Lenin's Legacy: Confronting Oppressors with the Power of Labor

As we mark another International Workers' Day, Granma reflects on the enduring relevance of Vladimir Lenin's revolutionary thought. His insights, forged in the crucible of early 20th-century Russia, continue to illuminate the path toward genuine social emancipation. Lenin understood that the struggle of the working class transcends individual disputes with employers, evolving into a conscious, unified fight against the entire capitalist system and the governments that uphold it.

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The struggle of the workers becomes a class struggle, only when the representatives of the vanguard of the entire working class of a country become aware of the unity of the working class and undertake the struggle, not against an isolated employer, but against the entire capitalist class and against the government that supports that class.

Central to Lenin's vision was the transformative power of education. He recognized that for a new society to be built, individuals must first understand their place within it and the reasons for their struggle. This 'cultural battle,' as Granma sees it, is perhaps the most crucial, as it empowers people with the knowledge and conviction needed for liberation. The concept of the dictatorship of the workers, often maligned, is presented here not as tyranny, but as a necessary historical phase to dispossess those who exploit and to secure the maximum possible social gains.

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The dictatorship of the workers constitutes a term so vilified and emptied of meaning by those who, either ignore its meaning or fear it, knowing that it proposes to overthrow the plunderers and consolidate social conquests to the maximum possible degree.

In a world where reactionary forces grow increasingly violent, Lenin's call for global proletarian unity remains a potent rallying cry. His insistence that a revolution's success in one country is fragile without international solidarity underscores the interconnectedness of liberation struggles. Granma urges readers to heed Lenin's lessons: unite with all those who have been dispossessed and confront the oppressors with the collective power of labor. This is not merely a historical remembrance; it is a call to action for a more just and equitable future, a future that Cuba, under the guidance of its revolutionary principles, continues to strive for.

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If the exploiters are defeated only in one country (...), they will nevertheless remain stronger than the exploited.