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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!

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!

Recently, it has been brought to my attention that over the years, numerous civilizations have come into existence. They all prospered, became ever more powerful, rose to a peak, and then fell into decline. In the western world, the Roman Empire is supremely well known. As the Roman Empire lasted for hundreds of years, people in those days were fond of saying that ”Rome is Eternal”.

Of course, nothing is ”eternal”, and the fate of the Roman Empire is well known. It went the ‘’way of all empires’’, so to speak. 

Yet that does not mean that our civilization must ‘’follow suit’’, as so many ”philosophers” maintain. There is a huge difference between our our civilization and all previous civilizations. Our civilization is the one and only civilization to have experienced an industrial revolution!

Historians are agreed that the industrial revolution was the greatest thing to happen to humanity, since the domestication of plants and animals. In this, they are absolutely correct!

With that in mind, perhaps a little explanation is in order.

The industrial revolution first took place in Great Britain between the years of 1720 to 1760, for reasons which do not directly concern us. From there, it spread to other parts of the world, and in fact, is still spreading.

At that time, in Britain, there existed a small, rather unimportant class of people, merchants who lived in town and referred to themselves as ‘’burghers’’. They regarded the industrial revolution as an ‘’opportunity’’, a chance to become supremely wealthy. It was merely a matter of investing their money in factories, mill, mines and other ‘’means of production’’, as well as railroads, shipping lines and other ‘’means of transportation’’. In that way, the ‘’raw materials’’ can be taken to the ‘’point of production’’, and the ‘’finished product’’ can be ‘’taken to market’’. They also invested in banks and other ‘’financial institutions’’. 

I believe those are the correct technical expressions of the capitalists.

As a result of this, the class of burghers became transformed into a class of capitalists. The name burgher became altered to that of ‘’bourgeois’’. Those who became supremely rich became known as the ‘’bourgeoisie’’. 

Incidentally, some readers may find these technical terms to be tiresome, and perhaps they are. Yet it is important to become familiar with them, as otherwise, our class enemies will use our lack of knowledge against us. 

For the purposes of this article, I am mainly concerned with the fact that the industrial revolution gave birth to two different classes, both revolutionary.

As Marx and Engels stated, quite clearly, in the Communist Manifesto:

‘’The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.

‘’Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf, guild master and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open fight, a fight that each time ended, either of a revolutionary reconstitution of society at large, or of the common ruin of the contending classes.

‘’In the earlier epochs of history, we find almost everywhere a complicated arrangement of society into various orders, a manifold gradation of social rank. In ancient Rome, we have patricians, knights, plebeians, slaves; in the Middle Ages, feudal lords, vassals, guild masters, journeymen, apprentices, serfs; in almost all of these classes, again, subordinate gradations’’. 

It is clear that in the case of the Roman Empire, for example, the ‘’fight’’ of the ‘’contending classes’’ ended in the ‘’common ruin of the contending classes’’, as there was no ‘’revolutionary reconstitution of society at large’’. In short, the Roman Empire rose to a peak, fell into decline, and eventually rotted away. This is characteristic of most civilization. 

It is also clear that our civilization has also passed its peak, and is now in decline. Our roads, bridges, railways and transportation network, as well as our buildings, that which is usually referred to as the ‘’super structure’’, is in desperate need of repair. Our books of science, which are taught in schools, are nothing less than  a farce. The existence of classes, at least here in North America, is denied. Yet that does not mean that ‘’we are doomed!’’

The Communist Manifesto makes it quite clear that, as a result of the industrial revolution, radical changes were established in society:

‘’The modern bourgeois society that has sprung from the ruins of feudal society has not done away with class antagonisms. It has but established new classes, new conditions of oppression, new forms of struggle in place of the old ones.

‘’Our epoch, the epoch of the bourgeoisie, possesses however, this one distinctive feature: it has simplified  the class antagonisms. Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other: bourgeois and proletariat.’’

This is especially true now, as around the beginning of the twentieth century, capitalism reached the stage of monopoly, technically referred to as ‘’imperialism’’. 

The monopoly capitalists, the imperialists, are determined to crush any competition, no matter how insignificant. As a result of this, the small time capitalist, which is to say the middle class small business owner or ‘’petty bourgeois’’, has largely been wiped out, at least in the most highly industrialized countries of the world. The same is true of the family farmers, otherwise known as ‘’peasants’’. 

That brings us to the ‘’intellectuals and salaried personnel’’ of the capitalists. Lenin says that they ‘’correspond to the middle class’’. They tend to lead lives of ‘’quiet desperation’’, waiting for the ‘’axe to fall’’. Regardless of how well they do their job, they are well aware of the fact that the capitalist may fire them at any time, for any reason, or for no reason. ‘’Because they can’’!

The Communist Manifesto goes on to state: 

‘’Modern industry has established the world market…and in proportion as industry, commerce, navigation, railways extended, in the same proportion the bourgeoisie developed, increased its capital, and pushed into the background every class handed down from the middle ages.

‘’We see, therefore, how the modern bourgeoisie is itself the product of a long course of development, of a series of revolutions in the modes of production and exchange.

‘’Each step in the development of the bourgeoisie was accompanied by a corresponding political advance of that class….

‘’The bourgeoisie, historically, has played a most revolutionary part.

‘’The bourgeoisie, wherever it has got the upper hand, has put an end to all feudal, patriarchal, idyllic relations. It has pitilessly torn asunder the motley feudal ties that bound man to his ‘natural superiors’, and has left remaining no other nexus between man and man, than naked self interest, than callous ‘cash payment’. It has drowned the most heavenly ecstasies of religious fervour, of chivalrous enthusiasm, of philistine sentimentalism, in the icy waters of egotistical calculation. It has resolved personal worth into exchange value, and in place of the numberless indefeasible chartered freedoms, has set up that single, unconscionable freedom – free trade. In one word, for exploitation,

‘’The bourgeoisie has stripped of its halo every occupation hitherto honoured and looked up to with reverent awe. It has converted the physician, the lawyer, the priest, the poet, the man of science, into its paid wage labourers.

‘’The bourgeoisie has torn away from the family its sentimental veil, and has reduced the family relation to a mere money relation…It has accomplished wonders far surpassing Egyptian pyramids, Roman aqueducts and Gothic cathedrals; it has conducted expeditions that put in the shade all former exoduses of nations and crusades

‘’The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society…

‘’The bourgeoisie has through its exploitation of the world market given a cosmopolitan character to production and consumption in every country…

‘’The bourgeoisie, by the rapid improvement of all instruments of production, by the immensely facilitated means of communication, draws all, even the most barbarian, nations into civilization…

‘’The bourgeoisie.. has created more massive and more colossal productive forces than have all preceding generations together…

‘’We see then: the means of production and of exchange, on whose foundation the bourgeoisie built itself up, were generated in feudal society…the feudal relations of property became no longer compatible with the already developed productive forces…they were burst asunder…

‘’Into their place stepped free competition, accompanied by a social and political constitution adapted to it, and by the economical and political sway of the bourgeois class.’’

