I read the comments of Mark Baugher and Charles regarding my article <https://oaklandsocialist.com/2026/01/25/alex-pretti-execution-next-steps-for-them-and-us/> on where the executioners of Alex Pretti are headed and what we can do to stop them. My first thought is this: Theory as a summary of history is vital. "Theory" as an excuse to avoid looking at concrete reality is nothing but a smokescreen.
The United States is the only country in the industrialized world that has never had a mass working class party. The only mass traditional mass working class organizations that have ever existed here are the unions. Mark talks about Lenin's opposition to economism. That is irrelevant. Lenin was referring to a focus on economic strikes and the struggles confined to the work place. What I was talking about was perfectly clear: The way to defeat the ICE/BP invasion in Minneapolis and where this invasion is headed is to shut down the economy of the city and possibly beyond just Minneapolis-St. Paul. That means bringing to bear the united force of the working class. The question is whether there are any existing organizations that can bring that force together and give the struggle against the invasion a clear class content. Of course there are: it is the unions. Labor can organize meetings of union members and supporters as a first step to a general strike. Why is this not happening? Clearly, it's because of the stranglehold the union bureaucracy - including its "progressive" wing - exercises over the unions. What's needed is to build an organized rank and file opposition within the unions in order to push them forward. Waving the flag of opposing economism is just simply an excuse to avoid doing so. Of course, building organized opposition caucuses will bring the academic "Marxists" into conflict with other left academics such as the ones Marxmail platformed in its forum on the unions. So be it. What is the alternative? Howie Hawkiins and his guest - Kieran Knudson - proposed armed community self defense. That would lead to Alex Pretti on a mass scale. You doubt it? Take a look at this article <https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/us/ice-agent-weapons-minneapolis.html> in the NY times about the weaponry these invaders have already brought to bear in Minneapolis. And that is just a start. They would use drones, helicopters... everything they have. And that's not even the main point. That same NYT article begins to show the degree to which they are trained and *organized.* It's on a scale civilians cannot even approach. They would absolutely overwhelm any "resistance" like what Howie and Kieran (and possibly others?) advocate. Let's talk reality rather than retreat into abstract philosophizing. John Reimann -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#40406): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/40406 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/117460647/21656 -=-=- 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]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
