 |
| Twelve communist youth organizations gathered in Prague recently from across Europe |
Twenty years have passed since the hammer and sickle, the red flag of the Great October Socialist Revolution and of socialism, was lowered from the Kremlin. Twenty years have passed since the counter-revolution and the overthrow of socialism in USSR and the other socialist countries of Europe.
This fact marked the beginning of a socially backward movement, not only for the peoples of the socialist countries, but also for peoples of entire world. The peoples of socialist countries saw a drop in their standard of living. They faced new phenomena such as unemployment, insecurity and immigration. The peoples of capitalist countries lost support for their struggle against capitalist barbarity. The subsequent years have proved not only that capitalism can not resolve any social problems, not only that capitalism can not satisfy the needs of the workers and the youth, but on the contrary, capitalism tries to get over its irremediable contradictions, by augmenting the exploitation of peoples, by condemning them to poverty, by unemployment and by wars.
Today, we are witness to new manifestations and a deepening of the capitalist crisis of over-accumulation and overproduction. As a result, all of the predatory aspects of the capitalist mode of production in its final stage (i.e. imperialism) are sharpened.
The economic crisis and the youth
Accumulation of monopoly capital has accelerated because of capitalism's centralization and concentration. On the other hand, the relative "surplus" population (in regards to the needs of capitalist accumulation), as well as evidence of the ineffectiveness of capitalism, is growing and is manifested in massive unemployment, the proletarization of the masses and increased poverty, especially among young people.
At the same time, part of the working class is overloaded, facing longer working hours for lower wages. As capitalism's productive forces grow, large part of the working class is also unused. The unequal effects of crisis in the capitalist centers (ie. Germany, France) and the so-called "periphery" (ie. Greece, Italy, Portugal, etc) are the result of the uneven regional and national development inside the structures of imperialism.
The crisis is taken as a pretext for attack on every advance of the working class, and every advance was gained by a history of hard working class struggles -- the most significant of which was establishing of workers' power in a part of Europe.
Attack on labour, young workers
The implementation of anti-people measures, that have been decided by both social democratic and neo-liberal governments alike, is accelerating and aims to decrease the price of European labor power. Labor rights, such as limitations of the working day, collective agreements, protection at work, and against the inconsistency of employers, are now in danger.
Precarious work has become one of the main means of exploitation among young workers, and it is also used to bring limitations to the workers capacity of organizing themselves and participating in the working class organizations, like trade unions, and as consequence precarious work is a tool to weaken the working class struggle.
Free and accessible public health care and education is being destroyed and the price of these services grows. The retirement age is rising. Social security systems and other responsibilities of the state toward the working class are canceled. All these changes move in direction of privatization, i.e. new spheres of profit for capital, and larger stratification of society. Now, the high-quality health care, education, social security, etc. is only for the bourgeoisie and not for working people and other popular classes.
The EU and mechanisms of domination
The capitalist rulers implement and enforce mechanisms of domination over peoples. Mass-media propaganda, no matter whether it is financed by the state or capital, promotes anti-communism and blames the the economic crisis on part of or all the people. It supports racism, chauvinism and xenophobia.
Any illusion of the democratic character of European Union (EU) institutions are being thrown away. This development shows the imperialist character of the EU and disproves any illusion of change to a so-called “more social” EU that, due to its class nature, is not possible to reform.
Rivalries between capitalist countries over who shares the greatest burden capital loss (which is the inevitable result of the crisis) are sharpening. Rivalries within the EU and Eurozone reflect precisely this reality. At the same time, the capitalists of the EU are united in their attack against the workers. They ask them to make sacrifices in the name of the salvation of Eurozone, EU and their profitability. But the people should not make any sacrifice!
Falsification of history
The people's future and their prosperity cannot be found in imperialist institutions. The falsification of history and anti-communism is financed and promoted by EU institutions and bourgeois states both in former socialist countries and other capitalist countries. The peoples’ victory over fascism, the historical significance of the Soviet Red Army in this victory, as well as the progressive development of the socialist countries is all disparaged. Instead, Communism is falsely equalized with Nazism.
