Iran - Class struggle is the only alternative for working class
ICC introduction
The text we are publishing below was sent to us by a comrade who has commented on our web site under the handle "Internationalist". We think that this text, on the real nature of the "Green movement" and the Mosavi opposition in Iran, is well worth publishing and bringing to a wider audience above all because it takes position clearly against the reformism of Mosavi who in the past - as the article points out - has been the artisan of the brutal repression of the Iranian working class and the population in general.
In describing the overthrow of the Shah in 1979, the article rightly points out that the Shah's government had become a hindrance to Iranian capital, inasmuch as it created an intolerable situation not only for the population (hence the massive workers' strikes that broke out in that period, cf our article written at the time) but even for the bourgeoisie - to the point where not a single fraction of the ruling class was ready to oppose his overthrow (a more detailed analysis see our article "Behind the Iran-US crisis, the ideological campaigns"). The overthrow of the Shah's regime was a real blow to the American bourgeoisie, though the USSR was unable to profit from it and Iran never really escaped the Western bloc.
The article describes the split between what the comrade describes as the "theocratic" and "reformist" wings of the bourgeoisie, quite rightly in our view denouncing the impossibility of real reforms that would benefit the working class. It is less concerned with the possibility of a split in the theocratic wing itself. It seems to us that a possible aspect of the manoeuvrings going on in the Iranian bourgeoisie, especially the splits that have become visible in the clerical hierarchy, is due to the fact that Ahmadinejad is not merely a puppet of the theocratic fraction, but is in fact the leader (or at least a leading figure) of a military/police faction which belongs to the generation that fought in the Iran/Iraq war. This faction - which has the gangsters of the Basij as its armed force within the population, as well as the security services etc. - is busily extending its control over the economy, both the legal and the black-market economy (including smuggling of alcohol, drugs, and other illegal merchandise). As such, it poses a threat to the hegemony of the clerical faction which is divided as to how to react.
At all events, the importance of Iran as a strategic regional player in the Middle East power struggles, and of the working class in Iran which has been historically one of the most combative in the region, means that revolutionaries should follow the situation there attentively and we are glad to publish this contribution to what must be an ongoing discussion.
ICC
Introduction
What happened in Iran in the past few months? Was it a confrontation between bourgeois gangs? Has a communist revolution begun in Iran? How one can explain political situation within the Iranian political milieu? What do all of these events mean for the working class? It is vital and necessary for internationalists to evaluate, analyse, explain and learn lessons to look forward for the most effective and productive internationalist perspective and actions.
Birth
of Islamic Republic a paradox
Shah, the king of kings, who was a reliable puppet generally of the capitalist world and in particular of the Western bloc, proclaimed that Iran was a stable island in the Middle East for the capitalist world. Capitalism needs a stable Iran in that region. Since Iran is among the world's top three holders of both proven oil and natural gas reserves and also geopolitically located in a very sensitive and important part of the world.
The stable island within a short period of time became destabilised and Shah's brutal repression couldn't help him to stay in the power, especially when the working class strikes and other movement started throughout the system particularly in the petroleum industry. The bourgeoisie needed an alternative to uphold the capitalist system. The Islamic Republic was a powerless product of the worlds' bourgeoisie to give an alternate to the national capital to set up a capitalist system after the Shah's regime.
Islamic Republic was born with a congenital paradox. Like other republics in the world, the Islamic Republic of Iran has its president, parliament, election, but it also has the supreme leader (khamenei), God's shadow on the earth. The supreme leader has power over the law and can dismiss the president. Khomeini dismissed the first elected president of Iran, Banisadr in June 1981.
Capitalism needs stability to assure accumulation of capital both for internal and external investors. Within Islamic capitalism, there have always been two visions or trends to approach this goal. These two visions are theocratic and republic. Today, Ahmadinejad represents the theocratic and Mosavi represents the republic to enforce the capitalist system in Iran.
The theocratic vision of bourgeoisie
This wing of bourgeoisie has a state capitalist vision and very closed social control apparatus of society with an aggressive policy. They have bastions in the Pasdaran, the Basij militia, the priesthood and the state apparatus. This vision, state capitalism with aggressive policy is a risk factor both for internal and external investors. Western world has always proclaimed that this wing must adapt itself to capital's routines. To punish theocrats, Western bourgeoisie, through the German bourgeoisie made a gesture through the Mykonos trial. "In its 10 April 1997 ruling, the court issued an international arrest warrant for Iranian intelligence minister Hojjat al-Islam Ali Fallahian after declaring that the assassination had been ordered by him with knowledge of supreme leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and president Ayatollah Rafsanjani"[1] After this, the bourgeoisie could present a better alternative to reinforce the capitalist system by introducing the new president, Khatami who was introduced as a president who wants "Dialogue Among Civilizations",.
