AND FOR AN MARXIST-LENINIST ANTI-WAR UNITED FRONT
ZIMMERWALD 2001
At this point in time, many groups have come into existence that still hold to the essentials of Marxism-Leninism. This call is humbly submitted to all such organisations.
While all these groupings continue to hold polemics against each other -- or disagree on various fundamentals, they are in general well aware that in times of war they must join hands against imperialism; and more so against social-chauvinism on the parts of labour social-democrats who betray the class of the proletariat. We have seen this vividly in all countries, and in Canada the New Democratic Party have fallen into line with the Bush-Blair "crusade" against the peoples of Afghanistan.
All Marxist-Leninists (ML-ists) are probably likely to recognize that unless joint ML-ist anti-war movement comes into being, which will allow the ML-ists world wide to participate in the spontaneous movements against the surge to a New World war; then it is possible that their voice will become even stiller and fainter to the mass movements. ML-ists are aware that in the previous decades, during the mass spontaneous movements against nuclear war, that the lack of a proletarian leadership meant that the best elements could not be drawn forward.
Alliance ML offers these following DRAFT theses on the current war fever unexceptional to Marxist-Leninist, and asks that they be considered as one of the many basics that need to come forward, for a new movement towards Zimmerwald 2001.
Of course comrades will not need reminding, that in the words of the Short Bolshevik History of the CPSU(B):
Even though, again, the Kienthal Conference (Second Zimmerwald Conference) did not "accept the basic principles of the Bolshevik policy namely the conversion of the imperialist war into a civil war"; Ibid; p. 166; It did help the international movement by "crystallizing" the best elements:
Ibid; p. 166.
DRAFT THESES:
2) All this points out that war is unavoidable under capitalism; and that it serves as a way to boost sagging technological-electronic-industrial profits; and that it enables a re-division of world market shares; and that in the jingoistic war fever it generates -- it diverts the proletariat away from the central task of destroying capitalism. Indeed, the political timing is very helpful to world capital, coming as it does so soon after the clear manifestation of huge anti-capitalist forces -- albeit under spontaneous and semi-anarchist leaderships -- during the anti-globalisation campaigns of the last year.
3) Currently the war appears to be currently limited to the arena of the Afghanistan state and perhaps will broaden into areas such as Iraq. However, its primary goal is to place NAFTA troops and hardware into permanent position in the Afghan area. What the long-term goal precisely of the Bush-Blair war mongers, will be is as yet uncertain; and in part will depend on the speed of the USA economic recovery and the recovery of other nations such as China.
4) NATO and the UN have been converted into passive puppets of USA imperial will. This has meant that atrocities committed by the USA against several sections of the peoples of the Middle East have been quietly set aside by international diplomats. In particular this process of setting aside, has swept under the carpet abuses against the peoples of Palestine, the peoples of Iraq and the peoples of Turkey and Kurdistan. Now the hand is raised against the peoples of Afghanistan.
5) In a pattern that has been repetitive, the USA denies any complicity from any of its prior actions - in having created the current crises. In each of the countries involved, the CIA has raised these hyenas -- such as Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden -- who while serving faithfully the USA game-plans were allowed to terrorize their own masses without hindrance from the USA. However, when the hyenas turn "disobedient" they are attacked by USA imperialism, who however, is not content with chastising the leaders only. Instead it turns its guns on, and denies food to -- the entire peoples including children - of the entire region.
6) Irrespective of who was responsible for the World Trade Centre disaster, Marxist-Leninists condemn actions of individual terror. They are aimed at helpless civilians who are innocent victims of much larger forces. They lead and justify the severe restriction of even the most elementary democratic rights of the proletariat, and make the organization against capital even more difficult than it is currently. So-called Islamic Fundamentalism -- is as repugnant to the proletariat as Jewish Fundamentalism, Hindu Fundamentalism or Christian Fundamentalism. It is moreover, not the root cause of current events.
7) However the current war that has been launched on a
country that has been already devastated by the effects of previous imperialist
machinations, make it imperative for all the world's ML-ist organisations
to stand together and organise collectively for:
i) Active opposition to the war of aggression launched
against the peoples of Afghanistan;
ii) Gaining positions within the arising spontaneous
anti-war movement; There to point out the role of USA and other imperialisms;
iii) To point out that unless there is a class war within
each of the aggressor states -- these problems of the imperialist drive
for markets are inevitable and will recur.
8) To convene in the near future a conference to discuss and resolve upon means of active collaboration in these goals.