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1. ON THE COUNTER-REVOLUTION IN THE
SOVIET-UNION

p Two Years ago, all the parties represented in the Belgian Par liament, from Greens and the Socialists all the way to the Fascists, solemnly hailed the "popular revolution" in Eastern Europe, which was to guarantee "human rights" and bring " freedom, democracy"(l).

p Two years ago, the PTB was alone in exposing this sham. The magazine “Humo” made fun of us: "A world is collapsing, but here, alone, PTB stands firm"

p Today, most supporters of our"democratic capitalism" do not dare make fun of us. This is because things are too clear now.

p The promised well-being turned itself into the dismantling of the whole system of production. In Eastern Europe, industrial production has fallen by a third in 2 years. It dropped by 17.5% in 1990. and then by 19.5% in 1991 (2). In the Soviet Union, the Gross National Product dropped by 17% in 1991 and then by 19% during the first three months of 1992 (3).

p Freedom turns out to be freedom for criminals, gangsters and corrupt people. In Moscow,the Russian Mafia has taken control of more than half of the privatised hotels and shops (4). Latvia has become a banana republic where the Mafia controls every - thing (5).

p The human right that the West defends, are the rights of the 97 reactionaries and the.fascists; now that those rights are well established, millions of workers and retired people fall into deep poverty, do not have the right to work, have no dignity and no future. Poland already has 2,200,000 unemployed. In 1989, Right assassinated Ceaucescu and his wife on the charge that they were starving the population. In 1991, prices jumped by 444% in Romania and real wages dropped by 23% (6). Today, the ex-Soviet Union counts 4 million unemployed but will number 15 millions by the end of the year. Thirty million state employees will soon be fired. A headline in *Le Soir’ reads: "Forty-five million people on the way to unemployment without compensation"(7). In Russia one kilo sausages costs 350 rubles. A pension is 200 rubles per month. Out of 150 million Russians, 85% live in the poverty level. (8).

p And democracy? In concrete terms, it means the rehabilitation of the fascist leader Antonescu in Romania, of the Nazi Ante Pa velic in Croatia, of the leader of the collaboration state, Tiso, in Slovakia, of the Hitlerian leader Stephan Bandera in Ukraine. And Yeltsin offered apologies to Vladimir Romanov, who claims to be the heir of the Tsars, "for the way you were treated under Communism, while you are the moral and intellectual elite of the country" (9).

p In 1989, people celebrated freedom. But the first freedom of a people is to be independent of foreign domination and exploitation. Now, in the name of freedom for multinational corporations, the former socialist countries fall into the dark age of neocolonialism.

p The Russian Vice-Prime Minister Igor Gaidar has set up a privatisation plan which foresees that 30% of the Russian enterprises will become foreign-owned. Half of the petroleum industry will be sold to the West. (10).

p In USSR, had a foreign debt of $30 billion, today that debt exceeds $70 billion, (11). Recently, the imperialist countries promised $24 billion of aid to Yeltsin. But most of this aid will have to be repaid with interest...(12).

p The staggering debt will allow the West to dictate its law. This offer was actually accompanied by extremely hard conditions: freedom of imports, reduction of the budget deficit, wage-cuts...

p The colonisation of the ex-Soviet Union takes forms of caricature as well as classical forms: Yeltsin is now surrounded by a team 98 of American advisers, including Jeffrey Sachs of Harvard University and Paul Volcker of the Federal Reserve (13).

p The great freedom, the most cherished freedom, seems to be^hex freedom of the market. But the former socialist countries discover that, in the name of the free market, they will have to suffer the domination of the strongest. Western imperialism has forced them to cut their trade barrier with the West by 40%. Our multinational corporations can in this way conquer new markets. But the European Economic Community (EEC) will “liberalise” only one percent of its imports from Eastern Europe. All kinds of barriers will continue to protecf‘our” markets from cheap products of agriculture, steel industry and textiles(14). This “freedom” of the strongest will imply that the countries from the former Soviet Union will have a trade deficit of $40 billion in 1993, a deficit which will compel further borrowing...(15). The dictatorship of international finance capital will only increase, at the expense of those poor Russians who for a time believed in “freedom” and democracy”.

p In two years, this new bourgeois, greedy and grasping, whose origins are in criminal underworld, has become hated by the majority of the population. In order to protect its new order of exploitation and injustice, this bourgeoisie puts itself under the military protection of the most aggressive imperialism.

p Vaclav Havel, the CIA and Radio Free Europe collaborator who pretends to be an artist, has officially thanked NATO for its attitude during the 40 years of the Cold War, saying NATO has been "an instrument to protect freedom and the values of Western Civilisation"(16). Yeltsin went so far as to declare:"Today, we raise the issue of whether Russia should join NATO"(17). Manfred Worner is already saying thaf’NATO has the duty to protect the countries of Central and Eastern Europe" and that it will react against "any attempt to retreat from the positive steps that have been taken towards freedom and democracy (18). Imperialism has put the former socialist countries under the military tutelage. By military means, NATO is ready to defend the recently restored freefor-all capitalism against future popular uprisings. Officers from Eastern Europe will be trained in NATO schools. The new bourgeois of the East will go regularly and humbly to the NATO headquarters in Brussels to attend their meetings(19).

p Could it be that the present catastrophe is only the painful 99 transition from socialist hell to a consumer paradise? Not at all. The new bourgeois is greedy and upstart and behaves like a practiced mafia. Crucial parts of the national economies are in the hands of imperialism. The present catastrophe is thus only a long introduction to the process of reducing these countries to Third World status, supplying cheap labor and raw material and becoming dumping grounds for manufactured goods.

p The moral and physical misery into which free-for-all capitalism has plunged the masses of the ex-socialist countries should reinforce our determination to defend the countries that uphold socialist ideals:Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos and China. All are under the fire of imperialism which accepts no limits to its arbitrary rule and openly violates international law. The secretary-general of NATO dared to declare: "We do not have to accept injustices simply because of the old rule of non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states"(19). For NATO, the worst “injustice” is the simple existence of socialist countries....

p All socialist countries are victims of interference and subversion. Some of them have to submit to economic suffocation by blockade and embargo. Cuba and Korea show what small countries of the Third World can achieve when socialism has liberated the masses of the workers; these examples shire the more brightly that these countries hold on despite the diabolic subversion of imperialism, and that the other Third World countries seem to be disappearing into the darkest night of neo-colonialism.

p The future of the international situation, and of socialism, will depend largely, in the coming decades, on the evolution of socialist China. Today, in the light of what is happening in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, it is clear that the victory of the counter-revolution on the Tien An Men Square, in June 1989, would have been a catastrophe for the whole of mankind. Imperialism continues exerting permanent pressure on China and interfering in Chinese affairs in the name of "human rights”, by supporting ’Tibetan independence" and by denouncing Chinese "arms sales" to other Third World countries. At the same time, imperialism continues its policy of economic infiltration, of support for the new bourgeois forces that are developing in China with the intention of ideologically and politically destroying the Communist Party, of helping the revisionist forces take power in the party and 100 Emacs-File-stamp: "/home/ysverdlov/leninist.biz/en/1993/CWSVM387/20071216/199.tx" throw socialism along East-European and Soviet path.

