The immediate task for working class is to defeat the reforms and the adjustment of Temer and the Congress, and build General Strike in this path. This task demands and imposes a wide unity to struggle.
By Mariucha Fontana.
M15 has shown the disposal of the class to struggle, as it has shown that to set a unified date with an agenda to defeat the reforms and against the government has a high capacity of mobilization. The General Strike on April 28 has potential, therefore, to be the biggest working class action in decades, to build the defeat of the government and open new horizons.
On M15 we saw an opportunist and divisive stand by the Frente do Povo Sem Medo of trying to transform the event in São Paulo, a day of struggle and stoppages, into an event of the Broad Front and an electoral boost for Lula 2018. The Frente Brasil Popular and Povo Sem Medo have the right to organize events in defense of Lula. But transforming events that are supposed to be unitary into pro-Lula electoral events divides the movement and is pure opportunism.
This happened again regarding the actions on March 31: they were originally presented by the Frente Popular Brasil Front and the Povo Sem Medo as events organized “against the coup” and “in defense of democracy and of Lula”, as if that was the agenda of the movement as a whole. It became necessary to explain the true nature of the events, as if they were unitary they should have a common agenda for the Federations and unitary coordination instead of the coordination of only these two fronts and the agenda for Lula 2018.
So, the first reason to fight this campaign is the fact of being them trying to pose the electoral campaign for Lula 2018 in the center of the political situation, when the task is not the election but the General Strike. And further, precisely when this Lula 2018 project serves to divide the mobilization that can unite 90% of the working class and a great majority of middle sectors.
It is not by chance that the demonstrations called by the MBL [Movimento Brasil Livre – Free Brazil Movement] in favor of Temer’s reforms were a fiasco. The enormous majority who went to the streets against Dilma and against corruption are also against Temer and the reforms. And it is not by chance also that the working class is leading and channeling the current demonstrations, once it is raising in defense of its rights.
Calling demonstration based on Lula 2018, or trying to transform the struggles against the reforms into a campaign for Lula serves to divide. Actions and demonstrations against the reforms ought to have a common schedule, a common coordination, and all parties and organizations in support of the struggle should be allowed to speak.
Unity to Struggle Does Not Imply Unity on the Political Solution
If to fight against the reforms we have to build the widest unity, about the solutions for the country we are obliged to fight against class conciliation and capitalist programs.
The mobilization of the working class, workers as a whole and popular sectors must serve the advance of a working-class project against capitalism and the bourgeoise. Based on this project, the class must also dispute middle sectors. A General Strike must accrue consciousness and organization skills towards a Socialist horizon.
It would be a disaster, after all we went through, to use the popular mobilization to strengthen what clearly is an electoral project for a Lula’s government again, of vain promises of a “less worse” government, the lesser evil, centered on a project of alliance with businessmen and bankers seeking “capitalist economic growth”.
On the contrary, we must hit together against Temer and the reforms but to harshly dispute for an anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, socialist and revolutionary program for the country. As Lenin said: hit together, but march separate.
Instead of the imperialist and bourgeoise adjustment, we must struggle to defend the suspensions of the public debt payment, the end of the Fiscal Responsibility Law, the nationalization of the financial system under workers’ control, the prohibition of remittances abroad and the expropriation of multinationals; the prison and seizure of assets of corrupts and corrupters, including nationalization without compensation and under workers’ control of the companies belonging to corrupters, like Odebrecht. This requires a workers’ socialist government without any corrupts and without bosses, which rules through popular councils.
A Lula-Ciro Gomes government in alliance with bourgeoise parties, businessmen and bankers is a movie we have already seen: it only led to a consciousness and class organization setback.
Brazil Needs a Socialist Revolution
The third reason to struggle against this project of Lula 2018 is that our strategy must be carrying a Socialist Revolution in the country instead of a government to manage bourgeoise businesses.
A government that rules through Popular Councils, able to break up with imperialism and confront capitalism. And this will not be conquered through elections but through the direct mobilization of our class.
The General Strike paves this road. To deviate all this mobilization potential, which can pose workers’ power as a concrete task foo this period, to an electoral path instead, is a completely reactionary project.
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Translation: Eduardo Correia Neto.
Originally published on Opinião Socialist #533
Three Reasons to Confront Lula’s Project and Campaign for 2018
