HARLEM, November 5—Just days shy of the ruling classes over-hyped elections; a group of 40 multi-racial students, educators, and workers congregated at Columbia University for an election forum geared towards educating students and workers on the futility and deception of elections, as well as on the necessity of militant fight back as the gateway for true and lasting social change.
The forum which was organized by PLP’s college leadership committee was led by a trio of young communist leaders. The forum began with a female comrade delivering a skillful attack on the dangers of the lesser-evil stance, and demonstrated that Democrats and Republicans are just different sides of the same coin. She exposed the popular sentiment shared by many members of the working class that one should vote for the well-groomed and polished covert racist murderer Hillary Clinton in order to avert the more cantankerous racist and fascist Donald Trump.
After that the second panelist, another female comrade, unmasked the true purpose of elections, and shared how they are used not just a tool to mislead the working class, but also how it helps them protect the profit system-by allowing the bosses to discipline, and settle disputes within their own class.
This discussion was then concluded by a young male comrade, who gave an inspirational speech on how change has been possible without voting, and took us on a journey through the history of our class, and how these heroes risked their lives and fought valiantly for the 8 hour workday, sick days, and many of the protections we have today.
Sham Democracy
The panel discussion was supplemented by cool memes and quotes from Marx and other crusaders for workers rights like Emma Goldman and Lucy Parsons. After the panelists wrapped up the panel discussion they opened up the floor for discussion and asked questions which received many insightful responses. When the question about whether there is a lesser of two evils was asked; a sharp young student in the crowd gave a poignant response by arguing that people are quick to call-out Trump’s flagrant racism, and call Hillary the lesser evil, and overlook Hillary Clinton’s egregious track record as senator, and that Hillary is the greatest evil of the two since she has the body-count to back it up.
Shortly after a participant challenged us by asking whether the lesser evil question would even be up for discussion if Bernie Sanders were running. One panelist quickly rose to the challenge and pointed out that Sanders is a sheep in wolf’s clothing, and that he and Hillary are barely indistinguishable in their support for the Iraq War and have supported Israel’s slaughter of Palestinians. Moreover, he pointed out that while Sanders seems radical in the U.S in Europe he would’ve been another democratic socialist candidate, pointing out some of the vicious policies carried out by Democratic Socialists like Tony Blair, and Francois Hollande.
The forum was successful in attacking the electoral system as a capitalist apparatus. Yet, as we look forward, post-election to Trump’s victory, many members of the working class decry the destruction of a democracy that never existed. While many suggest that the Electoral College must be reformed, or that we should take money out of politics, we know that the truth has never been so clear; the ballot offers us no viable options, nor a future, and we cannot work to reform something that has become so entrenched in the state apparatus. It’s not elections; it’s the whole damn system. The heroism of our class has proven that the bosses fear the working class, and they try to kill our revolutionary spirit with their stupid ballot boxes. The revolutionary spirit and anger that has erupted as a result of Trump being elected could not be a more fitting response. Now it is our job as a party to channel this rage into a fight for communism.