Live Reports from the Frontlines
Our work is made possible by the hundreds of communist correspondents across the U.S. whose contributions flood into our offices every day.
Here is a glimpse of those contributions.
“The People Need Organization!”
Marley M, Tempe, AZ
I introduced myself to two curious young women on Arizona State University’s campus. I said the RCA is building a working-class party committed to the overthrow of capitalism and the establishment of a workers’ government.
Neither of them saw a future under capitalism. I explained that a Communist America is only possible, but beautiful. When I showed them the centerfold of The Communist issue 16, they both bought a copy!
Another student walked up, saying he was interested in communism. I asked why. He said that the system is heading towards a revolution—but there wasn’t any organization to lead it.
I was ecstatic! I showed him our program, and he described it as a “breath of fresh air!” He shifted to talking about the 2024 election: “It was disgusting. They keep making it a left and right issue when it’s not. The people need organization!”
Naturally, he’s coming to our next communist cell meeting!
Class Anger at the Job Fair
Lily M, Los Angeles, CA
Tired of refreshing my email only to find rejection letters from online job applications, I went to a job fair in LA. While waiting in line under the headache-inducing, fluorescent lights of a hotel lobby, I chatted with two women in their 40s.
One had recently been laid off from Microsoft, the other by Hulu. Both had worked there for over 10 years. They’d been struggling to find work for months, going to job fairs and networking events, hoping to at least make an in-person connection. A young guy chimed in that online job-boards are littered with “ghost jobs” so companies can measure how replaceable you are.
Hundreds of workers had filed inside the hotel where only 13 companies were tabling—despite the organizers claiming there’d be over 100. One of the women had attended a fair where out of the 20 companies present, only two of them were actually hiring. “I made a Tik-Tok about it because I was so pissed, and it went viral!” Clearly this experience is not unique.
An older woman ahead of us said, “I hope this isn’t an indicator of the job market!” Everyone surrounding looked at each other, wondering who was going to break the bad news.
Later, I spoke to a recent grad with an engineering degree. She just moved to LA for a new job. The day after she moved, they fired her.
I had heard the stories and I had seen the numbers which both pointed toward recession and a bad job market. But just 45 minutes in that hotel lobby, I felt the desperation and anger of our class as our ability to make a living and get by is attacked by the capitalist class. Workers will only take so much before big class battles break out!
Being the Communist in Class Inspires Teachers, Too!
Marie G, Philadelphia, PA
Today in class, my professor asked us to share a museum experience that impacted us and shaped our view of history. I talked about my visit to the Leon Trotsky House Museum in Mexico City.
I told the class how much he inspires me to remain firm in my communist principles. Seeing the bullet holes in the walls—from an assassination attempt by Stalinist agents—made Trotsky’s struggle real for me. He was a flesh-and-blood man who fought for the future of humanity, despite all odds being against him.
I hoped this would be an opportunity to attract sympathetic students. After class, my teacher came up to me. I figured I was in trouble for talking about communism in class. But he said, “I have an unhealthy obsession with Trotsky! I find him so fascinating and admirable.” I wasn’t expecting that! He’s even planning to attend an RCA public event on campus.
Being the communist in class pays off. Even if I don’t end up recruiting my professor, at least he knows to direct sympathetic students to the RCA!
High Schoolers Moshed Us for Communism!
Kim H, New York, NY
On a Friday, we set up our table down the block from a high school. Herds of students passed us as school let-out—and many recognized the RCA. At one point a mosh pit formed around our table with students chanting, “Communism! Communism!”
Several students asked us when we’d be back—as if we needed any more proof that young people are hungry for revolution!
Fiancée Heard I Am a Communist and Said, “I’m With Him!”
Devon O, Chicago, IL
At my new job as a FedEx driver, a coworker asked if I kept up with the news. I told him I pay close attention to what’s going on. I asked for his thoughts on current events. After I listened to him, he asked for mine. I told him I’m organized with the Revolutionary Communists of America. I explained our program and why I thought he should be a communist.
He was excited to learn about the party. He even called his fiancée to share the good news, “I’m with the new guy. Guess what? He’s a communist!” To his surprise, his fiancée said, “Good, I’m with him!”
