The Politics of Oakland - A Marxist Viewpoint By John Reimann

$2.50 1 The Politics of Occupy Oakland -- A Marxist Viewpoint By John Reimann Feb. 1, 2012

20 year old anarchists… aging hippies (and one or two Marxists), the homeless and the unemployed, a former union shop steward at the Oakland airport who was fi red for leading a walkout and now spends most of his time hanging out in downtown Oakland, and also probably one or two police agents, one guy with the cutest little pit-bull puppy you’ve ever met -- this is Occupy Oakland….

What’s happening seems to be this: the US is one of the sickest societies on Earth in my opinion…. I mean sick literally. Humans are by nature a collective animal. That’s how we survived and fl ourished. But for decades we’ve been isolated from each other in the US. This has been directly connected with the absence of a mass political movement….

The is bringing people together in the most healthy and natural way. That, in and of itself, is a… political accomplishment. It’s not The Revolution nor is it a mass workers’ movement, but it’s a start in the right direction.

Which of us aging Marxists would have ever thought a movement would start like this? Oct. 15, 2011 2 Over the last decades, capitalist”? Occupy Oakland has also Corporate America has fought a aroused a layer of Oakland workers Timeline of Events nearly one-sided class war in this and youth who have not been active Oct. 10, 2011: Indigenous country. This has been a war on two up until now. With its message of mass People’s Day, also known as fronts: They have been attacking the defi ance it has set a partial example Columbus Day, Ogawa Plaza is wages and working conditions of US for the mainstream labor movement occupied by Occupy Oakland. workers. They have cut jobs and cut and has energized many workers, Tents immediately set up. Over social services. They have also put including union members. the following weeks, some 300 into place a series of new repressive However, recently tents set up, a veritable tent city. laws in preparation for the time when it has had a couple of set-backs and Occupiers come from all walks of a real fi ghtback starts. Occupy Oakland in general seems life, from the long-term homeless On the other hand, they have to be slowing down. It is important, to students to West Oakland waged a propaganda offensive - a therefore, to look at some of these set- war of ideas. Only the “free” market backs and consider why they happened youth. Various confl icts rise and and capitalism are possible, and this and what is needed to move forward. fall, but the people themselves system is the “end of history” as After all, no movement can continue are able to work them out. one capitalist propagandist put it. purely on a series of dramatic actions; Hundreds of people are fed daily The unions are dead and, in fact, the all movements also need clear ideas. in the Occupy kitchen. Nightly working class is dead, and it is futile to meetings and many during the fi ght it. This has been their message. • Most recently, Occupy day also are held. A fi rst aid Occupy Oakland (OO) Oakland failed in its bid to station and a library are set up. has started to reverse much of this occupy a new space – the As the occupation develops, some propaganda and this, in itself, is a Kaiser auditorium. local businesses complain and the major accomplishment. Together with Oakland Chamber of Commerce the in general, it It was clear that the cops knew has shifted the political dialog in the in advance that this was the target. starts to clamor for its removal. US. Who, for instance, would have Despite this, however, had there been Ogawa Plaza is renamed Oscar ever thought they would have heard the overwhelming numbers that we Grant Plaza in memory of the the far-right politician Rick Perry had on the day of the general strike, we call his Republican rival a “vulture could have overcome the police lines. (cont’d. on next page) 3 “Violence” vs. “Non-violence” effectively appeal to Timeline (cont’d. from previous page) Within the Occupy movement, there has been working class people, young black man murdered by Occupy Oakland needs an ongoing debate about “violence” vs. “non- the BART police. a program of goals or violence”. This is not the real issue. “demands” which meet the Within a week of the The advocates of “non-violence” are really needs and consciousness Occupation’s start a meeting calling for simple obedience to legality or, at of the workers Occupy is held with representatives best, to use passive, civil disobedience. No Oakland is seeking to help of the liberal Democratic mass workers’ movement has ever sicceeded organize. It also needs a group “Moveon.org” who had when it confi ned itself to this straight-jacket. clear strategy to present been planning a march on the The great, militant strikes of the 1930s, for for how to accomplish plaza together with the local instance, physically blocked the scabs and the those goals. In the case labor establishment. They cops who tried to bring them in. This involved of the City workers, for had wanted to bring several physical confrontation. instance, Occupy Oakland politicians as speakers, but could call for an end of all On the other hand, the other side thinks that this is vetoed by Occupy layoffs, no cuts in benfi ts it’s perfectly acceptable to engage in all sorts or pensions, and a $5.00 representatives. After on-again, of random acting out. per hour wage increase for off-again negotiations, Moveon The key issue is what tactics tend to inspire city workers in addition to decides to hold the march workers and tend to make them want to get hiring additional workers and comply with Occupy’s involved? Simple passivity and legalism