Fascism or Communism here ♦ Greenland here ♦
Fascism or Communism?
Fascism in Soviet Russia (social fascism) is the elephant in the room. Ignoring it gives free rein to the ruling class to discredit communism. And they sure take the opportunity to do so.
In France after World War II, communist ideas attracted a lot of workers. The Communist Party (which was not a true communist party) would get a third of the votes at national elections. The CGT was a powerful communist-based union. Many artists and intellectuals proudly claimed to be communists.
Now it is quite the opposite.
After the May 1968 rebellion, the bosses got scared and they orchestrated a propaganda war against communism. Newspapers, books, magazines, and so on were full of revelations about ‘communist’ horrors in the USSR – the Stalin cult, the NKVD, the gulags, the purges, etc., etc. The tone changed, too, about the French Revolution. The king and queen were now “martyred” by the revolutionaries.
In my small French town, very conservative, I had two friends who belonged to the Communist Party. They were loved and respected and they put a lot of work and dedication into spreading communist ideas. In fact, it was their life.
In the 1980s, they totally withdrew, embarrassed and ashamed because they felt they were associated with the mistakes and cruelty of what had become Fascist Russia.
They did not need to be. Communists must keep proudly defending their ideas – not by denying what happened in the USSR – but by condemning it. Purely and simply.
Social fascism was not communism. Communists do not fall back on cruel capitalist ways (prison, labor camps, famine, killings) to terrorize and exploit workers. Let’s quote Che Guevara: “Let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love.” Che reserved hatred for the enemy.
As one of my older friends told me once: “Capitalism did not succeed the first time.” Same with communism. It is difficult and long work to convince people. Let’s not get involved in the extent, exaggeration, etc., of the events but instead admit and forcibly say that what happened in the USSR was not communism. It is not that hard.
—Comrade from France
Red Flag responds: We appreciate the comrade’s letter, and we have always said that the USSR was never communist. The comrade’s explanation of the French rulers’ anti-communist campaign after 1968 is helpful. But we think the letter reflects the impact of that campaign’s claims about what happened (or allegedly happened). We don’t agree that the term “social fascism” (in its commonly used sense) is an apt description of the USSR at any point. We expect that other readers will want to contribute to this discussion.
Greenland: The Fight for World Hegemony
The Red Flag article about the imperialists’ fight over Greenland is informative and welcome. It was based on a collective discussion about the struggle between the imperialists. The article encouraged more readers to be part of this discussion. This letter aims to contribute to it.
The article says that the main reason the US imperialists fight to control Greenland is that they covet the minerals, oil, gas, and other resources. Those are for long-term profitable investments.
The urgency has more to do with the strategic geographic location of Greenland and its surrounding waterways. They are crucial in a war with Russia. US military bases there will give the US closer access to every city in Russia—closer than Ukraine would!
The US also wants to deprive Chinese and Russian imperialism of sea lanes and resources for war and to secure them for US imperialism. Today, war is primary over immediate profits.
The Arctic has become critical for imperialist competition. Melting ice opens faster sea routes and exposes vast natural resources. It is becoming a key route for Russian and Chinese imperialists to transport oil for war, bypassing chokepoints controlled by the US Navy, including the Suez Canal.
With the petrodollar and USD in decline and the BRICS growing, US imperialism is desperate to control Greenland not only to halt the advance of China, but to attack Russia.
Losing the economic competition, the US urgently seeks to stop China and Russia militarily. US imperialism, not just Trump, needs to fight for its lost hegemony. The fight to control Greenland and the newly navigable seas around it, and its minerals, is part of developing World War III.
For Russia, the Arctic is an existential economic and military priority. Over 50% of the Arctic coastline is Russian. Russia has reopened over fifty Soviet-era military bases and modernized its Northern Fleet to protect its nuclear second-strike capabilities. It seeks to control the Northern Sea Route as a domestic waterway, aiming for year-round shipping. The Kremlin views the Arctic as essential for resource extraction (oil/gas).
China declared itself a “near-Arctic state” in 2018. Beijing is investing $90 billion in Russian energy and infrastructure to create a Polar Silk Road that could reduce shipping times to Europe by 40%. Greenland contains thirty minerals that China considers vital for its defense industry.
The US is fighting to increase its presence, surveillance, and polar navigation abilities to counter Russia and China. The US is aiming for potential control and increased military basing to secure the GIUK Gap (Greenland-Iceland-UK)—a vital maritime corridor for tracking Russian submarines.
The US increasingly depends on newly-admitted NATO allies Finland and Sweden to maintain a persistent presence and provide icebreaking capabilities it currently lacks.
The sharpening fight between these imperialist butchers means more attacks and deaths for the working class in Greenland and worldwide. The imperialists compete and kill for control and profit. We need to get rid of all of them with communist revolution.
—Comrades
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