revcom.us, August 12, 2019 through August 18, 2019 (#608)

Voice of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA

Please note: this page is intended for quick printing of one week's articles. Some of the links may not work when clicked, and some images may be missing. Please go to the article's permalink if you require working links and images.

 


 

Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/607/why-we-blocked-lake-shore-drive-and-disrupted-business-as-usual-in-the-loop-en.html

Why We Blocked Lake Shore Drive and Disrupted Business as Usual in the Loop

by a member of the National Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution Tour

| revcom.us

 

On Thursday, August 8, 2019, in response to the white supremacist murders in El Paso and mass ICE raids and detentions in Mississippi, dozens of protesters, led by the Revolution Club Chicago and the National Revolution Tour, took to the streets in a defiant march through the Loop (in downtown Chicago), which culminated in shutting down Lake Shore Drive, a major thoroughfare, during evening rush-hour traffic.

In the face of an atmosphere of fear and repression, with the Trump/Pence regime unleashing violent thugs and white supremacists to carry out atrocities, including massacres, targeting whole sections of people, those taking part in this protest carried out an important act of resistance, and changed themselves in the process. The demonstrators raised the slogans: “WE STAND WITH IMMIGRANTS; We Refuse to Kill Each Other; We Need Revolution—Nothing Less!; and WE REFUSE TO ACCEPT A FASCIST AMERICA—The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go!”

A young woman who came into the city from three hours away from a place where she regularly sees Trump 2020 signs and Confederate flags held back tears as she expressed on the microphone what millions of Latinos are currently feeling: “Iʼm tired of living in fear.”

The bold action began at the intersection of State and Jackson and snaked through the crowded streets and walkways of downtown, chanting, “Silence is complicity/with white supremacy/Which side are you on?” and “BASTA YA! NO MORE! Trump and Pence Must Go!” accumulating forces along the way. Our diversity of forces, which included people from around the country on the National Tour, members of the Chicago Revolution Club, broader forces with Refuse Fascism, and people who were not organized but met us on the spot (mainly Black and Latino youth), represent, in embryonic form, the breadth and diversity of the people who need to be a part of this movement for revolution. People got connected to the revolution on the spot and were recruited to become organizers, taking up basic tasks like passing out fliers to the crowds.

The protest was infused with a radical, internationalist spirit, as march leaders posed to bystanders the question: “What are *you* going to fight for? We are fighting for a world WITHOUT borders!” They challenged everyone to pick a side and posed the reality that it will take a revolution and nothing less to end this madness and bring about a world fit for humanity.

After marching through Millennium Park, the march leaders broke into a sprint.

People at the back of the march had no idea why they had started to run, but they took their lead, overcome with the joy of resistance, and ran toward Lake Shore Drive. Chicago pigs scrambled as a group of revolutionaries blocked the roadway with a massive banner that read: “El Paso: WE STAND WITH IMMIGRANTS—TRUMP IS A FASCIST—REVOLUTION NOTHING LESS!” Members of Refuse Fascism also blocked, with signs calling for the driving out of the fascist regime. It was the height of rush hour, and while some motorists were frustrated or even angered, there were also strong shows of support from the masses. One man got out of his car and said simply to a revolutionary, “Iʼm with the People”. A crowd of people gathered from the park and cheered on the protesters. Many—especially the youths who had joined up—surprised themselves and gave strength to everyone by surging into the street to join those blocking traffic and holding the banner. The air was filled with a mix of defiance and sheer joy.

After making their message heard, demonstrators were led safely off the street into a rally headed by Noche Diaz, who congratulated those who took part, but stressed that this needs to go further—we canʼt just go home thinking we did something good and leave it at that—that those masses who stepped forward to be a part of this need to be actively organized into the revolution. There IS a strategy, leadership, and organization to get with NOW to get ready for the time when we could really make revolution. Bob Avakian has charted the pathway to human emancipation with the New Communism—a thoroughly scientific method and approach to understanding and changing the world which can and should be taken up by everyone who wants to work toward a radically different and far better future for all humanity, and Noche called on people to get into BA. Because of all this, he said, because of BA and the movement he is leading, humanity does have hope. But there are not nearly enough people taking up this leadership and working to make this hope a reality—and this is what everyone who was inspired by the day’s action needs to become part of changing.

This was something the streets of Chicago had not seen before—a force of people, a small critical mass, impacting society with REAL revolution, led by a core of agitators on fire for BAʼs New Communism and determined to not only strengthen the resistance against the crimes of this system, but build a movement to bring this whole capitalist-imperialist system down at the soonest possible time.

Imagine if there were thousands of such revolutionaries in different cities around the country, united around a revolutionary line, and ready to seize on the “jolts” in society and the world to advance the revolution humanity needs to get free. This is the mission and cause of the National Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution Tour, which is now in Chicago and plans to cross the whole country this year to build such a movement.

Donate Generously to the National Revolution Tour.
WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?
Are you on the side of white supremacy and fascism? Or are you on the side of ending this oppression?
Now is the time to DONATE!

Read more

 

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/607/urgent-call-from-the-revolution-club-take-the-streets-thursday-august-8-en.html

Urgent Call from the Revolution Club:

Take the Streets

| revcom.us

 

After the white supremacist murders in El Paso... after the concentration camps on the border and the torture of children... after "send them back"...

WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?

Are you on the side of white supremacy and fascism? Or are you on the side of ending this oppression?

The horror now going on will not be solved by "gun control." The problem is this imperialist system, the white supremacy that is knitted into its every fiber, and the fact that there are too many guns in the hands of those fighting for fascism and not enough fighting spirit among the people who say they oppose it. Every person who has a conscience and cares about humanity really does have to get off their ass, stop waiting for 2020 (which won't begin to touch the problem anyway), stop being complicit, and do something NOW.

Stand with the Immigrants! Basta Ya! No More!!!

In the Name of Humanity,
We REFUSE to Accept a Fascist America!
Drive Out the Trump/Pence Fascist Regime!

We are the REVOLUTION CLUB, and we are working to overthrow this system through mass revolution, aiming at the emancipation of all humanity from all forms of oppression. We stand and fight for:

Revolution—NOTHING LESS!
We Want a World Without Borders,
And the Emancipation of Humanity!

We are recruiting for that revolution right now, to move toward the time when we can get rid of this. And we are also supporting the movement to unite millions right now to drive out this fascist regime with massive, sustained, nonviolent resistance, as called for by Refuse Fascism, and we call on everyone to take a stand against this white supremacist madness!

Revolution Club, Chicago
(312) 804-9121
Revclub.chi@gmail.com
facebook.com/revclubchi/
1857 E. 71st Street
Chicago, Illinois 60649

 

 

Follow: @TheRevcoms
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Watch: youtube.com/TheRevComs

 

Together, WE passed $40,000 in revcom's Winter fundraising campaign to “Transform Revcom.us’ Web Technology and Presence”!

Reaching this goal is a real achievement and a victory for the people of the world, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated efforts of many people working creatively and collectively to meet this pressing need: those who donated whether large or small contributions, who fundraised, who spread the campaign, who sent statements, who raised comments, questions, criticisms or suggestions – and of course those who worked so hard on modernizing and upgrading our web technology and presence. It all made a difference!

The Ongoing Need for Sustainers

During this four month fund drive, Revcom.us continued to incur thousands of dollars of costs each month for our office, maintaining our existing site and other expenses. But thanks to our existing monthly sustainers we were able to meet these expenses and use all the funds raised in the drive to transform the website.

So we encourage all our donors and those who’ve not yet donated to become monthly sustainers at whatever level you can afford.

Remember, humanity’s fate truly hinges on millions taking up the revolutionary science, strategy, and new communism brought forward by Bob Avakian which they can find at revcom.us.

You’ve read this article and now you need to be part of making sure revcom.us is able to make an urgently needed leap and transformation.

 

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/608/massive-mississippi-raids-mark-major-step-in-fascism-en.html

ICE Raids in Mississippi Leave Children Stranded in the Streets and Crying for Their Parents...
Massive Mississippi Raids Mark Major Step in FASCISM

| revcom.us

 

On August 7, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raided seven food processing plants and arrested about 680 people in several Mississippi towns. The raids ripped holes in these communities, and were designed to terrorize people across the country. BuzzFeedNews reported that a pastor in one of the towns where a raid occurred said, “People are terrified. They’re scared to death.”

As the sun rose, a swarm of 600 ICE agents rolled off in buses across northern Mississippi and surrounded the plants. Gun toting agents pulled people off their lines, cuffed them and marched them in front of cameras in what ICE’s acting director called a “textbook operation.” A U.S. attorney boasted that this was the “largest single-state worksite enforcement action in the nation’s history.”

Children coming home from their first day of school found their parents gone. A Jackson TV station reported that “neighbors, and even strangers” picked up children dropped off at empty homes and took them to a local gym that became a makeshift shelter. A woman who went to the gym told a reporter she knew the mother of some boys there. She said, “[T]heir mom has been here for 15 years and she has no record.” A weeping Magdalena Gomez Gregorio, 11, said to a TV reporter, “Government, please show some heart. Let my parent be free with everybody else please.... I need my dad and mommy. My dad didn’t do anything, he’s not a criminal.”

Many people arrested were immediately transported to warehouses to be “interviewed, fingerprinted and photographed by ICE agents, processed for removal from the United States, and transported to an ICE facility in Jena, Louisiana,” (statement of the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of Mississippi). By the end of the day, about 300 of the people arrested had been released by ICE. Some of these people were juveniles, as young as 14.

Which Side Are You On?

ICE claimed it released some people on “humanitarian” grounds, to reunite children with their parents. This transparent lie is vicious even by ICE standards. ICE’s official statement says that “In all cases, all the illegal aliens encountered as part of this operation are either being placed into removal proceedings before the federal immigration courts, and for those who already received due process and have been ordered removed, processed for removal from the US.” In other words, ICE fully intends to deport everyone arrested.

The raids occurred during a week that saw mass slaughter of Mexican and Chicano people in El Paso. They came on the same day Trump visited El Paso, a city which has been central to his rabid, fascist attacks on Mexicans from the moment he launched his campaign for the presidency. These events are part of a process of ethnic cleansing, by the state, by white supremacist vigilantes, and racist mobs.

Then, on Friday after the Mississippi raids, Trump promised more of the same. “I want people to know that if they come into the United States illegally, they’re getting out; they’re going to be brought out. And this [the raids and the images of crying children] serves as a very good deterrent... I just hope they keep it up.”

Listen to what these fascists are telling you. The raids and arrests are going to intensify. They intend to deport everyone caught up in them. They don’t give a good goddamn about the kids and their families.

These horrors will continue on an even larger scale if they aren’t countered with fierce resistance by masses of people of all nationalities, immigrant and non-immigrant. A reporter for the New York Times quoted a Chicano lawyer in Texas who said after El Paso, “Many clients tell me, ‘We’re the new Jews, we’re just like the Jews.’” And remember, at the same time, Trump has been using straight-up Hitler-style language to describe the oppressed areas in which masses of Black people are forced to live, talking about “infestation” and “vermin.”

This is no time to put your hopes in the delusion that the Democrats will finally call for the kind of resistance needed to stop this fascist onslaught. They aren’t—and they can’t and they won’t. The Democrats represent the same system of capitalism-imperialism as the Republicans. This is a system whose vampire heart is nourished by ever more relentless exploitation of literally billions of people on this planet, backed up by the kind of cruel repression and violence on display in Mississippi, El Paso, and along the length of the border. If anything cries out for an actual revolution to overthrow this system, it is the demonization, criminalization, and massive deportation of immigrants—the ramping up of violent ethnic cleansing with a definite genocidal logic at its core.

Time is short, and decisions must be made. As the National Revolution Tour said in the statement on the El Paso massacre, “The question is, WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON? Are you on the side of white supremacy and fascism? Or are you on the side of ending this oppression?”

What are you going to do now?

Magdalena Gomez Gregorio, 11 years old, pleads for the return of her father.


Photo: ICE

U.S. Immigration raided several Mississippi food processing plants, including this Koch Foods Inc. plant in Morton, Miss., Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019. The early morning raids were part of a large-scale operation targeting allegedly undocumented employees.


Photo: AP

Follow: @TheRevcoms
Read: www.revcom.us
Watch: youtube.com/TheRevComs

 

Together, WE passed $40,000 in revcom's Winter fundraising campaign to “Transform Revcom.us’ Web Technology and Presence”!

Reaching this goal is a real achievement and a victory for the people of the world, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated efforts of many people working creatively and collectively to meet this pressing need: those who donated whether large or small contributions, who fundraised, who spread the campaign, who sent statements, who raised comments, questions, criticisms or suggestions – and of course those who worked so hard on modernizing and upgrading our web technology and presence. It all made a difference!

The Ongoing Need for Sustainers

During this four month fund drive, Revcom.us continued to incur thousands of dollars of costs each month for our office, maintaining our existing site and other expenses. But thanks to our existing monthly sustainers we were able to meet these expenses and use all the funds raised in the drive to transform the website.

So we encourage all our donors and those who’ve not yet donated to become monthly sustainers at whatever level you can afford.

Remember, humanity’s fate truly hinges on millions taking up the revolutionary science, strategy, and new communism brought forward by Bob Avakian which they can find at revcom.us.

You’ve read this article and now you need to be part of making sure revcom.us is able to make an urgently needed leap and transformation.

 

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/607/chicago-showing-of-why-we-need-an-actual-revolution-and-how-we-can-really-make-revolution-a-speech-by-bob-avakian-en.html

Chicago Showing of:

WHY WE NEED AN ACTUAL REVOLUTION AND HOW WE CAN REALLY MAKE REVOLUTION
A Speech by Bob Avakian

| revcom.us

 

A FILM OF THIS SPEECH

followed by discussion

August 18, Sunday, 2 pm to 6 pm
Logan Center for the Arts (2nd Fl theater)
915 E. 60th (& Drexel), Chicago

Free parking in lot at 60th and Drexel

Sponsors:

"...we have two choices: either, live with all this—and condemn future generations to the same, or worse, if they have a future at all—or, make revolution!" —Bob Avakian

3 Reasons you should come to this film:

  1. There's never been a leader like Bob Avakian.  This film lets you begin to find out why.
  2. Hear Bob Avakian speak on why we need a revolution and hear the strategy that could actually defeat this monster that rules over people here and around the world.
  3. Meet members of the National Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution Tour and learn how you can take part in the revolution.

Bob Avakian is the leader of the revolution and the architect of the new communism.

Revolution Club, Chicago
312.804.9121
revclub.chi@gmail.com
@revclubchi
Organizing Center:
1857 E. 71st St., Chicago

Download palmcard PDF
(front and back in one file)

 

Download palmcard PDF
(front and back in one file)

 

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/608/revolutionaries-represent-at-chicago-bud-billiken-parade-en.html

Revolutionaries Represent at Chicago's Bud Billiken Parade

| revcom.us

 

“There’s a whole other way the world could be/Make revolution, get humanity free.”

This was the chant that rang out from the truck decorated with a huge portrait of Bob Avakian and revolutionary slogans. It was led by a crew of agitators from the National Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution Tour and the Revolution Club of Chicago, it was shouted out by 25 people marching in the Club contingent, and it was taken up and echoed by fist-raising spectators throughout the 2 1/2- mile length of the Bud Billiken Parade in Chicago last Saturday.

The Bud Billiken Parade celebrates Black youth and provides free school supplies for the new year. The Club was there to sharply bring out that this system has NO FUTURE for the youth—but the REVOLUTION DOES. Through its sharp and enthusiastic marching in hours of heat, its creative skits along the way, its agitation booming out over the powerful sound system and chants like the one above, the Club brought out both aspects: the horror of what this system offers, and the bright future only possible through revolution and the new communism, as conceived by Bob Avakian.

As the week goes on, we’ll be writing more about this. But today we want to let our readers know of it and share these pictures and videos.

 

 

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/607/trial-approaches-for-revolutionaries-illegitimately-arrested-en.html

Trial Approaches for Noche Diaz and Six Other Revolutionaries Illegitimately Arrested at Puerto Rican People's Parade

| revcom.us

 

In 2018 at the Puerto Rican People's Parade, more than a dozen police vamped on Revolution Club members in their T-shirts, grabbing as many as they could, including Noche Diaz, who was on the bullhorn. Some were brutally thrown to the ground with several police piled on top. Altogether, seven were arrested and hauled off to jail. These defendants have now been dragged through court proceeding after court proceeding for over a year on completely bogus charges. Noche is facing misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct, resisting/obstructing and a violation of the sound ordinance. The other six are charged with obstructing/resisting. None of them did anything illegal. They were TALKING to people!

The authorities clearly did not want a revolutionary message to reach and challenge people who have borne the brunt of U.S. colonization and the utterly inhumane treatment of the island’s people in the wake of Hurricane Maria. The anger and outrage this stoked were still below the surface in 2018 but have since erupted into massive struggles rocking the island as the people took to the streets and forced the governor from office.

On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria had landed a catastrophic hit on Puerto Rico, an island nation of over three million people.

Dozens died as a direct result of the storm. But in the days, weeks, and months after the storm, thousands more would die, hundreds of thousands would endure great suffering, and the entire economic, educational, and social infrastructure of Puerto Rico would be severely and permanently degraded. Almost all of that was completely un-necessary; it was the result of deliberate, genocidal inaction by the U.S. government and its refusal to organize a serious rescue and recovery effort for Puerto Rico.

This was the situation when the Revolution Club of Chicago went out to the 2018 Puerto Rican People's Parade and Festival which draws thousands each year. The club set up at a corner where they could maximize their interaction with people streaming by. They were met with an unjust mass arrest by the Chicago Police Department.

The Revolution Club was displaying the “5 Stops” panels and a special display about Puerto Rico, and the criminal (non) response of the U.S. government. Overhead was a banner calling for revolution. For more than two hours the club was reaching out to the crowds—exposing U.S. imperialism in Puerto Rico historically and today, its crimes in countries like Yemen where a school bus full of children was hit with U.S. bombs dropped by its ally, the Saudis; of children being ripped away from their parents on the southern border with Mexico; the murderous role of the police in enforcing this system of oppression. Through it all, the message rang out: This system cannot be reformed, it must be overthrown. Literature about how a revolution was possible was handed out and people were being signed up to get with the revolution.

After being out at the parade/festival site for about two hours, there was a pre-meditated assault on the Revolution Club crew who were TALKING to people going to the parade! There was no prior warning. The police rolled up over 12 deep, led by a high-ranking deputy chief. One would have to ask why he was there. The deputy chief personally later claimed that Noche used the bullhorn to “incite violence” against the police. And he determined this how? After a minute or two? The video shows that what Noche actually said was that the police constantly arrest the Revolution Club for no legitimate reason (TRUE) and he exposed their general role as enforcers for a brutal system of oppression (TRUE). This does not meet by any stretch ANY legal definition of inciting violence. The very fact that the deputy chief described it that way is both serious and reveals the real political nature of this arrest and prosecution.

The police, led by their deputy chief, stopped what was clearly First Amendment activity for political reasons and then made up criminal charges to justify the arrests.

This arrest was one of 14 incidents of CPD arresting and ticketing members of the Revolution Club. But that is not all. There were another 13 incidents of almost arrests. Why did the latter stay “almost” arrests? Because there was a lawyer present who intervened to prevent the arrests, thus highlighting the other arrests should never have happened.

The pretext in this case was a “sound ordinance” violation. In light of the overall past pattern of arrests and this case in particular, the ACLU wrote a substantial four-page memo to the Revolution Club advising them of their rights. The memo’s conclusion reads, “The Revolution Club and its members have a First Amendment right to attend permitted events in public forums, including the Puerto Rican People's Parade. At such events, you have a First Amendment right to communicate your message to others who are present in the forum, and police may not make you leave the area or limit your speech based on your message, the words you use to communicate your message, or your membership in the Revolution Club.... With respect to the sound amplification ordinance in particular, you are, in our opinion exempt from enforcement because you are participating in a permitted event.” [Editors’ note: In this case the parade and festival are considered permitted events.]

On August 14, all the defendants will appear in court with a legal team put together in anticipation of the case going to trial. At this hearing, the legal team is preparing to press for the discovery that a judge granted in a pretrial motion but which the state has not complied with to date.

Word of this illegitimate arrest and prosecution has to be spread and people rallied to defend the Revolution Club members who are facing these charges. The state is very afraid of this revolutionary force growing so they try to attack and suppress it. This has to boomerang on them by more people coming forward to be part of and learn more about the revolution and by broad strata, whether they agree with revolution or not, taking the right side in this fight to not let the state silence and jail people fighting for a better world.

People should call the office of the Cook County State’s Attorney, Kim Foxx (the recently elected “reformer”) and demand that these charges be dropped: (312) 603-8600.


Noche Diaz


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Follow: @TheRevcoms
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Watch: youtube.com/TheRevComs

 

Together, WE passed $40,000 in revcom's Winter fundraising campaign to “Transform Revcom.us’ Web Technology and Presence”!

Reaching this goal is a real achievement and a victory for the people of the world, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated efforts of many people working creatively and collectively to meet this pressing need: those who donated whether large or small contributions, who fundraised, who spread the campaign, who sent statements, who raised comments, questions, criticisms or suggestions – and of course those who worked so hard on modernizing and upgrading our web technology and presence. It all made a difference!

The Ongoing Need for Sustainers

During this four month fund drive, Revcom.us continued to incur thousands of dollars of costs each month for our office, maintaining our existing site and other expenses. But thanks to our existing monthly sustainers we were able to meet these expenses and use all the funds raised in the drive to transform the website.

So we encourage all our donors and those who’ve not yet donated to become monthly sustainers at whatever level you can afford.

Remember, humanity’s fate truly hinges on millions taking up the revolutionary science, strategy, and new communism brought forward by Bob Avakian which they can find at revcom.us.

You’ve read this article and now you need to be part of making sure revcom.us is able to make an urgently needed leap and transformation.

 

Get a free email subscription to revcom.us:



 


 

Permalink: https://revcom.us/revolutiontour/donate-en.html

The Revolution Tour Is in NYC—$25,000 Needed in the Month of October

Updated | revcom.us

 

The Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution Tour is now in New York City, boldly breaking onto the scene with the spirit of “You Think You’re Woke... But You’re Sleepwalking Through a Nightmare—This System Cannot Be Reformed, It Must Be Overthrown!” The world is being shaken up on many fronts, and the Tour is taking this message into the midst of these momentous events. A great deal is demanded of these revolutionaries in times like these and funds are urgently needed to support this important work!

Members of the Tour have been out to the high schools and out in the midst of the major outpourings of mainly young people at the Climate Strike saying: “Capitalism Is A Straitjacket On Humanity’s Chance To Save Our Planet... Only A REAL Revolution Can Remove That Straitjacket.” They quickly traveled to Washington, DC, to join with a protest against Trump, and carried a big banner saying “American Lives Are Not More Important Than Other People’s Lives!—Bob Avakian” and “NO U.S. War On Iran!”—just as the danger of the Trump regime launching a war against Iran is sharpening. There in DC, members of the Tour attended the important national meeting called by Refuse Fascism to discuss calling people out into the streets in sustained nonviolent protests week after week to drive the Trump/Pence regime from power. In all of this, the Tour has been both uniting with people who are standing up in struggle while putting squarely before people that what is needed is to build a movement for an ACTUAL revolution and calling on people to be a part of this. And in the midst of all this, now some of the Tour volunteers are being called back to Los Angeles where they face grossly unjust charges stemming from standing up against the Trump/Pence regime in 2017 and 2018.

Film showings of the talks by Bob Avakian, The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go! and Why We Need An Actual Revolution And How We Can Really Make Revolution are planned in New York, and the Tour will be getting out in a major way on the campuses very soon.

But all of this can’t be done without raising greater funds right now. For the month of October, there is a need for a minimum of $25,000 to be raised to meet the most basic needs to sustain the volunteers, to print and distribute massive materials, to travel for trials, to travel to different cities on the East Coast—everywhere bringing out the message of the Tour in what promise to be turbulent times where this is needed more than ever.

 

$25,000 Is Needed in October

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/607/plans-to-scale-up-fundraising-after-chicago-livestream-en.html

Plans to Scale Up Fundraising After Chicago Livestream

| revcom.us

 

The following was sent by a reader after a group watching of the Revolution Tour livestream on Sunday, July 28:

We wanted to share some of our experience with others.

First, our goal for August is $5,000. This seems it would be a good contribution from here to the total, and is a "stretch" but doable.

This was a mix of people who came to watch the livestream—people who have known the revolution for several years and people new to the revolution, including people involved in Refuse Fascism. People were intent throughout, and afterwards people engaged in informal discussion and real ideas and plans for raising funds for the tour. One person who attended started tearing up when his letter was read on the livestream. Writing is not something he's comfortable with as English is his fourth language, so this really mattered to him. Another person watched the livestream on Facebook and made a $50 pledge afterwards. A teacher brought cookies and brownies that she made which people took out and sold at one of the Pulgas (flea markets) to raise money for the tour.

Beginning plans were made, with two "prongs" of moving ahead: Expanding the number of people who are donating larger amounts (including trying to open up possibilities for people who can make substantial donations) and going broadly on a regular basis to key places (while keeping open the possibility of reaching out to other outpourings, parts of town, etc.). We need to make the fact that there is a National Tour building for an actual revolution underway much more widely known through the course of this effort.

People bought books like THE NEW COMMUNISM and BAsics and took copies of HOW WE CAN WIN—How We Can Really Make Revolution to get deeper into what this revolution is all about.

Among the things planned:

An internationalist fundraising dinner. One of the teachers is going to find a location for this. We are going to work with some people who can build this among Iranians and Pakistanis in particular.

Moving forward, various immigrant communities are an area we are going to try to make headway among. Large numbers of people from many parts of the world characterize this city to an extent it does few others. This terrain is obviously full of contradictions and particular issues etc. among different nationalities, but overall is a potential strategic strength for our cause in general, and for this effort in particular.

Bake sales. The woman who is a teacher is going to doing some more baking, and looking into places that would be good to set up, as this area is not really a place with a lot of foot traffic.

A garage/yard sale. One thing we're trying to figure out is how to promote and advertise things like this. It's a different scene than it was in the old days of print, free newspapers, etc. One young person had some initial thoughts about this including someone who has more of an IT background.

We plan to be at two universities as school opens. We also want to pursue getting into some classes and working with some professors around this.

I think there is a pretty solid basis for all those who came to the livestream to participate in this and we need to develop some thinking quickly on how to go about developing some beginning collectivities that bring people forward, while mainly contributing to the effort to achieve the monetary goals. The immediate challenge is getting out of the gate on all this.

It would be very important to hear from others. How are you raising funds for the Revolution Tour? Send your plans and how it's going: revolution.reports@yahoo.com.

Donate to the movement for revolution here.

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Reaching this goal is a real achievement and a victory for the people of the world, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated efforts of many people working creatively and collectively to meet this pressing need: those who donated whether large or small contributions, who fundraised, who spread the campaign, who sent statements, who raised comments, questions, criticisms or suggestions – and of course those who worked so hard on modernizing and upgrading our web technology and presence. It all made a difference!

The Ongoing Need for Sustainers

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So we encourage all our donors and those who’ve not yet donated to become monthly sustainers at whatever level you can afford.

Remember, humanity’s fate truly hinges on millions taking up the revolutionary science, strategy, and new communism brought forward by Bob Avakian which they can find at revcom.us.

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/607/fundraising-building-a-mass-movement-putting-revolution-straight-up-to-people-en.html

From the Revolution Club, LA

Fundraising, Building a Mass Movement, and Putting Revolution Straight Up to People

| revcom.us

 

The National Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution Tour is on a mission to bring forward thousands across the country into the movement for revolution and put Bob Avakian and the new communism on the map. The first leg of the tour kicked off in Los Angeles in April 2019, and the tour is now in Chicago.

Fundraising is a key part of building a mass movement for revolution that goes beyond people giving a thumbs up to the idea of revolution and having that dissipate. When we heard the national call to raise $20,000 by August 1, we set a goal of raising $1,000 by raising $10 donations from 100 people. We have been reaching out to broader numbers of people, most who don't know anything about the National Tour or its work to change the whole world. So far, from our discussions with people, we've raised $830 from 34 people.

As we have been doing this, we have become much sharper with how we are putting the real concrete needs of the revolution to people, stepping from the truth concentrated in BAsics 3:1, “...We need a revolution. Anything else, in the final analysis, is bullshit,” and joining struggle around THAT. Very importantly, we are putting the ask for money at the very beginning of our calls, and rolling up our sleeves to struggle ideologically. An important method in waging this struggle, especially with those who consider themselves “woke” or progressive, is challenging people to look at the 5 STOPS and make the argument how they see ending these things short of a revolution. We are also learning that not every donation is going to be a vigorous ideological struggle, some people want to donate immediately. The key is asking.

Some people really do appreciate being given the opportunity to contribute and be a part of the revolution. People have busy lives and schedules with constraints that make it very difficult to be a part of what the Revolution Club does on a day to day basis. Donating gives people a way to get some skin in the game and make a real contribution. It is a sacrifice, and some people have straight up thanked us for the opportunity. This is very different for us. We have been working to break from a model where people either run 24/7 with the Club or do something that feels very individual and cut off from the national picture. All this is connected to the next point:

We have focused on helping people see the national picture of the Tour and movement for revolution, finding the ways for those involved to see that they are a part of something bigger than themselves and the people they're talking to. Sometimes this means literally seeing each other on social media. Even how we formulated the fundraising goal was a part of bringing out this mass character.100 people donating $10 or more. When we called people, we asked them to be one of these hundred people. People tend to see their relationship to the revolution in a very individual and atomized way. Which is the same way they tend to see themselves in relationship to the rest of the world. People think about things in a different way when they are coming forward as part of a collective process, a mass movement, and asking people to be one of a hundred people is a part of breaking that down.

We have also been getting video statements and written statements from people about why they are contributing or why they are calling on other people to donate. How important is it that different voices of the movement be heard? Including some who are just stepping into the revolution. What impact could it have on someone on the whole other side of the country to hear someone just like them (or someone very different from them) making the case why this revolution is important? What we have found is that it has a really positive impact on people when they hear their statement has been spread on social media by other Revolution Clubs and that it has a real impact.

We also have been taking pictures of a money thermometer on our white board at the organizing center and sending it to people we are talking to. It seems this has an impact on people following through on their pledges. People want to make the thermometer go up! All of this is showing people that they are a part of something much larger and forging a sense that we are accomplishing a meaningful goal together. And raising funds for this National Tour is meaningful.

Another new advance was raising $168 using a bullhorn outside of a big George Clinton concert. We asked people to step into the revolution by donating, we talked about the 5 STOPS and the 2 choices, and challenged people to break out of the individualism, the bourgeois electoral bullshit, and the running away from the reality that nothing will change without tremendous sacrifice.

When you put the need for a contribution right up front, people also raise a lot of differences—not just about the funds, but raising a lot of the obstacles in their thinking to revolution. These are questions we want to be struggling over. We heard a lot of arguments that amounted to people just looking out for themselves—whether it be the daily struggle to survive, the argument we should just look out for “our people” (i.e., Black people, or American people), or the illusion that if we “keep our heads down, maybe the horrors won't visit me and those I most care about.” There's also big questions that come up about sacrifice. Both about giving money but then what the rulers make you pay when you stand up. Is it all worth it? A big part of the glue that holds together some of this different thinking is the false notion that there is no alternative to this system of capitalism/imperialism. But revolution is necessary and possible and there is a way that millions can work together now to bring a far better world into being. What could be more worth it than that?

 

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Together, WE passed $40,000 in revcom's Winter fundraising campaign to “Transform Revcom.us’ Web Technology and Presence”!

Reaching this goal is a real achievement and a victory for the people of the world, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated efforts of many people working creatively and collectively to meet this pressing need: those who donated whether large or small contributions, who fundraised, who spread the campaign, who sent statements, who raised comments, questions, criticisms or suggestions – and of course those who worked so hard on modernizing and upgrading our web technology and presence. It all made a difference!

The Ongoing Need for Sustainers

During this four month fund drive, Revcom.us continued to incur thousands of dollars of costs each month for our office, maintaining our existing site and other expenses. But thanks to our existing monthly sustainers we were able to meet these expenses and use all the funds raised in the drive to transform the website.

So we encourage all our donors and those who’ve not yet donated to become monthly sustainers at whatever level you can afford.

Remember, humanity’s fate truly hinges on millions taking up the revolutionary science, strategy, and new communism brought forward by Bob Avakian which they can find at revcom.us.

You’ve read this article and now you need to be part of making sure revcom.us is able to make an urgently needed leap and transformation.

 

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| Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

“You Think You’re Woke...
But You’re Sleepwalking Through A Nightmare —

This System Cannot Be Reformed,
It Must Be Overthrown!”

The Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution Tour

 


Download and print the PDF of this Call


Download and print the PDF with space for local info


Letter from a comrade:
Hastening While Awaiting With The New Call To Get Organized

To you who are fed up with this society and “solutions” that are no solution...

To you who are angry and defiant and want to see an end to the white supremacy, the patriarchy and its many forms of gender oppression, the persecution of immigrants, the imperialist wars and occupations and threats, and the capitalist plunder and destruction of the environment—an end to all, or any, of the horrible forms of oppression and exploitation that define and intertwine with this capitalist-imperialist society...

To you who seek not justice for yourself or even just your own people, but the Emancipation of ALL Humanity...

To you who hate the fascism of Trump and Pence, but see through “vote for me and I’ll set you free” and any road that just makes the present horrors a little more tolerable for some within the U.S., while people around the world suffer even more...

To you who choke on “I’m woke,” “I’m good,” “No worries” when the world is being torn asunder and who have no patience for the putrid morals and relations of this culture...

To each and every person who senses that none of these horrors will be solved by this dog eat dog capitalist/imperialist system and that something radical—a real revolution—is needed... even as you have a thousand questions as to what that revolution would look like and whether it is even possible:

There Is a Way Out of This Madness!

“Let’s get down to basics:
We need a revolution. Anything else, in the final analysis, is bullshit.
—Bob Avakian

We are constantly told, openly and by implication, that there is no alternative to the present order. But that is wrong!

There is a scientific approach that makes clear this madness is unnecessary and indicates the potential pathways for change. There is an actual plan for a radically different—and radically better—society, on the road to wiping out all exploitation and oppression, and emancipating humanity. There is a strategy to draw forward the millions and millions needed to make that happen. There is the leadership, in Bob Avakian (BA), the architect of the new communism and the leader of the revolution. These are great strengths on the people’s side. But, what is now missing and urgently needed is YOU—to get with, support, and become an organized part of the revolution.

There is a project to put this revolution before millions and organize thousands into it. That project is the Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution Tourstarting out in Los Angeles in March and going around the country for the rest of the year. We’re going to boldly bring forward that science, strategy, and leadership for revolution and go right up against all the bullshit—the outmoded, petty, self-deceiving, and self-seeking bullshit that just ends up perpetuating the outrages of today.

But that’s not all. There’s no revolution without organization. We’re going to work: organizing for a revolution—enough now of everyone in “their lane,” with eyeballs glued to their screens. We’re gonna go everywhere, from the hard streets to the suburbs, from the hardscrabble rural areas to the campuses, and to wherever people are creating the new or debating the future. We’ll be giving people the concrete ways and means to support, contribute to, and join this revolution, in many different ways, big and small—with ideas and with practical involvement, with support and with questions and criticisms.

The tour will go far and wide, spreading and showing the film of the historic 2018 speech by Bob Avakian, Why We Need An Actual Revolution And How We Can Really Make Revolution, that deeply answers the two questions in its title. And, the tour will get out the pamphlet, HOW WE CAN WIN—How We Can Really Make Revolution, which concisely lays out the principles for how we get from the situation we are in today to actually winning an actual revolution.

Busting the People Out of Mental Shackles

We’ll call out the dead-end paths and mental shackles:

And we will definitely take on complicity with the Democratic Party, which poses as “the only alternative.” When in fact:

The Republican Party Is Fascist
The Democratic Party Is Also a Machine of Massive War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity
This System CANNOT Be Reformed—It MUST Be Overthrown!
We Need an Actual Revolution

The tour will IMPACT everywhere it goes—opening up debate, stirring up controversy, shaking up society so that people no longer feel they have to accept the unacceptable and adjust to injustice, and instead are inspired to get organized for a revolution to change everything.

The tour will work with the Revolution Clubs where they exist and help form new ones where they don’t. The tour will connect with people protesting and resisting this system’s crimes, especially those that concentrate the deep conflicts of this system. Stepping to people with revolution straight up, and coming from that place, we’ll unite in fighting injustice and oppression, and we’ll struggle with them to see the need and possibility for revolution. This is what it means to Fight the Power, and Transform the People, for Revolution. The tour and the Revolution Clubs are where you learn about the revolution while leading—contributing to building vanguard organization necessary to lead a revolution.

The tour kicks off in March in Los Angeles and Southern California. Your participation and your support are needed to start, sustain, popularize, and defend the tour.

What You Can Do NOW

A Radically Different and Better World IS Possible!

Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution Tour

 
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The Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution Tour:

 

 

 

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/601/ten-basic-principles-of-organizing-en.html

Ten Basic Principles of Organizing

| revcom.us

 

These 10 points were prepared for a workshop at the June 9 organizing conference held by the National Revolution Tour in Los Angeles. While still a work in progress, people found these to be a helpful outline.

Keep these as an informal guide for your Club. Are you doing these? Are you staying on track?

  1. The two principles of the Revolution Club are: Humanity Needs Revolution and the New Communism and Fight the Power, and Transform the People, for Revolution.
  2. 5-2-6—the 5 Stops, the 2 Choices, and the 6 Points of Attention (POA)—are essential. Spread these everywhere...
  3. Boldly challenge people to live by the POAs and recruit into the Revolution Club those who agree with the 5 Stops and 2 Choices and who will strive to live by and fight for the Points of Attention.
  4. Bob Avakian’s leadership and work is a tremendous guide and amazing eye-opener. Get into BA and put BA before people—use BAsics (the book, quote cards, and posters [e.g., 1:13]), watch and show the films and question/answer sessions, get into the books, and discuss these in the Revolution Club...
  5. HOW WE CAN WIN—How We Can Really Make Revolution is the strategy for revolution. The filmed speech of Bob Avakian, WHY WE NEED AN ACTUAL REVOLUTION AND HOW WE CAN REALLY MAKE REVOLUTION, along with the questions and answers, expands on this. Read this pamphlet and watch the film, discuss them with others, read and watch them again and again, and as you come to understand them more deeply, increasingly use them to guide your work.  
  6. Don’t “meet people where they’re at.” Instead: disturb the air, bring them the truth, and generate controversy with a good spirit.
  7. Break down the barriers between the movement for revolution and the people; take the problems of the revolution to the masses.
  8. Put the revolution before people straight up, then let them find their own level of commitment. Building this movement is a process of unity as well as struggle.
  9. Accumulate new people into the revolution... then organize people to have impact on crucial struggles or big events... then accumulate more people... and on and on.
  10. This is a nationwide movement with the whole world in mind... use the web presence (the revcom.us website, social media, etc.) to learn how to understand what’s going on in the world and to get guidance for building the movement for revolution... to amplify what you or your group does... to raise questions... and to send your thoughts and actions.

 

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/606/bob-avakian-individualism-beb-and-the-illusion-of-painless-progress-en.html

The following is taken from a recent talk given by Bob Avakian

Individualism, BEB and the Illusion of "Painless Progress"

| revcom.us

 

Note Added by the Author, Fall 2019

This work is the edited text of a talk given in the spring of 2019, and the following section (“Individualism, BEB and the Illusion of ‘Painless Progress’”) has been published (posted at revcom.us) beginning in the summer of this year.  In late September 2019, Nancy Pelosi (and the Democratic Party leadership of which she is a prominent representative), after a prolonged stubborn insistence on refusing to impeach Donald Trump, reversed course and announced that an “impeachment inquiry” of Trump would be undertaken. This reversal was hinged upon—and Pelosi and Company have made an attempt to focus this “impeachment inquiry” overwhelmingly, if not solely, on—the revelation (stemming from a report by a government “whistleblower”) that Trump has been involved in an effort to pressure the government of Ukraine to do Trump the “favor” of digging up (or “cooking up”) dirt on Joe Biden, former Vice President (under Obama) and a leading contender for the Democratic Party nomination for the presidential election in 2020.  Pelosi and the Democrats have identified this as an abuse of presidential power, in pursuit of Trump’s personal interests (particularly looking ahead to the 2020 election) and have given emphasis to their insistence that, in making this “favor” the basis (and the price) for the continuation of the U.S. military aid to Ukraine, in its confrontation with pro-Russian forces, Trump “undermined U.S. national security,” particularly in relation to its major adversary Russia.  In other words, while, from their bourgeois perspective, their concern is very real in regard to the imperialist “national interests” of the U.S., the “norms” of how this system’s rule has been imposed and maintained, the importance to them of a “peaceful transition” from one administration to another through elections—and the danger posed to this by Trump’s trampling on these “norms”—Pelosi and Company, in focusing this “impeachment inquiry” on this narrow basis, have underlined the fact that they are acting in accordance with their sense of the interests of U.S. capitalist imperialism and its drive to remain the dominant imperialist power in the world, and that they continue to refuse to demand Trump’s ouster on the basis of his many outrageous statements and acts directed against masses of people, not only in the U.S. but internationally:  his overt racism and promotion of white supremacy and white supremacist violence; his gross misogyny and attacks on the rights of women, including very prominently the right to abortion, and on LGBT rights; his repeated calls for and backing of intensified brutal repression and suppression of dissent; his discrimination against Muslims and his cruel targeting of immigrants, involving confinement in concentration camp-like conditions, including for those fleeing from persecution and the very real threat of death in their “home countries” and seeking asylum on that basis, and the separation of even very young children from their parents; his assault on science and the scientific pursuit of the truth, including denial of the science of climate change and continuing moves to undermine and reverse even minor and completely ineffective protections of the environment; his threats to destroy countries, including through the use of nuclear weapons—in short, his all-around drive to fully consolidate fascist rule and implement a horrific, fascist agenda, with terrible consequences for the masses of humanity

While, as of this writing, it is not clear what this “impeachment inquiry” will lead to—whether Trump will actually be impeached in the House of Representatives, and what will happen then in the Senate to determine whether he should be convicted and removed from office—it is already clear that the way in which the Democrats are seeking to narrowly focus the move to oust Trump emphasizes yet again the importance of these basic points of orientation:

The Democrats, along with the New York Times and the Washington Post, etc., are seeking to resolve the crisis with the Trump presidency on the terms of this system, and in the interests of the ruling class of this system, which they represent.  We, the masses of people, must go all out, and mobilize ourselves in the millions, to resolve this in our interests, in the interests of humanity, which are fundamentally different from and opposed to those of the ruling class.

This, of course, does not mean that the struggle among the powers that be is irrelevant or unimportant; rather, the way to understand and approach this (and this is a point that must also be repeatedly driven home to people, including through necessary struggle, waged well) is in terms of how it relates to, and what openings it can provide for, “the struggle from below”—for the mobilization of masses of people around the demand that the whole regime must go, because of its fascist nature and actions and what the stakes are for humanity.

