“Mass Struggle for a Better World”: PLP and the Radical Caucus bring revolutionary ideas and organizing once more to the annual MLA convention

Members of the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) have been organizing in the Modern Language Association (MLA) since the late 1960s, primarily in the Radical Caucus, which was founded in 1968 to protest and denounce the Vietnam War. At this year’s MLA convention in Toronto in January, Party members worked closely with MLA friends to get a Radical Caucus resolution passed condemning the doxxing, firing, and deportation of faculty protesting the U.S.-funded genocide in Gaza.  We also intensified discussion with our friends about what is needed to build an anti-fascist movement in the current moment. We organized three panels: a guaranteed session on “Radical Lineages,” a virtual “Just-in-Time” session, “Organizing Against the Dismantling of Higher Education,” and a third panel on normalization of the ecological crisis by global capitalism. Helped by ongoing  communication with comrades unable to attend the convention, our small but bold group brought communist ideas and organizing strategies to the convention.

Pushing the MLA 

Our task was harder because many MLA members left last year when the MLA leadership refused to consider a resolution calling for the boycott, divestment, and sanction of organizations doing business with Israel. We stayed because the MLA is a key site of struggle with academic workers.

Prior to the convention, we held several sessions with members and friends of the Party to discuss our tactics. Along with hundreds of Radical Caucus flyers and copies of CHALLENGE, we blitzed chosen sessions and laid out our politics in our special one-page MLA CHALLENGE:

This might seem like a strange time to talk at the MLA about the possible communist future buried somewhere under the fascist rubble. Communists in the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) disagree. . . . It is precisely because the crisis we face in higher education is rooted in the broader crisis in global capitalism—and the threat of global war--that we must think beyond the idealist myths of bourgeois democracy. Fascism is not just undemocratic authoritarianism; it is a mode of capitalist class rule resorted to in “polycrises”; of economic stagnation, fading political legitimacy and proliferating war. The only antidote to a system based upon the brutal pursuit of profit is its revolutionary transcendence by an egalitarian system of mass participation based upon the fulfillment of human needs--communism.

Now is the time to join PLP!

There is a mass base for fascism in many parts of the planet. About this we cannot fool ourselves. But there is also a mass hunger for a better world. The millions who have been marching and striking against genocide and xenophobia around the world embody what the U.S. proletarian writer Tillie Olsen called “the not-yet in the now.” Repression breeds resistance. As Palestinian author and revolutionary Ghassan Kanafani wrote, “Resistance is the essence.” Communism is the future and that requires a communist party. This could be the time to join PLP!

At the Open Hearing for Resolutions, as well as at the Delegate Assembly itself, we refuted the well-organized pro-Zionist activists who repeated the familiar mantra equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism. When our resolution came to a vote, the MLA Delegate Assembly voted in favor of it 61-52, no small victory given the current intimidation of faculty opposed to the new McCarthyism. However, to become official, the MLA Delegate Assembly vote must be ratified by an affirmative mail vote of 10 percent of the total MLA membership – or about 2,000 members, a new requirement instituted several years ago which makes final endorsement of any resolution difficult.

Demonstrating the increasing duplicity of the leadership of many academic professional organizations is the action taken by the leadership of the American Historical Association Convention (AHA), which met at the same time as the MLA and passed the exact same resolution as ours as well as a second BDS resolution. At their convention,  AHA delegates forced its leadership -- which had earlier disqualified both resolutions -- to bring both of them back to the floor; however,  despite their members overwhelmingly passing both of them, the AHA leadership once more rejected both, stating they were redundant.

At the MLA Convention we met at least a dozen interested people—and possible future members of the Radical Caucus. These new friends attended our annual meeting, leafletted with us at the Delegate Assembly, and joined us in exposing the specious claims of the Zionists.

Young comrades take the helm

One of the important developments of our work at this MLA convention was the leadership provided by younger Party members and close friends of the Party. For several decades the main leadership of Party work has been primarily carried out by senior faculty, including those who have recently retired. This year, younger comrades provided the key leadership of our Radical Caucus work at the MLA convention. Entering planning for this year’s MLA, some of us had doubts that we would continue to sustain the level of communist activism that has characterized our work for the past decade. By the time we headed home, those doubts had disappeared.

The working class in Cuba, already struggling under the failure of an economy based on partnering with other capitalists countries, is coming under vicious attack from the Trump bosses cut off of all oil imports. Power is severely rationed as is gas. Unless something changes, oil will run out in days. Meaning no power, no phones, hospitals revert to barbaric conditions, and no refrigeration for food.

