La lucha de los revolucionarios en el corazón imperialista contra las guerras de su “propia” clase dominante

A Luta dos Revolucionários nas Terras Imperialistas contra as Guerras de sua "Própria" Classe Governamental

Борьба революционеров в империалистических страних против войн их "собственного" правящего класса

Examples from the history of the RCIT and its predecessor organisation in the last four decades

An Essay (with Pictures & Videos) by Michael Pröbsting, International Secretary of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT), 2 September 2022, www.thecommunists.net

Contents

Introduction

The Malvinas War 1982: British Imperialism against Argentina

The Iraq War 1991

The Afghanistan War 2001 and the ensuing period of Western occupation

The Iraq War 2003 and the ensuing period of U.S.-led occupation

The Palestinian Liberation Struggle against the Zionist Apartheid State and the four Gaza Wars (2008/09, 2012, 2014 and 2021)

Mali 2013: French imperialism intervenes

State repression against Muslim migrants and Islamophobia in Western Europe

Russia’s wars against Chechnya in 1994-96 and 1999-2009 and the ensuing period of occupation

Russia’s military intervention against the Syrian Revolution since 2015

Putin's invasion of the Ukraine since 24 February 2022

Conclusions

Appendix: Visual Documentation of RCIT Activities against Imperialist Wars in the Past Decades

* * * * *

Introduction

We are living in an era which is marked by imperialist conflicts and wars – both against oppressed nations as well as between Great Powers. The most important examples of the former are Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine, the American occupation wars in Iraq and Afghanistan until recently or the ongoing Russian military intervention in Syria. The accelerating tensions and the danger of full-blown wars between NATO and Russia or  between the U.S. and China are examples for the latter. [1]

As we can see in the current Ukraine War – and as it was repeatedly the case in the past century – these two types of wars can often be intermixed. Large sectors of the reformist and centrist left have been utterly confused by these developments. Many deny the imperialist character of some of these Great Powers (Russia [2] and China [3]), others do not recognize the consequences from such an analysis. Not a few groups limit themselves to repeat the well-known slogan against imperialist war – “The Main Enemy is at Home!” – and refrain from any clear position about the wars and conflicts outside of their country. [4] The result of all this is that their positions are marked by failure to defend oppressed nations against imperialist aggression (e.g. the Ukraine against Russia), by social-imperialist deviations or by pacifist propaganda. [5]

At this place we will not repeat our analysis of the Ukraine War or the crisis on the Taiwan Strait. Neither do we intend to outline again our critique of the social-imperialist and opportunist left. For both, we refer our readers to the literature in the respective footnotes. Instead, we want to provide here an overview of the RCIT’s struggle (resp. its predecessor organisation) in the imperialist heartlands against the wars waged by its “own” ruling class in the past four decades.

We will show that, in contrast to the revisionist left, our comrades living in imperialist heartlands took a clear and principled stance of revolutionary defeatism against their “own” ruling class. They have stood for the defence of the semi-colonial country under attack and advocated the defeat of the imperialist aggressors. Naturally, our defence of the oppressed people did not include any political support for the (petty-)bourgeois leaderships at the top of these struggles.

Furthermore, the RCIT (resp. its predecessor organisation) has been able to oppose both their “own” ruling class as well as that of other Great Powers. Our struggle against imperialist aggression has never been motivated by bourgeois geopoliticism, i.e. vulgar Anti-Americanism or Russophobia, but rather by the Marxist principles of anti-imperialism.

For reasons of convenience, we will limit ourselves in each case of our historic examples to briefly summarize our position (with references to more extensive elaborations) and to give a few examples of our practical intervention. We will also present exemplary visual documentation in the appendix to this essay (in case of wars before 2003, this is possible only to a limited degree for technical reasons). Again, for reasons of convenience, we have to limit ourselves to only one or two examples in each case.

