Report about a meeting between representatives of the RCIT, UIT-CI and PTS/FT in Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Report (with Videos and Pictures) by the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT), 19 September 2023, www.thecommunists.net

The last day of the first part of RCIT’s IV. International Congress, which took place in Buenos Aires (Argentina), saw a highly interesting debate about the class character of China and the rise of the BRICS+ alliance. (1) For this debate, which took place on 11 September, we invited representatives of two other international organisations which adhere to the tradition of Trotskyism.

The meeting was well organised by our comrades in Convergencia Socialista (the RCIT Section in Argentina). Among the participants of the meeting were also representatives of other organisations with which our Argentinean comrades closely collaborate. Among these were the women’s organisations Defensorías de Géneros and Madres Protectoras as well as the student and teachers’ organization La Roja.

The meeting was jointly chaired by Gabriela Capurro and comrade Francisco. Both are leaders of Convergencia Socialista (the RCIT Section in Argentina). Gabriela is also a well-known militant in the teachers’ trade union in Buenos Aires.

Our current was represented by Medina Avdagić (Gunić) and Michael Pröbsting – both members of the RCIT’s International Bureau. (2)

The International Unity of Workers - Fourth International (UIT-CI) was represented by José Castillo, a professor at the University of Buenos Aires and a well-known theoretician and leader of this organization. (3) UIT-CI is one of the two large international currents standing in the tradition of Nahuel Moreno. It is mostly based in Latin America and has deputies in national and regional parliaments in Argentina (the name of their section there is Izquierda Socialista).

Matías Maiello spoke for the Socialist Workers' Party, the Argentinean “mother party” of the international current “Trotskyist Faction” (PTS/FT). Maiello is a sociologist at the University of Buenos Aires and a well-known intellectual and leader of this party. He is co-author of several books together with Emilio Albamonte – the historic leader of this organisation. (4) The PTS is the largest of the four parties which constitute FITu (to which Izquierda Socialista also belongs). It has several deputies in national and regional parliaments.

In addition to these four speakers at the platform, the meeting also heard important contributions from a number of comrades from Convergencia Socialista as well as from international delegates from the RCIT sections in South Korea and Brazil.

The debate was conducted in a very constructive manner and focused on the question if China (and Russia) are imperialist Great Powers. All participants agreed that the Chinese regime – despite the name of the ruling party – has nothing to do with “socialism”.

However, the discussion also revealed important differences. While the comrades of the RCIT and UIT-CI consider China (and Russia) as imperialist powers, the PTS/FT comrade called these states as “capitalist powers which have some imperialist features”. The discussion also dealt with political consequences of such theoretical differences. One of these is the Ukraine War where the RCIT and UIT-CI defend the Ukraine against the Russian invasion while the PTS/FT opposes both camps.

Irrespective of such differences, all participants agreed that this was a useful exchange of views which should be continued in order to deepen the analysis of socialists.

(1) We will publish a report about our congress in about two weeks after the second part has been concluded.

(2) For the RCIT’s analysis of capitalism in China and its transformation into a Great Power see e.g. the book by Michael Pröbsting: Anti-Imperialism in the Age of Great Power Rivalry. The Factors behind the Accelerating Rivalry between the U.S., China, Russia, EU and Japan. A Critique of the Left’s Analysis and an Outline of the Marxist Perspective, RCIT Books, Vienna 2019, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/anti-imperialism-in-the-age-of-great-power-rivalry/; many more RCIT documents on this issue are complied at a special sub-page on the RCIT’s website: https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/china-russia-as-imperialist-powers/. Our latest article on BRICS+ is: BRICS+: An Imperialist-Led Alliance. The expansion of BRICS reflects the rise of Chinese and Russian imperialism at the cost of their Western rivals, 29 August 2023, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/brics-an-imperialist-led-alliance/

(3) see e.g. José Castillo: Deuda Externa: colonización, miseria y corrupción. Buenos Aires, El Socialista, 2010 (https://izquierdasocialista.org.ar/2020/index.php/publicaciones/revistas/item/11639-deuda-externa-colonizacion-miseria-y-corrupcion); Para animarse a leer a Maquiavelo. Buenos Aires, Eudeba, 2012, https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Jos%C3%A9-Castillo/dp/950231963X; Tópicos de Economía Política, Buenos Aires (Argentina), Teseo, 2021, https://izquierdasocialista.org.ar/2020/index.php/blog/elsocialista/item/19127-topicos-de-economia-politica-jose-castillo

