Athens Meeting 19-20 June 2003, Contribution by CP of
Norway
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From: SolidNet
http://www.nkp.no , mailto:nkp@nkp.no
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By Svend Haakon Jacobsen

OUR ASPIRATION: LIBERATION OF THE WORKING CLASS
AND BUILDING OF SOCIALISM

Dear Comrades,

On behalf of the Communist Party of Norway we thank KKE,
Communist Party of Greece for their hospitality and for
organizing these meetings. Proposed subject is the "the
movements against the war and the capitalist globalisation,
and the communists" and discussions and proposals
concerning forms of cooperation and coordination.

In the unipolar world USA uses its military superpower
openly aggressive to impose hegemony, defeat its
imperialist rivals and secure strategic raw material
resources. The Bush administration has been taken in lies
as excuse for going to war, and occupying Iraq. Now they
are using the same excuses to exert pressure on Iran.
Journalists and the people of the world know today that the
Bush administration is lying. Whatever, it seems they can
get along with anything, using their military power and
gaining strategic control of resources. France, Germany and
Russia said before the war against Iraq that they strongly
opposed it, but when the USA and Britain won, the
imperialist powers came crawling to cooperate.

The antiwar movement in Norway also managed to arrange big
demonstrations against the war 15th of February. 60000
people demonstrated in Oslo and more than 100000 in all of
Norway. The prime minister and the foreign minister had to
say that Norway was against a US-led war, as long as the UN
Security Council did not approve. This time many big
newspapers reflected the opposition to the war from France
and Germany. Soon after USA had won the war, the Norwegian
prime minister crawled to the White House, and took the job
as messenger for Bush to the French president. Officially
Norway did not take part in the imperialist war in Iraq,
even if Norwegian NATO personnel was working in
Awacs-planes operating from Turkey, giving intelligence
information to the US troops.

When the Norwegian government agreed to send specially
trained combat forces in the "Telemarks-batallion" under
direction of the US occupation forces, Norway is acting as
imperialist together with the US imperialist.

How may this happen when we had huge demonstrations against
the war?

Cuba receives a lot of solidarity from the people in Europe
and the European countries had developed better relations
with Cuba. Many European firms have trade and other
relations with Cuba. Cuba is defending herself from violent
aggressions from the USA. When the European Union now goes
along with the USA against Cuba, this represents a serious
threat to Cuba. Cuba will suffer serious blows losing
direct economic support from Italy among others, and stands
the risk of a direct military attack from US military
forces. Socialist Cuba is an example for the peoples of the
world and need our full attention and solidarity support.

In Norway communists participate in elections this year. We
are small, and we use the elections to inform the Norwegian
people why we are against miniaturization and NATO. We are
fighting privatization. And informing the people of the
crisis of capitalism. Norway's right wing government goes
along with the social-democrats in cutting on pensions.
"The pensions commission" is delivering its proposals this
autumn, and we are going to have demonstrations and fights
like in France. We are working with the big trade unions to
make them react to this blow to the peoples and members
pensions rights.

This year, November 5th Communist Party of Norway is 80
years. We have just last weekend celebrated this event with
an international 80 years jubilee conference in Alta,
Finnmark district in northern Norway where CP of Norway
traditionally has been strong. 7 other parties were
represented: CP of Sweden, CP of Denmark, CP in Denmark, CP
of Finland, Communist Workers' Party of Finland, Iraqi CP
and CP of Cuba. The conference decided a common statement
that I will give to you.

"Statement from communist parties participating in the
conference celebrating 80 years of struggle since the
foundation of Communist Party of Norway

We, the participants in the international conference
celebrating the 80th anniversary of Communist Party of
Norway (NKP), want to use this opportunity to stress the
importance and the role of the communist parties in the
struggle of the working class for their rights in our
�poque of increased attacks from the finance capital and
the bourgeoisie at national and international level.

The ongoing process of privatizations, worsening of working
conditions, cutting down on welfare and social right for
the majority of the peoples in the developed capitalist
world disguised as globalisation together with the
increased militarisation in the imperialist centers not
even disguised as defensive measures, but with openly
aggressive imperialistic ambitions, are very strong signals
of capitalisms deep crisis. The imperialistic wars against
Afghanistan and Iraq in recent time under the pretext of
fighting terrorism and weapons of mass destructions, gave
especially the US imperialism foothold in these countries
which is preserved with in fact occupation. These regions
are vital for the production and transportation of
petroleum, this is the only reason for imperialistic
governments like the Bush administration to launch this
wars.

