NAR: Workers’-Popular struggle to prevent war

Announcement of the Bureau of the Political Committee of NAR for the Communist Liberation

• Workers’-Popular struggle to prevent war.
• War against the war of the capital, imperialism and its governments.         
• For Peace among peoples, against the bloody interests of multinational and local enterprises.

1.

The threat of war is now part of our daily discussions. It is reproduced by ministers and journalists, bourgeois analysts and US, EU-states’ ambassadors. It is a serious concern among working people and the youth of our country. What is going on? In actual war, the attack is preceded by a “preparatory phase” with intense bombardment. In social conflict, the attack of the systemic forces is preceded by a propaganda bombardment, so that the people align with their government, the ruling class and the “national interests”, which are always identical with the interests of the capital, both local and foreign. Hence nowadays, we are being bombarded with the propaganda about the “unilateral aggressiveness of Turkey”, about the “good” Americans and NATO which will supposedly defend the Greek interests and the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (the same way as they did -not do- in 1974 in Cyprus), about the European Union that protects Greece, even though the memorandums imposed by the EU have devastated the lives of the workers and the poor popular strata, while protecting the big capital and the banks.

2.

The causes of the extremely dangerous escalation of the war threat in our area, cannot of course be found, primarily, in the political games of Erdogan or of Tsipras and Kammenos. We must go deeper than that.

Firstly, the overall escalation of the antagonisms between the hegemonic capitalist states and the imperialist coalitions is expressed, in the context of a new period of a reactionary campaign against the peoples, in order to overcome the -yet to be surmounted- capitalist crisis. In an environment in constant flux, with alterations of alliances (as criminals who are sharing their loot do) - on the one hand, the intervention of the USA and of their allies (NATO, Israel, Egypt, reactionary Arabic regimes) is increasing, a context in which Greece is constantly trying to find a place while on the other hand Russia (together with Assad’s regime in Syria and Iran) is also increasing its intervention, with which Turkey is walking in cooperation. Without accounting for the overall movement of the capitalist antagonism, which is reactionary from every point of view, the prominence and danger of the developed conflict in the region, cannot be understood.

Secondly, the antagonism between the ruling classes of Greece and Turkey has increased with each side seeking to upgrade their position through alliances with the hegemonic capitalist states. They have been using the refugees and their right to life in the most cynical way, as yet another weapon. The conflict between Greece and Turkey has escalated because nowadays there are clashing economic interests among capitals that need to be “regulated”. The detection of exploitable deposits of hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean, the confrontations for the passage of the energy pipelines and the road mapping for big trade routes, add fuel to the fire.

The Greek ruling class is taking advantage of its participation in the EU and NATO, and its over the time gains in its favor in a diplomatic and institutional level. It seeks its recovery, through a more active role in the wider region, with its participation in the exploitation of the energy deposits (using its geographical position and aiding the Greek shipowners), being though in an inferior position compared to the multinational companies in the energy sector. The SYRIZA-ANEL government (in consensus with New Democracy and the “Movement of Change” -ex. PASOK-), promotes decisively the “acknowledgement” of Greece as a “good soldier” of NATO and the EU in the region, claiming a share in it, putting forward at the same time its own agenda. It strengthens furthermore, the reactionary axis between Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Egypt, it offers new military bases to the USA, it prepares the acquisition of new super-expensive military equipment. Of great importance are the actions of the great joint inter-sector exercise named “INIOCHOS 2018”, that took place in Greece these days (with the participation of the USA, the UK, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Greece, Cyprus and Israel) and the participation of Greek warships in the NATO and American armadas in the southeastern Mediterranean.

The Turkish capital and the government of Erdogan (that has enforced a particularly totalitarian regime in Turkey, persecuting the Left, the workers’ movement and every alternative voice, while waging a war against the Kurdish people), threatens to redraw the borders with Greece and Cyprus, demanding to take part in the exploitation of the deposits and the planning of the energy and trade routes. At the same time, it wages a military invasion in Syria and Iraq, while (being tolerated by the USA and Russia), it massacres the Kurdish people with a bloody cleansing of their positions. Turkey is presenting itself as a force which questions the status quo, by utilizing military means as well.

Faced with these developments, it is very important for the anticapitalist and communist Left and the workers’, popular, youth movement to have a clear position: The antagonism between the ruling classes in Greece and Turkey has a class-exploitative basis and it is reactionary on both sides of the Aegean.

3.

The very dangerous consequences of this unjust antagonism, that is hostile for the workers and the peoples of all the region, are also becoming apparent in our country:

We are being presented with the fact that a war event is inevitable while the nationalist-chauvinist propaganda is escalating (as a continuation of the nationalist outbreak for the Macedonian issue) and there is an effort for the so-called “national interests” to prevail over the grave, popular and workers’ problems caused by the euro-memorandum attack, an attack that is continuing and escalating.

Those who surrendered the economy and the policy planning to the EU, the IMF and the capital, those who lead the robbery of the workers and the people, the public wealth and infrastructure by the banks and multinational companies, now raise the flag of “national rights”. Those who steal the peoples’ houses, cry out for the island rocks of the Aegean. They speak about the exploitation of the hydrocarbons and the need to defend it, while it has been proved that wherever oil or natural gas exists, the multinational enterprises of energy and the oligarchy steal it (as will also be the case in the Mediterranean, if we don’t overthrow them), with super-exploitation and poverty, wars and blood, environmental destruction and corruption being the only “profit” remaining for the peoples. The youth of Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and the wider region, will not be sacrificed for the interests of EXXON-MOBIL, ENI, TOTAL, ROSNEF, of Vardinogiannis and Latsis, of Energean or the Turkish TPAO, to which essentially the EEZ will belong to, no matter what flag they hoist on top of them.

