Once Again: The Revolution We Need… The Leadership We Have
This week we again cover a society in which reactionary forces clash, the attacks on the people intensify, and the need for revolution stands out all the more starkly. We cover the sharply escalating battle between the Republi-fascists and their ruling class rivals, grouped around the Democratic Party. We cover the extremely dangerous contention between the U.S. and China over which empire will dominate and plunder the rest of the planet—the one arena right now in which the fascist forces find unity with their “democratic” rivals. We cover the struggle being waged by Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights (see here and here), in the wake of the overturning of the right to abortion. We cover as well the intense and intensifying oppression of Black people—and the dead end of reforms (see here and here). We cover what is going on around the world, and especially people’s struggle to break all oppressive chains—which includes this week important struggles against the reactionary Islamic fundamentalist regime in Iran and, relatedly, a statement from the editors on the reactionary murderous attack against the author Salman Rushdie, which was applauded by that regime.
All these developments are extremely important—they illustrate the stresses on the system, the ways in which the old forms of ruling are under the most acute strain in over a century, with the society split in half and many openly talking of civil war. Many of these developments portend real and serious danger, for people here and around the world—and unfortunately that is right now by far the bigger trend. Moreover, this danger is accelerating—the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is one deadly harbinger of a still larger and more pervasive horror in store.
But the outpouring against that overturning also showed in microcosm what might be possible if revolutionary forces fully take up and fight for the line developed by Bob Avakian, in Something Terrible, OR Something Truly Emancipating: Profound Crisis, Deepening Divisions, The Looming Possibility Of Civil War—And The Revolution That Is Urgently Needed, A Necessary Foundation, A Basic Roadmap For This Revolution, and bring forward a force on the right side of this divide determined to fight all the way through to revolution.
For none of these problems, nor the larger crisis of which they are a part, can be dealt with short of a complete change in systems—an overturning of the capitalist-imperialist system that has brought us to this pass and the institution of a socialist system… one serving as a “base area” for revolution all over the world… one on the road to a communist society, a world community without exploitation, oppression, antagonistic conflicts, and the me-against-all ideas that grow out of and further reinforce the horror.
But revolution does not mean just getting together with a few people and doing “mutual aid” and calling it revolution. Revolution does not mean electing someone who functions within the same system (see our article on Charlottesville for what happens to even the most “well-meaning” of such “reformers”). Revolution does not mean having a demonstration (though demonstrations can be important as part of a larger process).
No. Revolution requires a force of millions, well-organized and well-led, and able to meet and defeat the forces of violent repression serving the old order. Revolution means having an orientation and a plan for what comes next and a way to prevent the betrayal of the revolution. Revolution requires science that enables people to understand society, to understand the constantly evolving challenges that it poses, and to work together collectively to solve those problems. And it requires leadership—people with the keenest understanding of that science, of how to apply it, and how to bring forward others to wield it and contribute to the whole process.
We have that leadership in Bob Avakian, or BA. We have that science in the new communism BA has developed and brought forward over 50 years. We have the strategy in a number of works, including most importantly right now Something Terrible OR Something Truly Emancipating, and the concentrated version of that in Organizing for an Actual Revolution: 7 Key Points. And we have the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America, which BA has authored—a visionary and viable blueprint for the new society.
Right now, the task—as put forward in A Declaration, A Call to Get Organized Now for a Real Revolution—is this:
We need to urgently change the situation where not nearly enough people know about this revolution and are with it. We need to get this revolution, and its leadership, known everywhere. We need to challenge and seriously struggle with people right around us, and all over the country, to do something that, yes, requires real heart and will make a positive difference for real—become part of this revolution, and follow this revolutionary leadership. We need to organize more and more people into the ranks of the revolution.
