Recognition of the extreme right danger personified by Trump and his billionaire buddies to attack human rights and democracy becomes ever more important as the political struggle intensifies.  Section III, The Working Class, Class Struggle and Forces for Progress, help connect the dots that constrain the world we want with the reality we face to make a better world possible.

As I read the opening remarks on P. 14-18 to the struggle between workers and capital, AKA boss man, the vast complexity, diversity and dignity of the U.S. workforce unfolded as a means to understand “a way out of the turmoil of populist ideology” used by Trump to divide the majority.  The nature of capitalist exploitation and imperialist treachery is better understood through the lens of Marxist-Leninism scientific socialism that guides our effort to change the world.

The idea that workers can run society without capitalists but capitalists cannot function without workers is a revolutionary concept, hidden beneath layers of exploitation, racism, sexism, homophobia, greed and insensitivity by the capitalist class to maintain control over the masses.

Though changing demographics in the USA are used to stoke fear and hatred of immigrants by neo-fascist, neo-conservative white supremacists, class conscious trade unionism (P. 15) as a precondition to developing greater socialist consciousness is the crux of the matter.  It is a key element to building consensus, unity and cohesion to reverse Trump administration attacks on our social and economic gains and expand the franchise of voter rights.

For example, in Central and Eastern Washington, there is a large Hispanic population with deep roots in the community.  Although Washington State has an above average union density, creating international bonds between US unions and other countries has a powerful influence to counteract Republican sentiment where many people are intimidated by the politics of inclusion.  The conclusion (P.17) that “a new stage of capitalist globalization demands a new level of labor internationalism to unite all workers, regardless of nationality or ideology – to jointly confront our common enemy” is more than a challenge.  It is a correct strategy to engage the active involvement and participation of social forces for progress and social movements for progress to augment the power of unions in order to rebuild the strength of the working class.

Black Lives Matter, the student/Labor alliance, the Moral Monday movement, anti-gun violence advocates, #Me Too, and a rejuvenated Democratic House majority all point the way forward to break the ruling class stranglehold on our democracy.

Finally, three (3) prime examples of the Communist Plus illustrate the value of working class internationalism.  On P.17, paragraph 1, sentence 2, “As in the past, when capital’s production expands to new, wider forms, labor’s organization must do so as well, or lose its leverage in the fight against capital.”  This was addressed above in the form that we are many; they are few.

On P. 24, paragraph 5, last sentence:  “Many people who immigrate to the U.S. looking for economic survival are refugees from the economic policies of US imperialism and the neo-colonial, neo-liberal ‘free trade’ exploitation experienced around the world.”  In my opinion, this could be considered a quote from Commandante Fidel Castro who spoke often about the problem of unequal trade as the source of ever-growing economic crisis in balance of trade payments between developed and developing countries.

On P.30 in the part on the Jewish Community and Anti-Semitism:  “One point of connection between the Jewish Community and the working class movement is opposition to efforts of the extreme right to erase the separation of church and state in order to favor their religious fundamentalist allies.”  I agree completely.  The alt-right Identitarian practice of racial intolerance and discrimination against ethnic groups only reinforces Trump’s goal to win reelection.  There is no conceivable environmental, social or economic advantage to build a border wall at taxpayer expense.

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