is little different in the House. The Republicans are currently a minority in the House, but may soon become the majority Party, if only by the narrowest of margins. In that case, the current House Minority Leader, a Republican, may soon become the official ”Speaker of the House”’. Yet the ”rank and file” Republican members of Congress may stage a revolt, as they are not at all happy. They too are calling for new leaders.

The Democrats are in a similar situation. Most of the members of the Party are not satisfied with President Biden, especially as the polls indicate that his approval rating is ”rock bottom”. They too are looking for someone else to run for president in 2024. Yet clearly, Biden has other ideas!

Assuming the Republicans take control of the House, as is very likely, then we will have a ”split government”. This is to say that the Democrats still control the presidency and the Senate, but the Republicans control the House. This is exceptionally significant, if only because the House controls the money!

The journalists are reporting that the identity of the anticipated next Republican Speaker of the House, is a matter of no consequence, as they expect that the ”Shadow Speaker of the House” will be Donald Trump!

Trump is the leader of the Republican Party, in everything but name! His word is law! The Republican Speaker of the House will ”dance to his tune”! The result is sure to be government gridlock!

Bear in mind that on January 3, 2023, a new Congress will be sworn in. On that day, the 117 Congress will be dissolved, while the new 118 Congress will be sworn in. That gives President Biden and the Democrats a brief ”grace period”. They would be well advised to ”use it wisely”!

In particular, the Treasury Secretary has warned that the American government will ”run out of money on December 15”. This is to say that on that date, the government will ”reach the debt ceiling”.

This business, that of ”hitting the debt ceiling”, has been going on for quite some time, so that the usual government response is to ”kick the can down the road”. This is to say that the House raises the debt ceiling slightly, so that the government can continue to operate for a short time, perhaps several months. Then they repeat the process.

Of course, the only reasonable thing to do is ”balance the budget”, as any citizen with any common sense can testify. That generally involves a combination of raising more revenue, and cutting expenses. Either that or bankruptcy!

As soon as the new Congress is sworn in, we can expect the Republicans to demand a ”balanced budget”. This could even happen before January 3, as the Congress currently in session is considered to be a ”lame duck”. It is entirely possible that they will choose to do nothing, even allowing the government to shut down on December 15. This is referred to as ”passing the buck” to the new Congress!

Trump has made it quite clear that there is absolutely no way that the members of his capitalist class, that of the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are about to pay any higher taxes. They pay very little tax now, and that is too much! That leaves the ”common people”, the working class, the proletariat, as well as the middle class, the petty bourgeois. Yet as they have been ”bled white”, it is clear that raising taxes on them is out of the question. It is simply not possible to ”get blood out of a stone”!

The alternative is cutting expenses, and Trump is focused on the most obvious, that of Social Security and Medicare. These are the very programs that Biden is determined to protect! He is well aware that if he cuts those two social programs, his chances of being re-elected are negligible!

So on the one hand we have the President, who is terrified of an American bankruptcy. On the other hand, we have a former president who embraces bankruptcies! In fact, as one of his political opponents pointed out, his companies have declared bankruptcy on six occasions! The more Trump declares bankruptcy, the richer he becomes! He has a name for this! Smart!

Gridlock! The unstoppable projectile is about to meet the immovable object! The Republicans and Democrats are about to play a game of high stakes chicken! The Democrats are about to demand a raise to the national debt ceiling, while the Republicans are about to demand a ”balanced budget”, which will involve cutting social programs. At stake is the possible ”default of the American government on the national debt”! In other works, bankruptcy!

The fact of the matter is that, since the days of the Civil War, the capitalists have managed to rule the country through the two Party system. Republicans and Democrats. Tweedle dee and Tweedle dum. Both serve the same class. Today, that class of capitalists is referred to as the billionaires, technically referred to as the bourgeoisie.

It is also a fact that the class of billionaires are completely reactionary. The one and only thing they care about is their profit, their ”bottom line”. It is never enough. In their quest for ever greater wealth, they do not hesitate to impoverish countless millions of people.

Even though the two Party system has served the capitalists well, for so many years, such is no longer the case. This is referred to as a ”crisis in capitalism”. It means that the old method of rule is no longer working, and the ruling class of billionaires will have to change their method of rule.

Bear in mind that there is nothing new and strange in this. Under capitalism, there is a continuous war taking place, between the ruling class of capitalists, and the class of people they rule and exploit, the working class, the proletariat. This class war is frequently hidden, but occasionally it flares up, in open rebellion. This open rebellion is referred to as Revolution. We are on the eve of an open Revolution, due in no small part to the ”crisis in capitalism”.

We have the experience of various Revolutions, under capitalism, so that we know what to expect. We can learn from that experience, including the mistakes of our ancestors, or we can choose to repeat those mistakes.

The Revolution which most closely resembles our own, is that of the Russian Revolution. In fact, there were no less than three Revolutions in Russia, in the early twentieth century. This provides us with a wealth of Revolutionary experience.

The first Russian Revolution of 1905, was completely spontaneous. Of necessity, I might add, as the Social Democrats, as the Marxist of the day referred to themselves, had all been thrown in jail, and were either killed or exiled. Lenin had been exiled.

That did not stop the Revolution, which proves that Marxists do not cause Revolutions. They merely provide leadership to Revolutions.

As is well known, the 1905 Revolution raged for two years. The unions went on strike, so that the factories were shut down. The railroads also quit running. The common people rose up and stormed the prisons, so that the inmates were released. The peasants stormed the homes of the landlords. The pent up rage and frustration of countless working people was released!

For the first time in history, ”Soviets” made an appearance. These Soviets, or Councils as they are referred to in English, began to ”pop up” all over Russian, spontaneously, as a result of the Revolution. It is now clear that these Soviets are characteristic of Revolutions. They have currently made an appearance in America.

My point is that these popular uprisings happen, and on a regular basis. I refer to this as an Act of God. For those who do not believe in God, feel free to refer to it as an Act of a Higher Power.

The capitalist thought that this was terrible! They saw it as chaos and confusion! As the country was a monarchy, ruled by the Romanovs, the nobility was of the same opinion! They wanted nothing so much as to restore ”law and order”.

After two years, the Revolution died down, and reaction set in, as it always does, after an unsuccessful uprising. The capitalists were ”in their glory”. The trains were running once again, the factories were producing, and the capitalists were once again making money, which is about the only thing they really care about. Things returned to ”normal”.

Yet there had been a fundamental change, of which neither the nobility nor capitalists were aware. The common people, by whom I mean the workers and peasants, had just received a valuable lesson. They realized that the nobility and the capitalists were the enemy. Further, they were now veterans, experienced Revolutionaries.

It was several years before the Revolutionary motion picked up again. Yet ”pick up” it did, and this gave rise to the second Russian Revolution of the twentieth century, in February of 1917. This second Revolution was far stronger and finer than the Revolution of 1905. The Soviets took shape once again. They had been crushed in 1907, at the same time the 1905 Revolution had been crushed, but now reappeared, only more powerful than ever.

As is well known, the February Revolution of 1917 succeeded in overthrowing the Czar, commonly referred to as Nicholas the Bloody. The capitalists then established a democratic republic, with Kerensky at the head. This became known as the Kerensky Regime.

The abolition of the monarchy was a step in the right direction, but only a step. The common people of Russia, by whom I mean the workers and peasants, were still suffering terribly. The country was still at war with the Central Power, including Germany. The people were cold and hungry. The peasants were denied the land they were promised, the Constituent Assembly was ”delayed”, and the butchery of the war continued. Not a great deal had changed.

The point is that the first two Russian Revolutions were spontaneous, and the working people had reached the limit of their ability. They had risen up, in magnificent style, and overthrown the Romanovs, those whom had ruled over them for three hundred years! They could go no farther!

There is a reason for this. As Lenin pointed out in his article, What Is To Be Done? ”The history of all countries shows that the working class, exclusively by its own efforts, is able to develop only trade union consciousness”. This is to say that workers have learned that there is ”strength in numbers”, as is indeed the case. For that reason, the more advanced workers gravitate towards trade unions, among other organizations, such as sports clubs. They then lobby for higher wages, working and living conditions. Occasionally, they are able to secure a paltry reform, if only temporarily. Yet nothing of substance changes!

Lenin goes on to say that ”The theory of socialism, however, grew out of the philosophic, historical and economic theories that were elaborated by the educated representatives of the properties classes, the intellectuals. According to their social status, the founders of modern scientific socialism, Marx and Engels, themselves belonged to the bourgeois intelligentsia.”

This brings us to the ”theory of socialism”, which was ”elaborated” by the ”founders of scientific socialism, Marx and Engels”. It is clear that Lenin is careful to distinguish between the scientific socialism of Marx and Engels, and the ”utopian socialism” of those who think that socialism is merely a ”good idea”.

Perhaps it would be best to hear that which Marx had to say on the subject:

”And now as to myself, no credit is due to me for discovering the existence of classes in modern society, nor yet the struggle between them. Long before me, bourgeois historians had described the historical development of this class struggle, and bourgeois economists the economic anatomy of classes. What I did that was new was to prove: 1) that the existence of classes is only bound up with particular historical phases in the development of productions; 2) that the class struggle necessarily leads to the ”Dictatorship of the Proletariat; 3) that this Dictatorship itself only constitutes the transition to the abolition of all classes and to a classless society.” (italics by Lenin)

This is to say that Marx studied the class struggle under capitalism. He further proved that it necessarily led to the ”Dictatorship of the Proletariat”, which is to say scientific socialism, as only under scientific socialism do we have the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. This will in turn give rise to the ”abolition of all classes” and in due time, to a ”classless society”.

