Contribution by Dr. SC Steigerwald Robert (DKP) at the
International Conference of the Communist and Workers'
Parties
Athens 21-23 May 1999

Dear Comrades,

At first I beg your pardon for my terrible English.
Concerning the order of the day I want to speak about a
distinct problem of globalization, about the war of the
North-Atlantic-Terror-Organization, the NATO-Aggression
against Yugoslavia. We are sitting in a country at the
border of it a war of the NATO storms. I am coming from a
country the political and military leaders of it are
together with the USA and England the most active force in
this war. I am obliged to speak about the consequences for
us in Germany. At the same time Marxists understand that
these problems are very narrow in connection to the
fundamental questions of imperialism and militarism, their
aggressive politics, the questions of not only economical,
but also political globalization. The third time in this
century Germany is in an offensive war. Germany goes back
to the way of catastrophe of its younger history and the
political leaders are orientating themselves to take part
in such wars world-wide. That is a fundamental break in
politics. Remember that was only some years ago when Kohl
as well as Honecker shouted: From the boddom of Germany war
shall never more begin. Our constitution holds fast. The
general rules of the laws of nations are components of the
Federal Republic (Art.26). Actions that are qualified or
undertaken with the intention to disturb the peaceful live
of countries especially to make an aggressive war are
unconstitutional. They have to be punished, (Art. 26). The
NATO-Treaty allows only the defense of the own territories.
The UN-Constitution forbids aggressive wars. The so-called
Two-plus-For -Treaty holds fast, that Germany is not
allowed to take part in such wars. The war against
Yugoslavia is in contradiction to all these appointments,
is breaking the law of nations, the Constitution of UNO,
the NATO-Treaty, the constitution of our country and the
Two-plus-For-treaty.
These developments came not by accident.
The Federal Republic of Germany is the common work of the
imperialist forces of the western nations and Germany with
following aims.
The West-German territory, its economical, political and
demographically potential should be used for the policy to
roll back the socialism in Europe. Therefore the old
fundaments of property and political power as well as the
German militarism should be reconstructed. For that the
antifascist-democratic orientations of the Potsdam-Treaty
and of nearly all political organizations Germanys ar that
time had to be destroyed. The logic result of that was the
splitting of Germany, the way back to such economical,
political and military relations which caused the way of
catastrophe in the younger German history.
That was in contradiction to all teachings of our history
laid down in the Potsdam Treaty and in the analyses worked
out by German political forces which not only belong to the
working class movement and the left parties.
German imperialism and militarism lay 1945 beaten on the
boddom. It had no power to disturb fundamental social
activities. Under these conditions it had only the
possibility to disturb the unification of
working-class-movement. Because this movement, this class
was only able to work for a progressive Germany. All who
were willing to work for a new future of Germany had to
work with all their power for the unification of the
working class movement. Splitting policy were in this
situation a direct help for the beaten German imperialist
and militarist forces. It was the great historical guilt of
the German socialdemocratic leaders, to arrange the
splitting policy and therefore to make the reconstruction
of German imperialism and militarism possible.
The result is that Germany is one of the main participants
in this NATO-war now. But the conditions nowadays are quite
different from those in 1914. 1914 the socialdemocrats
helped the emperor-system to make war. Today they do not
help, the leader of the country and the war-minister are
themselves socialdemocrats-and the Green party sent the
foreign minister of this war government. Now both parties
are sunk to regular war parties but with some opponents in
their own organizations. Newer the less these parties can
not longer name themselves to be parties for peace.
Dear Comrades,
I am full of doubts if it is right to say the following. We
are criticizing the social-democratic leader. But are we
allowed to be silent concerning the fact that in two
governments of NATO-states members of communist
organizations are sitting in this governments and that
these organizations don't play a consequently roll?
In my opinion that all must have consequences for our
policy of alliance of the working class and broad
alliances. We have not to say Good By to this policy, but
to change it in a qualified manner. We have to respect the
teachings of the VII World Congress of the Comintern. But
we have to show in a plausible manner for the masses: The
leaders of the socialdemocratic party (I think not only in
Germany, Solana, Blair, Josspin and others are also
socialdemocrates the war is also a socialdemocratic one)
are direct and active organs and components of imperialism
and militarism, and the Green leaders also. But we are not
allowed to forget: We will not be able to fight successful
against such leaders and their behavior without winning
masses of the working population in doing so we have to
work very hard on the fields of ideology.
