Introduction: In last week’s issue, we began a short series on how the new socialist state power, founded on and guided by the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America, by Bob Avakian (BA), would approach relations with the whole world. See Part 1. We wrote that: 

“The Preamble of the new Constitution sets out the most fundamental guiding principles of the new power. So it is worth noting that the second paragraph immediately takes up the relation of the New Socialist Republic in North America to the whole world:

In contrast to the way in which the capitalist-imperialist state serves and enforces the interests of a small ruling group of exploiters, the New Socialist Republic in North America, with the continuing leadership of the Revolutionary Communist Party, bases itself on, and proceeds from, the fundamental interests of those most bitterly exploited and oppressed under the old system, and the masses of people broadly, and provides the means for them to play an increasingly widening role in the exercise of political power and the functioning of society in accordance with those interests–in order to carry forward the struggle to transform society, with the goal of uprooting and finally eliminating all oppressive and exploitative relations among human beings and the destructive antagonistic conflicts to which these relations give rise. 

This is a process and goal which, fundamentally and in the final analysis, can only be achieved on a global scale, with the advance to communism throughout the world. The orientation and principles of this state, as embodied in this Constitution, are internationalist: While giving due emphasis to meeting the material, intellectual and cultural needs of the people within this state, on a continually expanding basis, and to promoting the further transformation of this society to continue uprooting social inequalities and remaining aspects of exploitation and oppression, the socialist state must give fundamental priority to the advance of the revolutionary struggle, and the final goal of communism, throughout the world, and must adopt and carry out policies and actions which are in accordance with and give concrete effect to this internationalist orientation."

This is a political vision and a morality unlike anything else in this society. It is founded on BA’s basic point that internationalism means that the whole world comes first. This week, Part II focuses on how the new economy will be structured to give that "fundamental priority.” 

Imagine: A New Economy to Serve a Base Area for World Revolution, Meeting Human Needs and Protecting the Environment

Article IV of the new Constitution focuses on “The Economy and Economic Development in the New Socialist Republic in North America.” The economy—or the mode of production—forms the basis for every society. So how would the socialist economy differ from the horrible global inequality, plunder and grinding exploitation of today’s capitalist-imperialist mode of production? How would it not just become a more “equitable” division of the spoils of this parasitic system? That will involve struggle, at times quite sharp—and the new Constitution provides the foundation and principles on which to wage that struggle.

Right up top Article IV states that:

Social production and economic development are guided and evaluated according to three overarching criteria: 

1. Advancing the world revolution to uproot all exploitation and oppression and to emancipate all of humanity; 

2. Meeting social need, creating a common material wealth that contributes to the all-around development of society and the individuals who make it up, and overcoming oppressive divisions between mental and manual labor, town and country, different regions and nationalities, and men and women;

 3. Protecting, preserving, and enhancing the ecosystems and biodiversity of the planet for current and future generations.

Let’s dig further into that first big goal of advancing the world revolution to uproot all exploitation and oppression, with the crucial Section 9 of Article IV:

Section 9. The Socialist State as a Base Area for the World Revolution. 

1. This orientation is built into the state’s economic structures and its planning system and priorities, as well as its capacities to dispatch resources and people to different parts of the world to carry out various internationalist tasks and responsibilities. 

2. In all international economic relations, proletarian internationalism and the needs of the world revolution come first. 

3. With other socialist states that exist or come into being, trade will be carried out under the principles of proletarian internationalism, to aid the construction of socialism in these countries and the world revolution. 

4. With regard to imperialist and reactionary states, the New Socialist Republic in North America will not put economic exchanges and agreements above its responsibility to support revolutionary movements in these countries. 

5. Trade with nations and countries which remain under the domination and oppression of imperialism must also be conducted on the basis of proletarian internationalism, and will take into account relations of dependency imposed by the former U.S. empire–requiring, in some cases, that parts, supplies, equipment and other assistance be provided to these countries for some time. But this must also take into account the nature of these countries and of their governments and ruling classes, the class struggle within them, and the role of these countries internationally. 

6. The structure of production and the resource base of the socialist economy cannot depend on labor and materials from other countries–much less exploitation and domination. The development of a socialist economy must not involve the export of capital–for example, building factories, or making loans, for profit. A socialist economy must not reproduce relations of domination and inequality in its international interactions. This question, too, must be put before the masses of people, as part of their coming to more deeply understand, and to act on, the basic principles on which the New Socialist Republic in North America is founded and according to which it must proceed. 

7. A socialist economy must practice self-reliance and sustainability at the same time that it aids the struggles of the exploited and oppressed of the world.¹

8. The economy must be planned and developed in such a way as to make provision for, and actually provide, the resources and technology necessary for the security and defense of the society and the state against provocations, aggression and attacks by imperialists and other reactionary forces. At the same time, this must be done in accordance with the principles set forth in this Constitution–including specifically those regarding defense and security–and without allowing the provision of the necessary means for defense and security to fundamentally distort or undermine the development of the economy, and the society overall, along socialist lines and the fulfilling of internationalist responsibilities. The armed forces must, at all levels, strive to economize on expenditure and, where possible and in correspondence with overall economic planning, engage in productive activities that can contribute to their self-provisioning.

