“There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.” – Lenin
Summer is well and truly over. Not least because of the drop in temperatures. More so, because any idea of politics slowing down or taking a break is now fanciful. This is capitalism’s new normal.
Massive, extraordinary events have erupted onto the scene in the last few weeks. Mass movements in France; revolutions in Nepal and Indonesia; the assasination of Charlie Kirk in the USA; and the largest far-right demonstration in recent history in Britain.
In another period, each of these events could be individually discussed at great length. And they would seem disconnected. But this no longer stands.
Today, all these things are happening at once, and actually feed into each other. Nepal was inspired by Indonesia. Tommy Robinson supporters were fired up by Charlie Kirk.
Our job is to step back on each occasion: to understand what is driving these processes, and to think about what this means for the general trajectory of the class struggle.
Analysis and activity
Absorbing the news can be overwhelming. We live through a time where ‘news avoidance’ is at a record high. Most young people learn about what’s happening in the world through their social media.
The killing of Kirk is an extreme example of this. The video of his death had millions of views within minutes.
Social media is a distortion of real life, however. It is a partial expression of how people feel. It is also not a ‘free platform’.
We should never forget that these platforms are owned and maintained by capitalist companies. Their algorithms are deliberately curated to fulfill certain interests.
The job of communists in times like these is to use the Marxist method to analyse events as they take place. We cannot respond with raw instinct or emotion, or paint a partial picture.
We discuss these events in person at our weekly meetings. Our analysis and perspectives are laid out in our publications. This acts as the bedrock to our activity.
Imperialism and repression
Armed with an understanding of what is happening, we must then get into the real world to connect with others.
In the last few weeks, I attended ‘Shut Down the Arms Fair’: a campaign of 100+ organisations – including the RCP – to protest against arms dealers gathering at London’s Excel Centre.
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I spoke to hundreds in attendance, talking about how deep the hatred of Starmer has become; saying that, as a Palestine movement, we can connect with that anger – with the fact that ‘our’ government is spending billions militarism while implementing austerity.
This is the job of communists. To meet the most radical forces in society, and put forward a genuine socialist solution.
In early September, I also attended the ‘Defend our Juries’ protest against the proscription of Palestine Action.
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What I and other comrades witnessed was dystopian – but also incredibly revealing. The naked truth about the role of the capitalist state was laid bare.
This was political policing, with the usual violence from the Met thrown in. We interviewed those getting arrested – to give them a voice, but also to place their protest in a wider context.
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Channel 4 News approached me for an interview, where I spoke at length about British imperialism’s role. At the end, I was asked: “And what do you think about Hamas? Would you support Hamas in Gaza?”
This provoked outrage from those around me. “This is why everyone hates you!”, people shouted at Channel 4 staff.
Join the communists!
This week I’m attending a Kneecap gig – important revolutionary work!
Above all, however, I’m preparing for the freshers period, where I will speak at a number of universities up-and-down the country on ‘Why you should be a communist’ and ‘How to fight for a free Palestine’.
See below for the full details of this upcoming tour – coming to a campus near you!
As a party, we will be talking to thousands of students in the coming weeks. But our task for now is modest. We need to recruit hundreds of committed communists.
The only way to do that is through absorbing the ideas in this paper, on our website, and in the classic works of Marxism. Then, out we go! Avanti!
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Fiona’s campus tour dates
Wednesday 24 September – Manchester University – Why You Should Be a Communist
Thursday 25 September – Queen Mary University of London – Why You Should Be a Communist
Wednesday 1 October – Sussex University – Why You Should Be a Communist
Tuesday 7 October – central London universities (venue TBC) – How to Fight for a Free Palestine
Thursday 9 October – Leeds University – How to Fight for a Free Palestine
Friday 10 October – The World Transformed festival in Manchester – Black Lives Matter event
Saturday 11 October – National Palestine demonstration in London
Tuesday 14 October – Goldsmiths University – How to Fight for a Free Palestine
Tuesday 28 October – Cambridge University – How to Fight for a Free Palestine
Wednesday 29 October – Oxford University – How to Fight for a Free Palestine
