Conversation Between a Marxist Club Member and a Worker

Worker: Well, here you sit, reading some books. And what exactly have you done for us, for the workers?

Member of the Marxist Club: Through these books we learn the structure of society, find out the causes of human exploitation, look for ways to transform this society in order to eliminate this exploitation.

Worker: But we must act! We have to show the exploiters our power to be frightened and to share it with the people. And who will be afraid of you?

Member of the Marxist Club: And how do you think we should act?

Worker: We have to go to the protests!

Member of the Marxist Club: And what can these protests change? Shorten the working day? Improve working conditions? Stop the enrichment of the top and the impoverishment of the working people? In Ukraine, they protested so fervently on the Maidan, in Belarus they protest every Sunday, in France, yellow vests are also protesting, but there is no sign of improvement.

Worker: Anyway, you should do something real, not sit behind books.

Member of the Marxist Club: To build a house, you need a blueprint. Engineering knowledge is required to create a blueprint. Social knowledge is needed to transform society. Do you have the knowledge to see the road to freedom from exploitation? Have you mastered the classics of Marxism who point this way?

Worker: I work 10–12 hours a day. I have a family, I have to feed it. I do not have so much time to sit over the classics.

Member of the Marxist Club: We all work too, but we devote our free time to studying and popularizing Marxism. To tell those who do not have time to study it, the right way to change their position. But no one, instead of the workers themselves, can improve working conditions. Only by uniting in the struggle will the workers be able to obtain social benefits for themselves.

Worker: Yes, at our work everyone thinks only about himself and is afraid to say the word across to his boss.

Member of the Marxist Club: Not a single social achievement of the workers has been achieved without a stubborn struggle. Disunited labor collectives – easy prey for exploiters. The consequence of this is a constant worsening of working conditions, a reduction in the real content of wages, annually adopted laws that are contrary to the interests of working people.

Worker: So where do we start?

Member of the Marxist Club: From the economic struggle, from the trade union. If your production does not have it, or it is “yellow”, belongs to the owner then organize your own. Talk to reliable, reputable colleagues, try to unite them. When you decide to fight, contact us for advice. But first, it’s better to get a theoretical grip, so we invite you to our Marxist Club.

Worker: I will think about it…