| jan-april 2003>> |
1.Editorial
Note |
Feature: The imperialist war on Iraq |
Editorial Note:This much- delayed publication reflects the changing political scene in South Africa, as well as internationally. It contains a range of articles written over the past few months that still hold their value for understanding the current period and the tasks we face. For the first time in many years the anti-imperialist movement has started to take root as an international movement. The working class composition of the movement is much greater than ever existed in the ‘anti-globalisation movement’ that collapsed in the aftermath of the Sept 11 2001 attacks. Essentially, the lower middle classes and working classes makes up the anti-war movements. The working class composition has added a greater durability to the movement and the sheer mass of 30 million protestors internationally has forced many a trade union bureaucracy, city councils, religious leaders and even governments to take up anti-war public stances. In each of these cases these leaders have been acting to save their hides from exposure in front of the masses. These leaders have been the chief reason for keeping the working classes off the streets. We have seen a new stage in the degeneration of imperialism-capitalism, that is, open military plunder of a country by US imperialism, in the same vein as the colonial exploits of over 100 years ago. Then, imperialism claimed to bring civilization, now they claim to bring ‘democracy’. The current US imperialist expansion is a double-edged sword- the longer the US troops remain in Iraq, the clearer it will become to them that they are cannon fodder for imperialist aims; the longer they stay in Iraq, the more likely that more and more of the US troops will start to become sick from their closeness to the ‘depleted uranium’ bombs in the tanks and US weapons stockpiles. If, as the imperialist claims, they have liberated Iraq, let the Iraqi people determine their own form of government and let the US and allied troops go home! The US and allied troops should organise committees and demand to go home – it is not their task to protect oil wells or construction sites for US contractors for profiteering. The Iraqi people should demand the freest democratic rights to organise and for any debt built up from the Saddam regime to be scrapped. A full analysis of the lessons of the anti-war movements will be given in our next edition. But for now, suffice to say that the emergence of the Anti-War Coalition shows the absence of an anti-imperialist tradition in South Africa, and at the same time the fresh hope that the start of a mass anti-imperialist movement on home soil holds for current working class struggles nationally and internationally. The state of the anti-war movement is a direct reflection of the absence / weakness of the world Marxist movement. Our strategic task remains: to build revolutionary working class parties as part of the process of rebuilding the Fourth International. Let us draw the lessons from past struggles and take part in current struggles, large and small – this is the only path to building a party that will lead the struggle for Socialism to victory!
The illusion of wealth and prosperity insidiously cultivated into the psyche of the working and lower middle classes in the imperialist-capitalist centres has been shattered into a thousand fragments. The collapse of the stock exchange in every single capitalist country, unequalled in history, has blown the myth that the “new economy” so ardently lauded and publicized by the bourgeois politicians and economists, has proven to be a tragic joke. Advocates of the “new economy” explain to us that the development of IT technology has led to the removal of the classic economic cycles of boom and recession. Technology has facilitated the planning of production and distribution, thereby eliminating the fundamental element of anarchy inherent in capitalist production. The sinister implication of this philosophy, namely the infinite and continuous growth of productivity and wealth, persuaded the gullible working and lower middle classes to invest in the stocks of technology and related companies without any consideration to the real asset value. Some of these IT companies share prices were at more than 1000% of their real worth. It is reported that shares on the New York Stock Exchange were 20 times overpriced. The collapse of the New York Stock Exchange wiped out 7 trillion dollars [ie 7 thousand billion dollars] in share prices in one year, equivalent to 2/3 of the American GDP. No-one has yet revealed to us who benefited from this bloodletting. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to know that the beneficiaries are the bosses and managers and hedge fund speculators who sold their shares to unsuspecting victims ie the middle and working classes and have bought and are buying back these shares, at bargain prices. To cushion the devastation and impending ruination caused by the collapse of the share prices, the Federal Reserve bank reduced interest rates to an historic low of 1¼ %. This has led to a substantial increase in housing prices which is supposed to mitigate [lessen the impact of] the enormous losses suffered on the stock exchange (the substantial rise in the prices of houses and property in general, due to the availability of cheap finance from the banks, compensated for the loss suffered on the share market ie the net asset value of the household is ‘restored’). But this state of affairs cannot continue indefinitely, the exorbitant rise in property prices could lead to the Japanese experience of 1990 where the prices of property fell through the roof due to their unrealistic values. Twelve years later the Japanese property market is still in the doldrums and the Japanese financial institutions have yet to recover from the imprudent lending. The Japanese fiscal and economic authorities are desperately attempting to rescue the economy from the dreaded arena of deflation. The scenario therefore for the American ruling classes is a future of falling profit and increasing class conflict. The working classes and lower middle classes of America shielded from the ravages suffered by their brothers and sisters in Asia and South America will now be fully exposed to the vicissitudes [the ups and downs], of capitalism-imperialism in crisis. CNN , the New York Times, the Washington Post, will no longer be able to anaesthetize the masses the masses into obedience and subservience to the capitalist class, and a Republican or Democrat administration. Opportunities abound for the creation of a revolutionary working class party to lead the discontented working class against their enemies, the state and the capitalist class. The conditions were never better. The participation by the American working classes in their own class organizations and activity at home and abroad could be the beginning of the rollback of the offensive of world imperialism capitalism, particularly American imperialism.
