Below is a comment from TMLU ( redstarpublishers.org/TMLU.htm ) and a letter to the editor. There is also a new post about the election results at Marxism Leninism Currents Today: ml-today.com/
Following the rally last Saturday (see earlier post) there will be another rally 1 - 3:30pm Saturday, the 14th at Raleigh's Halifax Mall (16 West Jones Street), announcements posted below or see these pages: www.mobilize.us/sunrisemovement/event/363067/ or facebook.com/events/400031268036755/
I have to wonder if the talk of a Trump coup was really just hot air from the White House seized upon by the Democratic Party to scare the public. Violence around an election is possible, but it seems like a successful coup would require support from the military, "the deep state," domestic and international politicians, corporate leaders, the mainstream media, etc. and I doubt Trump has much support from those sectors, even from Republicans. A civil war would also require military, police, and government support or at least acquiescence. I can get behind organizing against a rightist coup and for a left fightback, but not rallying support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who are likely to block progress in many areas, after successfully preventing even a left Democrat from winning the primary and then appealing to Republicans during the election. The left should be preparing to "push" or fight them, not whitewashing what they represent. US coups are possible - the Supreme Court installed George W Bush and Cheney in 2000 and there wasn't enough organized outrage to safeguard the election or punish those behind the irregularities later. Obama and Biden then excused the crimes carried out during the Bush Administration, so the guilty parties are still influential, such as at the CIA and in the media. There is talk of prosecuting Trump for something unspecified, but they let Bush and Co. go free and complain about the chant "lock her up," though Clinton must be guilty of something after being secretary of state during a time of questionable wars and foreign policy).
Special on the election results by Toward Marxist-Leninist Unity
While Trump represented growing fascism
Biden Represents Imperialism as Usual
As Karl Marx pointed out: “The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them.”
This is a lesson that must be learned by those participating in the celebrations of Biden’s victory. They were mostly young members of the petty bourgeois, as were unfortunately most of the protestors while Trump was in office. The workers should be the main ones mobilizing against all reactionary policies.
Biden’s victory shows that bourgeois democracy still has some strength. When it is shaken, it can use outright fascism or social democracy to shore up its interests. The defeat of Trump, and the refusal to allow Sanders to win the Democratic Party nomination, show that the ruling class does not (yet) need to use either of these.
Clearly, the majority of the bourgeoisie supported Biden. Not only was Trump too erratic, but he was often seen as promoting his own personal business interests (as in his good relations with Putin) over the interests of the U.S. ruling class as a whole. He also angered major U.S. allies, particularly in the European Union, by placing tariffs on their exports, etc.
While Trump was a proto-fascist, that does not mean that most of his supporters were. Unfortunately, there were many workers (mostly but not only white workers) who believed in Trump’s demagogy, such as bringing back jobs.
One can see that a good number of working class (and petty bourgeois) supporters of Trump still had a certain class instinct, at least on the economic level, by the example of Florida. While the state went for Trump, a referendum for a $15 an hour minimum wage was passed with 60% of the vote, so a significant number of Trump supporters also had to have voted for this.
If one recognizes any serious tactical differences between Trump and Biden, then I think my position to only vote for Biden in “swing states” was correct. In several of these states, both “major party” candidates got less than 50% of the vote, which meant that the results could have been swayed by “third party” (mainly Libertarian) candidates. But in a “safe” Democratic state like New York, the Green Party seems to have lost its ballot status, having won only about 23,000 votes. In 2016, Jill Stein won over 100,000 votes in New York State as the Green Party presidential candidate. Many who would have voted Green wasted their vote on Biden, who would have won in New York anyway.
Where Did Biden Stand on Major Issues?
We must remember Biden’s position on major questions, both as Senator and as Vice-President under Obama. He supported Obama when he deported more immigrants than any other president (including Trump). He helped pass laws leading to mass incarceration, particularly of Black and other oppressed peoples. He supported both invasions of Iraq. And he helped organize Obama’s trillion dollar bail-out of the banks and monopoly corporations during the 2008-2009 crisis. He will undoubtedly give away more trillions to the members of the ruling class (while giving crumbs to working people), but this will not be sufficient to get the country out of Great Depression Two. He will also involve the US in more local wars, while stepping up preparations for contention with imperialist rivals, particularly Russia and China, on a world scale.