The disadvantage and consequence of the theocratic policy is insecurity of capital and loosing capital from Iran. The capital flight from Iran between 1973 to 1988 has been estimated about $8.16 billion. In contrast, the capital flight between 2005 and 2006 was about $200 billion.[2] Iran's Student Correspondents Association explained that the reason for capital flight is "the policies of the ninth government fear for the investment" (The government of Ahmadinejad).[3]
We must point out that this is an official report and exact figures prove impossible to obtain or is more than this. Security and guarantee of capital is necessary to assure accumulation of capital both for internal and external investors.
The republic (reformist) vision of bourgeoisie
As mentioned earlier, today, Mosavi represents this vision usually called reformist. Reformist Mosavi has changed his slogan from "Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic" to "Independence, Freedom, Iranian Republic".[4] What does it mean to be a reformist? Two important and well known elements within reformists are, Mosavi and Hajjarian.
It was during Mosavi's time, when he was the Prime Minster of Iran that hundreds of striking worker were jailed or beaten to death. Thousands of political prisoners were executed when the mass grave of political prisoners (Khavaran) was created and developed and so on.
Saeed Hajjarian, the master mind of reformism, was the one who created and built one of the world's most brutal organization of the century by the name of Ministry of Intelligence and National Security of Iran. "The formation of the ministry was proposed by Saeed Hajjarian to the government of Mir-Hossein Mosavi and then the parliament."[5] We need to point out that the Ministry of Intelligence of Iran is one of the most horrible and dreadful in the world and it is very notorious in its torture and terror methods. Mosavi and Hajjarian are not less guilty than Ahmadinejad when it comes to workers right or other human right issues.
This wing of bourgeoisie strive for privatising parts of the industry, more opening and investment opportunities to the Western World and some reduction in the social controls. In an ideal world this gang try to adapt the national capital to the world capital's routines, to give assurance to accumulation of capital.
Now we need to address this question. Is social reform possible in our epoch? The First World War has proved that capitalism has entered in its decadence and no more permanent social reforms could be possible. Also, it is not longer possible to reform capitalism to make better life for people. As a result, the forms of struggle for the working class have been changed, the struggle for parliament, social reforms are no longer a struggle form for the working class. The fact is that in our epoch, in the epoch of decadent capitalism, parliament and elections are not different than a mystification and the main task of parliament, is to legislate wage slavery.
"Islamic Japan" or Barbarity of capitalism
Eight years of war had destroyed most of Iran's infrastructure and industry and it needed rebuilding. After the Iran-Iraq war when Rafsanjani took presidential office, his title was changed from commander of operations to commander of development. He proclaimed that Iran is going to be a modern, industrialized country, very similar to Japan in terms of development and economics progress, an "Islamic Japan" and recently the supreme leader (Khamenei) referred to Iran as Islamic Japan.[6]
Iran is one of the countries in the world that has many young people. Its labor force has been almost doubled in the last nine years.
That means each month about 125,000 jobs need to be created. However, in practice, it is impossible within a capitalist framework to create that many jobs. Unemployment rate rises in Iran and it has reached up to 12.5% (in real life the rate is always higher than the statistics).[7] In the mean time, Central Bank of Iran reported a 23.6% inflation rate in Iran[8], one of the biggest economic challenges of the century. Unpaid salaries for months are a dilemma for hundred thousand workers in Iran. "No sooner is the exploitation of the labourer by the manufacturer, so far, at an end, that he receives his wages in cash, than he is set upon by the other portions of the bourgeoisie, the landlord, the shopkeeper, the pawnbroker, etc."[9]
This means, in reality a worker must have two or three job to support his family and unemployment nightmare never goes away. In the real life the worker is working day after day to create more surplus value to the capitalists. The labour force is goods in the capitalist system but special goods that can create surplus value. Working class is target to be attacked on living conditions every day. With the current situation in Iran, millions of unemployed people, the young generation is suffering and they have no hope with this brutal capitalist regime. The ruling class know that young people are more headaches to them than an American or Israeli bomb attack.
