In order to make revolution in the U.S. the proletariat needs three basic things, a Party, Armed Struggle to smash the bourgeois state, and a United Front of all who can be united to defeat U.S. imperialism. The United Front strategy proletarian revolution means that the United Front is the overall plan for bringing about the destruction of the rule of monopoly capital in the U.S. and the establishment of the political rule of the working class, the dictatorship of the proletariat. In a word, the United Front strategy is the plan for proletarian socialist revolution in the U.S. The essence of this strategy is uniting all classes and strata who have sharp contradictions with monopoly capitalism. In the U.S. these forces include besides the main force, the industrial proletariat (workers in basic industries), the masses of wage-slaves (service workers, office workers, government workers) except the labor aristocracy, Black and other oppressed people (except the Black bourgeoisie), the masses of youth, women, and the middle and lower sectors of the urban petty bourgeoisie (small store keepers, professionals, students, etc), the reserve army of the unemployed and semi-proletarians (Welfare people, permanently unemployed, excluding the hard-core lumpen - (Pimps, prostitutes, beggars, etc.), the poor and middle farmers in the country and the agricultural proletariat (migrant workers, sharecroppers, etc.). In short, 85% of the American people. The United Front we speak of is clearly the United Front composed of the broad masses of people led by the proletariat and its advanced contingent, a genuine Communist Party.
The fundamental contradiction, or political problem in all capitalist societies is the one between capital and labor, because the fundamental nature of capitalism is the social nature of production and the private nature of appropriation. In the U.S., capitalism has reached its highest stage, its monopoly stage, so the fundamental contradiction, or political problem, is between the monopoly ruling class and the multi-national proletariat.
As we stated before, another basic contradiction of U.S. society, monopoly capitalist society, is the one between monopoly capitalism and the oppressed Black Nation and the other oppressed nationalities – Puerto-Ricans, Chicanos, Asians, etc. This is so because monopoly capitalism is imperialism, and imperialism means the oppression by stronger nations of weaker nations, and the super-exploitation of the working class of the oppressed countries. Additionally, there are many other basic contradictions in the U.S.-the oppression of women and youth, permanent unemployment, wars, etc. But all flow from the fundamental contradiction between capital and labor, including the one between monopoly capital and the oppressed peoples. None of these contradictions, or political problems can be solved except through proletarian revolution and socialism. But the proletariat cannot make proletarian revolution except in union with its allies, even though it must maintain its independence and leadership of the alliance, the United Front.
There are several different kinds of United Fronts ’ that need explanation. The most widely known kind is the United Front against imperialism and foreign aggression like in Vietnam, China, Angola and so forth. In these countries the United Front can be much broader because the revolution occurs in two stages. Before socialist construction can begin in these countries, foreign capital (imperialist penetration) must be kicked out and with it the remains of feudalism. In a word, the material and class basis for socialism has to be built up. Because of this even the national bourgeoisie (native capitalist not tied to imperialism) can play a progressive role if it follows the lead of the workers and peasants. In these countries also, before the contradiction between capital and labor can become the fundamental and principal one, the contradiction between them and imperialism has to be solved – imperialism has to be kicked out and a “new democratic state” established.
In the “advanced” capitalist countries monopoly capitalist rule can only be overthrown in one swoop, one stage. This is so because capitalism in these countries is already fully developed, rotten-ripe. The whole capitalist class, including both the monopoly and “non” monopoly capitalist is reactionary and bankrupt. The only role left for these capitalists to play, along with their social system, capitalism, are occupants of the museum of history. The United Front in these countries can only embody those classes and strata oppressed by capitalism and imperialism, because capitalism in its modern day form is imperialism. The phony, “Anti-Monopoly Coalition” of the CPUSA can in no way be confused with the United Front against imperialism, because it is no more than a reform coalition for the preservation of monopoly capitalism. This is so because in their “coalition” the CPUSA would even include “non-monopoly” capitalists, the labor aristocracy, and all the other social bulwarks of the imperialist system. Using every bit of trickery and demagoguery they can find, the CPUSA contends that there can also be a “two-stage” revolution in the U.S. In the first stage they say, “we overthrow monopoly capital”, and in the second stage we establish “socialism of a new type”, “socialism for the whole people” (including the capitalist) without the “dictatorship of the proletariat”. Again, in countries like the U.S., where capitalism has no where left to go except to its deathbed, there can only be one “stage”, because capitalism, bourgeois democracy and all, is imperialism and the eve of proletarian revolution. Small, or “non” monopoly capitalist, do have some contradictions with their bigger brothers, the monopoly capitalist, but the contradictions they have with the working class and oppressed, whose blood they suck in order to live, is an antagonistic contradiction that cannot be reconciled in any ”coalition”. When it comes down to “preserving the American Way of Life”, capitalists have but one friend, their social system, capitalism and one enemy, the working class and oppressed, and their social system, socialism!
