We need to beat swords into plowshares.

We need to beat swords into plowshares.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Communist Party of Greece - [13.05.2010] Message to the National Committee of CP, USA

Note: This is the link to PAME, the All Workers’ Militant Front, as mentioned below.:

http://www.pamehellas.gr/main.php?lang=2

Communist Party of Greece - [13.05.2010] Message to the National Committee of CP, USA

Communist Party USA,
National Committee,
New York
Athens, Thursday, 13 May 2010


Dear comrades


We would like to thank you for the information regarding your 29th party convention and to extend our greetings to the delegates. Our parties have met in the past in common struggles for workers’ rights, in the struggle against anti-communism, for the defense of socialism and the Soviet Union, for the unity of the communist movement on the basis of our revolutionary principles and traditions.

We are following as closely as we can the developments in the USA, the escalation of the aggression of US imperialism which lately has become quite obvious.  The US is striving to respond to the trend of losing ground within the framework of the imperialist system by inciting regional tensions and conflicts, so that it can take advantage of its political and military supremacy in order to safeguard its interests and maintain its spheres of influence.


In Greece, the working class and the popular strata are facing a barbaric attack, on the pretext of the economic crisis; an attack which has been jointly unleashed by the social democratic PASOK government, the EU and the IMF, with the assistance of the conservative ND party and the open support of the nationalist LAOS party.


The remarkable resistance presented by the labor and popular movement is spearheaded by KKE which continually strives to reveal the real cause of the crisis, the sharpening of the basic contradictions of capitalism. Without the consistent exposure of the compromised and discredited in the eyes of the workers trade union leaderships of GSEE and ADEDY (the national confederations of the private and public sector respectively), without the decisive contribution of PAME (All Workers’ Militant Front), the national trade union front comprised of class oriented Federations, trade unions, labor centers and trade unionists, the labor movement in our country would have been disarmed, unprepared, and unable to fight back.


KKE calls upon the working class, the self-employed, the poor farmers, and the youth to engage in even stronger, more massive and organized actions in order to stave off the onslaught and pave the way for a different path of development. There can be no way other than the nationalization of the monopolies. The working class must take possession of the concentrated means of production and mobilize them with central planning and popular participation. This presupposes a struggle aiming for people’s power, for socialism-communism.


The fightback against anti-communism, the adamant defense of the historical contribution of the Soviet Union and socialist construction in the 20th century, of the identity and revolutionary traditions of the communist movement, take on particular importance today.

 
As long as the crisis of the international communist movement persists, as long as the situation does not improve and retreats from ideological and theoretical principles are not resolutely confronted, as long as the front against opportunist views that hinder the formation of a single revolutionary strategy against imperialism does not become strengthened, the situation will harbor the danger of an even greater backslide.


The existence of strong Communist Parties steadfast to the principles of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism, with a revolutionary program for the overthrow of the rule of monopolies, for building socialism - communism, is the foremost demand of our times. 


We look forward to learning the conclusions and the resolutions of your convention.


With comradely greetings
The Central Committee of KKE

e-mail: cpg@int.kke.gr

International Meetings


Alan L. Maki

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell Phone: 651-587-5541

E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Please check out my blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

Friday, May 21, 2010

A response to a comment…

Comment posted on facebook:

We should ALL accept a lower standard of living (excess) & make healthier choices in our purchases, feed the green economy with our dollars. it has less to do with comfort than it does survival. the govt has been screaming doom in the economy by making such choices, meanwhile doing little to fix this, yes there will be a massive recession as corps who are killing our Earth crumble. WAKE UP ♥

 

 

My response:

This is quite a generality you are making about the standard of living, although you do qualify it with “excess”... doesn't everyone have the right to a decent standard of living based upon what is a living income? The question is more about the need for a massive re-distribution of wealth in a way everyone has a decent standard of living which must include all those things articulated in the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights at a bare minimum.


