Cover Image: Presidential Inauguration Protest, Austin, Texas , January 20, 2017

Editorial

Over six million unemployment claims have been filed in the United States over the past week, more than the total number of people receiving unemployment benefits over the past year.

This spike in claims is due to the massive layoffs resulting from the current economic crisis, only made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Capitalism is driven by private profit at the expense of social need. This causes production to grow, and in this process more is produced than can be consumed by the purchasing power of the people, profits fall and cycles of degeneration begin. Capitalism has developed into imperialism, parasitic and causing trouble for the entire world’s people. It is no surprise that the foremost imperialist superpower is also home to the most confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Since US imperialism produces more goods than it can sell, it must attack its own productive forces to overcome these internal contradictions. Simply put, it passes the suffering it causes onto the people of the world having the worst effect on the most oppressed and poorest people. It has to attack its own factories, spreading hunger and insecurity, only to turn around and do it again and again until it is finally overthrown.

The ruling class pushes as far as it can, resorting to the $2 trillion stimulus package in a desperate bid to restart the economy. When it has gone too far, with or without the present threat of the virus, the imperialists will force the working class back to work, taking advantage of the massive increase in unemployed workers competing for lowered wages.

With such a crisis, fertile conditions inevitably arise for organized class struggle. Now is the time to get organized with your co-workers, friends, and families to fight for a better life. This better life can only be accomplished through socialist revolution and the creation of a workers’ state. This means an end to unemployment and overproduction, replaced by a system in which social need is the focal point of production. This cannot be won at the ballot box, those who have caused and profited from the misery of the people cannot be trusted to change anything.

Everyone has a role to play

Declare support for the election boycott!

If you are still working, organize the struggle in your workplace for safer conditions and better wages, you have more leverage than you realize!

Organize the more than 10 million recently unemployed workers into a force which can make the ruling class pay for its crimes against the people.

Combat and resist all of the measures taken against the people under the pretext of the ‘Corona-crisis,’ this means fighting for an immediate stop on rent and all utility bills, access to abortion, opening the border to migrant workers, defending undocumented workers, demanding work or wages, and most importantly preparing for a long struggle by joining and supporting local organizations with revolution in their program.

Distribute revolutionary information like this paper to everyone and declare your support!