The rise in capitalist profits is not due to some inanimate technology, but the super-exploitation of human labour. Prosperity in the boom years was again another myth disseminated by the bourgeois media. The majority of the working class and middle class households had a lower nett worth in the late 1990’s than they did in 1983. It is estimated that than 20% of working class households have a zero or negative nett worth ie more debt, than assets. Furthermore, household debt as a percentage of income rose from 58% in 1973 to 85% in 1998. In 1997 1,4 million working class and lower middle class Americans filed for personal bankruptcy. The increasing inequality in wealth and income between the lower middle classes and the upper middle classes and bourgeoisie should have provided fertile ground for the development of class-consciousness and organizations. That this did not take place, must not be attributed solely to the powerful influence of the bourgeois media and other institutions, but equally laid at the door of the so-called left groupings, such as the LRP, the Spartacist League and others. Again bourgeois statistics reveal the enormous disparities between the declining income of the working classes, and the exorbitant rise in that of the upper middle classes. In 1980 top executives of the capitalist companies earned 42 times more than the average ‘blue collar’ worker. By 1998 this had risen to 326 times and by 1999 to 419 times. The present crisis must have exacerbated this inequality. The inevitable spontaneous rising of the masses, deserves to be harnessed by the emergent revolutionary working class party, and with the necessary revolutionary leadership, would offer an effective challenge to the seemingly unassailable capitalist hegemony [control of society]. US imperialism-capitalism’s drive to dominate world trade and secure unrestricted access to sources of raw material eg oil, is visibly coming into conflict with European and Japanese imperialism-capitalism. The impending Iraq war where European capital in particular will be affected by the efforts of American imperialism to exclusively own and secure the supply of oil for American oil companies could result in a more serious conflict between European and American imperialism. Inter-imperialist rivalry and greed which resulted in the 1st and 2nd imperialist world wars, and the slaughter of tens of millions of workers must not be allowed to happen again. A third imperialist war could result in the unimaginable destruction of human life and human culture. The only forces capable of stopping imperialism-capitalism from plunging humanity into the abyss is the united organized working class of the Americas (North and South), Europe, Asia, Africa and Australasia. The development and the reconstruction of the revolutionary working class international has become and urgent task. We, the Workers International Vanguard League, call on all revolutionary groupings, which share our principles and vision to come together without delay. Time is of the essence. Destroy
imperialism-capitalism! Stop
the imperialist war! Defend the Iraqi people! The Iraqi people are about to be massacred by the armed forces of America and Britain, because the oil companies of America (Mobil Exxon) and in Britain Amoco BP) are after the huge oil reserves in Iraq. Saddam Hussein , the military dictator and his government have already signed contracts with the so-called investors of Germany and France for the exploitation of this oil. The ‘regime change’ which the US government is demanding, on the pretext that Saddam and his government are producing ‘weapons of mass destruction’ is nothing else but a strategy to get rid of the French and German companies, which are the rivals of the American and British oil companies. A new regime installed by the Bush government and supported by the Blair government will cancel the contracts with the French and German companies. Exxon Mobil and Amoco BP will be the new ‘investors’. But these investors work with their governments to use force to remove the government of Iraq and in the process kill hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi men women and children with their ‘depleted Uranium bombs, cruise missiles, tanks and guns. It is rubbish to believe that capitalist investors are there to create jobs and uplift the working classes, as many of our government ministers and capitalist economists preach to us. These capitalist investors have only one thing on their minds – profits, profits and more profits! They preach humanity and human rights but have killed tens of thousands of innocent Afghanis on the pretext of fighting terrorism. Tens of thousands of innocent men women and children were killed in the 1998 bombing of Iraq, all because they wanted to halt the supply of oil so that the price could increase, to rescue the oil companies from bankruptcies – so far they have succeeded. They preach democracy but support and assist the murderous Israeli regime of Sharon who is slowly and brutally killing the entire population of the West Bank and Gaza strip. They supported the National Party government, one of the most brutal and anti-democratic regimes the world has ever seen. They preach morality but plunder the wealth and resources of the weaker nations, particularly of Africa, Asia and South America. They exploit the working class of the world and rob us through starvation wages. Exceptional profits are labeled as good and not as inhuman exploitation of the muscles and nerves of the workers. They preach civilization but are prepared to plunge the whole of the human race into destruction and despair through war. The wars in Africa can be directly linked to the greed and competition of the big British, American and French companies. The so-called rebel formations are sponsored and encouraged by these companies. We the working class and poor of South Africa and the world must not be fooled by the newspapers, radio and TV news about the virtues of the rich elite. These corporate newspapers, radio stations and TV channels belong to or are controlled by the companies of the rich elite. As workers we sacrifice our blood and sweat of many years only to be retrenched or dismissed or pushed out into a life of starvation. The capitalist who has done nothing has all the wealth but the workers who did everything, have nothing! The biggest crime is that while the supermarkets are overflowing with food, hunger, starvation and malnutrition is everywhere. The capitalists would rather dump the food than give it away to the hungry. When we are retrenched or unemployed or old, the banks and their