"Walking on the Path of the Vanguard"
Viewing Chairman Avakian's speech in the heart of the
barrio
Revolutionary Worker #1243, June 13,
2004, posted at
http://rwor.org
"This was a great event: to hear the words of the leader who
speaks to us with the truth, who takes things apart with such a
clear analysis, who teaches us with a science that advances our
understanding." So it was described by an organizer of the May
Day showing of the video clip.
On May 1st, in a restaurant in the Pico-Union section of Los
Angeles, a group of a dozen Latino proletarians and others
gathered to watch the video clip of the historic speech by
Chairman Avakian, "Revolution: Why It's Necessary, Why It's
Possible, What It's All About." The event was sponsored by
Libros Revolución. There were immigrants from Mexico and
Central America, some of whom heard about it at the earlier
Immigrant Workers March. There were revolutionary communists
and members of La Resistencia. One woman makes a living as a
street vendor, and stayed up the night before to study the
speech excerpt that was in the Obrero Revolucionario .
An African American nurse who attended was thrilled by the
multi-national gathering.
After the clip was over, an immigrant woman from Mexico rose
to her feet and spoke from her heart: "When was I ever going to
meet up with an analysis that made me feel sane and whole? The
things you think and feel weigh on your heart because you can't
understand: Why do we live in such desperation, without any
real reason for the fact that no matter how hard you work, you
don't have enough money to survive? You just can't understand
why they're fighting this senseless war, where they're killing
innocent people - for what?
"It's here that I can understand and express things. It's
this leader and this newspaper that gives me the courage to
express things that I'm drowning in. It makes me feel that,
yes! we can unite and struggle to seize power and bring about
change."
An immigrant man from Mexico spoke of the struggle he had
with his friend to win him over to come. He almost didn't come
because he felt he had nothing to say and that if he were asked
a question he wouldn't be able to respond. The man continued,
"In this system the common people have no right to speak or
have opinions. Supposedly we don't have the intellect to study
science. Science is only for the higher classes to own and to
use. This leader gives the ability to understand that science
is not something unreachable. Like he says, we shouldn't be
afraid to use this science and it's important to understand
that we have the ability and the right to do it. The people
need this so much!"
Another immigrant woman rose to her feet, struggling to
control the emotion in her voice: "I'm feeling a great emotion,
like I feel like I want to cry: to be able to analyze and
understand things like, `What is monopoly?' These are words
that have to do with a science and yes, we can understand, use
and analyze them. When has anyone given us, the ones on the
bottom, the chance to understand, analyze and participate in a
debate like this? To be able to break things down with a
correct understanding fills us with confidence and courage, so
that today and even right now we are walking on the path of the
vanguard, doing something brand new, something that belongs to
the future."
Can you hear them? The voices of those forced into the
shadows--they long for a leader who can show them the reason
for their stolen lives and a path to liberation. When the
conscious proletariat hears Bob Avakian they can recognize that
he is rare and unique and irreplaceable. Who could argue then
that they would not embrace this leader who links their lives
to their historic mission to bring about a communist future?
Who would call on them to fight for anything less than the
liberation of humankind?
Listen... they're playing our song. Can you hear it? "The
Internationale."... "We have been naught, WE SHALL BE ALL!...We
must each one decide our duty, we must decide and do it
well..."
This article is posted in English and Spanish on
Revolutionary Worker Online
http://rwor.org
Write: Box 3486, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: 773-227-4066 Fax: 773-227-4497
This piece was either written by a crackpot or by an agent provocateur trying to make the left look ridiculous in the eyes of any sane person who reads it.
No doubt if it isn't a spook post it would be salted with all sorts of agencies. They would be the ones paying dues.
I sense fear from above.
Good.
...FOR ME TO POOP ON!
After the clip was over, an immigrant woman from Mexico rose to her feet and spoke from her heart: "When was I ever going to meet up with an analysis that made me feel sane and whole?
Right. What ILLEGAL knows a big word like "analysis."
VIVA LA MIGRA!
I don't know which is funnier. The above insult of the woman's statement... or the original statement.
I've never met an analysis I didn't like, at least a little bit, simply because it's analysis and not mystification.
I've met many analyses, some quite frightening and multi-tentacled, like a gorgon's head. Too complicated, but, there was something entracing about all the snakes. It seemed like this analysis wouldn't stop talking (not unlike yours truly).
I met an analysis at a high tech conference once. He was smooth and sleek, and simple, like a iPod, but, something told me that underneath the simple surface, the analysis was held together with double-sided sticky tape and bent bits of aluminum.
Lately, though, the analysis I like to hang out with is Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. HUP is telling me that I can't observe a situation without affecting it. I try to go with that flow. If asking a question can change the world, why not try to ask good questions, and hope for good outcomes.