The Malvinas War 1982: British Imperialism against Argentina

In the war between semi-colonial Argentina and British imperialism on the Malvinas islands in 1982, our predecessor organization – the then-revolutionary British group Workers Power – called for the defeat of British imperialism and the victory of Argentina. Our comrades stated in their paper on the front page: “Britain's war against Argentina demands only one response, "The main enemy is at home". We recognise absolutely the right of Argentine to repossess the Malvinas. We condemn the imperialist adventure of Britain in the South Atlantic, we are unequivocally for its failure, that is, for the defeat of British imperialism.” [6]

Our comrades participated in anti-war protests and advocated such an unambiguous anti-imperialist line. In contrast, the British left-reformists and centrists – nearly without exception – completely failed this historic test and refused to defend Argentina against the British aggressor. The CWI – led by Ted Grant and Peter Taaffe – took a particularly shameful position. These capitulators to social-imperialism – from which Alan Woods’ IMT and the ISA would later split without breaking with the programmatic method – explicitly opposed even to raise demands like “stop the war” or “withdrawal of the fleet”! ^[7]

The Iraq War 1991

Our movement took the same intransigent anti-imperialist position during the first Gulf War in 1991 when nearly all imperialist powers – with the consent of the Gorbachev regime of the Stalinist USSR – assembled to attack Iraq. From the very first moment, we called for the defence of Iraq and advocated the defeat of the unholy alliance of the imperialist Great Powers. At the same time, we lent no political support to the Saddam Hussein regime – a bourgeois military dictatorship.

We argued in our publications: “A victory for Iraq would be a blow to imperialism. It would weaken their world rule and sabotage their plans for a new, oppressive world order. That is why it is the duty of working-class internationalists to do everything in their power to bring about the victory of Iraq in this war.” [8]

Armed with such an anti-imperialist program, we threw ourselves in the anti-war movement already in autumn 1990 when the U.S. and its allies began to assemble their forces in the Gulf region. When the first bombs fell, the cover of our British section’s paper stated in big letters “Defend Iraq – Defeat Imperialism!”. [9] Our Austrian section did the same. In both countries we played an active role in the anti-war movement. In Austria, we initiated a united front – with other socialists and progressive Arab nationalists – which became the left wing within the anti-war movement and organized its own rallies.

In contrast to the revolutionary Marxists, the Stalinists as well as many centrists in the Western heartlands failed to advocate the military victory of Iraq. Many limited themselves to demand the end of the war and to call for peace – instead of advocating the call for the defeat of the imperialist beast. ^[10]

The Afghanistan War 2001 and the ensuing period of Western occupation

Likewise, when the Western imperialists assembled their forces to invade Afghanistan in autumn 2001, we took from the very beginning an unambiguous position in defence of this semi-colonial country and for the defeat of the Great Powers. Naturally, we lent no political support for the reactionary Taliban forces. Like in the previous wars, we stated in our leaflets and on the cover of our papers “Defend Afghanistan – Defeat Imperialism!” [11]

We argued in our publications: “We have to be clear that in this war we want to see the imperialist coalition defeated, and that means supporting all Afghan military resistance against imperialism, including Taliban resistance.”

We participated in the anti-war movement in Western Europe. However, we were nearly alone in advocating the military defence of Taliban-led Afghanistan and faced a series of reactionary attacks by reformist and centrist forces which accommodated to the social-imperialist and Islamophobic pressure.

However, in Austria we succeed in building links with groups of young migrants – mostly from Turkey – and jointly intervened at anti-war demonstrations (to the annoyance of the Western opportunists). Clearly, our line of intransigent anti-imperialism appealed much more to these layers, related to the lowest strata of the working class, than to the Western left which is traditionally infested by arrogant imperialist prejudices of the academic middle class and the labor aristocracy. ^[12]

Later, after the U.S. and its allies occupied the country, we supported the growing guerrilla struggle and called for the expulsion of the Yankee invaders and their European allies. [13]

The Iraq War 2003 and the ensuing period of U.S.-led occupation

The U.S.-led war against Iraq in 2003 as well as the ensuing occupation played a major role in the work of the RCIT’s predecessor organization at that time. Again, our comrades in the European imperialist countries advocated the defeat of the Yankee aggressors and the military defence of Iraq.

