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The election according to the Communist Party USA
CJ ATKINS, managing editor of People’s World and CPUSA national board member, discusses why communists consider support for the anti-Trump coalition a ‘vote against fascism,’ the likely changes ahead in China and Iran and what Bernie Sanders's 'socialist moment' has meant for the US left
The anti-Trump coalition is the broadest electoral grouping seen in decades, an ‘all-people’s front’ that includes organised labour, Black Lives Matter and Native American organisations, Latinos and immigrant groups, women’s and LGBTQ groups, Asian and Jewish organisations, young people, Muslims and more. Within its ranks are leftists, liberals, centrists and even some conservatives and sections of business.

IN THE run-up to the 2016 and 2020 US elections, socialist candidate Bernie Sanders did not win the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, but his campaigns made significant changes in the political arena, especially among the youth.
 
Now, the decisive stage of this year’s election is at hand. According to most polls, if there are no unforeseen shocks or surprises, Joe Biden and the Democrats will win, even in the Senate.

In this most critical moment, when, according to many, fascism is becoming a genuine threat, a few points regarding the leftist movement in general and the Communist Party of the USA (CPUSA) specifically are worth paying attention to.

The following is an interview given by CJ Atkins to Iranian newspaper Nameh Mardom.

Nameh Mardom: Who is supporting Trump? What sections of the American people voted for him in 2016 and will they this time?

NM: Does Trump still have the same level of support within the US Establishment as in 2016?

NM: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the anti-Trump coalition?

NM: Mobilising labour and working people has been and will be the main task of any left movement and party. What has been the CPUSA’s approach in this regard?

NM: Given the economic crisis, would Biden go back to neoliberal politics, subservient to finance capital and tech companies? Or would Biden be willing to embark on a different agenda?

NM: Even if Trump loses, will “Trumpism” continue?

NM: How would US policy towards Iran and China be affected if Biden wins?

NM: Black Lives Matter is gaining influence and some of its leaders do not deny their leftist viewpoints related to the economic inequality intrinsic to capitalism. How do you view BLM and its agenda?

 

NM: How do you evaluate the role of Sanders’s “movement” in promoting a leftist agenda?

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