As for feeding the green economy what do we do about the corporate profits? Is it right that most of us feed this green economy while Wall Street reaps the profits?
Personally, I doubt capitalism can ever be a "green economy" because to begin with it is a system where profits are greatest when there is the most waste and production takes place for the sole purpose of bolstering corporate profits rather than on what is required for all people to live decent lives... for this, socialism is required.


The fact is, we are feeding a massive military machine instead of feeding people and providing people with the necessities to live decent lives and this terrible waste has to stop.


Karl Marx pointed out long ago that when a nation wastes its resources of war and militarism it might just as well toss its wealth into the deepest waters of the ocean.
Let's put things in perspective... how much better could the poorest amongst us live if we were using our resources to make life better for people rather than wasting our resources on militarism and wars?


The U.S. military-financial-industrial complex makes a sick mockery of any talk of a "green economy and green jobs" because of, if nothing else, the tremendous energy resources required to produce these weapons of war and then fight the wars. Anything we as a people might do as you suggest in the way of "feeding a green economy" with our spending and our tax dollars is nothing compared to our tax dollars senselessly feeding this insane massive war machine and paying for Obama's dirty wars.


Where is the obligation of our government to provide us with a free public healthcare system instead of paying for these imperialist wars... none of which are "green?"

BP (Big Profits)

Alan L. Maki

With thousands of barrels of oil gushing into the Gulf Coast waters because BP (Big Profits) refused to adhere to safety standards and good engineering practices, these oil companies have the unmitigated gall to rob us at the gas pumps with exorbitant prices. A criminal penalty is in order against BP; placing BP under public ownership should be the sentence... as justice requires

Some thoughts about the racism of Rand and Ron Paul that I posted as a comment on FaceBook

I agree with you to a large extent; but, I watched the Rachel Maddow interview and there was one great big thing missing from her questions to Rand Paul regarding racism and the Civil Rights Act.


Rachel Maddow never asked Rand Paul about AFFIRMATIVE ACTION which through Executive Order #11246 is a most important "attachment" to the Civil... See More Rights Act even though Maddow has to be fully aware that both Rand Paul and his dad, Ron Paul, are vigorously opposed to affirmative action and its enforcement through what is probably the most important civil rights victory: Executive Order #11246 signed by President Lyndon Baines Johnson as just about every major American city was burning in 1965.


If the back of institutionalized racism is ever going to be broken in this country it will be through the strict enforcement of affirmative action as set forth in Executive Order #11246; which, by the way, Barack Obama and his administration are refusing to enforce. Almost a trillion dollars of tax-payer money in the form of Stimulus Funds went by the millions to every state for huge public works projects and now most of this money has already been spent without the enforcement of affirmative action.

Maddow and others in the media are afraid to question Rand and Ron Paul about their opposition to affirmative action because they are afraid the Pauls are going to turn around and ask, why, if affirmative action is so important Obama is not enforcing it... so, the racism of the Pauls is exposed to some extent but to protect the Obama Administration and the Democrats, Maddow and others in the media are refusing to touch affirmative action--- which many people misunderstanding believe is the same thing as "non-discrimination" when affirmative action is a whole lot more.


The media should be pushed to question Rand and Ron Paul about their opposition to affirmative action... of course, this would mean Democrats in Kentucky and elsewhere across the country would have to explain why they have refused to push for the full enforcement of affirmative action.


The racists have challenged affirmative action (Executive Order #11246) in every conceivable way possible and it still stands unaltered and intact as a most important weapon in our arsenal--- as progressives--- for defeating institutionalized racism.

 

Note: I used the word "attachment" to describe Executive Order #11246 and its relationship to the Civil Rights Act... this may not be the most appropriate description; perhaps "supplement" would be a better word since it is not directly "attached" to the Civil Rights Act but I think I am providing an accurate description in order to make my point that Rand and Ron Paul should now be questioned about their opposition to affirmative action.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

A comment I made regarding some on the left calling for breaking with our liberal and social democratic friends…

I don't think the term "liberal left" as used is accurate or appropriate. Used in this way it is an anti-working class unity term manipulated by the anarchists and Trotskyites. It is true that within social democracy there is a strong  tendency towards acquiescing to the neo-liberal Wall Street agenda. This same trend in thinking became the main "left" opposition to "the people's fronts/popular fronts" developed in the United States and Canada and most of the rest of the world in the 1930's which saw the Socialists led by Norman Thomas in opposition to "people's fronts" being supported by the Trotskyites and anarchists.