The headline of our paper in Britain stated: “Beat Back US/UK Attack – We Say Victory to Iraq!”. Our Austrian comrades argued in their publications, shortly before the beginning of the war: “The anti-war movement which needs to be built, must not take a neutral stance but has to take side. Taking side for the victims of imperialism, for the oppressed and exploited, taking side for those who stand in the way for the profit greedy U.S. corporations. This is why we call for the immediate withdrawal of all imperialist troops from the Middle East and for the immediate end of sanctions. If the war starts, we will take the side of the semi-colonial country. For the defeat of imperialism and for the victory of Iraq!“ [14]

We intervened in the anti-war movement on the basis of such tactics. Our practical work had a focus on youth work and in Austria we played a central role in organizing school student strikes against the war. When the U.S.-led invasion started on 20 March 2003 we helped to organize such a strike in Vienna which brought several thousand youth on the streets. We worked towards building an alliance with other left-wing forces as well as migrant groups which organized a series of rallies and demonstrations in the coming years.

Our most important activity in this regard was the initiating of mass protests against the visit of then U.S. President George W. Bush in Austria on 21 June 2006. On that day, we led a mass school student strike in Vienna in the morning with thousands of youths participating, and in the evening about 20,000 people demonstrated on the streets. (See pictures and video in the appendix)

Our consistent anti-imperialist line provoked a massive polarization within the anti-war movement in Austria since the reformist and most centrist forces opposed our line of defending Iraq. Within the broad united front which organised the protests against the visit of Bush, our left-wing alliance which took an anti-imperialist stance insisted that speakers at the broad united front demonstration must also include supporters of the defence of Iraq (including the author of these lines). This was unacceptable for the reformists and, consequently, the movement split in two parts. As a result, we had a joint demonstration on that day but with two separate rallies at the beginning and the end.

The Palestinian Liberation Struggle against the Zionist Apartheid State and the four Gaza Wars (2008/09, 2012, 2014 and 2021)

And on the same basis of Marxist anti-imperialism, we supported the Hezbollah-led resistance against the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2006 as well as the Hamas-led resistance in Gaza in the four wars (2008/09, 2012, 2014 and 2021). Despite our political criticism of petty-bourgeois Islamism, we stood for the unconditional defence of the Palestinian (as well as the Lebanese) people against the Zionist state. ^[15]

Our comrades in Occupied Palestine – the International Socialist League (ISL) which joined the RCIT in spring 2013 – have a long record of advocating a defeatist position against the Israeli state and for supporting the national liberation struggle of the Palestinian people. Comrade Yossi Schwartz – a long-time leader of the ISL and a Jewish Anti-Zionist since more than five decades – was already three times in prison because of his anti-Zionist activities. Long before the ISL comrades met the RCIT, they took such an anti-imperialist stance and broke with forces which accommodated to Zionism (like e.g. the IMT of Alan Woods). [16]

In an article published at the beginning of the fourth Gaza War in May 2021, our comrade Yossi Schwartz called for: “Victory to the Palestinian struggle! Military defeat for Israel! For the full renewal of the Arab revolution!” [17]

Our comrades in the imperialist European Union – a long-time supporter of the Zionist Apartheid state – defended the same line of unconditional support for the Palestinian people. In Austria, we have collaborated over many years with Muslim and Arab migrant communities and jointly organized numerous demonstrations. [18] Our work in Austria attracted quiet a lot of attention in the media. [19] In the appendix we present a few links to videos from speeches of RCIT comrades at such mobilisations.

