A few more articles on Palestine:
Egypt is going to join the ICJ case on the side of South Africa, Colombia, and Turkey, but the reason could be that Egypt doesn't want to accept the people of Gaza as refugees and the Egyptian coup government considers Islamist Hamas a threat. They waited so long before joining. And I thought someone on Twitter/X was completely guessing or imagining when they claimed that the new Gaza pier would be used to transport refugees to the US, and now there is talk in the mainstream media of plans to bring Gaza refugees here and Trump vilifies the Palestinians and supports Israel's invasion of Rafah. On Egypt: www.commondreams.org/news/egypt-icj-israel
Anti-war Mother's Day: www.commondreams.org/opinion/mother-s-day-war-gaza
cindysheehan.substack.com/p/mothers-day-for-peace-7ef
Apparently marked in the People's Republic of China as well (and in Cuba?), though countries in the former socialist bloc often treat International Women's Day March 8th as a mother's day or use their own date, as in DPR Korea (November 16th, commemorating a convention that met in 1961). In Egypt it is March 21st, in May as part of Buddha's Birthday in Taiwan, and May 30th in Nicaragua: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day
www.commondreams.org/opinion/university-presidents-gaza-protests
www.commondreams.org/opinion/macklemore-hillary-clinton-on-palestine
Satirized: www.normalisland.co.uk/p/the-us-labels-hip-hop-artist-macklemore
Bernie Sanders: www.commondreams.org/news/sanders-israel-war-palestinian-people
www.commondreams.org/news/us-department-of-state-israel
This is the third part of a series that began in issues #216 and 217 of Jik an Bout ( jikanbouttv.com and www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063478720844 ?), paper of the CNCP, the National Council of Popular Committees, in Martinique. The earlier parts are posted at: durhamspark.blogspot.com/2024/04/jik-bout-editorial-world-war-iii-has.html
The imperialists and the multinationals are waging a global and brutal offensive against the peoples
Let us intensify the Resistance!
In our two previous editorials, we developed the thesis that "World War III has already begun." We have also put forward the idea that, beyond the confrontations between rival powers, the most fundamental world war is the one between the multinationals that hold the real power in the imperialist countries on the one hand, and the dominated workers and peoples of the whole world on the other. These two camps have fundamentally contradictory, definitively irreconcilable interests and, since the decisive confrontation has begun between them, it is important that our camp, that of the workers and the peoples, make a clear assessment of its assets and strengths, that it think of and implement a strategy and tactics that will ensure its victory.
Given the brutality of the attacks and the apparent omnipotence of the dominant system, many are deeply convinced that it is unstoppable. The vast majority of people, subjected to disinformation and manipulation by Western media empires, unaware of the extent of the Resistance that abounds all over the planet, are not aware that the enemy is considerably shaken. In truth, the capitalist and imperialist system has had its day and the world is ready to make a new leap towards progress.
It is a law of the development of human society, clearly demonstrated by the theoreticians of Marxism-Leninism: when the necessary objective and subjective conditions are met, the system that has had its day inexorably gives way to another that corresponds to the new configuration of the world. The development of the productive forces, the new social relations and the new ideas that developments create, call for new structures in society.
Today, the objective and subjective conditions are coming together for the world to change its basis
(a) With regard to objective conditions:
In previous articles, we have shown that the sharpening of contradictions with rival powers and the strengthening of the struggle for sovereignty waged by dominated countries make the ability of Western imperialists to plunder the world's raw materials and subject world trade to the dictatorship of their currencies increasingly problematic. Add to this the fact that the anarchy inherent in the liberal system has been compounded by the fact that Capital has become more and more disconnected from the real economy and [is] wading into the swamps of speculation. Even more decisively, the Computer Revolution and the explosion of New Information and Communication Technologies (NICTs) have reshaped the social relations between the dominant and the dominated and have shaken up the architecture that allowed the former to impose undivided power1.
(b) With regard to subjective conditions:
Inevitably, new objective conditions create or reinforce new ideas. It is undeniable that today an alternative planetary way of thinking is gradually being imposed in a way that confronts the dominant Western bourgeois ideology. This has been confirmed:
– by the massive environmental mobilizations which, often at the initiative of young people, have swept the world to denounce the threats posed to the planet by ultra-liberal and productivist policies;
– the internationalization of the Black Lives Matter movement against racism and police brutality;
– by the extension of the "Me Too" movement. The latter, because it came from Western countries, received worldwide media coverage, but it was part of a powerful mobilization dynamic for the defense of women's rights that was already developing on all continents.