The Trump fascists have threatened tariffs against any country that sends oil to Cuba, As a result all oil shipments have been halted. Cuba requires approximately 100,000 barrels of oil a day, most of it came from Venezuela. Since the Trump deal with the Venezuelan ruling class to give U.S. bosses control of Venezulan oil that source is gone. The Trump bosses also threatened tariffs against any country sending oil to Cuba, effectively shutting down all oil imports, in an attempt to force the Cuban government out or to cut a deal with Trump.

Cuban Socialism historically built an education and healthcare system that was among the best in the world at serving the needs of the majority of the working class. At the same time the Cuban ruling class relied on partnerships with capitalism around the world. Most notably through building an economy based on a separate tourist economy that celebrated inequality and encouraged corruption and exploitation. 

COVID effectively shutdown tourism and with it the influx of foreign money. A second important source of foreign money was lost when Brazil, Ecuador and Bolivia shut down the programs that paid Cuba to send doctors to them. The working class has borne the brunt of the ensuing crisis. Inflation has been over 30% a year since the pandemic and the Cuban peso has lost 88% of its value. Which makes the purchase of even necessities extremely difficult (Cuba’s national Office of Statistics ad Information).

Now the brutal cut off of oil brings more pain for the working class. Enough is enough! The Cuban working class after courageously overthrowing the U.S. backed dictator Bautista over 60 years ago, has been left at the mercy of U.S. imperialism by the Castro’s and the Cuban ruling class building a society reliant on capitalism instead of a society that puts the working class in power communism. The working class must never make that mistake again.

Liberal pols still toxic!

It’s no secret that when those of us in the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) state that liberal bosses are the greatest long-term danger to our class, many honest workers and students around us recoil at the message. After all, how can we say they’re more deadly, as Trump directs his racist goons to snatch workers out of their cars and homes and shoot them dead in broad daylight?

Our organization’s line – grounded in practice and the material world – remains valid and we must continue to fight to win the masses to see the liberal rulers for who they are. Case in point is Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s recent executive order that directs the local kkkops to “identify and document” immigration agents abusing the rights of people in the city with the idea that later those same agents could be prosecuted in court.

What Mayor Johnson essentially is pushing is that workers in Chicago confide in the police department to help us in our struggle against the ICE Gestapo. Chicago Police Department! Johnson wants us to ally ourselves with the same racist force that murdered LaQuan McDonald, Rekia Boyd, Adam Toledo, Dexter Reed and far too many others. The same racist force that has tortured, harassed and disappeared countless members of our class, and to this day still pays out tens of millions annually in misconduct settlements.

Liberal bosses like Johnson and even a Democratic Socialist like Zohran Mamdani in New York are so toxic to our class because they peddle the myth that the system can be radically reformed to meet all workers’ needs equitably, which history has always shown to be false. They blunt and cheapen the real collective fightback and class struggle organized by the working class against ICE across the country by encouraging us to seek justice within the boundaries of capitalist law. Even if some ICE racists are prosecuted, it’ll be a drop in the bucket for the global state terror apparatus that serves the bosses.

The international working class needs communism more than ever. Today and in the future, the social fascist misleaders will be the chief obstacle for our class uniting around a genuine revolutionary movement, while the capitalist system that they defend hurdles towards a broader and potentially nuclear conflict. When push comes to shove, they will sacrifice millions of working-class people into the jaws of imperialist carnage.

There are no good politicians or cops in a racist and genocidal system! Let’s continue to be in the spaces where the workers are at so we can win them to the Party and a real fighting communist alternative.
*****

From unequal exchange to workers’ unity

I presented at the Unequal Exchange Conference in the Twenty First Century Conference in Amsterdam this past week. The concept of unequal exchange was developed by Arrighiri Emmanuel and Samir Amin. The essence of the idea is that by calculating the labor value of exports from low wage countries you will often find that there is a net loss, even though the classical economists say trade is always win-win. Jason Hickel recently made these calculations precise. This means a lot of work goes into social reproduction in poor countries (sometimes called the global south or the third world): caring for children and elders, feeding and entertaining workers, building and maintaining housing. In the first world (which can be called the rich countries or the global north) this reproductive labor is supplemented by imports. So this creates a situation where capital accumulates in the global north. Reformist labor movements have historically demanded bosses “share the wealth” rather than leading the working class to unite with their international siblings in labor. Some of the adherents to the unequal exchange theory assert that the global north working classes will never make revolution; they deny the essential unity of the working class. They suggest only an alliance of bosses and workers in the global south can create a revolutionary situation by first “rebalancing” the terms of trade. We correctly reject this as economism -- meaning the philosophy that economic incentives are the best way to motivate human behavior. I raised this point at the conference in the Q & A, and the response was positive. We believe in politics in command. Workers of the world must unite internationally based on a political commitment. They should rebel against reformist misleaders who call on them to ally with bosses of any nation, race or gender. This rebellion will create a revolutionary situation for the final seizure of power.