The Legacy of Parasitism and the Struggle Around What Comes First 

 Let’s pause for a minute and dig into point 6. Right now, under the system of capitalism-imperialism, the standard of living in this country is based on a parasitical relation with the rest of the world, particularly the vast majority of people who live in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The clothes that people in this country wear, the phones we use, the fruits and vegetables available in the better-off areas, the big-screen televisions—these are produced by literally hundreds of millions of super-exploited, desperately impoverished people in places like Congo, Bangladesh, and Mexico. Those humans who produce this wealth include 150 million children—children whose lives are foreclosed and foreshortened, and ground up into the commodities we consume. 

At the other end of the spectrum (leaving aside the ruling capitalist-imperialists) is a relatively large layer of people in this country who work in finance, insurance, real estate and other occupations that are bound up with seeking out the highest possible return on the wealth that this parasitical exploitation produces. This group has greatly expanded over the past 70 years. It is not the majority, but we are talking about well over 10 million people in operations made possible by and devoted to furthering this parasitism. And this parasitism has had a major effect on how everybody thinks and what they aspire to in America—a point to which Bob Avakian devoted a lot of attention in his work Hope For Humanity On A Scientific Basis.

So adhering to point 6 will require a tremendous restructuring of the whole economy, with big implications for how people live and even much dislocation. It will also mean sacrifice for many—both for those sections which have “made big bank” on the basis of this parasitism, but to a degree almost everyone living in this country. And that need for sacrifice will almost certainly give rise to struggle in planning the economy in a way that breaks the chains of this imperialist domination while still meeting the material needs of people within this country. As point 6 says, this will require putting the question before the masses.

In putting this question to the masses, those fighting to continue revolutionizing society will face resistance based on breaking with some of the style of life afforded by imperialist parasitism. Counter-revolutionaries will be all mixed in with people who just honestly disagree or have questions. Those working to lead the society further toward communism will be able to draw on real strengths in waging this struggle to transform production and to revolutionize people’s thinking. One strength will be an end to the insecurity and “fear of falling further” that haunts tens of millions even beyond the most impoverished people. 

At the same time, there will be a lot of people who will gravitate to what the new economy makes possible. First, this economy will make it possible for people to work co-operatively and collectively to solve great social problems, rather than scuffling and scraping to make a living and the dog-eat-dog struggle for survival. Think about the scientists and people with technical ability who will for the first time be able to fully put their skills and their desire to serve people into action in a dimension almost unimaginable today. Think about the youth, as well as the oppressed masses, who will seize on the chance to contribute to breaking down the savage inequalities left over from capitalism-imperialism not only in this country but around the world, with the backing of—and not the resistance and suppression by—the leadership of society. Think about people having the chance to go to work on “protecting, preserving, and enhancing the ecosystems and biodiversity of the planet for current and future generations,” instead of helplessly living with dread of human extinction hanging over their heads. Think of the exchange of cultures on the basis of breaking down the stereotypes and hatred of other people that blast like an airhorn from the MAGA fascists today—and that in ways more subtle, though still poisonous, permeate the culture in “normal life” under capitalism-imperialism.  

All this will play out in the kinds of society-wide debates and discussion that the Constitution provides for—including by making room for and funding those who disagree with the radically new orientation of the socialist economy and the policies flowing from that orientation. This will almost certainly involve times of sharp and widespread struggle—and that’s good! Why? Because as people come to learn more and transform their thinking through that process of discussion, debate study and more discussion, deeper unity can be built. And we are talking not only about unity on the specific policies under debate, but over the whole crucial orientation of “American lives are not more important than other people’s lives,” and “internationalism—the whole world comes first.”

Again, a Final Important Point

The U.S. invasion of Venezuela and the illegal arrest and kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores has in the past week been accompanied by new threats from Trump and others in his administration against Greenland and Denmark, Colombia, Mexico, Iran and other countries as well. As our article Trump's Global Rampage, And the Method to the Madness makes clear, there is an extremely significant danger of world war involved in this.

Over four years ago, writing of the splits within the capitalist-imperialist ruling class over how to rule—splits which have since sharpened immeasurably—Bob Avakian wrote the following:

It is extremely important to deeply understand this:

As this situation develops, and the ruling class is more and more unable to rule in the old way, society and daily life for masses of people, from different parts of society, can become increasingly unsettled and chaotic, with frequent “disruptions” of the “normal” way things have been.

And as “the normal way” society has been ruled is failing to hold things together—and society is increasingly being ripped apart—this can shake people’s belief that “the way things have always been” is the only way things can be. It can make people more open to questioning—in a real sense it can force people to question—the way things have been, and whether they have to stay that way. And this is all the more likely to happen if the revolutionary forces are out among the people shining a light on the deeper reality of what is happening, and why, and bringing out that there IS an alternative to living this way.

As we wrote last week, at such a time, the real and powerful alternative embodied in the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America, by Bob Avakian, needs to get into the bloodstream of society. This Constitution provides the sweeping vision, the concrete blueprint and the firm foundation for a whole new way to live… and a fundamentally different system. With society being ripped apart, and revolution more possible—even in the face of fascism, genocide, climate catastrophe and nuclear war—it is urgent that people raise their sights to the radically different world that's possible and take responsibility as part of the larger mission which this Constitution serves: the emancipation of humanity.