A Facebook Exchange between a Dogmatist and Noche Diaz

Stop Your Windy Nonsense, the World Is Being Turned Upside Down

August 10, 2020 | revcom.us

 

Editors’ Note: In the following piece, Noche Diaz of the National Revolution Tour responds to a Facebook post discussing the statement from Bob Avakian recently posted at revcom.us, ON THE IMMEDIATE CRITICAL SITUATION, THE URGENT NEED TO DRIVE OUT THE FASCIST TRUMP/PENCE REGIME, VOTING IN THIS ELECTION, AND THE FUNDAMENTAL NEED FOR REVOLUTION. What follows is first the response from Noche, and then the Facebook post he is responding to.

Recently there was a post that seemed to be responding to Bob Avakian’s statement ON THE IMMEDIATE CRITICAL SITUATION, THE URGENT NEED TO DRIVE OUT THE FASCIST TRUMP/PENCE REGIME, VOTING IN THIS ELECTION, AND THE FUNDAMENTAL NEED FOR REVOLUTION from XX who, in his own words, says “I’m writing this as someone who once fully supported Bob Avakian, the leader of the Revolutionary Communist Party. I’m writing this as someone who also was a member of Refuse Fascism Indiana and learned a lot from both of these Movement before I left both of them.”

He writes this post to express disagreement and disappointment, as he says, “I’m very disappointed to see Bob Avakian endorse Joe Biden for President. Never in my life did I see the day that this leader would do this.” Yet from this characterization, and the more I read the post as it goes on, 5 things become clear to me that I wanted to point out to XX:

1. First of all, you might want to try AT LEAST taking 20 minutes to fucking read the statement BA actually made, before making an analysis. That should be bare minimum stuff when it comes to deciding whether you agree or disagree with anything, or in trying to respond or dispute anyone’s analysis. And when it comes from Avakian, who has a track record of being consistently scientific and thorough, this should demand a baseline level of seriousness that you clearly lack. You, and too many paper-mache “leftists” of many stripes, have all kinds of opinions and responses about BA’s statement based entirely on how it was distorted and characterized on a fascist far-right website, Washington Times, which is the link you shared as if it were the authoritative reporting of what Bob Avakian said. THAT is where you took your leadership from when determining what to respond to?

2. Second, even if you were feeling particularly lazy you should be able to get through the damn title... What do you have to say about this statement ON THE IMMEDIATE CRITICAL SITUATION, THE URGENT NEED TO DRIVE OUT THE FASCIST TRUMP/PENCE REGIME, VOTING IN THIS ELECTION, AND THE FUNDAMENTAL NEED FOR REVOLUTION? Your entire summary of BA’s statement seems to be the simplistic title of the above-mentioned Washington Times article, “Revolutionary Communist Party leader backs Biden.”

In the 6 points Avakian makes in his statement, he starts with what is happening. What has gone on since this fascist regime has taken power? Where is this heading? What this has and will mean for masses of people here and around the world, and for all people struggling against oppression?

BA starts in point 1 with:

The situation today holds truly unprecedented and momentous challenges, with profound implications not only for the people in this country but for all of humanity. Three years ago, I spoke to this reality—which has become even more pronounced, and even more dangerous, in the time since then:

We are confronted by—we are now being ruled by—a fascist regime: relentlessly assaulting civil rights and liberties and openly promoting bigotry and inequality; acting with callous disregard or cold-blooded malice toward those they consider inferior and a drain or stain on the country; on a mission to deny health care to millions who will suffer and many who will die without it; crudely degrading women, as objects of plunder, breeders of children without the right to abortion or birth control, subordinate to husbands and men in general; defying the science of climate change, attacking the science of evolution, and repudiating the scientific method overall; a regime brandishing an arsenal of mass destruction and threatening nuclear war; intensifying state terror against Muslims, immigrants, and people in the inner cities; unleashing and giving encouragement and support to brutal thugs spewing vile “America First,” white supremacist, male supremacist, and anti-LGBT venom—a regime that boasts of all this and declares its intention to do even worse.

BA elaborates and gives more evidence as well as historical insight from the rise of the NAZI regime in Germany. You could have said where you disagreed with BA on this, but there was not a word in your post about the situation being faced. The only thing close to commentary on fascism comes toward the end, where you just run out jargon that means nothing. According to you, all the parties are fascist, and there’s no real threat of fascism because they’re all fascists, and fascism is... what, again?

Thankfully BA is not so obtuse in his remarks, which are elaborated on in the full statement. From point 2:

But, as horrific as all this has been, it is not just a matter of horrific policies but of a qualitatively different form of rule, based on brutal repression and violation of what are supposed to be the most basic rights....

For that is what fascism is: open and aggressive dictatorship, trampling on and perverting the rule of law, relying on violence and terror, on behalf of the predatory capitalist system and as an extreme attempt to deal with profound social division and acute crises (both within the country and in the global arena).