Simultaneously, the acquisition of new unbearable military equipment is being promoted (upgrading of F16 planes, purchasing of French warships and so on), reactionary adjustments to the military service are being applied, new military bases are offered to the USA and NATO, a political context of “national unity and communication” is promoted, with an attempt to enforce the pro-memorandum forces and enhance communication between different sides (government of SYRIZA-ANEL, New Democracy, ex-PASOK). In this reactionary direction is also included the acceptance by Tsipras of S. Theodorakis’ proposal to set up a National Security Council. In this context the multi-faceted nationalist-chauvinist extreme-right and overt fascist political forces are elevated.

All in all, through the spread of fear of an imminent war conflict, it is being attempted to disarm the popular movement, to repress the resistance against the memorandum-raid of the government- the EU- and the capital, to deepen the sense of fatalism among people who are not supposed to react because “Greece is in danger”.

4.

Under these conditions, the struggling Left forces, and especially the anticapitalist and communist forces, the workers’, popular and youth movement, in Greece, Turkey and the whole region, must fight for Peace among peoples, for the prevention of war, for the failure and blockade of war preparations while opposing the mutual-killing of people and every warmongering opportunism.

We do not consider war as inevitable. On the contrary, we are raising the alarm, calling in massive mobilization in every field of class war for Bread, Work, Freedom and Peace, because the peoples can be victorious and stop the war-machine with their struggle.

Under the slogan: War against the war of the capital, imperialism and its governments, for Peace among peoples, against the blood-painted interests of multinational and local enterprises, we demand:

• An Exit from NATO and the European army, the closure of all foreign military bases.
• NO to the dangerous Israel – Greece – Cyprus – Egypt axis.
• The drastic reduction of war expenses, the cancellation of the new military equipment programs.
• NO to the imperialist, bourgeois and bloodpainted redrawing of the borders.
• No participation or support to the imperialist invasions.
• No enlisted soldier outside the country’s borders, free syndicalism in the army, full rights and freedoms for the enlisted soldiers, reduction of the military service, no to the obligatory military service at the age of 18, no political sanctions against those who refuse military service, no to the military exercises for public and insurgency repression, no to the common operations between the army and the police.

The struggle against the war has obtained enhanced anti-governmental, anticapitalist and anti-nationalist characteristics, it fights altogether NATO and the EU, the military interventions of the USA and Russia, aiming at the causes and the politics that trigger war.

It is connected with the struggle of workers, people and the youth for the liberation from the euro-memorandum capitalist barbarianism, from the trusteeship and the usurious debt, for the defeat and the overthrow of the policies of the SYRIZA-ANEL government and the whole bourgeois-memorandum block.

It is inspired by the internationalist perspective of peaceful cooperation and friendship between the peoples, by the communist strategy, that makes up the complete alternative to the totalitarian capitalism of wars, of deep exploitation, of parliamentary totalitarianism and obscurantism.

Τhe struggle for the prevention of war requires, such Left and such a workers’ movement that will be independent from the politics of the ruling class and from the bourgeois hegemony which is achieved through the fairytale of “national unity”. The recent positions of the KKE (Communist Party of Greece), that pointed as the main problem the “irredentism of Skopje” and only see a “Turkish aggressiveness”, are a proof of the incorporation of the ruling class’ policy and do not aid the struggle of the movement. Even if these statements are followed by generalities about the antagonism between Greece and Turkey and the “mistrust” to the government in reality they complement the mainstream politics. Additionally, the KKE, instead of contributing to a front for the prevention of war, the failure of the plans of the capital on both sides of the Aegean and against every imperialist blood-painted redrawing of the borders, speaks about the “defence of the territorial integrity of Greece”, enhancing the mainstream image according to which the Greek oligarchy is, in general terms, on the defence.

In the same wavelength, appeared the especially problematic, similar estimations of LAE (“Popular Unity) about the Turkish aggressiveness but also for the “irredentism of Skopje”, that is pointed out as the “main problem” in the Greece-FYROM relations. Similarly, the seeking of “genuine concerns” of the people that took part in the nationalist rallies for Macedonia, in Thessaloniki and Athens were also very problematic. Without differentiating themselves from the interests and plans of the Greek capital and the Greek nationalism, the denouncement of NATO and EU politics have no effect.

On the other hand, the concept of a superficial anti-nationalism that does not really come from a class analysis and which unilaterally portrays the “Greek aggressiveness” while ignoring the intervention of Turkey and of the hegemonic capitalist/imperialist states and their blocks can be found in groups of the extra-parliamentary Left and anarchy. These views are unable to have an effect in the developments and are usually under the hegemony of the most cosmopolitan parts of the capital and the government.

NAR for the Communist Liberation, considers the present period as crucial and believes that we should ring the alarm bell for ANTARSYA and the anticapitalist, anti-imperialist and anti-EU Left, for the militants and the forces of the communist movement, for the whole workers’, popular and youth movement. The struggle against the war is a cause that concerns each and every of us and requires the concentration of forces, a clear and rupturing political aim, the common action and coordination against the war. NAR for the Communist Liberation will contribute to the necessary unitary initiatives of ANTARSYA against the war, it will fight so that all the collectives of the massive movement (Workers’ Unions, Student Unions and other collectives) find a place on the forefront of the struggle against the war preparation together with the struggle for the economic, social and democratic demands of the workers the youth and all the people.

The Bureau of the Political Committee of NAR for the Communist Liberation,

16^th of March 2018