– by the extraordinary mobilization of students and high school students who, all over the world, denounce the genocide perpetrated against the Palestinian people by the Zionist occupation army of Israel with the active support of the Western imperialist countries. An admirable commitment that gives faith in humanity!
These four examples reflect the qualitative change that takes place at the subjective level. Bourgeois patriarchy, nationalist chauvinism, racism, supremacism, imperialist interventionism, are being undermined by a new ideology that advocates respect for the environment, the interests of future generations, the sovereignty of peoples and social justice.
All this allows us to say that the objective and subjective conditions are in place for the coming of a new world. It is, of course, impossible to predict the duration of the period that will end the domination of the capitalist and imperialist system. But, punctuated by battles lost or won, advances or setbacks, the historical trend is inescapable. What remains certain is that the action of the peoples, whether spontaneous or organized, can delay or accelerate the process.
You don't fight a war with a flower in your gun!
We are at war with governments, agents of the multinationals, who are at the helm of powerful states, with sprawling institutions, armies and apparatuses of repression that have no qualms, expert intelligence services, extremely powerful propaganda and manipulation tools. We are at war with a system! The clear awareness of this reality must never leave us, the activists of alternative movements, revolutionary organizations, when we carry out analyses or when we undertake actions.
Earlier, we discussed the "single objective" of each side at war and the main fronts on which the battles were fought (economic, ideological, military and political). For the Peoples, the objective is to bring down the ruling system while building the new world; As the two dynamics eminently go together, this must be reflected in the development of a global strategy that is opposed to that of the multinationals.
On the economic level: The room for manoeuvre available to the people is much greater than is generally thought. For your information, bourgeois economists admit that more than 60% of the world's working population, or 2 billion people, earn their living in the informal economy. The IMF, another example, shows that the weight of the informal sector in the GDP of African countries ranges from 20% to 65%. These figures already suggest the extent of the popular economy in the global fabric, but its importance goes far beyond that. It is only this economy that allows nearly 6 billion human beings to survive the cruelty of the ultra-liberal policies imposed by the multinationals. Is it not clear that the more intense the looting, the more the so-called informal economy develops?
In our view, the building of an alternative economic system requires that we learn from the genius that the peoples show in order to survive.
Therefore, fighting on the economic front calls on us to rely on what already exists to boost alternative initiatives, to encourage the emergence of dissident networks and short circuits (at the level of the extended family, neighborhoods or economic sectors) and to strengthen the connection between the sections of our people who have emigrated or are living on the national territory. Without the mastery of a broad and structured economic base, we would remain at the mercy of dirty tricks and blackmail from the rulers; on the other hand, calls for possible boycotts of foreign companies or products would remain unproductive.
On the Ideological level: We mentioned above the emergence of new ideas coming to confront the dominant Western bourgeois ideology. Their convergence is bound to create a coherent ideology that will eventually impose its supremacy on society. But for the time being, the confrontation on the ideological front remains hot. Society is still largely a prisoner of the ideology of individualism, elitism and competition. On this basis, the enemy has managed to blur the boundaries of class4 very deeply. It even uses new ideas (which challenge the pyramidal structure of society) as a weapon to disorganize and divert popular movements. These movements, now labelled "citizens’ movements", are invited to give priority to individual decisions and to line up behind leaders designated by the system's media. The powerful enterprise of manipulation carried out after the fall of the "Socialist Camp" succeeded in spreading the thesis within society that "the time of ideologies is over" and that "citizens" had to guard against any "co-optation" by political organizations. At the same time, Western media empires are trying to offer superficial interests and a bestialized culture, to destroy all forms of critical thinking and to condition minds.
If, therefore, we do not wage a systematic and uncompromising struggle on the ideological front, all our battles will consist of "chayé dlo an pannyé5". Ideological and political training, the popularization of knowledge in all fields, the encouragement of critical reflection are all indispensable weapons for victoriously waging the war against the capitalist and imperialist system.