The close relation of the European imperialist states and Israel has resulted in repeated attempts of persecution of anti-Zionist activists. Among those have been several RCIT comrades, including the author of these lines. [20]

Such extraordinary pressure from the imperialist state apparatus has resulted in an opportunistic capitulation of large sectors of the reformist and centrist left. While they usually oppose, more or less, the oppression of the Palestinian people in words, they refuse to side with Islamist Hamas which happens to be the strongest force among the Palestinians, and which has played the leading role in all Gaza Wars. As a result, these capitulators to Zionism do not call for the military defence of Gaza and even denounce consistent anti-Zionist like our Austrian section as “antisemitic”! There have been even cases where this scum (in particular the so-called “Anti-Germans”) tried to physically attack our movement. In one case, they attacked our May Day demonstration in Vienna in 2016. [21] On other occasions, they tried to assault our Medina Gunić – a female leader of the RCIT – as well as other comrades! The same argument was used by the Stalinist “Communist” Party of Austria for expelling us from their annual fete. ^[22]

Mali 2013: French imperialism intervenes

Based on its anti-imperialist program, the RCIT also opposed the military intervention of French imperialism in Mali when an Islamist-led insurgency threated its proxy government in January 2013. We called for the defeat of the European invaders and denounced the French Communist Party which failed to oppose this intervention.

In a statement, published at that time, we said: “The RCIT calls the international workers movement to mobilize against the imperialist intervention in Mali! We call for the defeat of the imperialist troops and the allied Mali government army! In the tradition of the Communist International in Lenin’s time and Trotsky’s Fourth International we support the military struggle of the colonial people against the imperialist forces and their allies without supporting in any way the politics of the Islamists and bourgeois nationalists. Let’s transform Mali into another Afghanistan for imperialism!” [23]

In Austria, our comrades initiated a united front with other organisations which organized a small rally in front of the French embassy in January 2013. In our speech, we called for the defeat of French imperialism and the military victory of the resistance. (See the video in the appendix) [24]

State repression against Muslim migrants and Islamophobia in Western Europe

We also want to briefly mention our struggle against state repression against Muslim migrants and Islamophobia in Western Europe. While such does not represent imperialist war in itself, Islamophobia has been closely related to the military intervention of Great Powers in Muslim countries in the past two decades (e.g. Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Chechnya, Mali, Somalia).

The RCIT has always defended the democratic rights of Muslim migrants. While we do not support individual terrorist actions, we emphasise that such actions are the result of the systematic oppression of Muslim minorities as well as the imperialist crusade in Muslim countries. When a global movement of boycott against imperialist France emerged in the Muslim world in autumn 2020 as a result of the obscene support of the Macron government for the racist Charlie Hebdo caricatures, we immediately stated our support.

“The RCIT strongly welcomes the mass protests and the popular boycott movement against imperialist and Islamophobic France. Macron must be taught a lesson! It is important to build a broad international solidarity movement of workers and popular organizations – Muslim and non-Muslim. Such a campaign should organize an effective support for the brothers and sisters in France and other European countries who currently face conditions of harsh repression by the state and the media. Such a movement should also organize an effective campaign to boycott French products. It should also organize mass actions against the imperialist aggression of Paris in the Eastern Mediterranean as well as in North and West Africa. In addition, it should state its support for the Chechen people who experience a horrible regime of occupation by Russian imperialism. Finally, socialists in France should try to link anti-racist activities with protests against the anti-democratic repression by the Macron government (under the pretext of COVID-19) as well as with protests against neo-liberal attacks (e.g. with the Yellow Vests movement)” [25]

Our Austrian section has a long-standing reputation of defending Muslim migrants against such reactionary attacks and our activities have been reported repeatedly in various international media. [26]

Russia’s wars against Chechnya in 1994-96 and 1999-2009 and the ensuing period of occupation

As we said at the beginning of this essay, our struggle against the wars of the U.S. and its European allies has never been driven by vulgar Anti-Americanism but rather by the Marxist principles of anti-imperialism. Hence, the comrades in Europe did oppose not only the wars of the Western Great Powers but also those waged by Russian imperialism. ^[27]

