By James Thompson
Occupy Houston supporters on 11/17/11
Once again, the USA is at the mercy of a small group of clowns in its capitol. The most reactionary sector of the governing bodies is holding the nation at hostage with the passive complicity of their centrist counterparts. What is their beef?
The reactionaries, led by the Congressional clown-in-chief, Ted Cruz, of Texas, are attempting to obstruct the implementation of Obamacare by failing to fund the federal government. Cruz, a Canadian by birth, campaigned for the office of US Senator from the state of Texas by claiming that his family fled “Castro’s Cuba” by coming north. In reality, his Cuban family left the island before the revolution, so that in fact they fled the Batista dictatorship.
Other clowns prance and engage in endless buffoonery to the shock and awe of a confused nation. Meanwhile, the USA has become the laughingstock of the rest of the world. Comedy unfolds into tragedy and no one knows where this ultimately will lead. One possibility would be that the chicanery of these few individuals will result in a loss of confidence on the world scale in US financial domination. Of course, this could lead to financial ruination for working people and the poor in this country and around the world.
Prominent among the prancing clowns are the Dixiecans (Southern Republicans who are the modern stand-ins for the Dixiecrats). This procession of clowns has been led by another Texan, Gov. Rick Perry. Gov. Perry and other reactionary governors have refused to accept federal funds for Medicaid. The aim and result of their tactics is to obstruct the implementation of healthcare for the poor and working people. Of course, hardest hit will be African-Americans and other oppressed groups. Whereas in the 50s and 60s Dixiecrats attempted to stop integration, particularly in the educational system, now the Dixiecans are attempting to deny healthcare to people of color. At the same time, the clowns are attempting to obstruct the right to vote for African-Americans and other oppressed people. Since Obamacare relies on Medicaid to cover low income people, their obstructionism is an assault on that health care plan.
As Lenin said, all reforms which have been won by working people under capitalism can and will be taken away by the bourgeoisie in times of economic crisis.
What can working people do? It turns out that there are many things that working people can do even under the repressive conditions in this country.
One thing that working people can do is to exercise their right to vote and organize politically. Since both Republicans and Democrats have revealed themselves to be friends of the wealthy and enemies of the people, it is high time for workers to organize their own political party and pursue their own political interests. It should be clear to all that this cannot be accomplished in either of the dominant political parties in the USA. In fact, Marx taught us that the interests of workers and the interests of the bourgeoisie are irreconcilable. Therefore, it is impossible for a bourgeois political party to adequately represent the interests of workers.
Another thing that the working class can do is to recognize the reality of the class struggle. It is clear that the bourgeoisie is engaging in class warfare well thought out and planned in an effort to extract all that is possible from workers and give them as little as possible in exchange. Until workers recognize the reality of what is happening, they cannot adequately respond to the onslaught on their meager gains by the wealthy.
In the current conditions, workers can also seek relief through progressive legislation. Of course, in order for this to be successful, working people must become much more powerful politically. If workers formed their own political party, and gain success at the polls, then they would have a reasonable chance of winning important victories including the implementation of socialism. Many changes are needed and were hoped for when Pres. Obama was elected. These hopes have been callously dashed as the current administration seeks to outdo the reactionary President Bush.
Working people have earned and recently lost universal suffrage. Working people have earned but not received universal healthcare. Working people have earned but not received universal access to education. Working people have earned but not received universal housing and freedom from extreme poverty. Working people have earned but not received universal access to free legal counsel. Working people have earned but not received freedom from racism, sexism and other forms of prejudicial discrimination. Working people have earned but not received the freedom from the threat of nuclear annihilation. Working people have earned but not received the freedom from the ravages of war and capitalist competition for global domination. Working people have earned but not received the freedom from unending capitalist crises.
Finally, workers can also seek relief through the criminal justice system. Although the behavior of the clowns running the government is laughable, it is also tragic and criminal. Shutting down the government is the highest form of treason and should be recognized as such. Denying the democratic rights of vast sectors of the population is also treasonous and should be recognized as such. Passive complicity with the treasonous actions of the right wing reactionaries by the centrists is also a form of treason.
The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) ruthlessly hounded innocent communists and imprisoned them for no reason. It is time for a new House Un-American Activities Committee to be convened to root out ruthlessly all treasonous people in the government (elected and nonelected) who have conspired to shut down the federal government, deny people healthcare and education and mounted a hateful assault on the democratic rights of workers and their families.
Communists participate in the May day march in Houston, 2012
