Communist Party USA held its 27th National Convention July 6-8, 2001 at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.

Unity of labor and the people against the right-wing corporate agenda! The road to economic and political victories in the 21st Century

This is indeed a momentous time to convene the 27th convention of the Communist Party, USA.

A right-wing political offensive and spreading economic crisis is setting the stage for broad labor led militant struggles. The outcome of these struggles will set the direction for our nation for the decade to come. Seldom have the stakes been higher.

The right-wing corporate assault is now nearly two decades old. It coincides with a new level of capitalist globalization and continues with growing ferocity.

With Bush’s theft of the Presidency in last year’s election, the most reactionary sections of the transnational corporations and banks now have a vise-like grip on all three branches of our federal government.

The ultra right is utilizing this stranglehold over the nation’s federal political structure to ruthlessly seize greater political power and to impose its reactionary program.

Unless this assault is rebuffed by the American people, democratic rights, including the right to vote, to strike and to organize, will be severely curtailed. Racial and gender oppression will be intensified to the extreme, The environment will be savaged. The war danger will grow. And living standards and job opportunities will dramatically shrink.

And obscene corporate profits will continue to be extracted from the unrelenting exploitation of our nation’s working class.

It is no exaggeration to say that our nation is at a crossroads. One road leads to democratic renewal and social progress; the other to economic misery, racism, restriction of rights and liberties, and even the possibility of war.

Struggles of the last century taught us that the road to progress is not a smooth and unimpeded path that steadily moves forward. Nevertheless, we bring to Milwaukee a deep sense of confidence that even at this perilous moment, people’s victories are nonetheless within reach.

Our confidence rests on this undeniable fact – a mighty people’s coalition led by labor is emerging to challenge the transnational corporations and their political mouthpieces in Washington and across the nation. Joining with the working class, racially and nationally oppressed people, and women are an even broader group of allies, including youth, faith based people, immigrants, farmers, seniors, anti-globalization activists, environmentalists, and gay and lesbian people.

Not since the 1930s has our great nation witnessed the birth of a people’s coalition of this size and scope. If it grows and matures, it has the power to radically restructure political and economic life in the interests of the overwhelming majority of the American people.

What better time to convene a national convention of the Communist Party!

Indeed, our convention will reverberate with the spirit of the marches, rallies, strikes, and demonstrations as well as the electoral and legislative battles of this new era of class and democratic struggles. It will dance and sing to the beat of the working class and people’s movements and cultures.

Objective developments and our Party’s strategic and tactical concepts will be examined with a fresh eye, with a sense of lan, and with a conviction that this is a new political moment, bursting with promise and possibility as well as danger.

At the same time, we will renew our commitment to further develop our guiding theory of Marxism-Leninism as well as reaffirm our goal of ‘Bill of ‘Rights’ socialism – a society in which working people and their allies are in the seats of power and full political, economic and human rights are guaranteed for all people.

This will be a historic convention. Participants will not only analyze the world as it is, but find ways to deepen their level of engagement with the labor and people’s movements in the great struggles of our time. The convention must also take on the challenge of building a bigger and bolder Communist Party and Young Communist League.

To our convention we invite our friends and coalition partners as well as fraternal representatives of the world communist movement. We look forward to exchanging views on the great issues and challenges facing our country and world.

The hallmark of this era of intensifying struggles can be summed up in a few words – unity, unity, and still more unity.

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