only to meet all the social demands. A welcoming speech tends to lead to defeat and discourages work- service needs of Oakland from an Occupy speaker ers. On the other hand, random acts of vio- residents. It would also brings a militant and in fact lence and property destruction tend to be seen have to explain where the revolutionary tone, calling on as futile and also drive workers away. money is (in the banks, and the labor movement to take a fi n ance capital in general) more confrontational approach So Occupy Oakland needs to consider and how to get it – by a like Occupy is doing and calls why we have not been able to actually massive shut down of the entire city, increase our numbers and, instead, the including the Federal Building. Finally, for an end to capitalism. The numbers seem to be dwindling. Also, it would have to explain why the union speech is well received by the Occupy Oakland seems to be less leadership (SEIU Local 1021) has to occupiers but is met with silence able to mobilize a layer of Oakland break with the Democrats, the team by the offi cials. working class youth and workers than concept and its past refusal to organize October 25, 2011: it did before. Instead, a layer of middle such mass displays of workers’ power. A massive police raid ousts class youth from the suburbs is getting When the Oakland occupation Occupy Oakland from Oscar involved in the protests, some of them started, it had enormous mass support Grant Plaza. Police come from seemingly more for the excitement from working class Oakland. However, many surrounding cities, all than anything else. without such a program and a strategy dressed in riot gear, complete to take to the mass of working class with some sort of armored Program Needed people in Oakland, including the youth, Instead of simply confi ning Occupy Oakland is tending to simply personnel carriers. In the ourselves to a series of defi ant and defi ne itself as becoming nothing but a protests that follow, the police dramatic actions, Occupy Oakland can series of disruptive actions. Inevitably, shoot protester and start real organizing campaigns. For this will lose some of the support veteran Scot Olson in the instance, it could start a campaign to that it once had. In fact, the action on head with a tear gas canister, help workers in fast food to organize Saturday, January 28 showed this; the fracturing his skull and nearly for better pay and conditions and for demographics overwhelmingly did not killing him. They then shoot a union. It could also help City of refl ect those of Oakland itself. bean bags and tear gas at those Oakland workers organize within their To draw in and organize the who come to Olson’s rescue. union to fi ght against all layoffs and masses of working class Oakland, A massive general wage freezes. Another issue is that of though, clarity on the situation within assembly meets that night home foreclosures. the unions is needed. In order to do this sort of and tears down the chain link organizing, though, in order to • It seems very possible fence surrounding the plaza (cont’d. on next page) 4

that the contract between this issue within their union. (The Timeline (cont’d. from previous page) the ILWU and EGT in offi cialdom of the mainstream unions and reoccupies it. They vote Longview, WA, will contain have an absolute taboo against ever by a count of 1,484 in favor to some important concessions. going to the rank and fi le of any other 44 opposed with 76 abstaining While the Occupy movement union on any issue. This is because the to hold a general strike the entire offi cialdom lives in perpetual played an important role following Wednesday. The in forcing EGT to reenter dread of an informed and aroused rank only voiced opposition was negotiations with the ILWU, and fi le.) The proposal also suggested such possible concessions that OO call on the offi cialdom to truly from some who doubted that have to be considered. organize in a mass way to shut down something like that could be the Port of Longview. organized in that short of a Some debates within OO’s time period. The majority “Labor Outreach Committee” were Operating Engineers opinion, however, was that revealing as far as the different views The fi rst part of this proposal it was necessary to “strike on how to relate to the mainstream – to call on the offi cialdom to organize while the iron is hot.” Local unions. a campaign against the actions of the Oakland radical rap artist Operating Engineers Union leadership explains that union -- was opposed on the grounds that Making Demands on Union members are looking for a Leaders “the fi ght is with EGT (the employer) source of inspiration and that A principle debate was over in Longview, not with another union.” whether or not to place demands This in effect justifi ed the taboo Occupy Oakland can be that on the union offi cialdom. These mentioned above. Clearly, however, inspiration. Two long time union demands included that the local labor the role of the Operating Engineers activists/supporters of the local leadership orchestrate a campaign leadership was critical in allowing EGT mainstream “progressive” labor aimed at the rank and fi le of the to try to weaken or break the ILWU establishment are present and Operating Engineers union, explaining and cannot be ignored. Moreover, by privately express doubts about to them what their union leadership raising it in the way suggested, we the general strike unless the in Longview is doing and urging the would have started to raise the need union offi cials call for it. members here to organize to raise for the rank and fi le to start to organize Nov. 2, 2011: In what will The “Left” and the Union Offi cialdom go down as a key