But over the past few months, this leadership—Bob Avakian--has been under intense attack—along with Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights, the revcoms, and Sunsara Taylor, a follower of BA who has been active in initiating and helping to lead Rise Up. This week we are again featuring letters and statements from readers responding to those attacks. The new letters this week add powerful testimony to what has gone before, especially around BA’s leadership.
This week we’re asking you to do more than just read those letters. We’re asking you to be part of figuring out how to use these to carry out the task called for above in the "Declaration and Call." If these letters move you, or if you have been following BA, or if you are moved by the grossly distorted and unfair character of these attacks to want to see this voice not only be defended but be heard—we have a challenge. Help us to figure out the best way to get these letters out into the bloodstream of society. Send us your thinking on what should be done to popularize these testimonials that show people from so many different backgrounds and perspectives talking about what it means to have BA and his leadership, and why it’s so important to defend him (email revolution.reports@yahoo.com).
And we have another challenge for you. Every week The RNL—Revolution, Nothing Less! YouTube show puts out high-quality programming that brings the revolution to life. This week we’re again featuring some key segments from the show—host Andy Zee’s opening commentary, in written form; a segment featuring Lenny Wolff discussing these attacks and taking off from an article by Bob Avakian on the kinds of methods, principles and standards we need in sorting through and resolving differences; a segment in which Sunsara Taylor interviews longtime feminist activist Carol Downer on her experience with the revcoms, and her thinking on BA; and finally, a clip of BA himself, answering the question of “do you ever get discouraged?” Spread this show; and more than that, write to us (revolution.reports@yahoo.com) or to the show (therevcoms@gmail.com) with your ideas on how to build the audience.
Both of these tasks above are not things unto themselves—they are important parts of carrying out the much larger strategy outlined in Something Terrible, OR Something Truly Emancipating. They are fighting for a different future.
To go back to the beginning and the articles on what is happening in the world today: the time is getting short; the danger is great, but within that also lies the potential; but people must know about this analysis and this leadership for the revolution to build its forces and have a real chance of realizing that potential.
Be part of that.
Included in this issue:
* Organizing for an Actual Revolution: 7 Key Points
* Bob Avakian: A Radically Different Leader—A Whole New Framework for Human Emancipation
* Bob Avakian on Methods, Principles and Standards: excerpts from What Humanity Needs: Revolution, and the New Synthesis of Communism, an Interview with Bob Avakian
* Countering the Attacks on Bob Avakian, the revcoms, and Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights
* The fight for abortion rights
- San Francisco’s Outrageous Injection of Pro-abortion Protester Challenged in Federal Court
- Andy Zee interviews Victoria Eggers from LA chapter of Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights & Vets Rise 4 Roe
- Bringing Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights to the Women's March National Convention—Big Impact, a Lot to Build On
* Oppression of Black people
- Black Police Chief Reformer… Meet Reality
- Concussion Decision Further Exposes Murderous, Thieving Racism of NFL Owners
* The RNL—Revolution, Nothing Less!—Show
- Opening commentary by Andy Zee from the latest episode
- The Entire Episode 114
- Sunsara Taylor Interviews Longtime Pro-Abortion Feminist Carol Downer
- Lenny Wolff: Fighting for Leadership, Principles, and Standards to get Beyond This Capitalist-Imperialist Nightmare
- A clip of BA himself, answering the question of “do you ever get discouraged?”
- Gloria Pinex reads her statement in support of Bob Avakian
- Statement of Support for Bob Avakian from D. Ocean, Health Care Practitioner (read by a volunteer)
- Kicking into High Gear the Campaign to Grow the Audience
* Statement from the editors: Heinous Attack on Salman Rushdie Must Be Condemned
* Fight to free Iran's political prisoners
- From the International Emergency Campaign to Free Iran’s Political Prisoners NOW (IEC): Iran’s Women Imprisoned and Tortured for Resisting Forced Hijab—Free Them Now!
- International Poetry Festival in Medellín, Colombia: Boldly Struggling to Free Iran’s Political Prisoners on the Basis of Internationalism