The Biden fervor will cool off after he takes office and shows that he is an ordinary imperialist president. It is the task of serious progressive and revolutionary fighters to organize for a progressive working people’s party that can take part in the class struggle in all arenas, including but certainly not only the electoral arena. This must go along with the fight to build up a genuine mass Marxist-Leninist party that can take the lead in the fight for socialism in the U.S.
Towards Marxist-Leninist Unity, c/o Red Star Publishers, www.RedStarPublishers.org
Below is the comment from progressive Green Party member [ ] in opposition to the position put forward in the October 31 issue of Towards Marxist-Leninist Unity calling for a vote for Biden only in “swing” states. My answer can be seen in the main article above.
I am shocked that the lead article in TMLU recommends that we vote for the other capitalist stooge and imperialist-BIDEN. The rationale is that if Trump were re-elected, he would try to impose a Nazi dictatorship and Biden would not. That is the rationale of the corrupt Democratic Party! The author of the aforementioned article forgets that U.S. presidents do not run this country; the capitalist ruling class, headquartered at Wall Street does. It is not in its interest at this time to resort to an all out fascist regime. This election will have the most voters ever in our history go to the polls. The overwhelming majority still believes this is a democracy and that there is a real difference between the two major parties. Most voters are voting not on the issues but out of fear that the other major party will win. Capitalism cannot solve and is largely responsible for these existential issues--the climate crisis, the economic meltdown and COVID-19. As Glenn Ford of the Black Agenda Report puts it, "The Democratic Party is not the 'lesser of the two evils', it is the more effective."
[Signed by an influential New York Green; I'm not sure how public this message is supposed to be; see a future issue.]
NC Team Democracy:
North Carolinians who came together this year to protect each other, to raise our voice, and to cast our ballots will come together again in Raleigh to send a clear message -- the people will be heard and the people will rise.
We hope you can join us on Saturday at Halifax Mall. You can click here to register! [see link above]
We’ve always known the work, and the need to build a stronger movement, would not end on November 3rd. We’re gathering because we refuse to be pushed back by fear, as so many generations have before us. With that courage, we’ll forge forward.
When we’re fighting for progress — racial justice, affordable healthcare, economic justice, climate action, and more — we have to use every tool in the toolbox to demand the change we deserve and protect our communities.
More details are below, or you can find them here.
We hope to see you on Saturday!
In Solidarity,
Team Democracy
WHO: North Carolinians demanding change
WHAT: Team Democracy Presents: The People Will Rise
WHERE: Halifax Mall, 300 N Salisbury St. Raleigh, NC 27603.
WHEN: 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Los habitantes de Carolina del Norte que se unieron este año para protegerse unos a otros, para hacer oir sus voces y para emitir sus votos, se reunirán nuevamente en Raleigh para enviar un mensaje claro: el pueblo será escuchado y el pueblo se levantará.
Esperamos que pueda acompañarnos el sábado en Halifax Mall. ¡Puede hacer clic aquí para registrarse!
Siempre supimos que el trabajo y la necesidad de construir un movimiento más fuerte no terminarían el 3 de noviembre. Nos reunimos porque nos negamos a que el miedo nos eche para atras, al igual que muchas generaciones antes que nosotros. Con ese coaje empujaremos hacia adelante juntos.
Cuando luchamos por el progreso – justicia racial, atención médica asequible, justicia económica, acción climática y más – tenemos que utilizar todas las herramientas disponibles para exigir el cambio que merecemos y proteger a nuestras comunidades.
Más detalles se encuentran a continuación, o puede encontrarlos aquí.
¡Esperamos verlos el sábado!
En Solidaridad,
El Equipo Democracia
QUIÉN: Los habitantes de Carolina del Norte que exigen un cambio
QUÉ: El Equipo Democracia presenta: El Pueblo se levantará
DÓNDE: Halifax Mall, 300 N Salisbury St. Raleigh, NC 27603.
CUÁNDO: 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
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