Introduction
The imperialist era is an era in which capitalism is in chronic depression. In this era, the global development of the productive forces has been stopped. Imperialism, in order to maintain its power, keeps on its destruction on human beings and the environment at the expense of a holocaust.
Despite of its chronic depression and structural crisis, the continuing existence of imperialist-capitalism depends on political facts. Today, “present imperialist economy, indeed its growing, can be understood only in relation with global process of international socialist revolution and a counter-revolution in all world, and only as a part of the political and social conditions. In this level, politics is dominant over economy.” (Moreno)
1.
By the collapse of degenerate workers’ states, especially the USSR, centrally planned economies were replaced by free market economy; capitalism. In all those countries which were bureaucratic but due to (1) their developed social basis, (2) the monopoly of foreign trade, (3) the state property over the means of production must be defined as workers’ states, the capitalist restoration was completed. This was occurred by two ways. Firstly, the mass movements were suppressed by the hand of dominant bureaucratic caste and this administrative caste integrated to market economy through compromise with world capitalism and then it reorganized itself as bourgeoisie. After that point, this bourgeois-bureaucratic structure got opportunity to increase the exploitation over working class, such as China. Second was the breakup of bureaucracy which had already dispersed by the pressure of mass movements. While these movements were occurred as unconscious revolution, the hole in power was filled according to demands and proposals of imperialism by representatives of bourgeois class, such as Russia.
Although they helped for complement of capitalist restoration, these mass movements were important because they smashed the structure of bureaucratic apparatus. Furthermore, as a consequence of these mass movements, bureaucracy which stood as barrier in front of international organization of working class could be overturned.
However, it has been realized soon that the collapse of traditional apparatus does not mean the collapse of counter-revolutionary apparatus all together. These processes, which let imperialism to spread over new markets and new regions to maintain its exploitation as parallel to the withdrawing of working class, has served to preserve position of traditional counter-revolutionary leadership both in trade unions and political parties. And a big body of working class has answered this situation by leaving struggle.
2.
By this withdrawal, the capitalist world economy has gone into a structural transformation process defined as “globalization” by hegemonic bourgeois ideologists. This means imperialist states reformed the capitalist economies on behalf of themselves and aims two things: First, to stop social state applications which are a burden for bourgeoisie, to gasp of gained rights of workers and to narrow some sectors which were swelt up by increase of service sector in developed capitalist country. Second, to spread over new wide markets opened after the collapse of Eastern Block; moreover, to provide integration of low-developed or mid-developed capitalist countries into world imperialist system entirely.
In this structural transformation process, imperialist-capitalism uses “democracy” illusion as a mean to suppress the developing workers’ movements and “february-like revolutionary situations”. It can be defined as “democratic reaction” which is a tactic of the bourgeoisie which enforces to remove mass movement from action.
Today, another growing fact is imperialist military occupation which is masked by “legitimate interventionism”. These occupations display wild nature of imperialist aggression. Imperialist wars and occupations are born as consequences both of demand to postpone world capitalism’s oncoming structural crisis and competition over narrowing markets.
3.
Today imperialism increases aggressiveness over its three main bases; economical, political and military. This tendency stems from the reality that imperialism has brought on threshold of its structural crisis again. Because, there is an inactivity and recession at production in the world scale and a decrease in productive investment. Moreover, the instability in world trade is deepening.
4.
Within this period, proletariat foots the all bill. Day by day, the capitalist system transforms itself to postpone its structural crisis. In all countries public spending is economizing, public services are getting privatized. Unemployment rates are getting extremely high all over the world.
Capitalist exploitation is increasing, not only by wage reductions and economizing public expenses, at the same time by changing organization in factory and accelerating production, by increasing working hours, and generalizing casual employment and “contract manufacturing” and by lots of other ways.
On the other hand, political and military pressure increases the radius of action of imperialism.
Under these circumstances, leadership crisis of working class maintains its importance. Partial mass mobilizations created by cumulative reactions and class movements which are growing around economical and democratic demands, are not organized along correct lines.
5.
Middle East has became one of the central base of imperialist aggressiveness, crisis and revolutions today. Failure of the Arab nationalist movements -BAAS- in the countries such as Iraq, Syria, Egypt through 50’s, and depredation on proletariat struggle because of Islamic movements which were on the rise in 80’s still determines politic struggle and certain consciousness in the region.
There is a desperate situation for USA after a span of five years invasion. Resistance of Iraqi people reserves all struggle types against the occupant: Protests, strikes and armed struggle. Struggle components BAAS and pro-Nasir partisans, communists, Shiah or Sunni origin nationalists or Islamic groups. The main purpose that brings these groups together is the struggle against the occupant and need for a united Iraq.
