Stop #45 is a first step

Although the Democratic Party presidential candidates soundly defeated the Republicans by some 6 million votes overall, as well as with a majority of the undemocratic and bizarre Electoral College, #45 refuses to concede, continuing as if he and Mike Pence had won a second term.

Meanwhile, he appointed his own toadies to be Pentagon executives, replacing those he appointed earlier. These earlier appointees were equally pro-imperialist officials, belligerent toward foreign rivals and enemies of U.S. imperialism. They were just more likely to disobey his orders.

Reactionary Republican senators continue to back the lame-duck president’s tweets that he will remain in office. 

On Nov. 14, a more significant event occurred. Some thousands of pro-Trump demonstrators, including some of the country’s most vile venomous vermin from the Proud Boys and the KKK, held a super-spreader gathering in Washington, D.C., to shout their fervor for the election loser’s second term.

Because Workers World knows in our bones that the leadership of both big capitalist parties serves the U.S. imperialist ruling class, readers might mistakenly assume we’re neutral in their conflict leading up to the Jan. 20 inauguration. Far from it. Although neither of those parties represents U.S. workers, their conflict and a possible “coup” by #45 affect the working class.

Workers World addresses our comments to those long in the Marxist and Leninist movement, as well as anyone active in the movement for workers’ rights and the rights of all people facing oppression under capitalism.

The working class of the U.S. has a stake in the outcome of the succession struggle. Even more, we have a stake in how the battle is fought. 

Regarding who is the next president, we start from this fact: The intervention of Black people, mostly led by Black women, in the election process, itself flipped Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan. This determined the election. 

To allow #45 and his cultish followers to overturn that effort would be a blow to the rights of all oppressed peoples. That reason alone is enough to make it required to join this struggle. There are plenty of others.

Remember that on Nov. 7, millions of people cheered all day in the streets after the corporate media announced #45’s defeat. To excise the fascist tumor apparent in the D.C. demonstration, these millions should be called back into the streets — with masks, social distance and a will to win. 

They, and not some deal brokered by CEOs or centrist politicians, must assure that the legal democratic succession carrying out their legal vote occurs. A good day could be when the Electoral College meets, Dec. 11, or on Jan. 20.

It might appear that a majority of the billionaire ruling class, happy with the trillions of dollars in tax breaks and the free access to the national (and Indigenous) lands that #45 handed the corporations, now back a more normal pro-capitalist Biden/Harris administration. 

First of all, their backing is no guarantee of victory. Struggles are decided by active forces. 

More important, an independent mobilization of workers and the oppressed is central to stopping the Trump gang from overriding the votes of tens of millions of people. Then, assuming the working-class mobilization wins, it is in a better position for the necessary next step.

That next step is to bring the battle to the Biden/Harris administration, assuming they take office, as well as to the Republicans. From the Democrats we can expect an imperialist and warlike foreign policy — which has always been bipartisan. We can expect bad compromises with the Republicans, a friendly attitude toward the police and a wish to stay in the good graces of the ruling class.

Only independent actions of the working class can challenge the rulers and their government, whichever party is in office. These can start by defeating Trump.