To Change The World

On the first of May
Remember Confucius did say
Chaos is a name for opportunity.

On the workers day
When Peasants gather in the hay
The time is now, to build up our unity

Let us forge the way
Yes we can make the bastards pay
From our anger there is no immunity

Be happy be gay
Marx and Lenin showed us the way
Let’s build a socialist world community

Ron Press


Today we are with the grandfathers. SACTU veteran Ron Press is one (see picture). Above is his May Day Poem, which the Communist University only now publishes, although Cde Ron was well in time. His book, To Change the World! Is Reason Enough? can be read on the Internet.

Another is Fidel Castro, who has made a new start as a blogger. Our dear Cuban comrades are somewhat surprised, it seems. Each new Fidel blog goes out under a reverential heading: “Reflections by the Commander in Chief” or “Reflections of President Fidel Castro”. But the man only signs himself as “Fidel Castro Ruz”, and claims no special place. He knows that in this medium there is no cover and no hiding place. He enters it like a young man, prepared to take his chances. If he makes a mistake the whole world will see it at once. But that does not stop him.

And what does he do, this young-man-grandfather? Why, he seizes the heart of the matter. He agitates. He stirs. He is pleased that “The debate heats up”. He takes on the whole world, not waiting to ask who is with him. Titles and honours of the past are of little use in the battles ahead - and that is where his eye is fixed. You have to love this man, but only for a few seconds. He doesn’t want your sentiment. He wants your attention. There is business to attend to and work to be done. His pace is already outstripping us again. See both his blogs of this week linked below.

Another grandfather dear to us is Paulo Freire. Rosa Maria Torres is a writer who knew Freire. She has her view of him and compares it to other peoples’ understandings. The CU does not recognise the Freire who complained of being misunderstood. We though that the Freirean path was a journey, not an arrival. But read this article. There is plenty in it including names of unfamiliar works by Freire. They should all be made available on the Internet, including “The Pedagogy of the Oppresseed”.

Terry Bell gives us a good run-down of the “essential service” gambit in the class struggle as it affects the forthcoming public sector union strike. See below.

The next face-to-face session of the Communist University is next Tuesday, May 15, at 17h00 in the SACP board room, 3rd floor, 1 Leyds Street, cnr Biccard, Braamfontein. The reading is part of “The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte”, by Karl Marx – see below.

Click on these links:

The debate heats up, Fidel Castro Ruz (1711 words)

The tragedy threatening our species, Fidel Castro Ruz (1269 words)

The million Paulo Freires, Rosa Maria Torres (2962 words)

Essential service label clashes with right to strike, Terry Bell, B Rep (812 words)

18th Brumaire Compilation, from Karl Marx (10719 words)