This is Bob Avakian—REVOLUTION—number 102.

This election brings out sharply that there really are “two countries” within this country.

This, in a real sense, is an extension of a fundamental division that has existed since the beginning of the so-called “United States” of America, with its foundation in slavery and genocide—a division which has never really been resolved throughout the history of this country—not through the Civil War in the 1860s, and not through changes that were brought about through the 1960s and in the years following.

As I have said before, there is a direct line from the pro-slavery Confederacy, at the time of the Civil War, to the fascism of today, with its determination to make America once again openly, aggressively white supremacist, male supremacist, and anti-LGBT people.

This division into “two countries” can find no good resolution under this system. The election of an outright fascist, Donald Trump, as the head of this system is a powerful demonstration of this.

There can be no good resolution under this system because, despite the false promises and lies of the “mainstream section” of the ruling class (represented by the Democratic Party) the whole system rests on ruthless exploitation—and oppression based on race, sex and gender, the plunder of the environment and of people throughout the world, as well as the devastation of war—all this is built into the ruling system of capitalism-imperialism.

One “country” within this country—those who support fascism—demand and celebrate this oppression and madness. 

The other “country” wants an end to this oppression and madness—but there can be no end to it, under this system.

And so long as things are on the terms of this system—and limited within the confines of this system—the fascists will have initiative which decent people cannot have.

Why? Because fascism is one way this system of capitalism-imperialism can be ruled and function, and there is a powerful section of the ruling class that is determined to impose this fascism. But putting an end to all the injustices that decent people want to see ended cannot happen under this system. And, although there is a section of the ruling class that opposes this fascism, this opposition is always on the terms and within the limits of this system. There is no part of the ruling class that will risk the kind of upheaval that will be necessary to defeat this fascism; and no part of the ruling class that will seek to bring about an end to the monstrous atrocities and profound injustices which are built into this system and which this system cannot do without.

And that is just the point: Things must no longer remain, and continue to be confined, on the terms and within the limits of this system and its ruling class.

It is time, and urgently so, for the only positive, revolutionary resolution of all this: time to resolve this fundamental divide by finally and decisively defeating the fascist “country”—and doing so as part of putting an end to this whole system which has given rise to this fascism, along with all its other atrocities. (And, as for people who actually have been misled into being part of the fascist “country”: decisively defeating this fascism, as part of doing away with this whole system, will provide the best means for jolting awake those misled people and winning them to become part of a revolutionary and emancipating resolution to all this.)

As I said at the beginning: This is not a time for demoralization and despair, resulting from accepting things on the terms of this system.

This is a time for righteous anger and revolutionary determination—a time to finally bring about a decisive, emancipating, revolutionary resolution to this conflict which, in a very real sense, has marked the “United States” from the time of its founding in slavery and genocide to the time, today, when it is the world’s most deadly and destructive oppressor, dangerously threatening the future, and the very existence, of humanity.

Time to take up and fight for what we revcoms (revolutionary communists) have clearly put forward in WE NEED AND WE DEMAND: A WHOLE NEW WAY TO LIVE, A FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT SYSTEM:

The Existing Capitalist-Imperialist System And Institutions Of Government In This Country Must Be Abolished And Dismantled—And Replaced By A New, Socialist System Based On The CONSTITUTION FOR THE NEW SOCIALIST REPUBLIC IN NORTH AMERICA.