Thursday, June 2, 2016

Interview with KKE's Makis Papadopoulos: "The communists need to struggle decisively and methodologically against imperialism"

Special interview with Makis Papadopoulos, member of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Greece (KKE), responsible for the Ideology Department.

Source: International Communist Press, 01 June 2016.

ICP: As a result of the protocol that exists between CP of Greece and CP, Turkey you came to give a seminar on imperialism to the cadres of CP, Turkey. Do you think that the seminar was productive?

Makis Papadopoulos (MP): The seminar itself proves the substantial and fraternal cooperation in the relationship of the two parties. CP of Greece (KKE) and CP, Turkey (KP) in order to develop a revolutionary strategy they realize the need of a new theoretical analysis in the Marxist-Leninist approach. This seminar was productive because it gave us the chance to clarify the Leninist approach of our party and to debate certain critical points of the topic. At a period which the antagonism among the inter-imperialist centers is intensifying and with NATO getting more aggressive, thus there is a risk of a more general war, the communist parties need to be alert to act in time.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

What the Capitalist Economic Crisis in Greece has taught us

By Nikos Mottas.

It was six years ago, on May 2010, when the then Prime Minister George Papandreou, in a televised message from the picturesque island of Kastelorizo, was announcing Greece's entry to the support mechanism of the IMF and the EU – the 'memorandum phase'. The economic crisis in Greece had manifested itself a year earlier, in 2009, when it entered in a phase of rapid recession, following the outbreak of global financial crisis in 2007-2008. Today, after four bourgeois governments (Papandreou, Papademos, Samaras, Tsipras) and three memorandums of harsh austerity packages, we can draw some significant conslusions. What did the Capitalist Economic Crisis in Greece teach us?

1. The Source of the Crisis.

Contrary to various bourgeois interpretations and theories of the economic crisis (over-consumption, casino-capitalism, etc.), there is one clear, scientifically proven, reality: Capitalism itself contains in it's DNA the inevitability of crises. Capitalist production, with it's contradictory character and anarchy, contains the seed of such crises. In Capitalist economy lies the motive to push capitalist reproduction to extremes levels, to accumulate immense profits, thus giving a monetary speculative form to the appropriation of surplus value from the working class labour. The devaluation of capital (either commercial or financial) and the devaluation of labour power (as a commodity), has occurred repeatedly in the past and will certainly occur in the future for as long as the exploitative system called 'Capitalism' exists.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Brexit: Why workers in Britain should vote to leave the EU

Why British workers need a Brexit.
Source: Proletarian (CP of Great Britain, Marxist-Leninist), 
Issue 71, April 2016. 
Leaving the EU would undoubtedly weaken the ability of British, European and even US imperialists to dominate the globe, thus taking our struggle for socialism one small step forward.

“From the standpoint of the economic conditions of imperialism – ie, the export of capital and the division of the world by the ‘advanced’ and ‘civilised’ colonial powers – a United States of Europe, under capitalism, is either impossible or reactionary ...

“Of course, temporary agreements are possible between capitalists and between states. In this sense a United States of Europe is possible as an agreement between the European capitalists ... but to what end? Only for the purpose of jointly suppressing socialism in Europe ... On the present economic basis, ie, under capitalism, a United States of Europe would signify an organisation of reaction.” (On the slogan for a United States of Europe by VI Lenin, 23 August 1915).

On the developments in Brazil - The dilemmas of bourgeois management and the necessity of the anti-capitalist struggle

The people must disentangle themselves from the dilemmas of bourgeois management.
Source: Rizospastis, 22/5/2016 / Reproduced from inter.kke.gr.

The developments in Brazil, the escalation of the political crisis have been at the centre of attention internationally.
This is not strange, as we are talking about the 7th largest economy in the world, the 5th largest country in terms of area and population, and the largest country in the planet's southern hemisphere. A country that in previous years witnessed high levels of capitalist growth, indeed in 2011 it replaced Britain as being the world's 6th largest economy.
It plays a significant role in the framework of the BRICS alliance (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) as well as in important inter-state capitalist unions (.e.g.Celac, Mercosur/Unasur) that are being promoted in the American continent. We should also bear in mind that since 2004, i.e. in the period of the "progressive" governments, it has been the head of the military intervention in Haiti, which is being carried out under the mantle of the UN.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

World Peace Council: Internationalist solidarity meeting held in Athens

ATHENS- With a solidarity event at 'Alkyonis' cinema, the Greek Committee for International Peace and Detente (EEDYE) welcomed the members of the Secretariat of the World Peace Council (WPC) which met in Athens on May 27-28th. The event was attended by Giorgos Marinos, member of the Political Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece, the Cuban ambassador in Greece Mr.Osvaldo Cobacho Martinez, the consul of the Palestinian embassy, as well representatives of various peace committees around the world.

