10 POSITIONS FOR THE REVOLUTION AND THE COMMUNIST IDENTITY TODAY

Ten positions for the revolution and the communist identity today

KED Avantgarde - GREEK

For debate and discussion. Much to agree with here but I feel that we cannot dispense with Trotskyism and start again, the Fifth International was still born and let us not raise the prospect of a Sixth.

No, to understand this crisis odd revolutionary leadership we must examine the crisis of Trotskyism during and after WWII. And in detail and all its currents. Because it was to the banner of revolutionary Trotskyism the best of the youth and fighters for revolutionary socialism were drawn and the ranks of these groups contain the best revolutionary socialists.

We must examine them, critique them mercilessly and via splits and fusions reforge the Fourth International. Not as a sectarian act of taking the crisis of revolutionary leadership as a thing in itself as Robertson’s International Communist League and its derivatives do but as part of our intervention in the class struggle itself. 

HOW THE BOLSHEVIKS ORGASNISED THE UNEMPLOYED

How the bolsheviks organised the unemployed 2
By Sergei Malyshev 1906

INTRODUCTION

By the Leninist Trotskyist Tendency May 1992
This new edition of Sergei Malyshev’s pamphlet should be of more than historical interest. First issued in 1931 at the depth of the world slump under the title Unemployed Councils in St Petersburg in 1906, it deals with an important episode of Bolshevik history which few other works touch on. Although its author was no theoretician, the interest of the pamphlet lies in its vivid account of the practical experiences made by Bolshevik organisers among the unemployed in the aftermath of the 1905 revolution. Its relevance today, in the midst of a deep international recession with vast reservoirs of ‘conjunctural’ and ‘structural’ unemployment, should not be lost on any serious socialist.

ALEPPO: DEFEAT FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COUNTER-REVOLUTION

The liberation of Aleppo is a defeat for the international counter-revolution23/12/2016

Avantgarde

P. Pap. for avantgarde

This article was originally published in Greek on December 20 2016

This is simply a marvellous orthodox Trotskyist article. I could have written it myself. In fact the following passage follows quite closely what we in Socialist Fight and our comrades in the LCFI DID write in 2011 on Libya and Syria several times since:

“You are supporters of the dictator”
“The fact that such phrases are used by people who refer to Trotsky is sad yet indicative of the degradation of certain parts of what used to be the Trotskyite current. Yes, gentlemen, that’s right: we “support” Assad – in exactly the same way that Trotsky had “supported” Chiang Kai-shek against Japanese imperialism [12]. We “support” Assad in the same way that Trotsky had “supported” Vargas in Brazil and Haile Selassie in Ethiopia against British and Italian imperialism, respectively [13, 14].

SYRIA

Liberate Aleppo, Defeat Imperialism in Raqqa, Mosul, Yemen and Ukraine
Liaison Committee for the Fourth International Statement
 7-12-16

The whole Middle East now sees a complex series of struggles centred around Aleppo, Raqqa, Mosul and Yemen in which US imperialism is desperately seeking to manoeuvre around various client states and proxy jihadist forces to achieve its strategic aims. Other areas of conflict like Ukraine reflect these aims also. These aims are regime change and state breakup in Syria and Iran and the defeat of the rebel forces in the Donbass. They have already achieved these aims Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq. The aim is to move on to regime change and breakup in Russia and China. The various client states and proxy agents of imperialism in the region are also manoeuvring amongst themselves to be the central agents of US imperialism in its own area and in the overall region.

THE DEATH OF FIDEL CASTRO CUBAN REVOLUTION TODAY

The death of Fidel Castro and the prospects of the Cuban revolution today

LCFI declaration, 27 November 2016

Another plot by the CIA to assassinate Castro has failed, he proudly boasts.

Fidel Castro was the last of the great revolutionary leaders of the twentieth century to die. He died at 90 years of natural causes. It is true that Raul also participated in the command of the 1959 revolution and of his birth, but the younger brother only gained some political prominence worldwide after Fidel’s resignation in 2006 due to his retirement from power because of a disease in the Intestine. However, Fidel was the main strategist and organizer of the movement that seized the power of dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959 and led Cuba for the following decades.