It is significant that a great many people on the ”Left”, including those who consider themselves to be Democratic Socialists, are of the opinion that socialism is a good idea, but simply not possible. They are mistaken. On the contrary, it is not only possible, it is bound to happen! That is a fundamental tenet of Marxism! It is just a matter of time before the working class rises up, overthrows the capitalists, and crushes them, under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.

Yet working people are not aware of this! Through no fault of their own, I might add. The revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin are not taught in school! At least, not in public schools! Mind you, they may well be taught in ”Ivy League” Universities. They may be presented as ”radical heresies”, which have been ”proven to be fraudulent”. Or so they wish!

That in no way changes the fact that working people need leaders. It is up to those leaders to explain to the workers that the capitalists have to be overthrown and crushed, under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. This is to say that the working class has to be made aware of itself as a class, with its own class interests.

In other words, it is up to the leaders to explain to workers, the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. That is the one and only way in which common people will learn, that at the time of the Revolution, it is necessary to overthrow the capitalists, and smash the existing state apparatus, that which has been used to crush the working people. It must be replaced by a new proletarian state apparatus, to be used to crush the ”desperate and determined resistance” of the capitalists, as they try to ”restore their paradise lost”.

This new state apparatus is referred to as the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. It is to be administered through the newly created Soviets, or Councils.

To return to Russia, immediately after the February Revolution of 1917. As mentioned previously, the working people had gone as far as they could. Without leaders, scientific socialists, to give them direction, they could go no farther. In other words, they needed Lenin!

Without going into detail, Lenin was able to return from exile, in April of 1917. Of course, the secret police of Kerensky were anxious to kill him, on the spot! They were unable to do so, due to the strength of the Soviets! Within a very short time, these Soviets had become a power to rival the Kerensky government!

As the Czar had been overthrown, Lenin determined that it was necessary to overthrow the government of the capitalists, referred to as the Kerensky Regime. With that in mind, he wrote one of his greatest master pieces, State and Revolution.

Later that same year, on October 25, old style calendar, or November 7, new style calendar, the working people rose up and overthrew the government of the capitalists, the Kerensky Regime. This has gone down in history as the Great October Soviet Socialist Revolution. The first Soviet Socialist Republic was established.

The following three years were anything but ”smooth sailing”. Yet ”against all the odds”, the first Soviet Socialist Republic managed to survive. That provided Lenin with Revolutionary experience, which he was able to summarize in his excellent article, Left Wing Communism, An Infantile Disorder. As it is of exceptional importance, I have decided to quote it at length:

”The fundamental law of Revolution, which has been confirmed by all revolutions and especially by all three Russian Revolutions of the Twentieth Century, is as follows: for a Revolution to take place, it is not enough for the exploited and oppressed masses to realize the impossibility of living in the old way, and demand changes; for a Revolution to take place, it is essential that the exploiters should not be able to live and rule in the old way. It is only when the ‘lower classes’ do not want to live in the old way and the ‘upper classes’ cannot carry on in the old way that the Revolution can triumph. This truth can be expressed in other words; Revolution is impossible without a nation wide crisis (affecting both the exploited and the exploiters). It follows that, for a Revolution to take place, it is essential, first, that a majority of the workers (or at least a majority of the class conscious, thinking and politically active workers) should fully realize that Revolution is necessary, and that they should be prepared to die for it; second, that the ruling classes should be going through a governmental crisis, which draws even the most backward masses into politics (symptomatic of any genuine Revolution is a rapid, tenfold or even hundredfold increase in the size of the working and oppressed masses -hitherto apathetic- who are capable of waging the political struggle) weakens the government, and makes it possible for the Revolutionaries to rapidly overthrow it.” (italics by Lenin)

This was written in 1920, three years after the Great October Socialist Revolution. It is clear that a Revolutionary situation currently exists in America, as the ”upper classes”, the billionaires, can no longer ”carry on in the old way”. They are going to have to change their method of rule. It is also clear that the ”lower classes”, the working people, ”realize the impossibility of living in the old way, and demand change”.

Further, a ”nation wide crisis” is imminent, as the country will soon face bankruptcy. Then too, Trump and his supporters may soon declare him to be president. As well, the country is set to break apart, into separate independent republics. As I have documented this in other writings, there is no need to repeat it here.

The only thing lacking is the fact that the majority of advanced workers are not aware that ”Revolution is necessary”! That has got to change!

At the time that Lenin wrote this article, he was of the opinion that, among the industrialized countries of the world, the ”most advanced strata of the Proletariat had embraced Soviet Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat”. Such is no longer the case.

That is not cause for ”doom and gloom” on our part. It just means that we ”have our work cut out for ourselves”. We have got to raise the level of awareness of the common people, by whom I mean the Proletariat and the lower strata of the middle class. We have got to bring their level of awareness to that of the working people of 1920. In that way, the country will truly be ready for Revolution.

The first thing we have to do is face certain facts, regardless of how unpleasant they may be. One fact is that there are a great many people who refer to themselves as Social Democrats, or a variation of those words. Yet none of them are endorsing the Revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. Either they are not aware of those theories, which is unlikely, or they are deliberately remaining silent on the subject. So be it!

For that reason, we cannot count on those people to help raise the level of awareness of the working class. So we will have to accomplish that task, without them. The working class is going to have to raise their own level of awareness. There is no other way!

Most working people, especially the most advanced, have computers, and know how to use them. The most important revolutionary works are available on the Internet, or at least can be bought through the Internet. In my opinion, State and Revolution is absolutely essential. As well, Left Wing Communism, An Infantile Disorder, is also supremely relevant. A careful reading of those two articles of Lenin, will go a long way towards that persons Revolutionary development. The two other articles of Lenin, which I consider to be vital, are Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism, and What Is To Be Done?

During the forth coming Revolution, working class leaders will emerge. Of that, there can be no doubt. Under capitalism, there are many people who have talent, but may not even be aware of the fact! As the Revolution rages, these people tend to ”rise to the surface”! To such people, I can only say, do not deny your talent! Capitalism has given rise to countless liars! The last thing we need is another liar! That position has been filled, to overflowing! We need Proletarian leaders! Be honest with yourself! ”To thine own self be true”! Do not be shy! Cultivate your talent! It will not blossom by itself!

In this article, I have focused on the federal elections, as so many working people are talking about this. In this way, it is hoped that their level of awareness will be raised.

The current situation is every bit as Revolutionary as it was in 1920. Perhaps even more Revolutionary, as the motion has now spread across North America, all of Europe and into Asia. As it is so much stronger and finer now, it is doubtful that the capitalists will be able to crush it through murder, intimidation and bribery, as happened in 1920.

At that time, Lenin foresaw a World Socialist Republic. The working people are doing their part. Now it is up to the most advanced workers to learn scientific socialism, which is Marxism. They can in turn carry that knowledge to the less advanced, so that all working people will be discussing Soviet Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. In this way, the vast majority of people will become true Revolutionaries.

We will know that we are being successful, raising the level of awareness of the working class, when the marches and demonstrations carry banners and posters which read:

Workers of the World, Unite!

Dictatorship of the Proletariat!

Soviet Power1

World Socialist Republic!

Inflation and the Economy

The midterm elections are over, so that the public is relieved of the burden of listening to the constant political ads. At least for the moment. Yet it is very likely that the campaign for the next federal election, that  of 2024, will begin very soon.

If nothing else, this midterm election has confirmed, that which everyone knew. The country is deeply divided!

Before the election, the Democrats controlled the presidency, as President Biden is a Democrat. They also had a ”razor thin” majority in both ”Houses of Congress”, that of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Now that the midterm elections are over, it is still not clear which Party will control either House of Congress, as not all of the votes have been counted. It is clear that the ”razor thin” majority will continue. Yet the Republicans may establish a majority, or ”take control”, of one, or both, Houses of Congress. That remains to be seen. We may not know for another month.

From our viewpoint, that of Communists, the final outcome is of little consequence, as both mainstream political parties, Democrat and Republican, serve the same class. That is the class of monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. They do not serve the class of ”common people”, the working class, the wage earners, the proletariat. For that matter, they do not serve the small business owner, the middle class, the petty bourgeois.

I mention this for the sake of those who are just now becoming politically active, those who have recently ”woken up”. Welcome, my Brothers and Sisters, my Comrades!

I will also mention that I write these articles with the ”little guy” in mind, the proletariat and the lower strata of the petty bourgeois. These are a few of the technical terms with which working people must become familiar. If we are not aware of these terms, the monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, will use our lack of awareness against us.

The press is reporting that voter turn out was exceptionally high, especially for a ”midterm election”. This is excellent, as it indicates that countless people are politically active, taking an interest in their lives. In fact, it is characteristic of a revolutionary situation.

The journalists have also done a fine job of documenting that which concerns the voters. Without doubt, it is the ”economy” which ”tops the list”. This is to say that people are having a difficult time ”making ends meet”. The ”cost of living” has gone ”through the roof”, and is continuing to rise, quite dramatically. In fact, inflation is at a forty year high.

