Moving forward: initiation for dialogue

Workers' University in the name of I.B.  Khlebnikov

• [ru] Движение вперед: приглашение к дискуссии
• [es] Movimiento hacia adelante: invitación a la discusión
• [en] Moving forward: initiation for dialogue
• [de] Die Fortbewegung: Einladung zur Diskussion
• [fr] Еn avant! Invitation à la discussion

The 103rd anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution is approaching. Working people of the world will meet this memorable date in extremely difficult conditions. The COVID-19 epidemic is raging on the planet, taking lives every day, and the situation of those whose only source of livelihood is work worsens daily. Taking advantage of the real threat to the health and life of every person, the ruling exploiting class managed to largely disguise the global economic crisis inevitable for the capitalist system, managed to divide the people and to calm down a most powerful wave of popular demonstrations in the world in recent decades.

On a global scale, pressure on countries that are undesirable to the global "elite", such as Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Lebanon and others, has sharply increased.  Imperialism is increasingly applying illegitimate "sanctions", undermining their economies and exacerbating the suffering of entire populations. Then comes a point when in the midst of a pandemic, bans are introduced on purchase of medicines and medical equipment by these countries, which cannot be regarded other than genocide practice.

At the national level, bourgeoisie is solving its own tasks, which are not so global in scale, but have general trend. Under the continuous speculation about the viral threat, jobs which became redundant during the crisis are eliminated, competitors of large monopolies ruined, social guarantees and payments reduced, working conditions deteriorated, anti-popular and anti-national laws adopted, protest and organizational actions of workers banned, police repression intensified. All of this is aggravated by the fact that the main subsidies at the state level are spent on maintaining incomes of big businesses.

On the other hand, the epidemiological disaster proves the failure of the capitalist system, clearly demonstrating its inability to provide the population with minimal guarantees of life in a crisis situation. And, may it seem paradoxical to someone, it provides the time available comprehending social problems - also for learning about the prospects of communist reconstruction of the world.

Taking the above into account, we offer all our comrades a number of questions, the answers to which - in our deep conviction - should move forward the proletarian movement. This is especially important in view of the changes that have taken place in the world during the one hundred years that separate us from the victorious Great October Revolution.

We are aware that the questions formulated here do not exhaust all the current problems faced by the communist movement. But they are the ones of a principled nature, and are undoubtedly important. And as long as one needs to start somewhere, why not start with these questions?

We are convinced that the best way to honor the memory of the great events of the revolutionary XXth century is to be at the forefront of the development of the communist movement in its depth and breadth. We will be grateful to the comrades who agree to take part in such work.

You could write your answers under your own name or under a nickname, in Russian, English, Spanish or French. You could answer all of the questions, or focus on those that seem most relevant to you. You could answer them individually or collectively. Yet, for the purpose of at least the minimal statistical rigor, it is very important for us to know your:

• country of residence
• profession, or area of   activity
• age
• gender

We guarantee the publication without cuts made in the texts, and with proofreading in both the original language and in Russian.

The only exception is that any texts containing even the slightest signs of discrimination of any kind will not be published unless explanation is provided. After all, we propose a conversation about the problems of the communist movement.  And communism is a concept inseparable from internationalism.

We are confident in the general benefit of this work.
 

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:

1. Is it possible in the 21st century - taking in to account all the economic and political changes in the world that have taken place over a hundred years since the Great October Revolution - that the victory of a socialist revolution in a single country or within a large region could take place?
2. Taking into account the experience of the countries of the "left turn" in Latin America in the last two decades, is the victory of an unarmed revolution possible (or, as it is often called, "by peaceful means")? Is it possible for the working people to come to power on a broad popular front using bourgeois electoral devices?
3.  Is the need for the dictatorship of the proletariat relevant today, and what could be the forms of implementing it?  When answering this question, please take into account that the very concept of "proletarian" inevitably needs to be clarified due to the scientific and technological revolution, the changes in the level of education of the population, etc.
4. Is the victory of the revolution in the United States and other centers of global imperialism possible in the foreseeable future?
5. What are the reasons for the decline of the communist movement in the world? We ask this question with pain, but it is impossible to ignore the fact that in many countries, ultra-right, populist or downright demagogic movements or the ones that distance themselves from politics deliberately, have more supporters among the workers and exploited than the Communists do.
6. How justified is the existence of communist parties on a national scale in the modern world?  What could be the logic and the prospects for the development of the Communist Party today and in the future? 
7. Why do the old forms of economic struggle by labor against capital such as strikes do not bring the desired results to modern workers? What forms of economic and political struggle are possible and necessary in the current and projected conditions?
8. What practical forms of international workers' solidarity are possible and necessary today and tomorrow?

 
Please send your responses to:
sunlabour@yandex.ru