TRUMP TRIUMPHS

The global rise of the far right and fascism

LCFI Statement - 19-11-2016

Liaison Committee for the Fourth International
Frente Comunista dos Trabalhadores – Brasil
Socialist Workers League – USA
Socialist Fight – Great Britain
Tendencia Militante Bolchevique – Argentina

Immediate reaction to the election and the Trump administration

The election of Donald Trump on 8 November following the British Brexit vote on 23 June reflects a long delayed political reaction in the form of right wing populism.

The post-election period is politically dominated by two things in the USA; the huge number of demonstrations nationwide (and internationally also) and the appointment of the Trump administration, which includes many outright racist bigots and extreme rightists.

TURKEY - THE FAILED COUP

Down with US imperialism and its agents in the Army! No political support for Erdoğan’s reactionary government! Self-determination for Kurdistan!

LCFI Statement - 23/7/2016On 16 July at 00:15 Gerry Downing of Socialist Fight Britain wrote in his Facebook wall:

Mass resistance to the coup on Friday night,
15 June. Not just AKP supporters.

“Absolutely no support for this coup. As reactionary as Erdoğan is we cannot support a coup by the military in the ridiculous name of ‘democracy’ against an elected government. They don’t call it a revolution as they did in Egypt but this can only benefit the US and NATO in the region. Images seems to indicate that the masses and the left are resisting the coup and it will fail. If it does it will also undermine the autocracy of Erdoğan. Down with the coup! Victory to the popular masses!”

USA – THE EMPIRE RACIST POLICE

Against the black genocide promoted by imperialism and its cyber repressive apparatus!

In the US, the State imperialist police kill an average of three people, mainly black, a day without any trial or legal process. This violence is part of the US history and goes back to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793, where policemen hunted slaves who tried to escape from their oppressors. Since then, under a democratic outburst, the number of blacks hunted, arrested and executed only increased.

Two deaths of back men were captured on camera and went viral weeks ago. Once again, these killings sparkled the back community’s fight against racist police. In Louisiana, Alton Sterling, 37, father of 5 children was shot in cold blood and bled to death after being crushed by two policemen between his bumper car and the asphalt.

PORTO RICO

Defeat to the colonial takeover imposed by the United States!

For the complete independence and national self-determination of Puerto Rico!

Ana Souza, Leon Carlos, Humberto Rodrigues 

Puerto Rico has a population of 3.7 million people. Over the past 20 years, the country’s (public) debt became gigantic, reaching a sum of $72 billions, the equivalent to its 103% Gross National Product (GNP). This situation is further aggravated by Puerto Rico’s colonial condition. It is the oldest USA colony. The region is formally called as the "associated free state" of America and sometimes it is even called as the “51st state”; however, it is in fact a 21th century U.S. colony.

PUERTO RICO IS NOT IN A DEBT CRISIS, BUT IN A COLONIAL CRISIS

Puerto Rico is neither an independent country nor receives the same handling as one of the imperial federation states. With its hands tight to the U.S. control, Puerto Rico lives one of its worst crises. Since it is not an independent country like Greece for example, the colony is unable to renegotiate the debt with either the international companies or even the IMF.

UK - REFERENDUM

Vote Yes: For the Socialist United States of Europe!

Gerry Downing

We should call for a Yes vote in the referendum because as socialists we must ask and answer the question, is it in the interests of the working class and oppressed in Britain and internationally for the UK to remain in the EU or to leave it? That is our sole criterion. We are for a Yes vote primarily because we recognise that socialism in a single country is impossible. Indeed capitalism has long ago become impossible to sustain and develop in a single country and socialism must be built on a far higher level of wealth and productivity. An exit from the EU would strengthen nationalism and patriotism not only in the British ruling class but also in a big section of the British working class.

But surely we must not attempt in any way to confuse the Socialist United States of Europe with the present imperialist cabal that is the European Union? The United States of America was established in the War of Independence and maintained in the Civil War in revolutionary struggles. France’s internal customs borders were demolished along with the ancien regime by revolution in 1789-94. However both Germany and Italy were unified from the top down basically by reactionary political movements after failed revolutions.

PUERTO RICO

¡Por el derecho a la independencia plena y

la autodeterminación nacional de Puerto Rico!

