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At present, America is a powder keg. It is set to explode at any day. Any spark could set it off. The country is deeply divided, capitalists against workers. The class conflict is about to break out into open warfare. The length and severity of that conflict depends largely upon the preparation of the working class. The first day or two of that conflict, referred to as the insurrection, are absolutely critical.

In Russia, on November 7, 1917, the working class and peasants overthrew the bourgeois government, led by Kerensky. This is referred to as an insurrection, and it was almost bloodless. Key government buildings, bridges, communications centres and railroad stations across the country were occupied at the same time. This was planned and organized by the Communist Party, led by Lenin. It should be stressed that the working class seized power literally overnight.

This was quite an accomplishment, especially considering the fact that it did not come as a surprise to the capitalists. Of course Lenin and the Communist Party knew the value of surprise, and were determined to keep the planned insurrection a secret. The trouble was that there were two traitors on the Central Committer of the Communist Party, by the name of Zinoviev and Kamanev. They went public with the plans for the uprising, tipping off the capitalists. So much for the advantage of surprise!

As yet in America, there is no Communist Party, although that will take shape as the revolutionary motion gains strength. In the mean time, we have got to work with what we have. Of course, I am referring to the womens’ groups. The fact is that they organized the Womens’ March on Washington, and it was a great success. Women marched not only on Washington, but all across the country, as well as countries around the world. That is precisely the sort of organizing skills we need for the approaching insurrection.

With that in mind, I am appealing to those womens’ groups, and in particular to the leaders of those groups. You ladies have proven to be superb organizers, and that is the very thing which we so desperately need now. No other groups of people have proven themselves capable of organizing on such a scale. The country is counting on you to lead the revolution, and that includes the insurrection.

No doubt there are many people who are of the opinion that it is not fair to place such a burden on these women. To those people I can only respond that this is war, class war, and in time of war, fair does not apply.

We are all blessed with certain talents and skills. This comes at a price, as those same people who are more blessed than others are morally obligated to use those skills, in the interest of the common good. That means the important thing now is to overthrow the capitalists, which is going to require a proper insurrection, one that is well organized, coordinated, and country wide. Further, it is doubtful that the capitalists will be surprised by this, as they are experts at eavesdropping.

To put this in perspective, if the insurrection is not immediately successful, then the country is facing a long, drawn out civil war, similar to the Civil War of 1861-1865. No one wants that.

As for those who object that the Russian revolution was followed by a lengthy civil war, I can only respond that the situation was quite different. The country was surrounded by enemies, in the sense of capitalist countries which were determined to destroy the first socialist republic, with the help of Britain, France and America. Those are the countries which supplied the countries close to Russia with vast amounts of weapons and equipment. Those neighbouring countries then went to war with Russia, in an attempt to restore both the monarchy and capitalism. That is not a problem we face today.

The important thing to remember is that we have got to hit the capitalists with overwhelming force, one which is going to immediately crush them. Even the capitalists have an expression for this. They call it ”shock and awe”. During World War 2, this was referred to as blitzkrieg, or lightning war. It is as effective now as it was then.

This is not to say that the successful insurrection will be the end of the class war, as it will not. It just means that the defeated capitalists will be forced to perform useful, productive labour, for perhaps the first time in their lives. If that labour is limited to such simple tasks as they are able to  perform, such as milking cows and shovelling manure, then so be it.

From within these womens’ groups, Marxists will have to emerge. The only way in which the revolution can succeed is by following the revolutionary theories of Marx and Lenin. The Marxist literature is readily available and should be carefully read. I have gone into this in a previous article so there is no need to repeat it here.

In preparation for the insurrection, and in the interests of raising the level of awareness of the working class, further marches and demonstrations should carry signs and posters which contain a class content.  Such slogans as Down With Capitalism!, Scientific Socialism!, Proletarian Power!, Workers of the World, Unite!, Marx and Lenin Forever!, Democracy For the Working Class!, Dictatorship of the Proletariat!, are suggestions. The idea is to carry the message to the millions of working class people who are not aware of the existence of classes.

It is also to be hoped that a great many more men will join their women folk. The women may or may not choose to once again wear their ”pussy hats”, as they refer to them. Either way, I can only suggest that men wear red scarves, as a symbol of revolutionary motion. The capitalists refer to workers as ”rednecks”, which is meant as a derogatory term. Feel free to turn it around and embrace it.

For the moment, the capitalists are determined to divert the revolutionary movement by having the press focus on the possible impeachment and removal from office of Trump. As well, the press is spending a great deal of time discussing the various presidential candidates for the Democratic Party. The point has to be driven home that Trump is not the problem, just as no change of political party will solve the problem. After all, both parties serve the same class. That particular class is of course the bourgeoisie, the capitalists, the billionaires. This must be explained to workers in this manner, using both the popular terms and the technical terms.

Any further marches and demonstrations should be aimed at embarrassing the members of the Trump administration, as that gets the coverage of the bourgeois press. As well, other presidential debates should be disrupted, as that is where the press is located. Let them have something of substance to report, rather than the meaningless mumbo jumbo of the presidential hopefuls.

The signs and posters can also encourage working people to join the two mainstream political parties, Democratic and Republican, as card carrying members. Let people know that there is no difference between the two parties, tweedle dee and tweedle dum. As workers join the two parties, they will learn this for a fact. At the same time, they will become aware of the existence of classes, and the conflict between the classes. The experience will be valuable, if not pleasant.