In this meaning, this is a “resistance against invasion” but determinant thing for region in the long term will be a giving effort to create an anti-imperialist resistance. Main actor of this resistance must be workers.
On the other hand, strengthening of Iraqi resistance and the wounds that imperialism -which seems to be the bodyguard of Israel- received, encourages the struggle of Palestinian people. The source of violence in the region is based on blooded usurp on the land of Palestinian people. Israel state with its expansionist politics at imperialism’s service acts as a real gendarme armed and financed by imperialism. Duty of Israel is not only attacking to Palestinian people. It threatens to destroy the union of Arabian people and proletariat. As we have seen in all the wars in Middle East.
Revolutionary Marxists’ urgent request for Palestine problem is taking off the embargo over Gaza people who are been tamed with hunger and thirst and have difficulties in acquiring the most basic medical products because of not compromising with imperialism and Zionism.
Political convicts who were imprisoned by Israel must be freed unconditionally. Jewish settlements which
are located on of Palestinian lands must be stopped immediately. Also, we should be at shoulder to shoulder with Palestinian workers’ committees that are oppressed by Hamas in Gaza. At the same time, we exhibited counter revolutionary and bourgeois character of Hamas.
The peace in Middle East is impossible without the destruction of Zionist Israel state. The slogan about a democratic, secular and non-racist Palestine state which depends on the destruction of Israel state must be highlighted today, especially when “two states solution” is on the agenda..
On the other hand, other focal point of this area is freedom movement of Kurdish people, which is imprisoned at international colonial situation by governments of Syria, Iran and Turkey.
As part of the local plans of imperialist states, struggling parts of Kurdish people are wanted to be exterminated on the one side; on the another side they are being forced to submission by the spokesmen of Kurdish bourgeoisie, like Barzani and Talabani, warlords and some collaborationist religious sects. Guerrillas are forced into submission without any conditions. And struggle of Kurdish people is intended to be prevented by partial economic and cultural acquisitions by the operations of Turkish, Iranian and Syrian states.
Kurdish people are exposed to repression, denial and destruction policies of these imperialist collaborationist states. Nevertheless, the construction of these local struggles of independence as a united struggle with an international perspective will be a progressive movement for the future for the region and the peoples of the zone. The future of the Middle East is directly linked to the liberation/freedom struggle of the Kurdish people.
As a final solution, peaceful and independent life of Middle East people and the ceasing of capitalist exploitation is only possible with the realization of the Middle East Socialist Federation built on the workers’ self-governance organs.
6.
Nowadays, Latin America, along with Middle East, is one of the focal points of class struggles in all over the world. The countries and collaborator governments in Latin America conduct a despoil campaign with imperialist government and against this policy the proletariat declare revolutionary mobilizations. So working class and poor masses are returning to the struggle arena and are striking down collaborator governments. Because of this strong minded struggle of working class, imperialist governments are organizing civil stroke and supplied paramilitary force for counter revolution.
After neo-liberal and Washington-sided governments receiving defeats one by one for the last years, new type of popular front governments have came to power. After Brazil and Ecuador, now in Uruguay with the success of Wide Front in elections this type popular front has came to power.
This reality, on the other hand, shows the crisis of the regimes, the power of the struggles and especially the crisis of revolutionary leadership, as Nahuel Moreno said. And it must be emphasized that today all Popular Front governments are capitalism sided.
7.
EU project is a counter-revolutionary project of European imperialist bourgeoisie which has attacked against the conquests (permanent job, 8 hours workday, public health, education, transportation, union and political rights etc) that European proletariat has gained after the II World War, and has implemented unprogressive social and economical policies, such as flexible labor contracts and working hours, privatizing public services and governmental institution , restricting political and trade unions rights, in the framework of “globalization”.
European Constitution is not a basic law, it is an act, it’s an intergovernmental agreement. This capitalist pact enables the bourgeoisie to eliminate the welfare state and to fortify the liberal policies.
EU means more political, social and economical super exploitation and more repression for working class and poor masses. Unemployment, poverty, unorganized state and limiting of freedoms will increasingly go on.
EU is an imperialist-capitalist union. First of all, EU wants to create a strong capital block in world-capitalist system. That’s the main purpose of EU. At the same time, it’s a military alliance. EU project doesn’t mean equitable life for “all peoples” who live in Europe.
As we see it, the solution can not be a “more social” EU dream or more “democratic” “Another Europe”. Our slogans must call the abolition of capitalism. Solution is possible by a system which stops competition on labor market and plans both distribution of labor and production based on interdependency. And this system can only be possible with struggle of proletariat in all countries in Europe and with building of Union of European Socialist States.
Writer: Workers’ Front
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