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In marking the 90th anniversary of the conclusion of World War I, it is worthwhile pointing out that, in spite of the propaganda to the contrary, the era of wars is not over; far from it. Imperialism is directly engaged in two major wars of imperialist conquest (Iraq and Afghanistan) and is engaged in proxy wars in various countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has lost millions of men, women and children to a war whose aim is to capture Congo’s mineral wealth for the exclusive use of multinational corporations.
What’s more, as we descend further and further into economic crisis, the already-growing contradictions between the different groups of imperialists (most notably Nato and the EU) will become more and more pronounced, and the possibility of a future world war can in no way be discounted.
Only socialist revolution and the defeat of imperialism will make the world safe from the scourge of war. As the Editorial Department of Hongqi (‘Red Flag’, organ of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party) noted in the article ‘Long Live Leninism’:
“Lenin pointed out that the oligarchy of finance capital in a small number of capitalist powers, that is, the imperialists, not only exploit the masses of people in their own countries, but oppress and plunder the whole world, turning most countries into their colonies and dependencies. Imperialist war is a continuation of imperialist politics. World wars are started by the imperialists because of their insatiable greed in scrambling for world markets, sources of raw materials and fields for investment, and because of their struggle to re-divide the world. So long as capitalist-imperialism exists in the world, the source and possibility of war will remain. The proletariat should guide the masses of people to understand the source of war and to struggle for peace and against imperialism.
“Lenin asserted that imperialism is monopolistic, parasitic or decaying, moribund capitalism, that it is the final stage in the development of capitalism and therefore is the eve of the proletarian revolution. The emancipation of the proletariat can be arrived at only by way of revolution, and certainly not by way of reformism. The liberation movements of the proletariat in the capitalist countries should ally themselves with the national liberation movements in the colonies and dependent countries; this alliance can smash the alliance of the imperialists with the feudal and comprador reactionary forces in the colonies and dependent countries, and will therefore inevitably put a final end to the imperialist system throughout the world.” (Issue 8 – April 1960)
So, if you want a world free from war, join the struggle against imperialism and for socialism.
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Barack Obama’s election victory last week will make him the first black President of the US when he takes office in January.
Although Obama will be as faithful a servant of the US imperialist ruling class as anybody white, there is great excitement in the US and throughout the world that for the first time a black person has been chosen for this exalted and privileged position. Obama’s election shows that the deep-seated white supremacist prejudices inherited from the era of slavery in the US are beginning significantly to loosen their hold on the US masses, and his election will undoubtedly help further the process.
He is, however, as determined a defender of US imperialist interests as is George Bush. If he is prepared to contemplate withdrawal from Iraq, it is because US imperialist interests are no longer best served by remaining there, and it is only in order to be able to focus more firepower on Afghanistan. One hopes that, bringing somewhat more intellect to his post than did his predecessor, he can be prevailed upon to realise that some of the grossest abuses of human rights taking place in the US (Guantanamo, the Miami Five and the continued incarceration of Mumia Abu Jamal, to name but a few) are effective only in destroying US imperialism’s “democratic” credentials and to take some welcome steps towards minimising these abuses.
However, nobody should expect Obama to act in any way against the interests of imperialism, and it needs to be understood that, as far as the economy is concerned, he is no more capable of ordering the retreat of the world recession than King Canute was of ordering the advancing tide to retreat before its time.
This election has brought about the widespread participation in the electoral system of the US’s oppressed black people, who have potential to be a pressure group capable of exerting their electoral power in a relatively progressive manner, so that from this point of view it can definitely be said that the US will never be the same again. At the same time the basis has been laid for the most oppressed in US society to realise that their oppression is primarily class oppression rather than race oppression; that, no matter what the colour of the skin of the President, their own status as proletarians remains unchanged.
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From Nhân Dân, the official newspaper of the CPV.
The 1917 October Revolution led by the Russian working class and its Communist Party smashed the rule of Tsarist regime, seizing power for the working class, taking Russia from the less developed capitalist country to become the first socialist country in the world and at the same time ushering in a new epoch, the transitional epoch from capitalism to advance to socialism.
Following the Russian October Revolution, the socialist revolutionary movement and the national liberation movement broke out successfully in many countries and many regions in the world. From 1917 to 1945, the breakthrough period of the proletarian revolution led by the Party of the working class of a less developed capitalist country, Russia, which gave birth to a new system, the system where the workers and the working class had become the class coming into power, where the exploitation of man by man had been wiped out and socialism had been built in a vast country, defeating the besieging and intervention of imperialism, opening up the path to the vigorous development of the national liberation movement in many countries and saving human kind from the holocaust of fascism. From late 1945 to early 1970s of the last century, the working class in many countries under the leadership of their own political parties continued to push ahead the revolutionary movement, expanding and developing socialism in many countries, becoming the socialist system.
Together with this victory was the powerful development period of the workers’ movement in the world with the objectives for peace, independence, democracy and social progress.
Tens of countries had won their national independence at different levels, bringing down the colonial system of old colonialism. A number of countries having waged their national democratic revolution, smashed the ruling yoke of the imperialist and feudalist forces and followed the path of socialism like Vietnam, China, Laos and Cuba. Until early 1990s of the last century, many socialist countries fell into crisis. The socialist society in the Soviet Union and the Eastern European coutries had disintegrated and the socialist revolution plunged into the ebb. The world’s history experienced its zigzag of the advancing development.
The flag of the Russian October Revolution had shone the path and encouraged vigorously the working class and people of Vietnam under the leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh to stand up and make revolution for national liberation, winning victory and making a worthy contribution to the revolutionary movement of all nations in the world.
The Communist Party of Vietnam has over the past 60 years since the 1945 August revolution led the Vietnamese revolution to win one victory after another. For over 20 years of implementing the renewal cause, under the Party’s leadership, the Vietnamese people have recorded great achievements of historic significance. Vietnam’s position on international arena has been constantly raised. Vietnam is now in the period of pushing ahead industrialisation and modernisation, striving to soon get out of the less developed state and fundamentally becoming a modern-oriented industrial country in the year 2020. Vietnam has become WTO member and ever deeper involved in the world’s economic integration. Vietnam was voted as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Vietnam’s position and strength has been raised ever higher. However, it is still facing a lot of difficulties and challenges that cannot be ignored.
Advancing on the path charted by the October Revolution, the Communist Party of Vietnam has constantly strengthened the nature of the working class, profoundly penetrated and creatively applied Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought in the practical leadership, instruction and in putting forth the line and policies for the national development. At the same time, the Party is renovating itself to raise its leading capabilities and fighting strength, in combination of national strength with epochal strength in the new conditions, creating an aggregate strength for construction and defence of the homeland. By promoting the strength of great unity block of the entire nation, we will implement the lofty objectives of prosperous people, powerful country, a civilised, democratic and equal society.
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Thanks to all that came to the Rally to Celebrate the October Revolution last night – it was a hugely inspiring occasion. Nearly a hundred people were crammed into Saklatvala Hall, which simply did not have enough chairs to accommodate the audience! The speeches from Mohammed Hassan, Taimur Rahman, Jack Shapiro, Giles Shorter, Joti Brar, Harpal Brar, Mohammed Arif and the comrades from the Workers’ Party of Korea, the Communist Party of Vietnam and the MLKP (of Turkey and Northern Kurdistan) were all informative and uplifting.
A full report will appear here soon, and the speeches will be uploaded to the CPGB-ML Youtube page within the next few days.