Democratic Illusion
"Down with dictator!" has been a popular slogan in the last months in the streets of not only Tehran, the capital city of Iran, but also in the streets of all the major cities in Iran. The real meaning of this slogan is "Long live democracy!" which democratic mass medium have been blown on these illusions. To add this all democratic governments condemned the police violence of Iran. But the question is why this "honest" democratic mass medium have been shoot up when the butcher of bourgeoisie slaughtered more than hundred or maybe thousands prisons and workers each days in 1981!
What does
that democracy mean? The following diagram
shows unemployment rate in the USA,
EU and Sweden
that increase dramatically.
For us, capitalist democracy and capitalist dictatorship are two sides of the same coin. Capitalist democracy is not a paradise for the working class without the same hell for other exploited in the dictatorship countries. Democracy is not a perspective for us but a very dangerous trap for our class.
The left of capital
After the election circus in Iran, which resulted in confrontation between bourgeois gangs, political currents took different positions based on the position and classifications. The left of capital as always tried to play its role as effective as possible. Tudeh Party, Fedaian Majority became directly mouthpiece to for Mosavi. The radical part of the left, "Worker"-"Communist" party of Iran proclaimed beginning of the revolution even presented the leader of revolution (Hamid Taqvaee) and on another ways supported the struggling bourgeois gangs.
Also, the other left activities have organized so many demonstrations to education the people of the world about what has happening in Iran. As an example, they have approached in so many creative ways to show the United Nation (UN) and the world what is going on in Iran. One of their requests was to close the embassies of Islamic Republic around the world because they believe those embassies are nothing but spying agencies. However, it is very obvious that UN is only a nest of vultures. These activities and practices of the left are very suitable for the Western World policies and interests to pressure the Iranian government.
In the absence of an established internationalist positions in the Iranian Political Milieu, the organizations who are acting such as left parties, misleading people and in the reality are carrying the interests of bourgeoisie and ultimately will manage to present themselves as leaders of workers and lefts.
Class struggle is the only alternative for working class
The working class in Iran is experiencing the miserable condition of living every day. They have been facing this situation for many years. The conditions and standard of living not only is decline, political situation getting worse. In the past few years, working class has been radicalized gradually and despite brutally of the regime, organized tens of protest actions or strikes all over the country.
Of course workers have been on the streets but they acted as individuals rather than as a social class. The only collective force reaction against the repression comes from Iran Khodro and bus drivers' side. We must avoid acting as cannon fodder for any of the struggling bourgeois gangs. We must expand our struggle, independent of all bourgeois gangs, against capitalism. Our slogan must be against wage slavery, exploitation, unemployment, inflation. We need to fight only for our class interests.
Capitalism is the origin of all misery and adversity in the world. Our interest is not in; to change rolling class as it happened 1979 without in class struggle and our aim must be directed to destroying whole capitalist system. This is only possible from an internationalist perspective. We don't have anything to lose but our chains and a world to win!
Our revolutionary responsibility are contributing to class struggle and building of the minority revolutionary organisation with aim to contribute to building of the world wide Internationalist Communist Party, the indispensable weapon for the victory of the Communist Revolution.
The working class is the only social class that can put an end to capitalist barbarism and misery. This alternative that communists had proposed in the past is more valid today than ever:
"Communist Revolution or the destruction of humanity!"
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mykonos_restaurant_assassinations
[2] http://iscanews.ir/fa/PrintableNewsItem.aspx?NewsItemID=219653
[3] http://iscanews.ir/fa/PrintableNewsItem.aspx?NewsItemID=219653
[4] Asia Times Online, Aug 22, 2009
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Intelligence_of_Iran
[6] http://www.revver.com/video/641815/khamenei-on-iran-being-islamic-japan/
[7] http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=91586§ionid=351020102
[8] http://www.business24-7.ae/Articles/2009/6/Pages/07062009/06082009_218f04ab9fce4f76b638c0ab942cadfd.aspx
[9] http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ch01.htm#007
[10] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/09/france-telecom-staff-suicides-phone
[11]http://www.konj.se/sidhuvud/inenglish/economicconditionsinsweden/economicconditionsinsweden/unemployment.4.caf6c1f8a90236a77fff1162.html
Comments
I salute this article
I salute this article, its call for international solidarity, world communist party and the courage of the comrade who wrote this with all my comradely feelings. I hope more will come.