It is safe to assume that the same women who are such excellent organizers are also proficient in the use of the computers. They are going to need those computer skills on the internet, if only in determining the level of awareness of the working class. It is only when the level of awareness of the working class is at a high level that a successful insurrection can be staged. The country is already at the point where the middle class, or at least the remnants thereof, are coming together with the working class, in an attempt to overthrow the capitalists.

We have no way of knowing the exact day the revolution will break out. The capitalists may well force an insurrection upon the American people. That could happen even before the 20-20 election. As citizens become card carrying members of both parties, and take part in deciding the candidates to run for political office, the capitalists may well become frenzied, and do something supremely stupid, such as mount a coup. That could well trigger an insurrection. We had best be prepared.

This is not to say that the success of the approaching revolution depends upon the level of organization of the insurrection, which is in the hands of the women who organized the Womens’ March. It just means that the immediate success or failure of the insurrection will determine the length of the civil war. The longer the insurrection drags on, the longer the civil war, the more bloodshed. The shorter the insurrection, the less bloodshed. That places a heavy burden upon the shoulders of the women responsible for organizing the insurrection. But then I am sure they will rise to the occasion. I have complete confidence in those ladies. In that spirit, perhaps I should close this article with that which I have previously mentioned:

Workers of the World, Unite!

Scientific Socialism!

Dictatorship Of the Proletariat!

Marx and Lenin Forever!

All Americans are now supremely well aware that the country is deeply divided. In fact, it is close to civil war, to revolution, whether people are aware of this or not. Open class warfare is right around the corner, capitalists against workers, bourgeoisie against proletarians. It is very likely that most working class Americans are not aware that it is class warfare. The blame for this lies with conscious people, those who consider themselves socialists but have failed to bring to the working class the awareness of itself as a class, complete with its own class interests.

For that reason, I am appealing to the most advanced American workers. You have a history of revolutionary motion, of which you can be most proud. You have thrown off the yoke of British rule in 1776, and later, in 1861, destroyed the class of slave owners, the same class of people who brought shame and disgrace onto your country. Now you are once again being called upon to destroy another class, the bourgeoisie, those who are crushing and exploiting American working people. They too are a shame and a disgrace. The whole world is watching, as you are in the vanguard of the world revolutionary working class movement. You are leading the proletarian revolution in the United States  (America) as well as in all of North America, and very likely South America. It is a tall order, but I have no doubt that you will rise to the occasion, as your forefathers have in the past.

Working people around the world are being inspired by you, and that includes proletarians, petty bourgeois and peasants. You are not alone.

The revolution will almost certainly break out in America and spread to other countries. The success of the conflict will depend largely upon the level of preparation of the working class. By that I mean the preparation of the most advanced stratum of the working class, as the less advanced workers tend to follow the more advanced. This second civil war need not be as long and drawn out as the Civil War of 1861. If fact, the working class, the proletariat, could well seize power within a matter of a day or two, several days at most.

As for those who are skeptical, consider the fact that in Russia, on November 7, 1917, the common people, by whom I mean the workers and peasants, overthrew the bourgeois government. This happened literally overnight, but then it was well organized. The first socialist republic was established, by which I of course mean the Soviet Union.

This revolution was successful because the workers and peasants, led by Lenin and the Communist Party, followed the advice of Marx. It was Marx, no less, who stressed the fact that insurrection must be treated as an art, that you must win the first success and then proceed from success to success, never ceasing the offensive against the enemy, taking advantage of the confusion in the ranks of the enemy, etc. The defensive is the death of every armed uprising.

With that in mind, I am encouraging all working class Americans to read carefully an article Lenin wrote immediately before the Russian revolution of November, 1917, that which overthrew the capitalists, the bourgeoisie. It is titled Marxism and Insurrection, and can be downloaded from the internet. It is most encouraging, as there is currently no party to lead the working class in America, which is to say no American Communist Party. By that I mean, there is no true Communist Party, one which calls for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

In this article, Lenin gave advice on the subject of the approaching armed insurrection. By this he meant the time the proletariat would openly challenge the ruling Russian government, the government set up by the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, with Kerensky at the head. As it is so important, I have chosen to quote it at length.

As Lenin states, ”To be successful, insurrection must rely not upon conspiracy and not upon a party, but upon the advanced class. That is the first point. Insurrection must rely upon that revolutionary upsurge of the people. That is the second point. Insurrection must rely upon that turning point in the history of the growing revolution when the activity of the advanced ranks of the people is at its height, and when the vacillations in the ranks of the enemy and in the rank of the weak, half hearted and irresolute friends of the revolution are strongest. That is the third point…Once these conditions exist, however, to refuse to treat insurrection as an art is a betrayal of Marxism and a betrayal of the revolution.”- all italics by Lenin.

At that time in Russia, the various classes included that of nobility, capitalists, landlords, peasants, small business owners or petty bourgeois, and the workers or proletarians. It was the class of workers, proletarians, which composed the advanced class. The peasants, or at least the vast majority of poor peasants, supported the workers. The petty bourgeois tended to vacillate, supporting the bourgeoisie one day and the workers the next, depending upon the class which seemed to be winning the conflict. Of course the two classes of landlords and nobility generally supported the bourgeoisie, but frequently fought among themselves. The more they fought among themselves, the weaker they were. The weaker they appeared, the more the petty bourgeois supported the common people, the workers and poor peasants.

The current situation in America is different only in the sense that it is simpler. There are fewer classes involved, as Americans gave the nobility their walking papers many years ago. As well, the peasants or farmers have practically been wiped out by the monopoly agrarian corporations. There are still a few small business owners, middle class, those whom the corporate monopolies have yet to destroy, so the petty bourgeois is yet limping along in America. As they are under extreme pressure, they are more likely to side with the revolution, supporting the workers.