As a result of this, common people are living ”paycheck to paycheck”. They are hard pressed to feed their families. Many are relying heavily on canned food. Others are not so ”fortunate”.  They are simply going hungry!
During the campaign, the Republican Party hammered the Democratic Party on various issues, especially that  of the ”economy”, including ”high inflation”. In response, the Democratic Party harped on the issue of ”democracy”.

The journalists were openly wondering if the Democrats were trying to lose the election! After all, the voters were concerned with inflation, crime, immigration and abortion, and the Democrats remained silent on these issues! Instead, the Democrats kept repeating the threat to democracy!

As I have documented, in a different article, that democracy is nothing other than a method of class rule, there is no point in repeating it here.

I should add, by way of explantation, that I pay strict attention to that which the most successful journalists report. They do a rather fine job of documenting the facts. They listen to that which people say. On the other hand, I pay no attention to their analysis. After all, they are in the employ of the capitalists. It is in their best interests to ”slant the news” in favour of the billionaires. For that reason, their conclusions are frequently in direct contradiction of the facts.

The fact is that the Democrats are now ”caught between a rock and a hard place”. As the Party in power, they cannot blame it ”on the other guy”, as is their first impulse. Nor can they tell the truth, which is that inflation is characteristic of capitalism!

Capitalists, by whom I mean the billionaires, are ruled by greed! They worship money! Those who have billions want more billions, and those who have hundreds of billions, want thousands of billions! They want to be Trillionaires!

In their pursuit of the almighty dollar, they deliberately create shortages. With their control of whole industries, they can do this. Frequently, I might add, and to great effect!

The most visible example of this is the high price of fuel. So many motorists cannot help but notice this when ”filling up the tank”. Yet that which is not so noticeable, is the fact that this high price of fuel serves to raise the cost of almost everything else.

The truck drivers have an expression: ”If you bought it, we brought it”. The point being that the trucks do not ”run on love”. They run on fuel. The higher the price of fuel, the higher the cost of delivering these goods, the higher the cost of the product. This is referred to as the ”domino effect”.

Of course, the capitalists have succeeded in creating a shortage in various other industries, including that of food for babies. There is no limit to the depths to which the billionaires are capable of stooping! That includes the starvation of infants, in their quest for the Almighty Buck!

Incidentally, monopoly capitalism is referred to as imperialism. Truly, when Lenin stated that ”Imperialism, is Reaction, right down the line”, he was not joking!

Other issues, such as the fact that crime is out of control, as well as homelessness, immigration and abortion, are also ”part and parcel” of capitalism. As such, the Democrats have also chosen to remain silent.

It may be objected that Biden, as President, has one tool he can use, to ”tame inflation”, which is that of raising interest rates. In fact, that is a common misconception. The President does not have that authority! Neither does the Congress! The interest rates, and in fact control of the economy, is in the hands of the capitalists, the billionaires! They exercise this control through the Federal Reserve!

Most working people are familiar with the expression, ”He who controls the economy, controls the country”! There is some truth to this! It is more accurate to say that it is the class of people who control the economy, control the country! In our case, it is the monopoly capitalist class, the class of billionaires, the bourgeoisie, who have control of the economy. The working class, the proletariat, as well as the middle class, the petty bourgeois, have nothing to say about this!
As most common people are not aware of the existence of classes, I have chosen to use italics and repetition as a means of stressing this importance. It may help to think of this as being the first step on the road to class consciousness, to Revolution, to Soviet Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. But then, I only say that because it is true.

This brings me to that which is commonly referred to as ”High Tech”. The capitalists have used that to great effect. Among other things, they have found it to be quite handy, when spying on us.

One good turn deserves another! The capitalists have also created personal computers and the Internet! Lo and Behold, we can use these most useful inventions against the capitalists! Most common people have computers, of one sort or another, or at least have access to them. For those of us who are in our declining years, the younger generation is a great source of assistance. After all, what are grandchildren for?

With that in mind, I turned to the Internet, to determine the role of ”the Fed”, as it is called. I stumbled upon this article, and was planning to document the key points. But then, as we have the technology, I decided to copy the whole thing. Behold:

Is the Federal Reserve a privately owned corporation?

Yes and no. The Federal Reserve (the Fed) enjoys a unique public/private structure that operates within the government, but is still relatively independent of government to isolate the Fed from day-to-day political pressures in fulfilling its varying roles. As stated in The Federal Reserve System Purposes & Functions:

The Federal Reserve System is considered to be an independent central bank. It is so, however, only in the sense that its decisions do not have to be ratified by the President or anyone else in the executive branch of the government. The entire System is subject to oversight by the U.S. Congress….the Federal Reserve must work within the framework of the overall objectives of economic and financial policy established by the government.

History

Prior to the Fed’s formation, the United States experienced a number of economic downturns and financial panics. To help alleviate the problems associated with these swings in the economy, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act on December 23, 1913. The act’s opening paragraph outlines its varying functions:

An Act to provide for the establishment of Federal reserve banks, to furnish an elastic currency, to afford means of rediscounting commercial paper, to establish a more effective supervision of banking in the United States, and for other purposes.

Since 1913, legislation has passed to augment some of the act’s original purposes and to clarify the varying roles of the Fed.

Structure

Congress set up the Federal Reserve System to make it autonomous and to isolate it from day-to-day political pressures. For example, the members of the Board of Governors are appointed to serve 14-year terms that do not coincide with presidential terms. Key components of the Federal Reserve System are:

  • The Board of Governors—Located in Washington, D.C., Board members are appointed by the U.S. President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Board members and staff are civil service employees.
  • The 12 regional Reserve Banks—Located around the country, the 12 Federal Reserve Banks are chartered as private corporations. Employees are not civil service.
  • The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)—Composed of the Federal Reserve Governors and the Federal Reserve Bank presidents, the FOMC is charged with conducting monetary policy.

The 12 Federal Reserve Banks operate like other businesses; each has its own board of directors that selects the Reserve Bank president and first vice president, with approval from the Board of Governors. Each Branch of a Reserve Bank has its own board of directors. A majority of these directors are appointed by the Branch’s Reserve Bank; the others are appointed by the Board of Governors.

Boards of directors of the Reserve Banks and their Branches provide the Federal Reserve System with a wealth of information on economic conditions in every corner of the nation. The information, along with other sources, is used by the FOMC and the Board of Governors when reaching decisions about monetary policy.

Key Responsibilities

While Congress establishes key objectives the Fed must follow, the Fed generally works independently of the federal government to administer its core responsibilities.

Those duties include:

  • Conducting monetary policy
  • Supervising and regulating banking and financial institutions
  • Providing payments services to financial institutions

The 12 Federal Reserve Banks have “independent” research staffs that advise their Reserve Bank presidents on monetary policy and the economy. Each Reserve Bank also has regulatory responsibilities including the supervision and regulation of financial institutions. The Reserve Banks also handle the Federal Reserve System’s business operations—it is in this area that Reserve Banks operate more like private businesses, selling services like electronic funds transfers, check processing, and coin and currency services to financial institutions.

Funding

Congress also created the Federal Reserve System to be self-funding. The Fed earns interest on the interest-bearing government securities it holds in its portfolio and sells financial services to banks. This amount is reported each year in its annual report. The Fed’s earnings typically far exceed its expenses. However, unlike for profit corporations, the Fed distributes any profit (after costs) to the U.S. Treasury. In 2002, the Fed’s operating revenues were $26.7 billion, expenses total $2.2 billion, and $24.5 billion was paid to the treasury as “interest on Federal Reserve Notes.”

(The items in italics were as copied from the Internet)

There we have it folks. In their own words, by their own admission, despite various qualifications, it is clear that the Fed is independent of the government. It is the capitalists who own and control the Federal Reserve, which is to say that the capitalists control the economy! No wonder the Democrats are silent concerning the economy! The economy is out of their hands!

Of course no politician is prepared to admit this! They would have us believe that under a democratic republic, classes do not exist! Such is hardly the case! Yet as the working class is not aware of itself as a class, the politicians are fully prepared to perpetuate the lie!

In fact, Lenin made it quite clear in his excellent article, What Is To Be Done?, that workers are not capable of becoming class conscious, by themselves. That awareness must be brought to the workers from an outside source. That outside source is middle class intellectuals. Lenin was one of those intellectuals.

The capitalists are also reluctant to admit the fact that they are capitalists! In fact, they avoid the word as they would the plague! But then, to admit that they are capitalists, is to admit that capitalism exists, so that classes exist!

Yet there can be no doubt that the working class is ”making progress”. Twenty years ago, at the time of the Occupy Movement, there was a vague awareness of difference, of ”us” versus ”them”, of the ”99 percent” versus the ”1 percent”. This is referred to as ”class consciousness in embryonic form”.

As those terms are no longer being used, it represents a step forward. Yet, as Lenin pointed out, ”The history of all countries shows that the working class, exclusively by its own efforts, is able to develop only trade union consciousness”. This is to say that working people may learn that ”there is strength in numbers”, as is indeed the case. That is about as far as it goes.

To become truly class conscious, aware of the existence of classes, and of the war between the classes, requires a knowledge of the works of Marx and Lenin. As workers are now quite cultured, most are perfectly capable of reading those works.

With that in mind, you may rest assured that nothing of substance will change, until the capitalists are overthrown. The state apparatus, which has been set up to crush the working people, must be destroyed and replaced by a Proletarian state apparatus, in order to crush the capitalists, as they strive to restore their ”paradise lost”. That new state apparatus is known as the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. It will be administered through Soviets, otherwise known as Councils.

We will know that we are on the right track, when working people are openly discussing Soviet Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.


