THE REVOLUTIONARY MASS MOVEMENT
"The mass of the population is made up of the
ploretarians, semi-proletarians, and poor peasants.
They are the vast majority of the nation...."
"At the beginning of the struggle it took only
a few thousand genuinely revolutionary workers to warrant talk of the
masses. If the Party succeeds
in drawing into the struggle not only its own members, if it also succeeds
in arousing non-party people, it is well on the way to winning the
masses...."
On the matter of the mass movement, Lenin has elaborated several Marxist points that have been used as guide in setting the framework of our orientation in the mass movement, as mentioned above.
As Lenin boldly added the matter: "You will have a mass movement if such a Party
comes forward with its slogans at such a moment and succeeded in getting
millions of workers to follow it. I
would not altogether deny that a revolution can be started by a very small
Party and brought to a victorious conlusion...."
Based on our reorientation of revolutionary strategy
and tactics, following our repudiation of the war strategy in the
revolutionary struggle, we will develop and advance the revolutionary mass
movement as the main form of struggle
while promoting its dynamic relationship with other forms of
struggle (i.e. armed, electoral/parliamentary, etc.) that stand as
secondary, tertiary, etc. forms of struggle, also with dynamic relations
among them and the revolutionary mass movement.
This will be our conduct until the condition
ripens-when the working class and other oppressed sections of the people
are ready to seize political power, and the open-legal struggle will be
transformed into armed struggle in order to ultimately crush the
exploitative system and the ruling class. Or until an extraordinary
political development happens such as during a fascist rule and the
revolutionary movement are obliged to effectively advance and sustain the
revolution.
The
Revolutionary Mass Movement
The revolutionary mass movement is the movement and
struggle of the working class and other oppressed and exploited sections of
the people to fight for their economic and democratic interests and
objectives which can only be achieved through the complete demolition of
the exploitative system and the ruling class to ultimately seize political
power.
As the revolutionary mass movement advances, it will
gradually weaken the strength and power of the ruling class and system
while building up the strength and power of the working class and other
oppressed sections of the people. It will directly hit and weaken the
foundation of capitalist rule, power and privileges.
The over-all direction of the revolutionary mass
movement is to prepare the grounds for and actual establishment of
socialist democracy, even at a gradual pace and a slow but steady
foundation of the working class power.
This can be done through the relentless pursuance of
the revolutionary mass movement. Even
though we see that all components and favors are in the hands of the ruling
class and system, the revolutionary mass movement must persevere in the
struggle to finally “turn the table against the enemy.”
The revolutionary mass movement should never be
afraid or be limited by laws imposed by reaction, on the contrary it should
work to stretch and override these to widen the space for advancement of
the revolution. Only through the insistence of strength of action of the
working class and other oppressed sections of the people will legitimize
this even if it runs over the laws of the reactionary state.
Hence, to achieve its aims, the revolutionary mass
movement should have the following features:
a. as a vehicle for the advancement and intensification of class struggle.
This will be its dynamism until it leads to the
direct action of the working class and other oppressed sections of the
people that will challenge the rule of the ruling class and the moribund
system until its ultimate demolition.
b. as vehicle in the transmission
of the political leadership of the party.
The guarantee in the revolutionariness of the
movement and the mass struggle that we will develop and advance is the
leadership of the Party. Accordingly,
the revolutionary mass movement will be the vehicle in transmitting and
implementation of the political leadership of the Party. Aside from the
publications and journal of the party, the revolutionary mass movement will
also be able to effectively propagate the party line and tactics,
specifically in the concretization of its call, line and tactics. According
to what the Party adheres to, the revolutionary mass movement will
transform the call and line of the party into direct action, slogan and
calls in the language of the masses to get the most effective response from
the class and other oppressed sections of the people.
And as the mass struggles are pursued, it will be
the allies and prospective friends of the revolution that will volunteer
for the struggle for genuine change. Hence, it is the revolutionary mass
movement that will be able to effectively lead to a revolutionary front of
all oppressed and exploited in the present society.
The Spontaneous Mass
Movement
The revolutionary mass movement that we are
advancing is a conscious and organized movement primarily composed of
revolutionary forces. But we should understand that spontaneous movement
cannot be disregarded and is in fact a part of the mass movement, that will
happen in certain periods as the masses react from their oppressed and
exploited condition.