agents come to evict us. Millions are homeless , while many buildings and flats are empty. Concern and compassion is alien to this rich elite and their governments. Their primary concern is profit, profit, and more profit. They raise the slogan of democracy , of humanity of morality, when their interests [Their money, their buildings, their companies] are threatened by the anger of the exploited working classes and poor. The rich, capitalist elites, the hangers-on upper middle classes and their governments are the enemy of the human race. So-called democratic governments , such as in Britain and America are in essence, the agents of these capitalist elites. As long as the working classes have illusions in capitalist democracy and the capitalist state, so long will the liberation of the working classes and poor of the world be delayed. The working class of South Africa, of America, of Britain, of France – the working classes of the world, if we stand united, we have the power to defeat these monstrous capitalist elites and their states. Real economic power rests in our own hands. The army, navy and air force comes from our ranks. If we have the will and the vision, we can stop the American and British capitalist elites and their governments from butchering our fellow Iraqi workers. We, the working class of South Africa will stand shoulder to shoulder with the working classes of America and Britain, to stop the war on Iraq. United we can stop them. United we will stop them. We are the majority. Our numbers are billions. They (the capitalist elites) use workers to kill one another. The American and British worker / soldier is commanded to kill his Iraqi worker/brother/sister. The American/British worker/soldier must refuse. We in South Africa must persuade them to refuse to be used to kill his worker brother and sister in Iraq. Our government says that they are against the intended war being waged unilaterally, by the Bush and Blair governments. We ask, if the UN agrees to war on Iraq, will they support it? Will they support the slaughter of innocent Iraqi men, women and children, because the UN says yes to war? The security council whose powerful members are America, Britain and France control the UN. The very two powerful members (America and Britain), which want the war. How can the UN be the arbiter of this standoff between the Iraqi government and the Bush administration? The UN is and always has been the agency/tool of America, Britain, France, the most powerful and brutal anti-working class regimes today. The ANC government stance regarding the impartiality and independence of the UN, as an organization expressing the will of the nations , must be seriously questioned. We, the working class of South Africa demand that this government condemn the UN sanctions on Iraq. We demand that they insist the UN withdraws its inspectors from Iraq. We demand that this government stop supplying and assisting British and American arms manufacturing companies. No logistical support must be given to the forces of imperialism. The US military bases across Africa must be closed [including those in Botswana and Diego Garcia]. We demand that this government break all diplomatic and trade ties with the US and British governments and companies, if the attacks on Iraq go ahead. We demand that this government gives tangible assistance in the form of food, medicines and vaccines to the Iraqi working classes and poor. We demand that this government condemn the government of Saddam for conducting a reign of terror on the Iraqi working class and Kurdish people. We the working class in South Africa must encourage and assist the Iraqi working class to topple the Saddam regime and establish a truly working class government. Power to the International United working class! Down with the world capitalist rich. We call on workers, youth and unemployed to form their own committees of the AntiWar Coalition in every factory, in every area! Only if we are organized can we defeat the enemy and its system. The highest form of organization would be to establish a revolutionary working class party to lead the fight for working class power! Forward to the rebuilding of the Fourth International! Forward to Socialism!
U Saddam Hussein,umlawuli ngegqudu ngokobujoni kunye norhulumente wakhe sele betyikitye isivumelwano kunye nento abayibiza ngokuba ngabatyali zimali base Jamani nabase Fransi ukwenzela ukuxhaphaza le oyile.Ukurhoxiswa kuka rhulumente ka Saddam”lento i Melika iyinyanzelisayo,isithela ngokuthi u Saddam kunye norhulumente wakhe bavelisa “izixhobo zokutshabalalisa “akukho ntoyimbi koko iliqhinga lokushenxisa iinkampani zase Fransi nezase Jamani,eziphikisana nenkampani ze oyile zase Melika nezase Brithane.Urhuhlumente omtsha ozakuthi ubekwe ngurhulumente ka Bush uze uxhaswe ngurhulumente ka Blair uyakuzicima izivumelwano zeenkampani zase Fransi nezase Jamani.I-Exxon Mobile kunye ne Amoco BP ziyakuba “ngabatyali mali” abatsha. Kodwa ababatyali basebenza kunye norhulumente babo benyanzelisa ukubhukuqa urhulumete wase Iraq kananjalo kolobhukuqo kubulawe amakhulu angamawaka amadoda,abafazi nabantwana abamsulwa base Iraqi “nge ziqhushumbisi ze ureniyam ,iziqhushumbisi ezibhabha emoyeni,amatanki,nemibhaxa.Bubuvuvu ukukholelwa ukuba abatyali zimali benkampani zongxowakulu zikho ukuvula imisebenzi nokuphucula amahlwempu,njengokuba abaphathiswa bakarhulumente nabezoqoqosho bongxowankulu beshumayela kuthi. Ezinkampani zongxowankulu zinento enye ezingqondweni zazo-inzuzo,inzuzo inzuzo engaphezulu!Bashumayela ubuntu namalungelo abantu kodwa babulale amashumi amawaka ama Afganistan amsulwa bezimela ngokulwa ubunqolobi.Amashumi amawaka amadoda,abafazi nabantwana abamsulwa babulawa ngo 1998 kuhlaselo lweziqhushumbisi e Iraq, konke oko kuba befuna ukurhoxisa ukufunyanwa kwe oyile ukwenzela ixabiso linyuke ,ukuhlangula iinkampani ze oyile ekutshoneni-okwangoku baphumelele.Bashumayela idemokhrasi kodwa baxhasa benceda uburhulumente bamasirayeli buka Sheron obubulalayo yena lowo ubulala ngokumasikizi engangxamanga lonke uluntu lwase West Bank nase Gaza strip.Bamxhasa urhulumente we National Party,oyena yena waye khohlakele yaye engahambisani nenqubo yedemokrasi ihlabathi elingazanga layibona.Bashumayela ukuziphatha kakuhle kodwa barhwaphiliza ubutyebi nendalo yamazwe angenamandla,ingakumbi i Afrika, Asia kunye noMzantsi Melika. Babaxhaphazile
abasebenzi behlabathi ngokusikhuthuza ngemivuzo yendlala. Iinzuzo
ezingaphaya kokuqonda zenziwa ngokungathi zintle ingabingathi kukuxhatshazwa
kwezihlunu nengqondo yabasebenzi. Bashumayela intlalakahle kodwa
sele belungele ukudidiyela lonke uluntu liphela kwintshabalalo nokungabinathemba