The writer's view is metaphisical
To analyze a social situation, specially at the time of Revolutionary Crises, needs a materialistic approach that our writer lacks. By reading his article I can guess that this comrade has no direct practical connection to the on going struggle in Iran. His analysis is merely based on "Principles" and "Say so". For example, he refers to the slogan of "Iranian Republic" as Mousavi's and Reformists' slogan. This is quite incorrect. If this article was not published in this site, I would have thought that this comrade knowingly lies, to support his metaphysical analysis. Mousavi and other reformists have attacked this slogan as "Radical" and asked the people to stop chanting it, in every addresses they made since mid summer. It is very difficult for me to believe that our writer does not know this fact.
What is lacking in this article is the materialist view of the Dialectics involved in this struggle. Even though the slogan "Iran Republic" is a reactionary slogan in itself, but putting in the perspective of Mousavi and other reformists declared goal of "Implementation of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic", is a direct "no" to the leadership of the reformists. I try to attach a open letter I wrote to an American comrade to this comment. Not knowing the limitation of this section. Hopefully, it is published in whole. if not, anybody who is interested can go to the following address to read it: http://nedaanews.com/English/?p=114
A Letter to an American Comrade
Monday, October 19, 2009
By admin
Dear Scott,
Thanks for your kind letter & the interest you show in regards to the struggles in Iran. Generally speaking, the faith of the Iranian working class & communists was not much different from the rest of the world. After the success of the Proletarian Revolution of 1917 & establishment of the Soviets’ Rule in Russia, Iranian communists were battered to disintegration by a caricature of Napoleon, Reza Pahlavi & his son, Mohammad Reza. But, the most important factor that corrupted the efforts of the Revolutionary Line to rebuild a Marxist Party was the dominance of the International Revisionism tied to the State Capitalism of Russia. We believe that this stroke, at the time of changing the structure of capital to that of Keynesian Capitalism, & the compromise of the Communist Parties with their national bourgeoisie in the Second Imperialists War, on the line of “saving the Socialist Motherland”, has knocked down the Revolutionary line to this date, all over the world. Naturally, we must explain this phenomenon based on the political-economy of the world capitalism, in relations to the position of the working class of the world, during the 20th century. But, this would take us to a different subject with its branches, which will shoot us totally off course.
So, on the question of the situation of revolutionary communism, I sadly reply that it could not be worst. After the Islamic Republic establishment, 30 years ago, a period of counter revolution took place that lasted up to the year 1995. In that year, there were a few uprising in the working class suburbs of Tehran & other cities as a consumer revolts. The Islamic Republic’s Suppressive forces were only able to control it after few days, using aerial attacks by military helicopters. But, since thousands of communists were killed & executed during the counter revolutionary years, and the rest were forced to take refuge abroad, to every one’s surprise, this event went, very much, unnoticed by the communists. However, the Islamic Ruling Regime appreciated the full impact of this event, splitting it in to two opposing wings, with the weaker monopolies taking a Reformist Line. In 1997, Khatami was their candidate & won the Presidency with a whopping 75 percent of the votes. On the other side, Khameneyi (The Leader) found itself in a very weak position, brought the Sepahe Pasdaran (Revolutionary Guards) Generals and the Intelligent bosses in to the political arena, as allies, to secure his position to stop any acts from the reformists that would hinder his dominance, by raising the price of his removal to the total overthrown of the political system. By this action, not only he secured his dominance, but became so strong that it was him, who insisted on the opposition leader to run for the second term. Because, the people still had some hopes left in him. Needless to say, Khatami (opposition Leader), because of his class base, non-dominant monopolies, lacked the Interest & therefore, the power to be able to make even a minute change.
The opposition’s lack of effectiveness destroyed their posture of “Reform”, opening the way for the Intellegent-Sepah man, Ahmadinezhad, to take the presidency in the “election”(?!!) of the year 2005. They also took the Majority of the Parliament, & City Councils, needless to say, through the same methods of “elections” (Selections) of the past 30 years. Now, it is the Intellegent-Sepah wing that has the higher hand in the ruling circle, with Khameneyi, being their puppet & at their disposal. Even though Khameneyi is not very happy with this situation, and here & there tries to show some independence, but his reliance of the brute force of Intellegent-Sepah is so crucial that has taken away every chance of an independency from him.
