Yes, this cycle sucks. However, in US there’s a need of a coalition of leftist parties to try to get seats in municipal, state and federal elections. There won’t be an alternative to the Democrats any soon, especially if the few existing left parties keep fighting against each other for 1% of the vote.
Yes, I know elections will always be a losing game, however, the working class still sees the parliament as their representatives. Communists and leftists in general must have a voice in those.
My tentative position is that working within the electoral system will only legitimize that system and delay the realization of the untenability of capitalism. I don’t see how we can agitate for revolution while simultaneously running for office.
But, full transparency, I haven’t read much on this question and I’m open to references you (or anyone else) might have.
We can use bourgeois politics to mobilize people towards class struggle. Look to what Gustavo Petro has done in Colombia, it’s a reformist project but it was carried out despite having a completely hostile congress, press, and supreme court. And he succeeded in approving a labor reform and resisting multiple lawfare campaigns against him.
Another example is Venezuela. Even though Chaves wasn’t a Marxist they did succeed in taking power, creating a people’s militia, and seizing part of the assets of Venezuelan national bourgeoisie and nationalizing the Venezuelan oil industry.
My tentative position is that working within the electoral system will only legitimize that system and delay the realization of the untenability of capitalism
Please read Lenin’s left wing communism, he talks about participation in bourgeois elections. By participating we are not legitimizing bourgeois elections, they are already legitimate institution for the working people in countries where the main system is a bourgeois republic. It’s a given. What we need to do in such cases is to tension the system to beyond its limits, and by doing this we organize the working class in the process.
It’s different than the situation in Russia before October revolution since the Duma wasn’t consolidated (the Tsar and the aristocracy held actual power) and there was already an organized proletariat under Soviets.
Its missing an off ramp of “give up on politics” and an on ramp of “first time voter.”