I have chosen to quote the Communist Manifesto at length, partly because it is so important, and partly to drive home the point that at one time, the bourgeoisie played a most revolutionary role!

Such is no longer the case! As soon as capitalism reached the stage of monopoly, which is technically referred to as ‘’imperialism’’, the monopoly capitalists, the bourgeoisie, became completely counter revolutionary, referred to as ‘’reactionary’’. Lenin documented this supremely well in his book, Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism.

These days, with the bourgeoisie so completely reactionary, we tend to lose sight of the fact that, at first, the capitalists were truly revolutionary! But to paraphrase an old and tired expression, ’’that was then and this is now’’!

The Communist Manifesto goes into this in more detail:

‘’Modern bourgeois society with its relations of production, of exchange and of property, a society which has conjured up such gigantic means of production and exchange, is like the sorcerer, who is no longer able to control the powers of the nether world whom he has called up by his spells. …It is enough to mention the commercial crises that by their periodical return put on trial, each time more threateningly, the existence of the entire bourgeois society…an epidemic of over production…’’

The industrial revolution made possible, for the first time in history, the chance to provide for the well being of countless people. Everyone has a chance to benefit from this vast surplus! But as long as the monopoly capitalists are in charge, that is not about to happen! It would never occur to them to provide for the common good! They are completely focused on their ‘’bottom line’’, which is the very thing they call their sacred profit!

Yet under capitalism, a ‘’vast surplus’’ gives rise to ‘’an epidemic of over production’’, a ‘’crisis in capitalism’’. It threatens their profits! As a result, even less is available for the common people!

That is the ‘’one side of the coin’’, so to speak. Scientific socialists may say that this is but ‘’one aspect of the contradiction’’. The ‘’flip side of the coin’’, or the ‘’other aspect to the contradiction’’, is the fact which is stated quite clearly in the Communist Manifesto:

‘’The weapons with which the bourgeoisie felled feudalism to the ground are now turned against the bourgeoisie itself

‘’But not only has the bourgeoisie forged the weapons that bring death to itself; it has also called into existence the men who are to wield those weapons – the modern working class – the proletarians.’’

The fact of the matter is that as capitalism becomes ever more highly developed, so too does the modern working class, the proletariat. At least here in North America, and probably in most other highly developed countries, the proletariat is quite highly cultured. The vast majority are literate, and either own computers, or some other ‘’digital device’’, or at least have access to them. This makes it ever so much easier to raise their level of awareness. The capitalists have thoughtfully created the Internet. The least we can do is express our appreciation, by using it against them!

Those who have been paying even the slightest bit of attention to the news lately, are no doubt struck by the fact that women are now playing a vital role in the international working class movement. 

In particular, a young woman in Iran was arrested and killed, by the ‘’morality police’’, for the crime of ‘’not wearing her hijab properly’’. Bear in mind that a ‘’hijab’’ is a head scarf. The protests against such violent repression have spread across Iran, to all cities and towns, and even to remote areas. Videos from Iran show women dancing in the streets, waving their head scarfs, burning those same scarfs and cutting their hair. These protests have spread to other countries, so that women in various countries are supporting their sisters in Iran.

The Communist Manifesto helps to explain this also:

‘’The more modern industry becomes developed, the more is the labour of men superseded by that of women.’’

As ever more women become drawn into the work force, becoming proletarians, the more they become revolutionary. After all, it is the proletariat which is the most revolutionary class! 

This infusion of ‘’fresh blood’’ into the international working class movement is most welcome! No doubt many of these women have been ‘’watching from the sidelines’’, so to speak, perhaps ‘’marvelling at the stupidity of so many men’’. Or so I have been told!

Now those same women, those whom were formerly confined to the drudgery of housework, have ‘’come into the work force’’, have become proletarians, and therefore revolutionary, and are making their voices heard.

The fact is that a great many working men are supremely well aware that most of our leaders, including our union leaders, are ‘’in the pocket of the capitalists’’. Yet by and large, most men tolerate this. 

By contrast, the women whom have recently entered the workforce, are not at all inclined to accept the ‘’status quo’’. Now that they are workers, proletarians, they are becoming ever more politically active. They are a most welcome edition to the working class, a ‘’breath of fresh air’’! 

Without doubt, here in North America, they are in the forefront of the working class movement.

This brings us to the current political situation, in which capitalism is definitely in a state of crisis. The capitalists can no longer rule in the old way, and the working people are no longer content to be ruled in the old way. Lenin refers to this as a revolutionary situation.

Inflation is spiralling out of control, to the point that even the bourgeois economists are worried of a ‘’repeat of the Weimar Republic’’, in which the value of the German mark depreciated, to the point that it was worthless. Those same economists are also openly speaking of a recession, while as yet, avoiding any mention of a depression. 

Gun violence is so common, it is not even documented, unless four or more people are shot. Drug overdoses are now epidemic. The criminal gangs are in control of many neighbourhoods. Local police are reduced to documenting the crimes. A great many police officers are retiring or simply quitting. Very few people are even applying to join any police force, as ‘’no one wants to become a cop’’.  There are calls for ‘’martial law’’ in some cities. It has been suggested that only the National Guard can ‘’restore law and order’’. 

From the viewpoint of the capitalists, the ‘’cherry on the cake’’, is the fact that ‘’one of their own’’, by whom they of course mean the former president, Donald Trump, is causing them untold grief! They just do not know what to do with that boy! He just will not shut up!

Recently, the New York Attorney General, NYAG, issued a two hundred page report, the product of a three year investigation. In that report, she alleges that Trump, along with three of his adult children, over a ten year period, submitted ‘’fraudulent and misleading financial statements’’, on a regular basis. Accordingly, she is suing them for a minimum of 250 million dollars. Yet there are no criminal charges! The government is afraid of Trump!

In a very clear cut example of ‘’passing the buck’’, she mentioned that the case had been referred to ‘’federal prosecutors and the Internal Revenue Service’’, the IRS, for ‘’possible federal crimes’’. By implication, all of those allegedly ‘’fraudulent and misleading financial statements’’ failed to break any state laws! Not likely! She just dares not charge Trump! 

If any working class person was suspected of committing such acts, especially that of tax evasion, then that person would likely never again see the light of day! Without doubt, there is a double standard here! 

In fact, a federal judge admitted as much. The opinion she gave is a masterpiece of legal jibberish: ‘’Based on the nature of this action, the principles of equity require the Court to consider the specific context at issue, and that consideration is inherently impacted by the position formerly held by the Plaintiff’’.

Now to put this in plain and simple English, she refers to herself as the Court, and to Trump as the Plaintiff. Her reference to her ‘’consideration’’ of the ‘’specific context at issue’’ which is ‘’inherently impacted by the position formerly held’’ by Trump, is a reference to the fact that he was formerly the president. For that reason, she favoured Trump! So much for the courts being fair and impartial! 

Clearly, the laws do not apply to the capitalists, only to the working people. No kidding! Yet this federal judge broke the ‘’unwritten law’’ of all courts: Do not admit this!

