5. The role of revolutionaries

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As an emanation of the class, a manifestation of the process by which it becomes conscious, revolutionaries can only exist as such by becoming an active factor in this process.

To accomplish this task in an indissoluble way, the revolut­ionary organisation:

- participates in all the struggles of the class, in which its members distinguish themselves by being the most deter­mined and combative fighters;

- intervenes in these struggles always stressing the general interests of the class and the final goals of the movement;

- as an integral part of this intervention, dedicates itself in a permanent way to the work of theoretical clarification and reflection which alone will allow its general activity to be based on the whole past experience of the class and on the future perspectives crystallised in such theoretical work.” (Platform of the ICC)

Up to now we have largely proceeded by negatives. We have seen why class consciousness is not an ideology. Why revo­lutionaries do not take powerWe must now see what revolutionaries are, what they do, what are their tasks. In fact, the role of revolutionaries can be summed up in one sentence: it is to organise themselves on the basis of the proletariat’s historic interests with a view to giving the movement a clear political orientation and actively to aid the development of class consciousness.

This task, apparently so simple, demands a firm revolutionary will and clarity. Let us examine it in all its practical implications.