Clearly, the removal of not just Trump, but also the Christian Fascist Vice President Mike Pence, and indeed this whole fascist regime, is of urgent importance.  But this will only serve the fundamental interests of the masses of people—not just in this country but in the world as a whole—if this is achieved, not on the basis of confining things within the terms of and through the furthering of the “national interests” of the monstrously oppressive U.S. empire, but on the basis of the mobilization of mass opposition to the fascism of this Trump/Pence regime, which has been produced by and risen to power through the “normal functioning” of this system, of which it is an extreme but not somehow an “alien” expression.

~~~~~~~~~~

Individualism, BEB and the Illusion of "Painless Progress"

All this—even the seemingly more “benign,” or oblivious, individualism—links up with the repeated and stubborn insistence on chasing after the illusion of painless progress. If something makes people uncomfortable—and still more, if it holds out the prospect of sacrifice, necessary sacrifice, on their part—far too many people turn away from it. As I’ve pointed out before, there’s this whole attitude of approaching reality as if it’s a “buffet,” or approaching it like a consumer: “Well, that makes me uncomfortable. I’ll just leave that to the side. I don’t want to look at that because that makes me uncomfortable.”

I am going to talk later about some of the more ridiculous and outrageous forms of this. But just to give a little preview, as I pointed out in The New Communism, some people went on one of the college campuses a couple of years ago with a poster of Stolen Lives, people who’d been killed by police (not all of them, by any means, but dozens), and someone came up and started whining: “I don’t like that poster, it makes me feel unsafe.” As I commented at the time: Oh, boo-hoo! Let’s get out of this boo-hoo shit and start talking about and engaging seriously what’s happening to masses of people, one significant part of which is represented by what’s on that poster.

One of the most common and problematical forms of this repeated and stubborn insistence on chasing after the illusion of “painless progress,” particularly among people who consider themselves somewhat enlightened (or progressive, or “woke,” or however they want to put it), is what we very rightly term BEB—Bourgeois Electoral Bullshit—and the phenomenon that people continually confine themselves to the narrow limits of what is presented to them by one section of the ruling class, as embodied in the Democratic Party: “These are the limits of what I’ll consider in terms of possibly bringing about change”—because this is the well-worn rut of what is, at least up to this point, relatively safe in terms of political engagement. It may even become not-so-safe in the future, depending on how things go with these fascists who are working to consolidate their power right now through the ruling regime of Trump and Pence. But for now it seems relatively painless. It is also completely ineffectual and doesn’t bring about any kind of change that’s needed, but it’s a way to feel that you’re doing something while avoiding any sacrifice, and even any real discomfort.

One of the ways this gets expressed, along with the BEB, is people, in their masses, not confronting the reality of Trump/Pence fascism, and therefore not acting in a way commensurate with the danger and the potentially even greater horrors this represents.

Just to step back, and to speak to a very important element of this that I’ve touched on before, Trump’s election—through the electoral college, not the popular vote—is, in a real sense, an extension of slavery: the people who voted for Trump are the kind of people who would have been pro-slavery, had they been around at the time of slavery in the United States. And those who find it acceptable to have the overt white supremacist Trump in the White House are the kind of people who would have ignored or would have openly accepted and justified or rationalized slavery when it existed. And here I have to invoke what I thought was a very insightful comment by Ron Reagan (yes, Ronald Reagan’s maverick son, who is also, to his great credit, an unabashed atheist): Trump’s much-analyzed, over-analyzed, “base” will continue supporting him, no matter what he does, Ron Reagan has pointed out (and this is very insightful), because Trump hates all the same people they hate.

As opposed to all the obfuscation about the economic difficulties people are going through, blah, blah, blah, that is often used to rationalize why people voted for and continue to support Trump, what Ron Reagan has sharply pointed to is the essence of Trump’s “base.” And, by the way, notice how all the mainstream media, CNN and so on, continually use this term: Trump’s “base.” This is a neutral term, “base.” These are a bunch of fascists, okay? And by using these euphemisms, or these neutral terms, like “base,” you’re obscuring and keeping people from seeing what is actually represented by Trump and those who support him, and the depth of the real danger this poses. Ron Reagan’s comment is very much to the point. He went on to elaborate: They hate LGBT people, they hate women (independent women, and really all women), they hate Black people, they hate immigrants, they hate Muslims, and so on. And Trump hates all the same people they hate.

That is why they’ll never desert him, whatever he does. That is why he could very rightly make the comment: “I could shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue in New York City and these people wouldn’t turn against me.”

At the same time, it has to be bluntly said: For the millions, and tens of millions, who say they hate everything Trump stands for and what he is doing but who, after all this time, have still not taken to the streets in sustained mobilization demanding that the Trump/Pence regime must go, this makes them collaborators with this fascist regime and themselves guilty of the egregious crime of tolerating this regime when they still could have the possibility of achieving the demand that it must go, through such mass mobilization!

To paraphrase Paul Simon: They are squandering their resistance for a pocketful of mumbles—and worse—from the Democratic Party.

It is long past time—and there is still time, but not much time—for this to change, for masses of people to finally take to the streets, and stay in the streets, with the firm resolve that this fascist regime must go!

And here are some very relevant questions for the millions and tens of millions who hate everything Trump stands for but have failed or refused to mobilize, in their masses, in non-violent but sustained action around the demand that the Trump/Pence regime be removed from power, as has been called for by Refuse Fascism: If you will not take to the streets now to demand that the Trump/Pence regime must go, what will you do if Trump is re-elected (perhaps through the electoral college, even if he again loses the popular vote)? And what will you do if Trump loses the election (even by the electoral college count) but then refuses to recognize the results and insists he is still President?!

At the same time, it is necessary to point to the very serious problems with the dangerous naiveté and “left” posturing of certain “progressive” intellectuals. For example, someone like Glenn Greenwald, who has done some good things in exposing the violations of people’s rights under this system—human rights, civil rights and civil liberties—but who, whenever anything’s brought out about the terrible crimes and horrors that are represented by the Trump/Pence regime, insists upon immediately saying things like, “Yes, but what about Hillary Clinton, and what about the Democrats, and the terrible things they have done?” All of which is true. As we have pointed out: The Democratic Party is a machine of massive war crimes and crimes against humanity. And this does need to be brought out. At the same time, it is necessary to recognize that the Republican Party is fascist, and if you don’t understand that this has real meaning and real importance—and every time someone speaks to the outrages and horrors perpetrated by these fascists, you insist on immediately raising, “Yes, but what about the Democrats?”—you’re leading people, or pointing people, away from an understanding of the real dynamics going on here and the real dangers.

And then there is Slavoj Žižek. As is very bluntly, and very accurately, put in the article by Raymond Lotta, “Slavoj Žižek Is a Puffed-Up Idiot Who Does Great Damage”:

Slavoj Žižek, an influential fool-of-a-philosopher who often poses as a “communist,” declared his support for Donald Trump on British TV. A victory for Trump, according to Žižek, will help the Republicans and Democrats “rethink themselves”—and could bring about “a kind of big awakening.” And speaking from his “what-me-worry” perch [Lotta goes on], Žižek pronounced that Trump “will not introduce fascism.”

As Lotta then succinctly states: “This is wrong, this is poison.” And it is similar to the kind of wrong and dangerous thinking that people like Glenn Greenwald fall into and propagate. Similarly to Glenn Greenwald, it involves playing down the actual reality and danger of what’s represented by fascism, even as, once again, the Democratic Party is an instrument of bourgeois dictatorship, and a machine of massive war crimes and crimes against humanity.

This kind of wrong thinking is also exemplified by someone like Julian Assange, who actually, from all appearances, and it does seem to be the case, contributed to the machinations that went on around the Trump campaign, involving, it does seem, the Russians in this, and who did so with the same kind of rationalization that Žižek put forward, as cited by Raymond Lotta—that Clinton and the Democratic Party represent the old establishment, the old ways of doing things, and if they’re defeated and somebody who’s outside the establishment gets in, it will shake things up. I have heard Assange saying (his own words, not just others characterizing what his position is): “Maybe this will lead to a negative change, or maybe it will lead to a positive change, but at least it will lead to change, or it will hold open the possibility of change.”

Well, what kind of change is it actually leading to? There’s no room for agnosticism or ignorance about what kind of change it is leading to. Yes, bourgeois dictatorship in any form is very bad for the masses of people, very oppressive and repressive of the masses of people, and needs to be overthrown. But an overt fascist dictatorship that tramples on any pretense of upholding rights for people is not something that should be put in the category of “maybe it’ll be a positive change, or maybe it’ll be a negative change.”

Now, at the same time as making this sharp critique, particularly with regard to Julian Assange, it is very important to emphasize the need to oppose the persecution of Assange by the U.S. imperialists, whose persecution of him is in response to and revenge for his part—not in something to do with the Russians, but overwhelmingly in exposing just some of the monstrous crimes of this system. In this regard, there was an interesting article called “Julian Assange and the Woeful State of Whistle-Blowers” by Edward Wasserman, who’s a professor of journalism and the Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. (This article appeared in the New York Times on Saturday, April 27 of this year, 2019.) Wasserman points out that, with whatever his failings are, political and personal, Julian Assange, through WikiLeaks, “enabled spectacular disclosure of official secrets,” including, as Wasserman himself puts it, “war crimes, torture and atrocities on civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan” by the U.S. And this is why he’s being attacked in the legal arena and politically by the U.S. ruling class. This dimension is where people need to rally to Assange’s defense, even with his limitations and failings. And the need and importance of defending Assange, particularly from political/legal persecution by the U.S. government, has been greatly heightened by the fact that this government (headed by the Trump/Pence fascist regime) has now piled on very serious charges of espionage in this process of persecution, with dire implications not just for Assange but for any and all who would dare to uncover and expose the war crimes and crimes against humanity continually carried out by U.S. imperialism and its institutions of violence and repression.

Yet, without in any way failing to give due importance and emphasis to opposing these repressive moves by the U.S. government, it remains necessary and there is also great importance to criticizing this outlook and approach embodied in the thinking of people like Assange and Glenn Greenwald, as well as Žižek. The idea that these bourgeois (or “establishment”) politicians are just “all the same,” without any analysis of the nuances, or even the blatant differences, between them and the consequences of this for the masses of people, the masses of humanity—this is very harmful.

Here it is worth looking at the criticism that was raised of the German communists in the period of the rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis in Germany in the 1930s. The slogan was attributed to the German communists: “Nach Hitler, Uns,” (meaning: “After Hitler, Us”). In other words, the same kind of thinking—that Hitler actually heading up the government would shake up things and would cause such a crisis in society that, then, the communists would have a chance to come to power. This represented a very serious underestimation of what was represented by Hitler and the Nazis, and the terrible consequences of this for humanity. Yes, the communists there should have been consistently and firmly opposing the whole system on a revolutionary basis, but it was also very important and necessary to recognize that Hitler and the Nazis were a particularly perverse and extreme representation of all the horrors of this system, and would carry them out in very extreme forms.

So, in relation to all this, there is a need for a scientific approach to building opposition to the fascism embodied in the Trump/Pence regime in the U.S. today, in a way that is based on and proceeds from the understanding that’s captured in works of mine like “The Fascists and the Destruction of the ‘Weimar Republic’... And What Will Replace It” and “Not Being Jerry Rubin, or Even Dimitrov, but Actually Being Revolutionary Communists: THE CHALLENGE OF DEFENDING FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS—FROM A COMMUNIST PERSPECTIVE, AND NO OTHER.” (These articles are available at revcom.us. They are part of the Collected Works of Bob Avakian.)

As I have stressed several times, and as concentrated in the slogan we have brought forward: “The Republican Party is Fascist, The Democratic Party is Also a Machine of Massive War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.” This emphasizes the importance of both aspects of things: recognizing the particularity of what’s represented by the fascism of the Trump/Pence regime and the Republican Party as a whole, and confronting the nature and massive crimes of the whole system, and all those who are functionaries and enforcers of this system, definitely including the Democratic Party.

In an article in the New York Times (Tuesday, July 16, 2019), “Racism Comes Out of the Closet,” Paul Krugman makes the point that not just Donald Trump but the Republican Party as a whole has gone from “dog whistling” racism to overtly and crudely expressing it. Krugman concludes this article this way, referring to the Republican Party’s dropping of even any pretense of opposing racism:

It’s tempting to say that Republican claims to support racial equality were always hypocritical; it’s even tempting to welcome the move from dog whistles to open racism. But if hypocrisy is the tribute vice pays to virtue, what we’re seeing now is a party that no longer feels the need to pay that tribute. And that’s deeply frightening.

Krugman does have a point—an important and relevant point—here, as far as it goes. The problem is that it doesn’t go far enough, and in particular does not break out of the constricting terms of contradictions and conflicts among ruling class parties (the Republicans and the Democrats). The stance of hypocritically pretending opposition to such outrages as racist oppression, while in fact acting as the representatives, functionaries and enforcers of a system that has this oppression built into it and could not exist without this oppression—this does not just apply to the Republican Party in the past (if it ever applied to that party at all over the past 50 years and more) but also applies to the Democratic Party. What is concentrated in this situation is the need to recognize, and correctly handle, a very real and acute contradiction: the fact that, on the one hand, the Democratic Party, as much as the Republican Party, is a party of a system that continually commits, and cannot help committing, massive crimes against the masses of humanity and embodies an existential threat to the very future of humanity; and, on the other hand, the fact that (to paraphrase what is cited above from Krugman’s article) there is a very real difference and very direct danger embodied in the fact that one of these ruling class parties (the Republicans) openly abandons much of the pretense of being anything other than a rapacious, and yes racist, plunderer of human beings and of the environment. This requires the correct synthesis of, in fundamental terms, opposing the whole system, of which both of these parties are instruments, and actively working, in an ongoing way, toward the strategic goal of abolishing this whole system, while also, with the same fundamental strategic perspective, recognizing the acute immediate danger posed by the fascist Trump/Pence regime and working urgently to bring forward masses of people in non-violent but sustained mobilization around the demand that this regime must go!

Failing to really recognize and act on this understanding, in its different aspects and its full dimension, is very much related to individualism—particularly in the form of seeking the illusion of painless progress, rather than being willing to confront inconvenient and uncomfortable truths and to act accordingly, even with the sacrifices that might be required.

With all the nuances and particularities of contradictions that do have to be recognized, this crucial truth can be put in this basic and concentrated way:

The Democratic Party Is Part of the Problem, Not the Solution.

Here a challenge needs to be issued to all those who insist on the position that “the Democrats are the only realistic alternative”: On the website revcom.us, there is the “American Crime” series, which chronicles and outlines many of the most horrific crimes of the U.S. ruling class, going back to the beginning of this country and right up to the present, carried out under Republican and Democratic administrations. Here is the challenge: Go read that “American Crime” series and then come back and try to explain why it’s a decent thing to do to be caught up in supporting the Democrats.

Along with its other crimes, and its particular role in maintaining and enforcing this system, in the current circumstances the Democratic Party is also an active facilitator of fascism because of its refusal, even on the terms of the system it represents, to do anything meaningful to oppose the fascism of the Trump/Pence regime. This is concentrated in the insistence by Democratic Party leader Nancy Pelosi (or Piglosi, as she should be called) that impeachment is, once again, off the table. Some people may not remember (or may have chosen to forget), and others may not even know, but there was a massive sentiment to impeach George W. Bush back around 2005-2006, in particular because of the way he took the country to war, attacking and invading Iraq, causing massive destruction and death in that country, on the basis of systematic lies that were very consciously perpetrated by his whole regime, including Colin Powell, Cheney and Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice and the rest, who deliberately and systematically lied about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction and supposedly threatening the U.S. (and “allies” of the U.S.) with those weapons. These lies were the rationalization for perpetrating the U.S. war of aggression against Iraq—which, in fact, was an international war crime. There was a mass sentiment toward impeachment of George W. Bush largely on that basis. Well, when the Democrats, in the 2006 election, won control of both houses of Congress, immediately Nancy Piglosi said impeachment is off the table. And now she’s doing the same thing again—and she’s doing this not just as an individual, but as representative of the leadership of the Democratic Party. To borrow a term from the gang scene, the “shot-callers” of the Democratic Party are saying: “We shouldn’t impeach Trump because that will just serve him; he’s trying to goad us into impeaching him.” As though it would not be a good thing for Trump to be impeached. Piglosi insists: “We’re not gonna fall for that, we’re gonna hold Trump accountable.”  Oh yeah? How? How are you going to hold him accountable when you refuse to use one of the most powerful instruments you have, impeachment, to actually do something meaningful to oppose what he’s doing?

I saw a commentator on one of the networks the other day who made an observation which (along with and despite a bunch of nonsense that she was also spouting) was actually somewhat insightful and important. She said: “Laws don’t enforce themselves. If you can do something and get away with it, the law is meaningless.” Well, Piglosi, your “accountability” (holding Trump “accountable”) is meaningless because you are refusing to exercise the most effective means you might have to “hold him accountable.”

Now, some people say that this is just being done by Piglosi and the rest because they have the 2020 election in mind, and they don’t want to feed the Republican Party ammunition for their insistence that “this is a witch hunt” against Trump and the Republican Party. That may be a secondary consideration on the part of the Democrats, but if you listen to Piglosi she’s telling us what the deal actually is. She’s saying it would further divide the country to impeach Trump—as if the “country” is not already very deeply and very intensely divided, at this point, which is precisely why someone like Trump could get elected in the first place.

But there are really three reasons, or we could call them “three fears,” that Piglosi and the rest have. They’re afraid of Trump and the Republicans, so they’re allowing Trump and the Republicans to set the terms of what they can do. Their “logic” goes like this: “Since Trump would lash back if we tried to impeach him, therefore we shouldn’t try to impeach him.” This is the logic of what they’re saying, even if they don’t directly and explicitly articulate it like that. So they’re letting the Republicans set the terms—which, of course, only causes the Republicans to be even more aggressive in pursuit of their agenda and in defying and trampling on the “norms” of this system. Even according to their own bourgeois “principles,” the Democrats should be acting on the basis of what’s in their Constitution, not according to what the Republicans will allow them to do.

Secondly, along with being afraid of Trump and the Republican Party, they are afraid of the reality that laws don’t enforce themselves. They’re afraid that if they impeach Trump—and if, somehow, they even succeeded not only in impeaching him, but actually getting him convicted in the Senate—that Trump might well declare: “Fuck you, I’m the President, I don’t recognize this impeachment.” Then, what and whom can they turn to? This brings up the other dimension of this second point: They’re afraid of Trump’s “base.” They’re afraid of these fascist forces out there who are being encouraged and goaded by Trump to increasingly act in a violent manner and who (as I’ll speak to shortly) do have a lot of weapons and are demonstrating not only their willingness, but their eagerness, to use them. So Piglosi and the rest are afraid of that.