Midterm Elections Countdown

It is now late October, and the ‘’countdown’’ is taking place, as the journalists are counting the days to the 2022 ‘’midterm elections’’, of November 8.

These elections are referred to as ‘’midterm’’, because they take place in the middle of the four year term of the presidency. The last presidential election was in 2020, and the next one is scheduled for 2024. 

There are only two mainstream political parties in the country, Republican and Democratic. The Republican Party is frequently referred to as the ‘’GOP’’, or Grand Old Party.

As well, Trump coined the slogan of Make America Great Again, or MAGA. He has a considerable following, to this day.

The Democratic Party won the presidency in 2020, so that Biden is now president. 

The country also has a Congress, in the form of the House of Representatives, and a Senate. The House has 435 members, and each Member serves a two year term, so that all House Members are up for election. The Senate has 100 Members, and each Senator serves a six year term. One third of the Senators run for election, every two years. This year, thirty five Senate seats are being contested.

As a result of the 2020 election, the Democratic Party was able to secure a ‘’razor thin’’ majority, in both ‘’Houses of Congress’’. In the House of Representatives, the Democrats have ten more Members than the Republicans, while in the Senate, it is evenly split, 48-50, with two ‘’Independent Senators’’, who generally vote with the Democrats. Yet as the Vice President is the President of the Senate, and also a Democrat, she is able to cast the ‘’tie breaking vote’’.

The ‘’political pundits’’, or ‘’election watchers’’, are deeply concerned with the possible outcome of the forth coming midterm election. They take great delight in stating that during the midterm elections, the ‘’Party in power’’ generally loses some seats in Congress. If that happens this election, then the ‘’Republicans will seize control of both Houses of Congress’’. 

They further predict that, if that happens, the government will be effectively ‘’deadlocked’’.
Certain of the journalists are starting to sound more like ‘’doomsday prophets’’, rather than journalists. In referring to the GOP candidates who embrace MAGA, they are using such expressions as ‘’a five alarm fire for democracy’’, that their anticipated election will be the ‘’beginning of the end of American democracy’’. They are also afraid that the ‘’midterms could slip into chaos’’!

Their reference to ‘’slipping into chaos’’ reveals the real reason for their concern.  They are afraid that the ‘’midterms’’ could lead to full scale civil war! The Second American Revolution!

Incidentally, I tend to pay attention to the facts that the more progressive journalists state, rather than their opinions. They are generally able to accurately gauge the degree of discontent of the public.

The more progressive journalists are concerned that, across the country, there are 300 GOP candidates, who ‘’think that the 20-20 presidential election was stolen.’’ This is to say that they are supporters of Trump, ‘MAGA people’’, those who think that Trump is the true president! The fear is that if enough of them are elected to political office, there is ‘’no telling what could happen’’! Their fears are well grounded!

It is likely that the journalists are including the candidates for governors of various states, within that 300 number. 

In particular, the journalists are focused on the gubernatorial election in the state of Arizona. The ‘’GOP’’ candidate is a lady by the name of Kari Lake. In all fairness, she is young and attractive, or ‘’easy on the eyes’’, to put it in popular terms. The journalists describe her in somewhat different terms.

As far as they are concerned, she is ‘’Donald Trump in Heels’’, the ‘’most dangerous candidate in America’’, a ‘’threat to our democracy’’, a possible 2024 ‘’running mate to Trump’’. It is safe to say that the journalists are not a ‘’member of her fan club!’’

They go on to say that she is ‘’smart and savvy’’, a ‘’performer’’, ‘’uniquely dangerous’’, has ‘’charisma’’, has adopted a ‘’cynical but successful strategy’’. Allegedly a former democrat, and supporter of Obama, they maintain that she ‘’switched sides, when it was convenient to do so’’.

They point out the fact that Kari Lake was formerly a ‘’tv anchor’’, so that she is comfortable in front of a camera. Her harshest critics also maintain that she is able to ‘’read the room’’, able to ‘’take the temperature’’ and gauge the ‘’anti media sentiment’’. Clearly, the journalists are accusing her of being not only beautiful, but also brilliant! Beauty and brains, a rare combination!

In her own words, ‘’People do not trust elections since 2000.’’ She is right about that! She is also aware that people ‘’do not trust the media’’! That too is true! For that reason, she has turned against the media! Even though she was recently part of that media! She has turned against her own people!

Such people are referred to as ‘’opportunists’’, which is to say that they are completely devoid of principle. They are strictly ‘’one way’’, their way, out for themselves. They have no sense of loyalty, prepared to do ‘’whatever it takes’’ to ‘’get to the top’’. No wonder the journalists are so afraid of her!

There is a fine chance that Kari Lake will soon be elected governor of the state of Arizona. When asked if she is prepared to accept the result of the election, she allegedly stated that she is fully prepared to accept the election results, ‘’as long as I win’’. Spoken like a true follower of Trump!

Yet the journalists are also concerned with the fact that, in two other states, there are also ‘’MAGA’’ candidates for the office of governor. No doubt they are concerned that this may constitute a trend.

The journalists are accusing those MAGA candidates of being fascists! That is a strong accusation! The journalists are afraid that if enough of them are elected to office, it will mean the ‘’end of democracy’’!

For the sake of all those who have just recently become politically active, I will mention that fascism is defined as a ‘’Far right, authoritarian, ultra nationalistic political ideology and movement’’.

Bear in mind that the opinions of the journalists, are just that, personal opinions, and are not based on any scientific belief. It is important to place the current political situation in correct scientific context, rather than in the opinions of various people.

From a scientific viewpoint, it is more accurate to describe these MAGA people as reactionaries. By definition, such a person, ‘’holds political views that favour a return to the status quo, the previous political state of society, which that person believes possessed positive characteristics absent from contemporary society.’’

With that in mind, we can state that early capitalism was competitive, and possessed certain progressive characteristics. That all changed dramatically, around the beginning of the twentieth century, when capitalism reached the stage of monopoly, referred to as ‘’imperialism’’.

It was Lenin who conducted a scientific investigation of imperialism. That investigation is included in his excellent article, Imperialism, the Highest State of Capitalism. HIs conclusions can be summarized as follows: ‘’Imperialism, which means the partition of the world and the exploitation of other countries besides China, which means high monopoly profits for a handful of very rich countries, creates the possibility of corrupting the upper stratum of the proletariat, and thereby fosters, gives form to, and strengthens opportunism.’’ He goes on to say that ‘’the political features of imperialism are reaction all along the line’’. (my italics)

Without doubt, the opportunists must be fought. That includes the leaders of the MAGA movement, those who are the strongest supporters of Trump. As well, the ‘’upper stratum of the proletariat’’, those who have been ‘’corrupted’’ by capitalism, which is to say those who have accepted the bribes of the capitalists, must be opposed. That does not include the vast majority of working people, many of whom have embraced the MAGA ideology.

We must be careful to distinguish between the MAGA leaders, as opposed to their followers, the broad mass of common people, the ‘’rank and file’’.

The revolutionary motion, which is currently sweeping the country, has succeeded in rousing a great many people to political activity. Those who were formerly apathetic, are now ‘’waking up’’, as they phrase it, and questioning everything they have been told, all their lives. Excellent!

True, many of these people are now being misled, so that they have embraced the lies of the MAGA people. These lies include the ‘’invasion of America at the southern border’’! As if immigrants are the problem! They most certainly are not! The capitalists are the problem! Now it is a matter of making working people aware of that!

With that in mind, may I suggest we face the fact that the MAGA people claim that the 20-20 presidential election was fraudulent. They insist that Trump really won the election, that he is the true president.

They have a point! The 20-20 presidential election was fraudulent, but not for the reasons that they state. It was fraudulent because it was Unconstitutional! As I have covered that in a previous article, I will not go into that here. 

The journalists are further convinced that the state of Nevada is ‘’Ground Zero’’ for this upcoming revolt. Strangely enough, they give no reason for this belief.

They maintain that there are ‘’forty four counties in fifteen states’’ which may well elect ‘’Election Deniers’’, those who are convinced that Trump is the true president. If elected, they could well ‘’replace local government leaders’’ and ‘’throw out the election results’’!

In other words, they could deny that Biden is president! They could further recognize Trump as president! In fifteen states, no less! That is the very definition of Revolution! 

The journalists consider this to be a ‘’threat to democracy’’! They are so right! It is a threat to the democracy of the capitalists! 

As we live under capitalism, it is the capitalists who rule! The monopoly capitalists! The imperialists! The billionaires! These are members of a class of people referred to as the bourgeoisie!

By contrast, we have a class of people who work for wages, working class people, referred to as proletarians. The democracy of the capitalists, referred to as ‘’bourgeois democracy’’, is nothing other than a dictatorship, over the proletariat.

It must be explained to working people that democracy is a method of class rule! It is not majority rule!

As we live under capitalism, it is the class of capitalists who are in charge! It is democracy for the billionaires, but a dictatorship over the working people, the proletariat!

As for those who are skeptical, may I suggest that you wake up! Watch the news! Almost everyone, even the government officials, admit that Trump is guilty of countless crimes. Yet there is no mention of charging him! Trump is a billionaire! Trump can do what he wants! And he does! They all do! Trump is not exceptional! Trump is typical! The laws do not apply to billionaires! 

Lenin covers this supremely well in his excellent article, State and Revolution. It is up to the working class, the Proletariat, to overthrow the capitalists, smash the existing state machine, that which has been set up to crush the working class people, and set up a new state apparatus, to crush the capitalists, under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat!