I was a little nervous about joining the conference, but many of the presenters were also supportive of an international working class alliance. The fascinating academic presentations proposed many innovations for measuring, analyzing, or even for recognizing where measurements can’t describe what workers know. On the third day of the conference, organizers from Palestine Action in the UK, which sabotaged the Israeli military contractor Elbit Systems’ factories, spoke about how they were able to sharpen the struggle by organizing labo . In some neighborhoods they were able to organize locals to form a picket line/protest of support during sabotage actions. Dutch anti-genocide protesters also spoke from Rotterdam Front for Liberation and The Hague for Palestine about combining student organizing and working class organizing. The Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle also spoke. The Anti Imperialist Network and The International League of People’s Struggles played an important role in organizing. There was a lot of support for the national liberation philosophy of new democracy, i.e. alliance of “progressive” bosses, workers and peasants. Even though our line is different, developing relationships with these groups could provide opportunities to introduce the multi-racial working class and students who live in the global north to class struggle around the world. 

The Swedish syndicalist labor union Central Organization of Swedish Workers (SAC Syndikalisterna) spoke about a joint labor action between SAC member workers in the state owned alcohol distributor and agricultural unions in the vineyards of South Africa and South America. Swedish workers found management was meeting with vineyard owners to address concerns about labor practices. The workers insisted they be included. Workers made a point of including the organizers from the agricultural unions local to the vineyards. This meant the labor conditions really improved; the bosses’ reforms would have been superficial without the workers’ assistance. For their efforts the SAC workers were split up and sent to different locations. In response, the agricultural unions from the Global South protested, which led to the SAC workers in Sweden getting their jobs back. The SAC is now fighting for the job of a dock worker in the dock workers union Hamnarbetarförbundet fired for being the “ringleader” of a group of workers who refuse to load war material bound for Gaza. Surprisingly, they had heard of Progressive Labor Party before! 

Overall, the Marxist movement in Europe is strong. They have a large base of support, longstanding institutions, and they also have many international connections to working class movements around the world. The workers of Europe do not live in a social democratic paradise. Migrant workers are second class citizens. The neoliberals cut the existing social programs, and the rising fascist movement tries to fool workers with a false you help me I help myself alliance. I was able to share the Party in a few one-on-one conversations. It seemed like mentioning the Party during my presentation or making a public announcement could have led to friction with the organizers or attendees that would serve no political purpose at this time when I am totally new to the community. Even though our political line may be different than many of the organizations participating in the conference, there were many inspiring and instructive examples of how to organize multiracial working class unity across borders.
*****

Olympics exacerbates displacement

The housing crisis in Los Angeles County has reached a tipping point of systemic cruelty. While the region prepares to host the 2028 Olympic Games, billions of dollars are being poured into infrastructure and security—with costs for the latter alone expected to exceed $2 billion—while working class families are being pushed onto the streets. 

An estimated 72,000 people are experiencing homelessness in LA County. Despite this staggering figure, the fascist bosses appear more than willing to expand this number for profit. In an egregious case, a long time tenant family, currently out of work, is being sued for nonpayment of rent. Simultaneously, their landlord has refused to make necessary repairs in a building located in an area where rents are expected to skyrocket as the Olympics approach. 

The conditions are not just deteriorating; they are life-threatening. This family has been pleading with the landlord to remove mold that, according to their doctor, is making their child sick. Instead of professional remediation, the landlord has merely painted over the mold—a move that only worsens the problem. Under California law (Health & Safety Code § 17920.3), visible mold that poses a health threat renders a dwelling substandard, yet enforcement remains a struggle for those without resources. 

While the ruling class spends billions on “Gestapo ICE” and preparations for future wars, the working class is left to survive in uninhabitable conditions. This is why we have been active in organizing a tenants’ union to resist the bosses who treat housing as a commodity for the highest bidder rather than a fundamental human right. 

