Interview with Marco Rizzo, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Italy (PC)

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Italy (Partito Comunista), Marco Rizzo, gave a very interesting interview to the International Communist Press:

ICP: Before starting, could you inform our readers about the discussions within the Italian Communist Movement that led to the founding of your party, the Communist Party of Italy?

Marco Rizzo: The ideological and political origins of our Party refer to the political area of ​​the legendary organizer of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) during the Resistance, Pietro Secchia, who was an opponent of Togliatti for what concerned its moderatism according to the "Italian Way to Socialism". This area kept living through the magazine Interstampa and the Marxist Cultural Centers, born in Italy during the ‘80s. This area was, in fact, the backbone of the struggle of the pro-Soviet opposition within the PCI and the establishment of the new party, Rifondazione Comunista, after the PCI dissolution in 1991.

Dimitris Koutsoumbas: "Socialism in the 20th century proved its superiority in comparison with capitalism"

The Secretary General of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, delivered the central speech during the KKE's political and cultural event for the 100 years since the Great October Socialist Revolution that took place on Sunday 26th November in Athens / Source: inter.kke.gr. 

In his speech, the SG of the CC of KKE noted that “The October Revolution is neither an accident of history, nor a Bolshevik coup d’etat, as the capitalists declare and write, nor immature and early, as all kinds of apostates and oportunists-adventurists declare and write”  and added that “The October Revolution has been the climactic world-historic event of the 20th century that sounded the start of the era when the working class would become the protagonist of the developments and would push forward the wheel of history, taking over the power and organizing the new socialist-communist relations of production, reforming the whole society. (…) The October Revolution gave impulse to the international revolutionary movement and filled with optimism the struggle of the peoples around the world, accelerated the process for the founding of a series of communist parties. Our Party, is a product of the revolutionary flame of October. In a few days we will welcome year 2018, year of climax for the celebration of the 100 years of the honored and heroic Communist Party of Greece.”

Fidel Castro: Always Alive In Our Minds And Hearts

By Nikos Mottas.

A year has passed since the death of Cuban Revolution's historic leader, Fidel Castro Ruz. A real communist and internationalist who, through his life and action, put his stamp indelibly in the history of Cuba and Latin America. Fidel was a man whose name became synonymous to Freedom, Revolution and Dignity, leaving a valuable legacy to the international communist movement and the people of Cuba.

Comandante Castro's political legacy continues to inspire the Cuban people in the consistent struggle against the genocidal economic, commercial and financial blockade that the U.S. governments have imposed, as well as against the multiform attempts by imperialist centers in the USA and the EU to undermine socialist construction in Cuba. 

Capitalism Doomed: Most young people in the USA prefer Socialism or Communism over Capitalism

According to a poll, carried out by the international polling firm YouGov between September-October 2017, 51% of the Americans between the ages of 21 and 29, defined in the report as "millennials", would prefer to live in a socialist or communist country over a capitalist one. 

The majority of young people- 56%- also said that they wouldn't be offended if someone accused them of being a communist. A similar percentage (53%) of the same age group reported that they feel that the US economic system is working against them.

"The legacy of the Bolsheviks shows that Socialism is timely" - Interview with the KKE Politburo member Dimitris Arvanitakis

Special interview of Dimitris Arvanitakis, member of the Political Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece. Source: International Communist Press (ICP):

ICP: We have recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Great October Revolution, what does this centenary mean for the Communist Parties of the World?

Dimitris Arvanitakis: The Great October Socialist Revolution is a huge contribution to the people all over the World. There are many gains and  a massive experience left for the contemporary struggle of the working class movement and for the Communist Parties internationally. 

Speech by KKE GS Dimitris Koutsoumbas in Leningrad: "Hold high the flag of Marxism-Leninism!"

The following text is the speech of the Secretary General of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas at the 19th International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties that takes place in Leningrad, Russia. 

Dear comrades, representatives

of the Communist and Workers Parties,

We are particularly moved to be here in Leningrad, at the meeting being hosted by the CP of the Russian Federation, precisely 100 years after the Great Socialist October Revolution.

We continue to call Petrograd, Leningrad, the name that it took in honour of the leader of the world historically important revolution that changed the fortune and course of humanity, inaugurating the beginning of the end of capitalist barbarity  and the dawn of a new society; the name of the founder of the young workers’ state, the first socialist democracy known to mankind, irrespective of the fact that this course was interrupted in 1991, after tragic mistakes and weaknesses that allowed the restoration of capitalism.

Sochi: "We continue on the road of Red October" - Common Statement by 36 Communist Youths

We continue on the road of Red October - We strengthen our struggle for Socialism

We, 36 Communist Youth Organisations from every corner of the Earth, on the occasion of our participation in the 19th World Festival of Youth and Students, we held in Russia on the 18/10/2017, a common activity dedicated to the 100 years of the October Revolution and we declare the following:

We collectively honour the 100 years from the Great October Socialist Revolution! We honour the outstanding world-historical event of the 20th century that proved that capitalism is not perpetual and invincible, proved that the peoples with their struggle can overthrow capitalism and construct a superior society, socialism.

