"Re-establishing the relationship with the grassroots": the struggle for a clear revolutionary political program!

By Micnéias Róberth Pereira

In the current debate within the Brazilian left, it is common to find sectors that advocate for a "return to basics"What, in their view, would constitute establishing a new This article aims to engage in a polemic with the abstract concept of "relationship with the grassroots," pointing out existing gaps and drawing lessons from Brazil's recent history. 

The premise of the debate: 

First of all, it must be said that the debate stems from a concrete fact of Brazilian reality: the disconnect between the leadership and the popular sectors they seek to represent.Consider the insufficient participation of the popular masses in the struggles that directly affected their living conditions, both during and after the coup. This detachment originates in the majority policy adopted by the left at the turn of the century, the policy reformistelectoral and therefore conciliatory. But it has its moment of greatest clarification, and it could not be otherwise, starting with the crisis that hit Brazil in 2012-2013; the beginning of the most insidious movements in favor of the coup d'état in Brazil, which would be victorious in 2016. 

Here we already see the first outlines of the fundamental divergence that led to the writing of this article. 

Some argue, for example, that The alliance formed between the PT – the main political force of the Brazilian left – and the large domestic bourgeoisieHowever, the fundamental issue does not lie in the alliance itself, since at that moment this alliance represented progress for the country's working class, which had been severely attacked by... governments neoliberals The question is not about the years following the constituent assembly, but rather what the party and the other political forces present in the alliance did from that point onward. As they became more entangled in the complexities of the Brazilian capitalist state, these sectors preached faith in it, appealing to governmental measures instead of relying on popular mobilization aimed at breaking the alliance – which is made to one day be broken. 

Other sectors, with their "revolutionary rhetoric" that disguises their reactionary stance, limited themselves – and still limit themselves – to inconsequential criticism of the PT for the alliance it made, and in their own politics they echo the most reactionary forces present in the political landscape. political scene Brazilian representatives of imperialism. See the positions of minority forces on the left in favor of coup maneuvers – whether consciously or not – such as the monthly allowance, Car wash, in criticism of the holding of the World Cup in the country and finally, in the impeachment process. 

It was with these two sides of the same lack of political clarity and combativeness that the coup d'état developed and was victorious. A president elected by the majority of the people, contradicting the anti-PT (Workers' Party) propaganda of the mainstream media in 2014, was removed from office for a crime that didn't even exist. From then on, it was all downhill; and to make it clear how steep it is, I cite the... PEC on spending cap and labor reform as expressions of this disaster. And this unity of faces is expressed when we observe the attempt to mask – to a greater or lesser extent – ​​the relationship between the current situation and the coup d'état, the famous attempt to “turn the page on the coup", by both sectors.

The main disagreement arises when the question is raised of "how to solve it". The solution that is suggested is nothing more than a reverse repetition of the... appearance Regarding the problem: "Since we lost that connection, let's re-establish it!"

They demagogically proclaim that we must "listen to what the grassroots tell us." They label any sector that attempts to rebuild this connection in a more progressive way as "vanguardists." They view politics from a grassroots perspective, failing to see that... All movement within class society arises in a pyramidal fashion....where the most enlightened sector resides at the top, and the base expands as the policies undertaken become more just. These sectors are nothing more than simple bureaucrats who preach "horizontalism" and "democratism" within their organizations to conceal their perpetuation within the leadership apparatus.

I ask the dear reader: , the How can this relationship be rebuilt if the forces haven't changed their policies at all? How can we influence a trend towards polarization and accumulate strength if we do nothing more than repeat the most glaring mistake present in the national left in recent decades? It's no use changing intentions if the fundamentals of the defeated policy haven't been altered. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

It is not possible to re-establish this bond without the "mortar" that firmly holds and perpetuates it: a clear revolutionary political program...with the interests of the classes and class fractions that we intend to organize; clearly aiming for the end of the capitalist system, without abandoning the immediate democratic objectives of the Brazilian revolution. Here is the first step to be taken towards building a transformative policy that realizes the historical potential of our People.