As well, advances in communications have made great strides. In particular, the internet has made possible instant communication with all parts of the world. Now we are no longer restricted to ”word of mouth” or even the press. With the various digital devices, which include computers, cell phones, tablets, smart phones and whatever else, we can now keep in touch with each other immediately.

By contrast, in Russia of 1917, it was necessary to send loyal Communists to the factories and barracks, to the workers and military personnel. That was the one and only way in which the temperament of those people could be determined. As well, that was the only way they could be notified of the approaching uprising. Now that we have the internet, such is no longer the case. We would be fools not to use the tools at our disposal.

At that time, there were two major cities in Russia, Saint Petersburg, also known as Petrograd,  and Moscow. Saint Petersburg was at that time the capital, the seat of power, as well as the cultural centre of the country. It was Lenin who directed the insurrection. The Provisional Government, led by Kerensky, was seeking refuge within the Winter Palace of the Czar. The revolutionary forces, that of workers and military personnel, stormed the Winter Palace. The shock troops who were guarding the members of the Provisional Government were brushed aside and the members of the Provisional Government were arrested. At the same time, in Moscow, the revolutionary forces also seized key buildings.

Immediately afterwards, in fact the next day, a new government was established, that of workers and peasants, called the Council of Peoples Commissars, led by Lenin. It was the first true Dictatorship of the Proletariat.

The insurrection in America, which is to say the outbreak of the revolution, should follow a similar course. The seat of power is in Washington, so that the White House will have to be stormed. It is quite possible that the members of the government will seek refuge in the White House, which is to say the members of the Cabinet, the Senators and members of Congress. It is also imperative that the Pentagon be captured.  All members of the administration, as well as all military personnel, especially the Joint Chiefs of Staff, must be arrested.

Once these key people are arrested, they must be denied access to any and all communication devices. Even one phone call can prove to be disastrous, as they will immediately activate a relief expedition. The revolutionary workers and soldiers who guard these people must be truly resolute, as government personnel are accomplished, professional liars. They will no doubt resort to the subterfuge of faking heart attacks or some such illness, demanding medical attention. If they get their hands on a cell phone, they will use it to call for help. All requests for medical assistance must be denied by the guards. Those same guards may take comfort in the fact that even if the sickness is legitimate, one less imperialist in the country is no cause for mourning.

The other major city in the country which deserves special attention is New York. At the same time that Washington is being secured, the stock exchange and communications centres in the financial capital of the country must also be seized. Spokespeople must go on the air and announce that the working class is now in control of the country. The American citizens must be told that the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are no longer in charge. They can also announce that the military is being disbanded. The troops are coming home, and they are coming home alive.

Other major cities should also receive special attention, such as Los Angeles, which is the cultural centre of the country. This may be thought of as going from success to success, as Marx stated. It is absolutely essential to stay on the offensive, keeping the enemy off balance. There can be no greater mistake than going on the defensive.

Major bridges must be secured as well, as the capitalists may use the roads to try to send in troops to crush the rebellion. The railways certainly must be locked down, the rail stations secured. As well, the airports must be shut down. The airport workers can be of great assistance in blocking runways, as that is another port of entry. The shipping docks are to be shut down, as they will try to send in the navy, perhaps with their finest, well trained shock troops, perhaps Marines. We can expect them to send in paratroopers, who tend to be supremely well trained, and we have to be prepared for that. It is essential that the revolutionary forces be armed, and prepared to use those weapons.

It is very likely that many of the people taking part in the insurrection, possibly a majority, will be women. It is to be hoped that many of their husbands will ”grow a set” and join them, but so far women have been leading the revolution and that will likely continue. This could even work in favour of the revolution, in that even the most highly trained, most brutal troops, may be reluctant to fire upon fellow Americans, especially if those fellow Americans are women. Even so, be prepared to return fire, even if that fire is to be directed at only the officers.

Those women have proven themselves to be excellent organizers, as the Womens’ March on Washington proved beyond any doubt. Not only was the march on Washington a raging success, but in almost all cities and towns across the country, women also marched, at the same time. That is precisely the sort of activity we need for the day of the insurrection. Only those who have proven themselves to be such excellent organizers can be counted upon to do so again. The difference is that this time, the goal will be to seize power for the working people, the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.

No doubt this American womens’ organization exists, even though it has been dormant for some time. I have no idea of the name of the organization, although it may be a coalition of various womens’ groups. The precise name is secondary, as is the fact that it arose spontaneously. The important thing is that it exists, it is nation wide, and it has the support of womens’ groups around the world. The fact is that at the time of the march on Washington, women around the world marched in a show of solidarity.

As best I can gather, it is the one and only such organization in the country. These American women have distinguished themselves, and for that they deserve full credit. It is very likely the first time a revolution has been led by women. We can only hope that countless men will be inspired by their example and join the women in the front lines of the class war.

The Womens’ March on Washington proves, beyond a shadow of doubt, that American women are capable of organizing, of planning and carrying out a simultaneous nation wide demonstration. As that is the case, they are also quite capable of organizing an insurrection. It is also the case that the revolutionary motion is gaining strength, so that it is reasonable to assume that a great many men will also be inspired to join their women folk. In that case, the insurrection is sure to succeed, as it did in Russia, within a day or two.

I also suspect that the womens’ organization is an alliance of current or former members of the middle class, with members of the working class. That also is most encouraging, precisely the thing needed for the revolution, an alliance of classes. Now it is up to these American ladies, or at least the leaders of these women, to gauge the correct time to strike. That is where computers and other digital devices come in handy.

In order to gauge the maturity of the working class, it may be necessary to put forward a slogan such as ”All Power to the Working Class” If countless working class people embrace the slogan, then the time for the insurrection is upon us. We may even be able to put forward this slogan on the internet, perhaps facebook or youtube, and see the response we get. It may not be necessary to put forward the slogan on signs and posters and rely upon the bourgeois press to carry the message, although that is still an option.

Possibly the most difficult problem will be to keep the precise timing of the insurrection a secret from the capitalists, the bourgeoisie. There are various government agencies which specialize in eavesdropping on all electronic communications. The less advance warning the capitalist have, the less prepared they will be for the insurrection.

I have complete confidence in those American ladies. They have done it before and they will do it again. No doubt they will rise to the occasion. I am also sure that they will find a way to motivate their husbands and boyfriends. The time is fast approaching when there will be a crying need for those who are proficient in the use of firearms and the application of brute force. That being said, as long as the insurrection is well planned and carried out, the blood shed will be kept to a minimum.

No doubt, the bourgeoisie will send in shock troops to crush the rebellion. Equally without doubt, many of them will be reluctant to shoot fellow Americans, especially if those fellow Americans are prepared to shoot back. With any luck, those shock troops will join us.

For now, I can only suggest a careful reading of Marxism and Insurrection. At the crucial moment, it is proper and necessary to mount an insurrection. The same American women who organized the Womens’ March can use their internet connections to determine the crucial moment. That crucial moment is the point at which the vast majority of working people are prepared to overthrow the bourgeoisie.

Allow me to close this article with the words Lenin chose in closing his article, italics by Lenin: ”It is impossible to remain loyal to Marxism, to remain loyal to the revolution unless insurrection is treated as an art.”

The current American situation is very similar to the situation of Russia in 1917, immediately after the spring revolution. The Russian monarchy was overthrown, which is to say that the Romanov’s were no longer in power. That particular family had been ruling Russia for three hundred years, but the spontaneous uprising of the people of the Russian empire ended that dynasty. A great many of those people were not even Russians, but members of different nationalities, crushed under the rule of the Romanov’s. Now in America we also have people of different nationalities who are being crushed under the rule of the American empire. As well, many of the people who are currently taking part in the revolution are also doing so spontaneously, not fully aware of precisely that which they are doing.

In the case of 1917 Russia, the Marxists, the leaders of the workers and peasants, cannot be blamed for the lack of awareness of the working people. Almost all of them had been arrested under the rule of Czar Nicholas and were either executed or exiled. That includes Lenin, whom had been exiled and was living in Switzerland at the time of the spring Russian revolution. As well, most of the people of Russia were peasants, and the majority of them were illiterate. Then there was the fact that the press was strictly controlled by the agents of the Czar. Any and all socialist literature was strictly forbidden.

The difference is that now in America, most people, but by no means all, are literate. As well, there are very few peasants in America, and those that remain are referred to as farmers. The members of the middle class, small business owners, technically referred to as petty bourgeois, have been all but wiped out by the monopoly capitalists, the imperialists. As for socialist literature, it is available, if only on the internet. Works of Marx and Lenin can readily be downloaded, and the capitalists have no way of controlling this.

The vast majority of people now have computers, or at least have access to computers. The young people in particular have various digital devices, all of which are used as a means of communication. These electronic devices serve the same purpose as the press.

There are also a great many conscious people in America. By that I mean people who are aware of the existence of classes and the conflict between the classes. Most of them are current or former members of the middle class, petty bourgeois, usually people who have been financially ruined, forced into bankruptcy, driven into the ranks of the working class. These people I refer to as Leftist people, or people who are on the Left. Most of them consider themselves to be Marxists or Socialists, while others are politically active because it is the right thing to do. All such Leftist people have my respect.

This is in stark contrast to those who are aware of the current situation, of the fact that the working class is being crushed and exploited by the capitalists, and are further determined to strengthen and further this exploitation. Those people I refer to as members of the Right, or the BCBL, which stands for Belly Crawling Boot Lickers. It should come as no surprise to any reader that I have no respect at all for those people. They are truly contemptible, many of them working class, traitors to their own class.

The important thing to remember is that the working class is not aware of itself as a class, and this class awareness must be brought to the working class from an outside source. That outside source is the middle class, the petty bourgeois. Bear in mind that Marx, Engels and Lenin were middle class, petty bourgeois. They sacrificed a comfortable middle class life style in order to do the right thing, to fight for the working class, the proletariat. Sadly, a great many of the class conscious people in America, those who consider themselves as Marxist or even Leftists, are not following suit.

The fact is that those who are class conscious people, current or former members of the middle class, whether Marxists, Socialists, Communists, Bolsheviks, Independent Socialists, Democratic Socialists or merely progressive people, are not doing their duty.

I realize that is a strong accusation, and no doubt many people will be offended by this. Yet I stand by that which I have stated. Any and all conscious people have the duty to bring the awareness of classes to the working class, the proletariat.

True, there were demonstrations made in the past which were quite successful, but nothing recent. Among other things, I am referring to the marches to the houses, banks and restaurants which are frequented by the members of the Trump administration. This caused considerable embarrassment to certain American officials, and more to the point, was shown on the mainstream press. People loved it, as it was entertaining. Yet the banners and posters were devoid of Marxist slogans, such as Workers of the World, Unite! or Scientific Socialism! or Down With Capitalism! The idea is that workers must be made aware of the existence of classes, and the struggle between the classes. We want to bring that awareness to millions and tens of millions of working people, and the best way to do that is by saying it in a manner which is entertaining.

