DALLAS – Jimmy Wheaton thinks that the Communist Party’s nationwide distribution and membership drive is coming at a good time. “There are a lot of people like me who have been meaning to get active. They’re taking a look at the situation out there now and deciding what I decided.”
As of May 9, Jimmy became the newest Texas Communist. After looking at a number of political options available on the internet, he decided that only the Communist Party USA really understands the nation’s predicament, how it happened, and what has to be done about it.
Even though he just joined, Jimmy was no newcomer to Marxism. He began reading The Communist Manifesto and all three volumes of Capital while still in high school. He had to read the latter several times to make sure he understood it. He went on to read basic literature of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Antonio Gramsci. Just to be sure, he delved into the writings of Fidel Castro, Mao Tse-Tung, Ho Chi Minh and others. He checked out the websites for every supposedly Marxist party available, then he responded to the North Texas site at tx.cpusa.org and asked to join.
Wheaton believes that studying Marxism is extremely important, but is no substitute for taking action in the class struggle as it is happening today.
He thinks that study helps prepare us for action because a well-read activist has a better chance of predicting what is likely to happen in the future. A modest young man, Jimmy wouldn’t presume to try to out-guess political economists as to how and when socialism will come to America, but he will go out on a limb about the National Basketball Association championship: “I like the Mavericks, but I kind of think the Spurs will take the championship.”
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