Contents "The internationalist proletarian" n.12
TRADE WAR LEADS TO MILITARY WAR
General historical framework
The culmination of the bourgeois revolutions in the Asian and African area after World War II opened the door to a subsequent vertiginous development of capitalism, mainly in the Asian area, crowning the extension of capitalism at world level. The law of the tendency of the rate of profit to fall combined with the different moments in which capitalism erupts in the different geo-historical fields translates into the law by which the younger capitalisms accumulate at a faster rate than the older ones.
The capitalist development of the Asian area with industrial base supposed an enormous oxygen balloon for world capitalism, contributing enormous masses of extorted surplus value from the proletarianized masses and those being proletarianized in this process, contributing with a rejuvenation of the rate of profit to western capitalism that carried out its investments there. The great mass of exploited proletarians in the Asian area has translated into a great mass of surplus value which, in turn, has translated into a great accumulation of productive capital which, in turn, has translated into a great mass of commercial and financial capital. This has meant a gradual displacement of the center of gravity of capitalism towards Asia, dialectically stimulated by the need of the older capitalisms to bring up their rate of profit.
The division of the world carried out at Yalta and Potsdam no longer corresponds to the reality of the different imperialist powers in conflict: Germany forced its reunification, the formation of the EU and the absorption of Eastern Europe; Russian imperialism was resurrected from its collapse thanks to the high prices of oil and gas; the productive power of Japan could have been confined within its borders but Chinese capitalism has taken over the leading positions in industrial and financial capital and is expanding throughout the world; other powers such as Turkey, India, Brazil and South Africa play a leading role in the capitalist world.
The rupture of world division and crises of overproduction lead to trade and military wars by “enforced destruction of a mass of productive forces (…), by the conquest of new markets, and by the more thorough exploitation of the old ones” (Manifesto of the Communist Party). In these wars, the working class must reject any alliance with its own bourgeoisie: “The working men have no country” (Manifesto of the Communist Party).
The characterization of all wars in the present phase of capitalism and which must serve as a reference for the world working class is found in Lenin's following stance: “picture to yourselves a slave-owner who owned 100 slaves warring against a slave-owner who owned 200 slaves for a more “just” distribution of slaves. Clearly, the application of the term “defensive” war, or war “for the defence of the fatherland” in such a case would be historically false, and in practice would be sheer deception of the common people, of philistines, of ignorant people, by the astute slaveowners. (…) It is not the business of Socialists to help the younger and stronger robber to rob the older and overgorged robbers. Socialists must take advantage of the struggle between the robbers to overthrow them all.” (Socialism and war, Lenin, 1915).
The war for Africa
In “The Internationalist Proletarian” No.10 (page 21) and in “The Internationalist Proletarian” No.11 (page 23) we analyzed the growing importance of the development of the productive forces in Africa. From the reading of this very issue of the magazine it is clear the growing importance of Africa in the commercial war between capitalist powers and as an area of development of capitalism. It can be seen by the incorporation of Ethiopia and Egypt to the BRICS (page 20), together with South Africa, and by the investments and credits that both China and India (page 21) and the different Western powers are trying to develop. The African Union has been incorporated as a member of the G-20.
The development of productive forces in Africa, with massive investment of Asian capital, translates into a growing INTERCONNECTION that is accompanied by the creation of the world's largest free trade area by surface and a system of payments in local currencies that aims to displace the dollar in intra-African trade (p. 20).
The stability of the zone is in the interests of Chinese, Turkish, Emirati, etc. imperialisms, while the instability of a zone from which they have been expelled is in the interests of the USA and European imperialism, whose integration they are unable to avoid or take advantage of. This economic conflict manifests itself in a series of military clashes.
In the far west of the Sahel, the expulsion of European capitalism continues on the basis of Russian military support in the struggle for the control of the raw materials of the area. The 11,600 UN soldiers and 1,500 UN policemen deployed in Mali have had to leave early in the face of military pressure from the government, supported by Russian mercenary troops. Mali and Burkina Faso have now been joined by Niger which, following the military coup, has ordered the withdrawal of the 1,500 French soldiers and even the French ambassador. The French soldiers are still on the bases while demonstrations with Russian flags are taking place demanding their withdrawal. After a series of comings and goings, the countries in the area seem to have ruled out military intervention against the military government.
In the far east of the Sahel, an armed conflict has begun in Sudan between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (which have been active in Libya and Yemen) in which UAE investments in ports, Chinese investments in railroads, pipelines taking oil out of South Sudan, Arabic gum production and gold mining are all at stake. “Sudan officially exported 34.5 tons of gold worth over $2 billion last year.” (Bloomberg, 17-05-2023), whose extraction is exploited by Russian mercenaries, Moroccan companies and both warring factions.
The existence of paramilitary groups and militias ("states within the state") is something that the states of the zone will be pushed to dismantle in order to fulfill their capitalist function in a more unitary way. In this process, which only an international communist revolution can quickly overcome, the most diverse atrocities by the various contending sides can be expected.