(4) see e.g. Matías Maiello: De la movilización a la revolución (https://edicionesips.com.ar/producto/de-la-movilizacion-a-la-revolucion/); together with Emilio Albamonte: Estrategia socialista y arte militar (Buenos Aires: Ediciones IPS, 2018, https://edicionesips.com.ar/producto/estrategia-socialista-arte-militar/); Gramsci and Trotsky, Strategy for the Revolution in the West, Left Voice, 2016 (https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/B01N9ZE3E0/ref=sr_1_2?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=193PPHPK4F9NI&keywords=Mat%C3%ADas+Maiello&qid=1695037882&s=books&sprefix=mat%C3%ADas+maiello%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C174&sr=1-2)

Report (with Photos and Videos) from a Rally in Vienna on 27 August 2023, Austrian Section of the RCIT, www.rkob.net and www.thecommunists.net

Nearly 1.000 Syrian migrants demonstrated on 27 August in the centre of Vienna to show their support for the new wave of mass protests in Syria. It was an extraordinary and very enthusiastic demonstration, reflecting the electrifying spirit of the Syrian masses who are determined to bring down the tyranny of Assad.

Comrade Michael Pröbsting, International Secretary of the RCIT, was the sole speaker at the rally. He had to address the participants without a microphone since the demonstration was very lively and a bit chaotic with the result that the loudspeaker equipment was damaged. Despite this technical disadvantage, his speech was very well received by an enthusiastic crowd.

Michael sent greetings to the families of the unaccountable number of martyrs who had died in the heroic struggle against the regime in the past 12 years. He also welcomed the successful strike of freedom fighters in Idlib against soldiers of Assad’s army on the day before.

Michael emphasised that in order to win, we must learn from the past. Among such lessons are that the revolution must not become dependent on foreign powers. Another important was that there must not be uncontrollable and corrupt leaders but the people themselves must decide about the course of the struggle.

Furthermore, Michael stressed that the new wave of mass protests confirm one more how wrong all those demoralised renegades have been who told us that the Syrian Revolution would be dead. Sure, the revolution faced setbacks, but it was never defeated. And now, everyone can see that it is alive and kicking!

See photos and video clips here: https://www.thecommunists.net/rcit/rcit-interventions-at-rallies-in-2023/#anker_17

 تقرير (مع صور ومقاطع فيديو) من تجمع في فيينا في 27 أغسطس 2023، القسم النمساوي من

 تظاهر ما يقرب من 1000 مهاجر سوري في 27 أغسطس في وسط فيينا لإظهار دعمهم للموجة الجديدة من الاحتجاجات الجماهيرية في سوريا.  لقد كانت مظاهرة غير عادية وحماسية للغاية، وتعكس الروح الحماسية للجماهير السورية العازمة على إسقاط طغيان الأسد.

 وكان الرفيق مايكل بروبستينج، السكرتير الدولي للRCIT، المتحدث الوحيد في التجمع.  وكان عليه أن يخاطب المشاركين بدون ميكروفون لأن المظاهرة كانت مفعمة بالحيوية والفوضى بعض الشيء مما أدى إلى تلف معدات مكبر الصوت.  وعلى الرغم من هذا العيب الفني، فقد لقي خطابه استحسانًا كبيرًا من قبل جمهور متحمس.

 ووجه ميخائيل تحياته إلى عائلات العدد غير المحدود من الشهداء الذين سقطوا في النضال البطولي ضد النظام خلال الـ 12 عاماً الماضية.  كما رحب بالضربة الناجحة التي شنها المقاتلون من أجل الحرية في إدلب ضد جنود جيش الأسد في اليوم السابق.

 وشدد مايكل على أنه لكي نفوز، علينا أن نتعلم من الماضي.  ومن بين هذه الدروس أن الثورة لا يجب أن تصبح معتمدة على القوى الأجنبية.  والأمر المهم الآخر هو أنه لا ينبغي أن يكون هناك قادة فاسدون لا يمكن السيطرة عليهم، بل يجب على الشعب نفسه أن يقرر مسار النضال.

 علاوة على ذلك، أكد مايكل أن الموجة الجديدة من الاحتجاجات الجماهيرية تؤكد مرة أخرى مدى خطأ كل هؤلاء المرتدين المحبطين الذين أخبرونا أن الثورة السورية ستموت.  من المؤكد أن الثورة واجهت انتكاسات، لكنها لم تُهزم أبدًا.  والآن، يمكن للجميع أن يروا أنه على قيد الحياة ويركل!