But at least as much—and here is the “third fear”—they are afraid of the people on the other side of the divide in the country, the people who tend to vote for the Democrats, especially the basic masses of oppressed people. They are afraid of the very people, basic masses and others, whom the Democratic Party is responsible for “corralling” into the BEB and “domesticating” their dissent. They’re afraid of the people who are angry about what’s represented by Trump and Pence. They don’t want those people out in the street, unless it is contained within the narrow confines of what the Democratic Party, and the system it serves, can allow. And they don’t want the confrontation between those people and the fascists who have rallied behind Trump. You think they want to see masses of Black people, immigrants, and others, including masses of people from different strata who are furious over Trump—you think they want to see them in the streets in direct and determined opposition to what is represented by Trump and Pence? That’s one of the worst nightmares of Piglosi and Company, not only because of the potential for militant confrontation with the fascists, but because people could then get completely out of the control of the Democratic Party, and the whole system of which the Democrats are representatives, functionaries, and enforcers. A big part of what they are representing and enforcing would be seriously jeopardized.

So this is what’s really going on with Piglosi and the rest in stubbornly resisting a move toward impeachment.

And then we come to one of the main aggressively fascist functionaries in the Republican Party, the Congressman from Iowa, Steve King. Recently, along with all of his other outrageous postings and overtly racist, misogynist, and crudely derogatory statements about Muslims and immigrants, and so on, King recently posted a meme, with this comment, on his official campaign page:

Folks keep talking about another civil war. One side has about 8 trillion bullets, while the other side doesn’t know which bathroom to use.

Now, it has to be said that there is a “demented insight” in this comment. Obviously, this is a vicious attack on trans people, as well as those supportive of their rights. So, on the one hand, this is an outrageous statement, a thoroughly reactionary and vicious statement. But it does express a certain demented insight, or a demented representation of some truth, because while people are rightly supporting the rights of trans people, gay people, women and others, there are real limitations and problems with the spontaneous outlook prevailing among those on the correct side of the divide. There is a narrowness along lines of “identity,” and an ignoring of, or a not paying sufficient attention to, the larger dynamics that are shaping up in the society (and the world) as a whole, and the implications of this, as represented, once again, by the fact that, while people are fighting around or raising some resistance around this or that particular instance of oppression, discrimination and prejudice, they are not rallying to take on the whole massive assault that’s embodied in the Trump/Pence regime, let alone the whole system that has produced this regime. There is the serious problem that, as a whole, people who consider themselves “progressive” or “woke” have, to put it mildly, not made any real rupture with American chauvinism (about which I will have more to say shortly). And, related to this, there is the fundamental problem of attempting to resolve the conflict with what is represented by the Trump/Pence regime and its fascist “base,” with its “8 trillion bullets,” through relying on (or seeking a return to) what have been the “norms” of the bourgeois order in this country (and, on the part of some, this involves a call for “restoring civility”) while the fascists are determined to trample on and tear up these “norms” and are perfectly happy to have those who oppose them adopt the stance of “civility” (accommodation) toward their unrelenting fascist offensive. Although this does not apply absolutely, it is far too much the case that the words of the poet William Butler Yeats describe this very serious situation: “The best lack all conviction, while the worst/Are full of passionate intensity.” And so, while things could be heading toward a civil war, and it could come down to that even in the not-too-distant future, the present lineup is very unfavorable for anybody who represents anything decent in the world.

All this is, in a demented kind of way, represented in King’s statement that one side has about 8 trillion bullets while the other side doesn’t know which bathroom to use. Again, it’s not that the question of bathroom use and the larger questions it encapsulates is unimportant. It is important. But there’s a larger picture here of this developing trend or motion toward a civil war which right now is very one-sided in a very bad way, and if things continue on this trajectory the outcome could truly be disastrous.

So that should be serious food for thought—and not only that, but also a serious spur to action for people who do care about all the various ways in which people are being brought under attack and oppression is being intensified all across the board against large sections of the people who need to be brought together to fight against the offensive from these fascist forces—and, in more fundamental terms, need to be brought forward on the basis of recognizing that it’s the whole system, out of which this fascist phenomenon has arisen, and which embodies such terrible oppression of people not just here but all around the world, that needs to be swept away.

Now, another element of this that we can’t overlook is that, while a lot of what King describes applies in a certain demented way, particularly to progressive or so-called “woke” middle class people, there is another kind of problem with regard to more basic oppressed people, and in particular the youth—a big problem that their guns are now aimed at each other. And without going more fully into this right now, this is something that needs to be radically transformed in building a movement for an actual revolution.

So here we come to the question of the relation between building for an actual revolution and the still very urgent question of driving out this fascist regime. The following from Part 2 of Why We Need An Actual Revolution And How We Can Really Make Revolution remains extremely relevant and important:

The relation between the struggle against this fascist regime and building the revolution is not a “straight road” or a “one-way street”: It must not be approached, by those who understand the need for revolution, as if “first we must build a mass movement to drive out this regime, and then we can turn our attention to working directly for revolution.” No. It is crucial to unite and mobilize people, from different perspectives, very broadly, around the demand that this regime must go, but it will be much more difficult to do this on the scale and with the determination that is required to meet this objective if there are not, at the same time, greater and greater numbers of people who have been brought forward around the understanding that it is necessary to put an end not only to this regime but to the system out of whose deep and defining contradictions this regime has arisen, a system which by its very nature has imposed, and will continue to impose, horrific and completely unnecessary suffering on the masses of humanity, until this system itself is abolished. And the more that people are brought forward to be consciously, actively working for revolution, the growing strength and “moral authority” of this revolutionary force will in turn strengthen the resolve of growing numbers of people to drive out this fascist regime now in power, even as many will not be (and some will perhaps never be) won to revolution.

 

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The science, the strategy, the leadership for an actual revolution, and a radically new society on the road to real emancipation, by Bob Avakian

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/607/in-a-week-of-terror-against-immigrants-it-is-not-enough-to-hate-this-fascist-regime-we-have-to-drive-it-out-en.html

Republished from RefuseFascism.org:

In a Week of Terror Against Immigrants:
It is Not Enough to Hate this Fascist Regime;
We Have to Drive it Out

By Coco Das

| revcom.us

 

On the heels of the mass murder in El Paso, in which a white supremacist targeted Latinos and killed 22 people, the Trump/Pence regime sent ICE agents, its American Gestapo, to unleash more terror. 680 workers at chicken processing and other food processing plants in Mississippi were rounded up and detained. There are pictures and videos of their children, left behind in schools and daycare centers or picked up by other community members, screaming and crying for their parents. One pastor said about the ICE raid of the chicken processing plant, “It looked like an invasion in a war.”

A war is two-sided. This is in fact an ethnic cleansing of Latino immigrants and citizens, waged by the Trump/Pence regime and its many soldiers, from government agents in ICE and Border Patrol to young white supremacist men who are willing to follow the marching orders of a whole fascist movement, fed and strengthened by Trump’s immigrant bashing at Nazi rally after Nazi rally.

No more sacrificing our immigrant brothers and sisters to these crimes! No more sitting back and begging politicians to “do something!” The politicians are either part of the fascist GOP or part of the Democratic Party, which is funding and enabling this fascist regime, collaborating with it—while giving empty lip-service to “holding Trump accountable” and “impeaching Trump at the ballot box”—and having no way of actually stopping this fascist terror.

Driving out this fascist regime is the greatest moral obligation we have at this moment in history. Consider this quote from a recent speech by Bob Avakian: “Trump’s election—through the electoral college, not the popular vote—is, in a real sense, an extension of slavery: the people who voted for Trump are the kind of people who would have been pro-slavery, had they been around at the time of slavery in the United States. And those who find it acceptable to have the overt white supremacist Trump in the White House are the kind of people who would have ignored or would have openly accepted and justified or rationalized slavery when it existed.”

In his speech, Avakian calls out the illusion of painless progress. The great abolitionist Frederick Douglas spoke to this when he said, “If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. ...Power concedes nothing without a demand.”

Right now, everyone standing aside and waiting for 2020, or thinking they can stop these horrors one at a time, are asking the most vulnerable to bear the pain of this regime’s fascism. To sacrifice their lives so that too many “good Americans” don’t have to sacrifice their comfort. The blood of El Paso is on the hands of the Trump/Pence regime, but it will be on everyone who continues to cling to the illusion of painless progress. Listen to the children in Mississippi crying for their parents. They need us now.

It is not enough to hate this fascist regime; we have to drive it out. This American fascism will not be stopped painlessly, but it can be knocked off the tracks sooner than we can imagine with the right demand—that the Trump/Pence regime must go now—and millions in the streets in non-violent protest day after day, refusing to back down until their demand is met.

Refuse Fascism is looking for the thousands who are ready to start this sustained mobilization. Prepare to take to the streets and stay in the streets. Bring your anger, outrage, and determination. Join our sustained actions and donate so that we can grow and reach millions.

Get ready to go Puerto Rico on this regime, and raise your voices everywhere to say: This nightmare must end. The Trump/Pence regime must go now!​

What is Refuse Fascism

RefuseFascism.org is a movement of people coming from diverse perspectives, united in our recognition that the Trump/Pence Regime poses a catastrophic danger to humanity and the planet, and that it is our responsibility to drive them from power through non-violent protests that grow every day until our demand is met. This means working and organizing with all our creativity and determination to bring thousands, eventually millions of people into the streets of cities and towns, to demand: This Nightmare Must End: The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go! RefuseFascism.org welcomes individuals and organizations from many different points of view who share our determination to refuse to accept a fascist America, to join and/or partner with us in this great cause.

UPCOMING PROTESTS
(updated August 9)


Saturday, August 10:

  • Atlanta Noon to 6 pm, join with us at the BeReggae Festival in Piedmont Park. Find the Refuse Fascism tent and join us!
  • Chicago March in the Bud Billiken parade with the #TrumpPenceMustGo contingent,
    starting 10 am
    33rd and King Dr.
    Facebook Event
  • Cleveland 12 noon Shaker Square and 3 pm Glenville Community Festival
  • Detroit 3:00 pm in Clark Park, at the corner of Vernor & Clark St
  • Honolulu 5:00 – 7:00 pm, Korea Festival, on the sidewalk along Auahi Street
  • Los Angeles 12:30 pm, meet outside 7th St Metro Center, 7th and Figueroa in downtown
  • NYC 3:00 pm, Trump Tower
  • San Francisco 1:00 pm, Refuse Fascism rally at 24th and Mission

Sunday, August 11:

  • Atlanta Noon to 6 pm, join with us at the BeReggae Festival in Piedmont Park. Find the Refuse Fascism tent and join us!
  • Chicago 2:00 pm Picnic Fundraiser, Dawes Park 1700 Sheridan Road, Evanston Facebook event
  • Los Angeles 5:30 pm Organizing Meeting Echo Park United Methodist 1226 N. Alvarado Street
  • Philadelphia 4:00 pm – the Federal Building at 200 Chestnut St.
  • Seattle 6:00 pm RefuseFascism meeting All Pilgrims Christian, 500 E. Broadway Facebook event

Tuesday, August 13:

  • Detroit banner drop, details TBA ("We encourage others to do the same")

Wednesday, August 14:

  • Atlanta Demonstrate in front of CNN at 6 PM, downtown at the intersection of Marietta St. and Centennial Olympic Park Dr. There will be tens of thousands of people downtown for the Campeones Cup Soccer Final between Atlanta United and Club America from Mexico City.


Mourning victims of the massacre of immigrants in El Paso


August 7, Mississippi: One of many coordinated ICE raids on chicken processing plants in which a total of 680 workers were rounded up.

 

 

 

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The Ongoing Need for Sustainers

During this four month fund drive, Revcom.us continued to incur thousands of dollars of costs each month for our office, maintaining our existing site and other expenses. But thanks to our existing monthly sustainers we were able to meet these expenses and use all the funds raised in the drive to transform the website.

So we encourage all our donors and those who’ve not yet donated to become monthly sustainers at whatever level you can afford.

Remember, humanity’s fate truly hinges on millions taking up the revolutionary science, strategy, and new communism brought forward by Bob Avakian which they can find at revcom.us.

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/608/protests-nationwide-demand-assaults-on-immigrants-must-stop-en.html

Protests Nationwide Demand:
Horrific Assaults on Immigrants Must Stop

| revcom.us

 


Banner on overpass at ICE Protest in Seattle. Photo: RefuseFascism.org

 

There were dozens of protests large and small in towns and cities around the country this weekend expressing anger and outrage at the horrific assault on Latino immigrants by the Trump/Pence regime’s Gestapo ICE agents in Mississippi, coming on the heels of the mass murder of Mexicans and Latinos by a white supremacist in El Paso.

On Saturday, August 10, about 700 protesters marched through Manhattan streets to the West Side Highway. Shortly after 1:00 p.m., 100 marchers, with signs saying “Abolish ICE” and “Close the Camps” sat down and locked arms, blocking all lanes of the very busy highway for at least 30 minutes. Immigrant rights group Cosecha, climate action group Extinction Rebellion, progressive Jewish groups, and a wide range of other political and religious organizations came together in the protest. Police arrested about 100 of the protesters for “disorderly conduct,” but not before traffic had been massively disrupted.

Also over the weekend, hundreds protested outside the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Facility; hundreds in Seattle targeted the downtown ICE facility; hundreds more protested the ICE facility in Kankakee, Illinois—these and others were part of the Jewish group Never Again Action’s nationwide campaign demanding #CloseTheCamps and a stop to immigrant deportations. Hundreds demonstrated in DC, and other actions took place in Raleigh, North Carolina; Portland, Oregon; Tucson, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; Philadelphia; Kenosha, Wisconsin; and many other cities.

On Thursday, August 8, a press conference condemning the ICE raids the day before was held in Jackson, Mississippi, which included the immigrant rights group MIRA, NAACP, ACLU, and church groups.

RefuseFascism.org called people into the streets over three days, Friday August 9, to Sunday August 11, in the wake of the El Paso massacre and ICE raids in Mississippi, and fought for people to take up the challenge of driving out the Trump/Pence fascist regime through nonviolent, sustained mass protest. See here for sights and sounds from the three days.

As we write on Sunday, August 11, protesters connected with Never Again Action and #ClosetheCamps have been arrested after blocking the entrance to the Howard County, Maryland, Detention Center for over four hours this afternoon; and others have been arrested at Amazon Books in Manhattan for organizing a sit-in demanding Amazon Web Service end its technical support for ICE.

 

 


West Side Highway in New York City. Photo Twitter/@BerksonGold

 


#JewsAgainstICE protest at Jerome Combs Detention Center, Kankakee, Illinois. Photo: Twitter/@osodeltoro

 


ICE protest in San Francisco. Photo: screenshot from NBC video


Boston, Massachusetts protest against ICE. Photo: Twitter/@UR_Ninja

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Together, WE passed $40,000 in revcom's Winter fundraising campaign to “Transform Revcom.us’ Web Technology and Presence”!

Reaching this goal is a real achievement and a victory for the people of the world, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated efforts of many people working creatively and collectively to meet this pressing need: those who donated whether large or small contributions, who fundraised, who spread the campaign, who sent statements, who raised comments, questions, criticisms or suggestions – and of course those who worked so hard on modernizing and upgrading our web technology and presence. It all made a difference!

The Ongoing Need for Sustainers

During this four month fund drive, Revcom.us continued to incur thousands of dollars of costs each month for our office, maintaining our existing site and other expenses. But thanks to our existing monthly sustainers we were able to meet these expenses and use all the funds raised in the drive to transform the website.

So we encourage all our donors and those who’ve not yet donated to become monthly sustainers at whatever level you can afford.

Remember, humanity’s fate truly hinges on millions taking up the revolutionary science, strategy, and new communism brought forward by Bob Avakian which they can find at revcom.us.

You’ve read this article and now you need to be part of making sure revcom.us is able to make an urgently needed leap and transformation.

 

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/605/identity-politics-blues-en.html

| revcom.us

 

"Identity Politics Blues"

 

I don’t even know who the hell I am

I got twenty-five identities and twenty-five brands

I drove to the intersection and my car just stalled

I sure am feeling really confused

with these damn postmodern identity politics blues

 

I heard someone saying they had truth to tell

but they got white skin and a penis as well

so I knew that they couldn’t possibly be right

never knew that truth had a gender or hue

‘Till I got these postmodern identity politics blues

 

So I shouted out loud to every woman and man

“I’m eight-fifteenths indigenous and ten percent trans!

that means you have to buy my merchandise”

even as I said it, though, I started to snooze

these damn postmodern identity politics blues

 

I just read this book, you should really try it

“10 Quick Steps to Decolonize your Diet”

Now I can survive on agency alone

there’s nothing meaningless I will refuse

with these damn postmodern identity politics blues

 

I purchased an onion and started to cry

as I peeled back its layers of privilege, then I

threw it in the trash and typed a Facebook post

all I need now is someone to accuse

with these damn postmodern identity politics blues

 

I feel deep in my heart that I have love to give

I just hope that’s not “heteronormative’

but then who am I to even use that word?

Why must I be stricken with a cisgender muse?

these damn postmodern identity politics blues

 

Someone said “I’d like to report a crime,”

I said “Call the Arts section of The New York Times,”

there’s nothing decent that they won’t condemn

just be patient when they’re asking “who are you?!”

These damn postmodern identity politics blues

 

Yesterday, a cop punched a guy in the face

without a trigger warning and inside a safe space

he told the cop, the cop wasn’t impressed

the cop wasn’t woke and he was stuck in his views

these damn postmodern identity politics blues

 

I went to the lecture on empowering dogs

someone started whispering “What about frogs?”

Pretty soon, things ground right to a halt

after all, who are we as humans to choose?

These damn postmodern identity politics blues

 

I woke up in the morning for a leaderless swim

I had never swum before, but still I jumped right in

two minutes later, I promptly started to drown

the other swimmers smirked and just looked amused

these damn postmodern identity politics blues

 

I somehow washed ashore and collapsed on the sand

I coughed and gasped for air and I could not understand

how the currents took me so far out to sea

it dawned on me that I might need to lose

these damn postmodern identity politics blues

 

So now I want to change the world, or at least I might

if I could just stop asking if I have the right

I’ve had it with these hustlers, fakes and fools

how much longer must we be abused

by these damn postmodern identity politics blues?

 

 

 

 

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/608/cheers-to-race-imboden-and-gwen-berry-en.html

Cheers to Race Imboden and Gwen Berry

U.S. Athletes Take a Knee and Raise Black Power Fist in Protest of Injustice and Trump

| revcom.us

 

From a reader

On August 9, Race Imboden, a white U.S. fencer, took a knee when the U.S. anthem was playing during the men’s foil team gold medal ceremony that was won by the American team at the Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru.

Imboden tweeted:

We must call for change. This week I am honored to represent Team USA at the Pan Am Games, taking home Gold and Bronze. My pride however has been cut short by the multiple shortcomings of the country I hold so dear to my heart. Racism, Gun Control, mistreatment of immigrants, and a president who spreads hate are at the top of a long list.

I chose to sacrifice my moment today at the top of the podium to call attention to issues that I believe need to be addressed. I encourage others to please use your platforms for empowerment and change.

The next day, after U.S. hammer thrower Gwen Berry won the gold in her event at the Pan Am Games, she raised her fist (reminiscent of the Black Power salute by John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City) as the U.S. anthem was being played during the medal ceremony.

Berry said afterwards:

Somebody has to talk about the things that are too uncomfortable to talk about. Somebody has to stand for all of the injustices that are going on in America and a president who’s making it worse.... If nothing is said, nothing will be done, and nothing will be fixed, and nothing will be changed.