moment in In areas like the Bay area, the left tends to have a the history of the global Occupy certain presence within the labor movement, and therefore a wing of movement, some 20-30,000 the union offi cialdom have adapted to them. This “progressive” wing people descend on downtown tends to support “left” initiatives such as resolutions against a war, or Oakland. They completely block for women’s rights or against racism. They will often agree to speak off the key intersection (14th at protests and rallies on these issues. This link with a layer of union and Broadway). Throughout the offi cials gives the lefts who arrange this a certain authority within the day, various marches are held on movement. However, this comes at a cost: various places of business – In the fi rst place, while these union offi cials may speak in opposi- banks, the “hip” shopping chain tion to some social policy such as awar, at the same time these offi cials “Whole Foods” and others. Both support and help re-elect the very same politicians (usually Democrats) the morning and the evening who put these policies into effect. This is never mentioned. shifts at the The other point is this: These same “progressive” union offi cials are are picketed and the longshore refusing to organize a fi ght on the job to defend wages and working workers refuse to cross the conditions, or to defend the jobs themselves. The “lefts” who ally them- picket lines; the Port of Oakland selves with these “progressive” offi cials never mention this and never is shut, in other words. organize within their unions to oppose these policies. This is the deal The union leaders, afraid that has been worked out.. Socialists and others on the left should link to be left behind, bring some up the broader social/political issues with the necessity for the unions to of their members to the event genuinely fi ght the attacks of the employers. They should be organizing but do their best to keep them rank and fi le caucuses to transform their unions into the fi ghting work- separated from the main body of ers’ organizations that they were built to be. (cont’d. on next page) 5 independently of the offi cialdom. is exactly why they are the offi cial Timeline (cont’d. from previous page) leadership – because they have the the occupiers. Seeing the staying Union Leadership to power to lead the union. Mobilize What lies behind this thinking is power of Occupy Oakland, in The second part of this proposal the view that all that need be done is to the weeks that follow, the left – to call on the offi cialdom to truly organize a series of dramatic, militant representatives of the union organize a genuine mass caravan actions and the workers will follow. establishment start to fi nd their to Longview - was opposed on two “The propaganda by the deed,” as one way into the Occupy movement. grounds: Some people said that passing advocate of that view put it. (There A grocery worker and his this would “create antagonisms” is a long history behind this theory, wife come to the strike. They between Occupy and the union and it has led to some dangerous support the occupation and offi cialdom. While we should not go conclusions.) Certainly today, more the strike, but they are furious out of our way to “create antagonisms” than ever, setting an example is needed. that their union offi cials sent we should also recognize that those The partly successful attempt to block a letter claiming to support it antagonisms already exist – between cars at the American Licorice strike, a large layer of the union membership for example, not only inspired those while they are “screwing” their and their offi cials. Up until now, the workers; it also got grocery workers members. Plans are made to start great bulk of the members have been miles away buzzing. However, just like organizing amongst rank and fi le somewhat demoralized and uninvolved. with the Longview struggle, an action grocery workers. In a meeting Occupy can help those members see like this organized by Occupy Oakland with some union offi cials in the more clearly what the exact problem is isn’t enough to prevent a setback. Even following days two business and how to organize to fi ght it. if the workers hadn’t voted to go back representatives report that their “Propaganda by the Deed” to work a few days later, the police members have been “energized” Another argument against this would have eventually intervened. and “electrifi ed” by Occupy part of the proposal was that “the The simple fact is that part of the Oakland. leadership isn’t going to mobilize task of any new, militant movement is the members; Occupy will.” While to help workers organize, and any time An article appears in the SF the Occupy movement should do workers start organizing the question Chronicle quoting the executive everything it can to mobilize as many of the mainstream unions comes up. secretary of the Alameda Central workers as possible, we can’t do It cannot be avoided. And with this Labor Council as saying, “I so to the same effect as the offi cial question comes the issue of the role absolutely see a bright future for leadership. In almost all cases, that of the offi cialdom and the offi cial the two movements working together, but there’s a lot of education that has to happen in the building of a movement. We have to take it one day at a time, listen and engage.” The article continues to say: “Union leaders say they are content for now to watch the movement mature, and they’ve been pitching in behind the scenes all along. During Wednesday’s general strike in Oakland, for instance, members of the Service Employers International Union acted UAW President Bob King (r) shaking hands with GM CEO Dan Akerson. as