Athens Meeting 18-20 November 2005, Contribution of CP of
Australia
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From: SolidNet, Monday, December 19, 2005
http://www.cpa.org.au , mailto:cpa@cpa.org.au
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International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties
"Current Trends In Capitalism: Economic, Social And
Political Impact. The Communists' Alternative"
Athens, 18-20 November, 2005

Contribution delivered by Comrade Rob Gowland
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First of all I would like to thank the Communist Party of
Greece for taking the responsibility to arrange this and
previous international conferences to discuss important
topics facing all communist parties and, thereby, providing
an opportunity for us all to meet one another and hold
sideline discussions between individual parties.

In the Political Resolution adopted by our Party at its
recent Congress we summed up our estimation of the present
world situation by saying that "the struggle between the
people and the transnational corporations is intensifying.
The situation in Australia and internationally is marked by
this struggle at the centre of which is the struggle
between the capitalist class and the working class".

This reality is to be seen in the unprecedented struggles
taking place in many countries around the world in the
present period.

For its part, capitalism has launched an intense campaign
on all social, economic and political fronts against the
conditions and rights won by the working class and
progressive social forces in the course of the previous two
centuries.

There are some substantial economic and political trends
within all capitalist countries that have to be noted.

The supremacy of finance capital over all other forms of
capital has strengthened. It has financed the growth of
monopoly capital and the development of huge Trans-National
Corporations. These now span many countries, dominating all
sectors of the economy, accumulating huge industrial,
financial, political and military power.

This open dictatorship of capital is usurping many of the
powers and functions of elected governments. All publicly
owned sectors of the economy, including even government
departments, are being taken over in the process of
deregulation and privatisation.

Even the armed forces, previously the exclusive preserve of
governments, are now being privatised. Increasing numbers
of mercenaries employed by or hired from corporations are
being used for military and paramilitary operations,
especially against Third World countries. At the same time,
in places like Iraq, members of regular military forces are
being seconded directly to protect corporate interests.

Democratic rights, including the existing bourgeois
parliamentary forms that have been won in many decades of
struggle are under attack. Democratic rights are seen by
the corporations as restricting their development.
Electoral laws are being enacted which have the sole aim of
preserving the dominance of parties serving the monopolies
while eliminating progressive parties and individuals who
challenge the policy demands of the corporations.

The militarisation of society and the strengthening of the
repressive institutions of the capitalist state are common
features of all capitalist countries. Oppressive and even
fascist-type laws have been enacted and enforced to
maintain the economic and political power of the TNCs.

The TNCs and the governments they dominate are launching
aggressive wars to plunder the resources of many countries,
impose "regime change" and suppress the struggles of the
people. New slogans such as "failed states" and "rogue
states" are used to win public support for their criminal
policies.

There are far-reaching attacks on the living and working
conditions of the working class and all working people in
the developed industrial countries.

The scientific and technological revolution, that could
provide humanity with an enlightened, secure and prosperous
future is, instead, used by capitalism to increase its
exploitation of the Earth's resources and people.

Progressive national and indigenous cultures are also under
attack, being replaced by the banal culture, much of it of
US origin, promoted by the capitalist class.

As the struggles of the people grow the big corporations
and capitalist governments foment ethnic and religious
differences to divide the people. When the struggles of the
people begin, on the other hand, to threaten the rule of
capital, the monopolies resort more and more to open
fascist terror to preserve their domination.

Gun totting, black-uniformed and crash-helmeted police and
troops patrol the streets and break into private home to
intimidate the peaceful citizens of our societies.

When calling for "freedom" the subservient politicians
serving the TNCs mean freedom only for the big corporations
to transfer finances and industrial enterprises to whatever
corner of the world brings them the greatest profit while
intensifying the exploitation and oppression of all the
people.

There is an ongoing attack on the national independence and
sovereignty of all countries except that of the most
powerful and dominant imperialist states.

Around the world, capitalism's drive for super-profits
means that third world countries and indigenous communities
continue to suffer starvation, poverty, rampant ill-health,
unemployment, denial of education, exploitation and
repression engulfing millions of people.
Capitalist super-exploitation has resulted in world-wide
and massive damage to the environment as the corporations
pollute the water, soil and atmosphere, rip out the
resources of the planet, and destroy its vegetation and
biodiversity in their criminal drive for profits
irrespective of the consequences for the long-term survival
of life on earth.

International capital has created and controls the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. These
institutions grant loans on condition that foreign
investors are given the right to acquire or take over
publicly owned enterprises or government services in the
country receiving the loan.

These entities have usurped the powers of elected
governments and forced unpayable debts on the poor
countries of the world. These debts must be cancelled.

The leaders of the capitalist and imperialist countries
obscure their real aims through hypocrisy, lying and double
standards. They claim that they are for democracy, freedom,
peace, security, progress and civilisation. In fact their
real aims are the direct opposite.

They talk of peace but bring war, they claim to bring
democracy and freedom but bring repression. They claim to
be pursuing a civilising mission but impose barbarism on
conquered people.

What is our answer to the barbarity of capitalism?

Firstly to help develop the struggles of the people and, in
particular, those of the working class. We greet with
enthusiasm the increasing numbers of people around the
world who are in revolt.

In Australia, for the first time in many decades the
working people and their trade unions have taken to the
streets in massive demonstrations against the attempts of
government to impose regressive industrial laws and
so-called "terror laws" which destroy many long-held
democratic rights.

Based on this movement we call for a broad democratic
people's movement that unites all left and progressive
parties, trade unions community organisations and
progressive individuals. The validity of such a call was
reflected in the success of the recent trade union
demonstrations that united left, centre and right wing
trade unions in what is seen as a common struggle although
tactics are not always identical.

Our second step is to develop an understanding that such a
coalition can provide an alternative government to that of
the corporations and to form a people's government, led by
the working class, but including all progressive political
parties, trade unions, community organisations and
individuals.

There is already a widespread recognition of the need for
change and that the existing two-party system does not
offer a path for the better future that is desired by large
numbers of the people in the community. Even sections of
the ruling class are joining this movement, the aggressive
excesses of ultra-conservatives creating fear among them.
It is the responsibility of the Communists to unite these
disparate parts of the struggle against corporate greed and
exploitation into a mighty force for change sustained by
action in workplaces, on the streets and in parliament.

The conditions for a new revolutionary wave stretching
across the world are now coming into existence.

Our task in Australia is to establish the conditions
conducive to the formation of a people's government as a
major step towards our socialist objective.

A new civilised society to replace the rotting capitalist
system can only be a socialist one.