One of the most common reasons we hear from people wanting to join the Revolutionary Communist Party is that they feel like they can no longer watch all the horrors taking place in the world and do nothing about them.
Our newest members have an urge to actively fight for a world without war and genocide. They want to end oppression, inequality, and exploitation.
This sense of urgency is completely justified. There has never been a more important time to get organised as a revolutionary.
The money, resources, and technology exist not only to erase hunger, homelessness, and poverty, but to rapidly improve living standards for everyone. Yet the world has never been more unequal than it is now.
We have the ability to solve the question of climate change. But for the capitalists, it’s more profitable to keep investing in fossil fuels than in renewable energy.
The opportunity exists to dramatically change the world for the better.
What is stopping us is the private ownership of production by the super-rich. They are only concerned with their own short-term profits – regardless of the future of the planet, or whether workers end up dead in an imperialist war or suffer from austerity.
The RCP organises students and workers across Britain. Our aim is to prepare for the ultimate task of overthrowing the root cause of all the problems facing us: capitalism.
We believe this system cannot be patched up – it must be brought down by a revolution, with the working class taking power and running society in their own interests.
These are the ideas we put forward in Britain and internationally when intervening in movements of workers and youth – whether it be the struggle for Palestine, against austerity, or against the far right.
Need for leadership
It is not up to us, the RCP, to start the revolution. Even if we wanted to, it would not be possible for a small group of activists to ignite a mass movement. It is the capitalist system itself that is creating the conditions for revolutionary movements to emerge.
Young people in particular are becoming radicalised, with many drawing the conclusion that capitalism is to blame. All their lives they have experienced this system in crisis.
The radicalisation of young people is a process taking place all over the world. In the past few months, we have witnessed revolutions and mass movements led by ‘Gen Z’ spreading across Indonesia, Nepal, and Madagascar.
The main characteristic of these revolutions is the masses’ burning hatred towards the establishment, the rich, and the corrupt politicians who live lavishly while the vast majority struggle to get by.
That anger exists here too. The same processes that have led to youth uprisings elsewhere are being prepared in Britain as well.
While these revolutions have been an inspiration, with rotten regimes toppled in the space of days, they have not led to the overthrow of capitalism.
In all these examples, power has lay in the streets. All that was needed was for the masses to take it. But instead, on every occasion, the opportunity has been lost, and power has been handed back to the ruling class.
It is not enough to topple one corrupt leader. These politicians or regimes can simply be replaced with another just as bad as the previous one.
What has been missing is a revolutionary leadership, capable of directing the masses to overthrow the system itself – by expropriating the banks and the biggest companies, and placing the economy under the democratic control of the working class.
During the high points of revolutions and mass movements, the masses tend to draw far-reaching conclusions about what needs to be done. In almost every revolution, there are formations of workers’ and strike committees that organise the movement.
These mark an embryonic stage of what could become part of a future workers’ state.
But no revolution ever appears in a ‘pure’ form, with the masses spontaneously and automatically taking power. Were that the case, we would already be living under socialism.
While the most advanced layer of the working class is capable of drawing important conclusions during the heat of a revolution, not everyone will have a clear idea of what the real alternative looks like.
On top of that, there will be enormous pressure from the ruling class to push for things to return to how they were before.
What is needed is a revolutionary leadership that has studied the lessons of previous movements; that understands the underlying processes of capitalism and how to overthrow it; and that can act decisively during crucial moments, by presenting a revolutionary alternative to the masses.
This is the historic task that the RCP aims to achieve.
We know that we are heading towards a period of intense class struggle. The question of power will – at some point in the not-so-distant future – be on the agenda. When that day comes, we want to be prepared with a leadership capable of helping the working class come to power.
Theory and action
Being a member of the RCP means training yourself to become a future leader in the class struggle.
On the one hand, this involves taking the question of studying Marxist theory seriously. By developing a clear understanding of why class society has evolved the way it has, what the underlying processes of capitalism are, and how these affect the class struggle, we can work out perspectives for the future and minimise any mistakes made in the heat of struggle.
For us, the method of Marxism is a guide to action. The revolutionary party is, first and foremost, its programme; a set of ideas and perspectives. Our method of organising must always flow from those ideas.
The main task now is to build a strong communist force, steeled in the methods and perspectives of Marxism, which has won the political authority amongst workers and youth in advance of revolutionary events breaking out.
At this moment in time, we are not yet able to play this role. The RCP is not big enough to reach the masses – we are far too small at this stage. It is therefore with the greatest urgency that we must build the party.
At this stage, our aim is to win over the most advanced layer of youth: those most open to revolutionary ideas.
Movement for Palestine
This does not mean that members of the RCP wait around for the revolution, however.
We participate in the struggles taking place in order to put forward a genuine communist position. Our aim must always be to raise consciousness amongst those we have the capability of reaching.
Our only justification for existing is our bold, clear ideas, and our ability to bring these into the movement.
We have enthusiastically intervened at solidarity rallies and protests for Palestine, for example, raising demands for mass action and workers’ boycotts. In the last few weeks, we have organised open meetings on campuses on how to fight for a free Palestine.
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In places where we have built a stronger base, such as London and Cardiff, we have been able to organise impressive blocs at demonstrations.
At these, we have stood out clearly as the most youthful and dynamic group – and, more importantly, as those with the best ideas for how to advance the movement.
In Cambridge and Sheffield, where we have dozens of organised workers and students, we were able to call rallies around 7 October, with over 100 attending in both cases.
The reason we have been able to take more of a lead in these places is because we have built a strong base, particularly on the campus. In the case of Sheffield, there were no other Palestine solidarity actions being organised for the two-year anniversary of the genocide.
In Sheffield, the comrades led the Palestine protest and directed attendees to their open meeting the following day, where we held a full political discussion and urged students to join the RCP.
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To students asking about practical activity over Palestine, our message should be this: if you want to organise action on campus, you can only mobilise people on the basis of a clear political programme, and by connecting the struggle with broader layers. If you have a small group of communists, the first step is to expand it.
Speak with your friends, classmates, and staff, and invite them to our open meetings, where we can seriously discuss a strategy for building the movement and any related action.
At every point, we must emphasise that the only way Palestine will truly be free is if we overthrow capitalism – both at home and in the Middle East. The best way to help this process is to join the RCP and build the forces of communism.
Generation revolution
What differentiates us, as communists, from other activists comes down to two main things.
First, we link every partial struggle to the general. The day-to-day struggles for reforms, and to end war and oppression, must be connected to the fight to overthrow capitalism.
Second, we have a clear perspective. We understand that the class struggle has ebbs and flows. We do not get demoralised when a movement slows down or comes to an end, because we know that new movements will erupt – especially as the crisis of capitalism causes huge political events that have a major impact on the consciousness of workers and young people.
Whenever we intervene in a movement, our aim is to come out stronger – both politically and in numbers. We are preparing for the future. We know there are thousands of young people being drawn to communist ideas, wanting to get organised.
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Earlier this spring, for example, we ran a number of candidates in student union elections on campuses, standing on an unapologetic communist programme. Across the three campuses where we stood, we received a total of 1,800 votes.
This gives a glimpse of the potential for building strong communist fortresses on campuses across the country.
We want to win over the youth. It is young people who are leading the revolutions sweeping across the world.
When a revolution breaks out in Britain, it will likely be led by the new generation, forged in the fires of capitalist crisis.
As the great Marxist and revolutionary leader Lenin said: “Give me just one generation of youth, and I’ll transform the world.”
The urgent task before us is to organise and educate this layer in advance of the titanic events that impend.