Puerto Rico pose una población de 3,7 millones de habitantes. En los últimos 20 años la deuda (publica) del país se disparó a 72 mil millones de dólares lo que equivale al 103% de su producto nacional bruto. Más la situación del país se ve agravada por su condición colonial. Puerto Rico es la más antigua colonia de EUA. Formalmente es llamado “Estado Libre Asociado “a los EUA y hasta de “51 Estado” más de hecho es una colonia del siglo 21.

PUERTO RICO NO TIENE UNA CRISIS DE ENDEUDAMIENTO,

MAS SI UNA CRISIS COLONIAL

Puerto Rico no es un país independiente y no tiene verdaderamente el mismo tratamiento de un estado de la federación imperialista. Esta situación está quebrando a la economía del país. Puerto Rico vive lo peor entre los dos mundos. Como no es un país independiente como es Grecia, no puede siquiera renegociar la deuda con los acreedores internacionales, siquiera con el FMI, por ejemplo.

UK - PLEBISCITE

Revolutionary Defeatism to the imperialist U.S.
and E.U., and to the British imperialist right!
For the Socialist United States of Europe!

Leon Carlos
Versión en español

The plebiscite on June 23 will decide whether the United Kingdom will remain or not in the European Union.

The arena is divided between imperialist U.S., France and Germany together with a side of imperialist Britain who want to stay in the European Union; as opposed to another sector of British imperialism who wants the UK to leave the EU.

The majority of imperialism, labour and conservatives are for the permanence of Great Britain in the European Union. The British imperialism sector which wants the UK to leave the EU has a nationalist rightwing echo and fascist tendencies.

U.S. - PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Choosing the Commander in Chief who
will direct imperialism in World War III

Promising to get rid of George Bush Junior’s legacy, Obama was elected while surfing on a wave of optimism. But his "Yes we can" has left the working class and oppressed with "what have we done?" as Obama has cynically deepened imperialism’s agenda by continuing the Bush horror legacy in the Middle East, backstabbing the working class and oppressed by promulgating policies that have only exacerbated their impoverishment after the 2008 capitalist depression, and extending the U.S. influence further into Asia, Africa and rallied western European allies in imperialist encirclement at the Russian border, paving the way for a new war.

FRANCE - MASS PROTESTS

Protests against the El Kohmri law 1

Yao Wenwan

A massive rejection of this law from the entire worker’s population. This means a direct rejection of the policies of Valls (Prime Minister) and Hollande (President of the Republic). The right and the National Front have a lot of difficulties to capitalize this massive rejection of the working population against the Labour Act.

There is a union revival still insufficient but constantly coming from the most militant section of the working class, and it is rapidly a developing movement beginning in the recent past.

BRAZIL - COUP

A coup by imperialism against the workers and the tasks of the communists in the new cold war

Humberto Rodrigues
Versão em Português

The impeachment push to overthrow the government of the PT in Brazil has been orchestrated since 2013. It is a parliamentary coup d’etat to take out the PT government at any cost.

Corruption crimes of which the PT was accused have been proven to be practiced by all his tormentors and on a much larger scale. The bourgeois opposition lost the last four presidential elections in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.

THE NEW COLD WAR INTER-CAPITALIST

The crisis of 2008 in US and Europe opens up space for expansion of the influence of BRICS on the planet

Humberto Rodrigues

The 2008 capitalist crisis triggered a US economic slowdown and the European Union on the world market. It was then that a group of countries led by China and Russia, the BRICS, of which Brazil is part, occupied this space. The constitution of capitalist imperialism of the rival bloc was possible because right in front of Brazil, India and South Africa, China and Russia are nations that have become capitalist powers. China and Russia combine exceptionally in its constitution:

OCCUPY NOW! NATIONALISE BRITISH STEEL UNDER WORKERS CONTROL!

Occupy Now!

Nationalise British Steel under workers control!

Socialist Fight Statement

Port Talbot, the Songting Steel factory in China or the two electric arc furnaces (EAF) at Sestao complex near Bilbao are closed or closing because of the global crisis of capitalism, not because of “Chinese Dumping or overcapacity”.

Solidarity with Chinese steel workers against the common enemy, global imperialist capitalism!