QI’m a sophomore in high school and I have had strong relations with the views of the Party. I am wondering what I should tell my classmates if they ask what the views of the CPUSA are?
AI was a communist during high school as well, surrounded by many people who hadn’t quite formed their political views yet. It’s hard to explain communism to a young audience that is perhaps not familiar with socialist concepts—especially when we are attending schools that indoctrinate us in the ways of capitalism. Our main goal at this point is to help people achieve class consciousness. Explaining Marxist ideas (like putting the means of production into the hands of the workers) is a great way to bring your friends and others to this consciousness.
So, what do we believe exactly? Like I said, putting the means of production into the hands of the workers is one of the foundational beliefs of the party. Another is true democracy— we want to revolutionize society by putting the people in control.
Communism eventually means, in Marx’s words, a “withering away of the state,” where things like police and jails are no longer needed as people are better able to manage their society without the overarching control of a punishing body. But we’re taking small steps through socialism, hoping to create a true democracy that can replace the pseudo-democracy we live in now, which has been corrupted by gerrymandering and disproportionate representation, among other things. And simple bullets points of what we believe can be:
- Universal healthcare;
- Guaranteed housing, food, and education;
- Ending racism, sexism, homo- and transphobia, and all forms of oppression;
- Putting people and planet before profits!
Hope this helps.
So, what do we believe exactly? Like I said, putting the means of production into the hands of the workers is one of the foundational beliefs of the party. Another is true democracy— we want to revolutionize society by putting the people in control.
Communism eventually means, in Marx’s words, a “withering away of the state,” where things like police and jails are no longer needed as people are better able to manage their society without the overarching control of a punishing body. But we’re taking small steps through socialism, hoping to create a true democracy that can replace the pseudo-democracy we live in now, which has been corrupted by gerrymandering and disproportionate representation, among other things. And simple bullets points of what we believe can be:
- Universal healthcare;
- Guaranteed housing, food, and education;
- Ending racism, sexism, homo- and transphobia, and all forms of oppression;
- Putting people and planet before profits!
Hope this helps.
Author
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Emma Smith has been a member of the Communist party since mid-2018. She is an English and Philosophy major at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
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