Contribution of the Swiss Communist Party

Swiss CP contribution “on the struggle of the communists against the EU,
its war economy and the involvement of bourgeois governments in imperialist wars”

 

Dear comrades,

We are once again together to highlight the imperialist character of the world economic system and in particular the imperialist character of the war in Ukraine, following the invasion of Russia on 24 February 2022. It is imperative that we continue to wage this ideological battle, because the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous, with tragic consequences for the working class and working people, whose interests we defend.

In this context, the Communist and Workers' Parties, with a class orientation and on the basis of Marxism-Leninism, are more necessary than ever. In the face of the historical events to come, the Communist and Workers' Parties must constantly acquire “the advantage of a clear understanding of conditions”, as Marx and Engels advocated in the Communist Manifesto.

The modern critique of imperialism in the Leninist sense of the term is, in this respect, the essential factor in demarcating the attitude of communists in relation to opportunist currents, for the reconstitution of the worker-popular movement, the overthrow of the bourgeoisie and the proletarian revolution. This debate also raised many differences within the International Communist Movement, as it was configured after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It emerged that the most insane positions on imperialism circulated within the International Communist Movement and the worker-popular movement.

In this sense, the action of the Marxist-Leninist pole of the International Communist Movement in the clarification of the critique of imperialism was decisive.

It was mainly a question of maintaining the class position that imperialism is the monopoly stage of capitalism and that it is clearly still in force in the zone of influence of the United States, NATO and the EU. On the basis of a contemporary materialist demonstration, it has also been established that capitalist relations in Russia and China have now been restored to the monopoly stage.

We are thus faced with a world imperialist system whose contradictions are aggravated by the development of capitalist monopolies and fierce competition for control of raw materials, transport routes and workforce.

This is reflected in the constitution of imperialist blocs which oppose on the one hand the Western capitalist bloc (USA, NATO and EU) and on the other hand the capitalist bloc of Russia, China and their allies.

We refute the leftist-opportunist positions on imperialisms as if there were several imperialist systems with different characteristics and where the question of class is only secondary to other forms of domination.

On the contrary, we believe that imperialism is one and the same system, obviously with internal contradictions, in which agreements can follow disagreements and vice versa, and where reversals of alliances are also possible.

The leftist-opportunist movements, in alliance with international social democracy, derive from their positions objective support for the Western capitalist bloc in the name of bourgeois freedom, bourgeois democracy and bourgeois equality.

We likewise refute opportunist, nationalist and falsely anti-imperialist positions on American imperialism as the sole enemy or on the conception of the Empire as a uniform entity without internal contradictions.

We consider that this position is likely to mislead the peoples and workers, for the benefit of opportunist objectives, and is part of class collaboration with the bourgeoisie, particularly in developing and emerging countries, but also in Europe and the United States.

The nationalist-opportunist movements derive from their positions objective support for the bourgeoisies against the interests of the working class and the popular strata, in the name of bourgeois national interests. These movements in no way resolve the national question; on the contrary, they militate for their own integration into the bourgeois classes of each country.

We reaffirm that capital is the foundation of the current mode of production, constituted as class power, and imperialism is its contemporary expression. Capital has no intrinsically national characteristics, just as it has no gender, green consciousness or social
responsibility.

The problem of the participation of various sectors in the war efforts of bourgeois governments derives in particular from all these anti-popular mystifications and manipulations, which we as communists must resolutely combat.

The policy of communists against the EU, economic war and the involvement of bourgeois governments in imperialist wars must be materialised, on the basis of the principles outlined above, through concrete struggle and the organisation of ever larger detachments of the working class and the popular strata.

 

Dear comrades,

We are perfectly aware of the importance of strengthening the worker-popular movement, within the framework of a position of class independence, of broadening its base and of defending popular democratic conquests such as the right of association, trade union
freedom or conscientious objection. These rights have been won through hard struggle, and they cannot be won any other way in the future.

To this end, we must increase the work of internationalist solidarity, in articulation with the worker-popular movement, the strengthening of its political conceptions, its organisational capacity and its rights in a context of repression and reaction. The Communist and workers' parties have a decisive role to play, particularly in peace movements.

Internationalism is not the union of nationalisms. Nor is it the abstract union of peoples. True internationalism is the union of the working classes for the overthrow of the capitalist order, for worker-popular power and for socialism-communism. Only socialism can solve the national problems caused by capitalist exploitation and the various imperialist interests, as was the case during the existence of the Soviet Union.

In a period of intensifying economic war and the organisation of war efforts, of increasing military budgets, of expansion including territorial expansion of the most powerful capitalist states, we must strengthen the internationalist consciousness of the worker-popular
movement in every country.

We must also denounce the systematic ‘fraud’ of opportunist groups concerning negotiations between the imperialist blocs, supposedly for peace. These opportunist manoeuvres have no future and create illusions whose consequences can be tragic for the peoples of the
world.

We are all witnesses to what the Astana negotiations between Russia, Iran and Turkey, on the one hand, and Syria's negotiations with the Arab League, on the other, have meant for the Syrian people, now under the yoke of various imperialist interests.

The same causes produce the same effects. We can be sure that as long as monopoly capitalism, i.e. imperialism, as a mode of production persists, the intensification of war or negotiation on an imperialist basis will have negative effects for the peoples. This will be the case for the peoples of America, Europe and Asia when it comes to the first steps towards an agreement between Trump and Putin.

Let us recall the words of a hero of internationalism. Che Guevara said in his address to the Tricontinental: “The local bourgeoisies have lost all capacity to oppose imperialism and are now only the caboose. There is no more change to be made: either socialist revolution or a caricature of revolution.”