“Rhetoric about an ‘Epstein class’ is effective because it ‘reinforces what people already feel’,” said Doug Sosnik, a Democratic strategist and former senior adviser to Bill Clinton. “This idea that we’ve become two Americas — one for people with money and power, and another for everyone else.”
This was said in a recent Financial Times article, ‘How ‘Epstein class’ became a populist battle cry in US politics’.
The article explains how critics of Trump, including the Democrats themselves, have been using this term, saying things like:
“Jon Ossoff, the Democratic senator from Georgia, noted in a speech in February that Trump’s Maga movement had originally been framed as pro-working class.
‘But this is a government of, by and for the ultra-rich,’ he said. ‘It is the wealthiest cabinet ever. This is the Epstein class ruling our country. They are the elites they pretend to hate.’”
At the same time, however, critics warn that:
“… the phrase could backfire, as the Epstein files also revealed the disgraced financier’s relationships with leading Democrats, such as Clinton, who has denied any wrongdoing.
‘There’s a whole lineage of Democrats who have had their own ties [with Epstein],’ said Faiz Shakir, manager of Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign.
‘And I think the credibility of those who are bandying about the term will be tested,’ he added. ‘Are you willing to call out the corruption on both sides?’”
Now, while the Financial Times is discussing tensions within the American ruling class, a similar process is clearly unfolding in Britain.
Keir Starmer is desperately clinging to power, while calls for his resignation are growing louder. He has faced sharp criticism for bringing Peter Mandelson back into government despite well-known connections to Epstein.
But why is the ruling class so concerned about this? What they are fearing is a mood that has been developing for years – one that communists have long identified beneath the surface of official politics.
Scandals like these have accelerated a profound change in consciousness. For growing numbers of people, billionaires are no longer seen as successful entrepreneurs or respectable leaders, but as a corrupt caste of exploiters, predators and pedophiles whose wealth and influence place them above the law.
That “us vs them” sentiment can no longer be contained. The genie is out of the bottle.
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The conversations our comrades had at the latest Palestine demonstration in London illustrate this clearly. Compared with the first demonstrations a few years ago, the political level was markedly more developed.
Previously, people often asked what communism had to do with Palestine. Now they ask: what would a revolution look like, and how could it be achieved?
People increasingly see beneath the surface; the real intentions behind the ruling class whipping up anti-immigration rhetoric, or their justifications for war. They recognise these as distractions from the real scandals and crimes committed by those sitting in Downing Street.
A person we spoke to recently at one of our paper sales in London said: “I am sick of the lot of them.” Another report explained how “one man put a £5 note straight into my hand and asked for a paper. The rise of Reform and the establishment’s refusal to even acknowledge raising taxes on billions were concerns for him. When we put forward the idea to expropriate the billionaires’ wealth instead of just taxing the rich, he was very enthusiastic.”
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In Manchester, our comrades told us how someone at a sale said: “I don’t think any politician, be it Burnham or Farage, was going to be able to do anything about the crisis meaningfully.”
In Leeds, comrades reported:
“Discontent with the current political sphere came through in all discussions – people are looking for answers and curious if we have a real alternative to the capitalist crisis. When sentiments of feeling ‘tired of politics’ came up, it was helpful to question what people meant by ‘politics’. This led to engaging discussions around why different political parties have been unable to make significant change under capitalism.”
Discussions about being “tired of politics” often led to deeper conversations about why no party can fundamentally solve society’s problems within the limits of capitalism. People are tired of politicians and of a political system that appears increasingly detached from reality.
Our organisation recognised this trend years ago. 2023’s Are You A Communist? campaign saw hundreds of new recruits join our ranks. Last summer’s Revolution Against The Billionaires campaign recruited more than 200 people.
This year’s Wipe Out the Epstein Class campaign will build upon this success, by making conscious what for many is already semi-conscious: that austerity, repression, war, and social crisis are not isolated events but expressions of a single system, capitalism.
That system can be understood. Through that understanding, we can see the road toward overthrowing it and replacing it with socialism. We urge you to join us in that struggle, and help build towards our target of 1,500 organised communists in Britain.
Striking bin workers attend Birmingham Marxist Society
On April 29, comrades from the University of Birmingham Marxist Society held an open meeting to discuss the ongoing bin strikes in the city. Given the upcoming local elections, the main question was whether real change could come through reforms, or if a general strike was necessary to achieve better conditions for the bin workers.
Throughout the year, comrades had maintained strong contact with Unite, attending both picket lines and solidarity meetings. This allowed us to invite workers from the union along to the meetings, which would have been impossible without sustained work in maintaining contact with them.