The reason I went in too much details of the inner conflicts of the Ruling circles, is that up to the revolutionary crises of past four months, the revolutionary line was almost non-existence. Now, it is due to the power of the people in the streets that our propaganda line is of some minute concern of the ruling circles. Our serious attempts to separate our line from that of the revisionists & the opportunists started three years ago. Some of us, working closely with the working class circles, felt that the revolutionary crises are on the way. At first, we tried to explain the situation to all the communists and prepare them for it. But, with every meeting and discussion we came to understand that their resistances were deeply rooted in their class position. Now, majority of them have sided with the Reformists against Despotism and us. They are fooling the people and the working class that the reformists are actually against this totalitarianism. They hide the fact this people are the representative of the monopolies, deeply dependant to the State Capitalism & government contracts, and the fact that without this dictatorship, they would not be able to survive a day. This fact is very clear to the proletarian masses as a class. That is why, unfortunately, they show no real support for this struggle and are very hesitant to join the people in the streets. Even though, the majority of the people that are fighting in the street are the unemployed youth & white colored workers. The revisionists encourage this passive mood amongst the proletariat, as a class, by using many distracting arguments. Some of them actually propagate that the fights in the street is between two wings of the ruling circles & the working class has no interest in getting in to it. Others say that if the working class masses enter this arena of the political struggle, it will turn in to a violent revolution and will loses its international support & backings.
But, the truth is that the street protest started as a result of the direct action of some unemployed youth, and the university student, regardless of the Reformist call for “calm”. The night that Mousavi stated that Ahmadinezhad has won through Vote Fixing, he stressed that no supporter of his should take to the streets, “because the other side wants this unprepared and foolish action as an excuse to suppress the opposition”. We were in direct contact with the students in two of the Tehran’s universities, getting reports of minute by minute progress of the demonstrations. During the first hours up to the first Demonstration of the Millions of people after 3 days, the reformists called on people to go off the streets in to mosques and the students back to their campuses. Every late afternoon, Mousavi & Karoobi’s supporters would tell the demonstrators that they are trying to obtain permits for the demonstration of the day after. But, each morning the government media would report that no permits were issued for the demonstrations, warning the people not to take to the streets. Then, the cadres of these two losing candidates would go to the universities begging the students to stay in the campus. But, The Revolutionary Students would answer them with chants of “Death to the Compromisers”! Of course we had no effect or a very little effect in one or two campuses. The main revolutionary line & chants came directly from the students themselves. Every day around 9 to 10 am, unemployed youth would start from the main squares toward the Vali Asr Square in the center of Tehran, as the meeting point. And the students would start from their campuses to the same square. When they were faced with state forces, they would change direction & the meeting place, organizing & harmonizing their actions by Mobile phones & SMS.
It was only on Monday the 15th of June, which an estimated 2-3 million people gathered at a central square. As usual the Reformist leadership announced that they were trying to obtain permits for the gathering. It was known to everyone that it is going to be a great crowed. Khameneyi, apparently after getting the forecast repots o f the gathering, accepted to meet with Mousavi, the night before. In this meeting he promised Mousavi that he will make the Guardian Council to listen to their grievances. Early morning, Mousavi went on the Radio, saying that he was unable to obtain the permit; therefore, the gathering will not take place. He said nothing about the compromised reached with the other side. Again his cadres went to the universities to ask the students to stay in the campus. But, this time, his wife, an educator of the Tehran University was sent to talk to the students in that influential campus. Her plead was again answered with chants of “death to the compromisers”. Apparently, her report & the forecasts of the gathering of the enormous crowed made Mousavi & Karoobi announce that they will join the demonstrations to calm the crowed & stop it from turning in to a mob.
The presence of millions of people surpassed any expectations. Even the student organizers were surprised. This gathering marked a turning point in the struggle, only three days after it began. This was the first time since 1979 that such crowed came out to protest in opposition of the State. It showed that the struggle has support of the all the layers of the society & it will not run out of steam, any time soon. A great weight was pulled off the youth & students shoulder on to the publics’. However, came with it, the cautious spirit necessary for the Reformist leaders to gain control. They had to take one step towards the revolution to be able to influence it. From that day, the reformists leaders have never tried to talk against a gathering, even though they did not call for one either. By doing so, they were able to ask the people to use the tactic of “silence”. People accepted it. For three day’s millions of people marched the streets in silence, up to the point of government forces attacks. As soon as the Suppressive forces would show their faces the crowed would break in to the chants of “Death to the Dictator”! This situation turned the compromise of two wings of the ruling circles in to null.