On the military Level: It is obvious that the Western imperialists will never accept the challenge to their hegemony. For centuries they have maintained it by committing the most horrible crimes, by multiplying subversion and coups d'état; However, they are aware that their rule is now under serious threat. That is why they have set in motion a world war. Their ability to cause harm should not be underestimated. As a famous Martinican artist said: "These people who are guilty of cynically committing so many crimes are necessarily psychopaths."
The enemy's methods are well known: espionage, infiltration of provocateurs, information warfare and psychological warfare, assassination, use of auxiliaries, corruption, etc. All this prepares or accompanies the armed intervention. It is therefore necessary to be prepared, let us say discreetly, to thwart all attacks of this nature.
The main strength of our peoples is numbers! It is by systematically working for the accumulation of forces and the involvement of the broadest masses in the battles that we will create the conditions for victory.
On the political level: The villainy of ultra-liberal policies is such that in all sectors of society mobilizations are organized to defend the rights of workers and more generally of the population. They are necessary and must be supported. However, our duty is to carry out a political offensive so that, on the one hand, everyone realizes the extent of the real war waged by the ruling classes and, on the other hand, we unmask all the illusions sown by the opportunists. In fact, there are many who claim to be fighting against imperialist domination, colonialism, sabotage of public services, etc., but who at the same time try to divert our people from the path of emancipation and the struggle against the system, because their class interests lead them to collaborate with it. Contrary to what they claim, neither electoral victories, nor demands for changes to the French Constitution, nor any declaration of loyalty to "the Republic" in exchange for additional "competences", are likely to bend the imperialists' will to destroy the endogenous economy or to carry out genocide by substitution.
As we said above, what is at stake is the eradication of a perverse and destructive system. Revolutionary Parties and Popular Movements
We have established that the war between the Peoples and the multinationals is a world war. The opposing camp is scrupulously organized and acts under the command of a very competent and well-hierarchical General Staff. How can we imagine that the Peoples' camp could gain the upper hand, without also having structures that would allow for global analysis, the elaboration of strategies and the coordination of battles on the different fronts?
In previous centuries, revolutionary class and national liberation struggles were waged under the leadership of "Vanguard Political Parties", often under the aegis of Marxist-Leninist ideology. Today, even if the role of revolutionary political parties remains more decisive than ever, the nature of their relationship with popular movements has profoundly evolved. The challenge for revolutionary parties is not to "lead the masses", but to create relevant analyses and proposals, to develop practices that are convincing enough to be taken up by the greatest number of people [the translator objected to this, saying that a revolutionary, leading party is vital for revolution].
Regarding the connection between popular struggles at the international level:
In the past, internationalist networks were driven for the most part by political parties grouped together in "Socialist Internationals". Today, the convergences of struggles are made through extremely numerous networks, on the basis of specific themes (ecological, feminist, pan-Africanist, etc.) that generally declare themselves "a-political". There are, however, international networks, defending political projects that are clearly anti-liberal and anti-imperialist. In our America-Caribbean region, for example, we can mention the "Assembly of the Peoples of the Caribbean (APC)", the "Sao Paolo Forum", "ALBA Movements", "Jubilee South", "ICMLPO"7.
The stakes in this decisive war between our peoples and the multinationals are crucial. For us, it is a question of eradicating a system at the end of its life which, if it continues, will lead the planet and humanity to destruction. We must give ourselves all the necessary means to intensify our Resistance, to achieve the final victory and to build the "other possible world".
________________________________________________________________________________
1 The system is caught in a trap from which it cannot escape: its survival is linked to the massive sale of new technologies; But censorship is not enough to prevent it from deconstructing its ideology and propaganda or conveying alternative information about its past and present crimes.
2 Humanity is once again seen as an intrinsic part of the ecosystem. It is the pretension to dominate it, to exploit it, to submit it to one's fantasies that threatens the planet and humanity with the threat of destruction.
3 The enemies, on the other hand, scrupulously study popular practices and circuits, either to destroy them or to take advantage of them.
4 On the one hand, the wave of influencers scattered among the working classes who gain access to "wealth" by acting as advertising relays for the multinationals, and the massive campaigns carried out to sow the illusion that one could solve one's economic and social problems by becoming a "self-employed entrepreneur", have largely contributed to this.
5 Carry water in a basket.
6 This is not contradictory to the existence of sectoral departments legitimately linked to political parties.
7 In this regard, we invite all our readers to share with us the information they have about other networks working for the convergence of popular struggles.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment