COMMUNISTS IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

vol. 1, no. 8

It may be hard to believe but there are communists in USA. They used to have a weekly newspaper, the People’s Weekly World. It was disbanded in January 2010; most of the friends of the CP USA around the world thought that it was the end of the whole party. Then, by spring time, we were told that there was a fierce battle within its ranks. Its leadership was struggling to bring the party more in the political main stream, tailing the Democrat party and President Barack Obama.

Karl Marx and Frederick Engels wrote long ago: “Consequently, while the democratic party, the party of the petty bourgeoisie, organised itself more and more in Germany, the workers’ party lost its only firm foothold, remained organised at the most in separate localities for local purposes and in the general movement thus came completely under the domination and leadership of the petty-bourgeois democrats. An end must be put to this state of affairs, the independence of the workers must be restored. (Collected Works, Volume 10, International Publishers, New York, 1978, pp. 277-278). Why don’t you just replace the words Germany by USA and petty-bourgeois by big bourgeois?

The president of USA, Barack Obama (a prominent leader of the Democrat party), wrote simply: “You realize that you no longer have the cachet you did as the upstart, the fresh face; you haven’t changed Washington and you’ve made a lot of people unhappy with difficult votes”. (The Audacity of Hope, Vintage Books, New York, 2008, p. 137). He says too: “And so, if you are a candidate in need of political workers or voter lists, you go where people are already organized. For Democrats, this means the unions, the environmental groups, and the pro-choice groups.” (p. 138).

The American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) was not too long to be convinced. The Communist Party followed suit.

Comrades in USA denounced this drifting away of the revolutionary party. There was an intense reflection: how can we change the leadership? How can we inform the comrades abroad of the inner battle? What is the balance of forces? How can we involve the members who left the party, out of discouragement and pessimism? (By the way the party lost in the last four years, 1 500 out of 2 500 members). Some wanted to change the party from inside. Others wanted to publish again a newspaper.

They discussed, but concrete answers were hard to find since many comrades, unfortunately had no more, or never had, the experience to work amongst the masses. They are more incline to evaluate things only from the point of view of the classics (Lenin, Gramsci and Stalin) rather than applying creatively the legacy of these past leaders, including Gus Hall for instance. In a nutshell there is a lack of confidence in the US people. As Bertolt Brecht, says in the words of Galileo: “To what end are you working? Presumably for the principle that science’s sole aim must be to lighten the burden of human existence.” (Life of Galileo, Methuen Drama, London, 1990, p. 108).

So far, the analysis was correct. But some activists could not grasp the importance of action, especially now, with the financial crisis, the rise of racism - notably against the Spanish-speaking people of USA-; even pop star Shakira got involved. There is a lot to do. People need concrete actions. Some party members, though in good faith, who wanted to rebuild the party first of all could not understand it. It is sad and demoralising. The only step left and proposed by some party members is the creation of a new party. The current leadership of the CP USA will never abandon their position; the personal financial arrangement is already a good reason not do it.

Further, when the party is no more dreadful, its revolutionary essence put aside, being well respected in the bourgeois living rooms; why would they leave this party, even if it is the shadow of its fighting traditions?

William Shakespeare in his time, writing about the setbacks of human fate, declared:

“A glooming peace this morning with it brings.
The sun for sorrow will not show his head.
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardoned, and some punished;
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”
(Romeo and Juliet, Scholastic, New York, 1969, p. 126).

It seems that the US comrades are still harbouring illusions towards Webb, Margolis and all those “convinced” leaders of the US proletariat. Basically they know that from now on they will never be able to change the leadership; that they will wait hopelessly for the current leadership to leave and let the name to anyone to take it; and that those who left have no more in general the desire to fight and come back, shattered by the leaders of the CP USA. They lack confidence in their own strength. The only way out and it was underlined by honest US comrades: let’s establish a new Marxist-Leninist party!

Naturally, it will gain rapidly the recognition of the world communist movement, either in Greece, in Canada or in France. Probably, that at is inception this new party, let’s name it the Communist Party of the Peoples of USA (the situation exists already in Spain and Brazil) would even receive technical support to publish a newspaper on its own and be invited for study tours in other countries to encourage them in the building of this new party.

Now, this is quite a challenge, let’s be audacious. Don’t be afraid to lose your chains. That’s what Karl Marx would tell you at this crucial moment of your story. The US workers will thank you for ever. And speaking of workers, why don’t the genuine communists go from time to time to city meetings of local chapter of the AFL-CIO; they will connect with the mass organized workers movement. Everybody will learn from each other.

Finally, for those who learnt history of Ancient Greece, they should remember the feat of Alexander the Great who was challenged by some local authorities and told to untangle the Gordian knot before taking power of the city. Do you know what he did? He took his broadsword and cut the knot. That is the way to do it, dear US comrades...

danieleugpaquet@yahoo.ca

http://wwwlavienglish.blogspot.com/