US Rulers’ Internal Contradictions here ♦ US Withdraws from Afghanistan to Fight on Other Fronts here ♦
US Capitalist Rulers Caught in a Bind, Changing Times Open Doors for ICWP Growth
August 25—The US ruling class is openly worried that contradictions within the United States will affect foreign affairs as well as domestic politics. Whatever the political spin on the scenes from Kabul, Afghanistan in recent weeks, the US rulers know they have bigger problems.
“The long-term sources of American weakness and decline are more domestic than international,” warns Francis Fukuyama, a big shot on the influential Council of Foreign Affairs. “Just how influential it will be depends on its ability to fix its internal problems.”
Every week, more US foreign affairs experts are issuing similar warnings.
Their concerns are especially urgent when it comes to the US Armed forces. Many soldiers were profoundly affected by the mass demonstrations and strikes last year against racism, sexism, inadequate protections against the pandemic, xenophobia, fascism, and global inequality.
Recently, racist “boogaloo boys” surfaced on a US army base. This sparked large multi-racial groups of rank-and-file soldiers to organize weeks of anti-racist history lectures and discussion.
The brass (officers) chose to ignore the fascists. So scores of soldiers prepared to fight against this fascist outbreak. On another base, soldiers organized against the racist Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
The global uprisings have affected every nook and cranny of capitalist society. The rulers everywhere must resolve these domestic contradictions to remain in power. But they can’t, because their system must intensify exploitation and division in every country of the world.
A central principle of communist philosophy is that “internal contradictions are primary.” It’s true of US capitalism and it’s true of our party.
The capitalists’ domestic contradictions create an immediate opportunity for our party. We can’t stand on the sidelines. The communist relationships comrades build during this upheaval are crucial. They are already helping the party grow. The time is now for every collective to contribute. We have to overcome internal contradictions that hold us back from doing this.
The capitalists can’t resolve the contradictions in their system. But communist revolution will end them.
US Withdraws from Afghanistan to Fight on Other Fronts
“The US is retreating from the Greater Middle East while strengthening its strategic structure around China with the sole purpose of containing China,” editorialized the Chinese-sponsored Global Times (August 17).
The US was shifting its focus from Afghanistan to China, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last April.
US imperialism’s withdrawal from Afghanistan does not foretell peace. It is a strategic move to allow it to better confront its rivals, China and Russia. This will – unless the working class opts for communist revolution – inevitably lead to World War III.
The US is at a disadvantage trying to fight the rise of Chinese and Russian imperialism in Afghanistan. That’s why Foreign Affairs magazine bemoaned some US geopolitical strategists’ fixation on the greater Middle East. Its outlook represents the major sector of the US imperial rulers, who call for changing the culture left over from the Cold War. Their new strategy is pivoting to the south Pacific to confront China, and to the Black Sea region and Eastern Europe to face Russia.
In the south Pacific, the US already organized the Quad (the US, Australia, India, and Japan). It hopes to turn this into a military alliance against China. It is also courting Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines.
These last two control choke points that could cut off China’s exports and energy imports by sea, to paralyze its economy and military in case of war. And then it will fight China to control its unsinkable aircraft carrier in Taiwan.
Only communism can bring the lasting peace workers aspire for and need. Our duty is to build ICWP into a mass Party capable of leading the working class to power to stop the imperialists’ insane drive to World War III. If this is not possible, we will make this war their last war.
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