When Russia invaded Chechnya twice (in 1994-96 and in 1999-2009), we unconditionally supported the heroic Chechen people and called for their victory. [28] In an “Open Letter to the Chechen People”, the RCIT stated: “We send you our warmest greetings in the name of the RCIT. We strongly condemn Russian imperialism! We support your struggle for freedom and national self-determination! (…) In our opinion, the Chechen people can only be free if no imperialist Great Power (neither Russia, nor the U.S. or the EU) dominates the Caucasus and no group of rich exploiters rules over you. We think that the future of freedom is closely connected with the struggle for international equality of people and socialism.”

Consequently, our comrades in Austria have collaborated closely with the Chechen migrant community since a number of years and repeatedly spoke at their solidarity rallies. (See pictures and videos in the appendix) [29] Likewise, our comrades in Russia take the same position of unconditional defence of liberation struggle of the Chechen people. [30]

Russia’s military intervention against the Syrian Revolution since 2015

The RCIT has taken the same approach since the beginning of Russia’s military intervention in Syria. We have supported the liberation struggle of the Syrian people against the Assad tyranny as well as against its master Putin. [31]

Our line can be summarised in the following excerpt of one of our statements published shortly after the beginning of the Russian military intervention in 2015: “Socialists both in Syria and internationally should rally to support the Syrian Revolution and the struggle of the rebels against Assad as well as against the reactionary Salafist-Takfiri Daesh. The RCIT supports the rebels’ resistance both against all imperialists, the Russians as well as the US, British and French. At the same time socialists have to fight against the political agenda of the rebels’ leadership. It is vital to support all steps to strengthen local self-governing structures. It is crucial to build local councils and militias in order to break the hold of the petty-bourgeois militaristic Islamist and secular factions over the revolution. This is the only perspective to advance in the struggle for a workers’ and fellahin republic in Syria and a socialist federation in the Middle East. In any possible confrontation between Russian and Western military forces, revolutionaries must support neither side but oppose both, since both are reactionary imperialists and enemies of the Syrian Revolution.” [32]

Our Austrian comrades established close links with the Syrian migrant community since the beginning of the revolutionary process in March 2011. Since then, we have participated in numerous solidarity activities and spoke at their rallies. (See pictures and videos in the appendix) [33]

Putin's invasion of the Ukraine since 24 February 2022

Since we have documented the RCIT’s stance on the Ukraine War in our publications in much detail in the past months, we will limit ourselves at this place only to a few words. ^[34] It is such principles of internationalism and anti-imperialism which have led the RCIT to oppose all imperialist powers – both in West as well as in East. It is on this basis that we defend the Ukrainian people against Putin’s invasion since the very beginning while opposing both NATO as well as Russian imperialism.

It is on such a programmatic basis that we (co-)organised three solidarity convoys – together with a Chechen migrant organisation in Austria resp. together with the International Labour Network for Solidarity and Struggles – in bringing humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people. We also participated with two delegates in an international conference held in Lviv (Ukraine) on May Day this year. (See pictures and videos in the appendix) [35]

Based on such principles of consistent internationalism and anti-imperialism the RCIT has been able to massively expand its collaboration with Marxists in Russia since the beginning of the war. As a result of this work, we could recently fuse with the comrades of “Socialist Tendency”. [36]

Our comrades in Russia have followed the same principled approach of consistent internationalism and anti-imperialism which the RCIT comrades in Western Europe and Occupied Palestine have pursued in the past decades. Russian revolutionaries, like their Western comrades, take the side of the oppressed people attacked by “their” imperialism and advocate the defeat of “their” ruling class. [37]

Conclusions

In this essay we have we have elaborated the stance of revolutionaries based in imperialist countries to reactionary wars waged by their “own” ruling class against oppressed peoples. We have demonstrated this on the basis of the experience of the RCIT (resp. its predecessor organisation) and its attitude in the most important imperialist wars of the past four decades – the Malvinas War 1982, the Iraq Wars in 1991 and 2003 (and the ensuing period of occupation), the Afghanistan War in 2001 (and the ensuing period of occupation), the Palestinian liberation struggle against the Zionist Apartheid State and the four Gaza Wars (2008/09, 2012, 2014 and 2021), France’s military intervention in Mali in 2013 and the state repression against Muslim migrants in Western Europe.