ngemfazwe. Imfazwe e Afrika zibangelwa ngqo kukunyoluka nokhuphiswano
kwenkampani ezinkulu zase Brithane,Amerika,nezase Fransi. Lento
bayibiza ukuba yimibutho yabavukeli ixhaswa yaye ikhuthazwa zezinkampani. Izityebi ,oongxowankulu ,nabo bakumgangatho ophakathi kunye norhulumente babo balutshaba loluntu. Lento bayibiza ukuba ngurhulumente we demokrasi ,efana nase Brithane nase Amerika ngeliphandle ,ngabameli babangxowankulu. Njengokuba abasebenzi besenethemba kwi demokrasi yongxowankulu nakurhulumente wongxowankulu ,kananjalo inkululeko yabasebenzi namahlwempu ehlabathi iyakulibaziseka. Abasebenzi base Mzantsi Afrika ,e Melika ,e Brithane ,e Fransi –abasebenzi behlabathi ,ukuba sima simanyene ,sinamandla okuboyisa abangxowankulu bakhulukazi norhumente babo. Awona mandla ezoqoqosho asezandleni zethu . Amajoni ,umkhosi wasemanzini, ,nomkhosi womoya ziphuma kubasebenzi. Ukuba sinomnqweno nombono ,singabamisa ongxowankulu base Melika nabase Brithane kunye norhumente babo ekutshabalaliseni abasebenzi bethu base I raq. Thina ,basebenzi base Mzantsi Afrika siyakuma igxalaba egxalabeni kunye nabasebenzi base Amerika nase Brithane ,ukumisa imfazwe e Iraq. Simanyene singabamisa. Simanyene sizakubamisa. Sisisininzi. Inani lethu sizigidi ezilikhulu. Bona (ongxowa nkulu) basebenzisa abasebenzi ukuba babulalane. Abasebenzi/amajoni ase Melika nawase Brithane banikwa umyalelo ukuba babulale abasebenzi abangabantakwabo nodade babo base Iraq. Abasebenzi/amajoni ase Melika nase Britani kufuneka bangavumi. Thina
apha emzantsi afrika kufuneka sibanyanzelise ukuba bangavumi ukusetyenziswa
ukuba babulale abasebenzi abangabantakwabo nodade babo baseIraq. Thina
singabasebenzi base Mzantsi Afrika sifuna lorhulumente akuchase
ukukwaywa kwe Iraq zizizwe ezimanyeneyo. Sifuna urhulumente anyanzelise
ukuphuma kwabahloli zixhobo bezizwe ezimanyeneyo e Iraq. Sifuna
lorhulumente ayeke ukunikezela ngezixhobo kwinkampani zase Britani
nase Melika. Makungabikhozincebiso ngokwezomkhosi kwimikhosi yongxowa
nkulu. Inkampu zamajoni ase Melika kwi Afrika mazivalwe[ sitsho
nezo zise Botswana nase Diego Garcia].Sifuna lorhulumente aphelise
ubudlelwano kunye norhwebelwano kunye noburhulumente Base Melika
kunye Britane nakunye nekampani zabo ukuba bayaqhubekeka ngemfazwe
ejoliswe kwi Iraq. Sifuna lorhulumente anike inxaso ebonakalayo
enjengokutya, amayeza kubasebenzi base Iraq kunye nakubantu abasokolayo.
Sifuna lorhulumente akuchase ukuxhatshazwa kwabasenzi ngurhulumente
ka Saddam kunye nokuxhatshazwa kwabantu abanga ma Kurdish.
Comrades
the ideological bankruptcy of American and British imperialism is
clearly demonstrated by the declaration of George Bush and Tony
Blair that this a war for the liberation of the Iraqi people from
the tyranny of the Saddam regime. This hatred completely overshadows their hatred for the Saddam regime. Imperialism’s false assertion of the liberation of the Iraqi people, cannot be more vividly demonstrated, than by the armed hatred of the ordinary Iraqi. Implicit in this, is the fundamental political principle, concretely established by the Iraqi mass, that the liberation of the Iraqi people, and, the creation of democracy, is the sole responsibility of the Iraqi people. Imperialism, using the excuse of liberation for the Iraqi people, had hoped to psychologically convince the mass, with imperialism’s false democratic assertion. The world working class and particularly the Iraqi mass, are fully aware of the real purpose of the imperialist war on Iraq. The
real purpose comrades, is; The
question immediately poses itself, how does the working class of
the world, how does the poor of the world, how does the peace- loving
people of this world deal with this monstrous threat to human progress
and world peace? We cannot ask our government or any other governments
of the capitalist world to deal with this monstrous threat. Either
they are in the pockets of the imperialist powers or are too weak
to challenge mighty American and British imperialism. Comrades I
must pause here for a moment to emphasizes that all the imperialist
of this world, which includes, America, Britain, France, German,
Portugal, Spain, Australia and so on are the mortal enemies of the
world working class and poor. I mention this even though our present
focus is on American and British imperialism. Our fight as workers
is against the entire imperialist capitalist classes of this world.
There is no such thing as progressive or democratic imperialism.
At one moment imperialist class will support bourgeois democracy
the next moment it will support fascism. The political system it
supports is solely determine by its own class interest and not by
any political principle. South Africa is a classic case, which concretely
demonstrates this contention. Today, we see these same leaders, who were yesterday labelled as ‘terrorists’ putting forward an ‘Anti-terrorism Bill”. Today we have activists who are in jail because of standing up for the demands of the working class. What is happening, comrades? Phantsi the Anti-terrorism bill, phantsi! Comrades coming back to the point, how do the working class and poor of the world deal with their mortal enemy, world imperialism? We come to only one conclusion the independent political self-organisation of the working class in the form of revolutionary workers parties, which will politically deal with imperialism capitalism. The power of the working class is greater than the power of all the imperialist weapons of mass destruction. Let
us paint you a possible scenario if there were an independent (revolutionary)
working class organisation in America and in Britain, and if these
organisations should call for an indefinite general political strike,
which would cripple the imperialist capitalist economies, which
will result in the collapse of capitalist infrastructure, which
will undermine and neutralize, the armed forces of imperialism,
which will really hurt the imperialist capitalist classes’
pockets, which threatens their economic and political existence.
Such a scenario, will definitely stop this imperialist war. Comrades
real might, real power is in our hands. Let us organise to use it.
We urge the Americans, British and Australian working classes to
use this power. We urge the working classes of the world, also in
South Africa, not only to support the American and British working
classes, in exercising this power, but also to mobilize this power,
here at home. Comrades Here are the demands of the Anti-War Coalition to the SA government: 1.
immediately expel the ambassadors of the US, UK, Israel, Spain and
Australia from South African soil.