The collapse of socialism in the Eastern Part of Europe and in the Soviet Union helps all communists to understand that revisionism represents the bourgeoisie in a very real sense. Those who give in under the pressure of bourgeois ideology, those who slide along the downhill path of opportunism find themselves, in the end, in the company of the big bourgeoisie. Today, the analysis in depth of the political degeneration that has led to the destruction of the Soviet Union can conduct all communists to a new and revolutionary understanding of Marxism-Leninism. A renewed unity of thinking is possible among comrades who were previously and in an arbitrary way divided into “Pro-chinese” “Pro-soviet” “ ProCuban” “Pro-Albanian” and “Pro-independent” tendencies. But to forge this new unity, we all need to prove we have a sense of selfcriticism, deepen our understanding of opportunism and revisionism and exchange our analyses of the degeneration process in the Soviet Union. For that reason, the coming together of about seventy communist, worker and anti-imperialist parties in Pyongyang, on the 15th of April 1992, on the occasion of the eightieth birthday of Comrade Kim II Sung, Veteran of the international communist movement, was an important event. It has allowed us to reaffirm our confidence in the future of socialism and to begin exchanging analyses on the development of revisionism.

2. THE DANGER OF GERMAN REVANCHE

p When it launched the second World War, German imperialism wanted to destroy Soviet Socialism and establish German hegemony in Europe. The death of Hitler and the defeat of the Third Reich did not persuade the German bourgeoisie to change its goals. They continued their fight, under new conditions and with other means, raising the flag of anti-stalinism and anti-communism. It was in the name of anti-stalinism the German Nazis already in 1945 regained political respectability in the eyes of the dominant power of that time, the United States.

p Thousands of fascist officials and collaborators from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union were recruited by American imperialism to fight the Cold War. West Germany was never de-Nazified, tens of thousands of Nazis continued their fight as leaders of the 101 Federal Republic and the big industries. General Gehlen, the Nazi spy chief in the Soviet Union, passed over to the American side in 1944, with all his staff, and later became the head of the secret services in so-called democratic Federal Germany.

p In their constant fight against socialism, German revengemongers found unexpected allies among the revisionists who took power under Khruschev in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In 1956, during the bloody counter-revolution in Hungary, statues of Stalin were destroyed; thirty-five years later, statues of Lenin were crushed. The breaking of the statues of Stalin and of Lenin denote the two points of rupture with marxism. In 1956, Khruschev attacked Stalin in order to change the fundamental line of the leadership of the Communist Party; the slow degeneration of the political economic system that followed has led to the global and final break with socialism, accomplished in 1990 by Gorbachev. The collapse of th Soviet Union denotes the failure of revisionism, introduced by Khruschev 35 years ago. This revisionism has led to the complete destruction of the socialist economy, to a social catastrophe, and to an unconditional surrender to imperialism.

p In the Soviet Union, the revisionists had to work 35 years to destroy Stalin. Cmce Stalin was destroyed, Lenin was taken care of quickly. This is worth remembering: the pulling down of the statues of Lenin was not preceded by a political campaign against him. The 35 year long campaign against Stalin was enough. Once all the political ideas of Stalin had been attacked, falsified, denigrated, it could only be observed that the ideas of Lenin and Marx has been got rid of by the same token.

p Thepolitical burial of Stalin and Lenin was followed by the resurrection of Hitler. The triumph of a rabid anti-communism and anti-Stalinism was accomplished by the full-blown comeback of fascism on the European scene.

p The German bourgeoisie has just won World War II. In order to dominate Europe, they started wars in 1870, in and in 1939. Today, by political and economic means, Germany has reached all the goals it tried to reach earlier by war. At no previous time during the last hundred years has German imperialism reached the dominant position that it now has in Europe.

p To strengthen its domination in Europe and to reach world 102 hegemany, Germany has a four pronged strategy.

p Firstly Germany increases its own economic power and broadens its political influence.

p In 1989, while a lot of noise was made about European unification, Germany decided to mobilise all its resources in order to realise German unification.

p The West German multinationals have practically wiped out the industry of the former GDR: in 2 years, its industrial production has dropped by 70%. Almost 4 million jobs, 42% of all jobs, have disappeared. One million workers are unemployed, one and a half million are working part-time or are in training(20). In 1991, the German bourgeoisie invested 70 billion marks in the former GDR: in 1992, and during the next 8 years, it will be 150 billion marks per year. (21).

p In order to attract the 1500 billion marks that are needed over ten years, Germany unilaterally has decided to raise its interest rates. All other European countries will face serious problems because this huge capital is being drained towards Germany. In the EEC, the total transfers towards the development of poorer regions is only around 20 billion marks(22), only ’3% of what Germany spends to strengthen its Eastern arm.

p Within 8 or 10 years, the East of Germany will have an ultramodern industry which will considerably strengthen Germany in the EEC and which will constitute a powerful base for conquering Eastern Europe and the former USSR (23). By weakening the other EEC countries, Germany strengthens its own hegemony.

p Secondly: in order to become a world superpower, germany strengthens the political unity of the European Community.

p Kohl has declared: "European unification is as important for the Germans as German unification”. The German bourgeoisie must widen its control over the other capitalist countries of the EEC, in order to be able to compete with the United States and Japan on the world stage. German multinationals need the large European market to deploy all their forces. Through alliances and takeovers, they get control over a large part of the bourgeoisie of the other EEC countries. Through Europe, they penetrate the former colonial preserves of France, England and Belgium.

p The German bourgeoisie demands the political unity of Europe 103 to disarm and subdue the weaker bourgeoisies. Most capitalists of France, Italy, England need the firm support of their State. Only this State can help them, by pursuing a specific economic policy. In a unified Europe, Germany the dominant economic power, will impose its law. It will have for allies satellite states and multinationals from other countries that need a strong Europe. The political unity of Europe means accepting the dictates of the strongest. On December 10, in Maastricht, the twelve EEC countries spoke of unity. On December 19, Germany decided unilaterally to raise its interest rates, forcing the other countries to modify their economic policy.

p Germany needs Europe militarily too. In this area, it is the French bourgeoisie, particularly the socialists of Mitterrand who feed the dragon.

p Germany needs to wrap itself in the European Flag in order to realise its military expansion and to send troops to the countries that were martyred by the nazis. Europe is the mystification that puts peoples off-guard in face of German expansionism. Germany must also change herself into a European virgin, to get hold of the nuclear weapons which remain, up to now, a French and British monopoly. Today, the German and French bourgeoisie are setting up an intervention force of 25,000 soldiers which they call a European force. This army will be allowed to operate in regions not convered by the NATO treaty, like the Gulf, or in areas where NATO does not want to intervene, like Yugoslavia.

p Mitterrand claims that he wants European political and military unity so as to attach Germany to the West and to democracy. But a weakened sheep has never been seen to enchain a starving wolf.

