At a Moment of Horrendous Crimes and Important Uprisings...
Seize the Time!
November 30, 2015 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
Some Principles for Building a Movement for Revolution
At every point, we must be searching out the key concentrations of social contradictions and the methods and forms which can strengthen the political consciousness of the masses, as well as their fighting capacity and organization in carrying out political resistance against the crimes of this system; which can increasingly bring the necessity, and the possibility, of a radically different world to life for growing numbers of people; and which can strengthen the understanding and determination of the advanced, revolutionary-minded masses in particular to take up our strategic objectives not merely as far-off and essentially abstract goals (or ideals) but as things to be actively striven for and built toward.
The objective and orientation must be to carry out work which, together with the development of the objective situation, can transform the political terrain, so that the legitimacy of the established order, and the right and ability of the ruling class to rule, is called into question, in an acute and active sense, throughout society; so that resistance to this system becomes increasingly broad, deep and determined; so that the "pole" and the organized vanguard force of revolutionary communism is greatly strengthened; and so that, at the decisive time, this advanced force is able to lead the struggle of millions, and tens of millions, to make revolution.
Bob Avakian, BAsics 3:30
This past month has been one of great crimes against humanity, as well as important resistance to the crimes of this system. This is a moment to seize. And most of all, a moment to connect people with the need, and basis for a revolutionary solution—the leadership and work of Bob Avakian (BA).
Just this month there was the murderous assault on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado. There is the escalating clash of Western imperialism and Islamic fundamentalist Jihad, with terrorist attacks in Paris; France—with U.S. assistance and backing—bombing the densely populated Syrian city of Raqqa; and the downing of a Russian passenger plane by ISIS.
And there is resistance. In Paris, heroic environmental activists are in the streets in the face of police-state repression and massive police brutality. In the U.S., people are rising up against the oppression of Black people, in many different ways. And there were beginning vigils and protests in the immediate wake of the Colorado Springs attack demanding abortion on demand and without apology, and declaring abortion providers are heroes and forced motherhood is female enslavement.
All this is taking place at a time when the rulers of this system—which brings so much misery and death to humanity—are up against a whole set of problems here and around the world. Bob Avakian has pointed out that it can feel as if we’re locked in a huge prison yard surrounded by a huge steel wall that reaches up past our field of vision and seems incredibly thick—but that using the science of revolution, we can see the crises the system confronts, and the struggles people are waging, as cracks in that wall that can be pushed on and pushed open. (See “Transcript of Important Talk from the RCP: ‘Where We Are in the Revolution’”.)
Taken together, all the elements in today’s situation can be seen as “cracks in the wall.” And in that light, it is up to us to unite with and push on people’s just struggles, standing with the people, connecting protest and outrage with the movement for revolution.
The statement “On the Strategy for Revolution” from the RCP speaks to the challenges posed to revolutionaries at a moment like this:
Such “jolts” in the “normal functioning” of things, even if they do not develop all the way to a fundamental crisis for the system as a whole, do create situations in which many more people are searching for answers and open to considering radical change. The work of building the movement for revolution must be consistently carried out at all times, but in these situations of sharp breaks with the “normal routine” there is greater possibility, and greater potential, to make advances. This must be fully recognized and built on to the greatest degree possible, so that through such situations, leaps are made in building up the movement and the organized forces for revolution, creating in this way a stronger basis from which to work for further advances.
(The entire statement is available at www.revcom.us and in BAsics, from the talks and writings of Bob Avakian)
Everyone reading this message needs to jump into the fray with both feet, and challenge others to join us. Most important of all, this means bringing Bob Avakian into the mix as you are uniting with people to fight the power. BA has brought forward a whole pathway on how to understand and transform the world and actually make revolution in this day and age... and make it a revolution worth making.
Everyone who is at all serious about getting out of this mess should be getting out BA quote cards, T-shirts with the BA image, BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! shirts, and posters and banners with “www.revcom.us” on them, driving people to get with BA and revcom.us. The statements by Carl Dix are also important in this light—they connect BA and what he represents with all this in a living way.
In all this, either during pauses in the action or while getting out palm cards, Revolution, and other BA materials, seize every moment to bring people the problem/solution, which is crystallized in BA and what he’s brought forward.
We have to let people know: there IS a way out! Sometimes this will mean taking literature, sometimes it will mean being right in the fray up against the pigs or reactionaries and then later getting down with people. But even when right up in the fray, find ways to represent—like with oversized BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! or BA-image shirts over jackets—so that people can see who we are and get into BA (including those who see us in mainstream and social media coverage). Take signs, posters, and banners speaking to what is going on, with large, highly readable WWW.REVCOM.US. And get this issue of Revolution newspaper into the mix wherever you are.
Connect through your nearest Revolution Books, or correspond through revolution.reports@yahoo.com.
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