Most members of the working class are well aware of the fact that the laws do not apply to the wealthy. Those who have enough money, are quite capable of buying themselves out of any criminal charges. There is no need to explain this to them! 

By contrast, there is an urgent need to explain to the working people, the existence of classes. They must be advised, in terms they can understand, that those of us who work for wages are working class, ‘’proletarians’’. The billionaires, monopoly capitalists, those who own almost everything of any great value, are members of a different class, that of the ”bourgeoisie”. Further, we are class enemies. The capitalists must be overthrown, the existing state apparatus destroyed, and the capitalists must be crushed, under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. Yet who is to bring them this awareness?

The Communist Manifesto provides us with the answer:

‘’Entire sections of the ruling classes are, by the advance of industry, precipitated into the proletariat, or at least threatened in their conditions of existence. These also supply the proletariat with fresh elements of enlightenment and progress.

‘’Finally, in times when the class struggle nears the decisive hour, the process of dissolution going on within the ruling class, in fact within the whole range of old society, assumes such a violent, glaring character, that a small section of the ruling class cuts itself adrift, and joins the revolutionary class, the class that holds the future in its hands. Just as, therefore, at an earlier period, a section of the nobility went over to the bourgeoisie, so now a portion of the bourgeoise goes over to the proletariat, and in particular, a portion of the bourgeois ideologists, who have raises themselves to the level of comprehending theoretically the historical movement as a whole.

‘’Of all the classes that stand face to face with the bourgeoisie today, the proletariat alone is a really revolutionary class. The other classes decay and finally disappear in the face of modern industry; the proletariat is its special and essential product.’’

As I write this, the capitalists do not know ‘’which way to jump’’. They are currently ‘’counting down the days’’ to the midterm elections. Perhaps they think that a new Congress will solve all their problems!

The Democrats are fretting over losing control of the House or the Senate, while at the same time worrying that Trump will once again run for president, in the next federal election, two years from now. As for the revolutionary motion, they think perhaps the best way to divert it is with their ‘’brainstorm’’ of ‘’30×30’’. This is what Biden refers to as setting a goal of ‘’conserving at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030’’. Naturally, he was careful to not specify precisely what he meant by ‘’conserve’’!

This was pointed out in an excellent article of National Geographic. They provide an example of a farmer, a small time capitalist, who was quite happy to cooperate, to create’’70 acres permanent wetlands’’, in the interests of conservation. Of course, that came with a government grant of ‘’$350,000!’’ At taxpayer expense, of course! As the farmer stated, ‘’it has to pencil out’’. By that rather strange expression, he meant that he was not about to sacrifice profit for wildlife. As long as the taxpayers are prepared to hand over money to small time capitalists, they in turn are happy to cooperate!

So much for the Democrats plan for ‘’conservation’’! 

The Republicans are also ‘’scratching their heads’’, trying to come up with something to counteract Trump and his ‘’Make American Great Again, or MAGA’’. It should be noted that the keystone of the MAGA policy is to hold immigrants responsible for the horrors of capitalism. 

The fact is that even the journalists, those faithful flunkies of the capitalists, are openly mentioning the possibility of civil war. It does not help that Trump recently issued a ‘’thinly veiled threat’’ to that effect. He made it quite clear that if he is charged, his followers are prepared to take up arms! 

The capitalists are taking him seriously! They are afraid of Trump! Each government agency is ‘’passing the buck’’! The state of New York is going after him for hundreds of millions which they say he owes them, while documenting countless instances of fraud and tax evasion, over the last ten years, but not filing charges!

It is clear that the capitalists are trying to discredit Trump, to expose him as a liar and fraud. That is by no means a ‘’tall order’’, as that is precisely the case! In other words, Trump is a typical capitalist! The more they expose Trump, the more they expose themselves!

The capitalists are trying to turn ‘’public opinion’’, as they phrase it, against Trump! Excellent! By a remarkable coincidence, we too are attempting to do the same thing! In this way, we can raise the level of awareness of the working class!

The capitalists are not about to face the fact – or are not capable of facing the fact? – that we are in the middle of a revolutionary situation. Yet even the journalists, those most devoted servants of the capitalists, now dare to mention this! 

True, capitalism has reached a state of crisis. That is a fact. It is also a fact that the system will not collapse upon itself! So for those who think that the capitalists cannot find a way out of this mess, think again! As long as the proletariat does nothing, the capitalists will manage!

It is a fundamental tenet of Marxism, that all reactionaries are the same! They must be destroyed! They are not about to simply ‘’fade away!’’ The capitalists are reactionaries, right to the very core of their being, and must be crushed!

It is the working class, the proletariat, and only the proletariat, that is up to this task. After all, it is only the proletariat that is the consistently revolutionary class. Yet that is not enough. Their level of awareness has to be raised. They need to be made aware of the existence of classes, of the conflict between the classes.  Above all, they must be made aware of the necessity of revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship of the Proletariat. 

Contrary to what the demagogues may say, working people need leaders. Proper leaders! The only proper leaders are scientific socialists, Marxists, Communists!

The fact of the matter is that all classes have leaders, and that includes the capitalists. At the moment, one of the leaders of the capitalists is a fellow by the name of Donald Trump! He has quite a following, among the working people! But then, Trump is a first class demagogue!

Such people are not to be under estimated! Demagogues are the worst enemies of the working class! They have quite a following, among the proletariat, especially with the less advanced!

The less advanced workers are not to be blamed for this! They are under the influence of those who peddle the lies of the capitalists! They have been listening to such lies all their lives! Who can blame them for believing those lies?

These working people need to be told the truth. Further, it must be expressed in terms which they can understand. This is to say that we must use popular language, not ‘’High English’’! Feel free to use sports metaphors, but under no circumstances resort to vulgarity! Our goal it to raise their level of awareness, not to personally sink to a lower level. Also, avoid the use of the word ‘’backward’’. They may think that we are calling them ‘’stupid’’.

There is no time to lose. The revolutionary motion is becoming ever stronger. Civil war could break out at any day. Now is the time to become active. Take part in the emerging Councils. Join the mainstream political parties, as card carrying members. Run for office. Flood Washington with Leftist people. Prepare for revolution. Train in the use of weapons of all sorts. Give the capitalists no rest! Harass them in their homes, businesses, restaurants and resorts! Carry signs and banners which call for the Dictatorship of the Proletariat and Council Power! 

Above all else, make every effort to raise the level of awareness of the proletariat. The working class must be made aware of itself as a class! 

We will know we are being successful when working people are openly discussing Council Power and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat!

In America, the suffering of the common people has reached horrendous proportions. Unemployment and under employment is wide spread. Ever more people are becoming homeless. Countless people are faced with making the impossible choice of either paying the rent, or putting food on the table. The food banks are running out of food. Drug and alcohol addiction is wide spread. Deaths, due to drug overdoses and suicides, are common place. The ”rule of law” is largely a thing of the past. Now it is ”jungle law”!