p Thirdly: Germany achieves an unchecked economic and political expansion towards the East.

p With the collapse of socialism, Germany has recovered an immense zone in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Republics, where no force can counter its offensive. During the last hundred years, Germany has directed most of its expansion towards the East, since access to colonies elsewhere was forbidden by French and British imperialism. Today, Germany takes this route again.

p Economically, Germany is already the dominant power in the 104 East. Germany alone covers 60% of the $53 billion promised or given to the former Soviet Union. (26). More than half of the exchanges between Poland and EEC are Made with Germany (27). Half of the $1 billion of foreign investment in Czechoslovakia in 1991 came from Germany. Germany is buying up the best companies there, making any balanced and planned development impossible. In the next 8 years, Volkswagen will spend $ 6.5 billion in the newly acquired Skoda group. Mercedez-Benz has bought the truck companies A via and Liaz (28).

p Germany encouraged the division of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in order to ensure its political domination. Each day we can see that the Balkanisation of Africa and of the Arab World have permitted the continuation of Western domination. Just so, in the East, two political tendencies join their efforts to ensure the triumph of the most reactionary elements. The new bourgeoisies must rely on nationalism and chauvinism to get the masses to follow them and make them forget the cause of their misery. German imperialism waves the flag of self-determination for minority peoples in order to increase divisions among them and to incite those peoples to fight each other so as to weaken them all.

p Since the bourgeoisie of the former socialist countries are very weak, most of them seek the support of the strongest and nearest imperialist country: Germany. The American, French and British competitors are in a position of weakness. For example, the German and Austrian bourgeoisie have for many years encouraged right wing separatists in Croatia and Slovenia. Without that support, Croatian and Slovenian reactionaries would never have dared declare war on Yugoslavia by becoming independent. Of course, the Yugoslav civil war has its origin in bourgeois nationalism. But it is German interference that gave a murderous and destructive character to this war. As a sign of its hegemony in the EEC, we see that Germany has imposed its policy of support for the destruction of Yugoslavia on the other members.

p It has been said that destruction of socialism would put an end to the Cold War and that we will now know peace and democracy. But armed conflicts in Yugoslavia, Georgia, Moldavia, Armenia, Azerbaijan prove that capitalism always means misery and war. Meanwhile, a more considerable conflict appears possible. In the Ukraine, the fascist movement, which is very powerful, has for a 105 long time collaborated with Germany. On March 27, Germany and the Ukraine created a Council of Cooperation to strengthen their economic relations (29). The Ukraine and Russia are ready to fight for the control of the Black Sea fleet and Crimea. The Ukraine now wants to keep its tactical nuclear weapons. 20% of the population there is Russian. The right-wing French newspaper "Le Figaro" writes: " The Ukraine is playing the Western card. It hopes to benefit from an insertion in the German Europe being formed from Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and the Baltic States”. (30).

p Fourthly: Germany increases its power and its influence by allying itself with the United States, Japan, whenever it is profitable.

p While building up a European army, Germany continues to use NATO as a military guarantee to protect its expansion in Eastern Europe and in the former Soviet Union.

While working to put the EEC under its economic domination, the German Konzerns sometimes create links with Japanese multinationals to fight the American common enemy. Daimler- Benzturnover $54 billion, 365,000 salaried workers, 60% of German military industry has formed a technological and industrial alliance with Mitsubishi, number one in Japan, turnover $144 billion (31).

3. THREE GIANTS FIGHT FOR THE WORLD MARKETS

p The year 1990 marked the victory of imperialism in the cold war against socialism. And it is a Japanese -American, Fukiyama, who has announced the "end of history”. But in Germany, an ex-SS officer, France Schbhhuber raised the next question: Which capitalism has won the cold war? Who has won?. This is a pertinent question. Indeed, a new cold war has started on the ruins of socialism, this time between the United States, Germany and Japan.

p Of course, the capitalist system will always feed on wars. Ten years ago, Reagan told us that with a small supplementary effort, the Soviet Union - that devilish power - could install world domination. Today, the CIA agitates against the yellow threat: Japan has launched itself in a struggle for economic world domination. President Bush himself cannot do without the language of the cold war. As the Reds are no longer hiding, a knife between their teeth, 106 behind the iran curtain, he has found their twin brother. Bush declared: "Japan is hiding behind itsown iron curtain of protectionism, the European Community”. And he continues,” We have won the Cold War and will win the next economic wars”.

p At the end of the Second World War, America had become the international policeman, installing their domination on the five continents. For free, they killed a few hundred thousand Japanese to test their nuclear weapons, and James Burnham, Trotsky’s former lieutenant, who had become the ideological advisor of Truman, defended the use of the atomic bomb against Stalin. The United States was leading a secret war against all socialist countries, a war that led to the Korean war of 1950. That was the first big checkmate for U.S. imperialism. After provoking anti-communist insurrection in Berlin in 1953 and Budapest in 1956, the United States began their long war against Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in 1960. They lost, and American power continued to decline. Then, last year, the United States won a most impressive war against a Third World country of 16 million inhabitants. Some people concluded that America had regained single superpower status and was pursuing a political domination as in 1945.

p But can we really award the title of "only superpower in the world" to this poverty-stricken country that had to beg $billion from Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to pay for its last war that cost them altogether $55 billion? In a secret report, the Pentagon showed their determination to "discourage every country or nation from defying American Supremacy”. This is a desperate attempt, which is bound to fail, to maintain American leadership by military means. Indeed, other more dynamic-economic powers have already constituted zones where their economic and political domination is already a reality.

p If a superpower could survive only on its military strength, the Soviet Union would still exist. However, the United States, which still disposes of the most powerful military machine, is corroded by economic and social problems.

p In 1982, Reagan for the first time in American history lifted the central budget deficit over the hundred billion mark. Ten years later, Bush will multiply this deficit by four. In a period of four years, the total amount of American debts has risen from $1,000 billion to $4,080 billion. If we add that figure to the debts of all 107 American companies and individuals, we come to a total American debt of $ 10,300 billion. The United States have already used up its future.

p Furthermore, America has never stopped accumulating incredibly explosive social problems. In the United States, social differences are such that in certain districts or regions one could be in the Third World. Of a population of 250 million, 7% of the active population, or 8.9 million, are unemployed. Hourly wage-rates have decreased by 13% since 1973. Twenty-five million Americans, or one in ten, receive food stamps in order to survive. Forty-five percent of black children and 39% of Hispanic children live in poverty.

p With all these highly explosive facts at home, it is simply impossible to be an international policeman for a world of 5 billion people.

p Then we see that 40,000 American soldiers have to do a replay of Desert Storm, right in the heart of Los Angeles! The minorities of black and Asian people and Chicano, alongside with white poor, who all have to face daily the terrorist oppression of the capitalist state, started a rebellion with nationwide significance. We pay tribute to the courage of all these oppressed people who, in different cities of the US, fight the greatest enemy of human rights, democracy and independence from within.