The Secretariat of the World Peace Council met on Friday with major speakers being the WPC President Socorro Gomes and WPC General Secretary Thanasis Pafilis. The meeting was attended by representatives from several countries including Brazil, United States, Cuba, Portugal, Cyprus, Palestine, Syria, India, Nepal, South Africa, Congo, Poland, Turkey and Israel.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE) to hold 10th Congress on June 10-12 in Madrid

Partido Comunista de los Pueblos de España.
Madrid, May 25th, 2016 
Dear Comrades, 
The Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain holds its 10th Congress on June 10-12 in Madrid.
Under the slogan “Strenghtening the Party, Organizing the Revolution”, the theses approved by the Central Committee on January 17th will be debated, as well as the proposal to modify the Party statute. 
The three theses (documents) will deal with the international level of the class struggle, the class struggle in Spain and the proposals for the strengthening and development of PCPE in the period until the next Congress, with the goal of making our Party a better tool for the struggle for Socialist Revolution in Spain. 

Friday, May 27, 2016

Vladimir Putin visits Greece: Russian Monopolies seek to participate in Energy and Transportation privatization deals

Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrived in Athens today, bringing with him numerous businessmen and representatives of Russian monopoly groups, including Gazprom and Rosneft. Mr.Putin is scheduled to meet with the President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos as well as with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, while on Saturday he will pay a visit to Mount Athos in northern Greece. 

What is the major purpose of Putin's visit in Greece?

President Putin has clearly stated Moscow's intentions to strengthen Russian economic and geopolitical presense in Greece and the Balkan peninsula. In an article published in 'Kathimerini', Vladimir Putin pointed out his government interest in deepening the Greek-Russian relations, as long as they consist part of the relations between Russia and the EU. 

KKE: No to any imperialist intervention in Libya- No to any participation of Greece in the euroatlantic plans

Statement of the Press Office of KKE regarding the planned imperialist intervention in Libya. Source: 902.gr / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

"What is happening in the Mediterranean?

Is a new imperialist intervention in Libya prepared?

Which is the target of the NATO exercise 'Phoenix Express 2016' in the region?

What is the role of the military base of Souda (Crete)?

What is the purpose of NOTAM (notice to the pilots), which has been issued under the responsibility of the Greek government- along with relating NOTAM of Italy and Malta- for the closing of the airspaces for aircrafts coming from Libya and the reception of NATO aircrafts in the Greek airspace?

Thursday, May 26, 2016

PAME protest in Athens: Solidarité avec les Militants Travailleurs de France!

Action of Solidarity with the workers of France.
ATHENS- On Thursday, May 26, a delegation of PAME (All Workers Militant Front), WFTU (World Federation of Trade Unions) and MAS (Militant Students Front) held a protest at the Embassy of France in Athens.
The action aims to express the Solidarity of the workers and the youth of Greece, and of the WFTU, with the Struggle of the workers of France. In a provocative response, the French Embassy refused to meet with the representatives of the Trade Unions, who were “welcomed” by the Embassy’s Head of Security.
The delegation condemned this behavior of the Embassy, which is in accordance with the intimidation tactics and threats of the French Government, aiming to break the militant spirit of the strikers.

KKE: The anti-people work of the government has been acknowledged and approved via the Eurogroup agreement

Communist Party of Greece: Statement of the Press Office of the KKE on the Eurogroup Agreement, 25.5.2016 / Source: inter.kke.gr.

The anti-people work of the government has been acknowledged and approved via the Eurogroup agreement on the completion of the assessment.The agreement confirms that the downward spiral is endless, as each tranche installment has new anti-people measures as its precondition. Similarly, any "lightening" of the debt, which was not created by the people, will be accompanied by a new raft of measures in the various phases of its discussion, regardless of how the competition between the IMF and sections of the bourgeois classes of the EU will be expressed and regardless of what its result will be.
The lies of the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition will unravel quickly, as the laws that have just been passed are not the last difficult measures, as the government officials pretended in the previous period.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Cyprus Elections: AKEL suffers setback losing up to 7% - Fascist Party enters the Parliament

The GS of AKEL A.Kyprianou.
Cyprus's ruling conservatives took the lead in Sunday's general election, results showed, while a far-right party won its first seats in the legislature amid voter disillusionment after a 2013 financial meltdown.
With the voting tally at 100 percent, and an unprecedentedly high abstention rate, the right-wing Democratic Rally party was ahead with 30.6 percent of the vote followed by AKEL (Progressive Party of Working People) with 25.6 percent.
Compared to the previous elections of 2011, those two main parties on the Cypriot political scene suffered setbacks. AKEL lost up to seven percentage points while Democratic Rally lost 3.7 percentage points.