Various criminal gangs now terrorize whole neighbourhoods. The gangsters are well armed. The competition between the gangs is intense, especially over control of the drug trade. This results in frequent ”drive by shootings”, in which the gang members shoot at each other, often with automatic weapons. The ”accidental” shooting of innocent bystanders is common place.

These gangs also consistently extort ”protection money” from small business owners, as well as those who are poverty stricken. The gangs generally ”make an example” of those who object to being robbed!

The local police have largely been reduced to the role of documenting the shootings, and picking up the bodies. Any ”investigation” is a mere formality. After all, any witness who dares to step forward, can expect the gangs to ”express their disapproval”, in a manner which leaves no room for any misunderstanding. There is almost no chance of any witness being allowed to live long enough to testify!

Even this modest duty of the police, that of documenting the gun violence and picking up the bodies, is not entirely recognized by the government. Any shooting which results in the injury or death of less than four people, is not ”counted” by the government!

To think that with the ”stroke of a pen”, the violent crime rate in America has been drastically reduced! It is simply a matter of not ”counting” any shooting which involves less than four victims!

Yet, in all fairness to the government bureaucrats, they have decided to take even more action, in the interests of ”reducing gun violence”. It is simply a matter of disregarding the Constitution, or at least the Second Amendment to the Constitution. That Amendment contains the pesky clause of the ”right to bear arms”. The passage of ”gun control” laws directly contradicts that Amendment! A more accurate term might be that of ”scrapping the Constitution”, so that Americans ”do not have the right to bear arms”!

The fact of the matter is that the current state of affairs is completely unacceptable. Working people can take only so much. The common people, the members of the working class, the ”proletariat”, are becoming increasingly impoverished. By contrast, the wealth of the billionaires, the ruling class, technically referred to as the ”bourgeoisie”, is currently sky rocketing. During the recent two year Covid Virus pandemic, their wealth doubled! Now with high inflation, their wealth is continuing to increase dramatically, at the expense of the working class, of course.

This is another way of saying that the situation is revolutionary. The country is a ”powder keg”, so that any ”spark” could cause an explosion. What is more, the capitalists are well aware of this! The last thing they want to see, is a well armed proletariat! Hence the real reason of the call for ”gun control”!

Yet a great many working people are in favour of gun control. They are well aware that ”something must be done”, in order to bring the wide spread lawlessness under control. They think that ”gun control” is the answer.

They are certainly mistaken, but we must respect their belief. We must also make it clear that only honest people respect the law, so that ”gun control” would apply only to honest people, not to criminals. Such a law would serve merely to disarm working people. The gun violence would certainly continue.

It is of critical importance that we stress to working people, the fact that we live in a class society. It is the capitalists who are responsible for gun violence. Until they are overthrown, nothing of substance will change.

The existence of classes must be explained to working people. On the one hand, we have the class of monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, technically referred to as the bourgeoisie. They live off the proceeds of their ”invested capital”, and contribute nothing to society. For purposes of this article, I refer to them as ”capitalists”.

On the other hand, we have the working class, the ”common people”, technically referred to as the ”proletariat”. We work for wages. We sell ourselves by the hour, to the capitalists, if only because we have no choice in the matter.

Simple common sense tells us that it is in the interest of working people, to sell themselves for as much as possible, while it is in the interest of the capitalists, to pay their workers as little as possible. The less they pay their workers, the higher their profit. They refer to this as their ”bottom line”. As anyone who has even a passing acquaintance with capitalists can testify, they are entirely focused on their ”bottom line”.

It stands to reason that our interests are diametrically opposed. In other words, that which is in the best interests of the capitalists, is in the worst interests of the workers.

This has to be explained to working people, as we live in a society which denies the existence of classes. More accurately, the ruling class of capitalists has chosen to deny the existence of classes. It is part of their method of rule.

It may be objected that there is also a middle class. True. The small business owners are small time capitalists, technically referred to as ”petty bourgeois”, Then there are the family farmers, technically referred to as peasants. Yet the numbers of both classes are shrinking, as the monopolies become ever more rich and powerful. They make a supreme effort to eliminate all competition, regardless of how insignificant. This is commonly referred to as ”putting the little guy out of business”.

I must stress that both the middle class and the family farmers are the natural and desirable allies of the proletariat. Most of them are currently ”working themselves into bankruptcy”! We have a common enemy!

There is also a significant group of people who are referred to as ”intellectuals and salaried personnel”. According to Lenin, they ”correspond to the middle class”. They too are under extreme pressure. The capitalists may choose to fire them for any reason, or for no reason. Because they can!

It is clear that, due to the current crisis in capitalism, the ruling class of capitalists can no longer rule in the old way. Further, it is also clear that the common people, the working class, is finding it impossible to live in the old way. According to Lenin, this is the very definition of a revolutionary situation!

As Lenin explained it, in his outstanding article, Left Wing Communism, An Infantile Disorder, ”The fundamental law of revolution…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.” (italics by Lenin)

It is significant that as part of the revolutionary movement, working people have been coming together, quite spontaneously, and electing leaders, as members of a Council.

The importance of these Councils must be stressed. They first appeared, also quite spontaneously, in Russia, in 1905, during the first Russian revolution. They were of necessity spontaneous, as all of the Social Democrats, as the Marxists of the day referred to themselves, had first been thrown in prison, and were then either killed or exiled. Lenin had been exiled.

The word Council, in Russian, is ”Soviet”. They are a creation of the working class. Within a few years of their first appearance, they spread across the country of Russia, challenging the authority of the government. After the 1917 Russian October Revolution, they quickly replaced the Constituent Assembly.

It would appear that a similar situation is developing in North America. Working class Councils are spontaneously taking shape, spreading across the country, becoming ever more common and ever more powerful. After the forth coming Revolution, we can expect them to replace the current government establishment, including that of the Congress and Senate.

It remains to be seen if these Councils, which are currently taking shape, will continue to be referred to as Councils, or as Soviets.

As is well known, the first Russian revolution of 1905 was crushed. To say that the revolution ”failed” is not completely accurate, as countless common people, both workers and peasants, gained valuable experience in revolution. At the start of the revolution, most people believed that the government represented them. The Russian Czar and the capitalists quickly dispelled those illusions!

Lenin referred to the Revolution of 1905 as a ”dress rehearsal” for the Revolution of 1917!

In much the same way, we can think of the recent Occupy Movement as an ”educational experience”, if you will excuse the awkward expression. This is to say that countless working people received a rather ”rude awakening”, to put it in popular terms. Their illusions were dispelled. The ruling class of capitalists made it perfectly clear, that they are not about to tolerate any challenge to their authority!

At that time, among the protesters, there was a rather instinctive awareness of classes, as expressed in the terms ”one percent”, versus the ”ninety nine percent”. This is referred to as ”class consciousness in embryonic form”. As the protesters phrased it, ”we woke up”!

At the start of the Occupy Movement, with few exceptions, the working people who were protesting, thought that the government represented them! After all, they voted for the politicians who were in office. What is democracy, if not majority rule? The capitalists wasted no time in straightening them out!

