RCP's new REVOLUTION newspaper

[flyby]

The RCP's new Revolution newspaper for May 1st is now available online... redesigned for the intense days ahead with a new look and a hard-edged approach.

Its opening editorial "Invitation to Revolution:" says: "On this occasion of the May 1st holiday—we in the Revolutionary Communist Party are proud to introduce the first issue of Revolution newspaper! What you have in your hands is no ordinary newspaper. This newspaper is the voice of the Revolutionary Communist Party,USA and exists for no other reason than to play a role in the emancipation of humanity."

We need to go deep among the people with a vision of a radical new society! We need a paper that intensely takes on everything that is happening, ripping open the crimes of this system and the intense machinations of the Christian-fascists who are grabbing for power.

As that editorial says: "Today, at the very moment we are haunted by a new "Dark Ages" mentality, the communist project is going through a Renaissance, as Bob Avakian has reimagined the process of socialist revolution."

And this new newspaperis now in your hands!

"REVOLUTION has very ambitious plans—we plan to change the world! Corresponding to the radical future we aim to bring into being we see the role of a newspaper like this as critical. In times like these, the need for such a newspaper takes on an even greater role. And Revolution will assume even greater importance as the revolutionary situation develops, when people in their millions will be looking for guidance on how to live and how to die, and when the changing shape of public opinion will have very direct implications for the timing of a revolutionary uprising."

Check out that editorial: http://rwor.org/a/001/may-first-revolution.htm

And then, the RCP has called for a major effort to kick out this newspaper into every corner and sphere. There is a major effort to distribute 100,000 copies of Revolution and 5,000 copies of Bob Avakian's DVD "sampler."

And we can do something similar online.

Here are some key features to dig into:

first: this new issue itself:
http://rwor.org/home-e.htm

a mini-look at the front page:
http://rwor.org/i/logos/rev01en.jpg



The REvolution newspaper is also continuing to request your input for changes in look and style. Designers and artists: help this newspaper craft a cutting edge look for the communist project in the 21st century.

Submit new ideas for the masthead and look. http://rwor.org/a/001/revolution-welcome.htm

Obviously of great importance is a prominent piece entitled: If You Want to Change the World... You Need to Know Bob Avakian (and the title just speaks for itself&#33
http://rwor.org/a/001/avakian-need-to-know.htm

Check out some burning new political initiatives announced in this issue:

including a national speaking tour of revolutionary communists (bring them to your campus and community&#33
http://rwor.org/a/001/revolutionary-...ist-4-tour.htm

Oust bush...a call for a mass movement!
http://rwor.org/a/001/drive-bush-from-power.htm

an eyewitness reporting series from the tsunami zone by Revolution reporter Michael Slate
http://rwor.org/a/001/tsunami-after-sea-stood-up.htm

An article by artist Dread Scott (and RCP supporter) about the huge curtains artwork in central park (which contains some sharp statements about art and politics)
http://rwor.org/a/001/remembering-the-gates.htm

Folks! We really need to figure out an online version of this effort

[SonofRage]

[antieverything]

Exactly. Why do you morons expect Marxism-Leninism-Maoism to catch on here (or anywhere, really) and now? <_<

The saddest thing about it is that these lunatics seem to have no idea that they are an ineffectual fringe group...nobody knows about them and even if they did they really wouldn&#39;t give a damn. I know I don&#39;t&#33;

Why do they believe, with all their hearts, that a revolution of an outdated sort, with no basis in the experience or in the needs and desires of the masses of the people they claim to represent is coming soon (just as they and people like them have for decades)?

Because if they opened their eyes and honestly appraised the prospects for such a revolution now or at any time in this country, they would have to rethink their dogmatic/religious "ideas"...and perhaps, heaven forbid, even lose faith in the ability of some nerdy, aging Maoist to lead an armed struggle that can somehow be expected to topple the strongest military machine in the history of the world. That would be a mind-fuck for them, wouldn&#39;t it?


Revolution is more than insurrection...and your "dear leader" can&#39;t do it for us...we have to do it for ourselves.

Besides...nobody likes you and if you keep getting in our faces with this outdated crap we will be forced to burn your newspapers, find you at your meetings, and beat you in the streets until you stop trying to hijack the prospects for meaningful social change in the name of your idiot godhead.

Fuck Avakian. Fuck you. Fuck the RCP.

(Direct action gets the goods--not sucking Avakian&#39;s cock)

[SonofRage]

[flyby]

1) actually, sonofrage, have you noticed that the RCP is not using that symbol you are burning.

2) don&#39;t you have any interesting or enlightening comments to make about the changes the RCP is fighting to make....

3) don&#39;tyou even have a comment on their paper, its new look, and its content (the eye witness report from the earthquake zone, or the discussion of the role of a revolutionary press....)

