Need Communism to End Inter-Imperialist Conflict here ♦ Imperialist Rivalry Threatens Wider Wars here ♦
Ukraine: Need Communism to End Inter-Imperialist Conflict
LOS ANGELES (USA), December 29— “I read the Red Flag you sent me, interesting,” messaged a friend. “I would like to ask you a few questions, especially what is going on in Ukraine.”
I called him back. After chatting about work, I brought up Ukraine. I explained that there are specific issues like the Nord Stream pipeline. But the essence of the situation is great-power imperialist rivalry mainly between the US and Russia.
The inner logic of a capitalist economy means continual expansion. Over 100 years ago, European capitalist-imperialist powers had already conquered most of the world’s people. Through war and diplomacy, they had divided the world amongst themselves. Since then, two world wars and a host of regional wars have meant the rise of some imperialist powers and the decline of others.
Capitalism’s constant need for expansion makes imperialist war and environmental destruction the defining features of the present era.
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was, for 70 years, part of the Soviet Union. Its industrial and agricultural sectors developed greatly as part of the Soviet economy. Politically and culturally, however, Ukraine remained divided between pro-Russian and Ukrainian-nationalist factions.
The Soviet Union broke up in 1991. Russian leaders and their Ukrainian allies expected to keep Ukraine in the Russian orbit. But Ukraine has increasingly tilted toward western Europe and NATO. Despite internal opposition from pro-Russian forces, it is on track to joining NATO. Naturally, Russia does not want NATO on its very doorstep.
So, the Russian capitalists annexed Crimea with its vital Black Sea naval bases. They are supporting (or running) a pro-Russia insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Their military buildup on their Ukrainian border was meant to pressure the US and its allies to negotiate over Ukraine’s future boundaries and status.
US imperialism isn’t prepared to commit troops to Ukraine – especially after its humiliating departure from Afghanistan. But the Russian rulers may have overplayed their hand. Russia could easily get bogged down fighting a nationalist insurgency in western Ukraine. That would risk further nationalist unrest elsewhere.
But, in the not-so-long run, the US-Russia imperialist conflict is likely to sharpen. Same with the US-Chinese imperialist conflict. Increasingly large and dangerous wars are likely.
“But why would Russian communist leaders act like capitalist imperialists?” my friend asked.
“Because they are ‘communist’ in name only,” I replied. “Look at their actions, not what they call themselves.
“The original Soviet leaders thought that the path to communism ran through a long period of socialism. They tried to develop the ‘forces of production’ by retaining central aspects of capitalism, like wages and markets.
“They thought that communist leadership could transform this system – state capitalism with strong safety nets – into eventual communism. Instead, this system transformed the leaders into a new capitalist class.
“We’ve learned from this disaster that the only way to achieve communism is to fight for it directly, and to mobilize masses for exactly that goal. Does that make any sense to you?” I asked.
“I would like to read more about it,” my friend answered. “Please keep sending me the newspaper.”
Ukraine: Imperialist Rivalry Heightens, Threatens Wider Wars
January 3—At Putin’s December 24 press conference, he explicitly warned for the first time that if the US and NATO decline to provide the security guarantees Moscow wants, his future actions will be guided by “the proposals that our military experts will make to me.”
That threat responded to NATO’s move to include Ukraine, and to the US arming Ukraine. Russia has sent 175,000 troops to Ukraine/Russia border.
The crisis in Europe is not about just Ukraine. It’s a fight between two rival imperialist powers. It’s about the US trying to contain Russia. Rising Russian imperialism can’t accept NATO’s further eastward expansion, US military deployments in Ukraine or the creation of anti-Russian states along its borders.
Biden refuses to guarantee that NATO will not expand into Ukraine and beyond. There is less and less wiggle room between the imperialists.
Russia and the US gave opposite reports of the recent Putin-Biden conversation. Russia claims an agreement that a coming diplomatic meeting in Geneva will involve the US and NATO guaranteeing that NATO will cease its expansion eastward and that the US will declare it has no intention of deploying offensive strike weapons in Ukraine.
But the White House said, “there were no declarations as to intentions. Further [Russian] invasion of Ukraine will entail additional [US/NATO] assistance.”
European Union (EU) leaders urge Russia to turn to diplomacy rather than invasion. A war in Ukraine would greatly expand Europe’s refugee crisis. The European Council on Foreign Relations says that neither NATO nor the US has the capability to take on Russia in case of an invasion. Western Europe depends on Russia for its gas supply. EU leaders do not want war with Russia.
Declining US imperialism faces a rising China and Russia and seeks to clip Russia’s wings before taking on China.
The US, trying to contain China, made an agreement with Japan to build a military base on an island 67 miles from Taiwan and 167 miles from China. China will eventually find this unacceptable.
China and Russia have increased their alliance and military cooperation everywhere. It’s even possible that China could move against Taiwan while Russia moves to take over more of Ukraine—forcing the US to either confront its two imperialist rivals at the same time or accept losses on one or both fronts.
Whether in this crisis, or a coming one, the rivalry between the capitalist-imperialists is leading to world war over profits and empire. All of them are enemies of the working class.
The imperialist bosses have bunkers to hide in. It is the masses of workers and soldiers everywhere who suffer and die in the capitalists’ murderous wars.
The masses’ hatred of capitalism and its wars will grow. This presents communists with the opportunity to mobilize the masses for communist revolution to end the bosses’ wars for profit and build a world based on mobilizing collectively to meet the masses’ needs—without money, wage slavery, borders or imperialist war.
Masses of workers, soldiers and youth mobilized in Russia and China to turn the bosses’ wars into revolution. US soldiers and sailors in Vietnam refused to fight for US imperialism while the Vietnamese masses fought with determination, forcing the US to withdraw from Vietnam.
The work communists do now in mobilizing co-workers and youth, especially soldiers, lays the basis for communist revolution in the face of the bosses’ war preparations.
Previous Article on Ukraine Crisis:
Ukraine Crisis Brings World War III Closer
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