Everything the revcoms do has one aim—revolution, aiming at the emancipation of all humanity from every form of oppression, exploitation, poverty, and the destruction of the environment.
While revolution is always necessary and must be urgently worked for, what makes this time different—and what makes everything so much more crucial—is that at this time in history the society of the biggest oppressor and exploiter in the world is split in two, from the smallest of towns to the highest reaches of the halls of power, with one side moving to an outright fascist form of rule. The Proclamation WE ARE THE REVCOMS says, “They cannot resolve these deep divisions, and ‘hold the country together,’ on the basis of the ‘normal way’ this system has operated—and, in any case, that ‘normal way’ is full of oppression, destruction, and the real danger of wiping out humanity. For these reasons, this revolution we are working for is urgently necessary—and more possible.”
It is very possible that things could come to a head by the 2024 elections—if not sooner. In the soon-to-be-published paper REVOLUTION: BUILDING UP THE BASIS TO GO FOR THE WHOLE THING, WITH A REAL CHANCE TO WIN, the point is made that
[I]n the circumstances of all-out crisis, when the whole direction of society is being called into question, there would be different trends and organized forces seeking to take things in different directions. There would be the fascist Republicans, aiming to seize (or consolidate power), in order to bring about a more blatant form of oppressive and murderous rule, without the usual disguise of “democracy, with liberty and justice for all.” There would be those, like the leaders of the Democratic Party, trying to maintain (or restore) this monstrous system of oppression in its more “traditional” form. There would be masses of people in favor of some kind of basic change in a positive direction, but with different ideas about what that would mean. And there would likely be some organized forces claiming to be aiming for some kind of “progressive change”—even some calling themselves “revolutionaries” or “socialists”—when in fact their programs would only reinforce, and keep people locked into, the existing system.
The people who are won, in increasingly greater numbers, to the actual revolution that is urgently needed, must be led to have a clear understanding of the need, and be in position, to wage a powerful struggle to determine the whole direction of things in the midst of such an acute crisis, in order to carry things forward toward the only real positive solution: a truly emancipating revolution.
EVERYTHING THAT IS DONE, FROM HERE FORWARD, MUST BE ORIENTED TO CREATING THE BASIS FOR THIS.
A Powerful and High-Impact Action…
From that standpoint, the political actions taken by the revcoms in Chicago against Jason Aldean’s fascist concert which were an opening salvo (see the episode from The RNL—Revolution, Nothing Less!—Show on YouTube and an article by Paul Street). Earlier this summer, Aldean put out the “hit” song “Try That in a Small Town”—which became a pro-lynching civil war rallying cry. The courageous and creative actions by the revcoms—which included strongly putting forward revolution while burning the American flag in front of his rabid fans—reached millions around the world and were aimed at changing the division in society to one in which increasing numbers of people do see and begin to feel the magnetism of the “political pole” of revolution, as opposed to one or another solution inside the confines of this capitalist-imperialist system. We need more actions based on this kind of creative and scientific approach.
…And a Powerful New Political and Ideological Weapon
We drew a line. And now we’re sharpening the line by challenging masses of people: where will your allegiance be?
ALLEGIANCE draws a clear, sharp distinction between the economic and political system of capitalism-imperialism and its U.S. Constitution, on the one hand… and the whole new way to live and fundamentally different system based on the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America on the other. ALLEGIANCE poetically takes apart and takes down the pledge of allegiance and the national anthem: wellsprings of American chauvinism that are implanted in people’s minds and hearts from their earliest days. ALLEGIANCE challenges people to choose sides on the basis of what is true. It calls on people everywhere, from every part of society, to “JOIN US—as revolutionary emancipators of humanity, NOT murderous enforcers, or mindless accomplices, of the injustice, degradation, and devastation of this system of capitalism-imperialism and its terrible consequences for humanity.”
Importantly, ALLEGIANCE issues a direct challenge to anyone who says that this document is not right to put their arguments directly on the line against us, and we’ll see which is true—and this should definitely and forcefully be done to those who defend the old and reactionary order of U.S. capitalism-imperialism.
Join with others to take ALLEGIANCE out to people, to make an impact on society through its appearance on walls, mass leafleting, and forms of creative and high-profile activity. Through taking this all over, from the high schools to the colleges, from the trains people ride on to the streets they live on, from cultural events of all kinds to demonstrations and picket lines, many new people can be introduced to and challenged by this revolution. All this should be marked by struggling ferociously with people to get out of their comfort zone and into the revolution.
The Bob Avakian Interviews
The very first thing that anyone we meet in the course of any of this revolutionary work should find out about is what we have in the revolutionary leader and thinker Bob Avakian, BA. And the best way to start is with the three interviews done on The RNL Show.
People need to learn about the inspiring vision and concrete blueprint for a radically different, emancipating society that BA has brought forward. They need to be made familiar with the strategy and won to following the concrete guidance he is providing. They need to take up the scientific method and approach to understand and transform society, to make revolution. And they need to “meet” this leader in all his dimensions—his hard-core revolutionary orientation as well as his largeness of mind and generosity of spirit, his deep humanity and his lively sense of humor. BA is key as well to bringing forward new people to run with the revcoms and develop into emancipators of humanity.
Through all this, be aware of and alive to those outrages and outbreaks which require involving masses of people “in rising up to resist the continuing crimes of this system, and defending people from attacks on their rights and their lives by racist, woman-hating and anti-LGBTQ thugs, in and out of government… winning people to the scientific understanding that we do not have to live this way … and that we need to, and can, bring a whole different and much better system and world into being through revolution.” (from WE ARE THE REVCOMS)
To Also Read, Discuss, and Spread in This Whole Period
WE NEED AND WE DEMAND: A WHOLE NEW WAY TO LIVE, A FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT SYSTEM
and:
Revolution: A Real Chance to Win, by Bob Avakian
Part 1: We Are Serious/Part 2: A Scientifically Based Strategy/Part 3: Civil War and Revolution/Part 4: Hard Core Youth and the Revolution/Part 5: Winning and Winning
State of Emergency: Chains on People Who Desperately Need to Be Free, by Bob Avakian
Killer Mike, Ice Cube, WHY CAPITALIST PROGRAMS and BOURGEOIS ASPIRATIONS CANNOT LEAD TO LIBERATION and WHY WE NEED A REAL REVOLUTION, by Bob Avakian
And finally, being serious about revolution means raising funds for revolution.