Letters of September 4

My Road to Becoming A Communist
I am a communist. Typing those words feels so odd. So wrong. So right.
Recently, I attended a communist school run by the Progressive Labour Party. I walked in with my mom and her friend, who I was angry at for getting us into all of this. Communists are crazy. I thought communism was impossible, extreme, and unjustified. I was sure I was a socialist. All we need to do is help out the poor a bit so that everybody has food, a place to live, healthcare, education, and the like. We live in such a rich country, why can’t we manage that?
As I went through the various workshops, I was so conflicted. Things they were saying were so logical. Their goals agreed with everything I believed in. And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to admit I was a communist. Something about the word just made me feel wrong. Though I never agreed with senator McCarthy, [fascist anti-communist, persecutor in the 1950s] I still accepted that communism is a terrible infection that needs to be cured. Plus, these people were advocating for violence. Brutal, blatant violence. I have never been comfortable with violence.
And yet, I couldn’t stop returning to everything they had right. The simple, clear concept of dialectical materialism. The racism and sexism resulting from capitalism. They were right. Communism was the only solution. And yet, I couldn’t be a communist. I talked to my mom’s friend about some of my conflicts. Human nature is selfish. Communism can never work for that reason. He calmly asked me, “Why shouldn’t we strive for the best system?” I wasn’t sure. I responded that it was bound to fail, so why try? I think part of me was selfish. I don’t want to have to sweep floors or clean up. More than anything, though, I could not fight the negative stigma of communism. Or rather, I didn’t want to.
On the last day of the school, people went up to the stage and praised all of its great things. The first speaker said she had just joined the Party. That one line would not let go of me: “I realized there was no other way.”
I slowly came to terms with who I am. One night, I watched a documentary about the war on drugs titled The House I Live In that was life-changing. I saw how the ruling class had changed drug laws over time to stay in power and systematically disenfranchise, oppress, and obliterate minorities and the poor. It all clicked. It all made sense. I decided to write this after watching the movie because I can now say with conviction that I am a communist.
I still struggle with certain aspects of communism, as well as the Party. However I now feel safe to explore and am no longer afraid of communism. I don’t want to conceal who I am, but I also know that persecution and judgement is a reality for many people who go down this path. I also feel especially alienated from my peers, because they are so upper-class and it angers me that they are so blind.
Despite my ongoing inner conflicts, I know I have chosen the right path. I know the road ahead will be long, lonely, and trying, but it is worth it. I now know I must not settle. I must fight for the best future there can be, and communism is the only way down that road.
Editor:  Welcome to the communist movement!  We hope you are able to help your friends understand that communism is not only possible but really the only way out of the abyss of capitalism’s wars, racism, sexism, and destruction of the environment. We are confident that millions of workers will join you in this quest for liberation. We hope you will join our Party and bring its ideas and struggles to the many young people with whom you interact. Remember — urgency and patience are the dialectical requirements for building the revolutionary movement!

Junk Food Hurts Working Class Most
Because capitalists need to make maximum profits, the capitalist system cannot provide for people’s most basic needs. As long ago as 1845, Frederick Engels described how capitalists were adulterating food to boost their profits. (See his book, “The Condition of the Working Class in England.”) Proof that nothing has changed comes in an inquiry just published by the French health ministry.
It seems workers in France eat more sugary junk food than other social classes. An earlier 2010 study had found that, on average, 42% of the children of factory workers drink soda pop four times a week, while only 20% of the children of executives do.
As a result, the working class’s health is worse than other classes. The latest study says that by age 6, 30% of the children of factory workers have already had at least one decayed tooth, compared with only 8% of the children of executives. By age 15, the figures rise to 58% and 34% respectively.
In addition, the study holds junk food responsible for obesity. In kindergarten, the children of factory workers are 3.6 times as likely to be obese as other children.
Capitalism has been poisoning workers and their children with junk food for centuries. Obviously, reforming capitalism is impossible. Only a revolution which establishes communism can produce to satisfy people’s needs, not to boost profits for an exploiting class.
A friend in France