Tony Pecinovsky is a prominent member of the Communist Party USA. He is currently district "staffperson" for the Missouri/Kansas Communist Party.Pecinovsky is the Bureau Chief of the Missouri / Kansas Friends of the People's World. He serves as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Greater St. Louis Communication Workers of America Council and Secretary of St. Louis Jobs with Justice. He is also a Newspaper Guild delegate to the St. Louis Central Labor Council, a St. Louis Progressive Vote Coalition board member and is a big Barack Obama supporter.
Tony Pecinovsky is a propagandist and a student of power politics. He understands the balance of forces now in play in American politics and the high stakes being played for.
In today's Peoples World, Pecinovsky lays it on the line for his Party comrades.
The looming mid terms will either lead to: a resurgent extreme right-wing Republican Party (which will) use every trick in the book to curtail democratic rights, workers' rights and continue the failed policies of the Bush Administration, but worse.
Or an advance in the; struggle for immediate reforms and long-term systemic change.
In Tea Party terms , the elections will lead to either a last chance to restore a free American republic, or a major, possibly irreversible, advance towards socialism.
Writes Tony Pecinovsky;
Ultimately, whether we are aware of it or not, our country is in the midst of a power struggle. And any honest analysis of the direction of our country has to take into account the balance of political power.
Power is the ability to control, create or prevent change. As such, any talk of change has to also deal with questions of political power. Without an understanding of this power, we are ill equipped to engage fully in the process of change.
In other words, if we don't objectively understand our - and our enemies' - strengths and weaknesses, how can we understand which terrain of struggle is most conducive to victory or defeat? Simply put, if we fail to conduct a proper power analysis, how do we know if we should be on the offensive or the defensive; how do we know if we are ready as a movement for more substantive change, or if we are facing a period of prolonged retrenchment?
At this moment, tens of thousands of union members, activists and community leaders are engaged in what could be a decisive moment in our nation's history - the mid-term elections. Make no mistake about it: this is a question of power, of people and money mobilized.The communists understand what they and Party "friend" Barack Obama are fighting for.
At the same time, Wall Street CEOs, big banks and the health care industry are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to influence the outcome of the November elections, while activating fringe elements in their right-wing base. No question, this is a fight for political power - from the other side.
So let's be clear about one thing: The mid-term elections are about power - the power to move our country forward or to take us backwards. Anyone who doesn't see that is missing the forest for the trees.
Furthermore, if we aren't united, energized, enthusiastic and mobilized, if we lack the power to win the most immediate of struggles that we are confronted with - most importantly the mid-term elections - then all other possibility of more far-reaching reforms are jeopardized, as we will likely see a resurgent extreme right-wing Republican Party use every trick in the book to curtail democratic rights, workers' rights and continue the failed policies of the Bush Administration, but worse.
So the only question for us (left, progressive and working-class folks) should be: What am I going to do between now and November 2? How many doors am I going to knock? How many people am I going to call? Who am I going to mobilize, energize and activate between now and November? What am I going to do to make sure that we can continue to move forward as a nation?
Any other question at this moment ignores the real, objective balance of political power and does a disservice to the struggle for immediate reforms and long-term systemic change.
Do you? What about your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues?
Better tell them fast.
Sent with MobileRSS for iPhone
Sent from my iPhone
No comments:
Post a Comment