In the Business Report 28th March 2003, last Friday, Kader Asmal, chair of Committee on Arms Control, reported: “ Government had “ not supplied any equipment to the US Marines, nor to any other units or divisions of the US armed forces”. YET in the Financial Mail 10th May 2002 ( FOR THOSE IN GOVERNMENT WITH SHORT MEMORIES) reported a sale of 125 laser guidance systems to the US Marines ( worth R90 million ). NOTE that in the same article, the government does not deny selling weapons to the UK. Perhaps they think it is politically correct for Iraqis to be killed with ammunition from the British troops but not the US! ? If you say you are against armed robbery but during the robbery you declare that you going to continue to sell handguns and ammunitions to this same armed robber. Surely, the supplier of the weapons is equally guilty of the robbery. The claim that the government is for the democracy, for protecting human rights, that they favour a world without weapons of mass destruction; that they condemn oppression, that they support self determination of nations is EQUALLY FALSE. Last Thursday, the government decided, in the middle of the invasion, to continue the sale of weapons specifically for the US and UK militaries. The SA government wants us to believe that they will stop selling weapons to the US/UK when the UN say so or when a so- called multilateral structure tells them to. This is another lie. The very invaders, US/UK regimes sit on the Security Council and all these multilateral bodies. They will veto any attempt to block them. We ask the learned Kader Asmal: How can the invaders and plunderers rule against the invasion and their own plunder? Can you ask a robber to sit as magistrate over his trial?? But this is what multi-lateral means and this is what the government wants us to accept. Today, as the invaders are at the doorstep of Baghdad, the butchers of Washington and London are haggling over which capitalist company gets the oil contracts and the rebuilding work in a “new Iraq”. Where does the South African fit into this ?? 1.
Denel is part owned by British Aerospace, so Denel and its shareholders,
including prominent ANC members such as Max Sisulu, stand to gain
out of war, through arms contracts. 3. We come to the most important reason: to answer this we have to go back to the days of CODESA, where the representatives of the ANC were negotiating with the NP government, the guardian of imperialist interest in SA. It is commonly and wrongly believed that the negotiations were about democracy and majority rule. The negotiations were about mainly the protection of American, British, German and France economic interests in SA. The ANC representatives gave an undertaking that they would maintain capitalist relations and protect imperialist economic interests. Nine years later the government has proven their loyalty, their obedience to the imperialist. We call on government to immediately cancel the arms contracts with the US/UK as well as cancel the arms deal. This is the only way to show that you are truly on the side of the Iraqi people. This is the only way to demonstrate that you are truly on the side of the poor, the working class of SA .If you continue with sales of weapons this means you are taking the side of Bush and the butchers behind him – the giant companies of the US. You choose the side of international capital against us. Well, we have news for the SA government, we in the ANTI- WAR COALITION, choose the side of the Iraqi people, of the exploited and oppressed in the US, UK and indeed of the international working class. We pledge our energies and strength, our very lives to stand against exploitation and oppression, where ever it occurs- if it is Baghdad, Boston, Brazil, Bishop’s Court, Bonn, Brisbane or Beijing. Only once this system of exploitation by a handful of capitalist parasites is done away with, and all on the planet shares the resources of the world according to our needs, will there be peace. Workers International Vanguard League statement on the occupation of Iraq – 14.04.03 The world has witnessed the defeat of the Saddam regime, who has abandoned the Iraqi people. Saddam could never really defend the Iraqi people because it was in his interest to continue to suppress the Iraqi masses. The real fight for the Iraqi masses now starts. US imperialism wants to impose its will, as the new conqueror. The little dictator is about to be replaced by the big dictator, US imperialism. The lie of ‘liberation’ is shown by the absence of the masses in the streets to welcome the US troops – if indeed they felt liberated there would have been hundreds of thousands, if not millions in the streets. Instead, all the embedded journalists can scrape together are images of a handful of people. If anything, the real absence of the masses from the streets show that the overwhelming majority of the Iraqi masses are sceptical of the US invaders and indeed still view them as unwelcome occupiers. [Editorial note: The start of protests in Baghdad demanding that US occupation troops leave, proves our statement] Where
are the weapons of mass destruction? New
slavery, not liberation The
imperialists want to control the journalists Iraq-
a new US colony All that the US regime can come up with is a handful of ex-Saddam police officers to act as the ‘new’ police force. This shows that there is no fundamental difference between the US regime and the Saddam regime. They need an instrument of violence to keep the working class in check. The
UN , the French , the Russian and all imperialist regimes cannot
free the Iraqi people A
call to the Iraqi working class: To the working classes of the world and the anti-war movement we say: We
must demand: If the occupation forces do not leave, then we should continue to mobilise towards international mass action and consider an international general strike against the forces of imperialism. ALUTA CONTINUA!