The U.S. Olympics and Paralympics Committee is reportedly considering punishing Imboden and Berry for their righteous and courageous protests.


Gwen Berry

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Reaching this goal is a real achievement and a victory for the people of the world, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated efforts of many people working creatively and collectively to meet this pressing need: those who donated whether large or small contributions, who fundraised, who spread the campaign, who sent statements, who raised comments, questions, criticisms or suggestions – and of course those who worked so hard on modernizing and upgrading our web technology and presence. It all made a difference!

The Ongoing Need for Sustainers

During this four month fund drive, Revcom.us continued to incur thousands of dollars of costs each month for our office, maintaining our existing site and other expenses. But thanks to our existing monthly sustainers we were able to meet these expenses and use all the funds raised in the drive to transform the website.

So we encourage all our donors and those who’ve not yet donated to become monthly sustainers at whatever level you can afford.

Remember, humanity’s fate truly hinges on millions taking up the revolutionary science, strategy, and new communism brought forward by Bob Avakian which they can find at revcom.us.

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/608/kenny-stills-calls-out-owner-for-hosting-trump-fundraiser-en.html

Kenny Stills, NFL Player, Calls Out His Team’s Owner for Hosting a Trump Fundraiser

| revcom.us

 

From a reader:

Kenny Stills, wide receiver for the NFL (National Football League) Miami Dolphins, continued to take a knee during the national anthem at last week’s first pre-season game. Earlier in the week he criticized the Dolphins’ owner, Stephen Ross, for hosting a $250,000 per person fundraiser for Donald Trump.

Stills called out Ross, who runs a nonprofit organization that promotes sports equality—RISE, Ross Initiative in Sports Equality. Stills tweeted out, “You can’t have a non profit with this mission statement when you open your doors to Trump.”

Stills reported that he has received death threats after he called out Ross.

Stills may be the only NFL player left who continues to take a knee during the anthem in support of Colin Kaepernick, who was the first player to take a knee during the anthem in 2016 to protest police murder of and brutality against Black people.

After Stills took a knee at last week’s game, Kaepernick tweeted out, “My Brother @KSTiLLS continues to show his courage, morality, resilience and continues to take a knee!!! Keep going strong Brother!!!”

Kenny Stills

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Together, WE passed $40,000 in revcom's Winter fundraising campaign to “Transform Revcom.us’ Web Technology and Presence”!

Reaching this goal is a real achievement and a victory for the people of the world, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated efforts of many people working creatively and collectively to meet this pressing need: those who donated whether large or small contributions, who fundraised, who spread the campaign, who sent statements, who raised comments, questions, criticisms or suggestions – and of course those who worked so hard on modernizing and upgrading our web technology and presence. It all made a difference!

The Ongoing Need for Sustainers

During this four month fund drive, Revcom.us continued to incur thousands of dollars of costs each month for our office, maintaining our existing site and other expenses. But thanks to our existing monthly sustainers we were able to meet these expenses and use all the funds raised in the drive to transform the website.

So we encourage all our donors and those who’ve not yet donated to become monthly sustainers at whatever level you can afford.

Remember, humanity’s fate truly hinges on millions taking up the revolutionary science, strategy, and new communism brought forward by Bob Avakian which they can find at revcom.us.

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/608/bob-avakian-you-cant-change-the-world-if-you-dont-know-the-basics-41-en.html

You Can’t Change the World If You Don’t Know the BAsics

| revcom.us

 

 

Every week, revcom.us features quotes from BAsics, by Bob Avakian, the handbook for revolution. This week we have a set of six quotes. We encourage Revolution Clubs and other readers, everywhere, to take the time to discuss the quotes—the whole quotes—and to write us at revolution.reports@yahoo.com with accounts of these discussions, or thoughts provoked in yourself by reading the quotes.

 

Basics, from the talks and writings of Bob Avakian

BAsics, from the talks and writings of Bob Avakian

"You can't change the world if you don't know the BAsics."

BAsics, from the talks and writings of Bob Avakian is a book of quotations and short essays that speaks powerfully to questions of revolution and human emancipation.

Order the book or download the book in ePub format HERE

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Together, WE passed $40,000 in revcom's Winter fundraising campaign to “Transform Revcom.us’ Web Technology and Presence”!

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The Ongoing Need for Sustainers

During this four month fund drive, Revcom.us continued to incur thousands of dollars of costs each month for our office, maintaining our existing site and other expenses. But thanks to our existing monthly sustainers we were able to meet these expenses and use all the funds raised in the drive to transform the website.

So we encourage all our donors and those who’ve not yet donated to become monthly sustainers at whatever level you can afford.

Remember, humanity’s fate truly hinges on millions taking up the revolutionary science, strategy, and new communism brought forward by Bob Avakian which they can find at revcom.us.

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/605/fascists-and-communists-completely-opposed-worlds-apart-en.html

Fascists and Communists:
Completely Opposed and Worlds Apart

By Bob Avakian

| revcom.us

 

Fascists stand for and are determined to intensify, to grotesque and hideous dimensions, every dimension of oppression and exploitation and all the horrors perpetrated by the system of capitalism-imperialism. Communists, and in particular the advocates of the new communism, are determined to put an end to all these horrors, and potentially even worse horrors, through the overthrow of the system of capitalism-imperialism and the abolition of all relations of exploitation and oppression, throughout the world.

Look at the 5 STOPS—fascists and communists, and in particular the advocates of the new communism, are on diametrically opposed sides of these crucial dividing lines: The fascists are determined to fortify and extend to even more monstrous proportions, and with potentially catastrophic consequences for humanity, all the horrors embodied in those 5 STOPS, while the communists, and in particular the advocates of the new communism, stand for and fight for precisely a STOP to all this.

Fascists base themselves on and actively promote blind adherence to hateful prejudice, willful ignorance and aggressive paranoia, in opposition to rational thinking and discourse, science and the scientific method. Communists, and in particular the advocates of the new communism, base themselves on and seek to apply the most consistent scientific method, including the importance of learning from and critically assimilating the insights, criticisms, etc. of others who disagree with or even ardently oppose them.

As pointed out in Communism and Jeffersonian Democracy, it is not that people calling themselves communists have never acted in opposition to the basic principles of communism, and it is not that there have been no shortcomings and errors, even some grievous errors, in the history of the communist movement and socialist society; but a scientific approach and analysis shows that this has not been the main trend and character of the communist movement and socialist society led by communists; and the notion of communism as representing a “totalitarian nightmare” is fundamentally in conflict with reality and is on the contrary the invention and distortion of functionaries, enforcers and intellectual camp followers of the exploitative and oppressive system of capitalism and imperialism, which the communist revolution aims to overthrow and advance human society beyond, through the abolition of all exploitation and oppression. (If anyone is sincerely interested in actually understanding what is represented by the “theory” of “totalitarianism,” and in particular the use of this “theory” to distort and slander what is represented by communism, in Democracy: Can’t We Do Better Than That? they can find a systematic discussion, dissection and refutation of the basic thesis and methods in The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt, whose work is the most celebrated embodiment of this “theory” of “totalitarianism” and its use to distort and slander what is represented by communism.)

And, once again, there is the further, qualitative development of communism with the new communism which I have brought forward—which involves a scientific analysis and synthesis of the historical experience, positive and negative, of the communist movement and the first great wave of communist-led revolution and socialist society, and the significance of which is highlighted and concentrated in particular in the first of the Six Resolutions of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA.

Download PDF of "Fascists and Communists: Completely Opposed and Worlds Apart" for printing and distribution

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Reaching this goal is a real achievement and a victory for the people of the world, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated efforts of many people working creatively and collectively to meet this pressing need: those who donated whether large or small contributions, who fundraised, who spread the campaign, who sent statements, who raised comments, questions, criticisms or suggestions – and of course those who worked so hard on modernizing and upgrading our web technology and presence. It all made a difference!

The Ongoing Need for Sustainers

During this four month fund drive, Revcom.us continued to incur thousands of dollars of costs each month for our office, maintaining our existing site and other expenses. But thanks to our existing monthly sustainers we were able to meet these expenses and use all the funds raised in the drive to transform the website.

So we encourage all our donors and those who’ve not yet donated to become monthly sustainers at whatever level you can afford.

Remember, humanity’s fate truly hinges on millions taking up the revolutionary science, strategy, and new communism brought forward by Bob Avakian which they can find at revcom.us.

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/605/a-critical-challenge-an-urgent-appeal-en.html

From THE TRUMP/PENCE REGIME MUST GO! In the Name of Humanity, We REFUSE to Accept a Fascist America, A Better World IS Possible – A Talk by Bob Avakian

A Critical Challenge, an Urgent Appeal

| revcom.us

 

[W]hether we consider ourselves revolutionaries, convinced of the need for a radical overturning of the system and thorough transformation of society, or we believe that it is possible to bring about changes that will lead to a more just society within this system; whether our understanding is that America is not, and cannot be, a force for good in the world, or we hope it still can become that—all of us need to come together, and act together, with the urgency that corresponds to the terrible present and the gravely imperiled future that this fascist regime represents for humanity, and with the conviction that something far better is necessary and possible.

We may have differences about what that “something far better” is, and how it can be brought about—and we should continue to discuss and debate this, with the orientation of seeking the truth, whether convenient or inconvenient, comfortable or uncomfortable, and following the truth wherever it leads—but it is not only possible but crucial and urgent that we unite—and actively go forward to win truly massive numbers of people—to act, in a really meaningful way, to bring about the removal of this fascist regime before it can fully consolidate its rule and bring down the full effect of its horrific agenda. In the “Paul Krugman” article, I put it this way:

“Krugman is a proponent of capitalism, whereas I am an advocate of communism, a new communism, who is convinced that what is ultimately and fundamentally required to deal with the current horrors facing the masses of humanity, and the looming threat to the very existence of humanity, is a truly radical and emancipating revolution. But that is not the immediate question and challenge before all of us at this present moment. Rather, it is to deal with the grave danger posed by those now in power, through nonviolent but massive and sustained political action—the mobilization of first thousands, growing into millions, determined to get and remain in the streets until this regime is removed from power. Does not the common recognition that this regime ‘may end up destroying civilization,’ demand of us—of all those, of many divergent viewpoints, who can recognize that these are the stakes for humanity—that we act together, and do everything in our power, to bring about the massive political manifestation that is urgently needed to drive out this regime?”

And, in concluding, let me go back to what I wrote at the end of that article:

“It is in this spirit and with this understanding that it is crucial for everyone—those, like Paul Krugman, with a prominent platform from which to influence public opinion, as well as those without such a platform—who do recognize and agonize over what is at stake for humanity to act, from their own perspective, to give meaningful support to, and indeed to become actively involved in, the critical work building toward November 4: publicly endorsing and promoting the Call from Refuse Fascism, helping to break through what is effectively a white-out of this by the mainstream media, donating and raising funds, directing people to the RefuseFascism.org website, and in countless other ways helping to develop the necessary political and organizational basis for what RefuseFascism very rightly calls ‘this great cause.’ For it is the massive and sustained political mobilization called for by RefuseFascism that truly represents the prospect of forging a positive path through and beyond this extremely dangerous and potentially disastrous situation.” 

RefuseFascism.org is a movement of people coming from diverse perspectives, united in our recognition that the Trump/Pence Regime poses a catastrophic danger to humanity and the planet, and that it is our responsibility to drive them from power through non-violent protests that grow every day until our demand is met. This means working and organizing with all our creativity and determination to bring thousands, eventually millions of people into the streets of cities and towns, to demand:

This Nightmare Must End:
The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go!

RefuseFascism.org welcomes individuals and organizations from many different points of view who share our determination to refuse to accept a fascist America, to join and/or partner with us in this great cause.

Read, share and endorse the full Refuse Fascism Call to Action here.

Find out more about Refuse Fascism here.

 

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Together, WE passed $40,000 in revcom's Winter fundraising campaign to “Transform Revcom.us’ Web Technology and Presence”!

Reaching this goal is a real achievement and a victory for the people of the world, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated efforts of many people working creatively and collectively to meet this pressing need: those who donated whether large or small contributions, who fundraised, who spread the campaign, who sent statements, who raised comments, questions, criticisms or suggestions – and of course those who worked so hard on modernizing and upgrading our web technology and presence. It all made a difference!

The Ongoing Need for Sustainers

During this four month fund drive, Revcom.us continued to incur thousands of dollars of costs each month for our office, maintaining our existing site and other expenses. But thanks to our existing monthly sustainers we were able to meet these expenses and use all the funds raised in the drive to transform the website.

So we encourage all our donors and those who’ve not yet donated to become monthly sustainers at whatever level you can afford.

Remember, humanity’s fate truly hinges on millions taking up the revolutionary science, strategy, and new communism brought forward by Bob Avakian which they can find at revcom.us.

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/600/crucial-importance-of-the-new-communism-and-ba-en.html

The Crucial Importance of the New Communism and BA's Leadership

| revcom.us

 

The following is a summation of some group study and discussion of the new communism and the leadership of Bob Avakian (BA).

First of all, I want to say that it has been truly great, deeply meaningful, critically important—and a lot of fun!—digging into the work, leadership and method of BA together. I have been thinking recently about some key themes and lessons that occur to me regarding our study and discussions and their purpose and importance. There is obviously so much that I could highlight—in terms of the key points we have gotten into in these sessions and the significance of these sessions—and trying to cover it all would be well beyond the scope of what I have written here (which ended up being longer than I envisioned when I started). However, I wanted to frame our work together with two overall themes.

The first of these themes is drawn from the beginning of a quote from BA: “Let’s get down to basics: We need a revolution. Anything else, in the final analysis, is bullshit.” (from BAsics 3:1)

The second theme is the critical role of revolutionary theory.

Let me briefly get further into each of these themes—in general, as it relates to the role and importance of BA and his leadership in the world, and also as it relates to our study and discussions.

Given how much there is to say on each of these two themes, I can only really scratch the surface here. But let’s start with the first one:

“Let’s get down to basics: We need a revolution. Anything else, in the final analysis, is bullshit.”

The understanding captured in this quote not only speaks to the state of the world and of humanity—and to what is urgently needed in light of this—but also, relatedly, illuminates WHY we have been engaging in this study and discussion together and WHY this is so important.

We have often talked—and very correctly so, to be clear—about having “cool” discussions. But it’s important to understand that this is NOT fundamentally about having “cool,” “interesting,” “fun” or “mentally stimulating” discussions, even though these discussions definitely ARE all of these things!

Rather, our work together has a specific purpose: to deepen our understanding of the world not just for the sake of knowledge in some academic sense, but in order to radically CHANGE the world. And, more specifically, to deepen our understanding and application of the science of revolution and communism, as this science has been qualitatively advanced in groundbreaking ways through the new communism brought forward by BA—deepening our grasp and application of this science as a key part of contributing to the process of making revolution on the basis of this new communism.

Just look at the world! We have talked about the “5 STOPS,” which speak to five key, defining contradictions of this capitalist-imperialist system. These 5 STOPS are: “STOP Genocidal Persecution, Mass Incarceration, Police Brutality and Murder of Black and Brown People!”... “STOP the Patriarchal Degradation, Dehumanization, and Subjugation of All Women Everywhere, and All Oppression Based on Gender or Sexual Orientation!... Stop Wars of Empire, Armies of Occupation, and Crimes Against Humanity!... Stop the Demonization, Criminalization and Deportations of Immigrants and the Militarization of the Border!... Stop Capitalism-Imperialism from Destroying Our Planet!”

A quick glance at the news from the past few weeks alone will reveal that the contradictions spoken to in these 5 STOPS—and the staggering level of suffering and misery caused by these contradictions—are only intensifying.

This is on top of the countless other forms of tremendous poverty, deprivation, misery, exploitation, oppression and suffering spawned by this system and heaped upon literally billions of human beings and humanity as a whole every single day that this capitalist-imperialist system continues.

A key point to understand, which BA’s work illuminates so sharply and powerfully, is that NONE of these outrages are accidental, isolated or disconnected from each other. They have a common source—this SYSTEM of capitalism-imperialism. These outrages and horrors for humanity are woven into this system’s rules, its operation, its “DNA,” its roots, its historical and ongoing functioning. For this reason, the system CANNOT be reformed—it must be overthrown through revolution.

This point about the NEED for an actual revolution—as opposed to attempts to “fix” or “heal” or “reform” a system that in fact CANNOT be fixed, healed or reformed—in order to put an end to the countless ways that humanity suffers needlessly is, I believe, one vital takeaway from our study and discussions of BA’s work; it is one critical point on which our collective understanding should be significantly deepened.

Another one of these vital points that I think has been a theme of our study and discussions—especially recently, as we have watched the most recent film from BA (Why We Need An Actual Revolution And How We Can Really Make Revolution) and listened to the Q & A from this film—is what an actual revolution IS, what it involves and what it requires.

An actual revolution does NOT just mean “a big change”—in one form or another—which is how many people think of it or try to define it. Rather, an actual revolution means overthrowing the capitalist-imperialist system, meeting and defeating its repressive force, dismantling its institutions and setting up a new, socialist system and state power and society—and, accordingly, new institutions—on the road to communism. Right now is NOT the time for an actual revolution, because the necessary conditions for this revolution do not yet exist. But right now IS the time to be working for, hastening (i.e., working to accelerate the emergence of) and preparing for an actual revolution.

This point leads us to the question of what we ALREADY do have, and what we DON’T yet have and therefore need to urgently work on bringing into being, in terms of the necessary factors and conditions for revolution.

In terms of what we DO have: By far the biggest positive factor we have is BA. Through decades of work, BA has forged the new communism, which is the framework—and, most fundamentally, the scientific understanding and method—that humanity needs to make revolution and continue that revolution all the way to communism. Think about this: Just as the first round of communist revolutions would never have happened without the initial scientific breakthroughs and framework forged by Marx, so the next round of communist revolutions will not happen without millions of people taking up the further scientific breakthroughs and framework forged by BA.

The framework of the new communism includes: a comprehensive and further developed scientific understanding of the nature of the problem, that is, the nature of capitalism-imperialism, how it specifically operates, historically and in the world today, why and how it is responsible for the many different forms of suffering that humanity faces and why this system cannot be reformed and must be swept away through revolution; a viable strategy for revolution—for working now to hasten while awaiting a revolutionary situation and then winning in that future situation; and a concrete, vivid and thoroughly developed vision and “blueprint” for a radically different socialist society on the road to communism, as put forward in the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America, authored by BA.

