In discussing how the proletariat in the U.S., upon seizing power, will undertake the transformation of the various spheres of society, different kinds of steps have been outlined. First are those which the proletariat will immediately take in order to consolidate the victory it has won through armed struggle, to establish its control over the economy and other key areas. And in addition, a number of longer-term policies have been sketched out, indicating the basic course the proletariat will then follow in carrying forward the thorough revolutionization of society. These together provide the basic picture of what the new society will look like and the struggle that will characterize it, as it first emerges out of the old and then as it stands on its feet and begins the long march to communism, together with the whole international proletariat.
It is impossible to provide more than this basic picture now, for even the specific steps that the proletariat will take as it seizes power, while following the general principles and basic models summarized here, will depend in their particular details on the actual conditions at the time–the degree of destruction caused by the civil war, and very possibly inter-imperialist war, the different forces arrayed within the broad camp of revolution and in the enemy camp at the time when victory is won, and other things. But, in general terms there are several different, successive and inter-related, phases that the destruction of the old and the creation of the new society will pass through upon the proletariat’s victory on the battlefield, with the different kinds of steps outlined here generally corresponding to the different phases: first, the destruction and dismantling of the old state apparatus and the ruthless suppression of the overthrown bourgeoisie and its counter-revolutionary agents and allies, together with the establishment of the basic organs of power of the working class, and of basic control by the proletarian state over the crucial spheres of the economy; second, the class struggle–against the overthrown exploiters as well as their reactionary allies within the Party and state themselves–to carry out the socialist transformation of ownership of the (major) means of production, in industry and agriculture, and defeat the political resistance of these class enemies; and then the longer-term process of involving the masses in running and transforming all spheres of society and undertaking the protracted struggle to completely revolutionize society toward the goal of communism, during which the key task will be the mobilization of the masses to carry out the class struggle against and defeat the repeated attempts of a new bourgeoisie, engendered within socialist society and especially among the leadership of the Party itself, to seize power from the proletariat and restore capitalism.
In fact, what has been summarized in outlining the features of the new society, as the proletariat seizes power and sets out to transform every sphere, will, and can only be, achieved and carried forward through the most resolute struggle by the masses of people, with the proletariat at the head, under the leadership of the Party. But what is equally clear, to every class-conscious worker and all others who seek a radical way forward out of the misery and madness of capitalism, is what a tremendous leap will be taken when this struggle is carried out and the new society is born amidst flame and thunder–and more, that the possibility of making this leap, and the urgency of preparing for it, is making itself felt, both in the development of the objective conditions in this country and the world and in the existence and role of the Party, calling on those who aspire to see such a sunrise to step forward and help sweep away the long night of capitalism.