peacemakers, calming King is wearing a t-shirt with the UAW and GM logos together. He has com- down some of those who mented, “ The UAW seeks and expects a partnership with the employers based (cont’d. on next page) on mutual respect trust & common goals” 6 bodies – the offi cial channels of the rank and fi le sit down and discuss what Timeline (cont’d. from previous page) unions. Up until now, most on the is wrong with their unions and how to wanted to break windows.” (http:/ left tend to relate to the unions strictly organize to change them. (It’s also why /www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/ through these channels. But these it was a mistake for some on the left c/a/2011/11/06/MN9H1LQQH7.DTL) bodies are almost always controlled to actively introduce representatives In other words, along with the by the offi cialdom, partly because in of the offi cialdom into the Occupy Oakland Chamber of Commerce the main most members don’t attend movement.) There are three main and the Oakland corporate union meetings. So confi ning ourselves issues in general: politicians, the union offi cials to relating to the unions through these are framing the question of one bodies means simply dealing with the “Team Concept” of random “violence” vs. “non offi cial leadership; it means equating First is the fact that the union “the unions” with the offi cialdom. On leadership takes the position that the violence” as opposed to being the other hand, the pretense that we can union has a common interest with “their” willing to be co-opted into simply ignore the leadership is just that employers. This is the “team concept” corporate, mainstream politics or – a pretense. – that workers and the employers are not. on the same team, competing with Organize Within the Unions non-union workers. This inevitably November 14, 2011: Police carry While we can and should inspire leads to accepting cuts in wages and out a second raid on Oscar Grant the membership by showing in action conditions in order to compete for who Plaza, arresting the few who what the unions can accomplish, this can work cheapest, But this negates refuse to leave and confi scating doesn’t negate the need to also help the the entire purpose of a union, which all the tents and other equipment. is to eliminate this The City then thoroughly competition. hoses down the grassy park, transforming it into a sea of mud Mass Defi ance and making it uninhabitable. Second is the view Another large protest follows of the union leadership that they must never later in the day, but re-occupation defy the court orders, is not possible. injunctions, etc. and mobilize masses to November 19, 2011: A physically shut down joint Occupy/offi cial labor march any struck work place. and rally is held. In the weeks In fact, it was exactly leading up to this march, union through this strategy leaders say they are content for that the unions were now to watch the movement built back in the 1930s “mature”, and they’ve been – through the plant pitching in behind the scenes all occupations and mass along. Several secret meetings pickets that physically between some of the (unoffi cial) confronted the scabs and Occupy leaders and others new the police. to Occupy are held with some Democrats of the top union offi cials. In Third is the view one meeting of the committee of the union leaders that planning for the march it is they are bound at the hip commented that they didn’t to the Democratic Party. want speakers who will confl ict This tie to the Democrats with the local union leadership. helps cause the union This is the majority view of this When revolutionary socialists were elected to the Liv- leadership to confi ne committee, which is largely erpool (England) City Council in 1984, they refused its program – what it composed of newcomers to is fi ghting for and how to cut jobs or pay and forced Prime Minister Thatcher Occupy Oakland. to grant the city extra money. it goes about fi ghting (continued on next page) 7 for it – to what is acceptable to the to some degree or another by this Timeline (cont’d. from previous page) Democrats. debate. And as the Wall St. Journal December 12, 2011: The In opposing this link, though, it’s once wrote, “ideas matter”. The West Coast port shut down is necessary to propose an alternative. problem is that the capitalist politicians carried off. Many ports along Simply saying “don’t vote” or “ignore and their parties have a monopoly on the coast are only partially shut the politicians” is not an alternative. this debate now – to such an extent Like it or not, the fact is that the that it can hardly even be called a down, but the Port of Oakland politicians have a lot of power. A debate. The only issue under debate is is completely shut down once movement can confi ne itself to putting how much should be taken away from again. Some longshore workers pressure on these politicians and to workers and through what means (and are apparently not happy with protesting what they do, but if it lacks how to disguise these attacks). the shut down, but most seem an alternative eventually it will end to support it although almost up supporting the least objectionable “Ideas Matter” none of them are involved in of the Democrats – the “lesser evil”. The emergence of a mass working the shut down itself. While the This was what happened with the class people’s party would transform shut down had originally been anti-Vietnam War movement, the Civil this debate. It would tend to pose every proposed by the local leadership Rights movement and the unions also. question from the point of view of of the Longshore union (ILWU what is in the interest of working class Workers’ Representatives people and how we can effect