After an effective compromised went in to feather by the peoples action, Khameneyi took the tribune of the Friday’s Prayer in June the 19th, giving orders to shoot directly in to the crowd, hoping this will frighten the people in to submission. However, the opposite happened. On Saturday, June 20th, people gathered in millions. The Suppressive forces did not hesitate to carry out their leader’s orders. The people, also, did not hesitate to call for the “Death to Dictator”, clearly meaning the leader, and “Down with Islamic Republic”, pushing the situation in to a classical definition of a “Revolutionary Period”: When, the state cannot govern without the naked violence, and people cannot tolerate the state any longer. For weeks the Reformists were passive, not knowing what to do. It was the neighborhood cells that took the leadership of the masses, turning the closest square to a battleground. Foreign press tried very much to put the numbers in “Thousands”, and still presenting the main issue of the protesters as being an “election fraud issue” and the “presidency of Mousavi”. While, all of the neighborhoods in the city of 20 million was on fire at nights, and hundreds of thousand came to central squares in the day time. Even in Tohid Neighborhood, on the anniversary of the 18th of Tir (July 7th), all the streets were barricaded and all of the people, young and old, participated in chanting against khameneyi and the Islamic Republic, battling against the armed forces of the government, and in more than one occasion, leaving the barricades to attack the running forces with stones & clubs.
From that point on, the relations between the mass movement & the Reformist leadership became a complex one. Three forces are present, influencing the events; the forces of Despotism, Reformists, and the Revolutionary instincts of the masses. Note that I did not say the Revolutionary Forces, because we are very small groups to be able to influence the masses. Our influence goes as far as a small group of activists within the masses. When a revolutionary position is taken in contraire of the Reformists’ policies, is not due to our influence, but the instincts of the masses themselves. The interaction of these forces must be studied very carefully for anyone trying to give a closer to the true analysis. It is very difficult for an inaccurate lazy mind of metaphysicist to be able to grasp the relative truths.
Revolutionary thought is growing gradually in the minds of the people through their direct experiences in the streets. When the reformists moved to create a new Party (Green Path of Hope) with a lot of advertisement in order to direct the movement toward the reconciliatory position of “Constitution of the Islamic Republic” as the goal, a spontaneous slogan of “Iranian Republic” was chanted by some people. And, it became the dominant chant of last demonstration of September 18th (Ghods Day- “Jerusalem Day” , Last Friday of the month of Ramadan), rejecting the Islamic Republic as a whole. Also, in the same demonstration, people, unlike the demonstrations in the past that they would not attack the government forces, began to initiate attacks on their tools of suppression, setting the motor cycles & the Police Vans for carrying the arrested, ablaze. Also, committed counter attacks to stop the arrested being taken away by the security forces & the Police. This is completely against the reformists’ interpretation of the policy of “non-violence”. However, they still insist on using the color “Green” as the symbol of the movement, which was the symbol of Mousavi’s campaign for presidency. They do not take open opposition to the reformist leaders, thinking that it would strengthen the Intellegent-Pasdaran circle.
At the end, you asked how far we have gone to construct the Working Class Party based on the revolutionary line. In this field, we have gone far, but not enough. We still have a very long way to go. We have found and are in contact with many groups and circles of the same goals. If we had taken the bourgeoisie model of a party, we would have probably been in the last steps. But, since we do not believe that a Working Class Party is merely the unity of communists, we are at the very beginning. We have united on a platform, as you know. We were able to unite some circles and one other group of workers activists on that platform. Other groups have their alternatives written. We have already started the ideological struggle based on our differences. Hopefully, a conference is not out of reach. But, our class base is still very small for this unity to be called “a party”. We still have a long way to go. But, we are very hopeful, due to the acceleration of the social change that we are experiencing, and the signs of the working class joining the struggle for the political freedom.
I can only hope that my explanation makes it easier for you to follow up the situation by reading the daily developments through the news. We have started to translate some of our daily reports, articles, and most importantly, Public Messages, and also added an English page to our Web Site for our International comrades.
With hopes of the Unity of the Working Class of the World!
To the Direct Democracy through the Peoples’ Assemblies’ (Soviets) Republic!
Sincerely Yours,
Ahmad Farsi
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Internationalist Voice
This article is published by Internationalist Voice for more information visit the site of Internationalist Voice. Internationalist voice is a very modest voice but internationalist. Strengthening this modest voice is going to strengthen the internationalist positions. Any critique, advice and feedback would be appreciated.
