A statement by the Steering Committee​​​​​​​ of the Revolutionary Student Union on incorrect conceptions held by some in the American Revolutionary Movement and the need to turn over a new leaf. 

The Revolutionary Student Union (RSU), through our inception, has been struggling to formulate a political line and seek a proper way forward for the student and youth movement. Marxism has taught us that knowledge comes from practice, from taking part in the life and struggle of the working class, from knowing how to change the world, and it will never come from false or abstract theoretical impositions isolated from practice. This means that for us, as an open mass organization, understanding our politics and theory means centering the importance of practical work first and foremost. The only way we can reach correct conclusions is through practice, meaning mainly taking part in class struggle, in actively organizing the proletarian youth.

We believe that class struggle, and the two line struggle that occurs from that class struggle, forms the basis for formulating a line. We have correctly come to understand our position as an open mass organization, and have thus far steered clear away from attempts and efforts to distort our meaning and orientation, but this is only the first step. There is still an urgent need for us to join in the class struggle of the working class and all oppressed people. Only in this way can we understand what it means to be a revolutionary. We understand that we are all working towards the goal of changing this rotten and bloodthirsty imperialist society. As a youth organization, this means we need to organize more young workers and working students and take part in class struggle.

In our work, we have come across various instances of intermediary or “communist” student organizations that think that we as a mass organization need to first unite on the conception of an ideology before we can carry out the needed and necessary practical work. An example of this is the Daltonites, Daltonite is a descriptive term which comes from the ^​​​​pen name of the ideological leader of the publication, The Worker, who was complicit in a recent sectarian attempt at splitting organizations¹. The Daltonites misuse the phrase “unite under Maoism” and have attempted to instruct open mass organizations as ourselves to first unite on a ideological basis and come to a agreement on what Maoism is before we begin practical work like, mass outreach, protest, and political education. Groups like the Daltonites have a conception of the nature of a mass organization that views and treats them as pseudo-Communist structures, or “intermediate organizations”, who should use a higher unity than is appropriate. This mentality is also usually combined with another deviation, which the usage of this already inappropriately applied slogan as a guise for uniting mass organizations under the leadership of the Daltonites and their supposed “vanguard”. The use of the slogan “unite under Maoism” by the Daltonites is thus a sectarian deviation on two counts: 1) it attempts to make Maoism the basis of unity in the mass movement and 2) it attempts to conflate Maoism as an ideology with their own practically isolated and insignificant leadership.

Aside from the fact that we have seen no practice or contribution that would make the Daltonites worthy of the title of vanguard, attempting to unite open mass organizations on the basis of them being imagined “communists-in-formation” whose primary task is to “unite under Maoism” represents a politically amateurish trend, and hold dangerous implications. ​​​​​​​

We should reject the implication of serious matters and the hurling of serious allegations over public platforms that this false “two line struggle” entails. We should not forget that we are facing US imperialism, the most dangerous enemy of the people of the world. Recalling repression  groups like Stop Cop City or many Palestinian liberation organizations face, we should not treat security and clandestinity as a joke.

Political lines are a product of the dialectical relationship between theory and practice, thus we recognize the transformative dialectical relationship between formulation and application. As we take part in the struggle of the working class against imperialism, the valuable experience we gain will give us a better footing in understanding and charting the road forward. As Chairman Mao, founder of the Communist Party of China once said, theory comes from practice and guides practice.  At the same time, we see that through doing work in the student movement, the majority of people brought in will be unfamiliar with the terminology and theoretical aspects assigned and derived from the work we do. This is however a sign of growth, and not ideological underdevelopment. Our priority is not to make everyone a proletarian revolutionary primarily through education or two line struggle isolated from class struggle – on the opposite, we can only become such by taking part in class struggle. Expansion and consolidation are two sides of the same coin and two line struggle without a basis in class struggle and social practice is just diplomacy.

We reaffirm our commitment to honesty in our political work, doing proper investigation, and being aboveboard in our interactions with allies. We uphold the principles of open sectorial mass work, and seek to base ourselves in the proletariat and work with our allies to elaborate a correct set of principles for open struggle and a class line in the student movement. This trend to discuss such serious matters in compromised channels, and turn mass organizations into pseudo-Communist organizations, will only serve to harm the revolutionary movement. If we have disagreements, we should be aboveboard and honest, instead of using the methods of implicit agreements, meddling, and intrigue that the Daltonites have been pushing, which has caused unnecessary and damaging instability within our organization.

The price of trying to change the world is a heavy one, and we recognize we are still ignorant to this reality. If any group or movement is serious about this task, they must demonstrate it and prove it to the masses through class struggle. Let practice speak! The politically amateurish trend we have identified is certainly not on a path that leads to achieving this task. The correct line can only be shown through practice.

All in all, this represents a turning of a leaf. With the help of our allies, the genuine revolutionary organizations who have proven themselves in practice, we have learned from past mistakes and reject attempts to repeat deviations and failed lines. We are marching into a new era with fresh ideas, fresh faces, and a burning determination to create a new world without exploitation and oppression. Instead of using conspiratorial methods and debating theory without any solid basis, we need to mobilize more youth masses, devote ourselves in the harsh class struggle that shapes this society, and work organize a genuinely revolutionary mass movement of the youth.

We represent a new chapter in the student and youth movement that seeks to sweep away all of the ghosts of the past to make room for something stronger to sprout.

1. Read more here:  https://newlaborpress.org/2024/07/12/on-renegades-and-revolutionaries/

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