The capitalists have reason to be concerned. The official ‘’approval rating’’ for Biden is now at 44 percent. Inflation has ‘’sky rocketed’’, so that the cost of living has ‘’gone through the roof’’. Even the International Monetary Fund, the IMF, is warning that the ‘’worst is yet to come’’. They are predicting a ‘’global recession!’’. As yet, they dare not use the dreaded ‘’D word’’, that of Depression. 

Of even more concern to the capitalists, is the fact that ever more working people are becoming politically active. In various states, early voting is already taking place, and a ‘’record turnout’’ is being reported. This is an indication that working people are no longer apathetic.

The journalists are also reporting that ‘’the public no longer trusts any election results’’. Worse, ‘’the public no longer trusts the media’’! With good reason, I might add! The journalists are in the service of the capitalists! The capitalists have every reason to be worried!

It is not just in America that people are in revolutionary motion. In Britain, the latest Prime Minister was in power a mere six weeks, before being forced to step down. In Iran, there are massive protests. Most of the highly industrialized countries of Europe are in turmoil. The anti war movement is raging in Russia. Inflation is causing the standard of living, of all working people, to drop dramatically. The world wide ‘’recession’’, as predicted by the IMF, is about to intensify the suffering of all common people. 

This is another way of saying that the situation is revolutionary, especially in highly industrialized countries, around the world. Working people are simply not about to tolerate much more from capitalism. 

As soon as all, or even most, of the highly industrialized countries overthrow the capitalists, and establish socialism, in the form of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, then indeed that will give rise to that which Lenin predicted:

World Socialist Republic 

Challenge the 20-20 Presidential Election

Donald Trump maintains that the previous presidential election, that of 20-20, was ‘’stolen’’, that he really won the election, that he is the true president. He has a considerable following, among the working people. For that reason, and not because we are supporters of Trump, we must examine the election.

The fact of the matter is that two lawyers, Rudy Guilliani and Sydney Sweeney, demonstrated the ease with which elections can be falsified. Their demonstration was quite impressive, so that it is entirely possible that they spoke from experience. It was quite valuable, as it served to educate the working people. They made the point that there are numerous ways to ‘’fix’’ any election. The use of ‘’High Tech’’, in which the voting machines are programmed to give the desired results, is merely the latest invention of voter fraud. Also possibly the easiest.

It is significant that the journalists are not denying any of the allegations the two lawyers have made, concerning the ease with which elections are falsified. Nor are they admitting this! They are merely subjecting them to personal attacks, in an attempt to discredit them.

From what we can best gather, Guilliani and Sweeney were arguing that the election was ‘’fixed’’, so that Biden won the election through voter fraud. The implication is that Trump really won the election, is the true president. We will argue that even though the election was indeed fraudulent, that does not mean that Trump is the true president.

The current situation is rather strange, in that the monopoly capitalists, billionaires one and all, technically referred to as the bourgeoisie, are the class of people in charge, running the country. Even though Trump is ‘’one of their own’’, a fellow billionaire, they consider him to be a ‘’loose cannon’’, too dangerous, unpredictable, and has to go. Elections be damned! 

Of course the billionaires own all the major news outlets, so that the journalists work for them. Make no mistake, the journalists ‘’dance to their tune’’! For that reason, the news outlets are most viciously attacking Guilliani and Sweeney. 

They are constantly referring to the suggestion that Trump won the 20-20 presidential election, as ‘’The Big Lie’’! Perhaps they are of the opinion that if they repeat this often enough, everyone will believe it.

Such is hardly the case! In fact, ‘’times have changed’’, and changed quite dramatically. The members of the public, the common people, are not fools. On the contrary, they are intelligent and cultured, perfectly capable of thinking for themselves. Just because the journalists insist that ‘’Trump lost the election’’, does not make it true!

This is not to say that Trump won the election! In fact, the 20-20 presidential election was completely fraudulent! Not because the popular vote was falsified, but because the election was Unconstitutional!

For that reason, Biden did not win the election! But then, neither did Trump! America does not have a President!

The fact of the matter is that countless working people still have faith in the parliamentary system. That belief must be respected! They are going to have to learn, from experience, that the Communists are correct.

No doubt all ‘’common people’’, as that is the way in which working people  refer to themselves, are interested in the presidential vote. What better way to raise their level of awareness, than by becoming involved in the demand that all presidential elections abide by the Constitution?

It is also a fact that the most passionate supporters of Trump, the ‘’MAGA’’ people, in that MAGA stands for Make America Great Again, are also demanding a ‘’free and fair election’’. These people too, have a great many followers, among the common people.

By some happy coincidence, it just so happens that the people on the Left are also demanding the same thing! To think that the Left and the ‘’Ultra Right’’, by whom I of course mean the MAGA people, can agree on anything! 

Yet it is true! For that reason, I am about to suggest a course of action which most people may find to be strange, if not outright insane! My suggestion is that those of us who are on the ‘’Left’’, call for an alliance with those on the ‘’Right’’, including those who are most ‘’Right Wing’’, the strongest supporters of Trump, the MAGA people! 

The purpose of this proposed -temporary!- alliance is to establish, in court, that the 20-20 presidential election was indeed fraudulent. Not because the popular vote was ‘’rigged’’, but because the election was Unconstitutional!

The procedure of electing the President, as well as the Vice President, is set out, quite clearly, in the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution! This procedure was not followed! For that reason, the 20-20 presidential election was fraudulent!  

In the interests of democracy, which I consider to be of the utmost importance, I have decided to give the Twelfth Amendment, in its entirety:

‘’The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and all persons voted for as Vice President and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate;

‘’The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted;

‘’The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President.

‘’The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.’’

(Please note that the italics are not mine, but were copied from the internet.)

As most readers are not ‘’Philadelphia Lawyers’’, it is understandable that this is difficult to comprehend. Yet even a casual reading reveals that there is no mention of a popular vote! There is no mention of any District! There is no mention of any political party! There is no mention of any ‘’running mate’’! It is the Electors who vote for the President! Those same Electors vote for the Vice President! On separate ballots, no less! The Electors have the right to vote for any individual, for the office of President! They also have the right to vote for any individual, for the office of Vice President! Such individuals need not be members of any political party! The two need not be members of the same political party! The states have no right to force the Electors to vote for any particular candidates!

May I suggest that the people on the Left, whether they consider themselves Socialists, Social Democrats, Communists, Marxists or simply concerned citizens, put aside their differences, and come together. I am sure that this is an issue upon which we can all agree.

I can also suggest that we invite the people on the Right to assist us. That includes those who are considered to be ‘’Ultra Right Wing’’, the MAGA people. After all, they too want a free and fair election.

The idea is to hire a lawyer, with the plan to argue, preferably before the Supreme Court, that the last presidential election was fraudulent. That election violated the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution. May I suggest the following, as possible arguments:

‘’All Electors were forced, by state law, to cast their votes based upon the ‘’popular vote’’. This is a violation of The Twelfth Amendment, as it makes no mention of any popular vote

‘’All Electors were forced, by state law, to vote for the candidates of one particular Party, in violation of the Twelfth Amendment, which makes no mention of any Party

‘’All Electors were forced, by state law, to cast one ballot for ‘’a team’’, of a particular Party, for President and his ‘’running mate’’ for Vice President. This is a violation of the Twelfth Amendment, which requires two ‘’distinct ballots’’, one for President and one for Vice President

‘’The states have no right to pass any laws which infringe upon the right of the Electors to cast a ballot for the President, and to cast a separate ballot for the Vice President, each of their choice, as that is a violation of the Twelfth Amendment

‘’The District of Columbia also sent Electors to vote for the President and the Vice President. As that District is not a state, this too is a violation of the Twelfth Amendment’’

It is very likely that a lawyer, an expert on Constitutional law, could ‘’polish’’ those arguments, to make them sound more ‘’scholarly’’. 

Yet when faced with those arguments, it is entirely possible that the Supreme Court will indeed ‘’strike down’’ all state laws which infringe upon the right of Electors to vote for a President, and to vote for a Vice President, of their choice. At the same time, they could well rule that the election was fraudulent, so that Biden is not president. But then neither is Trump!

In such a case, it is very likely that the Supreme Court would refer the matter to Congress, either the House of Representatives or the Senate.

It would also mean that all the presidents who were elected, in violation of the Twelfth Amendment, very likely going back to the days of the Civil War, were illegitimate presidents. That includes Trump!

It is quite likely that the small army of lawyers hired by Trump, ‘’legal eagles’’, one and all, have chosen not to challenge the last presidential election, based upon Constitutional Law, for that reason. They may not want to ‘’open that can of worms’’! 

Yet the fact remains that there is one issue upon which the people on the Left, can agree with the people on the Right, including the MAGA people. We can agree that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent.

It is for that reason, I suggest the Left ‘’join forces’’ with the Right, for the purpose of challenging the 2020 presidential election, in court. Truly, ‘’politics makes for strange bedfellows’’! 

No doubt there are many people on the ‘’Left’’ who are dead set against working with people on the ‘’Right’’, especially the MAGA people. Such an attitude is incorrect. 

To such people, may I suggest that you ‘’look at the big picture’’. 

