- The Guardian
- Issue #2123
The Russian Revolution in 1917 changed forever our understanding of what ordinary men and women can – and did – achieve in building a nationalised, planned economy, liberating women and oppressed minorities, providing employment, education, health, housing and cultural opportunities for all members of society.
An alternative to capitalism emerged, proving it was possible to run society without capitalists, inequalities, exploitation, or poverty.
The anniversary of this epochal event provides us with an opportunity and a stimulus to consider how we can use its example for the betterment of the Australian people.
Today capitalism has bought us to an existential crisis. Millions are faced with unemployment, poverty, cuts, and austerity. Millions more have become refugees. Indigenous communities are ravaged. The very survival of the planetary ecology is threatened by the uncontrolled capitalist market economy and its drive for profits.
If we are to effectively fight back against this onslaught, left and progressive forces in Australia must be united in action to change our world as the people did in 1917.
The aim must be to co-operation, coalitions and alliances between the left and progressive forces in the first place to strengthen people’s struggles, numerically, politically and ideologically.
It is to build struggles and fight for policies for the people, against the interests of the transnational corporations, against the neoliberal, pro-big business policies being foisted on us by governments of all shades.
In building this mass movement, we must win support for the idea that more fundamental, more lasting change in the people’s interest can be brought about by co-operation and being to a higher level.
The working class has the leading role to play in building an alternative political movement capable of challenging the economic and political power of capitalism in our country. The working class has this leading role because of its central social position, its strength, organisational capacity and experience in struggle. The struggles of the organised working class for its demands and the struggles of progressive and community organisations are not contradictory processes. They are complementary.
We need to connect the working class with other sections of society which are its potential allies. Working class struggles, especially organised trade union ones, should always reach out to the community for support.
There’s always good reason for such support and many practical ways it can be expressed. Progressive community struggles should always seek the involvement and strength of the working class and trade union movement.
This movement exists now. Overall, it does not have a loud voice, it is not very united and it does not have mass support from working people. Nonetheless, it is with us in many areas where we work.
There will be many (there are already some) coalitions in the union area, in the peace field, and among community organisations. We have to get more people involved with the many struggles going on now.
Our job is to work with others to help build the movement, make it stronger in a good direction, and win more support for it.
This work will never be a straight road with everyone marching down it together, it is a messy, complicated process. Advances can be made in one area, around one issue. Then circumstances change and some gains may be lost.
We have to find the ways to make the gains last; to strengthen co-operation, coalitions and alliances between the various forces. We need alliances which are fruitful, and become longer-term.
We need a strong Communist Party of Australia presence in the mass movement because an advanced perspective of left and progressive unity combined with good policies will be a strong unifying force, enabling a change of direction of politics in Australia.
Our job is to make an alliance of left and progressive forces work. We have no other choice if we are to respond to the inspiration of the Russian Revolution and achieve social progress in our own country.