The government made it quite clear, by their actions -not their words!- that democracy is a method of class rule! The state apparatus, which is commonly referred to as the government, is set up to protect the ruling class, in this case the capitalists! The capitalists are determined that working people must ”know their place”! That ”place” is under the heel of ”their betters”, as the capitalists refer to themselves!

As a result of the Occupy Movement, countless working people became aware, if only instinctively, of the awareness of classes. With that instinctive awareness came the awareness that ”something must be done”. That ”something”, which ”must be done”, is the overthrow of the capitalists!

It is the capitalists who are responsible for the current epidemic of gun violence. As well, we can thank them for wide spread sexual assault, of women and children. Then there is the army of unemployed and homeless, widespread addiction of drugs and alcohol, as well as criminal gangs who terrorize at will. Of course, wars are constant, as the capitalists of various countries fight for control of the world.

This is not going to change until capitalism is replaced with scientific socialism.

I can only stress the fact that socialism must be scientific, as the alternative, that of utopian socialism, has been proven to be ineffective. Of course, the only scientific socialism is that of Marx and Lenin.

It is a fundamental tenet of Marxism, that after the revolution, after the capitalists are overthrown, they must be crushed under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. Lenin refers to this as the ”touchstone of a true Marxist”!

Experience -bitter experience!- has proven this to be true! After the revolution, after the proletariat seizes political power, the capitalists do not ”resign themselves to their fate”! On the contrary, their bitterness and hatred know no bounds! Their determination to regain their ”paradise lost” increases ten fold! They do not hesitate to resort to any deception, any subterfuge, including that of pretending to be fine Communists, in order to return to power!

As for those who dispute that statement, allow me to point out the fact that both the Soviet Union and China were, at one time, Communist countries. In each country, the capitalists were overthrown, through revolution. Then the working people, in each case the proletariat and poor peasants, were able to seize political power and crush the capitalists. Yet in each case, the capitalists were able to return to power. So what went wrong?

In both countries, after the revolution, the capitalists were not crushed, at least not with sufficient enthusiasm. The Dictatorship of the Proletariat is just that, a Dictatorship! Under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, the capitalists must be allowed no rights! Democracy for the working people, but a Dictatorship for the capitalists! After the approaching American revolution, after the capitalists are overthrown, we must be sure not to repeat the mistakes of previous revolutions. The capitalists must not be allowed to return to power!

For the benefit of those working people who are just now becoming politically active -Welcome, my Brothers and Sisters, my Comrades!- perhaps a little explanation is in order. I will try to be as brief as possible.

For one thing, there are certain scientific terms with which we must become familiar. Otherwise, the capitalists will use our lack of awareness against us. For that reason, I have placed those words in quotation marks, and explained them.

The only true scientific socialism is that of Marx. He and Engels lived and worked in the mid to late nineteenth century, at a time when capitalism was still in the early stage of competition. They wrote the Communist Manifesto, required reading for true revolutionaries.

Then, around the beginning of the twentieth century, capitalism reached the stage of monopoly. Monopoly capitalism, referred to as ”imperialism”, has characteristics which are different from those of pre monopoly capitalism. It was Lenin who conducted a thorough investigation of imperialism. For that reason, scientific socialism is frequently referred to as ”Marxism-Leninism”.

I previously mentioned ”required reading” of certain revolutionary literature, in that case the Communist Manifesto, and there is a reason for this: The working class is not aware of itself as a class! This is a very serious matter! It is of the utmost importance that the working class, the proletariat, become aware of themselves as a class, with their own class interests! The capitalist class, the bourgeoisie, are supremely well aware of themselves as a class, with their own class interests! As part of their class interest, they choose to deny the existence of classes! The less the working class knows of itself as a class, the better for the capitalist class!

Lest we give the capitalists undue credit, bear in mind that this is not a new idea. In all class societies, it is in the interest of the ruling class, in this case the capitalist class, to provide the ”lower classes”, in this case the proletariat, with as little education as possible. Just enough to operate machines and earn a profit for the capitalists!

This in no way changes the fact that workers and capitalists are class enemies. The two classes are in a constant state of war. Frequently this war is hidden, dormant, but on occasion it flares up into open rebellion. All indications are that it will soon explode into a second Civil War in America!

With that in mind, it stands to reason that in a state of war, all generals are supremely well aware of the importance of information, concerning the enemy. For some reason, they refer to this as ”intelligence”. The point being that the more they know of the location, strength, weapons and defences of the enemy, the better the chances of a successful attack. This just makes sense.

Our current state of class conflict is about to break out into open rebellion. The army of the working class is about to confront the army of the capitalists. Yet the ”Generals” of the capitalists have a huge advantage, as they have excellent ”intelligence”, concerning the working class army. By contrast, the members of the working class, including any ”Generals”, are not even aware that they are members of a class! This is completely unacceptable!

The workers, or at least those who have just recently become politically active, are going to have to become leaders, to assume the role of ”Generals”, in the war against the capitalists. That is a ”tall order”, but not as difficult as it once was. The internet has provided us with a most valuable tool. Now it is just a matter of using that tool!

In the interest of becoming a scientific socialist, a ”conscious person”, I already suggested reading the Communist Manifesto. I can further suggest reading the ”Essential Works of Lenin”, starting with State and Revolution. That article is of particular interest now, as it was written immediately before the socialist October Revolution of 1917. At that time, the people of Russia were in a very similar situation to that which we are facing now. It was clear that an uprising was imminent, and that the capitalists had to be overthrown. Yet after the uprising, what sort of government apparatus should be established?

With that in mind, Lenin explained that the existing state apparatus has been set up by the capitalists, in order to crush the working people. In the case of Russia, this meant the working class and the peasants. In the case of America, the state apparatus is set up to mainly crush the working class, for the very simple reason that the peasants have been practically wiped out!

This in no way changes the fact that the state apparatus, which has been set up by the capitalists, for the sole purpose of crushing the working class, must be smashed! If it is not destroyed, then the leaders of the revolution will merely take over the existing state apparatus, and set themselves up as the new rulers! Out of the frying pan, into the fire!

Yet we are not anarchists, those who believe in no state. Indeed, a state apparatus is still required, as the resistance of the capitalists will be ”increased ten fold”, as they try to ”restore their paradise lost”! Indeed, a new state apparatus is required, in order to crush the ”desperate and determined” resistance of the capitalists. This new state apparatus must be of the working class, by the working class, and for the working class. Democracy for the working class, but a dictatorship for the capitalists. This is referred to as the Dictatorship of the Proletariat!

In popular jargon, we say that the ”shoe will be on the other foot”! Working people will have all the rights, the capitalists will have no rights! The days of ”Taking the Fifth” and ”hiding behind high priced lawyers” will be over! It is with good reason that the mere mention of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat causes the capitalists to shake in their boots!