Without doubt, there are a great many Leftist people who are professional entertainers. The members of the Me Too movement are living proof of that. Now it is a simple matter of persuading those Leftist people to do that which they do best, to entertain, while at the same time carrying the Marxist message to the working class.

It is entirely possible that the revolutionary movement has been -temporarily- side tracked by the uproar to impeach Trump and remove him from office. The monopoly capitalists, the bourgeoisie, may have decided to ”throw Trump under the bus”, as they refer to it, in an effort to derail the revolution. As they are completely devoid of principle, it is not beneath them.

Certainly the press is focused on this spectacle, including the conflict between the Speaker of the House and the members of the Squad. The press is also quite gleefully pointing out the lies and hypocrisy of Trump and his merry band of boot lickers.

As the press is owned and operated by the capitalists, it is clear that the journalists have been turned loose on Trump, in much the same way that well trained attack dogs are turned loose on people. The journalists are also well trained and are tearing into Trump with a vengeance. It is very likely that they hate the man -who can blame them?- and are doing a fine job of pointing out the obvious. For this they deserve full credit.

The fact remains that Trump is a mere figurehead, a puppet who is being manipulated by some very highly placed American officials, loyal servants of the bourgeoisie. They refer to themselves as the Resistance, and I refer to them as the White House Resistance, in order to distinguish them from the Leftist resistance. This White House Resistance  very likely is composed of most, if not all, of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, among others. They are the puppet masters who pull the strings of Trump.

This point was driven home recently when Trump was prevented from going to war with Iran. Not that Trump referred to it as war, but as a ”proportional military strike”. As if changing the name changes the nature of the beast! The members of the White House Resistance knew precisely what it was, and decided to stop Trump, not out of respect for any humanitarian concerns but only because they considered that it would adversely affect their profits. If nothing else, this drives home the point that the military are firmly in control of the country.

Having said that, I will now appeal to the millions of working people who have recently become politically active, as a result of the revolutionary movement which is currently sweeping the world, and which is being led in North America by the United States (Americans), and in particular American women. Way to go, American ladies!

To such people I can only say that it is perfectly understandable if you find the situation confusing, if not depressing. To see the country that you love so deeply divided! No doubt it reminds people of the Civil War, when it was neighbour against neighbour and brother against brother. That is true, just as it is true that the end result of that war was the defeat of the class of slave owners. That is the way we have to look at the civil war which is on the horizon, the second American revolution. It is a war between classes. It is a war which has to be fought, and the workers have to win that war, because the bourgeoisie have to be defeated. This is another way of saying that it is a just war.

In fact, the current American situation is much simpler than the situation of Russia in 1917. Now there are only two classes in conflict, the capitalists, technically referred to as the bourgeoisie, and the workers, technically referred to as the proletariat.

As I mentioned, I am writing this with the members of the working class in mind, so I am explaining these technical terms and being repetitive. These are terms with which all working people must become familiar, as knowledge is power, and if we are not aware of these terms, then the capitalists will use this against us.

It may help to think of the billionaires as the bourgeoisie, because that is precisely what they are. They are parasites, leaches on society, taking everything and giving nothing in return. They contribute nothing to society, possess more money than they can ever hope to spend and are never satisfied. Whatever they have, it is not enough. They are constantly trying to squeeze ever more money from the working class. They have more money, in total, hidden in ”offshore accounts”, than the country owes. To put this in perspective, the national debt stands at twenty two thousand billion, or twenty two trillion. That is a mind boggling amount, and yet the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, have more than that amount of money placed in banks in other countries. They are determined to hang on to this money, and even add to it, while at the same time not paying any taxes.

As the Leftist people are not doing their duty, I can only suggest that working class people -I also refer to such people as common people- should take the bull by the horns and do that which most common people in Russia could not do, and that is educate themselves.

This may not be as difficult as it may sound, as there is no need to read everything Marx and Lenin wrote. For that matter it is not practical. It is not necessary to immerse ourselves in Marxist literature. We just have to focus on that which is most relevant.

Of course I am referring to State and Revolution, written by Lenin in the fall of 1917. After the overthrow of Czar Nicholas in the spring of that year, Lenin managed to return to Russia in a sealed train, and carry on his revolutionary work within the country. It did not take long before the newly created bourgeois republic, led by Kerensky, determined that Lenin was a supremely dangerous man, and decided to kill him. For that reason, he was disguised as a peasant and fled to Finland. In secret, faced with the difficulties of overthrowing the bourgeoisie and establishing a new socialist society, he wrote that which is widely considered his greatest masterpiece, State and Revolution.

This work of Lenin is available in pamphlet form and can be bought online or it can simply be downloaded from the internet. For older working class people, those who may not be all that familiar with high tech, I can suggest enlisting the assistance of the younger generation. I have found them to be quite helpful, in that respect, if nothing else. To be referred to as a Caveman can quickly become rather tiresome. Yet my children never seem to tire of it. But then I spoiled my children when they were growing up, and now I am paying the price.

The important thing to remember is that the country is now a powder keg. Any spark could cause an explosion, by which I mean a full blown revolution. Class against class, workers against capitalists, proletariat against bourgeoisie. There is no middle ground. The revolution may break out before the 20-20 election. We have no way of knowing. The only thing we know for sure is that we had best be prepared.

Just as in the eighteen fifties, in America, the country was deeply divided. Everyone knew the country was on the brink of civil war, but on one wanted to admit this. But then no one was terribly surprised when Fort Sumter was attacked in 1861, as that was the start of the Civil War.

