Dear social democrats,
In addition to a struggle to get into the new communism overall, we want to call your attention to what the revcoms have called “the 5 Stops”:
The Five Stops: Why This System Can't Be Reformed, by Bob Avakian, an excerpt from Why We Need An Actual Revolution And How We Can Really Make Revolution (2018)
STOP Genocidal Persecution, Mass Incarceration, Police Brutality and Murder of Black and Brown People!
STOP The Patriarchal Degradation, Dehumanization, and Subjugation of All Women Everywhere, and All Oppression Based on Gender or Sexual Orientation!
STOP Wars of Empire, Armies of Occupation, and Crimes Against Humanity!
STOP The Demonization, Criminalization and Deportations of Immigrants and the Militarization of the Border!
STOP Capitalism-Imperialism from Destroying Our Planet!
Are these not very real, and profound, outrages and sources of terrible suffering, and can you say how all, or any, of them can be ended (stopped) within the confines of the system that rules in this country and dominates in the world as a whole? (Of course, fighting against these profound outrages now, even within the confines of this system, is important—but, in the final analysis, it is impossible to put an end to all this within the confines of this system.)
Along with, and as further context for, this: Is what the revolutionary leader Bob Avakian argues in HUMANITY ON THE BRINK about the situation confronting humanity, as indicated by the title, not in fact the situation with which humanity is confronted? What is your answer/solution regarding that situation—and how does the reformism you argue for even address, let alone provide a solution to, that?
In regard to all this, the following from the conclusion of this article is highly relevant:
From BOB AVAKIAN RESPONDS TO MARK RUDD: ON THE LESSONS OF THE 1960s AND THE NEED FOR AN ACTUAL REVOLUTION
Infantile Expressions of Outrage, or Accommodation to This Monstrous System, Are Not the Only Alternatives
Can Mark Rudd (or anyone else) make the case that all this—putting an end to these “5 STOPS” and to the horrific conditions that the masses of humanity are subjected to under the domination of this system of capitalism-imperialism—can be achieved through reforms within the confines of this system and without the revolutionary overthrow of this system (or is the argument that the best that can be hoped for is that all this will continue, but with—what objectively amounts to—minor mitigation)? No!—the emancipation of humanity from all this is profoundly and ever more urgently necessary, and the possibility of a radically different and far better future demands and requires a real revolution and the advance of humanity beyond this system, with the achievement of communism throughout the world. That this will be difficult to achieve and will require monumental, arduous and self-sacrificing struggle on the part of millions, and ultimately billions, of people, is something that no serious person—and certainly no one basing themself on the scientific method and approach of the new communism—would deny. But a scientific analysis leads to the definite conclusion that this is as necessary as it is difficult—and that it is possible (not certain, and certainly not inevitable—but possible). And all those who refuse to accept the world as it is under the domination of the capitalist-imperialist system, all the unnecessary suffering this imposes on the masses of humanity and the very real existential threat it poses to humanity itself, should dedicate themselves to contributing to this revolution.
New York City:
Tuesday, August 11, 7pm
Revolution Books, NYC
437 Malcolm X Blvd (at 132nd St)
212-691-3345
Berkeley, California:
Thursday, August 27, 6pm
Revolution Books, Berkeley
2444 Durant Avenue
510-848-1196