There are countless people, honest, hard working, law abiding, tax paying Americans, who still have faith in the parliamentary system. These citizens must be respected! It is up to us to support them in their struggle for free and fair elections! In this way, they will learn, from experience, that the system is set up to serve the capitalists, the bourgeoisie. The capitalists are currently in charge, and fully intend to remain in charge!

If the MAGA people accept an alliance, based on the terms of challenging the legality of the last presidential election, on Constitutional grounds, then we stand to gain. In that case, we can meet their people, including the ‘’rank and file’’, and let them see that ‘’we have no horns’’! We can also provide them with revolutionary literature, possibly in digital form.

Not all of the followers of MAGA, among the common people, are very advanced. For such working people, it may be necessary to provide them with literature which is quite popular, so that they can understand it. At the same time, make sure it is not vulgar.

On the other hand, if the MAGA leaders reject such an alliance, we shall gain even more. After all, the rank and file of the MAGA movement are well aware that their leaders maintain that the election was ‘’stolen’’. Fine! Now is the opportunity to go to court to prove this! Legally! If the MAGA leaders ‘’pass it up’’, then the rank and file will see them as the liars and hypocrites that they are!

Either way, with or without the support of the MAGA leaders, we can challenge the legality of the last presidential election. This is bound to attract the attention of a great many working people. Once we have their attention, we can explain to them the fundamental principles of Communism, including that of Soviet Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.

In summary, it is entirely possible that the Supreme Court will strike down all state laws that interfere in a federal presidential election. That could have the effect of declaring the last presidential election ‘’null and void’’! That would prove the MAGA people are right, the election was fraudulent. That would also prove that Biden is a phoney president! It would even prove that he is not even President! America may not even have a President!

The important thing to bear in mind, is that our goal is to raise the level of awareness of the working class. Whether or not the Supreme Court rules in our favour, is a matter of indifference. In the process of challenging the 2020 presidential election, the working people will receive a valuable education.

In fact, there are a great many people who are questioning all elections, and not just the presidential elections. Properly so, I might add. As these people are politically active, many of them are among the most advanced members of the working class. For that reason, I am writing this article with them in mind. Let it never be said that I am defending Donald Trump!

On the contrary, it is my opinion that the level of awareness of the most advanced members of the working class, the proletariat, must be raised to a higher level. They must become aware -and embrace!- the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. The terms Soviet Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, must become common place.

We will know that we are successful in this, when working people are openly discussing Soviet Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat!

Concerning the Ukraine War and Nuclear Weapons

On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded the neighbouring country of Ukraine. No doubt, the plan was to annex Ukraine, as part of the plan to restore the Russian Empire. After all, at the time of the Czars, Ukraine had been part of that Empire. Yet ”right from the get go”, things did not work out quite the way the Russian military had planned. The Ukrainians had other ideas!

As is well known, the Russian advance was stopped outside the capital city of Kiev, and then pushed back to the East. This came as a great surprise to the Russians. The military analysts of the world were equally surprised, as the invading armies of the Russians had an overwhelming advantage in artillery, aircraft and armour. Clearly, the military analysts have overlooked a few things.

There is a popular expression to the effect that ”the military is busy preparing for the last war”. True enough! The Russian invasion of Ukraine is very similar to the Nazi invasion of western Europe in 1939. At that time, their military doctrine of ”blitzkrieg”, or ”lightning war”, was put to the test. It succeeded, beyond all expectations! The highly industrialized countries of Western Europe were defeated, within a matter of months!

As the lead Nazi and the Chancellor of Germany, Hitler was deeply impressed by those early victories. In fact, he was so impressed that he ”broke his own rule”, that of ”never fighting a war on two fronts”, and decided to invade the then socialist Soviet Union.

I mention the fact that the Soviet Union was, at that time, a socialist country, for the benefit of those who are just now becoming politically active. The capitalists have since managed to restore capitalism in Russia. More on that subject, later on in this article.

The current Russian aristocracy, or billionaires, or ”oligarchs”, technically referred to as the bourgeoisie, have succeeded in setting themselves up as the ”new Czars”. Led by President Putin, they are determined to restore the Russian Empire, to ”Make Russia Great Again”! As Ukraine was once part of that Empire, it is only natural for them to assume that they have the ”God Given Right” to ”reclaim” that country! Hence the invasion!

Yet even the Nazis were not so stupid as to invade the Soviet Union during ”spring break”! That is a reference to the fact that the ground freezes solid during the winter, but thaws out in the spring. At that time, the ground becomes wet and soft, so that vehicles become ”bogged down”, as soon as they leave the paved roads. For that reason, the Nazis decided to wait until the ground dried out. Their invasion of the Soviet Union took place on June 22, 1941.

By contrast, Putin decided to ignore this fundamental fact of Nature, and in a display of mind boggling stupidity, sent his troops into battle at the beginning of spring break!

The Ukrainians, led by President Zalensky, were quick to use this to their advantage. The columns of Russian vehicles, which had planned to capture Kiev, were first immobilized on the paved roads. The lead vehicles were destroyed, and as the following vehicles were unable to turn around, they became ”sitting ducks”!

The Ukrainians then ”took the bull by the horns”, and mobilized for full scale war! Most of the men who were of military age joined the military. A great many women took over the jobs which had been vacated. Others also joined the military. Most of the civilians were evacuated from the war zone, to the west and relative safety, or even out of the country. The factories were ”geared up” for war production.

As well, a great many industrialized countries chose to send ”technologically advanced” weapons to Ukraine, and to provide training for select troops. These weapons include portable rocket launchers and drones, as well as long range, accurate artillery pieces.

In particular, the rocket launchers have managed to neutralize the overwhelming advantage of Russian aircraft and armour. They have proven to be most effective in ”knocking out” armoured vehicles, including tanks, otherwise known as ”panzers”, as well as aircraft, both helicopters and fixed wing.

They have found that the use of drones, in order to precisely locate the position of the enemy armour, has proven to be most useful. Used in combination with the portable rocket launchers, the results have been ”most satisfactory”!

Of course, the drones are also useful, in and of themselves. They are able to carry explosives, if only light weight, but capable of doing considerable damage.

This is the very thing the military planners have overlooked! ”High Tech”! During the Second World War, various armies had portable rocket launchers. For example, the German Panzer Faust was considered the best. Yet all were ”short range” weapons, as well as not terribly accurate, so that their effectiveness was limited. Not so with the modern rocket launchers!

With modern technology, the rockets now have a considerably longer range, and can hit with ”pinpoint precision”!

During the first few months of the war, the Ukrainian High Command was able to remove most civilians to positions of relative safety. As well, they were able to repulse the enemy attack on the capital, to ”gear up for war”, and to neutralize the Russian advantage in armour and aircraft. Yet the Russians still had a vast superiority in artillery.

Now that superiority has also been neutralized, due to the donation of a great many long range, high calibre, accurate artillery pieces, from other countries. The Ukrainians are using these weapons to great effect! Their drones are helping them to locate the enemy ”storage sites”, the place where the ammunition is kept, as well as the ”communications centres”. Then the long range artillery is destroying these key installations.

That has enabled the Ukrainians to go ”on the offensive”! The latest reports are that they are scoring some major victories, regaining a great deal of territory, formerly occupied by the Russians.

Now Putin has responded by ”annexing” parts of Eastern Ukraine, so that he claims they are now ”part of Russia”. He has also declared a ”partial mobilization”, so that an additional 300,000 troops are being drafted into the Russian army.

As I write this, it is early October, and the press is reporting that some of those ”conscripts” have already appeared in Ukraine! These ”soldiers” have little or no training! They are little more than ”cannon fodder!” Has Putin gone mad?

This month also marks the beginning of the ”wet season”, in that we can expect heavy rain. Of course that too makes the ground soft, so that vehicles cannot travel off paved roads. This is to the advantage of the defender.

Further, the press is reporting that the Kerch Bridge, a 19 kilometre, or 12 mile bridge, which connects the Russian mainland to the Crimean Peninsula, has just been severely damaged. This event is of exceptional importance, for several reasons.

The Crimea was occupied by Russia in 2014. Then in 2018, the Kerch Bridge was built, at great expense, of course. Since the Russian invasion of February, it has served as a vital ”artery”, a ”key supply route” for the war in Ukraine. This is referred to as ”logistics”, as the bridge provides a railroad as well as a highway. Vast amounts of military hardware were being transported by rail, far more so than by road. Now that flow has been reduced to a ”trickle”!

As a consequence, the Russian army, located in southern Ukraine, is in serious trouble. The vast amount of equipment, which the army needs, is now in short supply.

Strangely enough, the Ukrainians have yet to take credit for the destruction of the Kerch Bridge. It is possible that a group of ”Partisans”, which is to say Ukrainian ”freedom fighters”, working ”behind enemy lines” in the Crimea, were able to blow up that bridge. They may not have even been in contact with the Ukrainian High Command!

Whatever the cause of the destruction, it is also a major psychological victory for the Ukrainians! It does wonders for Ukrainian morale!

That is not the only ”headache” for Putin.

The opposition of the Russian people, to the war in Ukraine, is now similar to the opposition of the American people, at the time of the war in Viet Nam. Protests are now taking place, across the country. The Russian authorities are responding with considerable brutality, beating and arresting protesters. As well, a great many young men are running to other countries, in order to avoid military conscription. This is commonly referred to as ”draft dogging”.

The working people of Russia must be supported in their opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. This is to say that their level of consciousness must be raised. They must be made aware of the fact that the capitalists have returned to power, that Russia is no longer a socialist country. It is now an imperialist country. It is once again necessary to overthrow the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, and crush them, under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.