Bourgeois Democracy creates the illusion of fairness, and of political power resting in the hands of the population. Parliament is the embodiment of this power, but the Bourgeois Constitution on which this democracy rest, has a fundamental tenet, the preservation and maintenance of private property relations, and, individual rights. Objectively this means that wealth and power will remain in the hands of the minority of the population- the Capitalist class. Parliament therefore has not only to guarantee the continue existence of this parasitic class; but also protect and further its interest. Every law passed in parliament must fulfil this criteria; the domination of the bourgeoisie remains inviolate [beyond any question]. Any extra-parliamentary challenge to this domination is suppressed by the armed Forces of the state (police, army, navy). Lenin refers to this as the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. To tackle the frontiers of poverty, if one is at all serious, involves the wholesale redistribution of resources from the capitalist and middle classes to that of the working class. In the context of the capitalist system this implies dedicated attack on the super-profits of the capitalist class; through taxation, and other fiscal measures. From a working class perspective, the expropriation and political liquidation of the capitalist class. Has the budget seriously attempted to “redistribute” to the more than 25 million South Africans, who can be classified, without exaggeration, to be needy and poor? An honest reply is an emphatic NO. We will attempt to substantiate. Our minister’s magnanimity [open-heartedness], duly applauded by our honourably cabinet ministers and members of parliament, is expressed in the increase in the pension and disability grants from R640pm to R700pm. If our mathematics is correct this is an increase of R60 per month and if one accepts that our pensioners and disabled spend 60% of their grant on food; then it means R384 goes to basic food. The rise in the prices of food from the last budget to the latest was about 30%. That means, to maintain the same level of consumption R120pm increase is required. But our pensioners and disabled only receive R60 from our generous minister and his government. Our pensioners and disabled are poorer by R60 per month. The level of insensitivity towards the poor, and aged and, contempt and disregard for the intelligence of the working class is ably expressed by the above ‘increase’, and the applause it received. Poverty and deprivation has won the day. More than 6 million able-bodied adults are unemployed and therefore are in dire need of either work or financial assistance, to feed themselves and their families. The absence of any social security network and the inability of the capitalist economy to provide work, expose these millions to the ravages of this system. Their survival is solely dependent on their working friends’ and families’ social conscience and generous support. Generally these friends and families on the average earn less than R2500 per month. The Cosatu leadership, mindful of the social and political danger implicit in this state of affairs, urged the ANC government to implement a policy of Basic Income Grant of R100 per month, to the above 6 million. The ANC government rejected this suggestion on the ludicrous and contemptible pretext, that this would create a ‘psychology of dependence’! The dependency is not of the making of the working class, but the direct product of the greed of the capitalist class, which retrenches tens of thousands of workers every month to maintain and increase their rate of profit. If the honourable minister and his government were at all serious about tackling the frontiers of poverty, then the R13 Billion in tax concession granted to the relatively well-off worker and middle class, could have been spent in granting R200 per month to the destitute 6 million families. That the state treasury did not go for this option reflects the hollowness of their concern for the poor. The rising unemployment and food prices are wreaking havoc in the lives of the working class and poor. Not a single word is mentioned about how to curb the extraordinary profiteering by the manufacturers and distributors of food products; neither is there any significant programme or money put in place to tackle rising unemployment. The budget has certainly attended and assisted the concerns of the middle classes and the bourgeoisie [the capitalist class]. The capitalist class is assisted in their profiteering while the middle classes’ needs are seen to due to their role of controlling the working class on behalf of big capital. We will simply mention a few, to support the above contention. A.
A relaxation of exchange control. Companies can now invest R1 Billion
abroad and émigrés whose money was stuck in blocked
Rands are now able to their money out of South Africa. A Socialist trained in the discipline of economics would be able to give greater clarity and insight as to how this budget is expressly designed to exclusively benefit only two classes, the middle class and the bourgeoisie. If any real benefits accrue to the working class, then it is done not out of concern, but to serve the needs of capitalist industry and political expediency. A few words about the People’s Budget proposed by the Cosatu leadership and SANGOCO: The proposals reflect the abject timidity of the proponents towards the capitalist class and the ANC government. Not a single criticism is levelled against the obvious allocation of resources in the interest of the middle class and the capitalist class. Furthermore, the People’s Budget supports and entrenches the misconception that poverty and unemployment could be collectively tackled, if not eradicated within the capitalist framework. They have no program for the complete eradication of unemployment. The Cosatu leadership and SANGOCO are dangerous enemies in the working class movement struggling for fundamental change. The content of this budget reveals that this state feels confident of its political power and influence over the working class and poor. The absence of organised revolutionary working class opposition entrenches this perception. The leadership of Cosatu by its alliance with the ANC and SACP and its betrayal of the working class have greatly contributed to the confidence of the ANC government and the apathy of the working class. “The