p The world has become a small village. In the name of competition, the Belgian and American worker is pushed into competition with his brother working in a South Korean or Brazilian factory. In the name of competition, the French or Filipino worker is forced to accept over-exploitation and wage-cuts to get to the end of the runnel.

p The international market is not growing very quickly. But the modernized, automated factoriesof Japan, Germanyand the United States go on spitting out more and more cars, computers and plastic materials. The capitalist market has become too small to nourish its three hungry beasts.

p Swearing eternal loyalty to the common ideals of liberalism and bourgeois democracy, Japanese, German and American imperialists throw themselves in merciless economic wars.

p In 1990 Germany, with a population of a quarter of the United 108 States, exported as much merchandise as its American competiton: $391 billions worth against $ 389 billions for America. Japan realised 70% of American exports, but for the last ten years it has known the biggest economic growth of the world. In a period of five years, Japan accumulated positive commercial balance of $425 billion, compared to $353 billion realised by Germany. The United Stated however, has lost a large amount of money by importing more than it exports:the American deficit amounts to $655 billion over the same period.

p The American economic, political and military machine has been able to continue running between 1984 and 1990 thanks to the enormous quantities of money attracted from abroad. The net import of foreign capital during a period of seven years was $912 billion. Actually the United States would never have able to survive without German and Japanese financial imports. During that same period of time, Japan had a net export of capital of $402 billion and Germany $313 billion.

p Formerly, the United States drained billions of dollars each year, thanks to its investments abroad and to the pay-offs of other countries,. During the first five years of the eighties, America made about $16.4 billion. But during the last five years, due to foreign debts and investments in the United States, it had a net loss of about $13.2 billion in the form of interest and dividends. During that same period, Japan had a yearly import of $ 18.7 billion and Germany $7 billion, also in interest and dividends.

p American imperialism is a military giant built on an ever subsiding base. Japanese imperialism however has become the first financial power and is extending its influence over the most rapidly expanding region of the world, namely South East Asia. German imperialism has become the first export power in the world and disposes of a fresh, and extremely vast, market to exploit: Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

p The economic and political confrontation between these three capitalist centres on the five continents of the world will be inevitable. We can not exclude military confrontations in the future. As early as 1952, Comrade Stalin Said: "What guarantee is there, then, that Germany and Japan will not rise to their feet again, will not attempt to break out of American bondage and live their own independent lives? I think there is no such guarantee. But it follows 109 from this that inevitability of wars between capitalist countries remains in force”.

p The United States, Japan and the European Community have become the three principal pillars of criminal, barbaric and inhuman world order. Even if they differ in their strong and weak points, they still follow an identical policy of exploiting the working class, robbing the Third World and dominating the countries in between. Communists all over the world have to fight them with identical energy, and never let themselves be used byonein their rivalry withan other. Of course, thepeople of Latin America are especially confronted by the United States, the people from South East Asia by Japanese imperialism, and the people of Eastern Europeand Soviet Union by Germany.

p But here in Belgium, we have to refuse both American supremacy through NATO and German imperialism through the European Community. We cannot feed the young European wolf in order to chase the old American one.

p The more the imperialists insist on the eternal values common to mankind, the more they will inflict a filthy struggle on their competitors. The triumph of capitalism meant complete return to the law of the capitalist-jungle. All the alliances which yesterday seemed very stable, have now become the contrary. Germany, once the faithful ally of Washington, is now also aiming for the Soviet Union and Japan. Japan is also getting a firm foot on English territory. If Mitterrand reiterates the solidity of the French German alliance, Madam Cresson is leaning towards firm friendship with the United States against Japan and maybe, Germany.

p If the United States show very clear weaknesses, Japan and Germany also have their serious contradictions. Sooner or later, German supremacy will be threatened by the interests of another imperialist member of the European Community. If the situation in the former Soviet Union or Eastern Europe becomes explosive, Germany will not be able to control the situation. At the beginning of April 1992, the shares quoted on the Japanese stock-exchange had declined by 54% since 1989. Their present total value being $1,660 billion, about the same as the amount of money that has gone up in smoke. The Japanese insurance companies alone have seen their assets decline by over $280 billion. An expert of the Brussels Lambert Bank estimates that "in 1992-93 we could suffer a major economic crisis. The risk of an economic crisis and the incredible 110 upsurge of unemployment has never been so high in sixty years”.

p The economies of the three most imperialist countries are so weak that couple of serious incidents would suffice to seriously destabilise the system. If the Berlin wall fell in a period as short as three weeks, the pillars of international imperialism could fall as quickly. Furthermore we have to bear in mind the following thoughtrwith their policy of stealing and domination, the industrialised countries, with a population of about 280 million, are making life harder and harder for the remaining 4.2 billion people of this planet.

p American aggression against Grenada, Panama and Iraq, aimed at maintaining a barbaric world order, reinforces the hatred of the working classes for their oppressors. The new aggression that the United States is preparing with the support of Japan and the European Community against nationalist forces in Libya and against the guerrilla fighters of the shining path-Communist Party of Peru, will only provoke a new upsurge in the struggle of the Arab and Latin-American people.

Whether it is in the industrialised worU or in the Third World, revolutionaries and progressive forces have to break with imperialism in all its forms and colours. Imperialism brings nothing but misery, oppression, hunger, destruction and war. Over here, there can be no European way to socialism, since the Europe in which we live is the Europe of big business, the Europe that steals from the Third World, theEuropeofdecreasingsocial rights and of oppression, the military Europe that wants to maintain the new liberal world order for the East and the old neo-colonial system for the Middle East Africa.

4. IMPERIALISM MEANS WAR: NEW NATO-STRATEGIES

p Since the restoration capitalism in the Soviet Union, we witness an escalation of reactionary violence, of imperialist armed interventions and of local wars. When the big bourgeoisie triumphed from socialism, it launched immediately criminal military adventures against the Third World, in particular against Panama and Iraq. Those crimes were justified by "humanitarian reasons" and "human rights" considerations.

p The peace movement in the West has accepted the imperialist 111 demagogy and has shamelessly disappeared from the scene at the time when imperialist war occurred in the Third World, and then in Balkans.

p At the same time, we observe that large segments of the population express deep fear; people feel instinctively that crisis of capitalism could well, once more, lead to a generalised war in Europe.

p In Stalin’s time, the international communist movement made a correct analysis of NATO, which is an aggressive pact whose goal is to destroy the socialist states and to reoccupy their territories, pact which is also dominated by the United States, using it to control and to dominate their European allies.

p With the disappearance of the Warsaw pact, the pretext on which this aggressive pact was created has disappeared and all the pacifist forces should demand its dissolution.

p However, NATO used the collapse of socialism in the East and in the Soviet Union to launch an even more aggressive and adventurist policy. Far from dissolving itself,NATO enlarged enormously the field of its domination and of its military intervention. The War against Iraq was in fact the first time that NATO was outside its traditional zone, its first war against the Third World. Moreover, NATO extended the field of its interventions to Eastern Europe and to the so-called independent republics of the former Soviet Union. The aggression again Yugoslavia shows that NATO prepares itself for interventions and wars in all the former socialist countries.

