Sweden: Communism & Revolution – the Revolutionary Communist Party has never been stronger!

On the weekend of 30 November, 122 communists from 23 Swedish cities – and a delegation from Finland – gathered for ‘Communism & Revolution’, a weekend of Marxist education designed to arm revolutionaries with the ideas they need to build a party that can smash capitalism.

[Originally published in Swedish at marxist.se]

In the past year, we formed the Revolutionary Communist Party (RKP), threw ourselves into the movement for Palestine, launched a new newspaper, organised a summer tour, were smeared in the media, and launched a campaign against imperialism and militarism. ‘Communism & Revolution’ is proof that the experiences of recent years have only made us stronger.

Niklas Albin Svensson from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International explained how the ruling class has lost control of its own system / Image: RKP

“I have been to several study weekends before. This is the biggest and best ever,” said a comrade from Malmö.

For many, it was the first time they had attended an RKP national event.

“To meet the whole party like this is something extraordinary,” emphasised a new member from Kristinehamn.

Other comrades talked about how they stayed up late at night when they got home, and talked for hours about things they had heard and learnt during the weekend.

A world in chaos

Benjamin Roobol from Stockholm opened the weekend by explaining the truth:

Greta from Umeå talked about the natural disasters in the USA / Image: RKP

“You only need to open a newspaper or scroll through your feed for a minute to see how this capitalist system we live in is sick. Wars, genocide, economic crisis, climate crisis: many people understand that these big problems need big solutions,” he explained.

This was followed by a discussion on how all these revolutionary events have the same basis – a capitalist system in deep crisis. Niklas Albin Svensson from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International explained how the ruling class has lost control of its own system. Those who pay for the crisis – for the imperialists' wars, the climate crisis caused by their reckless exploitation, the dismantling of social institutions – are, time and again, the working class.

Greta from Umeå put this into words when she talked about the natural disasters in the USA:

“Somewhere along the line, when an American father gets caught up in a natural disaster, they will say it is too complicated to get him money for necessities, or to rebuild his house, or to make sure he doesn't get caught up in a natural disaster in the first place. Of course, the money that would be needed for that instead goes on dropping bombs on Palestinian fathers.”

Revolutionary theory

To change the world, we must understand it. That's what ‘Communism & Revolution’ was all about. The weekend discussed how we need to base our understanding of society on a revolutionary philosophy, how class society came about and how to abolish it, why the capitalist economy is in crisis, and how a planned economy is absolutely necessary to solve the world's problems, and much much more.

To change the world, we must understand it. That's what ‘Communism & Revolution’ was all about / Image: RKP

During the discussion ‘Trotskyism vs. Stalinism’, Fredrik Albin Svensson emphasised how the Russian Revolution shows the way for revolutionaries today:

“Millions of people have spent their entire lives as slaves – not only under capitalists – but slaves in general in the struggle for survival. For the first time in history, they rose up, seizing power – and with it forged the tools of their own liberation.”

The Stalinist degeneration threatened to bury the ideas of the Russian Revolution once and for all, but in terrible circumstances Trotsky and the Left Opposition fought back. Over the weekend, we launch a new edition of The Permanent Revolution by Trotsky, with a newly written foreword. In just two days, 68 copies were sold!

Over the weekend, we launch a new edition of The Permanent Revolution by Trotsky / Image: RKP

In total, over 33,000 SEK worth of books, magazines, pins and other items were sold from the Communism & Revolution book table, reflecting the enormous thirst for revolutionary ideas within our party.

Ylva Vinberg asked why so many groups on the left –- starting with the Left Party – are unable to use the crisis of capitalism to organise.

“Why is the Left Party so keen to govern with the Social Democrats and the Centre Party, that they also embrace the programme of militarism and conduct a witch hunt against anyone who genuinely supports Palestine in their party? Why is the revolutionary left so weak, when capitalism is in crisis and millions have taken to the streets? Why are they doing their best to eradicate all things communist from their politics?”

To this she gave a clear answer:

“Because they abandoned Marxism, because they abandoned all revolutionary theory.”

Building the revolutionary party

But the possibilities are enormous, as was evident during the session on the Swedish Vietnam solidarity movement in the 1960s on Sunday.

Over 33,000 SEK worth of books, magazines, pins and other items were sold from the Communism & Revolution book table / Image: RKP

“The Palestinian movement of recent years is proof of the anger that exists among young people and workers”, emphasised Jennifer Österman.

At the same time, she explained that it shows an urgent need for organisation.

“We need to build a party, a world party, that can take on the task of leading not just one movement, but which can unite all the struggles against capitalism and imperialism into a common, invincible force.”

Niklas also drove home the urgency of the tasks facing Communists in Sweden:

“We say that the choice for humanity is between socialism and barbarism. In practice, that means the choice between building the party, preparing this revolutionary vanguard, or not. No one will do it for us.”

The RKP is still a small party with modest strength. To play a decisive role in the class struggle that is emerging and will emerge in the near future, it needs to grow, and fast. But already, our spirit of sacrifice vastly outweighs our numerical size. In order to finance the investments that have been made and will need to be made by the party, comrades collectively raised 430,000 SEK!

“The survival of capitalism is an existential threat to humanity and the lives of the majority on the planet" / Image: RKP

Ylva Vinberg ended the weekend as it began – by telling the truth:

“The survival of capitalism is an existential threat to humanity and the lives of the majority on the planet. And the politicians, the generals and the capitalists, they think that the climate crisis is not enough and that they can throw on more wars!”

“We are standing on the shoulders of giants,” she emphasised.

“Engels said when Marx died that: ‘Marx was above all a revolutionary. Fighting was his element.’ Fighting is also our element. And there is no one who can stop us, because the time of the communists has come.”

RKP members have left Communism & Revolution with enthusiasm and focused on building the revolutionary party.

All the while the crisis of capitalism is creating more revolutionaries, people ready to organise and fight, today, for a better world.

Are you one of them? Then join the Revolutionary Communist Party!