And then there is the United Front Against Fascism, which is mainly a tactical alliance the proletariat establishes with other, reformist sections of the working class, or workers still under the influence of reformists parties and trade unions. The essence of this form of United Front is preventing the bourgeoisie from consolidating fascist rule, or open terroristic “bourgeois dictatorship”. Nevertheless, even this United Front would only be one stage because the task would be not to fight fascism in order to go back to “bourgeois democracy” (hidden bourgeois dictatorship), but again onward to proletarian revolution, and proletarian dictatorship (proletarian democracy).
Fascism, though always a possibility in capitalist society, is not inevitable. A strong working class movement, led by a genuine Communist Party with a correct line, can prevent the bourgeoisie from resorting to fascism as the way out of its crisis.
The United Front is not a “trick” communists use to “suck people in” as some contend. Though the CPUSA operated like this in the past, this was not the Marxist-Leninist method of building the United Front. The whole meaning of the revolutionary United Front lies, firstly, in the class struggle against monopoly capital, and secondly in winning allies for the working class while isolating the allies of the bourgeoisie. The United Front is a class alliance and not a “gimmick.” Other classes and strata who are a part of the United Front against imperialism are so not because they were “tricked” into it, but because it is in their interest to oppose monopoly capitalism and imperialism. The United Front is not found within any one organization or coalition. At this time, it can only be developed in more or less loose organizational forms, as long as there is no Communist Party to lead it. Its main aspect, however, is that instead of separate, individuals and scattered actions of this or that group or class, we have a coherent movement, like five fingers balled into a fist, which lands a powerful blow at the system, and which is further developed, consolidated and revolutionized through mass struggle under the leadership of the Communist Party and working class. The core of the United Front is the unity of the National revolutionary struggles of Black and other oppressed nationalities, with the class struggles of the working class as a whole.
In order to succeed in defeating U.S. imperialism, the United Front, this single revolutionary force, must have the ideological and practical leadership of the proletariat. The ideological leadership of the proletariat means directing the main blow against the main enemy at each twist and turn of the revolutionary struggle and making class distinctions in dealing with allies in order to determine if they are basic allies, secondary allies or neutralized elements. For instance, in the U.S. the basic allies of the proletariat are the oppressed nationalities, the reserve army of the unemployed, working class women and youth, the secondary allies are those from the ranks of the petty bourgeoisie – the professionals, small businesses, etc. neutralized elements can be determined by the stand they take on a given issue. The practical leadership of the proletariat simply means that the working class must exercise its leadership over everything, struggles that originate in and around the workplace, as well as struggles that affect the society at large, even if they affect other classes and strata.
Since we said that the United Front against Imperialism is made up of all those classes and strata which have sharp contradictions with monopoly capitalism, many ask: “how come you exclude the labor aristocracy and the Black bourgeoisie?” “Don’t they too have sharp contradictions with the monopoly capitalist?” Of course the big labor bureaucrats and highly skilled workers who are bought off by imperialism still have contradictions with their benefactors, the monopoly capitalist. A good example is the fight between the Nixon administration and George Meany and company. But the contradiction boils down to just how much these traitors to the working class will still get to carry out their treachery and betrayal. They are not in contradiction with the imperialist system of the U.S., just one of its administrations. Remember these people didn’t think George McGovern was imperialist enough! It is more of a temporary falling out between thieves, and we don’t allow criminal elements to join the United Front! However, as the Imperialist crisis intensifies the social basis of the Labor aristocracy does, indeed narrow down some what.
The same with the Black bourgeoisie. The Black bourgeoisie, who is a bourgeoisie of an oppressed nation, is constantly at odds with their white masters, the monopoly capitalist. But again, the nature of this contradiction is more like that of a kid getting mad at his parents for not giving him a bigger allowance, and though he may rant and rave, he will never bite the hand that feeds him. The Black bourgeoisie, a “comprador” bourgeoisie (dependent on imperialism), knows better than anyone else, that without the “benign neglect” of their masters, they would be in bad shape.
In times of crisis the bourgeoisie relies on these elements, its “junior” partners to protect its interest precisely because the masses are not yet clear on their true nature. To allow these elements into the United Front Against Imperialism, is tantamount to allowing a Trojan Horse into the revolutionary movement! The labor aristocracy, the Black bourgeoisie and the CPUSA are the most dangerous social bulwarks of imperialism in the U.S. at present. Therefore, it is impossible to overthrow the enemy without isolating these parties, without tearing the masses of workers and oppressed nationalities away from them! A United Front under the leadership of the working class and its Communist Party, which will even more effectively mobilize the revolutionary forces for struggle and revolution, is more and more becoming a reality. As communist we have the task of building the unity between the proletariat and the oppressed nationalities, the unemployed, the rural proletariat and the petty bourgeoisie into the struggle against imperialism under the leadership of the proletariat, and it’s Communist Party.