Russia has a fine Revolutionary history, of which they can be most proud! Russia is the home of Lenin! Russia is the country which overthrew the Czars! Russian is the country which first gave birth to Soviets! Russia is the country which overthrew the capitalists! Russia is the country which established the first socialist republic! Russia is the country which established the first Dictatorship of the Proletariat! Russia is the country which did this once, and Russia is the country which will do this again!

At the time of the rule of the Czars, all revolutionary literature was banned. The common people had no democratic rights. Now that Putin and his henchmen are in charge, a similar situation has arisen. Once again, common people have no democratic rights, and all Marxist literature is also banned. So how to raise the level of awareness of the Russian working class? In much the same way that Lenin managed!

At the time of the Czars, Lenin was living in exile. Yet that did not stop him from smuggling in Revolutionary literature, with great difficulty, I might add. This served to raise the level of awareness of the Russian people, preparing them for the revolution. Now it is time for us to do the same thing! The only difference is that now, we can use the internet, the ”electronic word”!

We can do our part to assist the next Russian Revolution, by emailing, in the Russian language, of course, Revolutionary literature, especially that of Lenin.

Bear in mind that it is not necessary to get in touch with each and every citizen of Russia. Working people have the utmost respect for the more advanced members of their class. They listen closely to such people. It is of the utmost importance that we focus on such workers. As Lenin stated, ”It is only the class conscious minority that can direct and lead the broad masses of the workers”.

For that reason, it is our duty, the duty of Communists, to raise the level of awareness of the most advanced strata of the proletariat of Russia. They must become ”class conscious”, aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. This includes the necessity of overthrowing the capitalists and smashing the existing state apparatus. As well, the terms Soviet Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, must become common place expressions.

Of course, it is not just the proletariat of Russia that requires revolutionary literature. The proletariat of other countries, especially those that are highly industrialized, also need to become class conscious. They too, need to become aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. The most advanced strata of the workers in all such countries must become true Communists, fighting for Soviet Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. Of course, the best way to do this, is with a proper Communist Party, within each country.

Yet as we live in something other than an ideal world -no kidding, you say!- that is not always possibe. In a country such as Russia, in which common people have almost no democratic rights, any attempt to create such a Communist Party would likely ”backfire”. That is a fact to which Lenin could testify!

It was Lenin who gathered together a number of middle class intellectual Marxists, in 1895, and formed the Russian League of Struggle For the Emancipation of the Working Class. All were promptly thrown into prison!

At that time, the Russian Secret Police had informers ”everywhere”! These people, commonly referred to as ”rats”, are only too anxious to ”rat out” their fellow citizens! Their only concern is with having their ”palms greased”! Capitalism gives rise to such human filth! No doubt, Putin and his cronies are using such people to identify revolutionaries, so that they too can be thrown in jail.

Lenin learned from his mistake, and it is hoped the current Russian Communists will also learn.

That is the ”bad news”, if you will excuse the tired old worn out joke. The ”good news”, so to speak, is that it is not necessary to form an official Russian Communist Party. As Lenin explained, writing after the Russian Revolution, ”….a minority that will fight resolutely for the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, and will educate the masses of the workers along these lines, then in reality this minority is nothing but a Party”.

Without doubt, those who are aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin, and are prepared to ”fight resolutely for the Dictatorship of the Proletariat”, are definitely in a ”minority”. They are very likely middle class, petty bourgeois, or perhaps former members of that class. It matters not. As long as they are prepared to ”educate the masses of the workers along these lines”, and raise the most advanced members of the proletariat, to the level of ”conscious people”, Communists, then there is no need to go through the formality of forming a proper Communist Party. They already comprise such a Party!

The previous Russian Revolutions have revealed the fact that during a Revolution, or even immediately before a Revolution, Soviets appear! This just happens, quite spontaneously! Bear in mind that the Russian word Soviet means Council, in English.

It is reasonable to assume that these Soviets have once again taken shape, in Russia. No doubt, the most advanced workers are involved in these Soviets. After all, it is the most advanced workers who tend to be politically active.

Previous revolutionary experience has also revealed that these Soviets tend to spread, to various parts of the population. This is to say that we can expect to see Soviets of Workers, as well as that of Peasants, and of the Military. The Soviets in the Russian Military may take the shape of Soldiers or Sailors, possibly both. The name they choose is entirely up to them. It is our duty to raise their level of awareness, as they are destined to play a key role in the approaching Revolution.

These Soviets first appeared in Russia, in 1905, at the time of the first Russian Revolution. They were also crushed in 1907, at the time of the crushing of the that Revolution. They reappeared at the time of the Second Russian Revolution, of 1917.

The difference was that the Soviets of 1917 Russia, were far stronger than the Soviets of 1905. This was a factor in removing the Russian nobility from power. Bear in mind that the Romanovs had been in power for three hundred years! Yet in February of 1917, within the space of a few short days, Czar Nicholas was forced to ”kiss the throne good bye”!

With the nobility out of the way, the Russian capitalists were ”in their glory”! This gave rise to the democratic republic, which is the ”ideal political shell for capitalism”, according to Lenin. A fellow by the name of Kerensky was placed in charge, so that it became known as the ”Kerensky Regime”.

The fact of the matter is that the abolishment of the Russian monarchy was a step in the right direction, but only a step. The common people of Russia were no longer being crushed by the nobility and the capitalists. At that point, they were merely being crushed by the capitalists! Not a vast improvement!

As previously mentioned, at that time, Lenin was in exile. Yet he managed to return to Russia, in April of 1917. To this day, bourgeois scholars wonder why the Russian authorities did not arrest him, as soon as he stepped off the train, in the capital of Saint Petersburg.

The answer is quite simple: Because they could not! The Soviets were that powerful!

The secret police of Kerensky certainly wanted to arrest Lenin. The ”spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak”, so to speak. Within the space of a very short time, the Soviets became strong enough to challenge the authority of the Kerensky government!

This is to stress upon people the Power of Soviets! They are not to be under estimated! In fact, shortly after their appearance in Russia in 1917, they were able to overthrow the government and establish political power! Focus on the Soviets!

Now to return to the subject of the war in Ukraine.

It is significant that Putin is now calling up his military Reserves. He was forced into this, as the Russian Army, in Ukraine, which formerly consisted of youngsters, has been effectively destroyed. Older men are now being mobilized, and they are by no means as reliable as an army of the younger generation. On the contrary, they are more open to the propaganda of scientific socialism.

No doubt, various Soviets have also appeared among these military personnel. Now it is a matter of identifying these Soviets and sending them the revolutionary literature. In the Russian language, and in electronic form, of course! That is so much easier than getting it to them in paper copies!

The Russian military personnel in Ukraine are not the enemy, just as the Russian common people are not the enemy. The enemy is the Russian imperialists. It is the duty of Communists to make that clear in all our propaganda.

The current situation is similar to that which existed during the First World War. At that time, revolutionary motion was taking place in various industrialized countries. That too, gave rise to Soviets, or Councils.

At such a time, as Lenin pointed out, ”As long as it was (and inasmuch as it still is) a question of winning the proletariat’s vanguard over to the side of Communism, priority went and still goes to propaganda work”.

Now is the time of ”winning the proletariat’s vanguard over to the side of Communism”, of doing ”propaganda work”! It is not just the working people of Russia that have to be ”won over” to the ”side of Communism”! That applies to all working people, especially the proletariat of the most highly industrialized countries.

Without doubt, they have already appeared spontaneously, ”popped up”, in America, so it is clear that we are close to a Revolution. After all, it is only during, or immediately before a revolution, that these Soviets appear.

It was only after the Great October Socialist Russian Revolution of 1917, that a ”seismic shift” appeared in the ranks of the most advanced workers. This is to say that within the most highly industrialized countries of the world, the most advanced strata of the workers grasped the importance of Soviet Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat!

There is a popular expression, to the effect that ”seeing is believing”! The most advanced strata of the population, of the most highly industrialized countries of the world, were convinced that the Communists were right! They became convinced of this, because they could see the results! The first Russian Soviet Socialist Republic, the first Dictatorship of the Proletariat, persuaded them! The Communists had it right, all along!

At that point, in 1920, Lenin referred to the possibility of a ”World Socialist Republic”. There was a reason for his optimism!

Immediately after the end of the First World War, several highly industrialized countries were on the brink of revolution. For example, a very powerful Council of Action appeared in Britain. This Council was nothing other than a Soviet.

Britain was not the only industrialized country which was close to revolution. Most notably, Germany and America were singled out by Lenin. He was convinced that if the socialist revolution took place in all, or even several of the highly industrialized countries of the world, then a World Socialist Republic would take shape.

Yet revolution in those countries clearly did not happen, at least not yet! So what went wrong?

Naturally, the bourgeois scholars assure us that Lenin was mistaken, that his theories have been proven to be false. They further state that the Berlin Wall was the ”last bastion of Communism”, and with the fall of that Wall in 1989, the world was made ”safe for capitalism”! Nonsense!

Of course, this is not too surprising, as that is precisely what the capitalists want to believe. After all, it is in the best interest of these bourgeois scholars, to tell their ”lords and masters” precisely that which they want to hear! Rest assured, the billionaires want to believe that they have nothing to fear from Communism! Dream on!

In fact, the World Socialist Revolution was -temporarily!- sidetracked, by acts of murder and bribery!