4) And on the other content: not only is the RCP and Maoism going to catch on -- it is going to reshape the whole future of humanity..... (or else the forces that will be reshaping it will be horrific and extremely oppressive).

Can&#39;t you already tell the ways in which the political scene has openings? Many more people are discontent with the democrats and horrified by the republicans.... and are looking around. It is very important for revolutonary forces to be rather fearlessly in that mix -- putting forward a clear and uplifting communist vision of what is possible, even while uniting in struggle with many peole who are not "there" yet.

And if you don&#39;t think that is right, or correct or possible.....

Then at least put out on the table what YOU think the path forward is....

caus this is not a time for lethargy, or "leftist business as usual" or the tired sectarianism that sometimes bubbles out here.

Lets get down together, swap our ideas, critique what people are really saying, move past the glib and tired hostilities -- the hour is really getting late, and we have a responsibility to do our best and actually find a way to win.

[SonofRage]

Who cares about a new look when the same cultish stuff is inside? If RCP were to take power, I&#39;d be sure to end up in prison or dead. In the final analysis, we&#39;re not on the same side. You&#39;re a State-Capitalist. I have no interest in swapping the current ruling class for a new one.

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

Boredom leads to dictatorship. Think about that. :P

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Originally posted by SonofRage@May 6 2005, 01:28 AM
Who cares about a new look when the same cultish stuff is inside? If RCP were to take power, I&#39;d be sure to end up in prison or dead. In the final analysis, we&#39;re not on the same side. You&#39;re a State-Capitalist. I have no interest in swapping the current ruling class for a new one.

You wouldn&#39;t be the only one comrade.

Why even bother with RCPers though? How can you expect to have any meaningful debate with people who are applying a peasant revolution strategy to the U&#036;?

[flyby]

uh, maybe because the RCP is the most serous revolutionary group in the U.S. -- and the only one with a chance of actually leading a revolutoin?

Because it has a leader like Bob Avakian -- who is on a level never seen before on the U.S. left?

Because if you really want to change the world, if you are an internationalist and you dream of a future where humanity lifts class society from its back.... you have this party.

and this new Revolution newspaper: http://revcom.us

[SonofRage]

Originally posted by flyby@May 8 2005, 05:40 PM
uh, maybe because the RCP is the most serous revolutionary group in the U.S. -- and the only one with a chance of actually leading a revolutoin?

Because it has a leader like Bob Avakian -- who is on a level never seen before on the U.S. left?

See, this is why I sometimes lost my patience and react very badly to RCP. The sheer arrogance of this statement. You sound like a fundamentalist Christian claiming to worship the "one true God."

You make these gradiose claims as if they were absolutely true and indisputible. The fact is, you couldn&#39;t possibly know if RCP is "...the most serious revolutionary group in the U.S." You couldn&#39;t possible know that RCP is "the only one with a chance of actually leading a revolutoin"

A Fellow Worker and I got into a debate in Union Square a month or so ago with a member of the Spartacist League. This young woman claimed that "only our programme can lead to revolution." So, who is right? :P

I could easily say "the Industrial Workers of the World is the most serious revolutionary group in the US and we&#39;re the only ones with a chance to lead the revolution." This of course would be asburd because I couldn&#39;t possibly know such a thing. I could believe it (I don&#39;t) but I would never make such grandiose claims. Even if I believed such a thing, I certainly wouldn&#39;t tell my brothers in struggle in NEFAC, Bring the Ruckus, FRAC, etc such a thing).

How do you quantify a groups level of "revolutionaryness?" Does RCP sell a chart I could use? :P

[redstar2000]

While I find it perfectly understandable that people react viscerally to the Avakian-hype, I nevertheless think that the RCP is worth "paying attention to".

Why?

Well, for one thing, when they stop talking about Avakian, Mao, China, etc., they often have interesting and pertinent things to say about the country they (and I) live in.

Another thing to consider is that inspite of their small size, they seem to be more active than most present-day Leninist parties in the U.S. -- and action sometimes has a way of correcting bad theory.

After the Avakian-generation retires (including Avakian himself, of course), it&#39;s not beyond the realm of possibility that the RCP could evolve in a very interesting -- more revolutionary -- direction.

I read the blogs of some of the younger members (people in the RCYB)...and detect a hint of change in the air.

Possibly I am being over-optimistic or over-imaginative or both; it&#39;s pretty rare for a Leninist party to move leftwards -- normally they move rightwards over time.

I would also point out something else which may be significant. If you look at most Leninist parties (at least in the U.S.), you learn pretty quickly that unless you&#39;re "ready to buy", they&#39;re really not interested in discussing things with you...especially publicly.