The reactionary forces of the past are also being propagated -- including openly terrorist and fascist forces. Even the trade-union movement is slandered and state mechanisms (such as banning strikes and organizing strike-breaking) are used against striking workers. Likewise, the criminalization against the Communist Parties and Communist Youths is being promoted.
War and imperialist plunder
NATO confirmed its aggressive stance in its summit in Lisbon. The new imperialist attack in Libya (under a pretext of civilians’ protection and employing the UN in its plans to occupy this country and exploit its oil reserves) as well as the planned attacks on Syria and Iran clearly shows the dangerous imperialist offensive which can be resisted only with the gathering of the anti-imperialist forces. Inter-imperialist contradictions are growing between the old as well as the new imperialist powers.
Fightback and counter-offensive!
The effects of the crisis also creates new movements of the youth and working people in the European countries. We salute the brave struggles of workers and youth, including the recent struggles of workers in Greece, Portugal, Spain and other countries, where young communists are standing in front for the defense of working people and for counter-attack against the capital!
We highlight the necessity of reinforcing the intervention of the communist youth organizations within the youth and the youth movement, of reinforcing the contribution of young communists to the empowerment of the class struggle-oriented labour movement.
Only that way, will the accumulated anger of the young people, who are facing more and more dead-end solutions, will find a way out.
Only in that way will such anger not be trapped within the framework of the so-called “new movements” which are actually promoted by the system.
The so-called "new movements," using slogans such as “down with the parties, down with the trade unions”, are actually trying to slander the organized class struggle and the revolutionary struggle.
Socialism is the future
The recent attempts to intimidate the working class movement are caused by the capitalists’ fear of comparison between the current capitalist development and the successes of socialist construction. The socialist system proved its superiority over capitalism!
Socialism guaranteed to the citizens right to work in planned socialist economy which developed the capabilities of its country proportionally. Socialism guaranteed social security, free health care and education. Socialism canceled exploitation and inequalities between peoples, regions, races, nations, and genders. Socialism promoted social ownership of means of production, in both rural and urban communities.
On the international scale, the World Socialist System (WSS) was decisive for the peoples’ defeat of fascism and Nazism, and for destruction of colonialism. The WSS constituted the only effective counterweight to imperialism. It supported progressive and anti-imperialist forces in the world.
The communist youth
The communist youth compromise to enforce their struggle, especially today, that the capitalist crisis sharpens and this may cause unforeseeable consequences for the peoples. The Communist Youth organizations bare the great task of organizing the struggle of the youth to secure the satisfaction of its contemporary needs.
Today, all wealth (which produced by the people) the productivity of labor, and the development of science and technology can meet all the contemporary popular needs. It can reduce the hours of work. It can eliminate unemployment. And it can raise the cultural and educative level of workers.
In order to achieve this, the means of production must no longer be private property, used to exploit workers. It is necessary to transform the means of production into social property and develop them in favor of the working people.
We highlight that the people must not concede and pay for the capitalist debt. The real debt is owed to the working people, by their exploitation and dispossession by the monopoly capital. There is no unity with the exploiters facing the crisis. We can not sacrificing the people. This will only bring even more surplus-value to the big capitalists and strengthen their rule.
The communist youth organizations have great responsibility for future of the peoples. Their ideological work must tell the truth about the glorious history of socialist construction in the 20th century.
The strengthening and coordinated actions of the communist youth organizations can develop a consciousness of the possibility and necessity of building a superior society – socialism and communism. This is the idea that capital wants to erase from the minds of the youth.
The organization of militant youth will reinforce the working class and people in their struggles against imperialism. The prospect of socialist construction and the future of communism is the only real alternative to current system of exploitation. Twenty years later, it is clear that the defeat of socialism will be proven to only be temporary.
Social evolution cannot be stopped!
The youth's future is Socialism!
Communist Youth of Austria (KJÖ) COMAC, Belgium United Democratic Youth Organization (EDON) Communist Youth Union of the Czech Republic (KSM) Socialist German Workers´ Youth (SDAJ) Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) Communist Youth of Poland (KMP) Portuguese Communist Youth (JCP) Revolutionary Communist Youth Union of Bolsheviks (RKSMb) Union of Young Communists of Spain (UJCE) Collectives of Young Communist (CJC) Youth of Turkish Communist Party (YTKP)
No comments:
Post a Comment