• Bordiga We refer to the text written by Amadeo Bordiga in 1953 and published in Sul Filo del Tempo, “The immediate programme of the revolution”

A listing of these demands looks like this:

1. “De-investment of capital”: means of production are assigned a smaller proportion in relation to consumer goods.

2. “Increase of production costs” - so that as long as wages, money and the market still exist - more remuneration is exchanged for less labour time.

3. “Drastic reduction of labour time” - by at least half as unemployment and socially useless and damaging activities will shortly become things of the past.

4. A reduction in the mass of what is produced through an “under-production plan” which is to say the concentration of production on what is necessary as well as an “authoritarian regulation of consumption” by which the promotion of useless, damaging and luxury consumption goods is combated and activities which propagate a reactionary mentality are violently prohibited.

5. Rapid “dissolution of the boundaries of the enterprise” whereby decisions on production are not assigned to the workforce, but the new consumption plan determines what is to be produced.

6. “Rapid abolition of social services” whereby the charity hand-outs characteristic of commodity production are replaced by a social (initial minimum) provision for those incapable of work.

7. “Construction freeze” on the rings of housing and workplaces around major and small cities in order to spread the population more and more equally throughout the land area of the country. With a ban on unnecessary transportation, limitation of traffic and speed of transportation.

8. “A decisive struggle against professional specialization” and the social division of labour though the removal of any possibility of making a career or obtaining a title.

9. Immediate politically determined measures to put the schools, the press, all means of communication and information, as well as the entire spectrum of culture and entertainment under the control of the communist state.

I was very interested in this 'immediate programme' by Bordiga which appeared in a recent article by the ICC and by LTs comments on it in Breath and Light.  Particularly because after the series of meetings by the ICC and the CWO on the Russian and Germany revolutions and the formation of the International I had suggested the next topic logically should be the Period of Transition. Members of both organisations rejected this idea probably thinking I was simply meaning to dredge up the old discussions on the state and the argument about what is marxist/non marxist.  I am therefore putting up the same contribution on both ICC and CWO forums.

Its this idea of an immediate set of tasks that really takes my interest, primarily because of the discussion on Germany 1918 where nobody, not even the Spartacists, seemed to have an idea of what to do when the old state collapsed and the wc were able to take power. The consequence of this was that the left wing of the social democrats were left in charge and everyone became victim to its 'right wing'.

We are now 100 years on and the world is a very different place. In this period of quiescence by the working class, then should we not be discussing, dare I say it, ‘what is to be done’ in the event of a revolution.

Bordiga’s comments/proposals are relevant but now outdated even where they are right. So what I want to do is not offer a completed programme but maybe to provoke some ideas and discussion about ‘what is to be done’.

What are the practical issues in society that the wc will have to address in the early phase of power?

The general tasks worldwide

• Working class organisation worldwide, regionally and locally – assemblies/councils but will commissions be used and if so how to be controlled or managed?

• Role of the Party as advisory. Should it increase in size? Should its role be purely advisory? Will it be needed in full communism?

• Drawing all of society into working class

• Policing the middle and upper classes.

• Redressing the environmental damage done by capitalism

• Poverty and Famine across the world.

• Migration (wont just go stop, in fact could get worse if the wc doesnt pay enough attention to the development of 3rd world)

• Work and the age old discussion of labour time vouchers

Specific tasks of management and reorganisation regionally and locally (maybe an artificial distinction as these problems exist worldwide

• Debt - at the top of the list as it is a major burden on the wc. Immediately write off all debts, household, business and national.

• Housing – Empty houses, (of the wealthy and 2nd home owners), empty offices, armed forces locations, country houses, palaces must be taken over and used for something useful eg homeless, childcare, health care, education. Payments for rent and mortgages should be stopped immediately.

• Private property – Industry should be managed by the workers and products provided to support social needs. Financial industries and finance that need expropriating. Family housing and personal possessions shouldn’t be at risk as that would be a fear for many.

• Homelessness & Poverty - empty offices, religious buildings can be used temporarily to start providing support in terms of shelter food and clothing. Unused housing could be made ready to be used in medium term.

• Harmful and Waste industries – need to be run down quickly and the resources converted to constructive use, probably social welfare resources.

• Prisons – release everybody or select inmates for release dependant on crime. All political prisoners to be released? Use the prisons for those who fight back against workers’ power.

• Food supply – Agriculture will need regional planning to maintain supply, distribution networks need to be maintained and workers in these industries need to be supported with tools and resources as well as personal subsistence.

• Family – How will the nuclear family change? Initially widespread creches will be need to be provided for all if all men and women are expected to work at least part of the week. Local childcare workers may have a big role in family and educational support and will probably need expansion at least in early phases. In fact family support may be basis of new area of work long term. Again tools resources and personal subsistence is needed.

• Education - 2 issues here are resources and subjects will need revision. A programme of indoctrination is not wanted, but initially some subjects can be dropped in favour of a programme of discussion, social review and above all practical social participation. Resources will have to be locally determined initially

• Health Care – Again I think this starts with regional planning re social need. Pharmaceutical companies need redirecting into social care research and changing to non-profit structures asap. Health care ikely to need expansion of systems worldwide. Hospitals and doctors need resources and equipment and supply must be maintained.

• Childcare and OAP care - Creches will be needed. Services by health visitors and social welfare workers will need to be maintained at least initially to help new systems develops.

• State institutions. Some could be useful – scientific research, social services, health, education and will need support and restructuring rather than dismantling

• Industrial planning – Im not convinced this can start at a global level. Regional needs vary and planning could be integrated eventually.

• Maintaining services that the world needs eg energy, communications. Plan the complete conversion to renewable energies asap

• Find ways to redress the degradation of the environment that capitalism has caused. This means changing our diet, returning land to the wild, increasing forestry esp rainforests. I suspect it now too late to allow cities to spread out as per Bordiga’s suggestion. Stop using plastics. We cant allow a system run by the wc to sustain pollution levels.

• Plan to stop the increase in world population – perhaps same task as eliminating poverty?

• gangs and crime - Would these waste away with the an improved supply of social needs

• Drugs – Stopping production of illegal drugs may be easier in a world without money?

• Religion – Ive been told religion is a personal matter that cant be eliminated immediately and hence religious buildings cannot just be expropriated. They could however be given responsibilities to perform socially necessary tasks such as food distribution, temporary accommodation

• Transportation systems including car traffic. Id say transportation systems will be more of a priority in 3rd world countries.

• Discrimination and Prejudice - current issues of racism, sexism, prejudice means this issues will be raised quickly and so a step by step strategy will be needed to compliment social changes being implemented.

Im sure this is not an exhaustive list but one thing that strikes me in writing it, is that worldwide (we’ll have to stop saying internationally) is that priorities will vary significantly and my list is probably euro-centric. Parts of Africa & Asia and South America will have very specific problems relating to their existing living conditions so superstructural projects and food supply to raise the level of social development will be a priority and may well draw resources away from more developed regions.

How can all this be made to happen? The party members will not be specialists but the workers and technicians and academics will have to be tasked with planning and redirection of systems.