By contrast ELAM, a far-right formation forged on the coat-tails of Greece's Neo-Nazi Party of Golden Dawn, scraped past a newly-imposed 3.6 percent electoral threshold and won up to two seats, according to preliminary estimates. Cyprus has an executive system of government and the president is elected separately, but the vote on Sunday was seen as a popularity gauge for President Nicos Anastasiades, whose term expires in 2018.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Russian Communist Workers' Party (RCWP): Condemnation of anti-communism at Donetsk

Source: International Communist Press, 24th May 2016.
The Russian Communist Workers' Party (RCWP) denounced the decision disqualifying the two communist deputies in the legislative organ of the self proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the People's Soviet.
The Russian Communist Workers' Party (RCWP) released a statement on the decision that took the powers of two communist deputies in the legislative organ of the self proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the People's Soviet. The RCWP stated that the decision of Donetsk People's Republic authorities which disqualifies communist deputies in the People's Soviet has no difference than the Kiev regime's anti-communist laws and attacks. In the statement, the RCWP underlined that with this decision the DPR authorities try to prevent communists from participating in the People's Soviet elections in the first place.

The decision is compared with the Ukrainian President Poroshenko's anti-communist steps such as banning the communist party and adopting de-communization laws. The RCWP stated that the attack against communists of DPR only justifies Poroshenko's claims about Donetsk being under the jurisdiction of Kiev and next step would be demolishing the Lenin monuments in DPR cities.

Contemporary Problems of the Class Struggle and the Role of the Communist Party

Fundamental Principles of the 

Revolutionary Workers’ and Communist Movement.

By Dimitris Gontikas* / Source: International Communist Review, Issue 3, 2014.

Every Communist Party which remains fixed on its mission and resolutely focussed on its central task to prepare and organise the working class and to guide its struggle for the fulfilment of its historic mission, is obliged to guide the working class on the basis of the fundamental principle of scientific socialism: “Without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement”.
It is obliged to unrelentingly and consistently defend this principled position from every form of undermining. It must defend this by struggling continuously for the continual correlation between theory and practice.
The history of the revolutionary and labour movements teaches us that neither willpower nor declarations are sufficient to safeguard and secure a revolutionary struggle-line and the existence of the party as a revolutionary vanguard.
There is a necessity not only for secure theoretical foundations but also for the continuous enrichment of theory through the study of the developments, with a heightened class criterion, the study of the strategy of the opponent, the generalization of experience, as well as the open ideological front against every revisionist attempt. Ideological struggle should reach the level of an open break with the current of revisionism and opportunism within its ranks.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Mikis Theodorakis fires against Tsipras' government: "They are destroying the present and future of our country"

Mikis Theodorakis.
In an article published in his personal webpage, legendary composer Mikis Theodorakis attacks the current Greek coalition government of Alexis Tsipras. 

In the beginning of his statement, Theodorakis writes about “a left-right political formation that has the overwhelming electoral and popular minority and obeys to the commands of foreigners destroying the present and future of our country," stressing that everything Tsipras' SYRIZA-ANEL government does, he does it "with no shame and knowing the harm he provokes to our society".

Two days ago, in a radio interview for 'Vima 99.5 FM' the renowned composer, songwriter and veteran politician expressed his dissapointment for the Greek Prime Minister. I am sorry for Tsipras, because power changes people and the leftist government will take the Left and Greece back” Theodorakis said.

KKE: "The SYRIZA-ANEL government is purposely serving the most brutal Capitalism"

Thanasis Pafilis, KKE MP.
Addressing the Greek Parliament on Saturday, KKE's parliamentary representative Thanasis Pafilis underlined that the reality itselt vindicates what the Communist Party was openly saying to people. He pointed out that the government, the opposition party of New Democracy and the other bourgeois parties serve the common strategy of the EU; a strategy that aims to please the demands of the Capital.

MP Pafilis unleashed an attack against Tsipras' coalition government underlining that the government follows a predicable course as long as it follows the wild capitalist system with it's iron laws. "You say that you save the most brutal Capitalism in order to move to Socialism [...] You made your choice. The fight is about who is going to have the upper hand" Pafilis said and added: "You are in the road of capitalist development, in the road of social injustice, the road of poverty of the people and new profits for the big capital and we are along with the people, in the road of the (system's) overthrow. Because, finally, as it was proved in the past and is also proved now, the social systems doesn't change from within. They change and overturned from peoples' struggle and social revolutions".

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Poland government's anti-communist paranoia continues...

"Show me your friends": Andrzej Duda greets the head
of Ukraine's pro-fascist government, Petro Poroshenko
.
The right-wing, pro-capitalist government of Poland adds another episode in the series of it's anti-communist paranoia. After the continuous persecutions against communists in the country, after the decision to re-write history by destroying 500 Soviet-era monuments, the government of Andrzej Duda signed a law banning all references to communism! According to the law - signed on May 20th - local authorities will have 12 months to change any names linked to individuals, organisations, events or dates reflecting such political ideologies.

According to the AFP report from Warsaw: "The law specifies that any mention of the regime in place in Poland between 1944 and 1989, when the country was part of the Soviet bloc, would be a no-no. The governing Law and Justice (PiS) party, which came to power in November after eight years in opposition, is stridently anti-communist. The movement emerged out of the freedom-fighting Solidarity trade union that negotiated a peaceful end to communism in Poland in 1989".