frontiers of poverty” will never be tackled by this government
or any other future capitalist government. Only the working class
in power will have the will, the program and policy to do this.
Forward to the dictatorship of the working class! Uburhulumente “besininzi” bobungxowa nkulu buzingca ngokuthi inqubo yabo yoburhulumente inceda iimeko zopolitiko zabo bonke abantu (Ongxowankulu, abakumgangatho ophakathi, abasebenzi). Kananjalo i-budget ka 2003 yoMzantsi Afrika izingca ngokuthi iquka iimfuno neminqweno yabo bonke abantu ngokwezigaba zabo.Ukongeza u Mphathiswa Wezezimali wethu u Trevor Manuel ugxininise ngokuthi olu hlahlolwabiwo mali lwenzelwe “ ukuphelisa indlala”. Imibutho yabasebenzi neenkokheli kufuneka ziyicazulule le budget okokuqala kanti nangakumbi kwizinga lokuqonda iimfuno zabasebenzi kunye namahlwempu; kananjalo baqwalasele ubunyani bale ntetho ingentla yomphathiswa. Uburhulumente
“besininzi” boongxowankulu bakha imibono yokungathi
bunovelwano, nangokungathi amandla ezombangazwe asezandleni zoluntu
lonke luphela. I-palamente yiyo equlathe la mandla, kodwa u Mgaqo
Siseko wongxowa nkulu apho le democracy ixhomekeke khona, unenqaku
elibalulekileyo, ukugcinwa kobunini beempahla babucala, namalungelo
obunye. Loo nto ithethe ukuthi ubutyebi namandla asezakuzinza ezandleni
zabantu abambalwa kuluntu lonke-oongxowankulu. I-palamente ayiphelelanga
nje ukuwaqinisekisa ukuqhubekekela phambili ukubakho kwabancukuthi;
kodwa kwakhona iyabakhusela izifezekise iimfuno zabo.Wonke umthetho
ophumeleliswayo epalamente kufuneka uyifezekisile le miqathango;
ukongamela koongxowa nkulu kuhlale kungaphazanyiswa. Zonke iintshukumo
ezidelela olu lawulo lwe palamente ziyakutshutshiswa ngamaqela ezomkhosi
karhulumente(amapolisa, amajoni, umkhosi wasemanzini).U Lenin uyibiza
le nto ukuba kukulawula ngegqudu kongxowa nkulu. Uvelwano
lomphathiswa wethu eliqhwatyelwe izandla libhunga labaphathiswa
lethu elibekekileyo kunye namalungu epalamente ibonakaliswa kulonyuko
kwindodla nakwisibonelelo kwabakhubazekileyo ukusuka kwi R640 ngenyanga
ukuya kwi R700 ngenyanga.Ukuba izibalo zethu zichanekile olu lulonyuso
lwe R60 ngenyanga yaye ukuba ubani uyayamkela nto yokuba abantu
bethu bendodla kunye nabobakhubazekileyo bachithe I- 60% yesibonelelo
sabo ekutyeni; lonto ithetha ukuthi i-R384 iya ekutyeni.Ukunyuka
kwamaxabiso okutya ukusukela kwi budget egqithileyo ukuzokuma kule
yamva nje, ibengumlinganiselo ongange 30%, lo nto ithetha ukuthi,
ukugcina umgangatho olinganayo wendleko, ulonyuso lwe -R120 ngenyanga
luyafuneka. Umgangatho
wokungabinavelwano kumahlwempu nakwabo sele bebadala yaye, ukujongela
phantsi nokungayiseli so ingqondo yabasebenzi ibonakaliswa lolu
lonyuso lungentla, kunye noqhwatyelo elifumeneyo.Ubuhlwempu nentswelo
buluphumelele usuku. Urhulumente
we ANC wazikhaba ezo ziphakamiso ngokunga ziyintlekisa nokujongelaphantsi,ukuba
lonto izakwakha “ingqondo yokuxhomekeka”Abasebenzi abazenzanga
ngokwabo ukuba baxhomekeke, ziziphumo ngqo zokunyoluka koongxowa
nkulu, bona bagxotha amashumi amawaka abasebenzi qho ngenyanga,ukugcina,
nokukhulisa iingeniso zabo. Ukonyuka
kwabantu abangaphangeliyo nokonyuka kwamaxabiso okutya kuzisa intshabalalo
kubomi babasebenzi namahlwempu. Nalinye igama elibiziweyo ukuba
kungenziwa njani ukuphelisa ezingeniso zingaphaya kwengqondo zenziwa
ngabavelisi nabobi bemveliso zokutya; yaye ayikho nenqubo ephuhlileyo
okanye imali ebekwe bucala, ekuhlangabezeni olu lonyuko lokungaphangeli. Singabalula
izinto ezimbalwa, ukuxhasa oku kungentla: U Msoshali oqeqeshelwe izifundo zoqoqosho unako ukunika ingcaciso etyebileyo nokuqonda okokuba olu hlahlolwabiwo mali luzichaza ukuba lwenziwe ngokukhetha abazakuzuza, babini kuphela, abo bakumgangatho ophakathi nongxowa nkulu.Ukuba lukhona ulutho abasebenzi abanokulufumana,ngoko alwenziwa kuba kukho uvelwano, ntokunayo ikukuzalisekisa iimfuno zongxowankulu nokuthenga abasebenzi ngezopolitiko Make sense amazwi ambalwa ngolu hlahlolwabiwo mali lwabantu lubizwa ngokuba yi-People’s Budget indululwa ziinkokheli ze COSATU neze SANGOCO.Esi sindululo sibonisa uloyiko olugqithileyo kumndululi ngakwicala loo ngxowa nkulu naku rhulumente we A.N.C. Nasinye isigxeko esibhekisiweyo kolulwabelo zimali kwimfuno zabo bakumgangatho ophakathi kunye nongxowa nkulu.Ukugqithela le-People’s Budget ixhasa yaye ishicilela nobuvuvu obuthi indlala kunye nokungaphangeli kunako ukushenxiswa okanye bupheliswe ngokupheleleyo kusalawula ubungxowa nkulu. Iinkokheli ze COSATU neze SANGOCO zizintshaba eziyingozi kwimibutho yabasebenzi abazabalazela utshintsho. Umongo
wolu hlahlolwabiwo mali luveza ukuba lo Rhulumente uziva eqinisekile
ngolawulo lwezombangazwe lwakhe negalelo lakhe,phezu kwabasebenzi
namahlwempu.Ukungabikho kwabasebenzi abamanyeneyo benguqu yobusoshiyali
ukumilisela le ngcinga.Iinkokheli zika COSATU ngobumbano lwazo ne
A.N.C kunye ne S.A.C.P kunye nokuthengisa ngabasebenzi kubenegalelo
elikhulu kwithemba lo rhulumente weA.N.C kunye nokungabinamdla ngakwinto
yonke eqhubekayo kwabasebenzi.
