Revolution #172, August 9, 2009


The Revolution We Need...The Leadership We Have

A Thought on the Campaign

Along with inviting people to, and actually persevering to get them to come to, things like programs at the bookstores, it is very important to get people involved “where they are”—in their neighborhoods, through the social ties they have, etc. With growing numbers of people doing even little things—like finding places to have DVD showings in the neighborhood, or inviting the revolutionaries to their house to talk to their friends about this campaign, or baking goods or in some other way contributing to raising funds, or joining in with distribution of the statement, even for an hour at first—in all these ways, and other ways that can be found and developed, together with masses in the areas where the statement is being distributed, there can begin to develop a sense that there is a movement—a movement for revolution—that is growing and beginning to take root, in the neighborhoods and other places people get together, and people can actually see, and feel, the beginning shoots and growth of this movement.

This, together with seeing the revolutionaries continuing to come back—as is pledged at the end of the statement—as well as people getting a sense that this is taking place not just where they are but in all different parts of their city, and in other cities around the country, will give people more of a living sense of this movement, and of their own role in being part of it (which will, in turn, make them feel more encouraged to make the effort to go to things like bookstore programs in a different part of town, or even across town...where they will “mix” with others doing the same, and still more will feel like they are part of a movement, which both has roots in neighborhoods like theirs, etc., but also has a presence in many places, among different kinds of people).

This kind of dynamic is an essential element in really building the kind of movement that is needed, and to draw increasing numbers of people, including from the basic masses in particular (but, again, from other strata as well) into that movement. And, of course, in fundamental ideological and political terms, all this must be founded in, and continually regrounded in, a revolutionary communist understanding and line, which is concentrated in a very significant way in the statement, serving as the pivot of the campaign as a whole.

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What Humanity Needs
From Ike to Mao and Beyond