This is Bob Avakian—REVOLUTION—number 109.

For decades, I have been analyzing and warning about the growing danger of fascism in this country. I have spoken to the deeper causes of this fascism and its essential content, with particular focus on its open and aggressive white supremacy and male supremacy, as well as its fanatically anti-scientific and Christian fundamentalist lunacy. I have emphasized the importance of mobilizing people, from all parts of society, in the fight against this fascism, and for a radically different and far better world.

Since Trump first came to power as a result of the 2016 election, I have been calling out his fascism for what it is, calling for determined mass opposition to this fascism, and making clear that this fascism is rooted in the system of capitalism-imperialism, and this whole system needs to be swept away through an actual revolution.

But, all too often, what I have analyzed about all this has been ignored and dismissed, or distorted and attacked, by people who refuse to face what is actually going on, and what needs to be done about it.

Recently, I have also made an analysis of why some people, among those who have been oppressed under this system, are now supporting Trump/MAGA fascism—as in my message #97: “What is wrong with those Latinos—and, yes, there are more than a few—who are supporting Trump, and his racist attacks on immigrants?”

As is the case with all the work I do, the analysis in that message has the essential purpose and objective of moving things forward, and overcoming obstacles, in the struggle to bring about an urgently needed revolution whose fundamental goal is to put an end, at long last, to the terrible oppression and unnecessary suffering that masses of people here, and all over the world, are subjected to. But, once again, as opposed to serious, principled engagement with this, we get this kind of response to my message #97 from a Black ACLU lawyer: “Without getting into whether Avakian is right or wrong in his analysis, the idea of a white man wagging his finger at communities of color and lecturing them is highly offensive.”

Oh, come on—enough of this “woke-identity” nonsense! This so-called “wagging a finger” and “lecturing” in message #97 is actually serious, substantive analysis, which is critically important in understanding what happened in the recent election, and what is happening overall. I have never hesitated, and will never hesitate, to tell people the truth about important things they need to know, even if some may not want to hear it. If someone has something serious to say about the substance of what is in message #97—good: that could contribute to the process of grappling deeply with the difficult reality we are facing. But this nonsense about “wagging a finger” and “lecturing” is just a cheap excuse—a crude rationalization—for refusing to deal with the substance of this.

Imagine this lawyer in a courtroom, making this argument as a supposed “defense” of a “person of color” being prosecuted for a serious crime:

Your honor, I am not going to respond to the facts cited and the assertions made by the prosecuting attorney, because he is a white man and therefore has no right to speak to these things—and it is highly offensive for him to do so.

Does anyone think that is a serious argument that would lead to a good outcome?!

What doesn’t go in the courtroom, also shouldn’t go with other serious matters. As I emphasized at the beginning, especially in the heavy times we are living in now, we need serious engagement with a very serious reality, not bankrupt “woke-identity” bulls**t.

Unfortunately, the “woke-identity” bulls**t expressed by this lawyer is not just bankrupt in some vague sense—and it is not limited to this lawyer. It is all too common, and all too commonly catered to—and it has done a great deal of damage. It has contributed, in a significant way, to the very bad situation that we are confronted with now. It has misdirected and misled, intimidated and inhibited far too many people from getting a real, scientific understanding of what is going on, and what needs to be done about it.

It is time, and long past time, to recognize the harm done, and to firmly reject, attempts to substitute worn-out “woke-identity” posturing in place of serious engagement with serious questions. More than ever, we need principled discussion and debate, among growing numbers of people, about the biggest questions facing humanity—open and honest engagement that is not restricted, constrained, suppressed and suffocated by attempts to dictate who can say what!

As I made clear, right from the beginning, in my message number one:

As serious as this is, I don’t have time, and we don’t have time, for any of this pitiful, going-nowhere-good garbage about who has the right to say this or that. Everyone has the right, and the responsibility, to learn the truth, and to speak the truth, especially about truly life and death matters, dealing with the whole situation and the whole future of humanity—and everyone has the right and the responsibility to act on that truth.