The RCP&#39;s message board -- AWIP -- seems to be highly unusual in that regard...they are more than willing to discuss controversial matters at considerable length. There are "no go" areas, of course -- details of the RCP&#39;s practice, gripes of former members, etc. will rarely be tolerated or receive substantive responses. But if you want to seriously argue that Avakian&#39;s latest revelation is utterly divorced from material reality (for example), hell, they&#39;ll pitch right in and "wrangle".

That&#39;s a very "risky" thing for a Leninist party to do; it suggests both extraordinary confidence in their line but also opens the gates to potential changes in that line from outside the party.

So while I&#39;m pretty indifferent to the sites of other Leninist parties in the U.S., I find myself returning to the AWIP site every day or two...just to have a look at what&#39;s happening there.

It&#39;s not RevLeft...but it&#39;s not just another ho-hum Leninist site either.

[Anarchist Freedom]

Originally posted by redstar2000@May 9 2005, 10:05 AM


Well, for one thing, when they stop talking about Avakian, Mao, China, etc., they often have interesting and pertinent things to say about the country they (and I) live in.

They actually stop talking about avakian?&#33;

[Poum_1936]

They actually stop talking about avakian?&#33;

Only when Avakian is talking :P

As for the AWIP forums. I have seen enough people labeled as Kautskyite and reformist and act as if this was the big winner in the debate. Mostly during conversations with Trotsky in them.

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by Anarchist Freedom
They actually stop talking about Avakian?&#33;

Well, the younger ones do.

Here are some examples...

Refutation of "Plotting Fear: The Uses of Terror in Peru"

Refutation of "It&#39;s Not Easy Here in Katmandu: Caught between the Maoist Rebels and the king&#39;s army"

How They Deceive Women: My Visit to a "Pregnancy Resource Center"

The "great leader" goes entirely unmentioned in these three pieces...which makes some excellent writing even better.

[KC]

One of the greatest threats to the revolution being talked about is one "great leader". One person who can lead us to victory. Guess what. NO ONE PERSON IS NEEDED TO ENSURE VICTORY. When people start believing this is when dictatorship comes up. It&#39;s how Hitler and Fidel came to power (probably more, but I&#39;m not going to make uneducated assumptions).

[shadows]

Originally posted by flyby@May 8 2005, 09:40 PM


and this new Revolution newspaper

This is sort of a snide remark, but deletion of &#39;worker&#39; from the paper seems a concession to consistency. I&#39;ve read the paper off and on for quite some years, and have observed that less space is given to union and traditional working class issues than in other left papers. Why? Has the working class disappeared? Or is the U.S. proletariat bourgeoisified as the MIM declares?

[13Commnists]

This is sort of a snide remark, but deletion of &#39;worker&#39; from the paper seems a concession to consistency. I&#39;ve read the paper off and on for quite some years, and have observed that less space is given to union and traditional working class issues than in other left papers. Why? Has the working class disappeared? Or is the U.S. proletariat bourgeoisified as the MIM declares?

I think this is do to the RCP&#39;s leaderships roots in the New Left. I don&#39;t really know but that&#39;s a guest.

[shadows]

The precursor to the RCP was the Revolutionary Union, and its paper circa early seventies (prior to 1976, I think) was titled Revolution. Today&#39;s RCP organ a throwback?

[Raisa]

Originally posted by shadows+May 10 2005, 07:42 AM--> (shadows &#064; May 10 2005, 07:42 AM)

flyby

@May 8 2005, 09:40 PM


and this new Revolution newspaper

This is sort of a snide remark, but deletion of &#39;worker&#39; from the paper seems a concession to consistency. I&#39;ve read the paper off and on for quite some years, and have observed that less space is given to union and traditional working class issues than in other left papers. Why? Has the working class disappeared? Or is the U.S. proletariat bourgeoisified as the MIM declares? [/b]

The revolutionary worker talked alot more about police brutality and things happening in the ghetto.....

SO dont worry about it then... other leftist papers talked about "traditional issues"....why does the revolutionary worker have to all the time? Has the people in the ghetto disapeared?

I think it is a good thing that at least one "party" in the us actually seems to give a damn about the real shit and take the time to deal with it and go into peoples neighborhoods and interview them and write about their lives and struggles. The whole world is not "traditional labor issues"...

[shadows]

Originally posted by Raisa@May 14 2005, 03:56 AM


I think it is a good thing that at least one "party" in the us actually seems to give a damn about the real shit and take the time to deal with it and go into peoples neighborhoods and interview them and write about their lives and struggles.

Yes, and the neighborhoods are occupied with workers, either directly or indirectly related to these traditional left-labor concerns like the grocery workers strike (very little coverage in RW).