He’s started sharing RCA podcasts and articles with his whole friend group, and he’s eager to talk to them about Marxism.
Just 20 minutes before our discussion, he described himself as a “centrist.” No one else in this country can explain Marxist ideas, perspectives, and the necessity of socialist revolution like the RCA. By boldly and clearly making the case, we can win over a wider layer of workers to the revolutionary party!
How I Made My First Recruit
ML, Philadelphia, PA
Each week at my cell’s paper sale, rain or shine, I watched comrades fervently approaching workers and young people with bold communist ideas. But at first, I used a copy of The Communist as a mini-shield to hide behind.
This time I followed the example set by my fellow comrades … and I sold four papers!
I approached a worker and asked: “Are you sick and tired of capitalism?” She replied that she’s been tired of the system for some time. In our brief dialogue, I learned about her struggles and her desire to fight oppression. She left with a paper.
When I called her later that day, she was glad to hear from me. I was able to answer most of her burning questions, despite being new to the party myself. We arranged to meet in person to discuss the paper, and I invited her to our cell meeting. She was impressed by the political discussion—so much so that she joined the party!
But the recruitment process isn’t over. The end goal isn’t adding a new name to the books. It’s training a cadre who can contribute to building the party herself.
Ex-Military Student Interested in Communism
Mary D, UW-Madison, Madison, WI
We spoke to a young military veteran starting university on the GI bill. He said he joined the military because he believed it meant protecting Americans. But after serving, he realized that the US military was not defending democracy.
He read more about the crimes of American imperialism in Vietnam and elsewhere. Now he’s looking for a way to fight imperialism. He was hesitant to call himself a communist, but he agreed with our analysis that the state exists to serve the interests of the ruling class, and back it up with force when necessary.
He also agreed that in a revolution, the working class would need to work to win over a section of the armed forces in order to defend its gains. Further discussion will allow us to clarify the party’s goals and how a scientific analysis of history shows that communism is both possible and necessary. We aim to convince him of the need to build the party that will overthrow capitalism and bring an end to imperialist war!
Workers Sympathize with Kirk
Nickolas R, Denton, TX
Never have I seen politics discussed so much at work, much less one event. It was all everyone talked about, striking up conversations unprompted.
The conclusions were all the same: sympathy for Charlie Kirk.
The right-wing momentum of martyrdom felt crushing. Instead of this arch-reactionary being exposed, discredited, and used a means of increasing working-class consciousness, Kirk’s assassination has temporarily given MAGA some breathing space. That’s the real, reactionary consequence of individual terrorism.
This atmosphere won’t last forever. Under the pressure of rising inflation and unemployment, MAGA will eventually split along class lines, but for now, it’s been strengthened.
Communists must help advance the conditions, confidence, and consciousness of the working class. Only a mass revolutionary party can discredit reactionary ideologues by waging militant struggle against the whole capitalist system.
“You guys know Marx? Karl Marx?”
Yan B, Philadelphia, PA
After Labor Day, I returned to the metal sheet processing factory for another grueling 10-hour shift.
I expected my coworkers to come back relaxed and excited for the shorter workweek. Instead, the normally lively quality control room was filled with grumpiness. As it turned out, there was indignation, too.
“You guys know Marx? Karl Marx?” A 30-year-old coworker asked out of nowhere.
After cracking up from the suddenness of the question, I nodded, waiting to hear what he had to say.
“The guy wrote about exploitation and all. Well let me tell you, I feel pretty damn exploited right now.” After a day of freedom, returning to the drudgery of wage slavery felt like a slap in the face!
Not missing the opportunity to start a political discussion, I turned to Bill, a 60-year-old grandpa. “Do you feel exploited?” I asked. “Well, I’m no Marxist, but I sure do feel exploited.”
Discussion spread through the room, with five of us connecting the dots between the corrupt government, ruthless attacks on our living standards in the Big Beautiful Bill, the opioid pandemic, the absurd healthcare system, and much more. We also spoke about the bravery of the Indonesian masses in their struggle to bring down a corrupt parliament.
One conclusion follows: the consciousness of the working class is advancing, crashing through seemingly impenetrable barriers. All those who laughed at and ridiculed American workers for their backwardness will soon be surprised.
“Of Course Zohran Needs to Break with the Democrats!”