This group of "social democrats" (as in the leadership in the Greek government) is neither left nor liberal now as it takes up defending the Wall Street austerity agenda... we need to use definitions as they relate to the class struggle.

Most mass labor/worker parties in capitalist countries are social democratic led or at least have strong social democratic trends and the strength of rank and file and grassroots movements determines largely how liberal or left they are... and the deree to which communists are active at the rank and file/grassroots levels largely determines how left/liberal the social democrats are (competition over ideology/the battle of ideas).

Social democracy is a very strong trend in the working class movements (probably even stronger among the middle class, especially middle class intellectuals) and we--- the left--- should be putting forward anti-Wall Street agendas aimed at solving the problems of working people in a way which helps build the strongest and most united progressive movements of the people's fronts. Progressive movements generally begin to take shape when the left brings forward programs that liberals agree with as a solution to problems created by capital.

I would think our goal, as the left, is to try keep liberals and social democrats with us in the struggles of working people in seeking solutions to problems working people are experiencing.

It is kind of hard to discuss this in abstractions.

We need to put forward concrete proposals for solutions to problems for discussion in order to understand why we want to try to win liberals and social democrats over for united action rather than breaking away from them (if they choose to go with Wall Street and Wall Street's austerity measures THEN they need to be exposed as sellouts and betrayers of the working class--- exposed as is being done in Greece by the KKE and PAME).

I find it quite hypocritical of those on the left calling for breaks with the liberals and social democrats before a clear left agenda is even articulated... and, to a large extent as here in the United States, the Communist "leadership" is rejecting putting forward a left agenda intended to win over liberals and social democrats.

For instance, on the health care issue: It seems to me to be a no-brainer that the CPUSA should be putting forward the demand for a national public health care system (socialized health care) as part of an anti-capitalist/anti-imperialist/anti-racist agenda in order to solve our health care problems while creating about ten-million new jobs in the creation of a community-based healthcare system which would require about 30,000 no-fee healthcare centers all funded by monies saved by ending these dirty imperialist wars and tax the hell out of the rich to pay for what the peace dividends will not cover. Affirmative action will have to become a part of any left agenda when it comes to jobs. Of course, this should be only part of a more comprehensive left agenda which includes creating jobs through massive government intervention and expanded workers' rights aimed at winning liberal and social democratic minded workers to a progressive agenda as the core foundation of a "people's front."

Bring forward a good, solid, left agenda aimed at creating a truly progressive movement designed to make Wall Street pay for solving the problems it created and THEN let those liberals and social democrats who so choose jump in bed with Wall Street.

Build good solid left rank and file and grassroots movements and honest social democrats and liberals will follow while others might continue to remain on the sidelines as they so often do--- but, their being on the sidelines is better than them joining Wall Street in attacking the working class as SOME social democrats and liberals in Greece have done--- this struggle in Greece and elsewhere is just beginning we should be too hasty in calling for breaking with social democrats and liberals... especially before the left has a clear agenda of its own centered on solving the problems of working people.

Besancenot's is very typical Trotskyite response to pressing social and economic problems being experienced by the working class and should be rejected.

When Communist "leaders" buy in to the weak social democratic (and in the case of Obama much worse than liberal or social democratic) agendas without any challenges in the form of concrete proposals and alternatives as has been done repeatedly by Sam Webb and his colleagues Scott Marshall and Erwin Marquit it makes it very difficult to bring forward the kind of left agendas that strengthen working class movements and the ability to fight back against our enemy: Wall Street.