Educational: Classes and the State

New York Police Department officers stand in formation after arresting multiple protesters marching after curfew on Fifth Avenue in New York. John Minchillo / AP

Not only should we differentiate between the bourgeois and proletarian state, it is also imperative to discuss the necessity of revolution. The existing bourgeois state will not simply cease to exist one day—the proletarian revolution will destroy it. Leading up to and building the forces of revolution will consist of an immeasurable amount of actions, such as reading groups, forming unions, obtaining momentary concessions, joining Communist Parties, strikes, building Dual Power, and much more. These all are necessary actions, and communists should support them in various ways, but by themselves they will not end capitalism. The working class, guided by the professional revolutionary vanguard—the Marxist-Leninist Party—will carry out the revolution and destroy the bourgeois state.

The proletariat will destroy the bourgeois state, not use it for their own purpose. Destroying the existing state may seem counter-intuitive, a state already exists so why would the proletariat build anew? The bourgeois state exists for the bourgeoisie and has their interests in mind. The laws, the armed forces, the prisons, and all the other oppressive systems are meant to be used against the proletariat to extend class struggle. Taking that state, the one meant to oppress the proletariat, would conflict with their interests. Likewise, the proletariat does not only begin building the state after a revolution; the elements of the proletarian state begin construction  leading up to the revolution. Dual power is an especially key aspect—a power that exists alongside the bourgeois state and can consist of, among other things, community policing and mutual aid to help combat the oppressive nature of the state and many of its legislative attacks on the working class. 

Consider This!

Every ruling class has its own revolution associated with it. Just like the bourgeois revolution overthrew the aristocracy, the proletarian revolution will overthrow the bourgeoisie!

The language of a “dictatorship” is daunting to many people, primarily due to the lack of realization that the proletariat already lives in a dictatorship every single day: a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. The proletariat cannot be blamed for coming to such a conclusion; they are faced with decades, sometimes centuries of propaganda, telling them the opposite. Imperialist media will often speak of and justify imperialism by claiming they are defending democracy, preserving freedom, or other idealist reasons.

How the State uses Oppressed Minorities

Control of the media, laws, police, prisons, education, and more gives the bourgeois state immense power to write almost any narrative it chooses. The narrative that it decides on is that there is no dictatorship of the bourgeoisie, everyone has the same opportunities through hard work, and the existence of rich and poor people is simply a fact of life. These are, of course, all lies. The bourgeois state obscures class struggle in nearly immeasurable ways—one of which is pitting the working class against themselves. Factors motivating the bourgeois state to continue their oppression are primarily the continued profiting and pillaging of the world while also stopping proletarian revolution; the only act that will cause their dictatorship to end (other than human extinction).

Before developing class consciousness, the proletariat does not see itself as a single, united working class. The proletariat often sees countless divisions in itself such as viewing themselves as members of the middle, upper-middle, or lower-middle class and some hold backwards views including various forms of bigotry and xenophobia. The bourgeoisie did not invent racism, nor is the bourgeoisie the sole reason it exists; the bourgeoisie does utilize racism and other forms of backwardness and division to their own advantage—to reinforce their dictatorship. The bourgeois state recognizes and amplifies these views through education and mass-media. The bourgeoisie’s response to immigration is one way that they amplify racism and other backwards views. Immigration is often painted as a boogeyman—villainizing the people trying to enter the country for reasons such as “taking our jobs” or “putting a burden on the healthcare system”. Sometimes walls are built to keep people out, and there are strict laws in place, so that even if someone does enter, they can further be villainized by calling them illegal. These actions are often done in a way that purposefully furthers bourgeois nationalism, racism, xenophobia, and similar counterrevolutionary and anti-worker ideas. The bourgeoisie benefits from these actions because they obscure class struggle. Some workers are angrier at immigrants than they are at their bosses that are paying them pitiful wages while taking home enough for yachts, mansions, space flight, multiple houses, and more. Some are angrier at the LGTBQ+ community than they are at their elected officials, as no actual change happens to benefit the working class, and more rights are taken away. Workers become divided and the bourgeoisie has no reason to fear divided workers.

Minority communities on the receiving end of hyper oppression by the state have great revolutionary potential. The most oppressed of the working class have been harmed and affected the most, and have the most to gain from proletarian revolution. These members of the working class are important to the revolutionary struggle—proletarian revolution is not only straight, white males. The proletariat consists of the whole of the diverse working class, and as communist agitation continues, the struggles become more intertwined—the contradiction between bourgeoisie and proletariat will sharpen. The bourgeoisie only has one fear—the revolutionary, united working class—and they will do anything they can to stop it from coming into existence; from establishing a dictatorship of the proletariat.