To prepare, comrades changed how meetings were organised. Previously, discussion was had in breakout rooms, since the political level of newer comrades was not considered high enough for an open-floor political discussion.
However, by this point, the political level of the university branches was much higher, where newer comrades felt more confident when giving contributions. Additionally, since members of Unite were planning on being at the meeting, comrades felt that having an open-floor style meeting would make us seem more professional and serious.
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The meeting was well attended, including seven workers and nine comrades, along with two contacts. The leadoff was short, which allowed for more discussion time, while contributions focused on the 1970s miners’ strikes, the Minnesota strikes, and the 1926 General Strike.
Political discussion was strong and included many questions from comrades and workers alike, while prepared contributions were met with a positive response from the workers. They went on to express how pleased they were to see how well we connected with their issues, although some still believed the May elections were the route to change.
Union members then shared their contact details with us and arranged a meeting for the next day at a campus paper sale. This was also a success, with one union member buying a copy of “Reform or Revolution” and another buying a “Why you should be a communist” pamphlet. Clearly there was a success in connecting to Birmingham workers and comrades will take several lessons into our work in the upcoming year!
Owen Swanborough, Birmingham
Fiona Lali schools the Oxford Union
The Oxford Union invited our comrade Fiona Lali to speak on the motion “THB Youth Activism is Primarily Performative.” Despite the cynical premise, it shows that Gen Z revolutions and movements across the world are too powerful to be ignored.
The Oxford Communists used the opportunity brought about by Fiona’s platform to connect with this radical mood among the youth and raise the need for revolution.
At our street stall before the debate, people were drawn in by slogans denouncing the Epstein class and calling for their overthrow. We had many in depth discussions, with newer comrades selling their first papers! Even those who disagreed with communism agreed that something needed to be done, and to some extent respected us for standing on a revolutionary programme. The radical mood is shown in the over £50 of sales we made and 7 signing up to join on the basis of our revolutionary ideas!
Within the Oxford Union however, comrades found that sincerity was left largely at the door.
In fairness, there were some honest speakers who were well informed on individual movements, but held a largely isolated view of activism which missed the enormous historical process taking place before their very eyes.
Most speakers seemed more interested in semantics and cheap “gotchas” than a better understanding of the question, with arguments like “people without mortgages don’t know anything” and claims that activism is really all about getting dates!
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In contrast, Fiona Lali gave us a rich political education on the molecular process of revolution. All these little examples of youth “activists” performing stunts for clicks on social media are incidental and distorted expressions of a much bigger wave of class anger on the horizon.
This was hugely inspiring for our comrades and drew a clear line between the vibrant, living ideas of Marxism and the meagre slop that was served as reasoned debate in capitalism’s halls of “free speech”.
Ultimately Gen Z doesn’t need the approval of any stuffy old institution to change the world and these tired arguments from the apologists of capitalism will be swept away along with the bourgeoisie itself!
Sarah Nankervis, Oxford
Finance the party fighting the Epstein class!
A set of huge congratulations are in order to the comrades of the RCP for a historical fundraising campaign.
In the run-up to our party’s Third Congress, the leadership agreed upon a bold target of raising £150,000 for our fighting fund.
From January to April the branches up and down the country have been combining the regular work of communist campaigning, education, and party building, with fundraising for this important collection.
At the Congress on the first weekend of May, the collection smashed that target, raising a total of £173,000! This far surpassed our already ambitious target, and amounted to the largest amount pledged at any one single collection the party has held.
This gives a numerical expression to the feeling of optimism, enthusiasm, and conviction that the revolutionary communists possess in the tasks we have in front of us. The party is going from strength to strength, and these funds give us the resources to make our ideas a material force.
Of the £170,000 pledged, £130,000 has been received so far. The Wales & West region has contributed the most so far, with Yorkshire and the Midlands following closely behind.
The Congress also democratically approved the budget and financial targets for the year as a whole, and the success so far puts us in a good stead to meet our annual fighting fund target for the year, which is £380,000. We will aim to reach this total at our final collection of the year at the Revolution Festival in November.
Following the huge success of the Congress and this collection, now we are turning our attention outwards this summer’s Wipe Out The Epstein Class campaign.
We appeal to anyone and everyone that is sickened by the greed, selfishness, and violence of our ruling class; the corruption and degradation that this system breeds: help us in the great task of building a revolutionary party, in preparation for the great events that will strike fear into the hearts of the Epstein class, and bring them down for good.
And if you are inspired by the tireless work and generous financial contributions that our members are making, and you want to support the fight – then set up a subscription to The Communist, become an official supporter member of the RCP, or simply donate today.
Joe Russell, RCP national treasurer
