Please read the short essay, or just click the answers to these simple questions. You may need to *enable popups.
1. What is a political party? (Click on the icon of your choice)
A
collection of people who think and act alike
A
committee that provides leadership to a specific class
A
committee of election experts
A
broadminded group attempting to benefit all peoples
2. Why would serious activists join a political party?
To
find someone wiser that they can follow
To increase their effectiveness
To
find followers
To
correct other people's errors
3. In which kind of activity would one expect to find Marxists?
Boosting
a union struggle for better wages
Defending
the rights of immigrant workers
Promoting
a group's freedom of religion
Campaigning
for a candidate or a cause
Organizing
study groups
All
of these
4. Which one of the activists described below might be a Marxist?
Joe
always makes sure to let people know when they aren't on the right track
Mary
can be counted on
Bill
is clearly the brains, but isn't one of the foot soldiers
Susan
will work hard sometimes, but never helps lead
5. How does a Marxist political party make its decisions?
It
isn't necessary to make decisions, because they always come down from the top
Decisions are made outside the party
After
reasonable discussion, a vote is taken
Everybody
talks until every individual agrees
By
democratic centralism, which means that the central group decides then tells
everybody else their democratic duties
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The Necessity of the Marxist Party |
"In its struggle for power, the proletariat has no other weapon but organization..." --V.I. Lenin "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back" 1904
Serious activists have found it necessary to promote Communist Parties all over the world for over 150 years. During their lifetimes, Marx and Engels were devoted to the International Working Men's Association and its national affiliates. Communist Parties survive in spite of the most desperate efforts of capitalists to destroy them.
In previous modules, we have established that the working class is the only class capable of overcoming capitalism. To do so, it needs political leadership that works together toward the powerful unity of the working class and its allies. In the module on unions, we saw that unions are not capable of leading the broad working class. A working class political party is vital.
A political party provides leadership to a given class. In America, we usually see only the two major capitalist parties. They may pursue different alliances and different strategies in different situations, but neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have any intention of challenging the rule of the capitalist class.
We also see parties that come and go. They may be indifferent
to which class is in power, or they may limit themselves to certain reforms
without consciously challenging the capitalist class. Other short-lived parties
are sects that split off from a major party, just as small religious groups
separate from their mother church.
The party that claims to empower the American workers is the Communist Party. It was founded in 1919 and continues to be the oldest communist party in the world. Almost immediately, various sects began splitting from CPUSA, and each of them claims to be "the" party of the working class. New ones appear almost constantly.
For some background on CPUSA, check out Noel Rabinowitz's collection of interviews on YouTube. Rick Nagin tried to set the historical record right in a 2017 article.
Many activists believe that CPUSA has given up its claim to be the party that will lead the American working class to power. One could spend considerable time sorting through the many American sects. In broad terms, they are Trotskyites, Maoists, and New Leftists. Even if one cannot find a political party to join, the essential problem remains: the working class must have political leadership. True Marxists either belong to a satisfactory party or are in the process of finding or creating one.
Marx & Engels had the same problem. The International Working Men's Association, their first party, soon foundered. The Second International turned against revolution during World War I. The Third International was intentionally disbanded by Soviet leadership during World War II. American progressivism of all types was shattered by the anti-communist witch hunt of 1946 to present.
The implosion of the Russian Communist Party in 1991 brought a new crisis to the movement. Intellectuals immediately and eternally began finding fault with all existing socialist experiments. It became popular to join the longtime capitalist chorus in saying that "socialism just can't work."
Many parties re-defined themselves, and some did not even survive the transition. Oddly, socialism has grown tremendous worldwide acceptance, especially among younger people, even while socialist political parties take a terrible beating.
The functioning of communist parties was originally described by V.I. Lenin, especially in his book, "What Is To Be Done?"
How does a Leninist party function?
A socialist society is a society of democratic cooperation and collective action. No party could achieve socialism through another type of organization. Although there may be plenty of hotheads in political action, Marxists do not believe that small groups or individuals can empower the working class.
Consequently, a party of democratic cooperation and collective action is necessary. Decisions at all levels are made by majority rule. Serious Marxists work to carry out the decisions made by the majority, even if they may have individually voted against them. Working together is fundamental.
Individual activists who join a serious Marxist party greatly increase their effectiveness. They find co-thinkers that can help make the best decisions. They also find multi-talented activists who are willing to work together. Some activists feel that party membership is a tremendous personal relief from the constant pressures of the capitalist environment.
What a Communist party isn't
Because the capitalist-controlled culture and information sources have been so thorough in misleading us, it might be worthwhile to define a Communist Party in the negative sense:
- It isn't a conspiracy
- It isn't criminal
- It isn't foreign agents
- It isn't a cult
- It isn't violent
- It isn't destructive
- It isn't fanatic
- It isn't sectarian
- It isn't an idle discussion
- It isn't snobbish
- It isn't divisive
- It isn't grim
What does a Communist Party do?
Frederick Engels wrote, "In general, the official programme of a party is of less importance than what the party does." (Letter to A. Bebel. London, March 18-28, 1875)
A communist party is a party of action and purpose. The purpose is to promote the unity and strength of the working class and whatever members of other classes are willing to help. This would include basic activities to better our standard of living and to extend democracy. Marxists may be found in virtually every sphere of progressive action. American Marxists are particularly proud of their work in civil rights groups, unions, peace activities, and elections. The working class is not indifferent to any kind of political work, and neither are any Marxists.
Unlike some lesser organizations, Communists do not introduce unnecessary divisions within the progressive movement. We try to listen more than we talk. Although we initiate some activities, we also help with activities initiated by others. We promote unity, not discord. When decisions are off course, we always try to "disagree without being disagreeable." Communists save our arguments for the capitalists.
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