Washington, DC, February 16—34 members of Progressive Labor Party (PLP) and friends met at a comrade’s home for our monthly political discussion. Our cadre was multiracial (Black, Latin, Asian, and white), multi-gendered, and intergenerational. Many comrades addressed and challenged valid fears and questions among our friends, while reinforcing that a bold communist collective is the ultimate force to arm our working class against Trump and the impending fascism of the capitalist class.
We began our program with a short speech given by one of our lead area comrades. Taking inspiration from a past CHALLENGE editorial (2/16), our comrade laid out the severe danger and fear that Trump and his administration will continue to submit workers to—while also reminding us that Trump’s current attacks are an expansion of the decades-worth of policies set in motion by the liberal wing of the ruling class, the finance capital Big Fascists (see glossary on page 6). For example, Trump’s racist calls to rebuild luxury resorts on the rubble of Gaza is only a possibility because Big Fascists Biden and Harris armed the Zionist fascists to the teeth in the first place, to carry out their genocidal war.
We grounded our conversation in concrete actions within our various communities and areas of struggle. Historically, DC has held strong ties with Metro workers for several decades, with many who are either Party members or friends of ours (we had at least six Metro-linked workers present!). During the capitalists’ ruthless targeting of immigrants, some comrades have also started linking their primary reform work to solidarity efforts with our at-risk base members—including participation in a rapid response network in Baltimore and community protection in Mount Rainier.
Our lead comrade also emphasized the need to build militancy among industrial workers to disrupt the flow of capitalist industries, both across the nation and internationally. It is our duty to lay the foundation of anti-capitalist worker solidarity so that we can move beyond the base layer of initial—yet important—conversations and reform actions to revolutionary fightback. Another comrade gave a rousing call to those of us who already won to our Party’s line and communism: If you fully believe in revolution, when will you advocate and mobilize for it?
Fight for the greater good: communist revolution
Our conversation covered a variety of topics, largely thanks to our newer participants—some who interacted with the Party for the first time! As workers feel the force of rising fascism, many expressed a need for urgency in protecting our fellow workers and developing leadership.
One new participant proposed connecting with queer and imprisoned workers—who are already discarded to the fringes of capitalist society—as well as some correctional officers (COs) and police who seem sympathetic to the plight of workers. Two comrades gave respectful yet sharp critiques of collaboration with COs and cops, as they are enforcers of the capitalist state. Regardless of the individual, their role within this oppressive system overpowers any possibility of allegiance to the workers. A comrade drove the point home with the crucial point that historically, today’s contemporary cops descend from the slave patrols of 17th century colonial United States.
Another participant proposed worker cooperatives (co-ops) as another tactic for organizing our base. A worker co-op generally involves all workers collectively owning a business and everyone being involved in production decisions. Our attendee suggested this to cut through the unending bureaucracy and stonewalling by union representatives within our workplaces. Again, comrades countered, explaining that to an extent, co-ops must compete in markets against the already established capitalist businesses.
One veteran comrade directed our attention to current military catastrophes terrorizing our class siblings worldwide. From Congo, to Haiti, to Sudan, to Myanmar, to Gaza, and elsewhere, we in the United States have been witness to U.S.-backed fascism for decades. The tragic instability and horror confronting our fellow workers now is a preview for workers everywhere.
We ended on what many liberals are scared to critically address when working in reform movements: financial support for our political work. One comrade cleverly pointed out the open and tricky swindling done by capitalist businesses, celebrities, and politicians in the name of “the greater good.” As communists, we fight for a world where money won’t decide our fate! We need to prove to our working-class family that the only “greater good” is the destruction of these blood-sucking predators and their racist profit system. Only we, the workers of the world, keep us safe!
