The following lecture is by Gregory Lucero. It touches on his personal views about talking revolution — the one-on-one moment of agitation and communication.
Archive for the ‘Gregory Lucero’ Category
Lecture: On Talking Revolution
Posted by kasama on August 8, 2011
Posted in >> analysis of news, communism, Gregory Lucero, revolution, video | 3 Comments »
Barricades journal: A call for revolutionary theory
Posted by Mike E on June 19, 2011
Kasama received the following message.
Greetings from the Revolutionary Students Union Journal Committee,
The Revolutionary Students Union is preparing an inaugural issue of our theoretical journal Barricades.
In it, we hope to explore and debate the most pressing issues of our time. We hope to circulate this journal in print and online throughout the revolutionary Left to generate discussion upon these ideas.
Certainly, other excellent journals such as “Rethinking Marxism” and “Radical Philosophy” exist, but we seek to create a space for discussion that embraces other positions of radicalism without the necessary presupposition of Marxism and we hope to generate an interdisciplinary discussion beyond simply philosophy.
We are issuing a call for papers not only from traditional academic departments and journals, but also from a host of radical and revolutionary parties and organizations around the globe.
Topic of Issue #1: What is Capitalism Today?
We are thus calling for papers on the topic, “What is Capitalism today?”
- Does Marx provide the most useful framework for understanding capitalism?
- How has capitalism changed since its critiques of the 19th and 20th Centuries?
- Does it exist in the form of national imperialism tied to competing nation states?
- Has capitalism begun to transcend the nation state in the form of multi-national corporations or a trans-national class?
- Does it exist as primarily a domination between classes or has capitalism evolved as primarily domination of oppressed minorities by racist and heterosexist power structures?
- Is capitalism primarily a political economy or does it exist as a form of social colonization?
- Is capitalism a closed global system or is there an “outside” of capitalism?
Posted in capitalism, Gregory Lucero, theory | 1 Comment »
Communist Methods: Connecting Advanced Stands to Mass Movement
Posted by Mike E on April 20, 2011
“As we carry out the practice of the struggle, we must select campaigns that not only ‘help people.’ We need to select campaigns and methods of work which reveal the nature of the system, help people maintain political mobilization, and create leadership among newer members so that they may carry forward the struggle….
“I would say there is time for advanced actions (advocating for national liberation at major events, flying the red flag, etc), but it should be within the context of a mass movement that is moving TOWARDS those advance slogans and actions which may not necessarily adopt those slogans.”
This is the third post in an exchange on revolutionary work. Greg posted on this topic previously on this question of how to do communist work, and I responded with the essay “We must sing our own song.” Many people contributed to the discussion that unfolded in those threads. Greg maintains the blog, Red Flags Over Utah.
* * * * * * * *
by Gregory Lucero
How to raise revolutionary consciousness
Mike E wrote:
“We need to think through Lenin’s controversial assertion that higher revolutionary political consciousness (broadly among the people) doesn’t emerge largely from a summation of lessons in their immediate struggles. That observation (which is so central to his epistemology in What is to be done?) has been confirmed many times (including by the 1930s experience of the CP, and from our own experience in the NCM).”
I agree completely that class consciousness does not simply arise from the summation of the immediate work. One does not simply point out “See, capitalism is the reason why democrats did not pass immigration reform for cheap labor.” Instead, one must conscientiously link the planning, practice, and summation to the revolutionary struggles.
A rough sketch is below.
Posted in >> analysis of news, Gregory Lucero, mass line | 25 Comments »
Respect the People, Train the Advanced
Posted by Mike E on March 30, 2011
Recent rally for immigrants rights in Utah
“This means you must have faith not only in your fellow students and activists, but also the conservative catholic immigrant, rightwing construction worker, and the republican retail cashier. One should not mistake that they are ‘Really on our side but just don’t know it.’ Instead, one should recognize that we can win them over through proper argument, action, and line.”
Greg shared this with us. It sketches methods that have contributed to the communist work around the RSU in Salt Lake City — developing a radical core, developing their knowledge of communist theory, engaging in active mass work, energetic public discussion around communism, and defense of immigrant workers. It also appears on Greg’s personal blog, Red Flags Over Utah.
Thoughts on Student Organizing
by Gregory Lucero
I’ve prepared some thoughts on the student organizing I’ve done. These, of course, are not complete. However, I’ve been asked to provide some introductory advice for those seeking to start a student movement within their area. As I’ve started one up in the most conservative city in the United States, I have some general advice that I feel can help most American student organizers. The advice is split into the personal and the organizational. I’ve listed the personal first because it’s the one you can immediately put into effect, but one should understand the vital nature of both the personal and organization principles remain vital.
I will give some suggestions below for starting up.
Posted in communism, Gregory Lucero, immigrants, organizing, students, working class | 9 Comments »
