The Worker, Vol. 34, Number 10
Only the Working Class Can Lead the Way Out of the Crisis of Capitalism
The urgent task facing the working class in the U.S. is to develop its independent class program — its leading role in the political life of the country.
Our society is gripped by crises on all fronts. These crises are the product of the capitalist system. The capitalist government and capitalist parties have no solutions for our problems.
At the base of all the crises is the economic crisis. Right now nearly 1/3 of the workforce is either unemployed or can only find part-time and temporary jobs. The capitalists have been cutting the wages and benefits of the workers. 40 million working people live below the government's official poverty line. Millions are homeless. 80 million people are unable to afford medical care. Retirement funds for the elderly are in danger, while schools for the youth are in shambles. Precisely because the government is controlled by the capitalist parties, its economic policy is to further shift the burden onto the backs of the working class.
The working masses are resisting the exploitation and poverty imposed on them. But more is needed. To merge the separate and spontaneous economic struggles into a nationwide movement, the workers must come into the political arena with their own demands and program. We cannot sit passively while the capitalists dominate the government and the political life of the country. The independent program of the workers is concentrated in the demand to MAKE THE RICH PAY for the crisis of their capitalist system so that the basic needs of the masses can be guaranteed.
Capitalist politics has become a stinking cesspool of reaction and corruption. When the politicians aren't busy lining their own pocketbooks, they are busy stepping up their attacks on the working class and people — carrying through the process of fascistization of the state, instigating racism, strengthening the system of national oppression, etc.
The capitalist government invariably uses court injunctions, police and national guard to suppress the economic struggles of the workers. The police retain their license to shoot and kill black people and other national minorities at will. Millions of immigrant workers are denied the rights of other U.S. residents. Political groups are continually spied on, harassed,persecuted, etc. On this front as well, the masses are fighting to defend and secure their elementary democratic rights.
It is on the shoulders of the working class to provide direction and organization to the democratic struggles of the masses. The working class is the consistent and resolute fighter for democracy; its program calls for active resistance to racist and fascist attacks, for full equality for all nations and national minorities, for equal rights for women, etc., etc.
So too the American people are continuing the fight against the aggressive foreign policy and military interventions of the capitalist government. The independent class politics of the workers demands NOT ONE PENNY, NOT ONE MAN FOR IMPERIALIST WAR and organizes the people on the path of MASS STRUGGLE AGAINST IMPERIALISM AND ITS WAR PROGRAM.
The decisive question in developing the independent and leading role of the working class is to build the political party of the working class. Building the political party of the working class means standing up for the viewpoint, the interests and demands of the workers on all the issues of the day. It means imbuing the masses with the consciousness of their great strength and of their historic mission to overthrow the system of capitalist wage-slavery and oppression and replace it with the genuine socialist system. Building the political party of the working class means organizing revolutionary groups in the factories, communities, schools, etc. which arouse and organize the masses and lead them into action to fight for their immediate and long-term interests.
Today, the capitalist class is carrying out an enormous propaganda campaign designed to denigrate all the victories and historic struggles of the working class. But this entire propaganda campaign is based on the BIG LIE.
No amount of propaganda can erase the historic victories of the working class. No amount of propaganda can cover over the intense contradictions of capitalism. No amount of propaganda can erase the aspirations and struggles of the workers. The history of this century proves that it is the working class which is the representative of progress, the leading fighter for democracy, for national liberation, for enlightenment, for economic and social emancipation.
The propaganda of the capitalists can never deter the working class from its historic mission. Today when it is the capitalist system which is in crisis on a world scale, when the capitalists are leading the peoples into a new economic depression, into new imperialist wars, when the capitalists are intensifying national oppression and inciting ethnic and race hatred everywhere, it is the duty of the working class to lead society out of the crisis into the new light of genuine democracy and socialism. To translate the aspirations of the working class into reality we must dedicate ourselves to developing the independent and leading role of the working class in the political life of the country, dedicate ourselves to building the party of the working class.
Our society is gripped by crises on all fronts. These crises are the product of the capitalist system. The capitalist government and capitalist parties have no solutions for our problems.
At the base of all the crises is the economic crisis. Right now nearly 1/3 of the workforce is either unemployed or can only find part-time and temporary jobs. The capitalists have been cutting the wages and benefits of the workers. 40 million working people live below the government's official poverty line. Millions are homeless. 80 million people are unable to afford medical care. Retirement funds for the elderly are in danger, while schools for the youth are in shambles. Precisely because the government is controlled by the capitalist parties, its economic policy is to further shift the burden onto the backs of the working class.
The working masses are resisting the exploitation and poverty imposed on them. But more is needed. To merge the separate and spontaneous economic struggles into a nationwide movement, the workers must come into the political arena with their own demands and program. We cannot sit passively while the capitalists dominate the government and the political life of the country. The independent program of the workers is concentrated in the demand to MAKE THE RICH PAY for the crisis of their capitalist system so that the basic needs of the masses can be guaranteed.
Capitalist politics has become a stinking cesspool of reaction and corruption. When the politicians aren't busy lining their own pocketbooks, they are busy stepping up their attacks on the working class and people — carrying through the process of fascistization of the state, instigating racism, strengthening the system of national oppression, etc.
The capitalist government invariably uses court injunctions, police and national guard to suppress the economic struggles of the workers. The police retain their license to shoot and kill black people and other national minorities at will. Millions of immigrant workers are denied the rights of other U.S. residents. Political groups are continually spied on, harassed,persecuted, etc. On this front as well, the masses are fighting to defend and secure their elementary democratic rights.
It is on the shoulders of the working class to provide direction and organization to the democratic struggles of the masses. The working class is the consistent and resolute fighter for democracy; its program calls for active resistance to racist and fascist attacks, for full equality for all nations and national minorities, for equal rights for women, etc., etc.
So too the American people are continuing the fight against the aggressive foreign policy and military interventions of the capitalist government. The independent class politics of the workers demands NOT ONE PENNY, NOT ONE MAN FOR IMPERIALIST WAR and organizes the people on the path of MASS STRUGGLE AGAINST IMPERIALISM AND ITS WAR PROGRAM.
The decisive question in developing the independent and leading role of the working class is to build the political party of the working class. Building the political party of the working class means standing up for the viewpoint, the interests and demands of the workers on all the issues of the day. It means imbuing the masses with the consciousness of their great strength and of their historic mission to overthrow the system of capitalist wage-slavery and oppression and replace it with the genuine socialist system. Building the political party of the working class means organizing revolutionary groups in the factories, communities, schools, etc. which arouse and organize the masses and lead them into action to fight for their immediate and long-term interests.
Today, the capitalist class is carrying out an enormous propaganda campaign designed to denigrate all the victories and historic struggles of the working class. But this entire propaganda campaign is based on the BIG LIE.
No amount of propaganda can erase the historic victories of the working class. No amount of propaganda can cover over the intense contradictions of capitalism. No amount of propaganda can erase the aspirations and struggles of the workers. The history of this century proves that it is the working class which is the representative of progress, the leading fighter for democracy, for national liberation, for enlightenment, for economic and social emancipation.
The propaganda of the capitalists can never deter the working class from its historic mission. Today when it is the capitalist system which is in crisis on a world scale, when the capitalists are leading the peoples into a new economic depression, into new imperialist wars, when the capitalists are intensifying national oppression and inciting ethnic and race hatred everywhere, it is the duty of the working class to lead society out of the crisis into the new light of genuine democracy and socialism. To translate the aspirations of the working class into reality we must dedicate ourselves to developing the independent and leading role of the working class in the political life of the country, dedicate ourselves to building the party of the working class.