It is 3 years since the mass dismissal of the 1386 VW strikers from the Uitenhage factory. The workers are in a desperate situation. What is the way forward? There are some people who are opportunistically promoting legal channels to help the workers. Many others think that the courts are the only way to solve their problem. It is important for us to warn the workers about the dangers of depending on the courts for success in their struggle. What is the true role of the courts? The role of the courts is to keep the capitalist system intact. In other words their job is to keep the working class in chains. ANYTHING that threatens the system, they will rule against. Even in the rare cases that workers win, it would not be something that threatens the system but merely to keep up the pretence that the courts are ‘fair’ and ‘independent’. Take the SARMCOL case, where workers were unfairly dismissed. The case dragged on for many years and the workers ‘won’ the case. But the result was that all they got was small packages. The militant workers were all outside and still unemployed – and most important for the bosses, the workers had no influence on production – they had all been long ago replaced! Instead of challenging the bosses head on, the conflict was channelled into the courts and for many years the company continued production, continued to exploit other workers, and most importantly, for the system, their profits continued! In a nutshell, this is what the courts protect. In fact no mass dismissal in South Africa has ever led to reinstatement of workers through the courts! The only time workers have won reinstatement after mass dismissal was through their own power of united action at the factory floor. Many workers know this, having been through many such struggles. The legal system is designed to drag out the process over years, exhaust the workers, and their resources, while the bosses have all the funds [stolen through exploitation from the very workers] to hire the ‘best’ lawyers to win the case. All the while the anger and energy of workers is directed passively into the legal channel, away from challenging the bosses. When workers breach a court order, they are locked up, when the bosses break the law, the system turns a blind eye, or if they are exposed, they get fined or at worst, they pay bail. The courts, the police, the judges, the prisons are there to control the working class and to keep us enslaved for exploitation by the capitalist class. After several meetings of dismissed VW workers with the ANC, the ANC promised to intervene with the Labour Court head, Zondo. Zondo was the most brutal of the gang of 3 Labour Court judges, when it came to executing the workers in court! So much for the intervention from the ANC! In the battle between the workers and the capitalists, the ANC has long made their bed with the VW capitalists and their ilk!
The Constitutional Court is no different from any other court, in fact it is the ultimate court to keep the working class in chains. It was set up in the negotiations process. The negotiations were to keep capitalism intact – so why would they agree to a court that could challenge capitalism as a whole? Can the capitalist agree to disband their system and end their existence? Definitely not! It is this very Constitutional Court that allows millions of HIV infected people to die while treatment is available! They protect the right of the drug monopolies to profiteer while millions are dying. Can this same court reinstate 1300 workers against the VW capitalists? Definitely not! For them, to put the 1300 strikers back into the factory will be to strengthen the fight of the workers against the capitalist – the court will send a signal that workers have the right to strike against the sellout deals signed by union bureaucrats and the bosses – no capitalist court will tolerate this – they will rather keep the workers out and let them die – this is easy for them to do! This is what they will do! On the role of the ILO [International Labour Organization] The ILO is a tripartite alliance of capitalist governments of the world, together with organised groups of capitalists, and with union bureaucrats from the respective countries. These are the very ones who, on an international scale, make deals behind the backs of the working class to keep the working class in chains. How can the ILO rule against itself? To go to the ILO means channelling energy of the working class away from immediately confronting the enemy, the capitalists and their system. How can the ILO reinstate workers who challenge the very sellout deal endorsed by the ILO? The ILO will not reinstate the workers. On the role of lawyers Lawyers
keep up the illusion that the system can solve workers’ problems.
Yes, there may be the occasional reinstatement of individual workers
but never a mass reinstatement of workers who have challenged the
system. Lawyers give the impression of mediation between the capitalists
and the workers but , irrespective of their will, they actually
give the system credibility. How many workers have said: If only
we have a good lawyer, we will win or others say, if we have a good
lawyer, we will win because we have a strong case! Etc etc. This
may sometimes be true for individual cases that do not threaten
the system, but NEVER for mass dismissals! In fact lawyers know
that they will not win reinstatement for mass dismissals but they
still give workers some hope of winning, and they are never shy
to take money, or the last few crumbs from starving workers to ‘take
up the case’. Many workers were encouraged to sell their televisions
or fridges or last few remaining possessions just for legal fees!
This is like pushing a drowning man further under water! It is only through united working class action that the VW bosses and their system can be defeated. We have always argued that is necessary to unite the inside workers with those outside, as difficult as this process is. Secondly, the defeat that the VW workers have suffered, is a defeat for the entire working class. Indeed it is our duty to mobilise in their defence, nationally and internationally. This defence is the duty of the entire working class and should not be on union grounds but across union barriers. It was a huge political mistake for workers to join Ocgawu. This diverted energy away from working class unity, to inter-union rivalry, while the bosses and the government were rejoicing at the divisions among the workers! All VW inside workers should join Numsa and take up the fight inside to deal with the betrayal of the bureaucrats of the strikers. The outside VW workers should also rejoin Numsa to that they could also help with the fight in Numsa and Cosatu. The basis of rejoining should be to insist on the right of freedom of expression and to have their views circulated. The mission is clear – get rid of the bureaucrats and install a new fighting leadership that will unify the working class and advance the struggle for Socialism. Many workers will say that it is because of Numsa that they are in that mess. But who is Numsa? Numsa are its members. We must never put Numsa equal to the actions of the bureaucrats. But why did the members of Numsa not deal with their leaders? They even elected Nondwangu, one of the chief culprits, as their General Secretary. The fact is that the majority of Numsa members did not know the truth of what happened. Secondly, we must not underestimate the power of a clique of bureaucrats to control any union. To counter them is no easy task. We repeat the call we made from the start: that delegations of workers from each region be sent to Eastern Cape to hear the truth and to take up the issue in Numsa, Cosatu and more broadly. Vavi the General Secretary of Cosatu must also be taken to task for his role in dividing workers and for not keeping his promise to return to workers on the 3rd February 2000, the day the company ultimatum expired. The bureaucrats will surely oppose the return of workers and then it will be clear for all to see who is really for unity and who will gain by continuing disunity. There are many workers in Numsa and Cosatu who oppose the bureaucrats. It is our duty to unite with them and strengthen the struggle to put the working class on a strong footing. Workers must insist that there be a national and international campaign by all formations in the working class, including Numsa and Cosatu, Nactu, Fedusa and independent unions, to fight the VW bosses. Now is the time for workers unity! Forward to reinstatement! No to deals to exclude workers or to force them to accept packages! Side by side with this fight we need to build a revolutionary working class party to lead the fight for the smashing of this brutal system of exploitation, nationally and internationally! Forward to the rebuilding of the Fourth International! Forward to Socialism! |
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