By JULIAN RODRIGUES*
Lula may already be a movement capable of recruiting thousands and exciting millions
The title of this article is not clickbait directed at some specific sectors of the left vanguard. It is a more than legitimate discussion: theoretical, strategic, programmatic, tactical and conjunctural.
The Brazilian socialist left is party-organized in the PSOL, in the PCdoB, in the PCB/PSTU, but mostly in the PT. There is a strong socialist left in the social movements and parties that orbit the popular-democratic field hegemonized by the PT.
Criticism of programmatic downgrading, institutional priority, limits on alliances – that is, the PT's majority policy in recent years is nothing new or something foreign to PT culture.
But, if that's the case, why should communists and socialists support PT candidacies or join the Party? How to advance in the revolutionary/socialist/popular-democratic accumulation and, at the same time, strengthen PTism?
Even before any historical-theoretical deepening: immersed as we are in neo-fascism, living under the aegis of a coup that began in 2016, the first task is to survive and resist.
Resist now the movements that point to the total closure of the regime, and the ultraliberal necropolitics that operate in the same sense of making the very minimally dignified existence of millions of workers unfeasible.
Electorally defeat Bolsonarism neofax it's the first step. Giant and tiny at the same time – dialectically. The battle to reverse the structural conditions of the current international, continental and national correlation of forces – completely unfavorable to the impoverished masses – will be long and winding.
Socialism is the order of the day. Yes, it's not just salute à la flagera.
It is an organic, global, structural, articulated and systemic response to this truly dystopian state of affairs that is our current neoliberal capitalism.
Reject the projections of a world high tech, uber-capitalist, ultra-monopolist, objectifying, hyper-exploiting, colonialist, extremely cruel, hopeless – which has Elon Musk as a reference.
It is time to return to Rosa Luxemburg: “socialism or barbarism”.
No, the PT is not a predominantly revolutionary party. Nor does it have a consolidated socialist strategy. But it is the Party that elaborated and defended, in the 1980s and 1990s, the strategy and the popular-democratic program – a way, a way for the Brazilian revolution to build socialism – which would involve the election of the President of the Republic (Lula Lá , demarcating and catalyzing all progressive, socialist, transforming, nationalist, communist, radical, reformist, critical, anti-capitalist, social-democratic forces).
Bolivarianism in general – Chavismo and Bolivia's experience with Evo in particular – are located, strictly speaking, within the same paradigm of PT socialism – this kind of shortcut of the democratic-popular-socialist strategy.
They remind us of Salvador Allende and the socialist strategy of the left in pre-coup Chile.
Lula's electoral victory is not guaranteed, much less is the coup within the coup a given fact. beforehand. Electing Lula will be a political-cultural-ideological reaction, a plea for survival. Bolsonarism will persist.
For the socialist left, already engaged in the Lula campaign (except for the PCB-PSTU), a future government is a window to accumulate strength and point out more daring paths.
Brazil is very big, very important. President Lula impacts the world stage, plays in favor of a less Americanized world, strengthens all perspectives, all humanist and pluralist currents.
The socialist forces of the national social left – we are with President Lula.
But, more is needed. And we all want more. Much more. Organization, ideological dispute, political formation, accumulation of forces to go further. Combining institutional advances and great popular mobilization. Revolutionize our communication that is crude. All very difficult, however, all very possible.
Lula's election would open (will open) a new period in our history, with better conditions for social struggle – trade union, popular, ideological.
It is up to us to navigate more boldly, take advantage of this to win more people, advertise more, train more people, organize, fight more, take root, “go where the people are” – integrate streets and networks.
Never forgetting that our heart is red and beats on the left side of the chest.
Lula already, as the first step to put the socialist struggle back on the agenda – to think of a movement capable of recruiting thousands and exciting millions. To really change this unfair Brazilian language of my God.
* Julian Rodrigues is a teacher and journalist. LGBTI and Human Rights Activist; he was coordinator of LGBT policies for the city of São Paulo (Haddad administration).