In order to win the acceptance of the masses for the war
against Yugoslavia a brain-washing in the style of Goebbels
takes place. Tremendous lies are spread, especially by the
press-speaker of the UCK named Scharping. And at the same
time they spread the hope this would be the last war in
Europe would help in the construction of a long lasting
order of peace in the Balkans region.
But the new NATO doctrine orientates to world wide NATO
actions outside of the UNO. The old policy of circulation
of the Soviet Union is continued by the so-called
NATO-East-Expansion by political, economical and military
measures on the south border of Russia, by supporting of
Great-Turkey ambitions reaching fare into middle east. NATO
is threatening with war hidden by human rights slogans
against such countries and peoples that do not agree with
US-American interpretation of human rights. Such a country
i.e. is the People Republic of China (just as I was
scribing this text I heard in the TV that NATO-bombs have
attacked the embassy of China in Belgrade) and are other
countries in the so-called Third world. So the war against
Yugoslavia is a forerunner war against other countries,
showing them what will happen with them in case they are
not willing to the USA. That is a real aspect of the
so-called globalization!
This policy contains the danger of a world war by using
mass-destroying-weapons.
The defeat of the European socialism and the annexation of
the GDR caused the expansion of Imperialism and militarism
to the border of Russia. In Germany a political, economical
and social revenge took place with far reaching
consequences not only for the German people. Most of them
what was the result of political and social fights of
decades have been disturbed or are in a process of
destroying. That has consequences for such problems in the
so-called European Community. At the begging of this
process our aim and that of the West German trade unions
was to fight for the highest level concerning the social,
democratic and other conditions that have reached in a
distinct country of the Community. Under the influence of
the GDR West Germany has had the highest level in the most
of these fields. The defeat of socialism especially of the
GDR has weakened our positions in this belonging.
The NATO -war against Yugoslavia is only possible because
the European socialism became defeated. And this war is a
political and economical aspect of globalization - the
winner of this war are the big war factories. That means:
Fight against this type of globalization must be fight
against imperialism and militarism. But because this type
of globalization is the common policy of the mightiest
imperialist countries our fight had also to be a common
one, a common one of all anti-imperialist forces especially
of the communists. We have to ask ourselves: are we doing
enough for to build a common front against globalization,
against NATO, against imperialism and militarism? But
concerning this question our party is very thankful to the
Greek Communist Party for organization such conferences
like the our one.
Dear Comrades,
You know, that the defeat of the socialist alternative
allowed the imperialist forces to start a brutal elbow
capitalism with hard dangers for the working masses-that is
also an aspect of globalization. The defense of peace
became still more importance now. At the beginning of the
war the bigger part of our people was disorientated by all
the lies, organized by help of the socialdemocratic leaders
and such of the Greens. But in the last time we see
interest changing. At the beginning of the war more than
sixty percent of our people agreed with the NATO. Now sixty
percent are against the war! And the green party is in
danger to be split. The leaders betrayed the origin of this
party: fighting for peace and for an ecological
environment. This war caused a very hard destruction of the
environment. Carpets of oil in the Danubian river, chemical
poison in the aur by destroyed chemical factories, atomic
poison by using of uranifeferous ammunition etc. Even
NATO-enslaved mass media are writing about that matter.
I think we will have tremendous tasks by sorrowly small own
forces. But on the other side we are hopeful that in the
public opinion until into responsible circles doubts are
growing the concerning the rightness of the way of war.
There exists a renewal of the peace-movement. Much of them
that seemed to be lost or forgotten are awaking now to a
new life. There exist some good proposals for the way out
of the war policy Bonns.
I think it is not necessary to speak among communists about
the matter that this all is not enough. We will all time be
confronted with hard problems and crises as long as
imperialism and militarism are not overpowered. But at
present I think main aims are:
Stop the war against Yugoslavia. NATO hands off from
Yugoslavia. Germany must finish its participation in this
war. Germany must leave the NATO. For a real European peace
order instead of NATO.