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this extended government shutdown could actually be a revolutionary moment, if the US left had actually established a revolutionary base capable of acting on it. imagine with me for a second:
a million furloughed federal workers across the country go without pay, and leftist organizations everywhere show up at their doorsteps with money similar to a strike fund, or at the very least, organized food programs in every place they are affected
infrastructure begins shutting down. parks, transit, etc. aren't staffed. the wings of local leftist organizations invested in those issues begin to step up and fill those roles, in a visibly politicized capacity.
imagine if everywhere the state failed, a leftist organization was ready to step in and say "we can do this. we know how to do this, we are ready to this, and we will do this."
imagine what that would signal to the people
imagine what that would signal to the people
one part of having a revolutionary base means having organized groups of leftist ready such that when moments like this occur, the left is able to step in and say "we can do this", and demonstrate that to people
a revolution takes a base and a moment (which, of course, are both abstractions over much broader concept) and you cannot do without either. a moment without a base will be unrealized, a base without a moment has no fuel to burn.
our job from moment to moment is to build that base such that when a moment occurs, we are ready. we are ready with money and food and shelter, and we are ready with organizations and communications, and when it comes down to it, with guns and ammunition.
revolutionary moments are rarely anything you can predict, plan, or instigate. but what you can do is build organizations that are so imminently ready, that as soon as the moment occurs, they can step in to act. that is our task, such that we do not miss the next moment.
addendum: if you have a marxist center group in your area, many of them are engaged in this style of work. sadly as affiliation just happened, there's not really a centralized list i can point you to, but reach out if you're in a major urban area and i might be able to link you.
if you want to read some of the practices guiding the marxist center, as well as a practical guide for engaging in this style of work, i heavily recommend reading this document. if there's not a group in your area...you can always start one. docs.google.com/document/d/1_5…
update: there is now a thread collecting groups that have affiliated with the marxist center! if you want to get involved with work readying a revolutionary base, you should check out this thread and see if there's something in your area!
