‘It enriched my ideas’
During the cadre school, I was able to learn many things that will not only help me grow as a person but will be useful to me as a fighter for my class, the working class. I learned about understanding people better without underestimating them—having confidence in our class. The training taught me some of the differences between communism and capitalism. I understand better how capitalism functions--through corruption, abusing people's trust and individualism. And I understand better about how communism will function—aiding each other to overcome problems, showing solidarity, and such.
I also learned some history of previous revolutions and how to evaluate why they failed, and what lessons we can learn from those failures, and what good things they accomplished (even if they didn't last as long as we would like).
I also learned about the difference between reforming a society—which means just to make some surface changes—and revolutionizing society—which means changing it from the root, turning it upside down, in the interests of our class. What was most important to me is that the cadre school enriched my thoughts and ideas about just about everything.
*
‘Found myself inside a communist world’
To be honest, what I learned from the cadre school is more words like materialism, idealism, reform and revolution. And thanks to these words, I found myself more inside a communist world. What struck me the most was the awareness and solidarity that each person in a communist world has that has become more human, compared to capitalist society. Under communism, we would abolish private property and claim not only liberty but also the right of each member of society to fulfill himself or herself by serving that society. When I try to understand these two different ways of living, I see that a communist society, where we cooperate instead of compete with one another, makes us more social and more sensitive to anyone.
I would like to thank the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) for inviting me to this cadre school and I hope to attend more and become more active in the struggle for the liberation of the working class.
*
‘As we grow, our movement will grow too’
The PLP cadre school taught me a lot of things. I learned what a communist revolution is, how a communist revolution can happen, and how it differs from other so-called revolutions. The school taught me what the capitalist system is and how it functions by exploitation and racism. I learned to view my position in the world according to my class. And finally, it taught me to respect those who fight for the working class, to love and share equally according to need. That's why I think it's really important to have cadre schools, so we can deepen our understanding of how the society functions, and what we need to know and do to change it. As we grow in our experiences, our movement will grow too.
*
‘I liked the communist goal of abolishing private property’
The cadre school was a very special experience for me. I learned a lot about historical materialism, communism and revolution. During the debates, I learned how to understand the world from a materialist point of view, rather than the idealism that we learn in schools and in church. I especially liked our discussions about the communist goal of abolishing private property and replacing it with collective property, so that the collective—the vast majority—takes over from the individual and makes decisions based on the needs and interests of the majority. I've seen in my life how private property gives all rights and control to a few to run roughshod over the majority, and the vast majority—who work for and create the wealth of the owners of private property—have little or nothing to feed, clothe, shelter and educate themselves and their families. That kind of system has got to go!
*****
See article in this issue: "Haiti: revolutionary spirit sprouting"