This is a little something Marx and Engels (or Engels and Marx?) wrote in 1847 [written in 1847, published 1848]. I mention it only because Engels reiterated it 40 years later in his advice to the German-American Socialist Labor Party:
> > > > To bring about this result, the unification of the various independent > bodies into one national Labor Army, with no matter how inadequate a > provisional†b platform, provided it be a truly working class platform — > that is the next great step to be accomplished in America. To effect this, > and to make that platform worthy of the cause, the Socialist Labor Party > can contribute a great deal, if they will only act in the same way as the > European Socialists have acted at the time when they were but a small > minority of the working class. That line of action was first laid down in > the “Communist Manifesto” of 1847 in the following words: > > > > > > In what relation do the Communists stand to the proletarians as a whole? > > > > > The Communists do not form a separate party opposed to other working-class > parties. > > > > > They have no interests separate and apart from those of the proletariat as > a whole. > > > > > They do not set up any sectarian principles of their own, by which to > shape and mould the proletarian movement. > > > > > The Communists are distinguished from the other working-class parties by > this only: 1. In the national struggles of the proletarians of the > different countries, they point out and bring to the front the common > interests of the entire proletariat, independently of all nationality. 2. > In the various stages of development which the struggle of the working > class against the bourgeoisie has to pass through, they always and > everywhere represent the interests of the movement as a whole. > > > > > The Communists, therefore, are on the one hand, practically, the most > advanced and†b resolute section of the working-class parties of every > country, that section which pushes forward all others; on the other hand, > theoretically, they have over the great mass of the proletariat the > advantage of clearly understanding the line of march, the conditions, and > the ultimate general results of the proletarian movement. > > > > > The immediate aim of the Communists is the same as that of all the other > proletarian parties: formation of the proletariat into a class, overthrow > of the bourgeois supremacy, conquest of political power by the > proletariat. > > > > > The theoretical conclusions of the Communists are in no way based on ideas > or principles that have been invented, or discovered by this or that > would-be universal reformer. > They merely express, in general terms, actual relations springing from an > existing class struggle, from a historical movement going on under our > very eyes. > > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#39618): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/39618 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/116549413/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
