Contribution of the Swiss Communist Party

Contribution of Swiss CP on the last developments in the Middle East

 

Dear Comrades,

First of all, we would like to warmly thank the Communist Party of Turkey for organising today's meeting of European Communist Action in Istanbul. We are aware that these efforts are taking place under complex conditions in the host country, in the context of regional
instability and in circumstances of escalating imperialist conflict at the global level.

We understand that the theme of our meeting, which was initially intended to focus on solidarity with the peoples of Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, is taking on a more regional character. At the same time, the latest developments in the Middle East are inseparably linked to the outbreak of imperialist war in Ukraine in 2022 and to global imperialist interests expressed by the capitalist blocs in competition.

In this respect, we must stress once again the importance of the battle for ideological clarification of the concept of imperialism being waged by the Marxist-Leninist grouping of the international communist movement, particularly since the outbreak of the imperialist war
in Ukraine.

The Swiss Communist Party continues to reaffirm the following points with regard to the outbreak of the imperialist war in Ukraine, which will soon be three years old:

1. Imperialism is always characterised by the formation of capitalist monopolies, as Lenin wrote over 100 years ago. Today's imperialist conflicts have emerged with the overthrow of socialism, the global development of capitalist relations and the strengthening of reactionary, nationalist and ethnic-religious forces.

2. Imperialist war is not the product of one personality or one political group. It is in fact the ultimate manifestation of the capitalist contradictions between the monopolies over control of raw materials, exploitation of labour and access to new markets.

3. Current developments in imperialism show the formation of competing capitalist unions, constituting on the one hand the capitalist bloc of the United States, NATO and the European Union, and on the other the capitalist bloc of China, Russia and their allies.

4. Workers are not the protagonists of imperialist conflicts and have absolutely no interest in choosing one side of the war over the other. The false dilemmas posed by nationalism, religion and opportunism serve to make class antagonism invisible and mean a regression of the revolutionary position.

 

Dear Comrades,

Imperialist conflicts have spread throughout the world, but with extreme brutality in the Middle East, expressed in the genocidal war waged by the State of Israel against the Palestinian people and most recently in the fall of the Syrian government to Islamist forces.

In the light of the latest developments in the Middle East, we draw the three following conclusions:

1. We are indeed entering a phase of escalation, instability and sudden changes to reconfigure the division of the world, calling into question certain agreements in favour of others.

2. The imperialist plans carry the risk of a rapid generalisation of imperialist war on a regional and international scale. The indicators are important in this respect and point to the escalation of confrontation.

3. The capitalist states act according to the interests of the monopolies, sometimes in negotiation, sometimes in confrontation. It is important to stress that imperialist peace can follow imperialist war and vice versa.

In particular, we need to look at the question of international capitalist unions and agreements for the repartition of the world, drawing again on the chapters of Lenin's book on imperialism.

If the imperialist war in Ukraine was a reminder of the monopoly nature of imperialism, the fall of the Syrian government is an opportunity to reaffirm the imperialist nature of the new arrangements in the so-called multipolar world.

The real choice is not between the so-called poles of the imperialist system, but between the classes. Class struggle is the one and only strategic means of destroying imperialism, because the bourgeois-nationalist forces are not at all consistent in their confrontation with
imperialism, including that of the United States.

The working class must chart its own course for the overthrow of capitalism, for socialism, which remains more topical and necessary than ever, and which opens the way to peace, friendship and mutual cooperation between peoples.

Thank you for your attention.