This is not to say that the common people, by whom I mean the workers, farmers and small business owners, were aware that it was a class conflict, the capitalists against the slave owners. Those two classes are traditional enemies, as capitalism and slavery are incompatible. The capitalists want to invest their capital, taking advantage of any and all natural resources, as well as hiring an inexpensive labour force – they refer to it as cheap labour – while the slave owners want to keep growing their crops -this is referred to as an agrarian economy- using slave labour. Of course the two classes were on a collision course, and the end result was the Civil War.

At that time, the American workers, farmers and small business owners of the north,  aided the capitalists in crushing the slave owners. Then too, the southern slaves, or at least those who were able to escape from bondage, were also of service. Many southern escaped slaves were able to join the Union Army and fought the Confederates, and in fact they distinguished themselves. It is safe to say that those soldiers were more motivated than most Union troops.

To return to the current situation, it may help to think of capitalism as wage slavery, because that is precisely what it is. Now as workers, proletarians, we are forced to sell ourselves by the hour. We have no choice in the matter. If nothing else, it beats starvation. We in turn take pride in our work, and the capitalists express their appreciation by blaming us for their incompetence, firing us on impulse. Welcome to the wonderful world of the class struggle!

The good news is that the capitalists, bourgeoisie, have managed to simplify the class struggle. They have pretty well destroyed the petty bourgeois, the small business owner, and the owner of the family farm, as well as the slave owners. Bully for you, capitalists! You have done a fine job of digging your own grave! Do not be surprised when we place you in those graves.

My heart goes out to working class Americans, because they are a heroic people, blessed with a proud revolutionary history. Now they are once again going to have to break the bonds of tyranny, as they previously did, first in 1776 and later in 1861. First they threw off the yoke of British rule and later they crushed the class of slave owners, each time at the great expense of American blood. Now they are leading the American working class revolutionary movement, (very likely throughout North America and probably South America), preparing to crush the monopoly capitalists, those who are technically referred to as imperialists. These American workers have my utmost respect.

No doubt there are many who think that no war, revolutionary or not, can justify the violence, the bloodletting, the loss of life. To such people I can only say that my heart goes out to you, and I deeply regret that it is not true. Just consider the following facts:

American working class seniors, those who built the country, are now suffering and dying because they cannot afford the meds they so desperately need

American working class students are staggering under student loans, which they very likely will never be able to repay

American working class children are being neglected because their parents are forced to work two or even three jobs, just to make ends meet

American workers are losing well paying manufacturing jobs for various reasons, including automation and factory closures, and forced to seek minimum wage jobs

Americans workers are facing bankruptcy and mortgage foreclosures, losing their homes, in record numbers

Americans workers are living on the streets and eating from trash cans, being completely degraded

Immigrants who came to the country in desperation, seeking a better way of life, just as our ancestors did, are being separated from their children and thrown in jail

The children of immigrants are also being thrown in jail, the infants crying for their parents

American capitalists are enjoying record profits, with the stock market at an all time high

American president Trump is now telling Americans to leave their country

I can only stress that these are facts, and these facts speak for themselves. For the workers, to paraphrase a famous British author, this is the worst of times, while for the capitalists, this is the best of times. There is a reason for this. The capitalists, the bourgeoisie, make their profit off the labour power of working people. The harder they work us and the less they pay us, the higher their profit. That which is best for the capitalists is the worst for the workers. The profits of the capitalists are at a record high because the poverty and suffering of the working class is at a record high.

This brings us back to educating the working class, or more accurately, encouraging the workers to educate themselves. I can only suggest that workers, or better yet groups of workers, get together and read that which is perhaps the greatest masterpiece of Lenin, and one which is especially relevant. Of course I am referring to State and Revolution. In this book Lenin explains quite clearly just what the proletariat will have to do in order to free themselves from capitalist tyranny.

It is only natural that working class Americans may wonder just what Lenin means by the State. In America, that mainly refers to the vast military, which contains many branches, as well as the various law enforcement agencies, complete with jails, prisons, courts and other coercive institutions. This is referred to as a state apparatus or a ”public power”, or a ”special coercive force”, to use the expressions of Engels. This public power was established by the ruling class, in this case the bourgeoisie, in order to keep the ”lower class”, in this case the working class, the proletariat, in subjugation. That is the one and only reason for the existence of the state apparatus, the public power. It is set up to crush and exploit the working class.

Lenin goes on to explain that this same state apparatus, this public power, must be destroyed, crushed, at the time of the revolution. It must be replaced by a new working class state apparatus, an apparatus set up to crush the tiny minority, the monopoly capitalists, the bourgeoisie. This new state apparatus is referred to as the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. As Lenin points out, ”The suppression of the bourgeois state by the proletarian state is impossible without a violent revolution.” Further, he goes on to say that ”Only he is a Marxist who extends the recognition of the class struggle to the recognition of the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.” –my italics.

It is to be stressed that the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, cannot be overthrown by taking over Washington, complete with the various government agencies and organizations. Those same agencies and organizations must be crushed and replaced with a working class state apparatus, one which can and will be used to crush the bourgeoisie, the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat.

I repeat, a careful reading of State and Revolution by all working class people is the way forward.

This is a time of revolution, or at least a time of the revolutionary upsurge of members of the working class. Millions of Americans, including those who have previously been apathetic, are now taking an interest in politics. From within this spontaneous uprising of citizens, certain leaders are emerging. In particular, four women, those who describe themselves as ”women of colour” and whom the press refer to as ”the Squad”, are distinguishing themselves. They have been elected to the House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the Congress, and are taking a principled stand. They are standing up to Trump and the Speaker of the House, truly representing their constituency, and not the party bosses in Washington. This is truly a revolutionary development, unheard of in Washington.