Web site: www.internationalist.tk
E-mail: internationalist.voice@gamil.com
Communist Revolution or the destruction of humanity!
Class Consciousness (Part 1)
Revolutionary Organisations and Class Consciousness (Part 1) published by Internationalist Voice, to read the article visit the site of Internationalist Voice.
Web site: www.internationalist.tk
E-mail: internationalist.voice@gamil.com
Communist Revolution or the destruction of humanity!
Yes
I'm sure you would rather destroy humanity than face a world in which Communist Revolution never succeeds!
Hidden Author, you're now
Hidden Author, you're now becoming a parody of yourself. But against all better judgement, I'll assume you're not being your usual disingenuous self.
.
The slogan "Communist Revolution of the destruction of humanity" means that if we don't get rid of capitalism, capitalism will destroy humanity. It is a variant of older slogans such as "socialism or barbarism", "war or revolution", etc. posing the reality of the choices this society holds for us.
Further information?
"In the capital's palpating heart USA, it is normal for a worker to have two jobs to support his family. In the cradle of bourgeois civilization, France, job stress and misery at work are reasons for a wave of staff suicides."
I find this very interesting. Has the ICC written anything going further into the "bourgeois culture" of France as opposed to capital's heart being in the United States? I think that's an interesting distinction.
errors and economism
The comrades are correct in stating that communists should not be taking sides between the feuding poles of the Islamic Republic, however, their solutions to what the working class and communists should be doing in Iran, and how we relate to the mass movement leaves a lot to be desired.
I would like to echo Ahmad Farsi, Mousavi has never called for an "Iranian Republic", Mousavi and those around him are extremely scared that the movement is beyond their control, and we have seen a growing radicalisation in the mass movement, especially from left leaning students since the June protests. Mousavi is a defender of the Islamic Republic and its constitution, I am sure he would have no qualms with sending hundreds more leftists and democrats to their deaths if the movement gets out of control. It is also an error to say that the WCPI (led by Hamid Taqvaee) supports Mousavi, only last week was I sat with a comrade from that organisation attacking Mousavi supporters. The WCPI (Hekmatist) and WCPI (Unity) are also not fans of Mousavi. These organisations have made several errors and their politics are terrible, but comrades should be careful in assigning positions on groups they seem to have little understanding of them. Their demands and appeals to the UN and the EU are a disgrace and the comrades are correct to condemn such action.
The article is economistic, nowhere have the comrades from Internationalist Voice taken up the democratic demands that many of the radical youth, and the organised working class is making. Maybe this is down to writing off meaningful reforms in the absence of socialist revolution? It is quite obvious that the government of Ahmadinejad will fall, the regimes lifespan has been severely decreased because of these convulsions. Communists whilst not providing "fodder" for the "Reformist" wing of the regime, must take part in the movement and argue for independant class politics that go beyond the questions that the article deals with. Class struggle in the work places is essential, economic demands are important and will through conflict with the capitalist will turn political. In the same way the struggle at Haft Tapeh and Iran Khodro has turned political. However, where are the demands for the right to the right free assembly, freedom of association, freedom of the press and other basic democratic demands that form the basis of communists immediate programme? The comrades say that "democracy" is a trap for our class, and in many respects I agree, we do not want to see capitalist "democracy" in Iran, but that does not mean we cannot support demands and moves to widen democracy in Iran.
What do the comrades think communists outside of Iran should be doing to aid workers struggles and comrades inside Iran?
Class Consciousness (Part 2)
Revolutionary Organisations and Class Consciousness (Part 2) published by Internationalist Voice, to read the article visit the site of Internationalist Voice.
Web site: www.internationalist.tk
E-mail: internationalist.voice@gmail.com
Communist Revolution or the destruction of humanity!
Left Communism or the Left of Capital!
Published on the Debate page of the site.
To read it visit the site of Internationalist Voice.
Web site: www.internationalist.tk
E-mail: internationalist.voice@gmail.com
Communist Revolution or the destruction of humanity!
Class Consciousness (Part 3)
Revolutionary Organisations and Class Consciousness (Part 3) published by Internationalist Voice,to read the article visit the site of Internationalist Voice.
Web site: www.internationalist.tk
E-mail: internationalist.voice@gmail.com
Communist Revolution or the destruction of humanity!