We, the communists express that the ongoing occupation of
Iraq is a violation of the right of the Iraqi peoples to
install an Iraqi government. The Iraqi communists and their
role in fighting both the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein
and the US led war and occupation, gives communists a
unique credibility and a special role in the struggle of
the Iraqi peoples. We express our solidarity with the Iraqi
peoples in the fight for liberating Iraq from USA's
occupation regime. As communist parties which participate
in this conference, we demand that the imperialists have to
leave Iraq immediately.

Recalling the heroic fight and victory of the communists
over Nazism and fascism together with other democratic and
progressive forces in the 2 World War, which was paid by
our comrades blood, it now natural to point at the
fascistic development in the USA which represent a threat
and burden for mankind quite similarly.

Now other countries are openly being threatened and
aggressively attacked by US-imperialism. Its new military
doctrine, using pre-emptive strikes as a measure to
overthrow governments and impose the rules of the US-based
multinational companies, represents a grave violation of
international law and the United Nations.

Cuba's role in the world with its successful building of
socialism under extremely difficult conditions, with its
aggressive imperialist neighbor in the north, as well as
extraordinary internationalist contribution with doctors,
medicines and different kind of Cuban professionals to the
peoples in the developing world, represents an example of
what is possible and what can be done when peoples liberate
themselves, overtake the means of production and start
producing for themselves and not only for profit to the
capitalists. Now when solidarity with the Cuban people and
revolution are more important than ever, as Cuba are one of
the countries most threatened by imperialism, we state that
the Cuban example is more than merely an inspiration. It is
a hope, a light in a dark world. All real progressive
forces should recognize this and strengthen their
solidarity and cooperation with Cuba.

The ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine, daily killings
of civilians and repression of the Palestinian political
forces, represents another grave obstacle for a peaceful
development that the peoples are longing for the Middle
East, as everywhere. We, the communists, condemn the
Zionist occupation of Palestine and underline the need for
solidarity and support by everybody not accepting racism
openly used as pretext for Israel's killings and
occupation.

Northern countries have to withdraw from the imperialist
war front by giving down their own armaments industry that
nowadays equip the war machine of the imperialism.

The last fifteen years so called "globalisation process"
has meant implementation of neo-liberal policies. The
working class and under privileged are paying for this
development, as well as the environment.

We the communist has always represented a global movement,
highlighting the common interests of the working class and
the oppressed masses of the world. Our strategy of making
revolution, overthrow the capitalists exploiters, building
socialism and start a development towards communism, is
becoming more relevant than ever in this age when
imperialism itself coordinates its effort against the
working class at the international level through
institutions like WTO, IMF, WB, NATO, EU, NAFTA, FTAA etc.

We, communists consider that its through EU that
imperialism impose so called globalisation process in
Europe. The principles in which EU was built has been a
model for NAFTAA, MAI and later FTAA as well as WTO's free
trades principals. EU is one of the three centers of
capitalism, together with USA and Japan. It's the tool of
the dictatorship of monopol capital over the European
peoples and the European working class, beond national
level. We will therefore focus our struggle against EU on:

EU's new charter, planned to be agreed upon in 2004
The militarisation of EU and imperialistic wars
EU's repression of the popular opposition with anti-terror
laws and through cooperation between police, security and
other repressive institutions
EU's immigratory policy which discriminates against peoples
from the developing countries, with closed borders through
the Schengen agreement

Our communist parties will strengthen our cooperation in
every field as our goals are the same: liberation of the
working class and building of socialism.

Many leftist and social democratic parties have accepted
capitalism, take part in the governments launching
imperialist wars, unite their positions with national
capitalists as well as multinational companies. These
parties cannot be seen as tool for the working class,
oppressed and all those who want to change the unjust world
of today.

We stand firmly on Marx, Engels and Lenin's ideology, and
we will never subordinate ourselves for other interests
than those of our eithy years international Jubilee
conference, we received interesting and promising
information in greetings from Communist Workers; Party of
Russia-Party of Communists of Russia, about the situation
and their opinion on the situation both in Russia and
internationally. It is promising that in Russia both the
mentioned, and the Communist Party of Russian Federation
along with other progressive forces are uniting in a
patriotic front in the forthcoming elections.

Communists Workers' Party of Russia- Party of Communists of
Russia also considered closer cooperation between communist
parties internationally in a common information
center-"Kominform".

Communist Party of Norway feel the need for closer
discussions and cooperation in developing proletarian
internationalism between communist parties and other
anti-imperialist forces today, to be more efficient in our
common struggle against imperialism, for peace and
socialism.