In these new conditions, NATO has acquired two new characteristics. First, NATO becomes and essential instrument to allow the United States to maintain its position as sole superpower. Besides, NATO is a framework in which German imperialism maneuvers in order to acquire the status of superpower.

THE USA-STRATEGY REGARDING THE NATO

p At the time when American imperialism reaches in zenith, the marxist analysis of imperialism as the supreme stage of capitalism, as a system of international terror, and as a source of war, proves its entire validity.

p Today, US imperialism declares openly, through NATO, that, in the new world order, no country has a right to independence and 112 sovereignty. American imperialism, the greatest killing machine in the world, claims to be the sole judge of the international affairs of other countries; it may invoke humanitarian reasons to violate the independence of any country an to send its army  [112•1 

p At the same time, one must remember that it is in virtue of the sacred principle of "national independence" that US imperialism has led to counter revolution in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Ukraine and Armenia. In all those countries and republics, reactionaries and fascists fought in the name of “Independence”,while being only mercenaries of imperialism, enemies of socialism and of a true independence of their people.  [112•2 

p Independence”, “democracy”, “freedom” and "human rights" are demagogic shibboleths under which imperialism imposes the totalitarianism of the free market to the world and imposes itself as a overarmed cop of a world system of exploitation.

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p To maintain its world hegemony, American imperialism has developed a strategy along five axes.

p First: firmly put the countries of Eastern European* the “ independent” Republics of the former Soviet Union under American control, through the military and police surveillance of NATO.

p NATO promises to the new bourgeoisies made of Mafiosi, criminals and exploiters which rule in the East, that it guarantees the "stability* of their regime. Under the pretext mat “security” includes political and military aspects, NATO guarantees the new bourgeois order and capitalism against any revolutionary movement.

p “Our common goal is to improve European security by promoting stability in Central and Eastern Europe”. (USIS, United States Embassy, Brussels, 12-23-9*).

p But the reactionary nationalism that dominates in the East leads, during grave economic crises, to civil wars, NATO, which defines itself now as an "instrument to establish an order in the Euro-Atlantic area" will have to undertake military interventions and wars to maintain the “peaceful” domination of our multinationalsOLe Monde Diplomatique, mars 1993, P.4). The intervention of American, Dutch, French and Turkish planes over Serbia is the beginning of this series of interventions and wars" (NRC, April 1993).

p The second axis of the United States strategyrprevent the reestablishment of the Soviet Union or of close relations between Russia and some Republics.

p The NATO armies will keep an open eye on "the risks for stability in Europe of a rebirth of nationalism in Russia or of an attempt to attach again to Russia newly independent countriestUkraine, Byelorussia, or some others" (Le Monde Diplomatique, April 1992, P1 & 14).

p The third and fourth axes of American strategy:prevent Germany and Japan from becoming superpowers, rivals to the United States.

p The Pentagon says that one must "discourage advanced industrial nations from challenging American leadership.

p “We must act to prevent the emergence of an exclusively European security system, that would destabilise NATO” (Le Monde 114 Diplomatique, April 1992, P.I and 14).

p The new military structure of NATO, and in particular the creation of a rapid intervention force, depending from integrated commandCthat is, the United States) is also conceived in order to better ensure the control of the United States on its dear European allies. Therefore, the rapid intervention force will be characterised by a high degree of integration, up to the brigade level. One speaks of the "formationof multinational units" (Le Monde, 23 June, 1992).

p In Asia also, US imperialism wants to "prevent the emergence of any regional hegemony" and "the destabilisation that would come from an increased role of our allies, in particular Japan, but also, ultimately, Korea" (Le Monde Diplomatique, April 1992, P.I and 14).

p The fifth axis of the American strategy is to prevent the emergence of independent political and military powers in the Third World.

p The creation of a rapid intervention force and the production of nuclear weapons adapted the use in the Third World serve this purpose.

So, the United States will deploy in 1995 a new air-ground missile,the Tactical Air-Ground Missile,namelyacruise air-ground missile that can carry nuclear warheads. Thousands of these missiles will be produced and they will be deployed throughout the fleet of American strategic bomber.” (Le Monde Diplomatique, November,m 1991). "General Lee Butler and his planners are in the first phase of the construction and of experimenting new computers that will allow Mr. Clinton to us nuclear weapons against Third World countries that threaten the interests of the United States or of its allies" (International Herald Tribune, 26, Feb, 1993).

GERMANY AND NATO

p ThenewversionofNATOisalsothesiegeofincreasedstruggles between imperialist powers, mostly between Germany, candidate to the superpower status, and the United States but also between France and the United States.

p The main axis of German strategy is to strengthen its status of economic superpower thanks to the construction of a German-led Europe. Germany has a vital need to control the other European 115 bourgeoisie, in order to have access to the big European market. This market allows German multinational corporations to become big enough to face international competition with Japan and the United States. Germany has also a vital need of European construction, to give a sufficient basis to its political and military ambitions.

p Germany seeks now a strengthening of its economic domination in Eastern Europe and in certain parts of the ex-Soviet Union; the superior economic weight that it could so obtain will also increase its hegemony in the European Community.

p Indeed, thanks to "peaceful subversion and the betrayal Khruschev, Brezhnev and Gorbachev, imperialist Germany has obtained all that it tried, in vain, to get during WW1 and WW2. The Great Germany of 1993 claims triumphantly that it pushed its heredetary enemy, "Russia, in its borders of the beginning of the 17th century. It claims to guarantee "all national security its borders of the beginning of the 17th century”. It claims to guarantee "all national security interests" of Eastern Europe and of the former Soviet Republics. Here, a special attention is due to the countries that Germany tried to annex during the two world wars. Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic States(former countries colonised by Germany, that the latter wants to make entrance to the European Community), and the Eastern European countries. Lothar Ruhl writes: "Germany has a new European responsibility" "Western security can spread to eastern Europe only through Germany, as a faithful partner of the Western Alliance. For that reason too, Germany should stay in the future attached to NATCKDie Welt, 18 May 1992).

p In order to enlarge its domination in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, Germany wants to use NATO. Germany has managed to launch NATO against its hereditary enemy, Serbia tomorrow, it hopes to do it against its only traditional rival in the East: Russia. Germany wants also to use the shield of NATO to further its“peaceful” economic expansion in the East. Besides, under present circumstances, only NATO has the military and logistic capacity to launch a war against Russia.

p But, as ever since 1945, Germany plays a double game, NATO and the European construction. It alternates and combines cleverly both, so as to extract a maximum benefit for Germany.

p In the world markets, European imperialists have their own interest, which often face those of Americans, Therefore, they start 116 a "European defence policy"

p On May 22,1992, in La Rochelle, Kohl and Mitterand gave the approval for the creation of Eurocorps, announced since 16 Oct. 1991. In their joint declaration, the German and French imperialists claim. The setting-up of this corps will contribute to give to the European Union its own military capacity" (Le Monde, May 25, 1992). This corps will be operational in 1995 as a rapid intervention force. It will include 35,000 to 40,000 soldiers, essentially German and French units,but the Governments of Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain also want to join it.