Martin L, Queens NY
An enthusiastic young worker who volunteered for Zohran came to our table. He talked about the cost-of-living crisis in NYC: “The rent is rising like crazy. People are living paycheck to paycheck. Groceries are getting mad expensive. And no one wants to talk about it.”
“That’s why Zohran won,” I said, “he connected with working-class anger. The Democrats and the establishment are hated, and Zohran is seen as someone willing to stand up to these people.”
He enthusiastically agreed. The conversation then shifted to the election in November. He was worried.
“No one actually likes any of the other candidates, but they have a lot of money and powerful backers behind them,” he said, “I think he will win, but that’s when the real problems will start for him.”
I asked him what he meant.
He responded with: “He needs to fight for the people who made him win. He can’t become another politician.”
I agreed—the working class has put their confidence in him and what he is fighting for. The billionaires and their parties will try everything to stop him. They are not as scared of him as they are of the mass of workers behind him.
“Yeah exactly!” he added, “They’re going to try to pull an AOC with him!”
I asked, “Do you think he needs to break—”
“With the Democrats! Of course!” he exclaimed. We were finishing each other’s sentences.
Later, during a phone call, he said, “Capitalism is like an old building. The foundation is crumbling and the ceilings are collapsing over our heads. We keep trying to fix things here and there, but nothing works because the problem is with the foundation. We need to tear the whole building down, and build something new, with a strong foundation.”
From North Carolina to New York: Students Turn to Communism
Mary Claire G, Brooklyn, NY
I left Boone, NC years ago, after I graduated from Appalachian State University. I never dreamed I would one day return and work with communists building for revolution.
While visiting family, I made the two hour journey up the mountain to visit the Boone RCA comrades. On the first day of classes at Appalachian State, I saw students flood to our table.
Many were already self-professed communists. Those who came up out of curiosity ended up agreeing with all that we said. Within an hour, ten students had signed up on the spot. At a college where I never read Marx or Engels but certainly a lot of postmodernist fluff, the communist flag flew high on the quad that day.
Ten years ago, the most radical form of political expression in Boone might’ve been an anarchist zine at a coffee shop. This is a town where I frequently saw confederate flags on trucks. Before the 2016 election, there were rumors of far-right groups postering on campus. Conditions have changed and political consciousness is shifting rapidly.
I see that in myself. But I also see it in college students at recruiting tables this year. I returned to Brooklyn and have been recruiting at Brooklyn College. I’m meeting students who want to get involved because they know capitalism is dying. Confronted with the horrors of imperialism, students are looking for real steps towards socialism. When they do, they’re finding comrades from RCA.
From Boone to Brooklyn and beyond, we must raise up our own political consciousness and understanding to meet these students now and organize for revolution. Here’s to the communist flag flying on every campus!
Dallas RCA Connects with Radical Youth at UNT
Jaybre A, Dallas-Forth Worth, TX
On August 13th, 18 revolutionary communists assembled at the University of North Texas to intervene energetically at the campus’s organizational fair, the Mean Green Fling.
We met two hours before the event to discuss The Communist issue 16, with particular focus on Zohran Mandami, Trumpism, and the central theoretical article, “What Will Communist America Look Like?” After discussing the paper, comrades set up our tables and approached the crowd of freshmen by asking them: “Are you a Communist?” “Do you think we need a revolution against the billionaires?” “What do you think about Trump and how do we fight him?” “What are your thoughts on Zohran?” We boldly called to fight Trump and the Democrats, too. This approach had our comrades swarmed with radical students.
A comrade said that you couldn’t go 10 seconds without being approached by an interested freshman. We even had a freshman approach us saying, “I fuck with Lenin.” So many students were swarming us that we couldn’t even speak with all of them despite having a large number of organized communists involved.
We sold 27 copies of The Communist and signed-up 90 young people interested in joining the party and in just two hours! We’ve also scheduled meetings with 13 of these sign-ups already and many are planning to attend communist cell meetings and our upcoming public event on August 29th.
The communists in Dallas have already made a splash—and it is only the beginning of our Fall Offensive. We have the best ideas and the utmost clarity in a time of crisis and confusion. We take the advice of Danton to heart in order to recruit these future comrades: “Audacity, and again audacity, and always audacity.”