The next work of Lenin which I highly recommend is Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism. Monopoly capitalism is imperialism, and it has features which are different from capitalism in its early, competitive stage. It is ”reaction, right down the line”, according to Lenin. As he stated, ”Imperialism is capitalism in that stage of development in which the domination of monopolies and finance capital has established itself; in which the export of capital has acquired pronounced importance; in which the division of the world among the international trusts has begun; in which the partition of all the territories of the globe among great capitalist powers has been completed”.

This book also, is required reading for all revolutionaries. It helps to drive home the point that imperialism cannot be ”patched up”! It must be destroyed!

This brings me to the book What Is To Be Done? It is more difficult to understand, but also critically important. One difficulty I had, was in not understanding the meaning of the Russian titles of various groups. I found that the English translation was helpful. So with that in mind, may I suggest that you read the Russian terms Roboyeye as Worker, because that is the English translation. As well, Dyelo means business, Mysl means Thought, Listok means Sheet, and Gazeta means Gazette. The newsletter Iskra, to which Lenin frequently contributed, means Spark. That may not be the absolutely correct translations, but it should serve the purpose. At least, I found that translation to be helpful. In this way, I was better able to understand that which was being said.

This calls for a bit more brief revolutionary history. At first the Party, which Lenin created in 1895, was called the Russian League of Struggle For the Emancipation of the Working Class. Then, in 1900, the name was changed to the Russian Social Democratic Party of Labour, as it fought for democracy as well as socialism. But then, numerous members were of the opinion that it should change from a revolutionary party of scientific socialism, to a democratic party of social reform. This led to a split in the Party. The majority, led by Lenin, became known as ”Bolsheviks”, as that is the Russian meaning of the word majority. The minority became knowns as ”Mensheviks”, as that is the Russian meaning of the work minority. After the October Revolution, the name of the Bolshevik Party was changed to the Communist Party.

As mentioned, this work of Lenin is of critical importance, as we are faced with a similar situation, to that of Russia, at the time of the Russian Revolution.

As Lenin explained, ”two separate tendencies have been formed in International Social Democracy”, as at that time Marxism was referred to as Social Democracy. He went on to explain that the demand was that ”Social Democracy must change from a party of the social revolution into a democratic party of social reform”.

It is noteworthy that those two tendencies still exist. To this day, among political parties and groups of people, there are a great many who claim to be Marxist, but maintain that it is necessary only to fight for social reform. Lenin refers to this as ”freedom to introduce bourgeois ideas and bourgeois elements into socialism.”

Indeed, the capitalists must be overthrown and crushed under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. That is a fact, and paltry reforms, ”half measures”, will get us nowhere! Yet it was Marx who warned against making ”concessions” to theory. As Lenin stated, ”Without a revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary movement”. He went on to explain the importance of revolutionary theory, including the fact that the ”role of vanguard can be fulfilled only by a party that is guided by an advanced theory.” (italics by Lenin)

The fact of the matter is that the American working class is ”in the vanguard” of the world wide revolutionary motion! It is not an exaggeration to say that the whole world is watching! Revolutions in other countries may well copy your example! The success of the American Revolution -and others!- may well depend on your actions now! It is absolutely essential that you follow the revolutionary advice of Marx and Lenin!

Without doubt, that is a ”heavy burden”! Equally without doubt, it is an unwelcome burden! No one asked for this! Yet it is what it is! The American working class leaders must become scientific socialists, dedicated followers of Marx and Lenin, true Communists, or the Revolution is bound to fail!

Bear in mind that I have great confidence in the American working people. You have a revolutionary history, of which you can be most proud! Your country was born through revolution! You threw off the yoke of British rule, and created a new country! Then you overthrew the completely reactionary class of slave owners, and created a truly democratic republic for all! Now it is time to build upon that revolutionary tradition, and overthrow another completely reactionary class, the monopoly capitalist class, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie!

They have managed to seize political power, but not for long! Your ancestors, your Founding Fathers, have given you Americans the ”right to abolish any government which does not represent you!” That right is enshrined in the Declaration of Independence! Now is the time to honour your ancestors, to make them proud, to follow in their footsteps! Now is the time for another Revolution! The Second American Revolution!

That being said, we have to face the fact that there are a great many people, members of allegedly ”Socialist” political Parties, who want only to divert the revolution onto a path of social reform. They claim to be Marxists, while making every effort to ”revise” the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. Of course, these people are referred to as ”revisionists”.

In popular jargon, we say they ”pay lip service” to Marx and Lenin, while denying anything that is not acceptable to the capitalists. The Dictatorship of the Proletariat ”tops the list” of that which is not acceptable to the capitalists! Soviet -or Council- Power comes in a ”close second”!

True followers of Marx and Lenin, Communists, can have nothing to do with such people! They are devoted servants of the capitalists!

On the other hand, there are those who make no claim to being Marxists, while fighting for various reforms. These people are our allies. We can unite with them, providing of course that we are able to put forward our own revolutionary message.

As an indication of the strength of the revolutionary movement, Councils -Soviets- are currently taking shape in America, although most of them are ”underground”, to use a popular expression. There is a good reason for this!

One exception took place within the city of Seattle. In that case, the working people got together and took control of a section of the city. They also elected a group of leaders, referred to as a ”Council”. The people who lived within that section of the city helped each other out. This is to say that their lifestyle was ”communal”.

The Council promptly referred to that part of the city as the ”Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone”. Bear in mind that the word ”autonomous” means ”freedom to govern itself”.

Perhaps the Council was not aware that they had just ”thrown down the gauntlet” to the capitalists! After all, ”state power is the fundamental question of every revolution”, according to Marx! By declaring that ”Zone” to be ”Autonomous”, they directly challenged the American capitalists! The capitalists quickly ”rose to the occasion” and the Zone was promptly crushed!

This lesson was not lost on other Councils. Now as Councils are being created and becoming ever stronger, they are arming and training workers in secret, in preparation for the approaching Civil War. Even the mainstream journalists are speaking of Civil War!

These journalists, who are devoted servants of the capitalists, can see the ”writing on the wall”! They bemoan the fact that ”American democracy is under attack”! And so it is! They just refuse to face the fact -or are not capable of facing the fact?- that American democracy is democracy for the American capitalists! For the working people, it is a dictatorship! The dictatorship of the capitalists!

I mention this as a means of stressing the importance of What Is To Be Done? In that work, Lenin points out the importance of political theory. Working people need political leaders! Scientific socialists! Followers of Marx and Lenin! Political leaders with the best interests of the proletariat in mind, not the capitalists! As we live in a class society, our leaders can represent the working class or the capitalist class, but not both!

All of the current ”Leftist” political parties in the country, including those which claim to be Marxist, deny the necessity of both the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, and of Council Power. Yet the success of the revolution depends upon both!

As Lenin phrased it, the ”Dictatorship of the Proletariat” requires ”special institutions…of a new type…the Soviets”. I repeat, the Soviets are nothing other than Councils!

As the revolutionary motion gains strength, ever more working people will become politically active. It is only natural to expect them to look to political parties which claim to be Socialist, Marxist or Communist. Who can blame them?