For that reason, I refer to them as the Proletarian Headquarters, because they are precisely that.  It is very likely that they are not aware of this as yet, but that in no way diminishes their importance. They will soon find out that they are spearheading the American revolution.

They constitute a dual level of power, one which the capitalists cannot crush, as they have been elected to the Congress. It is almost certain that their numbers will rise dramatically in the next election, as ever more Americans join the two mainstream political parties, as card carrying members, and nominate ever more members of the working class for political office, on behalf of both parties. It matters not whether democratically elected politicians are members of one particular party or another. The important thing that they serve the working class.

For the benefit of the countless members of the working class who are just now becoming politically active -Welcome, my Brothers and Sisters!- I will mention that we live under capitalism in its highest, most decadent form, which is monopoly capitalism, technically referred to as imperialism. As Lenin says, ”Imperialism is reaction, right down the line”. This is to say that there is nothing progressive about imperialism.

I explained in a previous article that it is easy to become a party boss, which is the name people have for a card carrying member of either party. It is as simple as applying for membership, which can be done on line. It is such members who decide the individual to run for any and all political office. As I fully expect countless working class Americans to join the two parties, it is reasonable to expect that Washington will soon be flooded with working class politicians, or at least people who represent the working class. Such politicians will join the Squad, the Proletarian Headquarters, and will further strengthen the dual level of power.

All of the other politicians in Washington, as well as in other parts of the country, represent the monopoly capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. That class of people, the bourgeoisie, are not about to tolerate such a challenge to their authority, and we had best be prepared for their response.

It is quite likely they will attempt to resort to a ”coalition” government, in order to fool, divide and weaken the workers. In other countries, most notably Britain and France, such a ”coalition” has been used with considerable success. In such cases, a joint cabinet is formed, containing loyal servants of the bourgeoisie, as well as turncoats to socialism, traitors to the working class. Invariably, whenever these ”socialist” leaders joined a bourgeois cabinet, they proved to be puppets, figureheads, screens for the capitalists, instruments for deceiving the workers.

It may be objected that the members of the Squad make no claim to be socialists. That is absolutely true, just as it is true that most of the working people who are about to be elected to political office, in the 20-20 election, will very likely not be socialists. It is also true that the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie, are not impressed by this. They are supremely well aware that the government can represent the class of capitalists, the bourgeoisie, or it can represent the class of workers, the proletarians. It cannot represent both. There is no middle ground. There can be no dual level of power, or at least, not for long. One class or the other will emerge triumphant.

In almost all previous coalition governments, in other countries, the bourgeoisie triumphed, if only because the number of working people elected to office were rather few. These few people, who were supposed to represent the working class, if not socialism, were then successfully bribed. They were given well paying if meaningless posts within the government, complete with a generous expense account, and allowed to make speeches to deceive the working class. For the most part, this was successful, at least for a short time. We can expect our current crop of parasites, our very own bourgeoisie, to resort to the same tactics.

Yet there is strength in numbers. As long as a great number of working class people are elected to office, then that tactic will not be successful, if only because there will be too many working class people to bribe. As an alternative method of rule, the bourgeoisie may decide to amend the constitution, in order to give a semblance of legality to their rule. Such amendments require a vote of two thirds of the states, and if nothing else, drives home the importance of electing people to office on a state and local level, not just a federal level.

As Lenin pointed out, ”The bourgeoisie will betray their country and commit any crime to retain both their power over the people and their profits.” If these efforts towards a coalition government are unsuccessful, then we can expect these people, the members of the class we refer to as the bourgeoisie, to resort to more primitive methods, such as scrapping the constitution and setting up  an autocracy, in which only the select few have the right to vote. Or then again, they may just declare martial law.

Now it is up to Marxists, conscious people, to raise the level of awareness of the working class. Working people have got to be encouraged to join the two mainstream political parties, as card carrying members, and nominate candidates for office, at all levels. At the same time workers should be advised that the capitalists are not about to relinquish power voluntarily. They will resort to any subterfuge, any crime, any act of treason, to maintain their wealth and power.

It is merely a matter of time before the working class people who are elected to office, including the Squad, the Proletarian Headquarters, come to realize that Marxists are right. The only alternative to capitalism is scientific socialism, in the form of the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. The same is true of the working class people who are about to assume office, as well as the members of the public. Now it is up to conscious people, Marxists, to hasten the process, to bring that awareness to the working class,

As Marx said, the proletariat has nothing to lose but their chains.

President Trump has stooped to an all new depth of depravity, suggesting that the newly elected members of Congress, the four members of the Democratic Party who refer to themselves as ”women of colour”, should ”return to their country”. The press is now referring the them as ”The Squad”, which shows that they have managed to separate themselves from the other Democratic members of Congress. (I should mention that the House of Representatives is generally referred to as the Congress). Perhaps it is more accurate to refer to them as the Proletarian Headquarters, which is currently based in Washington, because that is precisely what they are.

These four women, the members of The Squad, are clearly women of principle. They are doing the right thing, their duty, representing their constituency, defying the president and the Speaker of the House. As the Democrats now have a majority in the Congress, the Speaker of the House is a Democrat and she expects all Democratic members of the House to do as they are told. It is safe to say that all other Democratic members of the House are ”behaving themselves”, while the members of The Squad are answering to their voters. Such a display of courage is rarely seen in Washington. In fact, it is nothing less than revolutionary, class warfare in the heart of the American empire.

