Mexico: Red School Cuts Through Bosses’ Crap

MEXICO CITY, December 18 — This past weekend, about 25 members and friends of the Progressive Labor Party organized a communist school. Over the two days workers, teachers and young people studied the PLP document “Reform and Revolution” (see PLP website). A comrade teacher summarized the essence of the subject: “The importance of recognizing the limits between reform and revolution is needed to keep the ideas of the Party and of communism firm. The lack of clarity in this subject can lead to abandoning the fight for revolution, whether it’s because in our practice reform dominates or because we isolate ourselves from the workers and their struggles.”
Most of the people were impressed by a young female comrade´s welcome with a poster where she explained how capitalism chains our minds through consumerism, nationalism and electoral politics. She also showed us the importance of our task to break those chains.   
The international character of the Party was present with the participation of two comrades from another Latin American country. With their experiences and understanding they stressed the importance of dedication to the Party and to communism.
A comrade discussed the struggle the Party began in the community to the east of the Valley of Mexico to prevent its flooding (see 12/01/10). He explained the role that CHALLENGE has played in showing neighbors that the only solution is communism and that capitalism will never be capable of solving the problems it creates. Capitalists make decisions based on what will create the most profit for them. Under communism decisions would be made based on what the working class needs.
Teachers from Oaxaca reported on the battles they fought against the fascist government of the state in 2006. They described how the Party has developed under those conditions; it has grown in its militancy and in the presence in the teaching profession and also amongst neighbors.
Three new workers described their admiration for the work our Party does and said they were ready to participate with us. One of them said: “the seed we represent gives the future hope.” Another one said that he was very happy to encounter the ideas of his youth once again. At the end of the first day we had a gathering where cameraderie and solidarity prevailed. When the working class is united, it acquires the strength of steel which the bosses can´t destroy, no matter how much force they apply to it.
The second day we had a discussion about war and the importance of CHALLENGE. We also spoke about the situation of the working class internationally. Despite the current large protests globally we workers are on the defensive. We fight so that the bosses don´t take away the reforms we won a century ago. That is why fighting to change capitalism is not enough. The rulers will always take away reforms workers fight for, to pay for their imperialist wars and economic crises. This shows the need of the Party to put the workers on the offensive to take power. 
There was a heated discussion about the work in the Department of Transportation. It brought out that the contradiction between reform and revolution is solved with sharp internal struggle and in the class struggle. This struggle will be written for further discussion.
We ended both days with the singing of the “Internationale,” the working-class anthem. We agreed on concrete tasks to reach more workers. We recognized the importance of being by their side in class struggle with the goal to build the Party and win them over to communist revolution.