It is up to true Communists to explain to them that there is no point in overthrowing one set of capitalists, and replacing them with another! The only possible way a revolution can succeed is by destroying the existing state apparatus, and setting up a new state apparatus, in the form of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, and the use of Council Power.

This is to say that we need a true Communist Party. It is to be hoped that those who are just now becoming politically active will take part in creating such a Party. The success of the forthcoming Revolution could well depend upon such a Party. As I have gone into this in other writings, there is no need to repeat it here.

I can only stress that Lenin condemned those who claim to be Marxists, while calling for ”class collaboration”. At the same time, he called for an alliance with those who are fighting for reforms, in the name of ”democracy” or ”socialism”. Communists have no quarrel with those groups, as they do not claim to be Marxist!

As I write this, the press is focused on the ”midterm elections”. That is a reference to the fact that all members of Congress will soon be, once again, running for office. As well, one third of the Senate will also be running. With that in mind, may I suggest that we ”take the capitalists at their word”! The capitalists say that if we do not like the way things are, we should ”change the system from within”! Splendid! An excellent idea! What better time to ”change the system from within”?

May I suggest that all those working people who recently ”woke up”, join the two mainstream political parties, as card carrying members. Become Democrats and Republicans! Feel free to be naughty! There is no law against joining both Parties! It may be against the rules, but it is not against the law! Encourage your families and friends to join both Parties! Bear in mind, the candidates for any and all political office, is determined by the card carrying members!

May I suggest that, in the interests of becoming elected to political office, someone who wants to be a candidate for that office can call for all students to join the Parties. Your ”political platform” can include ”Free tuition!” ”Cancel All Student Loans!”. As for the Seniors, they too should be encouraged to join the Parties! ”Free Medical!” ”Tax Free Pensions!”, more ”planks” in the ”platform”! For the sports people, ”Defend the Second Amendment!” For working people, ”Raise the Minimum Wage!”

Allow me to qualify that remark, by stating that we want to flood Washington with leaders of the working class, common people. Understand that under no circumstances should we challenge the Members of The Squad, and certainly not Senator Sanders. The idea is that we should show them our unqualified support!

No doubt all common people, whether on the ”Left”, pro working class, or on the ”Right”, pro capitalist, can get behind this plan. Such an action will likely result in those who are now considered to be ”Right Wing”, in ”moving to the centre”, according to Lenin. Yet all will immediately receive a lesson in ”democracy”! The capitalists will see to that!

In this way the common people, the members of the public, the working class, will learn that the Communists are correct. The capitalists have to be overthrown. That requires weapons, including firearms. We must not allow the capitalists to disarm the working class. We must oppose all gun control laws.

As the title suggests, the working people in North America, by whom I mean the working class as well as the middle class, are deeply divided, upon the issue of abortion. It is safe to say that almost everyone, among the working people, the proletariat as well as the petty bourgeois, is either in favour of some form of legalized abortion, referred to as ”pro choice”, or dead set against legalized abortion, referred to as ”pro life”. Almost no one is indifferent, which is to say has no opinion, concerning the subject of abortion.

As an aside, I should mention that I dislike both terms, ”pro life” and ”pro choice”, as the implication is that the two are diametrically opposed. They are not. Yet as the terms are deeply entrenched in popular usage, I have chosen to use those terms, at least for the purposes of this article. Further, I have chosen to refer to the monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, the members of a class referred to as the bourgeoisie, as simply capitalists. They should not be confused with the small business owners, the middle class, the petty bourgeois, as such are the friends and allies of the proletariat.

It is also safe to say that the capitalists are quite happy about this division, within the working people. This despite the fact that, as a class, they largely comprise some of the few people whom are indifferent on the subject of abortion. Hooray for any issue which divides the working people!

The more the working people are fighting among themselves, the better for the capitalists! After all, the capitalists are not entirely stupid. They are well aware that capitalists and workers are class enemies. A divided working class is a weak working class. The more the working class is divided, fighting among themselves, the better for the capitalist class. Divide and conquer!

As for those who think that I am overstating the situation, consider the opinion of Mao Tse Tung, a great revolutionary Marxist, the one who led the Chinese revolution to victory, in 1949.

As Mao stated, at the time of the Chinese revolution, it is of the ”first importance”, to determine our friends and our enemies. That was as true then, as it is now. Rest assured, all members of the proletariat, as well as the petty bourgeois, are friends, regardless of their personal views on abortion. Their common enemy is the capitalists, the bourgeoisie.

I should add that at the time of the Chinese revolution, the situation was quite complicated. There were various classes involved. These involved the proletariat, the peasants, the landlords, the middle class, the bourgeoisie, the intelligentsia, as well as the invading imperialists.

The current situation, at least here in North America, is no where near as complex. The capitalists have done a most impressive job of simplifying the class struggle! Most of the middle class, the small business owners, as well as the family farmers, the equivalent of the peasants, have been all but wiped out! Now it is us versus them, the working class against the capitalist class, the proletariat against the bourgeoise!

That being said, it is important to bear in mind that there was a reason the Chinese revolution of 1949 succeeded. As Mao stated, ”the basic reason why all previous revolutionary struggles in China achieved so little was their failure to unite with real friends, in order to attack real enemies…we must pay attention to uniting with our real friends in order to attack our real enemies”. (my italics)

I mention this as a means of stressing the importance of uniting with ”real friends, in order to attack real enemies”. Those who are pro life are not the enemy of those who are pro choice! We are all working people, either working class, proletarians, or middle class, petty bourgeois. We have a common enemy!

The alternative, that of fighting among ourselves, will give rise to the same result as that of all Chinese revolutionary struggles, prior to 1949. Basically nothing. In other words, as long as we are fighting among ourselves, we can expect to accomplish next to nothing.

Another great revolutionary leader, that of the great Lenin, also had a few words to say on the subject. Immediately after the successful socialist Russian revolution of 1917, he wrote an article titled Left Wing Communism, An Infantile Disorder. He pointed out that capitalism, by its very nature, gives rise to a ”large number of exceedingly motley types, intermediate between the proletarian and semi-proletarian”, including the petty artisan and handicraft worker. He went on to say that the proletariat is also divided into ”more developed and less developed strata”, as well as those of ”territorial origin, trade, sometimes according to religion, and so on”. Now that is a rather accurate description of our current situation!

As passions are running so high, concerning the issue of abortion, may I suggest that all concerned ”take a deep breath”, sit down and try to gain some serenity. I much recommend this to that of ”taking a valium”! Screaming at those who are of a different opinion than that of our own, is ”counter productive”, to state it politely. To phrase it in more popular, but perhaps more accurate terms, it is nothing other than simple stupidity!

With a little reflection, I think we can all agree that capitalism creates the conditions which give rise to ”unwanted pregnancies”. This is a polite way of saying that women who are raped, frequently do not want to give birth to the child of a rapist. Who can blame them? Of course, there are numerous other examples I could list.

