NEWSPAPER “PRIN”
SUNDAY 4th FEBRUARY
By YIANNIS ELAFROS pages 8
The growth of the nationalist fever, through the demonstrations for Macedonia, defined the dynamic comeback of the “national issues” at the political debate. It is the expression of the new phase of the hyper-reactive sharpening of the expedition of bourgeoisies to overcome their crisis, as we have already declared at the 4th congress of NAR for the Communist Liberation.
SYRIZA-ANEL government has chosen its side; it strongly advocates the plans of USA/NATO and EU and the adapted to them interests of the Greek capital. Although there are organizations which are referred to the anti-memorandum Left and they seek an imaginary connection between the demonstrations and the anti-memorandum and anti-government fight , in a way progressive and anti-imperialistic , this statement is especially problematic.
This cannot happen. There are several approaches for the “national issue”. To begin with, the bourgeois policy for the national issue, which tries to unite the whole nation under the interests of bourgeoisies ( and the exploitation too), in coordination ( as well as competition) with the hegemonic capitalist-imperialistic centers, in order to enforce its position at both inside the country – against labor class and people- and the competitive bourgeois interests. This policy is reactive and cannot make splits at left direction.
On the other hand, the policy referred to the interests of working class fights for the liberation of the nation of labors from the fetters of local and foreign capital, from the jail of EU guardianship and the barbarity of capitalistic memorandums. This will not happen against other people but against governments and EU, NATO, IMF etc. It is on the contrast of the bourgeois policy and all the forms it can take.
THE LACK OF CLASS AND ANTI-EU SIDE OF STRUGGLE
By YIANNIS ELAFROS pages 9
If the national issue is underestimated or answered wrongly, then sooner or later the panicked obeisance to the main nationalist rhetoric is caused and this is what we observe at the Greek Left , at least at its formal version. Zooming in we should keep the following elements.
First of all, the growth of both nationalist and religious movements in the region and around the world, reflects the sharpening of the competition between bourgeoisies and the tension of imperialistic expansion that create a huge war danger.
Secondly, the growth of these movements, shows the destructive role of the irrational considerations, at the background of the setback of the liberate, revolutionary theories, a fact that reminds strongly the need for a new communist “enlightenment” in our epoch, inspired by the needs of the people for creative, collective and peaceful life.
Thirdly, the presentation of many people at the nationalist demonstrations is used for concealing two big absences in political life and fights. The first is about the weak classy, labor version in the famous anti-memorandum struggle. The fact that the most common labor demands – such as demands about salaries- are absent from the left philology and every anti-memorandum ‘transitional program’, is more than impressive. The danger of someone being characterized as a sectarian if they talk about the need for the anticapitlist overthrow against the employers who have benefits from the memorandums, is very big.
The second big absence is about the anti-imperialistic fight. We do not mean the fairytales such as “all Greeks united against the ‘bad’ Germans and the foreign”, but the classy, anti-imperialistic fight against EU and NATO.
NATIONALISM OF THE POWERFUL ONES
THE ROLE OF USA, GERMANY AND OTHER POWERFUL CAPITALIST STATES
By YIANNIS ELAFROS pages 9
Whoever doesn’t want to talk with naivety can easily understand that there is a growth of different types of nationalisms between the powerful capitalist states and the smaller states and nations and especially the nations without statehood. It would be a disaster not to observe the leading role of the imperialistic nationalism (USA, Germany etc.) or the nationalism of new growing powers (Russia, China etc.) , even if this nationalism is presented as a fake globalization and against the “curse of nationalisms” of the “smaller” and lower grown” countries. How could anyone place at the same stage the national-liberation movement of Vietnam or the corresponding in Latin America and the aggressive nationalism of USA. Let us not forget, for example, that the chopping of Yugoslavia was accelerated through war by EU with the use of antinationalist rhetoric.
Communists fight against bourgeois nationalism with the principles of labor and socialist internationalism. Against bourgeoisies who see the world as an arena of competitions, communists –having the perspective of a liberated humanity- face the nations and the people with terms of equality among them. Since we understand that the national competitions are caused and multiplied at the field of uneven growth of capitalism, we understand the relation between national-international, from the perspective of the promotion of the common action of the labors and the internationalist solidarity.
That state is not abstract. Such as when we face a divide in the working class of a capitalist country, we defend every part of it, even the smallest one with the principal of equality with the total working class, on the same way when we face the national divides, the internationalist solidarity is served only with the non-negotiable defend of the right of the national self-identification and self-determination of every nation even the smallest ones.
The article is also available in Greek