p Germany and Holland will form also multinational army corps of three divisions, counting up to 25,000 men, but which may grow up to 50,000. Great-Britain and Denmark may also participate.

p So “democratic” Germany is succeeding where Nazi Germany could not: integrate other European armies in multinational structures, under German command. During WW2, Nazi Germany sent French, Dutch, Flemish, Wallon, military units on the Eastern front. This same policy of using European armies to realise the expansion in the East is brilliantly pursued under current conditions. Volker Ruhe said that he wants to give high priority to the notion of multinational!ty for the defense of Central Europe”. (NRC, March 301993.)

p The setting-up of an European army is also the only way allowing Germany to get hold of nuclear weapons, so far reserved for the French and the British. "Le Monde" remarks "the French head of state has himself mentioned the possibility that, under a form still to invent, it will be possible to give a European version of deterrence”.

p Germany used NATO as well as the Eurocorps to have its armed forces intervene outside German borders and outside the NATO zone: by sending troops in ex-Yugoslavia, Germany announces its intention to have a military presence in the countries occupied during the last world war. By sending 1,500 soldiers in Somalia, it starts military intervention in the Third Word.

The German who try to take revenge prepare actively the day when it will be again“glorious” for a son of Germany to fall on the battlefields abroad! General Neumann, Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr lias reminded us that the commitment of an army supposes also mat every man be ready, for the defence of our country and of 117 our citizens, to take weapon and to risk his life, including outside of Germany" (Le Monde 16,1992 P. 5). Germany relearns from William II and Hitler.

5. YUGOSLAVIA

p You all know the Goulags, those prison-camps in Siberia during the days of Stalin. All of you have learned that these camps were hell on earth. Today, luck has changed sides; the seniors of the very same prison camps are in power now. In 1992, they have caused an inflation of 1,450%. In a period of two years, they have caused the GNP to decrease 32.5%

p Meanwhile, criminal commercial networks are making thousands of million roubles. The mafia controls about 45% of the GNP, over 8,000 million dollars, which is more than the Western aid given to Russia. This “mob” capitalism is the very cause of the physical destruction of hundreds of thousands of men. 12 to 15% of the children who leave kindergarten suffer chronic diseases. In Russia, many have sold a kidney or some other vital organ to be implanted into a richer body. You all remember that in Rumania the assassination of president Ceaucescu was called the first minute of liberty. Today, we read the following. "Sixty Belgian francs for a thirty year old Rumanian woman. "Child prostitution is causing tragedies at Bucharest. The causes are misery, drugs and organised crime. "In Lithuania 19 monuments have been erected in commemoration of theSS.

p The civil war between Armenians and Azeris already counts 10,000 casualties. The civil war in Tadjikistan, with its 5 million inhabitants, already cost the life to 25,000 people.

p Today, the reality of capitalism in Russia, where the power is shared by mafia, nazis and terrorists, shows us that capitalism is an inhuman, criminal and murderous system.

p It is Western Imperialists that are the prime responsible for the savagery and violent rage that is destroying Yugoslavia.

p In Yugoslavia, socialism ceased to exist in 1948, when Tito cleared the ranks of the Communist Party of 400,000 members, Two years later, Tito voted in favor of the American aggression against Korea. In 1953, private land property was reinstalled while the production of the enterprises, self-ruled went to the free market. 118 Since the beginning of the SOs, Serbian and Slovenian nationalism were stimulated in the name of this “self-ruling”. In 1974, Yugoslavia changed to a confederation where the Serbian, Slovenian and Croatian bourgeoisie received their proper republics. After 1985, Yugoslavia chose to follow a liberal economy. Hundreds of thousands of employees were fired. In 1991, private capitalism was good for 77 to 84% of the economy in Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. If we believe the lies spread by fascists, Slovenia and Croatia would have been exploited by Serbia and the poorer republics. Nevertheless, the total of income that was redistributed did not surpass 2 to 3% of the social product of Slovenia and Croatia. But this was returned by the basic products, energy and minerals, mainly produced by the poor republics and the prices of which were kept very low by the central government. Since 1945, it have been Slovenia and Croatia that were beneficiaries of the Yugoslavian system.

p It was “new” Germany that bought up the Croatian and Slovenian bourgeoisie, and rejuvenated the independist and pronazi tendencies of 1940-45., The French General Pierre Gallois noted that since 1990 Germany has been providing arms for Croatia through Italy, Hungary and Chechoslovakia. This firm decision of making Yugoslavia explode has been taken at Bonn. If wasn’t for this strong German desire, there would not be a civil war going on in Yugoslavia at the moment. This criminal decision shows that German dominance over the European continent is no longer a phantom, but has become reality. Germany takes, all on its own,strategic decisions that rigorously modify the entire European situation. All alone, Germany has decided the record-time annexation of East Germany, against the will of Great-Britain and France. All alone, against the policy of the United States, Great Britain and France, Germany began shattering Yugoslavia into little pieces and putting fire to the already explosive Balkans.

p The growing imperialism in Europe, Germany, using the "people‘s” right to rule themselves" to mislead the opponents, i.e. the countries against German domination.

p To succeed this"right to self-determination”, the Germans first have to lead their people into blindness and ethnic and religious fundamentalism. Thanks to ideas dating from the Middle Ages imperialism has forced the working classes to follow the 119 reactionary bourgeoisie of their “own” nation or their“own” religion, that the fusion of different languages, cultures and nations is something infectious. The capital, that only thinks and acts on international scale, forces the people into nations and ideas of local dialects or traditions.

p Afterwards, German imperialism can call on "identities that are ethnic ally and religiously endangered" to start their"help to the weaker " using heavy military material. In their quest for economic and strategic interests, Great Germany endangers the sovereignty of States and international agreements, piles up feelings of hatred and causes secessions. But why did Germany want so much the bloody falling^ apart of Yugoslavia, a country with a liberal policy and completely dominated by the Deutsche Mark (even Serbia)

p Both the first as the second world war, Germany has always held massive military operation in the Balkans in attempt to create continuous gangway from Hamburg to Baghdad. Two times in a row, Serbia has prevented them from doing this. During the first world war, Serbia lost 25% of its population. During the second world war, Yugoslavia lost 1,700,000 men. United Yugoslavia will always dispose of an anti-German stronghold, a capitalist-but united Yugoslavia will always have the tendency to seek alliance with United States(as it did between 1950 and 1990)or with France. Here is the reason why it was in German interest to make Yugoslavia explode into small powerless pieces, easy to swallow. To make the Croatian and Slovenian secessionists succeed their plans, the European Community has exercised economic and financial blackmail on the Yugoslavian government. On later, threatening with the recognition of the secessions, the EC prevented the Yugoslavian army to defend the constitution and to guarantee the national unity that about the so-called"rightful state" the bourgeoisie pretended to erect in the East.

p The Slovenian and Croatian secession, caused by Germany and European Community, already was an act of extreme danger.