3. You claim you would ask BA some questions. (A dishonest claim, given you clearly did not take the time to see what answers he gives.)

First, you claim you would ask “whatever happened to mobilizing millions into the street like the examples of Hong Kong and Puerto Rico which will paralyze this country politically and economically, causing the bourgeoisie to use the state to remove him and his regime from power.”

Well what do you think of what BA repeatedly emphasizes and elaborates on this in points 3, 4, 5, and 6?

Simply relying on voting to oust this regime will almost certainly lead to very bad, even disastrous results. This is especially true given what this regime is already doing, and what Trump is saying, in relation to the election.

***

With the full awareness of what is represented by this fascist regime, and what it means that Trump is not only seeking to suppress the votes of people who will vote against him but is also preparing to utilize forceful, violent repression to remain in office if he is not declared the winner in the election, it is of critical and urgent importance to build now truly massive and sustained mobilization around the unifying demand that this regime must be OUT NOW!—with an orientation of being prepared to continue this even past the election, if the situation requires it.

***

Relying on, and confining actions within, the “norms” and “regular channels” of this system, including the upcoming election, cannot solve this profound and urgent problem, especially when dealing with a fascist regime and its fanatical followers that are determined to trample on and tear up those “norms.”

***

In recognizing this, however, it is extremely important to stress once again, in the strongest terms, that, for the reasons spoken to here, relying on voting—without this mass mobilization—will very likely lead to disaster.

The truth is, the only reason you can talk about the need for such a mobilization is because BA has fought for the understanding of this need and basis to mobilize people to drive out this regime while there is still time to prevent consolidation of fascism, and this recent statement from BA further develops and fights for that understanding.

You go on in what you say you would ask, “I know this is still being called for, but now you throw in this monkey wrench of voting for Joe Biden for President as if a Liberal-Fascist instead of an Overt-Fascist is any better.” which, again, is repeatedly addressed in what you did not bother to read.

What do you think of what BA actually said about this? In point 4:

At this critical hour, every appropriate means of non-violent action must be utilized to remove this regime from power. And if, in spite of mass protest demanding the removal of the Trump/Pence regime, this regime remains in power when it is time for voting, then—without placing fundamental reliance on this—using all appropriate means to work for the removal of this regime must include voting against Trump (assuming the election is actually held)....

Biden is not “better” than Trump, in any meaningful way—except that he is not Trump and is not part of the move to consolidate and enforce fascist rule, with everything that means.

To approach this election from the standpoint of which candidate is “better” means failing to understand the truly profound stakes and potential consequences of what is involved. The fact is that there can be one—and only one—”good” that can come out of this election: delivering a decisive defeat to Trump and the whole fascist regime. Doing this would create far better conditions for continuing to wage the struggle against everything represented by the Trump/Pence regime and all the oppression and injustices of this system, and would be a great gift to the people of the world.

4. What about the goal of an actual revolution you claim to be speaking up for? Again, not a word in what you posted, but in BA’s statement he starts and returns over and over again to look at things from how it relates to the goal of overthrowing this capitalist-imperialist system to emancipate humanity from all forms of oppression which cannot be ended or fundamentally changed under this system, whoever runs it. And to help with the lazy bones, I’ll even call your attention to how BA ends the statement summarizing what he is arguing:

In summation: Given the truly monumental stakes involved, not only in terms of any particular issue, no matter how important, and not merely in terms of this country, but for the masses of people throughout the world and the future of humanity, there is a great need to approach things and act with the sophistication necessary to handle the complex and difficult contradictions involved in all this—having a broad vision, rejecting petty sectarianism and brittle dogmatism, and not falling into a paralyzing “either/or”: either we fight against white supremacy and police terror, or we fight to bring about the removal of the Trump/Pence fascist regime; either we vote in this election, or we build mass struggle against outrageous oppression and against this fascist regime; either we oppose this regime, by all appropriate means, or we work for revolution. In this extraordinary and very complex situation—and from the point of view of advancing the struggle toward the goal of finally eliminating all exploitation and oppression, everywhere—there is an urgent need to do all of that, and to do so with an understanding of the correct and necessary relation between the different parts of this overall approach: putting the main emphasis and reliance on mass mobilization, with voting in this extraordinary situation necessary and important but not the main thing to be relied upon; and, in fundamental terms, making all this contribute to creating more favorable conditions for, and building up the organized forces for, not only resisting the crimes of this system but finally carrying out the revolution that is needed in order to put an end to this monstrously criminal system and its domination in the world, in any form.