Most fundamentally and importantly—and this is a thread running through and underlying the understanding, strategy and vision—is the scientific METHOD of the new communism.

The new communism forged by BA builds upon—but also goes far beyond, and in some key ways breaks with—the past experience in theory and practice of the communist movement.

Speaking in depth to the totality and specific dimensions of the new communism is also beyond the scope of what I am writing here, but to quickly highlight some key points of this.

In terms of the totality of what is represented by the new communism, I want to quote the first of the Six Resolutions of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, which we have previously discussed. This first resolution makes the point that the new communism

represents and embodies a qualitative resolution of a critical contradiction that has existed within communism in its development up to this point, between its fundamentally scientific method and approach, and aspects of communism which have run counter to this.

This point is important enough that I think it bears repeating in order to help facilitate ongoing further reflection: The new communism “represents and embodies a qualitative resolution of a critical contradiction that has existed within communism in its development up to this point, between its fundamentally scientific method and approach, and aspects of communism which have run counter to this.

While—as this quote from the first resolution points out—communism’s method and approach has been FUNDAMENTALLY scientific, there have been important ways in which past socialist societies along with the communist movement, past and present, have taken up unscientific and even ANTI-scientific ways of thinking, methods and approaches to understanding and transforming reality, with very harmful effects.

The new communism brought forward by BA qualitatively resolves this contradiction, putting communism on a more firmly scientific footing and therefore carving out the method and framework that makes it possible—not inevitable, but possible—to confront and transform the many contradictions involved in making revolution and continuing that revolution all the way to communism.

Needless to say, this is a big deal in terms of the possibilities this new communism opens up for humanity!

While, once again, it is not possible to review in depth the various specific dimensions of the new communism, I want to highlight here three examples of this.

*First, the new communism breaks new ground—and breaks with unscientific approaches within the communist movement—in terms of its approach to the TRUTH, the process by which the truth should be pursued, understood and arrived at, and the importance of going for the truth not just in a general sense but specifically in terms of the goal of getting to communism.

The new communism’s approach to this breaks with the unscientific and harmful ideas—which have far too often and to far too great a degree infected the past and present of the communist movement at different points—that a particular section of society, such as communists, or the most oppressed and exploited, have a monopoly on truth; the idea that whether or not a statement is true should be evaluated based on the class (or social) position of the person making the statement; the idea that different classes have their own versions of the truth, i.e., that the proletariat has its truth and the bourgeoisie has its truth; the notion of “populist epistemology”—that whether or not something is true should be evaluated based on the numbers of people who believe it at a given time; the notion of “political truth”—the idea that whether or not something is true should be evaluated based on whether or not it is viewed as convenient at a given time.

Once again, all of those wrong ways of thinking are not just prevalent in society more broadly but have been significant problems in the past and present of the communist movement.

In opposition to all of this is the understanding encompassed in BA’s new communism that truth is... TRUTH! That it does NOT have a class character, nor is it determined by whether it is viewed as politically convenient in the short term, nor is it determined by the number of the masses who recognize it as truth at a given time. That truth is determined by whether or not something corresponds to objective reality, and it must be fully confronted in all of its dimensions—including those that might be unfortunate or inconvenient in the short run—as an essential part of actually getting to communism.

These points are encompassed in this very important quote from BA that speaks to a key breakthrough in understanding concentrated in the new communism:

Everything that is actually true is good for the proletariat, all truths can help us get to communism. (BAsics 4:5)

Once again, as BA has pointed out, the new communism’s breakthroughs in regard to the truth are not just a matter of recognizing that going for the truth is essential in general—though this understanding is encompassed, too—but that going for the truth is essential IN ORDER TO GET TO COMMUNISM.

*A second example of a specific key dimension of the new communism is its breakthrough in regard to internationalism—the understanding that “the whole world comes first.” This is not just a moral stand—although it is ALSO that—but represents a more fully scientific understanding of internationalism and its importance in the process of making and continuing revolution, and a rupture with and departure from unscientific understandings of internationalism in the past and present of the communist movement. This breakthrough developed with BA’s new communism includes the understanding that the world situation is principal—in other words, that it is the most important factor setting the terms—in regard to the process of making revolution in any particular country; that there can sometimes be a sharp contradiction between the needs of a particular socialist state and the need to advance the world revolution, and that advancing the world revolution must come first; and that in past revolutions there were sometimes important errors made by failing to recognize this and putting the needs of particular socialist countries above the world revolution. Here again, this is not just a matter of an abstract idea of internationalism, but principles based on the work BA has done to deeply engage and synthesize the correct understanding of and approach to the actual contradictions involved in consistently applying internationalism, with all the complexity and difficulty involved in this. (In this regard, the discussion of internationalism in BA’s book THE NEW COMMUNISM is very important.)

*A third example of specific dimensions in which the new communism has broken new ground is in terms of the method of “solid core with a lot of elasticity on the basis of the solid core,” which is a scientific understanding which in fact ruptures with the past understanding and approach of the communist movement in important ways, including in the application of this method to the process of making revolution and leading the future socialist society.

In terms of epistemology (theory of knowledge) and method, “solid core with a lot of elasticity on the basis of the solid core” intertwines with some of the key points made earlier in regard to truth and comprehends that while the communist method and approach is the most systematic, comprehensive and effective means of getting to the truth, this does not mean that communists have a monopoly on the truth and are always correct or that those NOT applying the communist method and approach are always incorrect; rather, those coming from other outlooks, methods and approaches can discover important truths and shed important light on elements of reality. Therefore, the METHOD of solid core with a lot of elasticity on the basis of the solid core involves applying the communist outlook, method and approach to reality with a specific goal, making revolution and getting to communism, while also understanding the need—ON THE BASIS OF APPLYING THAT METHOD—to learn from, sift through and sort out what is brought forward through many diverse streams of human activity and by people coming from a broad range of perspectives, including those that are not communist and even opposed to communism in some cases.

Applying this understanding of solid core with a lot of elasticity on the basis of the solid core to the process of making revolution and then continuing that revolution in the future socialist society on the road to communism, BA’s new communism recognizes—on a level far beyond and in some cases in opposition to the way this was understood prior to the new communism—the complexity and diversity of human activity and thought that must be involved in the process of making revolution and leading a socialist society to communism. This includes recognizing in a whole new way and on a whole other level the importance of dissent, debate, experimentation, ferment and individuality—not individualism but individuality—in socialist society.

To contrast this with one example from the first wave of socialist societies: In socialist China—which, again, overall represented an enormous leap for humanity in so many different spheres and overall—Marxism was in essence viewed as an “official ideology” that people in socialist society should profess, while the new communism, and in particular the approach of “solid core with a lot of elasticity on the basis of the solid core,” embodies the understanding that the leading element in socialist society needs to be communism, but this should not be enshrined and institutionalized as, in effect, an “official ideology” but put forward and struggled for as something people need to be won to and to consciously and voluntarily take up, while at the same time recognizing the importance of giving space to and engaging, and learning what can and should be learned from, the insights of others who have not, yet, been won to communism.

As positive as the overall experience of socialism in China was, BA’s new communism represents a very different vision of socialist society that involves a radical leap forward from even the best of the past.

So, these three examples—related to the approach towards truth, internationalism and solid core with a lot of elasticity on the basis of the solid core—are just that: three of many examples and points that could be offered to illustrate just how profoundly new BA’s new communism is, and the ways in which this new communism (to go back to the quote from the first of the six resolutions):

represents and embodies a qualitative resolution of a critical contradiction that has existed within communism in its development up to this point, between its fundamentally scientific method and approach, and aspects of communism which have run counter to this.

The works that we have read, watched and listened to from BA have been an application and illustration of the new communism—and this has immersed us in this new communism, in an overall way, as captured by the quote from the first resolution as well as in various specific dimensions, including the three highlighted in this letter.

Accordingly, our study and discussion of this work should have deepened our understanding and application of the new communism and its scientific method. Many of our discussions, in fact, have involved studying BA’s scientific method and seeking to take up and apply this method ourselves, to the best of our ability, even while not being able to do this on anywhere near the same level that BA himself does. This focus on method has been extremely important and instructive, manifested, for instance, in the way that we have studied and sought to emulate the way that BA boldly confronts, plainly presents and systematically unpacks the key contradictions and questions of the revolution, involving and inviting others to join him on that journey.

So, once again to return to the question of what we HAVE in regard to the factors and conditions needed to make revolution, the biggest positive factor we have by far is BA, the scientific framework, breakthrough and understanding that he has forged with the new communism, and the ongoing leadership he is providing. This leadership, as highlighted in the second of those six resolutions, involves an extremely rare combination: the ability “to develop scientific theory on a world-class level, while at the same time having a deep understanding of and visceral connection with the most oppressed, and a highly developed ability to ‘break down’ complex theory and make it accessible to the masses of people.” Our viewing, listening, reading and related study/discussion has also driven home this rare combination point repeatedly and powerfully.

In terms of what we don’t yet have, and therefore urgently NEED to work on bringing into being in order to make an actual revolution: We don’t yet have masses of people, first in the thousands and then in the millions, who are won to this revolution and its leadership and developed as an organized force for this revolution; we don’t yet have a situation where the party that is needed to lead the revolution has grown and been expanded and strengthened to the point where it has the necessary ties and influence in society to actually lead a revolution; and we don’t yet have a revolutionary crisis in which the system is unable to rule in the traditional way.

So, the urgent task before us—not just us, but certainly ALSO us—is to take the critical things we DO have and go to work on bringing into being what we DON’T yet have.

This theme—of what we do have, what we don’t have, and what we therefore need to get busy doing—has been another theme both directly spoken to and objectively posed by the works of BA that we have dug into and by our discussions of these works.

Bringing into being the conditions that we don’t yet have is urgently necessary, absolutely possible and in line with reality and how it can be changed, and there is a strategy for going to work on this, as we have discussed recently. But this will not be easy—it will take lots of STRUGGLE, repeatedly and fundamentally on a societal level.

This understanding, too, is another theme that jumps out in reflecting on our study and discussion.

We should understand that we are not operating on an “empty playing field.” There can be a tendency, especially when people are young and still relatively inexperienced politically, to think that everyone with a decent heart will immediately rally to the correct understanding of reality as soon as they are exposed to this understanding. And without question, there is a tremendous basis to win MILLIONS of people to this revolution and its leadership because it DOES, in fact, correspond to reality and to what humanity needs, and no other program and line does.

However, the understanding of BA and the new communism is, to put it simply, contending with all kinds of wrong ways of thinking, on all kinds of questions, that are spontaneously called forth and actively and repeatedly promoted by this system, and it is contending with all kinds of wrong LINES—i.e., wrong outlooks and methods applied to reality—that keep people trapped within this system. This includes, but is not limited to, people in society who call themselves “socialists” or “communists” but are actually about nothing that has anything to do with actual socialism and communism and really just want to reform capitalism and perhaps slightly redistribute the wealth generated by the capitalist system of exploitation. These reformists have nothing to do with an actual revolution and bringing into being a radically different world—and in some cases they will even admit as much. In any case, these fake socialists and communists are often some of those who most viciously attack BA and the GENUINE communism represented by BA, the new communism, precisely because BA and the new communism ACTUALLY represent what they may PRETEND to be about but in reality fundamentally oppose: real revolution and communism.

Few things are as threatening to a poseur as someone who actually IS what they PRETEND to be.

Returning to society more broadly: sharp ideological struggle must be waged—not just on an individual level or in small numbers, but among MASSES OF PEOPLE, and on a SOCIETAL SCALE—to rupture people out of all the wrong ways of thinking and wrong lines that they are caught up in and into the framework of BA’s new communism.

Once again, there is every basis and every urgency to do this, exactly because BA and the new communism correspond to reality and how it can and must be changed, while these other lines and ways of thinking do NOT. But this will take determined, sharp struggle—of the sort emphasized and modeled by BA in the works that we have studied together.

This brings me to the point with which I want to briefly conclude, which is the second of the two themes I have emphasized.

The Importance of Revolutionary Theory

Another tendency that people can have when they are young and relatively inexperienced is the tendency to view “doing stuff” as the most important political task at hand. “Doing stuff” can be defined in a number of different ways, including things such as attending programs, events or protests or doing “on the ground” political outreach and work.

Well, first of all, the question of “doing WHAT stuff” is immediately posed. In other words, what KIND of political work and outreach are people doing, and what KIND of programs and protests—around what line—are people seeking to be involved in? This is obviously a key question.

It’s not the case, as people often think and sometimes say, that “it’s all good”—in other words, “liberal”/“progressive”/“socialist”/“communist”—“sure, sure we all basically want the same things and are on the same page.”

NO. While there are certainly some important areas in which genuine communists can find unity with broad ranks of progressives, there are different lines out there and these different lines are in contention and lead to fundamentally different understandings of the problem and solution in the world.

So, that’s the first question: doing “WHAT” stuff and with WHAT goal?

That said, “doing stuff” in the right sense—i.e., doing “practical work” on the ground and in the broader society to promote this revolution and its leadership, to organize people into the revolution, working to hasten and prepare for an actual revolution, to Fight the Power, and Transform the People, for Revolution, including through different forms of political outreach, programs and discussions, demonstrations and protests, etc.—is extremely critical and important, and in fact urgently necessary.

But it is important to understand that in a movement for revolution—like any good team—everyone has different roles, and it is important for people to understand and embrace their roles in order to make the greatest possible contribution to the team and, in this case, to humanity.

However, even beyond this question of each person’s individual roles, there is the question of the decisiveness of revolutionary theory.

Once again, “doing stuff” in the right sense—i.e., practical revolutionary work—is critically important. If millions of people had the right theoretical understanding but didn’t act on that understanding in practice, nothing would change.

However—and this goes up against the ways people are trained to think in this society, and against the spontaneity of how people often see things when they are young (or new to things), but is nonetheless true and important—what is even more fundamental than “doing stuff” is the question of what people, individually and in their masses, UNDERSTAND. Whether and how people act—and the effect this has in the world—ultimately comes down to what people UNDERSTAND.

From that standpoint, it is crucial that people find the ways to do what we have been doing: immersing ourselves in, taking up and applying the most advanced revolutionary theory in the world, BA’s new communism, as part of the overall process of making revolution.

One final point: It is important not to look narrowly at what it means to TAKE UP and APPLY the new communism. This doesn’t just mean direct political work and outreach, which, once again, is very important. Taking up and applying this work means—in a BROADER sense—applying the understanding represented by BA and the new communism to understanding and changing reality. Very importantly, this includes sharing observations/ideas/questions and thoughts—about what you are learning and the material you are studying; about developments, changes and trends in society (and the world overall); about ways and openings to promote this revolution and its leadership; about how people (those you know and people more broadly) are viewing and discussing different things going on in society/the world, what this reveals about openings for revolution and jolts in society but also the need to transform people’s thinking; about major events and developments in music and the arts... just to give a few examples.

These are all VERY IMPORTANT contributions to the revolutionary process, and it would be wrong to think otherwise.

So, let me end this where I began: This process we have embarked on has been—and will continue to be—deeply meaningful, really exciting, and a lot of fun. And this is a crucial part of actually participating in and contributing to the process of building for the revolution that is so urgently needed.

THE NEW COMMUNISM

The science, the strategy, the leadership for an actual revolution, and a radically new society on the road to real emancipation, by Bob Avakian

Download PDF of book here

Read more

Breakthroughs —

The Historic Breakthrough by Marx, and the Further Breakthrough with the New Communism
A Basic Summary

Updated prepublication copy, April 10, 2019
Read or download (searchable PDF)

 

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Together, WE passed $40,000 in revcom's Winter fundraising campaign to “Transform Revcom.us’ Web Technology and Presence”!

Reaching this goal is a real achievement and a victory for the people of the world, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated efforts of many people working creatively and collectively to meet this pressing need: those who donated whether large or small contributions, who fundraised, who spread the campaign, who sent statements, who raised comments, questions, criticisms or suggestions – and of course those who worked so hard on modernizing and upgrading our web technology and presence. It all made a difference!

The Ongoing Need for Sustainers

During this four month fund drive, Revcom.us continued to incur thousands of dollars of costs each month for our office, maintaining our existing site and other expenses. But thanks to our existing monthly sustainers we were able to meet these expenses and use all the funds raised in the drive to transform the website.

So we encourage all our donors and those who’ve not yet donated to become monthly sustainers at whatever level you can afford.

Remember, humanity’s fate truly hinges on millions taking up the revolutionary science, strategy, and new communism brought forward by Bob Avakian which they can find at revcom.us.

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/608/refuse-fascism-solidarity-with-rhode-island-never-again-action-en.html

Reprinted from RefuseFascism.org

A Solidarity Statement from Refuse Fascism: Stand with the Rhode Island Never Again Action and other Immigrants Rights Protesters! Stand with Immigrants! We Demand: The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go!

| revcom.us

 

Refuse Fascism is horrified and angered by an attack on brave resisters from Never Again Action in Central Falls, Rhode Island.

On Wednesday night, hundreds of protesters were doing what millions should be doing, raising their voices and putting their bodies on the line to fiercely oppose the terror of immigrants happening in our name. The demonization of immigrants, their concentration camps on the border, and the mass killings by fascist murderers inspired by this regime is the battering ram and linchpin of a whole fascist program that is being hammered into place, piece by piece by the Trump/Pence regime.