p But Germany only continued the aggression, that became openly anti-Yugoslavian and anti-Serbian. Moreover, Germany and the EC kept up their offensive by urging for the secession of both Bosnia-Herzegovina as Macedonia. But the creation of these mini-states, or more precisely fake-states without any historical or popular legitimacy or viability could only lead to never-ending 120 civil wars in the Balkans. It was criminal policy that had to lead to civil wan once the EC had launched nationalism and separatism, neither the Serbs in Bosnia, nor the Croatians in Bosnia wanted to live inside a Bosnian “state” with a majority of muslims.

p The EC has accepted the nationalist and fascist theory that Croatians cannot live in a united Yugoslavia.

p Once this fascist idea was deeply embedded, how could the Serbians be prevented to stick to same ideas? The population in Croatia called upon the "right to self -determination" to realise the secession from Croatia. And thus the next permanent war party was created.

p The French General Pierre Gallois says rightfully: "It is the policy of Bonn that is responsible for igniting the Balkans, for the thousands of dead and 25 million refugees who are looking for asylum.

p In former Yugoslavia, Croatian, Slovenian, Serbian and “Muslim” nationalism are all reactionary, against the unity of the working classes and socialism. Behind Croatia we can see Great Germany “New” Croatia is constructed on a policy of discrimination against the 12.2% of Serbs who have been living there for ages. According to the constitution, Croatia is a state for ‘Croatians’. Everywhere signs are visible of the rehabilitation of the fascist state of Ante Pavelic.

p Since the Western press never stops denouncing the Serbian aggressor, Croatia can keep on strengthening themselves with the help of Germany.

p In Bosnia the Croatian fascists have the same objective as the Serbs. They want to create "Big Croatia" in despite of Bosnia. The Croatians are also widening their "ethnic territory" by taking from the Muslims, the war between Croatians and Muslims is ranging around several mixed villages proof of the criminal logic of ethnic territories. Croatian forces throw grenades inside the homes of Muslims and wait for the inhabitants to come out, to shoot them. 250 casualties in six days.

p Serbs are right denouncing Great Germany, new superpower of Eastern Europe, for following a policy of vengeance. But they had two opposite possibilities: the one of unity and socialism in the Balkans, or the one of Serbian reactionary nationalism. Only 121 socialism can follow a policy of equality and internationalism between different nation, regions and religions. Being hostile to the working class, the Serbian leaders have preferred reactionary nationalism which had already been victorious during the days of alliance wit the Russian war.

p Dobrica Cosic, President of the new Federation of Serbia- Montenegro, stated that the Croatians and Slovenes could create their proper autonomous states, if they stay inside their ethnic territory. If they stick to Serbian ethnic territory, it will mean war. Karedzic said that he does not want a Bosnian nation based on a mixture of Serbian, Croatian and Muslims. The radical party, fascist like, obtained 30% of the seats in the Serbian parliament. Their chief declares: "We have to expel all Croatian and Slovenian population from Serbia.”

p It was in Unified Yugoslavia that Islamic minority had found recognition and equality. But the explosion of ethnic and religious hatred caused the expansion of a reactionary conception of Islam. Izetbegovic is moving towards the conception of a religious state. He is supported by the Pro-American compradore bourgeoisies from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Pakistan.

p The Muslim forces have set up several murderous provocations to attract the attention of the Islamic world. It was them to who killed 16 people at a butcher in Sarajevo. Television showed cruel images of people ripped open by bombs. The press accused the Serbians of the crime. The provocation on behalf of the Muslims was intended to bring the European Community low level sanctions against Serbia. Which was done.

p Croatian, Serbian and Muslim nationalists are supported by proper militia composed of criminals and out-laws. These militia get their money by means of stealing and expropriating and become the “owners”, the rulers of the new capitalist society.

p The lumpen-bourgeoisie at the head of these mini-states have no possibility of independent development. They are at the mercy of imperialist powers, ready for the domination over Balkans. Those who justify the creation of a mini-state, are responsible for the imperialist interventions in this region and the coming wars.

p German imperialism already economically dominates former Yugoslavia. Today, for the first time since Hitler’s defeat, Germany openly proclaims their moral duty of sending forces to the Balkans!

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p In political military terms, the USA remain the first power in the Balkans. They are fighting with Germany for regional dominance. The US use Turkey and other pro-American Islamic states as go between. Saudi-Arabia gives financial help to Bosnia, Kuwait urges for a military intervention and Turkey examines possible bombing sites on Serbian side. The Americans are also trying to divert the hatred of the islamic populations, shocked by the American intervention in Iraq, by using the intervention in Balkans where the US would protect Islam.

p Third power that has interest to defend the Balkans is Russia. The reactionary nationalism of Serbia finds its"natural partner in Russian reactionary nationalism. They have a common enemy. Germany, Germany, which made Yugoslavia explode to make it possible to impose themselves, might do the very same thing with Russia. An expansion of the war in the Balkans may pull in Russia. This would the beginning of a European war in which all three parties, the USA, Germany and Russia would aspire reactionary, expansionist and criminal goals.

p Three years after the "revolutions for democracy and liberty" a great possibility of a general European war exists. The profound nature of our "democracy and our liberty" is shown in the Balkans where imperialist Europe and their local accomplices are provoking terror, destruction and primitive violence; a reactionary civil war.

We, communists, must be proud to be the only one that keep believing in the flag of unity among the peoples, the flag of creative work, progressive culture, social progress and of popular democracy and peace. A flag around which the oppressed peoples will come together to struggle for the socialist revolution.

6. HOPELESS CONTRADICTIONS IN THE CAPITALIST
WORLD

p Capitalism, system based on exploitation, is characterised by internal contradictions that are impossible to solve and that, today, under our eyes, are dramatically increasing.

p In the whole world, the contradiction between workers and capitalist and between the big capitalist powers becomes sharper. We are in the middle of great upheavals, on the eve of new 123 economic crises and new wars. All the bourgeois parties, including the social-democrats and the Greens, promise to solve the problems of our society, while maintaining intact the capitalists system. Its a lie, a cheat.

p Europe was witnessing a considerable boom of its industrial investment. The honest workers had to make one very last sacrifice so that their courageous bosses could invest, which would bring work and welfare. But, today, they seriously come and tell us that the investments have created excessive capacities and that it is urgent to rationalise and to fire people in order to save the essential! (J.P. Morgan, World Financial Markets, Sept-Oct. 1992, P.7).  [123•3 

p Here is why capitalism is a criminal system. The fantastic growth of technology creates a vast social wealth of high quality, but “produces” at the same time unemployment, misery and overexploitation for those who create, through their work, this wealth. A handful of rich people live in a revolting luxury, while a growing mass experiences poverty and overwork.