In Ethiopia, the attempt to disarm the ethnic Amhara (Fano) armed volunteer groups has led to a series of clashes, assaults on army bases, assaults on police stations and a prison and the seizure of control of several cities. Let us recall that Ethiopia has just been invited to join the BRICS and has completed the filling of the Renaissance Dam (despite opposition from Egypt and Sudan).
The military shadow play in Asia-Pacific
In the Asia-Pacific region, the macabre game of shadows and military feints continues.
The AP4 (Australia, South Korea, Japan and New Zealand) has made declarations in favor of "joining forces" with NATO. The US announced a package of $345 million that would be delivered without having to wait for them to be manufactured, go through the whole authorization process, etc. This contrasts in volume and, if fulfilled, in speed with the weapons the US has so far been promising Taiwan, worth billions of dollars, but with delivery times for the Greek calends.
And, while North Korea's compulsive launching of missiles into the sea continues, “China and the armed forces of Vladimir Putin conducted six joint military exercises together last year, the most in data going back two decades. That accounted for two-thirds of all China’s drills with foreign militaries in 2022.” (Bloomberg, 15-7-2023). North Korea and Russia have also held talks recently, regarding mutual support in the military field over the prolongation of the war in Ukraine.
Grain and the war in Ukraine
In the case of grain and the war in Ukraine, the trade war and the military war completely overlap: “Russia, already the world's largest wheat exporter, produced a record grain crop in 2022-23, generating 23% more volume than the average of the previous five years. Although everything points to a slightly smaller crop next year, it will still be a bumper harvest.” (Expansión, 11-8-2023).
Russia had agreed to the grain export agreement from Ukraine under pressure from third countries, especially in Africa, but with this harvest it can afford to break the agreement, get rid of a competitor, create an internal problem in the EU and ensure even free grain supplies to certain countries.
“The price of wheat has been pushed to a near three-year low by an exceptionally strong crop in Russia (…) Prices have fallen more than a fifth since the end of July, even as the Russian invasion continues to disrupt exports from Ukraine, one of the world’s top exporters.” (Financial Times, 21-9-2023). And it is not only from Russia that the grain surplus comes from, “Brazil has had a record crop and its product will arrive in August. And something similar is happening with the United States and the leftovers from other European countries, where production has been vast.” (El País, 19-7-2023).
At the meeting held between Russia and 49 of the 54 African states, the Russian president stated: "We will be ready to supply Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic and Eritrea with 25,000 to 50,000 tons of free grain each in the next three to four months," Putin told the summit, whose participants reacted with applause.” (La Vanguardia, 28-7-2023). At the same meeting, Russian imperialism “assured yesterday on the closing day of the Russia-Africa summit that Moscow had signed "military-technical cooperation" contracts with more than 40 countries of the continent.” (El País, 29-7-2023).
For this reason, Russia has not renewed the agreement and has started bombarding Ukrainian port and cargo infrastructures, including river ports located on the Danube in front of the Romanian shore, NATO and EU territory.
Although testimonial, there have been boardings by the Russian army of wheat cargo ships. In view of this, the Ukrainian navy is not in a position to escort the departing cargo ships and, in addition, Turkey has established a ban on the passage of military vessels for all parties.
Russia's strategy is to scare off insurers and make it impossible or more expensive and difficult for Ukrainian grain to leave the country: “According to the Commission, about 60% of Ukraine's grain exports now pass through (...) the European Union.” (La Vanguardia, 19-7-2023). "Romania has announced that it will double its capacity to re-export Ukrainian grain, while the Sulina Canal has so far handled almost half of the total grain flowing through the European Union's so-called solidarity lines. The United States will provide technical assistance to keep the canal running day and night. The capacity of the port of Constantsa, where many cargo ships return from the Danube, will be expanded, new border crossings with Ukraine will be opened and a railway connection will be reactivated. (...) it means that the Ukrainians will take their cargo to the Romanian port of Galatsi instead of their own ports of Izmail and Reni: Russia is not expected to attack a port of a NATO member country.” (La Vanguardia, 21-8-2023).
The EU has lifted export restrictions on grain exports from Ukraine, followed by Hungary and Poland automatically imposing their bans and increasing them to other products: “Hungary (…) signed an executive order that bars Ukraine from selling 24 products including wine, beef, corn, sunflower seed and barley. The previous restrictions applied only to four products.
The restrictions don’t apply to Ukrainian products that are in transit to third countries as long as they leave Hungary within 15 days.” (Bloomberg, 15-9-2023).
Development of the war in Ukraine
The US has approved providing cluster bombs to the Ukrainian military while Russia has raised the military age to increase the cannon fodder available for war. Ukraine has intensified its drone and missile attacks inside Russia, as well as against a Russian military ships or oil tankers in the Black Sea. Russia has responded in turn with indiscriminate bombings. In this BLOODBATH and destruction, the victims are the working class - with or without of uniform - of the two belligerent countries.
In parallel, Turkey has accepted Sweden's accession to NATO. And, speaking of NATO, a NATO high command let slip that "a solution could be that Ukraine renounces territory and, in exchange, achieves NATO membership" (El País, 17-8-2023). In spite of all the subsequent rectifications, there are two elements which clearly show: 1) when the moment of truth arrives, the US and its allies will leave the Ukrainian bourgeoisie behind in its territorial claim and 2) it is an admission of NATO's incapacity: the entry into this criminal organization should serve to avoid territorial loss, but territorial loss is made a precondition for this entry...