Even on their own and without the leadership of the
revolutionary forces, the masses respond to the oppression and exploitation
they experience. Specially during times when the social crisis worsens and
the inutility of the reactionary rule becomes more and more exposed,
spontaneous actions of the masses correspondingly become more widespread
and bigger. While the actions of the revolutionary forces also intensifies
at widens.
It is the duty and responsibility of the
revolutionary movement to link up with or join such spontaneous movements.
We should be able to effectively influence the spontaneous action of the
masses so that we can bring this, or develop this towards the correct
direction of revolutionary change. The spontaneous mass movement is a
bigger part of the whole movement and its development is important for the
revolutionary forces to be able to attain victory in this struggle.
However, at the same that we are persevering to bring this spontaneous
movement to the path of the revolution, counter-revolutionary forces are
also persevering to sabotage our moves. This is the lesson of EDSA.
The Struggle for Reforms
Besides our pursuance to develop the essentially
reformist spontaneous mass movement into the revolutionary mass movement,
we should also be conscious--our initiatives and our leadership—the class
struggle and the struggle of all oppressed sections for reforms.
Through struggle for reforms, the class and
oppressed masses will concretely discover, acquaint with and utilize their
own strength and power towards the development of their class
consciousness.
Moreover, it is through this this inutility of the
present ruling class and system will be exposed in the face of the widest
sections of the people on the matter of genuine change for the sake of the
whole world and the people. Hence, it will be
their experiences in mass struggle that will mould and develop their
consciousness to wage revolution and achieve genuine change.
There is no reason to worry or fear if we engage in
the advancement and development of struggles for reforms. The important
things is it will be within and according to the framework of the
overall revolutionary struggle and only through the recognition of
the process of wide reaching
upliftment of the consciousness of the masses. This will be the guarantee
that will not fall into the
mud of reformism.
Whatever small gains or big successes we attain in
our struggle for reforms will add to the strength of the people while
failures will serve significantly in the development of the consciousness
of the people.
Therefore in every opportunity and in periods when
there are burning issues concerning the economy, employment, housing and
democractic rights to social issues such as drug addiction, corruption,
criminality, prostitution, and even on environmental issues, should be
acted upon to rally the broad masses of the people.
The Party
As the leadership of the party in the revolutionary
mass movement is being carried out, we should see to it that the
development and advance of the revolutionary mass movement is paralleled
with the corresponding sustained development of the party. Hence, in every
mass organization, we should see to it that we are able to establish party
units/ groups.
The existence of the party will guarantee the
sustained development and growth of socialist cells in mass organizations,
and ultimately towards the sustained growth and strengthening of the party.
While mass organizations continue its expansion work in the ranks of
the broad masses. When the organizations have consolidated its areas, this
should be followed with efforts to form territorial organizations of the
party. In this period, or even before this, it is necessary that party
cadres along with socialist activists have been deployed in these areas to
take the task of solidifying the base of the revolutionary mass movement.
It is the duty of every party member within the mass
organizations, and the socialist activists, to work for the expansion of
the revolutionary mass movement in every corner of the country. And during
this process, we should persevere in strengthening and expanding the party
by establishing party organizations in areas there is none and
strengthening and reinforcing them in areas where there is already an
existing party organization. This is the kind of dynamism that we want to
develop in our work of advancing the revolutionary mass movement, so that
it will eventually lead to the expansion of the party that will also result
in the the advancement and strengthening of the revolutionary mass
movement—an unending cycle that will that time when the condition ripens
when the revolutionary forces will be put in the position to topple the
ruling class and system and seize political power.
General guidelines on Style
and Method
To be effective and successful in our work of expanding and developing the revolutionary mass movement, we should always be conscious of our style and method of work. Our determination and perseverance in pursuing revolutionary work will be reinforced by our immediate gains if we pursue the correct style and method of work. If not, our errors, weaknesses and failures will dampen our spirit for us to smoothly carry out our responsibilities and achieve victory.
Initially, and in every opportunity, our main tactic
in expansion is to connect with whole
organizations, unions, associations, and federations, and its key individuals
or leaders to effectively influence the whole membership.
In this way, we will be able to recruit in large numbers the broad masses along with the
upliftment of their consciousness also in large numbers. Following this is
the solid organizing to be able to establish the bases or bailiwick of the
revolutionary struggle.
