If you are not being canceled and criticized every day, are you even doing anything? In today’s digital landscape, criticism is no longer just a side effect of standing up for a cause; it has almost become a measure of relevance. For decades, we have been conditioned to believe that feedback on our actions is always organic and that any pushback means we must be doing something wrong. 

But in societies governed by a capitalist ruling class, power dynamics reflect the systematic maintenance of a structure favoring the few over the many. The ruling class employs various means to suppress, discredit, or eliminate dissenting voices and potential threats to preserve its dominance.

Analyzing these tactics helps us understand how each serves to reinforce existing power structures and prevent the working class from organizing effectively against capitalist exploitation. There are five primary methods used to crack down against us today: censorship, character assassination, canceling livelihood, arrest/imprisonment, and complete elimination.

Censorship

Previously, censorship primarily targeted activists and prominent individuals, such as journalists and writers, who were on the frontlines of the information battle. Now, however, anyone with a social media presence is vulnerable. Censorship serves as a primary tool for controlling the flow of information in capitalist societies. 

It is not simply about suppressing "false" or "dangerous" information, but also about maintaining the cultural and ideological hegemony that justifies our ruling class’s authority. Antonio Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony illustrates how the ruling class fosters ideologies normalized through control of media and education systems, making censorship essential for shaping public consciousness.

By censoring voices that critique capitalism, question class divisions, or expose corporate malfeasance, the ruling class prevents the dissemination of ideas that could mobilize opposition. Dissenting voices, socialist literature, and revolutionary thought are thus labeled as "subversive" or "dangerous," enabling the ruling class to maintain a cultural monopoly that reinforces capitalist ideology.

The Revolution Report media outlet was recently forced to significantly reduce its operations due to escalating U.S. government actions against the Russian media outlet RT, the employer of TRR editor-in-chief, Donald Courter. These actions included sanctions, criminal charges, and allegations of covert propaganda. 

As a result, individuals associated with RT have faced raids, harassment, and legal threats, prompting many, including Courter, to flee the country. Under these pressures, The Revolution Report has since ceased operating as a formal entity and transitioned into a personal project led by Courter.

Character Assassination

When censorship fails to silence dissent, the ruling class frequently turns to character assassination. Through media manipulation, public denunciations, and smear campaigns, character assassination discredits individuals who oppose the capitalist order. This tactic is particularly effective because it undermines credibility and moral standing on a personal level, diminishing the influence of leaders or activists.

Character assassination individualizes dissent rather than addressing systemic critiques. By attacking a dissenter’s character, the ruling class diverts attention from systemic exploitation to the alleged faults of individuals, weakening movements by eroding trust within them and reducing public support for their causes. 

This tactic has been applied many times by capitalists to discredit leaders of the American Communist Party, including Jackson Hinkle, Haz al-Din, and others.

Canceling Livelihood

Canceling an individual’s livelihood is another weapon in the ruling class's arsenal. Workers who organize, speak out, or challenge the capitalist structure often face job loss, expulsion from institutions, or blacklisting within industries. In a capitalist society, where the means of survival are commodified, removing an individual’s access to these means effectively disciplines both the punished person and the broader workforce by demonstrating the risks of resistance.

This tactic underscores Karl Marx’s theory of the "reserve army of labor." By creating precarity among workers, the ruling class ensures that job security remains a privilege rather than a right. Fear of economic destitution becomes a powerful motivator for conformity, compelling workers to accept substandard conditions rather than risk reprisal. Canceling livelihood, therefore, is not merely about punishing dissenters but about reminding the working class of their dependence on capital owners, perpetuating the capitalist mode of production.

In recent days, Palestine advocates have faced significant challenges in expressing their views. After 18 years of teaching Latinx Studies and International Affairs at CUNY’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Danny Shaw was fired in April. He never received a clear explanation for his dismissal or evidence of any policy violation. Shaw believes the issue originated from his personal social media posts. He endured doxxing and threats for his solidarity with other terminated academics, including Lisa Hofman Kurda from CUNY, as well as Jairo Funez-Flores and Shellyne Rodriguez from Texas Tech University. 

Arrest/Imprisonment

Arrest and imprisonment, typically justified under legal pretexts, are perhaps the most overt methods used to suppress dissent. These punitive actions are often reserved for organizers and activists whose influence the ruling class perceives as a genuine threat. The legal and criminal justice systems are instruments of class oppression. Friedrich Engels described the state as a "special repressive force" meant to protect private property and capitalist interests.

Through arrest and imprisonment, the ruling class removes activists from society while using the criminal justice system to delegitimize their causes. By framing individuals as "criminals" or "extremists," the ruling class isolates them from potential supporters, maintaining control without addressing systemic grievances.

Three members of the Uhuru group - Omali Yeshitela, Penny Hess, and Jesse Nevel - were sentenced to 36 months of probation, 300 hours of community service, and no fines, avoiding jail time after their conviction for conspiring with Russian agents. 

They were acquitted of the more serious charge of acting as agents of a foreign government. Following the sentencing, Yeshitela praised the resilience of the group and its supporters, highlighting the diverse backing they received throughout their two-year legal fight. 

Complete Elimination

Complete elimination, from "disappearance" to assassination, represents the most extreme and final measure of repression. Such tactics are generally reserved for individuals or groups perceived as profound threats to the capitalist structure. By eliminating figures capable of unifying and mobilizing the working class, the ruling class stifles revolutionary potential. These actions underline the lengths to which capitalists will go to maintain control over the means of production and the stakes involved in the class struggle.

The Necessity of Class Consciousness

Through censorship, character assassination, canceling livelihood, imprisonment, and elimination, the ruling class maintains its grip on power by isolating, silencing, and removing any force capable of inspiring collective action. These effects are felt not only by targeted individuals but also by the broader working class, which internalizes fear and hesitancy to oppose capitalist structures.

Overcoming these repressive mechanisms requires fostering class consciousness and solidarity among workers. When the working class recognizes these methods as tools of oppression, it can organize collectively to challenge capitalist domination rather than succumbing to tactics meant to divide and silence. The ultimate goal is dismantling these structures, seizing the means of production, and establishing a society where power is shared and no longer wielded solely to protect the ruling elite. Join the American Communist Party today to help us raise class consciousness and build communism in this country!