With that in mind, may I suggest that we put aside our deep differences, some of which are based on religious beliefs, and focus on the best way to destroy the system that gives rise to wide spread instances of rape, sexual assault and child molestation, among other things. Of course I am referring to capitalism. The capitalists have to be overthrown, and that is a ”tall order”.

First and foremost, this requires a strong, working proletariat, united with the middle class. If nothing else, everyone can agree that there is strength in numbers! This is not to imply that we must exchange hugs and kisses. That is not necessary. It simply means that we must respect each other, and that includes our different beliefs. Despite our differences, we are friends, all members of either the working class or the middle class, complete with a common enemy, the capitalist class.

Overthrowing capitalism is referred to as ”getting to the root of the problem”, and makes so much more sense than exchanging insults. After the revolution, after the capitalists are overthrown and crushed under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, the conditions which give rise to the vast majority of unwanted pregnancies will be eliminated. At that point, those who are classified as ”pro life” and those who are classified as ”pro choice”, can get together and resolve their differences. It is very likely that by then, it will amount to little more than a ”tempest in a tea cup”.

Without doubt, our class enemies will make every effort to continue to divide us. The last thing they want to see is a united proletariat! To that end, we can expect them to accuse us of hypocrisy! As they are the ultimate hypocrites, they take great delight in accusing others of their vices! They would much rather see us at each others throats!

It is certainly not hypocrisy to put aside our differences and unite against our common enemy! In fact, it is good common sense!

A fine example of this ”common sense” happened many years ago, during the ”Colonial Rebellion of the Seventeen Seventies”, as the British refer to it, or the ”Revolutionary War of Independence”, as the Americans phrase it. It all depends on your view point!

During that Revolutionary War, various classes came together. The capitalists of the northern colonies united with the slave owners of the southern colonies. As well, the workers, small business owners, family farmers -peasants-, tradesmen, frontiersmen and in fact people from all walks of life, including former slaves, came together against their foreign rulers, the British nobility. Americans with deep differences came together, including those whom had every reason to hate each other, under far more difficult circumstances, and launched a successful revolution. They did it once, they can do it again!

In 1776, there were a considerable number of colonials who remained loyal to the ”Crown”, the British nobility. These were referred to as Tories. Most of them were reasonably wealthy, and correspond to the middle class intellectuals of today. The revolutionaries targeted them, publicly humiliated them, with the use of ”tar and feathers”. The middle class defenders of capitalism would do well to take note of the manner in which their Tory ancestors were treated!

As well, American diplomats appealed to the French nobility. Not that the French nobility was any different from the British nobility. The American colonials merely took advantage of the hostility between the two groups of nobility, and used it to their advantage.

I use these as mere examples of the different tactics which were used in this particular class struggle, that of the first Revolutionary War. As is often the case, a straight forward assault, upon the ruling class, is nothing more than a suicide charge! Just as the American revolutionaries formed an alliance with the French nobility, to the benefit of the American revolution, so too we must form alliances. The point being that we must not only unite, but also attempt different tactics.

We want to get as many working people involved in the political struggle, against the capitalists, as possible. To this day, there are a great many working people, honest, hard working, law abiding citizens, who truly believe that their democratically elected leaders represent them. We must respect their beliefs. They deserve our utmost respect. They are going to have to learn, from their own experience, that the bourgeois politicians serve the capitalists. What better way to do this, than by electing some of their own, proletarian politicians, and sending them to Washington? After all, the most vocal supporters of capitalism tell us that if we do not like the system, we should ”change it from within”. Excellent idea!

As Lenin pointed out, ”politics is a science and an art that does not fall from the skies or come gratis, and that, if it wants to overcome the bourgeoisie, the proletariat must train its own politicians, ‘class politicians’, of a kind in no way inferior to bourgeois politicians”. (italics by Lenin

For that reason, in previous writings, I have recommended that all Americans join the two mainstream political parties, as card carrying members. This may be against the ”rules”, but not the law, so feel free to be naughty. After all, it is the card carrying members of each party, who determine the candidates for each and every political office. If sufficient Americans join the two parties, then it is possible to flood Washington with ”Leftist”, proletarian politicians. These people can in turn support Senator Sanders and the members of The Squad. Democracy in action! Majority rule! Hah!

In such a case, the capitalists will not allow the working class to seize power, through ”majority rule”. They will be sure to make that abundantly clear! In that way, even the least advanced workers will learn, from experience, that the Communists are correct, that the capitalists have to be overthrown and crushed, under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.

We can only stress the fact that the flooding of Washington with Leftist politicians will not result in political power being placed in the hands of the workers. It will serve to raise the level of awareness of the proletariat. Working people will learn, from their own experience, that democracy is not majority rule, but class rule! The capitalists are in charge, and they fully intend to remain in charge!

The idea of flooding Washington with Leftist politicians -”Bernie Bros”- is to serve the dual purpose of raising the level of awareness of the working class, as well as weakening Congress from within, in preparation for revolution and the subsequent Dictatorship of the Proletariat.

In addition, literature must be created, for the working class, written in terms which they can understand. The proletariat must be made aware that the word proletariat means worker. The Russian word Soviet, merely means Council. The Soviet Union was, in English, the Council Union. Most working people are now becoming aware that workers Councils are taking shape all across North America. It is these Councils which must replace the current system of government, and that includes Congress. The Senate and House of Representatives must be dissolved, replaced by Councils of workers.

It is also a fact that working people need leaders. This is to say that a true political party must be created, one which serves the proletariat. Of course I am referring to a Communist Party, and there is an urgent need for such a Party. Yet the creation of such a Party is well beyond the ability of most working people. That is the point at which middle class intellectuals, those whom are aware of the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin, can prove to be most useful. Hopefully they too, can put aside their differences, including those concerning the subject of abortion, and cooperate.

It is Benjamin Franklin, the famous American revolutionary, who is credited with stating that ”we can all hang together, or we can all hang separately”. Well spoken! While that may not be literally true, the point is still valid. We can choose to fight among ourselves, concerning the issue of abortion, or we can unite to destroy capitalism, the very system which gives rise to unwanted pregnancies.

As I write this, demonstrations are taking place all across the country, demanding access to legalized abortion. Now if all that anger and enthusiasm could be directed against capitalism! That would make so much more sense!

These demonstrations are most gratifying, as it shows that working people, both proletarians and middle class people, are in motion, demanding change. Yet that state of mind, by itself, is not sufficient. In fact, it could well harm the revolutionary motion! That harm comes at the point where we are fighting each other, rather than the capitalists.

To repeat, it is the system of capitalism which gives rise to so many unwanted pregnancies -among a great many other things!- and until the capitalists are overthrown and crushed under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, nothing of substance will change.

It is my most fervent desire that the people who are currently protesting, on both sides of the issue of abortion, should get together and agree to disagree. We are all working people, either proletarians or petty bourgeois, and have a common enemy. The capitalist class, the bourgeoisie. Divided, we fail. United, we succeed. Let us unite and overthrow the capitalists! May the banners of the protesters read:

Workers of the World, Unite!

Dictatorship of the Proletariat!