change. Local 10), within a short time its & a Mass Working Class It would tend to push forward the fact International president came out People’s Party that workers and the employers have in opposition, causing the local The only realistic alternative is no common interest. It would, in other leadership to then back off also. for this new movement to start putting words, tend to immensely heighten the The unoffi cial Occupy leadership forward its own candidates for offi ce – class consciousness of workers in the which had been close to that workers’ representatives on a workers’ . local leadership was thus caught wage – and for a mass working class out on a limb and felt compelled people’s political party. This would Austerity and “Shared to continue with the plans for the not be “The Revolution” - it would Sacrifi ce” shut down. Considerable behind- not fully resolve the issues - because This is unlikely to happen all at the-scenes maneuvering with the workers cannot seize power in society once. Where it is present, the Occupy through the capitalist state and through movement can start to run candidates local central labor council was capitalist elections. But one huge thing for local offi ce. These candidates should also reported. it would start to do is to completely start with complete opposition to all December – January, change the political dialog. austerity or “shared sacrifi ce” measures 2011-12: The “Labor Outreach During elections, different ideas – no wage cuts, no cuts in services, no Committee” becomes one of the are debated in public. Even those layoffs. If and when the money runs man focal points for Occupy workers who don’t vote are infl uenced out, then they will mobilize the mass Oakland. It plans a caravan of workers in their up to the port of Longview, area (and beyond) Washington where a new grain to shut down their shipment facility is being city and the capital operated by EGT. This facility and demand the needed funds be is not under ILWU contract, provided. breaking a nearly century-long tradition of ILWU control over all the West Coast docks. At Private Capital one point, ILWU members vs. Socialism in Longview had stormed the But beyond facility, dumping tons of grain on this, we must the tracks there and cutting the recognize that brake lines of the railroad cars. privately held Similar caravans are planned by An Occupy Oakland general assembly - the idea that there capital and those are no leaders is not accurate. who hold it are (cont’d. on next page) 8 blackmailing the masses of workers and involved. Timeline (cont’d. from previous page) youth. Any demand for better pay or In the early stages, a certain conditions, any opposition to job cuts, amount of such self-appointed and Occupy and any movement at all (including the leadership is often inevitable and can Seattle, with the plan being to Occupy movement) is met with threats even help. Now, it is becoming an arrive there whenever the fi rst to withdraw investment and cut even absolute hindrance. These comrades ship arrives to be loaded. more jobs. This is not a hollow threat; it are not considering the mind set of As the ship nears, is real. The only answer to this is to start the masses of Oakland working class tremendous pressure is mounted with complete opposition to reliance on people enough. They tend to operate by the Washington state the “free” market and private capital simply on their own mind set, their governor, the local sheriff and – for a crash public works program run own consciousness. They are able to chief of police, for the ILWU by the workers and the communities continue because there is almost no and EGT to arrive at a deal. themselves. And ultimately, the democratic check on them. Such a deal appears to have only way to really achieve this is to Instead of this, there should be take the commanding heights of the a clear leadership elected. This would been reached, although the economy under public ownership and be based on what different elements exact nature of the deal is kept a democratically plan the economy under stand for and that leadership would closely guarded secret. It seems, workers’ control and management. In be recallable at any time. In this way, however, that compromises other words, socialism. a more open discussion and debate may have been made by the would develop around what is the International union leadership “No Leaders?” way forward for Occupy Oakland and over union jurisdiction, overtime How can such changes be for the working class movement in and other issues. However, this discussed and decisions made? How general. is by no means certain. The can they be implemented? Without such an open debate, caravans are postponed. Offi cially, Occupy Oakland has and without linking up to the masses January 28-29, 2012: no leaders and no representatives. of working class people in Oakland, Offi cially, the general assembly makes Occupy Oakland runs the risk of An Occupy Oakland “festival” all decisions. In fact, it doesn’t work marginalizing itself and eventually and move-in is planned for this that way. withering and dying. Whatever course weekend, with the move in target Different committees are it takes, however, Occupy Oakland and to be the privatized and closed supposed to be responsible for the Occupy movement in general is the down Oakland auditorium. planning different aspect of Occupy warning of a far wider movement yet Although offi cially the target is Oakland. Often, however, the plans to come. As with Occupy, that wider kept secret, it is clear that the that are made in the committee are movement will ultimately rise or police knew in advance and they changed afterwards. Within Occupy fall, it will live or die, based on bold, form