2. Keep
in mind that we will conduct our work within the open/legal organizations,
associations, federations, etc. Hence we will subordinate ourselves under
the process of these organizations. In other words, we should fully be a
part of or a member of the open/ legal formations and we will not work in
these organizations as members of the party or as
a super elements or entity. Hence our style and method of work would
be open/legal and we should be positive elements towards the advancement
and strengthening of the dynamism of open/ legal framework and process. We
should be persevering and committed in these process so that we will be
able to achieve the highest, strongest unity.
Being a member of the party is not a license for one
to supersede the processes of the open/legal. Only by putting forward
correct and superior ideas will transmit the leadership of the party on the
revolutionary mass movement. Just like within the party, only through free
and democratic methods and processes would ensure the strengthening of the
organization’s unity. Or in simple terms, we should already set aside the
style and method of bullying. Aside from the fact that this kind of
style and method will isolate the party from the broad masses, this
will also stunt the growth of mass leaders, activists and even cadres and
members.
Only through the proper style and methods would be
able to differentiate ourselves from the opportunists, saboteurs and (iskirol)
and others of their kind that will not create confusion but will instead
establish the processes and tradition for a free and democratic approach.
3. Understand
and utilize correctly the relationship of expansion and consolidation. In
developing and advancing the revolutionary mass movement, there are 3
levels that should be assured, and this will be the reflection of work.
First we should ensure that all the mass membership
of the organization are continually expanding and increasing in number.
Second, the recruitment of socialist activists should be sustained; third
recruitment of party members should also be sustained.
The
matter of expansion and consolidation is also a matter of quantity and
quality. Particularly in the aspect of consolidation, there should be a
concrete reflection of quality of the whole organization—level of
consciousness, strength of commitment, persistence in work, higher skills,
etc. Hence this matter is smoothly planned and implemented to ensure
expected results.
4. Understanding
the development of conditions and development of skills/ capacity of the
revolutionary mass movement.
In the process of our work in advancing the
revolutionary mass movement, we should be able to effectively understand
and correlate the development of the objective condition and the level of
skills/consciousness of the forces. This (the objective condition and the
capacity/skills of the forces) should always be balanced to prevent either
the overstretching or deficient work which would result in the exhaustion
of our forces or being overtaken by momentum. When we are already able to
effectively balance and integrate the two aspects, we can expect a smoother
development of forces and the level/form or work/conduct that adopts with
the continually changing and development objective conditions.
5. Along
with the no. 4 point, in every stage of our struggle, development of the
objective conditions and expansion of forces and capacity, it is only
appropriate that we are able to understand and utilize the correct form of
organization and struggle towards more effective strengthening and
development of our forces, skills, organizations and conditions—a cycle
that if we are able to sustain will bring about a spiral development
wherein every cycle moves towards a higher level/ stage that
comprehensively responds to requirements so that the revolutionary movement
will be able to completely prepare for the seizure of political power.
6. Comprehensive
understanding of the relations or connection between the revolutionary mass
movement with other forms of struggle. The revolutionary mass movement is
our primary form of struggle, but this is not the only form of struggle
that the party pursues. There is the parliamentary and electoral struggle
and there is the politico-military struggle.
As a primary form, other forms of struggle will
stand as secondary, tertiary, etc to the revolutionary mass movement. Hence
it will support and complement the revolutionary mass movement. But
concretely as it operates dynamically and conditions develop, the
revolutionary mass movement will also effectively support at complement
other forms of struggle.
While other forms of struggle ensure the
strengthening and advancement of the revolutionary mass movement, the
revolutionary mass movement in turn prepare the conditions for the
development of other forms of struggle that will ultimately advance the
revolution into a higher stage. This is also a cycle that should
continually develop and be sustained so that development will move in
spiral where in every turn there is a higher development that put the
working class and other oppressed sections of the people in more prepared
position towards the final aim of seizure of political power.
These are only a few of the important point that
should be understood and taken to heart. There re many others things to
learn and understand, or in other words, what we want is to understand the
whole dialectics of our struggle and its development. Or in simpler terms,
our being comprehensive.
It is a must that we understand and attend to our
duties wholistically taking into consideration all aspects, angles
and all interrelations of all elements/components. In this way, there
should be no hindrances for us to advance and attain victory.
ARMED
STRUGGLE
ELECTORAL
STRUGGLE PEACE
NEGOTIATION
NATIONAL QUESTION
AGRARIAN QUESTION
GENDER QUESTION
ORGANS
OF POLITICAL POWER
home