Revolutionary Worker #904, May 1, 1997, International Workers Day
1992. THE L.A. REBELLION--OPPRESSED PEOPLE RIGHTEOUSLY RISE UP, SENDING SHOCKWAVES THROUGHOUT THE USA, AND WORLDWIDE.
THIS REBELLION BROUGHT IN A NEW DAY.
THIS REBELLION SHOWED THE TREMENDOUS STRENGTH OF THE OPPRESSED PEOPLE RISING UP AGAINST OPPRESSION. IT SHOWED OUR POTENTIAL TO MAKE REVOLUTION TO GET RID OF THIS WHOLE SYSTEM OF OPPRESSION.
BUT IT WAS ALSO ONLY A BEGINNING.
NOW IT'S 1997. THE SYSTEM IS STILL IN EFFECT. AND IT HAS COME BACK WITH MORE OPPRESSION AND BRUTALITY.
THEY ARE DOING WHAT THEY ARE DOING NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY ARE VICIOUS, BUT ALSO BECAUSE THEY ARE VULNERABLE.
WHAT DOES ALL THIS SHOW? IT SHOWS THAT REVOLUTION IS NECESSARY--THAT NOTHING LESS THAN REVOLUTION CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEM--AND IT SHOWS THAT REVOLUTION IS POSSIBLE.
TODAY, MORE AND MORE, AMONG THE OPPRESSED PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY AMONG THE YOUNGER GENERATION, YOU HEAR IT SAID: "THEY WILL NEVER CHANGE. THEY WILL NEVER STOP DOING WHAT THEY ARE DOING--IT ONLY GETS WORSE. IF THEY WANT WAR, LET'S GIVE THEM WAR!"
YES. BUT LET'S DO IT RIGHT. AND LET'S DO IT FOR REAL.
LET'S DO IT TO WIN--AND LET'S BE CLEAR ON WHAT WINNING MEANS.
LET'S DO IT TO MAKE REVOLUTION--TO END OPPRESSION AND EXPLOITATION.
LET'S DO IT WHEN THE TIME IS RIPE--WHEN THE SITUATION IS MOST FAVORABLE FOR REVOLUTION.
LET'S GET PREPARED FOR THIS. WHENEVER THIS TIME COMES--AND IT WILL COME--WE MUST BE READY. WE HAVE WORK TO DO TO GET READY. AND THE WORK WE DO CAN MAKE THIS TIME COME SOONER.
LET'S DO THIS WITH THE PHILOSOPHY, STRATEGY, PROGRAM, PLAN, LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION THAT CAN SHOW US HOW TO WIN, AND LEAD US TO WIN, IN THE FULLEST SENSE.
LET'S DO THIS IN UNITY WITH OUR CLASS AND WITH ALL OPPRESSED PEOPLE, ALL OVER THE WORLD, WHO ARE WAGING REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLES AND REVOLUTIONARY WARS AGAINST THE SAME SYSTEM--LET'S DO IT AS PART OF THE WORLD PROLETARIAN REVOLUTION.
THIS IS THE ONLY WAY IT CAN BE DONE--AND IN THIS WAY WE CAN DO IT.
THIS IS WHAT OUR PARTY, THE RCP, REPRESENTS.
ON THIS MAY FIRST--ON THIS HOLIDAY OF THE INTERNATIONAL PROLETARIAN CLASS, THIS WORLDWIDE FESTIVAL OF THE OPPRESSED RISING UP TO PUT AN END TO OPPRESSION--OUR PARTY MAKES A CLEAR AND SOLEMN DECLARATION: WE ARE DOWN FOR THIS. WE KNOW WHAT WILL BE NECESSARY TO DO THIS--BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND HOW IT CAN BE DONE--AND WE ARE DETERMINED TO DO IT. WE WILL BRING FORWARD MORE AND MORE OF OUR CLASS TO TAKE UP REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN MORE AND MORE ALLIES FOR OUR REVOLUTIONARY CAUSE. WE WILL NOT STOP SHORT, AND WE WILL NOT BE TURNED BACK. WE MEAN WHAT WE SAY, AND WE INTEND TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON IT, IN THE FACE OF EVERY DIFFICULTY THAT MUST BE OVERCOME AND EVERY SACRIFICE THAT MUST BE MADE. THIS IS NOT THE "EASY" ROAD--BUT IT IS THE ONLY ROAD TO REAL LIBERATION AND A TRULY BRIGHT FUTURE.
AND ON THIS MAY FIRST, OUR PARTY ISSUES A CALL--TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE SICK TO DEATH OF THIS SYSTEM, ALL THOSE WHO REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT THIS PEOPLE-DESTROYING SYSTEM IS "THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS," ALL THOSE WHO ARE SEARCHING FOR A BETTER WAY AND LONG FOR A BETTER WORLD: GET DOWN WITH THE PARTY, BECOME A PART OF THE REVOLUTIONARY CAUSE THE PARTY REPRESENTS, JOIN THE RANKS OF THOSE, ALL OVER THE WORLD, WHO ARE SEEING THAT THERE CAN BE A BETTER WAY AND A BETTER WORLD AND ARE FIGHTING TO MAKE THAT A REALITY.
THE CHANCE TO MAKE REVOLUTION IN A COUNTRY LIKE THE USA, GOING DIRECTLY UP AGAINST THE POWERFUL ENEMY WE FACE, DOES NOT COME VERY OFTEN--IT IS A RARE AND PRECIOUS THING. WE MUST BE DETERMINED NOT TO LOSE, NOT TO THROW AWAY, THAT CHANCE, WHEN IT DOES COME.
LET'S GET READY FOR REVOLUTION AND DO OUR PART TO ADVANCE THIS REVOLUTION WORLDWIDE.
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