In a communist society, housing would be guaranteed to all. We believe a communist revolution is the only way forward to ensure a decent life for the working class. We urge you to stand with us. Join the Progressive Labor Party ! 
*****

Smoke for spirits, machete for pols

I am visiting Oaxaca, Mexico. The language school I attend arranged an excursion to a renowned alebrijes workshop. These carved wooden figures, often representing local animals,  are painted using colorful natural tints made from local vegetables and minerals. The detailed carvings depict ferocious pumas, coyotes, hummingbirds, rabbits with horns and many other creatures with fantastic features.

Alebrijes are both a part of local religious beliefs and treasured art pieces. Their sale and export employs many artisans.

A worker explained the process of making natural paint and, more importantly, sanctifying the figures to drive away evil spirits. The smoking resin of the Copal tree, a soft wood found in the forests, is used to whisk away any magic or bad luck that might be hiding in the wood. 

As the talk closed, I asked our guide if I could bring some Copal resin home and use it to drive out Donald Trump and other politicians and enemies of the working people. Without missing a beat, he pulled a machete from a copal tree stump, brandished it over his head and said, “this is what you need for those kinds of evil spirits.”
*****

Capitalist rush for metals kills hundreds in DR Congo

Al Jazeera, 1/31–More than 200 people have been killed in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to a spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of the province where the mine is located…“More than 200 people were victims of this landslide, including miners, children and market women…” Rubaya produces about 15 percent of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal that is in high demand by makers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines…The mine, where locals dig manually for a few dollars per day, has been under the control of the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group since 2024…

U.S. bosses tighten the oil grip on Cuba

The Guardian, 1/27–Mexico has cancelled a shipment of oil to Cuba, the country’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, appeared to confirm on Tuesday, but she insisted the decision was “sovereign” and not a response to pressure from the US. Fuel shortages are causing increasingly severe blackouts in Cuba, and Mexico has been the island’s biggest oil supplier since the US blocked shipments from Venezuela last month. On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Pemex, Mexico’s state oil company, had “backtracked” on plans to send a much-needed delivery to Cuba this month. The cancelled shipment comes amid reports that the Mexican government had been privately reviewing whether to keep sending oil to Cuba amid fear of reprisals from the US.

U.S. analysts hope for continued dominance

Foreign Affairs, 2/4–After the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and President Donald Trump revived talk of acquiring Greenland, commentators reached for old clichés: the rebirth of the Monroe Doctrine…But these episodes revealed something more exceptional. The world today has only one true sphere of influence. The United States alone dominates a vast home region, not merely as a buffer against competitors such as China and Russia, but as a hemispheric base from which American power and commerce can project outward, largely unconstrained by rivals…China and Russia cannot consolidate control over their own regions, much less project sustained power into the United States’ backyard. 

Israel now building cluster bombs for U.S. military

The Intercept, 2/6– The Department of Defense has quietly signed a $210 million deal to buy advanced cluster shells from one of Israel’s state-owned arms companies, marking unusually large new commitments to a class of weapons and an Israeli defense establishment both widely condemned for their indiscriminate killing of civilians. The deal, signed in September and not previously reported, is the department’s largest contract to purchase weapons from an Israeli company in available records…The DOD awarded the contract without public competition under a “public interest” exception to federal contracting law…

Ukraine is another example of how destruction is useful to capitalists

Rand.org, 1/30– When the fighting stops, the most promising opportunities for U.S. companies won't be in Russia, but in Ukraine…once a durable cease-fire takes hold, it will become one of the world's most dynamic emerging economies…Ukraine will become the site of the largest reconstruction project since World War II. The World Bank estimates more than $500 billion will be spent in the country over the next decade…Even during the war, thousands of U.S. and other foreign businesses opened up in Ukraine. More are likely to come soon.

Los Angeles cops train in Israel to learn the techniques of genocide

Los Angeles Times, 2/7–Over the last decade, the Los Angeles Police Department sent employees to Israel to train or be trained by the country’s counterterrorism experts on at least nine occasions…But officers who attended these training sessions and dozens of other overseas seminars and conferences routinely failed to document what they learned or keep track of who they met with…The LAPD’s relationship with Israeli security forces has come under scrutiny amid the country’s ongoing military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, which has caused tens of thousands of deaths and drawn allegations of genocide…The LAPD has been sending officers to train with Israeli security forces since the 1980s, and ramped up the trips after the 9/11 attacks…