a ring around the building. Oakland, a grouping of what has been defi ant action and clear ideas. First Some 2-3,000 marchers march called “insurrectionary anarchists” and foremost must be opposition to on the building with some have played an important role. These capitalism itself. comrades have contributed a lot. clashing with the cops. Clashes They were crucial in the fi rst month Conclusion continue into the night, with or so in preventing Occupy Oakland To move ahead now, the police eventually “kettling” from falling into mere reformism and Occupy Oakland needs to start to hundreds of the marchers. Some keeping its defi ant attitude at the core. systematically reach out to Oakland’s escape as workers at the YMCA, The played a key role in warding off working class people. This doesn’t against which the marchers the infl uence of the liberal Democrats. mean simply trying to involve them in were trapped, open the doors However, they tended to do this in part actions planned by Occupy Oakland. and allow some to escape a back by making decisions within their own Instead it means going to them with way. Close of 400 are arrested, circle and then seeing to it that these the issues they feel – whether it be low however. decisions were carried out. This method wages and poor working conditions The demographics of meant a lack of full discussion and of fast food workers, wage freezes debate. It meant that the participants and layoffs of City workers, or home these protests continues to in the movement were unable to really foreclosures of all working class shift away from those of the fully take part in making decisions people in Oakland. It means bringing people of Oakland, who are based on being clear about the politics the message of mass defi ance to any (cont’d. on next page) 9 campaigns around these issues. Occupy homophobia and all forms of for internationalism in deeds, Oakland also cannot ignore electoral special oppression and division not just words. politics. Like it or not, these elected within the working class. • For an end to an economy offi cials have real power in their hands, • Full citizen rights for all those based private profi t and the and it is a mistake to confi ne ourselves who live and work in the anarchy of the “free” market; to simply pressuring them or protesting United States. for socialism based on public their actions. • Full citizen rights, including ownership of the commanding In any arena, however, if it is voting rights, for all those heights of the economy and true to its anti-establishment origins, under court supervision and production planned under Occupy Oakland will come into direct for ex-felons. the democratic control and confl ict with the hierarchy of the • For direct links between management of workers mainstream unions. This hierarchy workers throughout the world; themselves. is one of the main barriers to a mass workers’ movement in this country and no radical, working-class based What is a Revolutionary movement can ignore them. The question is how to pose an alternative. Situation? Note: The following piece was written for Viewpointonline.net and is relevant Suggested Program for the to these issues. Occupy movement in Oakland and The world today is entering a period of revolution. We see it in Northern nation-wide: Africa, in the continuous uprisings of workers in China, and in the mass • No cuts in education or any strikes and uprisings in Greece and other EU nations. Such periods are not other public services; no unique; there were revolutionary periods in the past, such as that period layoffs. Provide all the services opened up by the American Revolution, or the period of the colonial working class people need and revolutions following WW II. hire accordingly. • For a crash public works Regime Change program to build housing and However, as the ongoing revolutionary wave in Egypt and the revolution in infrastructure, with all jobs to Tunisia show, not all revolutions result in the fundamental change that their be union jobs with full union participants seek. pay and benefi ts. All regimes establish a means of transferring power from one individual to • For a guaranteed job for all another. Even the one person rule of North Korea had such a means; power and a $20 per hour minimum was simply inherited by the son of the deceased ruler, or at least this is the wage and union rights for all intent. At times, however, a regime can be so weakened, its base so narrow, workers. that the direct intervention of masses of people becomes possible, and power • For a massive and free public is transferred outside of the pre-arranged means – or so it seems. transit system. This is what happened in Tunisia and Egypt. Those who came to power did • End police brutality and so by riding the crest of a mass uprising, rather than through constitutional repression; for worker means. committees of public safety made up of the residents and State Apparatus and Relations of Production workers in each community. However, power does not reside in the hands of one individual head of state • Free Bradley Manning and alone. He or she must rest on a government bureaucracy which includes the all political prisoners; end police, the judicial system, the military, etc. In addition to this apparatus state torture including solitary of direct repression, there are all sorts of other indispensable wings of any confi nement, waterboarding, regime, such as a wing to collect taxes, for which all sorts of record keeping etc. is also necessary. In the capitalist world, these bureaucracies do not exist in • Defend the environment; for a isolation from the capitalist class. The leading military tops are directly tied crash program to develop safe, in with them by a thousand threads, including social ties, positions that will clean alternatives to fossil fuel be open to them after retirement from the military, etc. The same is true for and to end pollution. the judges, and heads of the different bureaucracies. This infl uence then fi lters • End all US foreign wars and military attacks. Timeline (cont’d. from previous page) • End racism, sexism, overwhelmingly working class people of color. 