5. I just have to add that I’m not impressed or fooled by the empty and shallow way you wrap yourself in the names of past revolutionaries and leaders (like Lenin, Malcolm X, Fred Hampton) while robbing them of any of their substance. [Ed.—In the post below that Noche is responding to, the dogmatist makes several empty name drops of the leaders mentioned here by Noche.]

* * * * *

Facebook post that Noche is responding to:

Most people may not know this, but I used to be a member of Revolution Club Indianapolis and often frequented Chicago to stand with my comrades in Revolution Club Chicago. The various Revolution Clubs are like our United Panther Movement collectives; they are the Revolutionary Communist Party’s mass base organization, although they don’t operate with the same direct democratic consensus that our United Panther Movement does.

I want to make this clear: I’m not writing this post in the official capacity of the New Afrikan Black Panther Party. I’m sharing my thoughts as a former member of the Revolutionary Communist Party’s mass base Movement. I’m writing this as someone who once fully supported Bob Avakian, the leader of the Revolutionary Communist Party. I’m writing this as someone who also was a member of Refuse Fascism Indiana and learned a lot from both of these Movement before I left both of them.

Without sharing any of my personal reasons for leaving both Movements—because this post isn’t about any personal attacks on them—I’m very disappointed to see Bob Avakian endorse Joe Biden for President. Never in my life did I see the day that this leader would do this. If I would’ve called for endorsing any person running against Donald “Fascist” Trump two years ago—EVEN BERNIE SANDERS—when I was a part of these Movements, I would’ve been denounced as a REVISIONIST. However, this is exactly what Bob Avakian has done this week and made headline news for it. Read for yourself.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/aug/3/revolutionary-communist-party-leader-backs-biden/

Vladimir Lenin, the Marxist leader and theoretician, who had a big influence on my life once wrote a book called “What is to be Done” which was trailblazing. At the time many Marxist called ourselves Revolutionary Democratic Socialist and did so up until the time that Lenin went back to Russia from exile. Then we broke with that name and allowed the revisionist to keep it. The history of democratic socialist trends throughout Europe shows that Lenin was right—that democratic socialism will ALWAYS betray the people.

Lenin too bucked against the tide by not supporting the Russian government at the time of WW1. While all other Marxist Movements and leaders were sliding into patriotism and supporting their “Fatherlands”, Lenin did not. He waged class struggle against the Czar and the provisional government. Because he was consistent in his line, he lead the first proletarian revolution.

If history teaches us anything, it’s not during “normal times” that we often find our true leadership, instead it’s during the difficult times that we find those leaders and Marxist-Leninist-Maoist Party’s who keep a consistent line to the end. Anyone can declare that “You can vote a fascist in, but you can’t vote a fascist out,” but to actually be consistent in theory and social practice is another thing. And that’s where my problem with Bob Avakian lies, in this political line that he and the Revolutionary Communist Party Central Committee is putting out to the People. It was in this Movement—the Refuse Fascism and Revolutionary Communist Party’s mass base Movement, that I was FIRST informed about fascism. And I agreed with their assertion that “you can vote a fascist in, but you can’t vote a fascist out.” So....to now, be calling for the people to vote for Joe Biden for whatever revisionist reason is dangerous.

My question to Bob Avakian, whatever happened to mobilizing millions into the street like the examples of Hong Kong and Puerto Rico which will paralyze this country politically and economically, causing the bourgeoisie to use the state to remove him and his regime from power. I know this is still being called for, but now you throw in this monkey wrench of voting for Joe Biden for President as if a Liberal-Fascist instead of an Overt-Fascist is any better. Hmmmm.

One thing that the Original Black Panther Party leaders like Fred Hampton recognized was both mainstream parties are fascist—the Democrats are Liberal-Fascist who, as Malcolm X said are just cunning foxes; while on the other hand, the Republicans are Overt-Fascist, who as Malcolm X said are wolves. The problem with Euro-centric forms of Marxist-Leninist-Maoist, they disregard this in social practice, although not always in theory.

I’m so glad today that I joined the New Afrikan Black Panther Party. I can’t imagine how betrayed I would have felt if I had woke up to the Revolutionary Communist Party’s leader, my former leader, telling me it’s okay to vote for Joe Biden, after being told over and over again, “YOU CAN VOTE A FASCIST IN, BUT YOU CAN’T VOTE A FASCIST OUT; THAT YOU HAD TO DRIVE THEM OUT WITH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OUT IN THE STREETS.”

Well, just know that it’s at least one Revolutionary Marxist-Leninist-Maoist Party who is still holding to our LENINISM. Hopefully, the masses in the Revolution Clubs across the country struggles against this revisionist line of their leaders. A culture revolution definitely needs to happen within that movement now.

“Nothing more important than stopping fascism because fascism is gonna stop us all.”
—Fred Hampton—

DARE TO STRUGGLE!!! DARE TO WIN!!!
#AllPowerToThePeople
#BootsOnTheGround