In August a meeting with the participation of 40 countries was held in Saudi Arabia, including China, Brazil, South Africa and India. The meeting was described by Russia as a "futile attempt to mobilize the Global South behind Zelensky" (La Vanguardia, 07-8-2023) and the Ukrainian representatives admitted that they had been told that Russia had to be given security guarantees against NATO expansion.
The basic question is: who can present itself as the guarantor of a future with some expectation for Ukrainian capitalism when the war is over, the USA and the EU, or rather China and another combination of countries? If the unfolding of events makes it evident that the first option does not exist or is insufficient, Ukrainian capitalism will be pushed to admit dealings with the states that are currently Russian footholds.
Regardless of the outcome of the above question, any pacifist illusion in a capitalism without wars is a social stupefacient that delivers the proletariat bound hand and foot to its bourgeoisie at the moment of truth: “6th (…) without the revolutionary overthrow of capitalism, no international arbitration courts, no talk about a reduction of armaments, no “democratic” reorganisation of the League of Nations will save mankind from new imperialist wars." (Terms of Admission, II Congress of the Communist International, 1920).
In the words of the Statutes of the Communist International, approved at its Second Congress in 1920: "Remember the imperialist war! This is the first appeal of the Communist International to every toiler wherever he may live and whatever language he may speak. Remember that owing to the existence of the capitalist system a small group of imperialists had the opportunity during four long years of compelling the workers of various countries to cut each other’s throats. Remember that this imperialist war had reduced Europe and the whole world to a state of extreme destitution and starvation. Remember that unless the capitalist system is overthrown a repetition of this criminal war is not only possible but is inevitable! (…) The imperialist war (…) emphasised once again what was pointed out in the Statutes of the First International: that the emancipation of labour is neither a local nor a national problem, but one of a social and international character." (Statutes of the Communist International, II Congress, 1920).
Militarist uproar in Russia and its end
In Russia, the internal contradictions within the different militarist currents due to the development of the war and the accumulated attrition were sublimated in the military attempt led by the mercenaries of the Wagner group against the Russian military leadership. The coup d'état was not practically fought, except for a few clashes, but it did not have any great support either.
In the background was the decision of the Russian state to eliminate the existence of a number of private armies by merging them with the army in order to minimize the risk of uprisings and independent actions on the part of these private armies.
The Russian government quickly received the support of Turkey, China, Saudi Arabia, as well as Belarus and the Chechens, the coup being defused by its protagonists themselves, with the promise not to try the coup plotters and to move their units to Belarus.
After staging the pardon and reintegration of the mercenary leadership, the Russian state apparatus began the purge of the currents close to the organization of the coup with the dismissal and disappearance of military personnel, the arrest of some elements and the "accident" of the plane where the leadership of the mercenary group was traveling.
A revolutionary reaction to the imperialist bloodshed will never come out of uproars like these, but only an internal reinforcement of militarism will.
Revolutionary defeatism
News is coming in, although isolated, of episodes of refusal to fight both on the Ukrainian side and on the Russian side. It is very important that these isolated episodes become generalized and that we reach the CONFRATERNIZATION AT THE FRONT, the refusal to continue with the bloodbath for the profit of the capitalist powers that are behind this imperialist war, towards REVOLUTIONARY DEFEATISM, the only proletarian and internationalist tactic: “A revolutionary class cannot but wish for the defeat of its government in a reactionary war (…) Socialists must explain to the masses that they have no other road of salvation except the revolutionary overthrow of “their” governments.” (Socialism and war, Lenin, 1915).
For the international communist revolution
The present conflicts are the prelude to a greater conflict that executes the destruction that capitalism needs. In this situation, for the world proletariat the only alternative road to being immolated as cannon fodder in the world slaughter is to recover the slogans of revolutionary defeatism, of class internationalism, its organization in International Communist Party for the transformation of the imperialist war into revolutionary civil war, the overthrow of its own bourgeoisie and the transitory establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat towards a society without classes, without private property, without wage labor, without mercantile and corporate regime.
The watchword of revolutionaries worldwide must be uncompromisingly and without exception:
- Rejection of all nationalism: "the workers have no country".
- Rejection of solidarity with the company economy and with the "national" economy.
- Revolutionary defeatism against each “own’s” bourgeoisie in times of commercial or military war.
- Joint and international organization of the proletarians of all languages in the International Communist Party for the communist revolution on a world scale.
To be able to carry out this task, the working class needs a Party with a scientific understanding of history and a program that is not one of reform or conservation of the present society: this party is the International Communist Party that must gather the most advanced and determined part of the proletariat, unifying the efforts of the working masses by directing them from the struggle for contingent interests and results to the general struggle for the REVOLUTIONARY EMANCIPATION OF THE PROLETARIAT.
FOR PROLETARIAN INTERNATIONALISM!
DOWN WITH CRIMINAL AND MURDEROUS CAPITALISM!