Letters of April 11

PLP School: Communism in Action

PLP’s view on religion is an issue for one of the friends I brought to PL’s communist school.  He said that he is not religious but thinks that when PLP says, “We must fight religion,” it alienates people unnecessarily from the Party.  I believe that struggling with people around this idea requires sensitivity and skill.  Religious beliefs are buried deep inside a person’s psyche, wrapped up with love of family, hope, and various fears, all of which lie below the level of thought.  Most people who consider themselves to be religious or have loved ones who are religious are good people who need communism and could become communist organizers.  Therefore, it is important that they open and read “our book” rather than just judge it “by its cover.”   

Sometimes we can’t prevent people from judging us unfairly; they are just not ready to take in ideas that contradict their world view.  But sometimes we push people away prematurely by being insensitive or clumsy in the way we approach the question of religion.  In my experience, most religious people who are interested in PLP can accept the fact that “religion is the opiate of the people” and that organized religion is used to divide and oppress people.  It is our refutation of the existence of spirit, something that is independent of the body, that most challenges the religious world view. 

Marx and Engels provided a scientific explanation for the great love, inordinate courage, and vast intelligence of which humans are capable, which many people interpret as “spirit”.  (They said, “Human consciousness is matter at its highest stage of development.”)  We should have more articles in CHALLENGE that help us understand these historical/biological/philosophical ideas so we can struggle more effectively with our friends and family about religion. 

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My experience in this PLP school was fruitful. I brought my children and they enjoyed the school as well. Base-building with each other is always a benefit to the Party. Being involved in the group discussions aided me in attaining knowledge of the history of PLP. Participating in a revolution is a serious way of life. However, playing games and acting silly with comrades takes the edge off the ills of capitalism, which can really depress a soul. My children and I had a great time. 

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We dealt with issues involving racism, fascism, sexism, and capitalists’ greed for power, and the fight for the working class. PLP is aware of all the harm that is being done. They fight not for themselves, but for everyone. Day by day, millions of people worldwide are suffering and being abused. The capitalists are the main reason for this. The people, the power of their voices can be the answer.

More and more people are unemployed, and arrested, and most likely ignored. I support PLP for their organization and their attempts and determination in forming a new revolution!

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Our weekend school once again put the power of our collective on display. Young people who knew the Party from their localities came to know and see the organization on a broader basis. Aspects of our ideas on nationalism, racism and the history of the communist movement came out in the workshop discussions that had been on folks’ minds for some time. 

A weekend away affords us the time to allow long-standing questions to emerge and also to practice anti-sexist, multi-racial and intergenerational unity.

We enter our May Day season invigorated to organize, and look forward to holding this school again next winter.

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Seventeen years ago, I joined PLP as a HS student at a Party camping trip much like this one. I saw the potential of a multi-racial, multi-generational Party working collectively to understand the world. What made the greatest impression on me was seeing communism on a small scale put into action. This weekend’s retreat reminded me of the need to have confidence in the working class. Male and female comrades cooked together, cleaned up together, played games together. The young high school and college students gave sharp reports and led workshops. It’s always amazing to see young people so clearly explain the problems inherent in capitalism and engage in the struggle to better understand our world. 

Our future is bright.

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The PLP school has been a very enlightening experience for me. The discussions we’ve had have been particularly valuable, both personally and to sharpen the Party’s line. One of the subjects we touched on was the role of ethnic nationalism in moving the struggle forward. Although there could be reams and reams of articles and studies on the topic, we all benefit from the intelligent and insightful remarks that were made in the discussion.

My weekend here at the school has been extremely enjoyable. In addition to the powerful discussions we’ve had regarding all aspects of the Party, there was also a lot of time for fun. It truly felt like the Party members were building bonds. It was also just fun to hang around a bunch of Marxists for once. I certainly feel more committed to PLP and struggling for communism

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After coming to the communist school this weekend, my enthusiasm for working within PL to smash capitalism has surged. Living communally with this group of workers with various levels of revolutionary experience and passion has fueled my fire, inspiring me to work harder to build a stronger base at my college, my job, and among my friends and family. I still have enormous room for growth and know there are many specific areas I must strive to develop within myself, particularly my experience with dialectical materialism. Now, though — more than ever — I feel confident that I will take this responsibility seriously. We have a world to win, after all, and nothing to lose but our chains.

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I recently attended an inspiring PLP school with other students and workers from the Northeast. My favorite part of the weekend was participating in the discussion groups led by young Party members. From topics such as reform vs. revolution to organizing for May Day, the discussion leaders passionately fought for the life of the Party and struggled with others over our ideas. This reaffirms my belief that PLP will continue to grow and lead the struggle for communism!

We will win!

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Our 2012 communist school was a smashing success. Within the breakout group I worked with, we had many fruitful discussions. One in particular is worth mentioning here. On our final day, we focused our discussion on PLP’s “Our Fight” statement. We were told to analyze our line and think of anything we might disagree with or struggle with when talking about the Party with fellow workers and students.

For me, as a relatively new Party member, I wondered why we do not explicitly mention the Marxist-Leninist idea of the state withering away so that we can establish a classless society. This is the highest form of communism, I argued, and it should be the aim of the dictatorship of the proletariat we set up once the revolution is successful in seizing state power. 

A veteran PL’er argued that my point was already acknowledged implicitly in our call for the abolition of nations and for the world to be run by one party made up of the international working class. In addition, this PL’er explained the argument I made was philosophical and ethical while “Our Fight” is strictly a political vision.

I responded that philosophy and ethics are inseparable from politics. Adding a single sentence, in my view, about a stateless and classless society as the desired outcome of the proletarian dictatorship strengthens our line. It demonstrates explicitly our revolutionary optimism for the future. It shows our hope and faith in the prospects of our Party in that we can envision a time beyond the dictatorship of the working class, a time when we can finally abolish our own class because the bourgeoisie will have been totally destroyed, even if that is a thousand years away.

This is the type of discussion that makes me proud to be a PL’er. That new members can contribute constructive criticism with more seasoned comrades to make our Party better illustrates the dynamism of PLP. It should encourage those thinking about joining the Party to fully commit themselves to fighting for communist revolution under PLP’s red flag. We need you. We have a new humanity to build. Join us!