John Bachtell, newly elected Chair of the CPUSA, in an article, "Elections, the state, reform and revolution," printed in Political Affairs on June 23, 2014 pointed to the need for the people's movement to sharpen the struggle to change the balance of forces in favor of the people. Bachtell put forth a number of ideas around which to build the struggle to bring about economic, electoral and political change. He said: "The ability to carry out such reforms, their scale and scope, depends on the social and class balance of forces. The more favorable they are for the working class, the more radical the reform and change."

That concept should be developed in every trade union, political, electoral, civil rights and people's organization.

Today, 90% of newly created wealth is being usurped by the top 10%. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer and it's making the people of this country angry. Anger, in and of itself won't change the balance of forces and reverse the impoverization of the people. Mass struggle on specific issues can and will change the balances.

Some of the issues around which struggles can be waged and won and which would help bring about a change in the balance of forces are:

Jobs

The infrastructure in our country is crumbling and dangerously decrepit. In 2009, the American Society of Civil Engineers made a study of the nation's infrastructure. They gave an overall rating of "D" to the national infrastructure. They estimated that it would cost $2.2 trillion over the next 5 years to rebuild the infrastructure. This alone would have solved the unemployment crisis and we would have a new modern, safer infrastructure to live our lives. .

The last time such a massive overhaul of the country's bridges, tunnels, rivers, lakes, forests, ports, dams, etc was during Roosevelt's WPA jobs creation program. At that time, this program was opposed by the republicans and the Supreme Court. But, they were defeated by the thunderous hunger marches demanding government action, by the veterans bonus marches, by the building of industrial unionism of the CIO and by smashing electoral victories in 1936. They said it couldn't be done; but that's how the New Deal was won.

Climate Change

A critical part of building infrastructure is to rebuild the climate in which we live. Government has to act to stop the destruction of the atmosphere, polluting of the lakes, rivers and oceans, develop a massive program for renewable energy and away from fossil fuels. This will create hundred of thousands of permanent green jobs.

Transportation

The government should build Amtrak into a uniform interstate and intrastate transportation system. This should be part of an integrated transportation plan of rail, high speed rail, bus, ferry, light rail, air and shipping. Without such a program, our country cannot keep up with other industrialized countries.

Housing

Our country is in dire need of a national housing program to rehouse America. Since World War II the big investments have been in housing for the rich. A people's housing program would create jobs in every phase of the construction industry and in the building of new communities and all the necessary institutions such as schools, hospitals, parks, streets, sewers, water supply, home furnishing, etc.

Banking

The government should establish a national bank to finance all these projects and to engage in all phases of banking so as to provide fair loans at reasonable rates for consumers, small businesses and others who need banking services. Such a banking system would operate along side and in competition with the present private banking system The government has been pumping $10 billion every month since 2008 to bail out Wall St. banks. The same should be done to establish a people's banking system.

Health Care

The struggle for Medicare for All - all in, none out - can be accelerated by winning full implementation of the Affordable Care Act, including the national expansion of Medicaid. These experiences will demonstrate the need for a genuine national health care system and create millions of new jobs in the health care field.

There is nothing in the United States Constitution that says that capitalism has to be the economic system of our country. It can never provide a decent job for everyone who is ready, willing and able to work. There are more that 23 million people affected by unemployment at this time. That number fundamentally never changes. Since capitalism cannot provide jobs for all, the government must act to guarantee what the Constitution does speak of - the right of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Implementation of the Constitution creates the need for public ownership of substantial sectors of the economy. Wherever capitalism cannot or will not provide, the government should step in and operate the facilities on behalf of the people, whether they be industries, mines, mills, transportation, banks or health care.

It is the imperative of the moment that every thinking and concerned person should help create, engage in a national dialog to develop a people's program around which can be built a massive people's coalition that would put people and nature before profits. We can, we must, we will. Si se puede.

Photo:   Demonstration at Occupy Philly November 2011       Ben Sears/PA