VULGAR ANTICOMMUNISM BY THE EU: They equate Marx's "The Capital" with... Hitler's "Mein Kampf"!

The EU and the Estonian Presidency of the European Council have reached the ultimate limits of political vulgarity and anticommunist distortion of History. The- organised by the Estonian EU Presidency- despicable "conference" in Tallinn proved its role as an unhistorical, hideous forum where the participants tried to equate communism with nazism. 

Among the many unhistorical references and efforts to distort the historical truth, the most horrible one came from Goran Lindblad of Sweden, President of the so-called "Platform of European Memory and Conscience". In his speech, Lindblad refered to the importance that the condemnation of all the "totalitarian regimes" has, and added that: "communist ideology in itself was bad, not that something had gone wrong when it was implemented. “Both the texts of Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ and Karl Marx include it, the idea to use terror to keep dictatorships in power,” Lindblad, a member of the Swedish Moderate Party, said.

KKE: Strong condemnation of the unhistorical anticommunist events of the EU in Estonia

Statement by the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece regarding the anticommunist events of the Estonian EU Presidency in Tallinn on August 23, 2017: 

"Tomorrow's unhistorical anticommunist fiestas in Estonia consist a provocation for the millions of victims of nazism, for all the peoples of Europe who, through their struggle, wrote the heroic pages of the Antifascist Victory. They consist a provocation for the millions of communists, the fighters who contributed decisively to the crush of nazism-fascism.

KKE speech in Leningrad Conference: Our future isn't capitalism, it is the new world, socialism

Speech of the Communist Party of Greece at the the International Theoretical Conference of Communist and Workers parties: "100 years after the Great October Socialist Revolution, the lessons and tasks for the contemporary communists." (Leningrad, Russia 11-13/8/2017). 

Dear comrades,

On behalf of the CC of the KKE, we thank the RWCP for this initiative and for hosting our Conference Today.

The Central Committee of the KKE honours the 100th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. It honours the climactic world-historic event of the 20th century which demonstrated that capitalism is not invincible, that we can construct a superior organization of society, without the exploitation of man by man.

Communist Party of Italy - Contribution to the scientific conference in honor of the 100 years since the October Revolution

Communist Party of Italy.

Contribution at the Scientific Conference in honor 
of the 100 years since the October Revolution.

Leningrad, August 10-13, 2017.

A hundred years ago scientific socialism became reality. Until then, Marxism had only been theorized within the First International and applied to the class struggle in conditions of bourgeois domination; after that, it became reality for a short while, during the Paris Commune, showing that the proletarian revolution was not only possible, but even necessary. With the October Revolution, Marxism is applied to building Socialism, as the first step in the construction of the Communist society.

V.I. Lenin writes about Engels: "A great fighter and teacher of the proletariat!"

  By Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.

 

Written in autumn 1895, First published in 1896 in the miscellany Rabotnik, No. 1-2.

Source: V. I. Lenin, Collected Works, 4th English Edition, Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1972 via Marxists Internet Archives.

What a torch of reason ceased to burn, 

What a heart has ceased to beat!

On August 5 (new style), 1895, Frederick Engels died in London. After his friend Karl Marx (who died in 1883), Engels was the finest scholar and teacher of the modern proletariat in the whole civilised world. From the time that fate brought Karl Marx and Frederick Engels together, the two friends devoted their life’s work to a common cause. And so to understand what Frederick Engels has done for the proletariat, one must have a clear idea of the significance of Marx’s teaching and work for the development of the contemporary working-class movement. 

TRUTH AND LIES ABOUT SOCIALISM - Dictatorship of the Proletariat: A Higher form of Democracy

TRUTH AND LIES ABOUT SOCIALISM: 

ON THE SOCIALIST POWER.

Central Council of the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE).

Published by Synchroni Epochi, 2013.

Click here to read the book in pdf.

PART II: THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE PROLETARIAT: A HIGHER FORM OF DEMOCRACY.

The leap that takes place during the socialist construction, i.e. during the transition from capitalism to communism, is qualitatively higher than any previous one, since communist relations, as non-exploitative, cannot be formed in capitalism. The political revolution is the precondition for these new relations to be imposed and dominate, i.e. the conquest of power by the working class and the establishment of its own state, the dictatorship of the proletariat. 

This is a basic difference in the transition to the communist socioeconomic formation in relation with the previous. In the framework of the transition from an exploitative socioeconomic formation to another, the new relations could be developed and dominate first in the confines of the previous socioeconomic formation and then, as the last part of this process, the class that was the bearer of the new relations struggled for and took power. This happened for example in relation to capitalism. 