10 down through every department through opportunities throws the “middle class” - the small business owners, land for promotion – or disciplining or fi ring in the case of owning farmers, etc. into turmoil. Lacking any real power rebellious members of the bureaucracy. A most blatant themselves, they desperately seek a source of power outside example of this connection occurred recently in New their own class. York City. There, right during the height of the Occupy Working Class Wall St. movement, JP Morgan bank made a $4.6 million donation to the New York City Police Department. It is no And what about the working class majority – the coincidence that within days the NYPD were attacking the “proletariat”? All the years – decades and centuries - of protesters and that the “white shirts” - the upper echelon accumulated anger start to fi nd a way to burst to the offi cers - were the most blatantly brutal towards the surface. Desperate to resolve the crisis, and sensing the protesters. mortal weakness of its enemy – the capitalist class – the working class is united and ready to make the greatest So as long as these government bureaucracies remain sacrifi ces in order to resolve the crisis. in place, so long as only the faces at the top change, the revolution is incomplete. But for the entire state apparatus This class, the one true revolutionary class in society, is to be overturned, the class upon which it rests must also be also casting about, seeking a solution, but also starting to removed from power. And for this, the relations that exist in get a sense of its true power and of its historic destiny. producing the goods in society must also be revolutionized. Workers’ Councils In other words, in the capitalist world private ownership of Inevitably in the course of such mass struggles, workers the means of production must be eliminated. will develop organs to coordinate the struggle – committees Revolutionary Situation – Objective Factors of struggle they can be called. Or workers’ councils. These This, of course, is not an every day event. The possibility committees or councils will tend to take on increased power for this to occur rarely arises. What are the conditions in society. For instance, during the Seattle general strike which make this possible? Lenin explained that there are of 1919, the general strike committee went beyond simply three objective conditions necessary. organizing the strike. It also decided which vital businesses – such as delivery of milk and medicines – could continue First, there must be such a massive crisis that the capitalist to operate. In other words, for a brief moment it started to class can fi nd no way out. Such a crisis can be an economic take on the task of running society. crisis, but it is not necessarily so. In the classic case of the Russian Revolution, it was a general social crisis which The committees of struggle, workers’ councils, start to was brought to a head by World War I that brought about crowd out the functions of the state apparatus. Gradually this situation. In such crises, all attempted solutions will and in an uneven fashion, the awareness of this and its be futile for the capitalist class, but that doesn’t mean it implications dawns on the working class. The necessity of gives up. Instead, the class becomes divided. It cannot unite developing these councils as a new state – a workers’ state around a common strategy because no successful strategy – and crushing the old capitalist state starts to become the exists. task of the hour. But will the masses of workers become conscious of this in time? Some wings of the capitalist class will seek resolution through appeasing the working class. Other wings, Limited Time however, will correctly point out that appeasement will These three conditions are brought about by the laws of only whet the workers’ appetite for more power; it will only motion of capitalism itself. Rare as they are, revolutionary increase the workers’ confi dence. In the eyes of this wing, situations can be compared to earthquakes, which arise direct brutal repression is the solution. To this, the former by the laws of nature. No force on earth can prevent such wing will point out that their control over the repressive situations from occurring from time to time. apparatus of the state is shaky at best and that any attempt Given indefi nite time, and learning from its own to crush the working class will result in total loss of such experiences in the crisis, the workers would fi nd the control. strategy and tactics to seize power. However, that is exactly Back and forth they will argue, with this debate breaking the point – such a crisis cannot last indefi nitely. Within a out in the open and different capitalist politicians and fairly short period of time it must be resolved one way or political parties denouncing each other in the strongest another. If the working class cannot fi nd the road to power terms. This open debate and these denunciations will only quickly enough, then large layers of that class will become heighten the crisis. demoralized. Likewise, the “middle class” - the petit “Petit Bourgeoisie” bourgeoisie – will tend to look more decisively towards the capitalist class as their savior. Under these conditions, then, Such