We say Basta Ya!/Enough! This whole regime must be driven from office, and only the power of the people acting together in nonviolent sustained mass protest to demand that the Trump/Pence regime must go!” can stop their whole immoral, illegitimate and murderous program.

*** * ***

The Never Again Action protesters were sitting across the entrance of the parking lot of the Donald W. Wyatt ICE Detention Facility. A video shows a black truck plowing into them, clearly aiming to injure or kill them. The driver of the truck was a corrections officer wearing his badge and uniform. The protesters stood their ground, surrounding the truck with chants of “Shame!” and “The whole world is watching!” They were right, posing a challenge to everyone to set aside their fears and act on their conscience as children are being tortured inside this regime’s concentration camps. Seconds later, uniformed guards came out and pepper sprayed the protesters, ignoring the driver who had committed the assault.

The Rhode Island protesters issued a statement saying, “Last night we experienced a small example of the violence that ICE uses against our immigrant neighbors every day. As Jews, our families taught us the lessons of the Holocaust, and we promised that we would speak out and act if we ever saw the warning signs of a group of people being targeted, dehumanized, and rounded up.”

Federal and state laws to outlaw dissent, vindictive prosecutions, and organized and unleashed fascist thugs with a green light from the highest offices are all part of how fascism comes to envelop a whole society. Donald Trump himself said he longed for the days when protesters would be carried out on stretchers. In several states, including Rhode Island, bills have been introduced in state legislatures to protect drivers who cause injury or death to protesters.

Refuse Fascism maintains that the Trump/Pence regime must be driven from power through the actions of the people. We are organizing, and seeking to unite with people from many different points of view and struggles, for the time – which needs to come soon – when first thousands will take to the streets in protest in cities and towns across the country, not stopping but growing in numbers and coming back week after week and day after day demanding the regime be removed from power. We need to learn from Hong Kong, South Korea and Puerto Rico. If we want to close the camps, end family separation, and fight against every sick program of this American fascism, it is a necessary precondition that the Trump/Pence regime be driven from power at the soonest possible time. Just as the people of Puerto Rico did not wait to drive out their hated governor, we must not wait to drive out a regime that poses a catastrophic danger to humanity and the planet.

Therefore, we call on every force for social justice and everyone with a heart to stand with and support the Central Falls protesters, and oppose every assault on those who are waging determined protest against this regime.

 

Video posted by Never Again Action

What is Refuse Fascism

RefuseFascism.org is a movement of people coming from diverse perspectives, united in our recognition that the Trump/Pence Regime poses a catastrophic danger to humanity and the planet, and that it is our responsibility to drive them from power through non-violent protests that grow every day until our demand is met. This means working and organizing with all our creativity and determination to bring thousands, eventually millions of people into the streets of cities and towns, to demand: This Nightmare Must End: The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go! RefuseFascism.org welcomes individuals and organizations from many different points of view who share our determination to refuse to accept a fascist America, to join and/or partner with us in this great cause.

 

To deeply understand the threat to humanity posed by the Trump/Pence Regime...
Watch this film of a talk by Bob Avakian

Trailer

The entire film with Q&A & sharable clips is here.

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Read: www.revcom.us
Watch: youtube.com/TheRevComs

 

Together, WE passed $40,000 in revcom's Winter fundraising campaign to “Transform Revcom.us’ Web Technology and Presence”!

Reaching this goal is a real achievement and a victory for the people of the world, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated efforts of many people working creatively and collectively to meet this pressing need: those who donated whether large or small contributions, who fundraised, who spread the campaign, who sent statements, who raised comments, questions, criticisms or suggestions – and of course those who worked so hard on modernizing and upgrading our web technology and presence. It all made a difference!

The Ongoing Need for Sustainers

During this four month fund drive, Revcom.us continued to incur thousands of dollars of costs each month for our office, maintaining our existing site and other expenses. But thanks to our existing monthly sustainers we were able to meet these expenses and use all the funds raised in the drive to transform the website.

So we encourage all our donors and those who’ve not yet donated to become monthly sustainers at whatever level you can afford.

Remember, humanity’s fate truly hinges on millions taking up the revolutionary science, strategy, and new communism brought forward by Bob Avakian which they can find at revcom.us.

You’ve read this article and now you need to be part of making sure revcom.us is able to make an urgently needed leap and transformation.

 

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/608/the-revolution-club-marches-in-chicago-bud-billiken-parade-en.html

The Revolution Club Marches in Chicago's Bud Billiken Parade—Boldly Projecting Revolution and Organizing to Make It Real

from a member of the National Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution Tour

| revcom.us

 

From a flatbed truck, Noche Diaz of the National Revolution Tour agitated through a booming sound system to the people who lined the streets for the Bud Billiken Parade. Behind the truck, members of the Revolution Tour and Revolution Club marched in formation. Noche asked if they had heard of what happened in El Paso, where a white supremacist murdered 22 Latino people, and during the same weekend in Chicago, 59 people were shot by the violence amongst the youth, 7 dead. While our youth have their guns pointed at each other, these white supremacists are pointing their guns at these same people, who could be organized for revolution. Another member of the Revolution Tour held a copy of BAsics high in the air and told people straight up about the leader Bob Avakian and how he has forged a way to get humanity free, but you are needed to go to work on this to change the whole world now. Everyone was challenged to join in and be part of this revolution. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!

Fists from the crowd on each side of dividing rails were raised as people yelled out,

“REVOLUTION, NOTHING LESS!”

“Revolution is what we need!”

“POWER TO THE PEOPLE!”

“YES!”

More fists were raised as members of the National Tour and the Revolution Club marched forward along with the flatbed truck that was decorated with banners that showed the leader of the revolution Bob Avakian (BA) on one side, the banner “This System Cannot Be Reformed—IT MUST BE OVERTHROWN!” on the other, and the statement “When the White Supremacists Are on the Offensive...We Stand With the Immigrants! We Refuse to Kill Each Other! We Say Revolution—NOTHING LESS!” For those people whose fists were raised, they were called upon to get with this revolution now, as they were organized by members of the Revolution Club on the ground organizing people and passing out palm cards—including a 12-year-old who put on the “BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS!” t-shirt and tirelessly got out palm cards and stickers to the crowd and running back to the truck for more materials to go back out with to the crowd.

Paying “Respect” to the U.S. Flag

A U.S. flag was displayed by a member of the Revolution Club ahead of the march. The revolutionaries on the truck agitated about the crimes committed against the people of the world under that flag—wars, invasions, nuclear bombs, police murders. The crowd began to chant, “Shred that rag!” Then, the revolutionary with the flag put it on the ground, stepped on it, picked it up, waved it and began ripping it. Most spectators cheered, some raised their fists, and a couple shook their heads and screamed out “YOU NEED JESUS!” A group of children jumped up and down in glee when the member brought the flag over to them over the rail for them to finish ripping and shredding, until a pig police appeared from behind them, stuck his snout out to attack the children and tried to grab the flag away from the club member. Without any success, he oinked, “Respect the flag!” and trotted away.

Marching Forward, Fists Up

The National Revolution Tour was joined by Revolution Club members from across the country at the Bud Billiken Parade in Chicago on August 10, the second largest parade in the country, which brings thousands of people, mostly Black, to the south side of Chicago. There were floats of different colors and messages and organizations like stopping the violence, many addressing the main theme of enabling the youth to go back to school. There were young dancers making moves down the parade route and motorcycles blazing through popping wheelies for people to see, along with militarized youth and BEB (Bourgeois Electoral Bullshit; for example, Kamala Harris is BEB) campaigns. Nothing else in that parade was representing the interests of humanity and the planet, challenging people to get into this revolution now, exposing the system for what it was and laid out where the interests of the people lie and lifted people's hopes like the Revolution Club marching did.

We had a few dozen people in our contingent, which constituted a force that was able to march through the parade in a disciplined and attractive way that was open for anyone who wanted to join and put on a t-shirt, having agreed with the Points of Attention, with clear orientation and direction commanded from the flatbed truck in a compelling way that went under people's skin to bring them into the revolution. Our aim was to impact and accumulate on the basis of what is concentrated in BAsics 3:30.

Some of those we met days before when we shut down Lake Shore Drive joined us for the parade, bringing a special energy and defiance. This was the beginning of their stepping into the revolution. Members of the Revolution Club who came from out of state commented on the size and awe of the parade. Many had not even been in a parade before. Being a part of the contingent brought great joy and determination.

Message from the Revolution to You

Joe Veale spoke from the truck about being in the streets when he was younger and being a part of “the life.” He got out of that, and many other people can, too, to be a part of the revolution, to make your life count for emancipating humanity. People watching were being struggled with in a good way from the revolutionary float. We read the Points of Attention for the Revolution. The agitation and challenge from the flatbed were consistent and clear:

This system has no future for the youth but the REVOLUTION DOES

We Stand with Immigrants—TRUMP AND PENCE MUST GO!

NO MORE!

Along the parade route, there were many Black people, young and old, jumping from their seats running along the rails of the route or standing up straight to raise a fist or cry out “REVOLUTION, NOTHING LESS!” A woman sitting on the side agreed and said, “Yes, there is no future for our youth under this system.” A woman with a youth organization raised her fist to cry out “NO MORE!” as she nodded her head at the agitation about driving out the Trump/Pence regime and heard the Points of Attention. She told us, “It’s a revolution—Trump and Pence, they gotta go! They are tearing families away from their homes. What happened in Mississippi should not have happened. Children are crying, people are dying, and Trump is fueling this! There needs to be a movement: THEY GOTTA GO!”

Many people got palm cards highlighting the upcoming film showing of Why We Need An Actual Revolution and How We Can Really Make Revolution by Bob Avakian. We had a way for people to come in and be part on the spot by taking a photograph following @TuneIntoRevcom with a sign from the march. The Revolution had a booth toward the end of the march that people could meet at and get organized into the revolution.

As the march came to a stop, there was one last push for those who were able to go across the outer sections of the parade route, where people had seen and heard us to organize them into the revolution. Two young men came up to us to ask for materials, because they had seen our contingent and thought we were not just talking but were serious.

Revolution Booth

On the corner of the street was a booth with a banner “This System Has No Future For the Youth, The Revolution Does...” that was set up with books like BAsics and the Constitution for a New Socialist Republic in North America and The New Communism. Displays of the “5 STOPS,” an installation used on “Red Summer,” and The Points of Attention for the Revolution attracted people to come by the booth. We played the trailer for the film Why We Need An Actual Revolution and How We Can Really Make Revolution” that we will be playing on Sunday, August 18. We also played a clip from the Dialogue between Cornel West and Bob Avakian, where BA talks about “What if...” and another clip of “BA Through the Years.” One person said, “Oh my god this makes complete sense. This is exactly what they do to us.” Another person said: “This is deep, this is really deep. People need to see this.” People also asked where could they see this film and for other clips of BA. The people gathered materials and were organized, and BAsics was sold.

Summing Up Lessons

At the end, we sat in a circle with about 50 people summing up the experience we had. Everyone spoke positively of the impact we made and how much joy it was to be a part of it. People spoke to how people had joined the contingent off of what was done on Thursday during the protest and shutdown of Lake Shore Drive. Others reflected on the strength of the agitation about BA and the leadership he is providing and the urgent need for more people to take this up, and how this was an advance even from earlier in the week off some collective summation the Tour had had. About a dozen new people joined and stayed from beginning to end. Someone said they were thrilled to be a part of and witnessing the action on Lake Shore Drive and that we did not back down. They also said we did not back down when a comrade during the parade brought a U.S. flag over to a group of children to rip up and a pig police attacked them. A young man said this was something he felt he had to be a part of after having tried to start an organization of his own but realized you can’t do it on your own but this is the one to be a part of it until his dying breath.

What the revolution did at the Bud Billiken Parade represented the interests of the seven billion people on the planet. We showed there was a radically different force on the scene having brought people from the impact made by shutting down Lake Shore Drive days before to the march at parade to make an impact there and organize people off of that impact for revolution, so the revolution can impact further to organize even more people. We were not going to back down from that goal, not from those who said revolution is not possible and not from any repression or attacks on the masses of people. We struggled with the youth who were about to get into a fight and were chased by the police. There was something to fight and live your life for and it was not that kind of life that they have for us, but the challenge was made to all to be a part of this revolution, whether photographing and following us, or to do more by joining the contingent on the spot as some people did. The message of the revolution was clear and loud, and so were the people in the crowd who were responding to it.

Carl Dix on WVON Chicago's Matt & Kim Show
Why the Revolution Tour was at the Bud Billikin parade, why people should come to see this film...

 

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/608/stop-killing-each-other-get-into-the-revolution-en.html

Tuesday, August 20, in Chicago:

Discussion of Bob Avakian on:
Stop Killing Each Other; Get Into the Revolution

This system has no future for the youth,
but the revolution does.

| revcom.us

 

You Are Invited...
To Grapple with a Serious Problem:

Why are so many of our youth still caught up in joining the gangs and killing each other, instead of joining the revolution?

And what will it take to get them moving with the revolution and becoming a key part of getting ready to bring down the whole system that has got them in this terrible situation and that causes so much hell for people here and all over the world?

This is an extremely serious problem—worldwide, and very much so here in Chicago. The Revolution Club has been trying to go at this, but much, much more needs to be done. And your ideas and your voice are needed.

Last year, Bob Avakian (BA) raised this question to the audience at his talk Why We Need An Actual Revolution And How We Can Really Make Revolution. He asked for people’s ideas—how they saw the problem, how they saw dealing with it, and other things. An important conversation followed, led by BA, which included a former gang member, people from the community, the grandmother of a police murder victim, and revolutionary- and radical-minded people.

This Tuesday, we’re going to continue that conversation at the Revolution Club center, on 1857 E. 71st St. You’ll get a chance to see how BA approaches these questions and leads people into a scientific inquiry in this video. You’re invited to join a conversation that matters as we get into those questions ourselves.

We’re going to have two sessions—come to both if you can, or come to one.

We’ll start at 3:00 pm and watch a film clip where BA digs into the history of how the system put Black and Brown people into this situation, and discuss this together. Then, we’ll take a break at 5:30 and break bread together (a light dinner will be provided). We’ll get back into things at 6:30, viewing the clip on gangs, and discuss this together till 9 pm. If you can’t make the first part, it’s fine to just come for the second.

This will be a chance to grapple with these questions with people on the National Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution Tour. If it’s your first time, you’ll still be able to get into it. It’ll be serious... and it’ll be fun, too.

Tuesday, August 20:

Discussion of Bob Avakian on:

Stop Killing Each Other;
Get Into the Revolution

This system has no future for the youth, but the revolution does.

3:00 pm: Background
6:30 pm: The Question

Chicago Revolution Club Center
1857 E. 71st Street
Chicago, Illinois 60649
(312) 804-9121


If you want to look at the video of the conversation ahead of time, watch here:

 

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Permalink: https://revcom.us/a/608/building-for-mass-film-screening-in-hyde-park-en.html

August 16, 2019:

Building for Mass Film Screening of Why We Need An Actual Revolution And How We Can Really Make Revolution in Hyde Park

| revcom.us

 

The following is a report from a team of the Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution Tour going out to two different parts of Chicago with different cross sections of people.

We mainly got out the palm cards for the film screening and showed people the trailer for the film, which makes the case for why they need to be there on Sunday to watch the film.

All of this was infused with and guided by the orientation of the “3 reasons” which appear on the back of the palm card. This was the basis for our agitation, even as it was not limited to just that. On this outing more so than in those earlier in the week, real life came through in our agitation, even as it was mainly concise, punchy, and on message. There was a real openness to our agitation among a lot of people. We think this really speaks to the moment. Another new scene: people in not just one or two, but in groups of five or six at a time would gather together (or, rather, were led to do so with open arms but firm conviction by Tour and Revolution Club members) to view the trailer. Sometimes it was as simple as telling someone, “You really gotta watch this trailer!” and then they would come. All of our sign-ups came from people engaging the trailer. And those who did came off of it with a lot of substantive thoughts. This was not just passive engagement; people really felt a connection with what Bob Avakian was speaking about. Not just on today’s outing, but on others this week, people said things like, “Nobody is saying anything like this!”

The most responsive and open people we talked to (and organized) were young people, mainly people of color.

One comrade talked to a black immigrant from Senegal who recently came to this country. He was struck by the “STOP” poster on police brutality and murder and this caused him to stop and talk to us. He told us that he was the victim of constant police harassment.

A broad sentiment we encountered and sometimes heard outright was “FUCK DONALD TRUMP!” and we definitely united with this while we struggled to take it further to indicting the whole system that gave rise to Trump.

One white woman looked at our “STOP” display on the immigrant question and was brought to tears by the images of families being rounded up and torn apart. We brought her the “5-2-6” broadsheet, and off of the Points of Attention she recounted her experiences being a female in this world and how something desperately needs to be done about patriarchy. She told us that she regularly gets together with a group of like-minded women and talks about what’s going on in the world, and that a lot of the time they vent but feel like they are hopeless. After watching the trailer, she said that this group of women really needs to see the film, and she took materials promoting the screening to bring to them.

More generally, there was a sense among the advanced masses we drew forward with the trailer that “something needs to be done,” and that they wanted to learn more about this movement and this leader.

One Black woman who was righteously angry at the Trump/Pence regime and its agenda expressed that the youth deserve better and need to get out of killing each other when this contradiction was posed to her. She said that we need more programs for the youth to express their creativity, like poetry and dance expositions. She was also upset about the persecution of immigrants and said that she thinks we are all human beings and that America was built by immigrants. She took some posters for the film to put up at an intersection near a school and also in Englewood, a center of violence in the city. We invited her to post pictures of the posters when she put them up and to tag us on social media. She followed us on Facebook, both the national and the local club.

We also interacted with and tried to organize people from out of town or even out of state, including people from Michigan and Missouri. A young couple from Missouri was stopped by the palm card and the 5 Stops. They stayed and watched the trailer and were very struck by it. One of them had a very strong critique of “The Left” being inactive and not really being about revolution and aren’t doing anything. He commented that it was great that someone (BA) is actually leading this! He recognized that this was something very different! He was talking about the terrain in Missouri and we put to him that the Tour is going everywhere and he should link up with it. He bought BAsics as well. We have his contact information and will follow up with them soon on how to start a Revolution Club in their area.

A Black couple from Michigan watched the trailer, agreed that the system can’t be reformed, but had concerns about how we can make revolution and what would replace this system. There was a real interest here. We posed the three reasons and that we are on tour. They asked if the Tour could come to Michigan.

Pigs stir up controversy about the Revolution
Hear Carl Dix on WVON radio's Matt & Kim Show
Bringing the real deal about the Revolution

 

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