United in Struggle
Why a united front is the only way forward
In the U.S. today you will find hundreds of Marxist, Marxist-Leninist, Maoist, Trotskyist, and many other types of communist organizations. Yet, we do not have a successful movement or Party in any meaningful position of power or influence. These orgs all claim to be the “vanguard” yet when it’s time to act as such, they fall short in many areas. They claim to follow the “true” line of Marxism, yet many substitute dogmatism for scientific dialectical materialism.
This creates a sphere of distrust and constant in-fighting among socialists in an already hostile environment. While I do recognize the glaring differences of each school of thought, in the end we should prefer to struggle with fellow Marxists against the iron-fist of the fascist state in the imperial core. Sectarianism among communists is a secondary contradiction that persists because the primary contradiction in the U.S., between the working class and the imperialist bourgeois state, has not yet been made clear to the masses. The reason we have not seen such a movement is by design. The state has taken decades to sow distrust and disdain amongst socialists to ensure we fight and disparage each other, instead of building a united front that organizes the people for action.
The bourgeoisie have a plethora of weapons to wield against us (social media, surveillance tech, NGOs, government agencies, etc.). Doing their work for them is not only counterproductive, but counterrevolutionary. We’ve also seen campaigns of destabilization against socialist movements historically, as well as the narrative that communism is a “student’s” ideology or something that “elite scholars” prefer. This is meant to alienate the working class from the very theory that would liberate them.
Such a united front would also be a phenomenal tool to show the masses that socialism is not a single “thing” but a living, evolving system that bends and molds to address the conditions of the people. If we as communists can’t oppose oppression together, how could we genuinely consider ourselves serious revolutionaries? Now, to be clear, I am not advocating for a coalition with orgs or people who fall into national socialism, social chauvinism, etc. An example of my point is that I, as a Marxist-Leninist and Intercommunalist, can comfortably work with a Trotskyist as long as we both agree on some basic principles:
The people must be organized for revolution
We must build dual power.
Capitalism is the root of our exploitation.
The working class must take power and implement a dictatorship of the proletariat to consolidate and protect the revolution.
The revolution must liberate ALL people, and represent ALL people.
Bigotry of all forms are tools of the bourgeoisie to keep us divided and fighting amongst ourselves, and as such, bigotry, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc. must be crushed ruthlessly.
State cooperation is a betrayal of the working class.
These are the most basic principles that we, as communist, should already agree on, and any organization that cannot commit to these principles is not operating on a revolutionary basis. We would be able to address state violence (police brutality, ICE raids, national guard in our communities, etc.), community needs and red aid (feeding the people, grocery programs, medical aid, etc. with the intention and action of also radicalizing and educating them), and united front events like marches and protests. While in each of these events we can all maintain our own Party identities, but it would allow us to: show force and solidarity, and do more work as we’d have more resources.
Uniting Against the Elites (U.A.T.E) is that united front. This coalition must be one in which the many orgs and parties meet in a council formation and organize on agreed upon struggles. This council must be made up of elected leaders of each participating organization to ensure fair and equal representation.
There are fights and actions we must face as a unified force. There are dire times in which we should stand as solid as a concrete pillar to show we are not going to be moved. We will not capitulate or betray the working class.
This coalition must be considered by all serious revolutionaries and revolutionary parties. If we do not work together where it is appropriate, then we will continue to be overshadowed by reformists, capitulators, and grifters.
This isn’t a call to abandon your party or give up your leadership position. On the contrary, this is the question of how seriously do you take your leadership position? How seriously do you take your party work? How seriously do you see and act for the revolution and for the people? We saw with the Rainbow Coalition that a united front does not erase our ideological differences, but it channels them into coordinated revolutionary struggle.
History has showed us that no revolutionary action succeeds without unity in action. We cannot ask for permission to take power, we must organize, build, and take it! We need the forces of all the principled and serious cadres. Communists, unite! Workers and oppressed people, organize!
UATE.net