We have furthermore shown, based on the RCIT’s experience, that revolutionaries in Western Europe do not oppose only their “own” imperialism but also other Great Powers waging reactionary wars of aggression against oppressed peoples. As examples for such we used our struggle against the reactionary wars of Russian imperialism (Chechnya 1994-96 and 1999-2009, Syria since 2015 and the current Ukraine War). We are proud that our comrades in Russia share the same approach of consistently opposing their “own” imperialist bourgeoisie as well as those in Western countries.

In our struggle against imperialist wars the RCIT comrades in Western Europe combined theory and practice, words and deeds. We advocated our analysis and tactics through all forms of propaganda and agitation. At the same time, we also intervened in anti-war movements, helped to build united fronts with other forces and established, wherever possible, close collaboration with organisations of migrants from the regions under imperialist attack.

In all these conflicts and wars, our policy was based on the Marxist principles of internationalism and anti-imperialism. These principles can be briefly summarised in the following:

1.           In a reactionary war of an imperialist power against an oppressed people, revolutionaries advocate the military defeat of the former and the victory of the latter. From such a stance follows that we also support all forms of practical aid for the oppressed people in such a war (including weapons).

2.           Revolutionaries in imperialist countries must not lend any support to their “own” ruling class and their military, political, economic or ideological war efforts. At the same time, they have to equally oppose any other imperialist power and their wars of aggression. Hence, we do not lend any support to the policy of a Great Power even if it tactically sides with an oppressed people (in the hope of advancing their sphere of influence at the cost of its rival).

3.           Our support for the liberation wars of oppressed peoples does not include any political support for the non-revolutionary leadership which usually is at the top of such struggles (often these are petty-bourgeois or bourgeois nationalist and/or Islamist forces). We advocate the creation of organs of self-organisation and self-government like workers and popular councils and militias.

4.           Our consistent defence of oppressed peoples against imperialist aggression constitutes an essential part of our struggle for socialism. It is impossible to move towards socialism without opposing all forms of national oppression and imperialist super-exploitation. It is impossible to move towards socialism without weakening and eventually defeating the imperialist powers. It is impossible to move towards socialism without utilizing each and every conflict which could help advancing the struggle of the working class and the oppressed peoples.

5.           These principles of internationalism and anti-imperialism have put the RCIT comrades in the imperialist heartlands in complete contrast to most reformist and centrist forces in the imperialist heartlands over the past decades. Hardly any of these opportunists has gone beyond pacifist opposition to wars or the abstract denunciation of imperialist aggression. Hardly any of them has dared to advocate the victory of the military struggle of the oppressed peoples and the defeat of the Great Powers. Hardly any of these has been able – or even willing – to approach the migrant organisations of the oppressed peoples and jointly work with them. The wide gulf between Marxism and opportunism is not limited to the world of theory and program – it equally exists in the practical struggle.

To summarise our principles in a few words: With the liberation struggle of the oppressed people – always! With the (petty-)bourgeois leadership of the oppressed people – sometimes, when they confront the imperialist aggressor! With any of the Great Powers – never!

Appendix: Visual Documentation of RCIT Activities against Imperialist Wars in the Past Decades

Selection of Cover Pages of the Paper of Workers Power (Britain) during Imperialist Wars

Selection of Cover Pages of the Paper of ArbeiterInnenstandpunkt (Austria) during Imperialist Wars

Protests against the Iraq War 2003 and the ensuing period of U.S.-led occupation

Demonstrations in Solidarity with the Palestinean Liberation Struggle