As all Marxists are well aware, the two mainstream political parties, Democratic and Republican, serve the same class, which is the capitalists, the billionaires, the bourgeoisie. The capitalists do their best to give working people the impression that there is a difference between the two parties. The Democratic Party in particular is billed as the party of the middle class. The capitalists would have us believe that American citizens who are managing to make ends meet, even with great difficulty, are members of the middle class. They are not. Such working people are members of the working class, and the Democratic party serves the bourgeoisie, which is the same class which is served by the Republicans.

In fact, the vast majority of Americans are working class, proletarians, working for wages. The middle class, or petty bourgeois, are the small business owners, and there are very few of them. Most of them have been ruined by the monopoly capitalists, the bourgeoisie. The small business owner simply cannot compete, just as the peasants, referred to as farmers in North America, cannot compete. Both classes have been practically wiped out. Any and all competition to the monopolies, no matter how slight, is simply not allowed. The capitalists go to great length to protect their profits.

If nothing else, that simplifies the class struggle. Now it is workers against capitalists, proletarians versus the bourgeoisie. There is no middle ground.

Trump is now in a frenzy. It is very likely that he is aware, if only instinctively, that the Squad is nothing less than a dual layer of power, one which he cannot crush by brute force. They are a threat to him and his class. They have been elected to Congress and have assumed a leadership role. He may not be able to crush them, but he can certainly slander them. He is suggesting they return to their country of birth, even though only one of them was born in a different country, and she has been an American citizen since she was in her teens. Such little details do not concern Trump. His only concern is that of protecting the class of which he is a member and which he represents, the bourgeoisie. Perhaps he thinks that he can silence them by insulting them. We have got to make sure that never happens.

The press is reporting that Trump is a racist, which is certainly true, and it is also true that he is prejudiced against women, especially women who do not ”know their place”. As far as Trump is concerned, a womans place is horizontal.

As further punishment, Trump is accusing these women of being socialists. They are not socialists, or at least not yet, but as far as Trump and the other members of the bourgeoisie are concerned, that is the supreme insult.

These women, the members of The Squad, are on the right track. They are taking a principled stand. At the same time, they are providing the working class, the proletarians, with an education. Whether they know it or not, they are letting working people know that any and all politicians either represent the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, or the workers, the proletarians. Once again, in the class struggle, there is no middle ground.

We can only hope that the capitalists continue to accuse those women of being socialists. With any luck, they may even be accused of trying to establish the dictatorship of the proletariat. That can only help to raise the level of awareness of the working class. No doubt the capitalists are using the word socialist to scare themselves and other people, in that the other people are members of the working class. The fact is that members of the working class have nothing to fear from socialism, which can only benefit the workers. But then no one in his right mind has ever accused the capitalists, the bourgeoisie, of being logical.

On the other hand, the bourgeoisie have every reason to be scared, as scientific socialism implies the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat, which is the state apparatus which will be soon set up, after the revolution, and used to break the resistance of the capitalists.

Now we have to prepare for that dictatorship, and there is no time to lose, as the revolution could break out any day. Perhaps the first order of business is to protect the Squad, the proletarian headquarters. As they are a mere four members out of four hundred thirty five members of Congress, they are likely feeling like a minority, which is precisely what they are. They are also spearheading the assault on the capitalist headquarters in Washington, and must be protected. It may help to think of them as having a toe hold on the beach head of the fortress of the enemy. They must be encouraged to hold their ground, at least until reinforcements arrive, in the next election.

With that in mind, I can only suggest that those who have recently become members of the two parties, Republican and Democratic, flex their muscles. By that I mean a possible march on Washington, and in particular to the office of the Speaker of the House. (I should add that for the purpose of this article I refer to card carrying members of the two parties as members.) Even those who have applied for membership and are waiting for their cards to arrive should join the march. I suggest carrying signs with a number on them, which represents the days until the next election, at which point numerous Leftist people will be elected to office in Washington, especially in the Congress, and one of the first orders of business will be to depose the Speaker of the House. I am sure that such a demonstration will make headlines, which is precisely what we need to raise the level of awareness of the working class. It will also raise the morale of the Squad, the Proletarian Headquarters. They will know that they are not alone, that they have the support of the working class.

This is not to say that we can achieve socialism by taking over the two parties and flooding Washington with socialists. At least, that is the opinion of all Marxists, but not all Leftist people are Marxists. There are a considerable number of Leftist people, many of whom consider themselves to be socialists but not Marxists, who think that a peaceful transition to socialism is possible. Even though they are mistaken, we have got to respect their belief. At the same time, there are a great many working people who are of that opinion. It is only natural that they believe the lies of the capitalists, as they are constantly being bombarded with such propaganda. Working people who are honest tend to believe that others are also honest.

With respect to such honest people, those who are conscious members of the Left or working class people, members of the public, a certain amount of patience is required. They will soon learn, from their own experience, that the capitalists are not about to surrender their power peacefully.

As I write this, the 20-20 elections, as they are called, are still over a year away. Yet the various Democratic candidates for president, and there are about two dozen of them, have already raised possibly hundreds of millions of dollars, in total. A greater waste of money is difficult to imagine. Yet the press is keeping close track of the fund raising amounts of each candidate. They think the candidate who raises the most money will win the nomination for president, on behalf of the Democratic Party. Sadly, I can see their point.

Under capitalism, everything is for sale. That includes the presidency.

Now it is up to us, by which I mean Leftist people, to let the working people know that is about to change. At the same time, the press should get the message. The tidal wave of revolution is about to sweep the country. The days of political offices being sold to the highest bidder are over. The working class, the proletariat, is on the offensive. We will first flood the two parties with Leftist people, and the two parties will in turn flood Washington with Leftist politicians.

Very soon the Squad, the Proletarian Headquarters, will no longer be a minority. They will be a majority.