New Caledonia protests here ♦ Free Palestinian, Filipino, and All Workers with Communist Revolution here ♦ “Radical” Politicians: Dangerous Diversion from Communist Organizing here ♦
Protests in New Caledonia Reflect Intensifying Rivalry Leading to World War.
May 16: New Caledonia is a French colony on the Pacific Rim, northeast of Australia. The French rulers proposed changes in voting laws to lessen the power of indigenous Kanaks (41% of the population) in favor of European settlers. This sparked a major uprising. The French government responded with military force and a visit from President Macron. On June 13, Macron backed down on the reforms, but on June 19, a pro-independence leader and ten others were arrested for their supposed role in the rebellion.
New Caledonia is a major source of nickel—essential to battery-operated cars. China is its largest trading partner and the third largest customer for its nickel. An independence movement is led by Kanak elites and supported by Russian ally Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has formed a “Baku Initiative Group.” This backs anti-colonialist movements in France’s overseas colonies.
New Caledonian “independence” will trade one imperialist master (France) for another (Russia/China). Neither represents workers’ interests, especially indigenous Kanak workers. And especially the unemployed and alienated youth for whom capitalism guarantees a future of racism, poverty, and war.
Only communism, not “independence,” can meet the real aspirations of these workers and youth.
Free Palestinian, Filipino, and All Workers with Communist Revolution
LOS ANGELES (USA), June 11— “Free Palestine!’’ said the comrade, fist in the air, looking at the watermelon symbol on fellow-teacher Mr. M’s sweater.
“Most definitely,” answered Mr. M.
Mr. N nodded in agreement and added, “and their LGBT community as well.”
“Yes. Definitely,” said the comrade. “It’s a multilayered issue for sure.” And left it at that, when the conversation begged for further discussion. Freedom from what? For whom? And how?
In May, this comrade went with an older comrade to a pro-Palestinian college encampment. They talked with several students at the entrance about their goals and the demands of the protest. “We want our school to divest from companies supporting genocide in Palestine,” said one.
“But you know they won’t do that,” replied the teacher comrade. This led to the question of the meaning behind the popular chant “Free Palestine”.
The student said that it meant for Palestine to have the freedom of self-determination. But again, what does that really mean?”
Self-determination is an illusion
Self-determination is supposed to mean the process by which a country determines its own statehood and forms its own allegiances and government. But every country is divided into classes: mainly, the ruling capitalist class and the working class.
In every country, the capitalists rule over the masses of workers. They exploit workers’ labor to reap their profits. We, the masses, can never be free until we get rid of capitalist relations and capitalist rule.
We must replace capitalist relations with communist relations of collectivity and sharing. Real communism will be a society without capitalists, exploitation, or money. Instead of being wage slaves, we will be free workers producing only what the masses need.
The older comrade talked about her experience organizing against the US war on Vietnam. The Vietnamese fought bravely against French and then US imperialism. They won on the battlefield, forcing the US to leave Vietnam, and inspiring US soldiers and sailors to rebel against their military. But they fought for “national liberation.” Now Vietnamese workers are making tennis shoes for Walmart in return for poverty wages.
Today, the Philippines has nine US military bases, as declining US imperialism prepares to confront rising Chinese imperialism. June 12 was Philippine “Independence Day,” commemorating the end of Spanish colonial rule. US domination of the Philippines officially ended in 1946, but it continues today. Meanwhile, Chinese warships attack Philippine ships with water cannons in the South China Sea. Many want “true independence.”
The world is dominated by the deadly rivalry between the top imperialists. The US and NATO are preparing to confront rising Chinese and Russian imperialism. No nation can be independent of this imperialist battle, which is leading to World War III. The only way forward for the masses is to mobilize for communist revolution to end the capitalist-imperialist system everywhere.
Getting rid of the capitalists and imperialists, the united masses in Palestine, the Philippines, and everywhere will be able to organize production and all life only to meet the masses’ needs. This is real communism. Organizing society around the needs of the collective rather than money will require a winning struggle against everything that divides us, including racism, xenophobia, sexism, and homophobia. Freeing Palestine and the Philippines must mean freeing all workers from capitalism.
Every capitalist is the oppressor, no matter if they are the same nationality, “race,” or gender as you. Every capitalist country is tied into a global system of imperialism. Removing one imperialist power just to replace it with a domestic one (tied to a rival imperialist) won’t end class wars over exploitation. It perpetuates the exploitive nature of capitalist society.
Workers around the globe need to envision and fight for a world where we are all siblings in the same working class. Where we work together to build and maintain society and the collective. Knowing all of this as communists, this must be the discourse surrounding “Free Palestine.” It’s not a separate issue but another symptom of the global issue of capitalism.
When we hear “Free Palestine” or “Independence,” we must answer with Communist Revolution, and nothing less.
“Radical” Politicians: Dangerous Diversion from Communist Organizing
BURBANK (USA), June 5— “In our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians!” Dozens of protesters gathered (like every week since February) outside Congressman Adam Schiff’s office, next to City Hall. They are Palestinian, Jewish, Black, Filipino, Latinx, and more. They put their lives on hold and their bodies on the line, trying to stop an ongoing genocide.
Along came City Council member (and former mayor) Konstantine Anthony. This forty-something actor (now a career politician) is a union member. He claims to support abolishing prisons and police. He calls himself a Marxist and has been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.
While running for County Supervisor in November, he visited local Gaza protests looking for votes and promising to push cease-fire resolutions. After “Burbank for Palestine” mobilized at a City Council meeting, Anthony finally put one forward in April.
But he pulled it from the April 28 Council agenda after the violence at the UCLA Gaza encampment without mentioning that Zionist goons and then cops caused the violence. Then he brought it back—until he ran into opposition from other council members and the mayor.
Today, this shameless opportunist gathered the protesters together to explain that he was pulling it again. Instead, he would offer a letter thanking President Biden for his bogus “ceasefire” proposal. He asked protesters to support it and “suggest language” for it. What an act!
The crowd was having none of it. A young leader later summed up the mood:
“I am deeply disappointed and angry. I have been straining my voice leading chants ever since February to keep the group’s spirit up while waiting for the Burbank City Council to pass a ceasefire resolution,” said this Red Flag reader. “The Palestinian and Jewish residents in Burbank are screaming for a ceasefire. I will not in my heart support a letter to the same President that is funding this genocide.”
As Anthony kept justifying himself, a comrade distributed more copies of Red Flag. “Communist, cool!” was a typical response. Soon almost everyone had walked away from Anthony and was back on the curbside chanting. “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Genocide Joe has got to go.” “From Kashmir to Palestine, exploitation is a crime!”
Many people are fed up with electoral parties. But they don’t (yet) see a clear revolutionary alternative. They still have illusions in local capitalist politics. A few think that running leftist candidates will get people to take them seriously.
Konstantine Anthony is a perfect example of how liberal (even “radical”) politicians try to mislead the angry youth. He attacks the student encampments, which were daring, brave, and confrontational (though mainly pacifist) as “violent.” And then tries to get Gen Z to help him congratulate fascist Biden (raising his own stature in the Democratic party). He used to be a comedian – is this his idea of a joke?
Red Flag is bringing that clear revolutionary alternative – mobilizing masses for communism — to Gen Z’ers and others. We invite them to meet with us. To share Red Flag with their activist circles and other friends. To join the International Communist Workers’ Party and build new communist collectives. And we’re deadly serious about that.
Read our ICWP Pamphlet:
Genocide in Gaza Demands Communist Revolution here