Days after a self-described democratic socialist won the New York mayoral election, over 300 communists sang a rousing rendition of “The Internationale” to conclude the third and final installment of the RCA’s 2025 Marxist School series.
The New York Marxist School, held November 8–9, built on the success of preceding events in Los Angeles on October 11–12 and Chicago on October 25–26. In total, nearly 700 communists attended an RCA Marxist School this fall.
Present in NYC were contingents from New York; Philadelphia; Boston; Atlanta; Washington, DC; Baltimore; Pittsburgh; Dallas-Fort Worth; Chicago; Los Angeles; Cleveland; the Bay Area; Seattle; New Orleans; Albany; Denver; Portland, ME; Providence, RI; Richmond, VA; Blacksburg, VA; New Jersey; North Carolina; South Carolina; West Virginia; and Connecticut. They were joined by international delegations from Britain, Greece, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
Over 300 communists attended the 2025 New York Marxist School. / Image: RCA
The RCA strengthened its ranks during our fall recruitment drive. Now, the task is to form these new recruits into Bolshevik cadres.
There’s never been a better time to be a communist in America. Zohran Mamdani won a number of districts that voted for Trump a year ago, confirming the Marxist perspective that the working class hasn’t shifted to the right in any fundamental sense. Rather, workers are turning against all establishment parties and politicians.
This is only the beginning of intensifying class polarization and radicalization. Building the kind of party the working class needs takes time and a revolutionary determination to smash all obstacles. Above all, it takes dedicated comrades who have mastered the Marxist method and can apply it to fighting in the class struggle.
Building the kind of party the working class needs takes time and a revolutionary determination to smash all obstacles. / Image: RCA
Decline of US imperialism
On Friday night, comrades gathered for pre-Marxist school screening of the RCI’s new documentary: The Communists Are Coming!, which set an enthusiastic tone for the weekend.
The lecture hall was packed early the next morning as the school kicked off with a discussion of the relative decline of American imperialism and the rise of China.
Over the last quarter century, China has developed into a superpower rivaling the US. In the year 2000, China produced only 3.6% of world GDP. Today, that figure is 18%, and China accounts for 28% of world manufacturing output. Once known for producing cheap, low-quality consumer goods, China now leads the world in high tech sectors like AI, robotics, and renewable energy.
The Chinese ruling class is parlaying its economic power into political and military might. American imperialism finds itself engaged in an increasingly bitter struggle for world hegemony. However, the shift away from a “unipolar” world won’t usher in a period of peace. Rather, we have entered an era of inter-imperialist proxy wars combined with rising class struggle and revolution—like the recent social explosions in Indonesia, Nepal, Madagascar, and other countries.
The lecture hall was packed as the school kicked off with a discussion of the relative decline of American imperialism and the rise of China. / Image: RCA
Reformism vs. revolution
On Saturday evening, a comrade from the RCI’s Greek section spoke about the intense class struggles in Greece a decade ago and the betrayals of reformism. In response to the austerity imposed after the 2008 financial crisis by the European “troika,” the Greek working class took to the streets, occupied workplaces, and propelled Syriza, a previously obscure left party, to power.
Instead of taking this militancy and determination to its logical conclusion by expropriating the capitalists in Greece and appealing to the rest of the European working class for revolutionary solidarity, Syriza’s reformist leaders actively held back the masses. They came to power riding a wave of opposition to the troika but ended up imposing austerity despite an overwhelming “no” vote in the 2015 popular referendum.
Greek society still hasn’t recovered from the crisis. But after a period of demoralization following Syriza’s betrayal, the Greek workers and youth are now beginning to move into action once again.
The school concluded with a discussion on the crisis of American capitalism and where the country is headed, introduced by Antonio Balmer, managing editor of The Communist. Trump promised his voters the biggest paychecks and brightest futures. But he can do little more than attempt to manage the decline of American imperialism.
All the sources of discontent that propelled him back into office have only intensified. His MAGA base is beginning to fracture and many will look for political alternatives. This will only accelerate as the economic situation continues to worsen. While the discredited Democratic Party may score short-term victories next November, a vast political vacuum remains, waiting to be filled by a revolutionary force which can put forward consistent class politics.
There’s never been a better time to be a communist in America. / Image: RCA
Hunger for Marxist ideas
In addition to the three plenaries, there were nine concurrent sessions covering an array of topics: dialectical materialism, the period of Reconstruction following the American Civil War, Stalinism and its lies about Lenin and Trotsky, Lenin’s Left-Wing Communism, the Spanish Revolution of 1936–39, lessons from the anti-Vietnam War movement, the postwar economic boom, the Chinese Revolution of 1925–27, and how the Bolsheviks won power.
The political level of the lead offs, contributions, and questions raised during the discussions was higher than ever—proof positive that the RCA’s continual efforts to raise our collective political level is paying off. The hunger for Marxist ideas was evidenced by the results of our book stall, which sold nearly $11,000 worth of Marxist literature in just two days!
While a party is first and foremost its program, method, and ideas, it’s nothing without a healthy organizational apparatus. That requires a serious approach to party finances. A rousing finance appeal evoked a standing ovation and raked in close to $6,000 from donations and sales of raffle tickets. Throughout the weekend, at least four attendees joined the RCA, and one more signed up to sustain the party with a monthly donation.
The school concluded with rousing renditions of “The Internationale” and “Bandiera Rossa.” / Image: RCA
In his closing remarks, The Communist’s executive editor, John Peterson, grounded the weekend’s camaraderie and education with perspectives, reflection, and advice for improving as Marxists by applying the dialectical Japanese concept of kaizen. The first New York Marxist School was held in 2007. Twelve comrades from across the northeast braved a blizzard to meet in the basement of an apartment building in the Bronx. After 18 years of patient and persistent work, nearly 300 comrades gathered for the 2025 edition of the NY Marxist School—and this is just the beginning of the beginning.
The world looks very different today after the 2008 crisis, Occupy Wall Street, the rise of Trump and Bernie Sanders, the George Floyd uprising, the pandemic, and a slew of other political earthquakes. The capitalist system’s crises are features, not bugs, and they’re producing workers and young people looking towards communist ideas in the belly of the beast.
The internal contradictions of capitalism inevitably produce revolutionary uprisings, but working-class victory depends on the presence of a party of Bolshevik cadres prepared in advance. No victory will ever be handed to us. As Marx and Engels wrote, “History does nothing, it possesses no immense wealth, it wages no battles. It is man, real, living man who does all that, who possesses and fights” for a better world.
This is exactly what the RCA is building.