TRUTH AND LIES ABOUT SOCIALISM - The phony dilemma: "Democracy" or Totalitarianism"?

TRUTH AND LIES ABOUT SOCIALISM: 

ON THE SOCIALIST POWER.

Central Council of the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE).

Published by Synchroni Epochi, 2013.

Click here to read the book in pdf.

PART I: THE PHONY DILEMMA: "DEMOCRACY" OR TOTALITARIANISM"?

INTRODUCTION. 

A great part of anti-communist, anti-socialist propaganda focuses on the issue of the so called lack of “freedom and democracy” during the construction of the new society, of socialism-communism. The main focus of that attack is the revolutionary workers’ power, the state of the working class, the dictatorship of the proletariat, the role of the Communist Party. The capitalists cannot abide it; they tremble before the idea that the working class will emerge as the dominant class, and that they will be thrown into the dustbin of history. 

DECLARATION OF THE CC OF THE KKE ON THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT OCTOBER SOCIALIST REVOLUTION

Declaration of the Central Committee of the KKE on the 100th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution   Source: inter.kke.gr.

The Central Committee of the KKE honours the 100th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. It honours the climactic world-historic event of the 20th century which demonstrated that capitalism is not invincible, that we can construct a superior organization of society, without the exploitation of man by man.

A Masterpiece of Human Intelligence: Quotes from Karl Marx's "Das Kapital" (1867)

More than 150 years since the publication of "Das Kapital" (The Capital)- the most significant book for the world's working class- we remember some basic thoughts written by Karl Marx. 

The commodity is first of all, an external object, a thing which through its qualities satisfies human needs of whatever kind. The nature of these needs, whether they arise, for example, from the stomach, or the imagination, makes no difference. Nor does it matter here how the thing satisfies man's need, whether directly as a means of subsistence, i.e. an object of consumption, or indirectly as a means of production.

• Vol. I, Ch. 1, Section 1, pg. 41.

Every commodity is compelled to chose some other commodity for its equivalent.

• Vol. I, Ch. 1, Section 3, pg. 65.

Dimitris Koutsoumbas: The significance of the October Revolution in the era of the transition from capitalism to socialism-communism

By Dimitris Koutsoumbas*.

Source: International Communist Review, Issue 7, 2017.

In 2017 we will honour the 100th anniversary of the Great Socialist Revolution that took place in 1917 in Russia. This event marked and determined the course of millions of people, not just within the geographical confines of the first workers' state in the history of humanity, the USSR, but it also had an impact of every corner of the planet for many decades.

October demonstrates the working class's potential and capacity to implement its historical mission as the only truly revolutionary class, to lead the first attempt to construct socialism-communism.

At the same time, October shows the irreplaceable role of the guiding force of the socialist revolution, the communist party.

Great October demonstrates the enormous strength of proletarian internationalism. Despite the developments after the overthrow of socialism in 1989-1991, the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution, with all the theoretical and practical experience and maturity that we have acquired over the years, makes us even more certain and categorical about the timeliness and necessity of socialism-communism.

Comandante Fidel Castro and the apologists of capitalism - By Nikos Mottas

Comandante Fidel Castro and the apologists of capitalism

By Nikos Mottas.

The death of Fidel Castro last November unfolded, both in Greece as well as internationally, an orchestrated attack against the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution and socialist Cuba. 

A patchwork of anticommunism, from the far-right to the edge of social democracy, didn't lose the opportunity to slander the cuban revolutionary, either by attributing to him various characterizations (e.g dictator, controversial personality, etc) or by reproducing proven lies about his supposed fabulous wealth and personal life.

They tried to vilify Fidel with numerous slanders.... That he was a dictator who installed a repressing establishment, that socialism was proved- as some claimed- a 'chimera' which gave birth to authoritarianism, lack of democracy and freedom.

The intervention of KNE at the 13th Meeting of European Communist Youth Organizations

Below is the full text of the intervention of the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) at the 13th Meeting of European Communist Youth Organizations which was held in Istanbul, Turkey on 24-26 February 2017. 

Dear comrades,

We greet all the organizations participating in the 13th Meeting of European Communist Youth Organizations. We would especially like to thank our comrades from the Communist Youth of Turkey that gave their best to host this meeting, under the difficult conditions in which they fight in their country.

The voice of American Communists: PCUSA on Trump, Cuba-US relations and opportunism

The Party of Communists USA (PCUSA) was founded on May Day 2014. Formed out of the ashes of the Communist Party USA, the PCUSA aspires to become the base for a new beginning for the communist movement in the United States. On the occasion of Donald Trump's rise to power, we asked from the PCUSA to share with us the party's views on some topics. 

Below we publish the response we exclusively received by the PCUSA's Council of Secretaries.