In Germany, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg were murdered. In Russia, Lenin was murdered. Great revolutionaries murdered! As well, countless other revolutionaries were murdered, and not just in Germany and Russia! These acts of murder are still taking place, and not just to Communists! In America, in 1968, Martin Luther King was murdered, even though he was a pacifist.

This is to drive home the point that it is necessary to take reasonable precautions, especially in the most highly industrialized countries. Those countries which have embraced imperialism, will not hesitate to murder any such leaders! In such cases, it may be best to ”keep a low profile”. May I suggest posting articles on the internet, but anonymously. Send these articles to select members of the working class, especially members of Soviets, or Councils. Make the government agents ”earn their pay”! If the sex offenders and pedophiles can escape detection, then so can we!

The use of bribery is even more widespread than the use of murder. The fact of the matter is that the billionaires tend to keep a million or two on hand, in the form of cash, for ”incidentals”. As far as they are concerned, this is mere ”spare change”! It has proven to be most useful in ”pacifying” those who ”cause trouble”! A little ”palm greasing” goes a long ways!

The fact is that working people need leaders. Proper leaders! People of principle! People who are not about to accept the bribes of the capitalists! People who are not about to be intimidated! Leaders who are going to tell common people the unvarnished truth, no matter how unpleasant! Leaders who are going to raise their level of awareness, to prepare them for Soviet Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat! Communist leaders!

Previous revolutions, especially in the countries of Russia and China, can teach us a great deal. In particular, the mistakes of previous great revolutionary leaders can be most instructive.

In the Soviet Union, the capitalists were able to return to power, after the death of Stalin. For that reason, the Chinese Communists conducted a criticism of Stalin. They concluded that Stalin was a great revolutionary, but committed a number of mistakes. It was these mistakes that allowed the Russian capitalists to return to power.

Years later, after the death of Mao, a similar situation took place. There too, the Chinese capitalists were also able to return to power. This was due to the fact that Mao was a great revolutionary, but he too made some serious mistakes. This allowed the Chinese capitalists to return to power.

Both Russia and China are now, once again, capitalist countries. As I have covered this in a previous article, there is no need to repeat it here.

We must learn from the mistakes of previous great Revolutionaries! Everyone is human, so that we all make mistakes! As long as the mistakes are minor, and quickly corrected, that is not a problem, according to Lenin. Yet when the mistakes are major, and not corrected, then it becomes a huge problem!

Yet it was not just Stalin and Mao who made several serious mistakes. Under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, it is the Members of the Central Committee, of the Communist Party, who are the closest adviser to the leader of the country. It is their duty to point out such mistakes! This never happened! In each case, the members of the Central Committee were negligent in their duty!

To return to the current situation, that of the Ukraine War, it is now that Putin has issued ”thinly veiled threats”, to the effect that he may use nuclear weapons. In response to this, President Biden has issued his own ”proclamation” as to the possibility of ”nuclear armageddon”.

I should mention, for the sake of those who are just now becoming politically active, that weapons which are variously referred to as atomic, nuclear or thermonuclear, are basically the same. They are explosive devices which release a blast of extremely high heat, as well as radiation. For the purposes of this article, I refer to them as ”nuclear” weapons. In popular jargon, these weapons are referred to as ”nukes”.

Without doubt, these weapons create terrible destruction. The experience of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are absolute proof of that! Which is not to say that it will mean the ”end of the world”! The devastation of those two Japanese cities was terrible, partly because most of the homes were made of wood. By contrast, the buildings in most modern cities are made of brick and steel. A nuclear explosion in such a city – God Forbid! – would not create a firestorm. The damage would be confined to a rather small part of the city.

There are a great many scientists who are of a different opinion. They are a most vocal bunch, and have been preaching ”Armageddon” for many years.

I will also mention that ”Armageddon” is a biblical reference to the ”place where the last battle between good and evil will be fought”.

These ”Doomsday Prophets” first got together in 1947, and created a ”Doomsday Clock”! It has been maintained ever since, by the ”Atomic Scientists”, and this Clock is a ”symbol that represents the likelihood of a man made global catastrophe”. They further state that ”the Clock is a metaphor for threats to humanity from unchecked scientific and technological advances”.

They have a point! The key work here is ”unchecked”! The monopoly capitalists, those who are technically referred to as ”imperialists”, are in charge, and they are fully prepared to use any and all means to maintain that power! The First World War has proven that, beyond any shadow of a doubt! As well, they have used nuclear weapons before, in the Second World War, and they will not hesitate to use them again!

In fact, during the American war in Viet Nam, President Johnson and his military advisers gave serious consideration to the use of such a weapon. It was at the time of the battle of Khe Sahn, in 1968, and the American base was in danger of being over run. They considered ”nuking” the Vietnamese! So what stopped them?

Historians would have us believe that ”cooler heads prevailed”! By this stilted expression, they mean that American imperialists thought that the use of nuclear weapons would be a mistake. They were afraid that it would give rise to ”wide spread protests”, not only in America, but around the world! They refer to this as ”public opinion” being ”opposed to the use of nuclear weapons”!

The decision, of the American imperialists, to not use nuclear weapons, was not based upon any moral ground, but strictly because of the fact that the common people were dead set against it! The American imperialists were afraid that the use of such a weapon would trigger a rebellion, a revolution, and that they would be ”removed from power”!

This has not stopped a great many journalists from speculating on the ”possibility” that ”Putin is serious”, that he may in fact ”resort to nuclear weapons”. Of course he is serious! Putin is a typical imperialist! The only question is, will the strength of the common people stop him?

Yet the Doomsday Prophets make no allowance for this!

The Doomsday Clock is currently set at ”one hundred seconds to midnight”. Those scientists would have us believe that at ”midnight”, which is to say that at the time of ”nuclear war”, the ”vast majority of humans would die from burns, radiation and starvation. Human civilization would collapse! Survivors would eke out an existence on a devastated, barren landscape.”

Now that sounds pretty grim! Fortunately, it is simply not true! In fact, it is a pack of lies! The use of nuclear weapons is not to be confused with the ”End Time”, or ”Armageddon”!

The scientists are presenting nuclear weapons as something which has the power of God! Such is not the case! If they have their way, we will all be kneeling down, worshiping ”The Bomb”! That is not about to happen!

That begs the question: Why do they want us to worship ”The Bomb”?

Marx provided us with the answer, when he stated that ”religion is the opium of the people”, used for ”the exploitation and stupefaction of the working class”.

The scientists, especially those who are responsible for the Doomsday Clock, are dedicated, hard working servants of the capitalists. They are trying to demoralize the working class, the common people. If they have their way, we will all be apathetic, taking no interest in politics, as the world will soon ”come to an end”! What is the point of doing anything, if the world has no tomorrow?

Precisely what the capitalists want!

Perhaps working people can take inspiration from the Ukrainian people. They are now calmly facing the possibility that the Russians may use nuclear weapons against them, and discussing the various ways to deal with the resulting heat and radiation. The thought of ”surrender” is not even being mentioned!

The Ukrainians deserve a great deal of credit! Throughout the course of the war, they have consistently out maneuvered the Russian invaders! They refuse to be intimidated by the threat of nuclear weapons!

In conclusion, we can now say that it is necessary for the working class to ”recover some lost ground”, to put it in military terms. The level of awareness of the working class must be, once again, raised to a higher level. The most advanced strata of the proletariat, the vanguard, must embrace Soviet Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. This calls for a great deal of propaganda work. Communists must send Marxist literature, through the internet, to everyone, especially the most advanced workers. They must also become active in Soviets, Councils, as the most advanced workers will be found there. Take part in protests and demonstrations. Carry signs and posters which call for Soviet Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. Harass the capitalists at their corporate and banking headquarters, as well as at their homes, restaurants and resorts. Give them no peace! Attract the press! Take videos and post them on the internet! With any luck, they may go ”viral”!

Then too, so many common people are of the opinion that ”seeing is believing”. Such people should be encouraged, whenever possible, to become politically active. They should run for Parliament and Congress, for example. In countries such as Britain and America, such actions are allowed. Flood the various capitals with ”Leftist” people! In this way, they will learn, from their own experience, that the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are in charge, and fully intend to remain in charge!

Of course, in other countries, where citizens are allowed almost no democratic rights, such as Russia, that is out of the question. In such cases, propaganda is the rule, along with deception and secrecy.

In this way, we can best support the people of Ukraine in their war with the Russian imperialists. At the same time, we are supporting the people of Russia, in their preparation to overthrow their capitalists. Further, as soon as Soviet Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat is established in several of the most highly industrialized countries, then we can once again consider that which Lenin foresaw, a World Socialist Republic.

Bear in mind that the Soviet Union did not immediately take shape. At first, after the Great October Socialist Revolution, it was just the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic. The various republics which had been crushed by the Czars, the Russian Romanovs, were granted independence. The people in those republics had no reason to trust any Russian! It took some time for those people to become convinced that Lenin and the Communists really meant what they said.

It was not until 1922 that four independent Soviet Socialist Republics came together, to form the Soviet Union. This was the Union of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the Ukraine Soviet Socialist Republic, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, and the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. By the end of World War 2, the Soviet Union had expanded to include fifteen Republics.

It is important to note that each Republic was Socialist, and formed of Soviets. We can expect these Soviets, or Councils, to also take control of state power, here in the Western World. At that time, we can also expect to see that which Lenin foresaw in 1920:

World Socialist Republic!