a crisis, combined with the turmoil in the ruling class, direct brutal repression – a counter revolution - becomes 11 the order of the day. to power of the counter revolutionary mullahs. “Subjective” Factor General Process This leads to the question of the fourth factor necessary A true revolutionary leadership, really rooted in a for a successful revolution – the “subjective” factor. It is signifi cant layer of the working class, does not develop considered to be a “subjective” factor because it does not overnight. Nor does it develop in a vacuum. As the develop simply due to the laws of motion of capitalism; it workers’ movement rises, it will tend to seek to unite requires the subjective will of workers and the allies of the beyond just the work place. Such unity tends to take the working class themselves. In physics, quantum mechanics form of a mass workers’ party, a party in which and through explains that in certain situations, certain outcomes are which all issues can be posed from the class point of view. possible, but there is no way to predict which among those Whether it be the issue of housing, of state repression, or possible outcomes will occur. In the laws of motion of the of the environment and global warming/climate disruption class struggle, a similar process can be seen. – all these issues are to be taken up by the working class What is required is that the most conscious and most and solutions from the point of view of that class can be determined layer of the working class be organized posed through such a mass party. (Note: In the United amongst themselves and along with their revolutionary States, some revolutionaries think that the working class allies outside the working class (the youth, etc.) This can be organized strictly through the unions. They neglect requires an organization, a revolutionary leadership, or a to consider that workers have to and have organized far revolutionary party. There is no other means through which beyond the work place.) this layer of the class can exert its infl uence on the working Of course, all sorts of opportunists and charlatans will class as a whole. Lacking such a revolutionary leadership – also fi nd a base in such a party. There will also be layers such a party – this layer of the class will become somewhat of the working class who are less clear and determined. fragmented and unable to systematically act and exert its These factors combined mean that there will be debates infl uence. As a result, some layers of this sector of the class and struggle within the party. Connected with this process, will start to become confused and demoralized. a more clear-headed and determined wing will develop. History has proven that such a revolutionary leadership Ultimately, such a wing will have to have independence cannot just arise on the spur of the moment. It takes time from the more reformist and opportunist wings. However, the point is that a revolutionary leadership is very unlikely for it to develop, for it to learn how to organize and to develop outside of the process of a mass workers’ party for wider layers of the working class – and in fact of the and certainly won’t develop outside of the process of a middle class – to develop confi dence in it. renewal of struggle of the working class in general. History is full of tragedies where a revolutionary situation Working Class More Powerful Than Ever existed but this fourth factor, the subjective factor, was lacking. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) just Today, on a world scale, the working class is more powerful such a situation existed. In Barcelona, the working class than ever before. It is the majority of the world population. made a desperate attempt to once and for all resolve Contained within its collective consciousness is the that revolutionary crisis. Lacking such a revolutionary memory and the knowledge that springs from the memory leadership on a mass scale, they were crushed and the of the lessons of world history. It is also today more counter revolution went on to victory in the person of globally aware than ever. This has several consequences. Franco. In Chile in the early 1970s a revolutionary situation One is that revolutionary situations can last longer than existed and the working class was capable of seizing power they did in the past, because of the power of the working many times over. Again, that fourth factor was lacking and class. Another consequence is that it is far easier for that the result was the military coup of Pinochet in 1973. Once more conscious and determined layer of the working class more, in Iran a revolutionary situation existed when the to organize and spread its infl uence. Shah was overthrown in 1979. Again, lacking the fourth It still requires a conscious and systematic effort, however. factor, the revolutionary leadership, the result was the rise About the Author John Reimann is a retired carpenter who has lived in Oakland for over 40 years. He was a 30 year member of the carpenters’ union, was active in that union and always opposed the policies of the union leadership. He led the 1999 carpenters wildcat strike and was expelled from the union by the International for this strike (as well as for his previous history). He is presently a member of the Industrial Workers of the World. He has been an active par- ticipant and supporter of Occupy Oakland from its very start. He is the author of several other pamphlets including “What Happened to Our Unions?”, “The Apartheid State - The Rise of Zionism and the State of Israel,” and others on the capital- ist economic crisis and the environmental crisis. He can be contacted at [email protected]. Also see:www.worldwidesocialist.net/org