p The capitalists of the world are engaged in a war against the 124 workers; 33 millions unemployed in the industrialised countries, hundreds of millions of unemployed in the Third World: everywhere, capitalists impose low salaries and flexibility, and eliminates social laws and benefits. At the same time, the capitalists push the workers of different countries to fight each other. This war among workers has a name: Struggle for competitiveness. Socialdemocracy and the right-wing union bosses claim that there is nothing to do, that one must accept the wage the international capitalists impose, of course in the Third World, but also increasingly often here, absolutely inhuman working conditions, that destroy the health of the workers. Everywhere in the capitalist world, bosses demand a “competitiveness” with respect to people that they can now exploit under conditions approaching slavery. Today, in Japan, 40% of the workers fear “Karoshi”, namely death through overwork (De Standard, March 23,1993).

p Three years after that the entire rotten press was shouting that socialism is dead, we see that there is no survival possible under capitalism. On the world level, every new technological progress degrades working conditions and the lifestyle. The Belgian workers are also becoming aware of this truth.

p First of all, automatisation and robotisation deprives hundreds of thousands of workers of their jobs, without any hope to find another one, Automatisation that could, under a socialist regime, make the life of the workers easier, more dignified and richer, produces, here, the ghost of permanent unemployment  [124•4 

p In 1970, the industrialised OECD countries had 5 millions unemployed. Today, after 20 years of fantastic technological progress, they are 33 millions  [124•5 . Robotisation and automatisation expel from active life not only manual workers but also increasingly white collar workers and executives.

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p The globalisation of market is a second consequence of the technological advance which will make life in the capitalist regime impossible. Nowadays, money can move very quickly around the world. Rapid transportation connects any production place to world markets. This globalisation allows tradition sectors to emigrate towards countries where a worker is “worth” 5to 10 $ a day. It increase unemployment in the imperialist world. Globalisation puts the Belgian worker in competition with worker in the Philippines, Korea, Turkey, Morocco, Brazil, Hungary: the norm of competitivity derives unavoidably the worker in a downwards spiral  [125•6  

p The conquest of Eastern Europe by imperialism constitutes a great increase in the globalisation of the capitalist markets. Suddenly, capitalism puts the worker from VW in Belgium in competition with the worker of Skoda in the Czech Republic. VW pays 31 $ an hour in Germany; it pays... 3.5$ an hour in Skoda. The Czech minister of economy says: "The workers of my country are as good as in Germany, and probably better than the workers in the VW factory in Spain”. Socialism had produced well-trained workers. Business Week writes. "The cheap and well-trained work force of the East may offer the best chance to solve the chronic competitivity problem of the European Corporations" (Business Week, 15 FEb, 1993).

p In the name of the struggle against ‘Stalinism” capitalist freedom has been reinstated in the East. The Social-democrats and the Greens have welcomed this evolution, and the right-wing union leaders congratulated themselves. Today, we see that socialism in the East not only protected the workers of these countries from capitalist exploitation but that socialism there helped, simply by its existence, the workers in the imperialist countries to limit their exploitation.

p To profit from low wages, the imperialist countries invest now $ 3 billions in the zone Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary. The destruction of their traditional markets in the Soviet Union pushes those countries to export... towards the EC. One made them believe 126 that now “freedom” reigns. The EC did not wait to protect its markets by limiting severely the imports of steel, textiles, agricultural products, cement... In summary, half of their exports are subject to limitation (Business Week, Feb. 15,1993). We have here a nice expression of this truth: the destruction of socialism in the East has sharpened all the contradictions of the imperialist world and will provoke new revolutionary upheavals. Imperialism has made these people expect an increased welfare, but production collapses. Imperialism has made these people expect an increased welfare, but production collapses. Imperialism has promised investments to create“efficient” economies, but the amounts invested remain marginal. "The EC must dismantle completely it trade barriers towards the East, if Eastern Europe is to become a magnet for private international capital" writes the Morgan Company (Morgan, World Financial Markets, Sept-Oct. 1992, P.8). But these imports will destroy even more jobs in Western Europe! But if there are no investments and if the situation continues to deteriorate itself in the East, hundreds of thousands of those men that have been addicted to fantasies like Dallas and Dynasty will “invade” theCommunity. Business Week forecasts "big immigration waves”.

p In the whole of Western Europe, the nazis wage racist campaigns against Arabs and Turkish migrant workers. Soon, the “enemies” will change colour, they will mostly be from Poland, Slovakia, Romania, the enemies will be “whites”, "brothers from Christian civilisation”. Imperialism has just liberated these people from communism; but if , by hundreds of thousands, they chose the “freedom” to go to West, our supporters of free enterprise will shoot them and the dead will far outnumber those of the Berlin Wall.

Each and every market has immediate contact with the international market this way, each worker can feel the impact of international politics. For the first time in history, capitalism tends to be a genuine international system. The crisis can be felt all over world, and the anti-capitalist struggle is obtaining international dimensions.

p ,,

p The basic contradictions of capitalism that Marx has shown us, are today as clear as ever. Social production has taken planetary dimensions, and is being realised by an enormous working force. But this production is still ted by the private interest of the class 127 owners, the benefits of this production remain the property of the capitalists. The mere thirst for maximum benefit of this small class of exploiters makes survival impossible for millions of people, and pushes the rest of the working class into inhuman living and working conditions. That is why this system will explode from the interior, because of the devastating crisis it causes, and under the pressure of the masses who cannot stand the horror anymore.

p Four years ago, we were daily brainwashed on the historical failure of Marxism-Leninism. Bourgeois ideology, this stupid, moralising darkening ideology, mixture of lies and demagogy prepared by the social-democrats, liberals, clergymen and fascists was claimed to be the spiritual “bread” of humanity until the day of the apocalypse. During the last four years, this very same bourgeois ideology only created more unemployment and social misery, racism and repression fascism and war.

p All the events of the last four years clearly confirm the truth of Marxism-Leninism, science of the struggle for socialism. From these last four years, communism, knowing that the world has entered a new era.

p Since the collapse of socialism in the East, all contradictions of the imperialist world have been accentuated at high speed. American and European imperialism are calling on interference and terror, but they have an ever decreasing influence on the different economic and political forces that are born on the international scene. We are entering an era where all the contradictions of the capitalist world are going to explode, just like they did in 1905 and 1918, and in 1929-1945. We must cry out loud:against exploitation, against racism, against misery, against fascism against war: fortunately, there still are genuine communists! For the poor, the exploited, the workers, the truth and future lies in Marxism- Leninism, in socialism.

p We must arm ourselves with that indestructible socialist conviction, with the determination to serve the struggle of classes until the very end, with the noble principle of serving the oppressed and exploited masses. The struggle for socialism is an international and historical struggle. It can last one or ten generations. And even after installing socialism, the struggle will continue for generations after to defend it, and to make it more perfect. In Belgium and Europe, our struggle for socialism will be lasting one, but a consequent 128 Communist struggle of today provides a considerable help to those who, like Cuba and Korea, have already installed socialism, from Philippines to India, from the Palestine to South Africa and Peru. While in turn the socialist countries and the revolutions and liberation struggles in the Third World are of utmost help for the revolutionary working classes in the imperialist countries.

p Long live Marxism-Leninism!

p Long Live Socialist revolution!

Long Live Proletarian internationalism!