Athens Meeting 18-20 November 2005, Contribution of
Jordanian CP
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From: SolidNet, Tuesday, December 13, 2005
mailto:jcp@nets.com.jo
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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

On behalf of the Central Committee of the Jordanian
Communist Party, I would like to greet you all and express
our gratitude to the Communist Party of Greece for hosting
this important International meeting.

During the last two decades, world capitalism dominated by
US imperialism, abandoned the Keynesian policies of the
post-war upswing and turned back to the unfettered
operation of market forces, a reversion to a more brutal
form of 19th century capitalism, After an internal debate
in the late 1970s, most ruling classes turned for bourgeois
economists and political leaders. The "free market" and
globalizationthe closer integration of the capitalist world
economy are upheld as the only viable economic system,
indeed as the "natural order" of social organization
Neo-liberal policies and the globalization process,
enforced by the US and other major capitalist powers,
operate to the advantage of towards neo-liberalism. There
was a capitalist offensive against the working class to cut
back gains won in the post-war period (1956-73) and during
the late 1970s and early 1980s. After the collapse of the
Soviet Union and the Eastern Europe, neo-liberal Policies
were intensified although they were not fully implemented
everywhere.

Characteristic of neo-liberal globalization

The Current neo-liberal globalization is the result of
three intertwining forces: first the big transnational
corporations Secondly the imperialist states which protect
and defend the interests of their monopolies and of their
international alliances, and finally the institutions
dominated by the imperialist states and their transitional
corporation, such as the IMF, the World Bank and the World
Trade Organization.

Through these three organizations, imperialism, mainly the
US, imposes its conditions on the governments of the
various dominated countries and dictates the policies they
must apply if they are not to be subjected to sanctions or
even wars of destabilization or aggression.

The world is living under a veritable dictatorship of the
transnational corporations and their international economic
organization.

These institutions force open borders for goods and capital
from the multinational. They are the tools of the
re-colonization of the Third World. To illustrate, one
refers to the debt issues, During Colonial times, rich
countries brought entire peoples to their knees. destroyed
their capacity for selfdevelopment and prevented the
emergence of other models for growth; Colonizers plundered
the natural resources of the third world countries. Today
trans-national corporations "occupy" the best land for
intensive agricultural production destined for exportation.
Theft has been supported and legitimized by a loans policy
that enslaved peoples in third world and recently in
Eastern Europe.

Indebtedness is an efficient mechanism of oppression
control and subordination. The foreign debts in 1970 were
60 million dollars in 1999 it exceeded 2500 billion
dollars. This tragic situation became the concern of
political parties and movements and civil society
organizations such as the Jubilli 2000 campaign.

On the economic plain, the rich countries have used the
mantra of globalization to advance their agenda of more
profits while squeezing the blood of the people of
neo-colonial countries. The deepening crisis of capitalism
on a world scale is resulting in cruder methods by the rich
to transfer the burden on to the working class and other
down trooden of the neo-colonial world.

Global capitalism ruthlessly plunders the whole world
especially Africa, Asia and Latin America. Multinational
companies, which are the main profiteers of world
capitalism. account for 80% of the world industrial output
and nearly 70% of the world trades. While boom periods have
only increased the profits of the rich. The slumps and
recession have further intensified the poverty and squalor
of the working class and the poor. The fact that over half
the world's population lives in poverty and billions lack
food, clean water, education and health care, demonstrates
the crisis of 21st century capitalism.

The economic laws of monopoly capitalism are implacable if
the system crumbles beneath the weight of overproduction on
crisis, the profit logic pushes the leading monopolies
towards war, and the ultimate way to get production going
again in the capitalist economy and to produce substantial
profits through the war sacrifices imposed on workers
specially women.

Militarization of Globalization

In order to continue the process of globalization of
capitalism and resolving its crisis, imperialism needed to
expand its militarism on a global scale.

The September 2001 terrorist attack followed by the
declaration of "War against terrorism" with emphasis on the
role of the arms industry must be analyzed within this
framework. In the current circumstances the process of
militarization of economy will assist the
military-industrial complexes to prevent the
intensification of this crisis.

The goal of the USA is to establish total economic and
political domination in the economic and political
structure in the Middle East and Africa.

The interests of imperialism in this region as well as its
strategic position between the three continents of Asia
Europe and Africa are directly related to its need for
energy resources.

The policy of bush Administration on the world stage is
militarist, unilateralist and interventionist. There is
literally no region of the world where you can't see the
particularly aggressive hand of the bush Administration, It
launched war on Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq and is
backing Sharon's right wing government that intensified the
violent suppression of Palestinians, and threatning Syria
and Iran. and insisting to continue its sanctions on Cuba
against the will of 182 countries that voted against the
sanctions

Under monopoly capitalism and imperialism, the general
tendency, is towards the restriction of democratic rights
for the people and their increasing exclusion, from
solutions to basic political and economic problems. The
deepening of the crises and the trend of imperialism
towards war reflects this policy. The return of the
McCarthyism in the USA, which is affecting the whole world,
is a result of this policy.

The environment and the natural resources base is another
victim of neo-liberal policies, It has been documented
clearly that the neo-liberal policies have resulted in the
global North using the resources of the global South at
rockbottom prices, and thus has incurred an ecological debt
to the south. Yet it is still the poor countries in the
South that find themselves compelled to play the
neo-liberal game exporting more to pay the financial debts.

This has resulted in more exploitation of natural resources
in the south, opening key ecological sectors to
transnational cooperates, privatizing key ecological-based
services (i.e. Water and energy) and more degradation of
limited natural resources.

Environmental degradation hits the poor on the first place.
Poor people, often in the rural areas of the south are most
vulnerable to environment at pollution and degradation of
natural resources, Since their livelihoods depends entirely
on natural resources, Rural women are particularly more
vulnerable since they suffer from the combined effects of
environmental degradation social exclusion and ecominc
dependency.

One of the major environmental and social threats that
neo-liberalism, and technological advancement have created
is the issue of Genetically Modified Organisms. This does
not only represent a clear environmental and health risk,
but. it adds more vulnerability to poor countries in terms
of damaging family farming and concentrating food security
resources in the hands of few genetic engineering firms,
mostly in the USA. It is an undisputed demand from the
world civil society and environmental movement to adhere to
the precautionary principle in dealing with GMOs.

However big struggles have recently developed against
capitalist burden imposed by the Imperialist bodies such as
IMF, WB and WTO. In Latin America, Europe, Africa and in
the continent of Asia the working class and other down
trodden have moved against their respective governments and
political parties who have acted as brokers for the
imperialists in opening up the economies for loot and
plunder.

The breakdown of the World Trade Organization (WHO)
Ministerial Conference, held in Cancun, Mexico is a blow to
the world's two dominant capitalist trading blocs, the US
and the EU. Their agenda was rejected by the majority of
the under-developed countries present. In a period of
stagnant economic growth. This is another symptom of the
growing tensions in world economic relations, The set-back
to the US, in particular, is also an expression of the
difficulties arising for US imperialism from its costly
entanglement in Iraq.

There was a rebellion of poor countries at Cancun led by a
group of 21 headed by Brazil and including China and India.
The rebellion was provided, however by an ultimatum from
the US and EU. Represented by Robert Zoellick and Pascal
lamy respectively, The Big two demanded: accept our package
on agriculture and our agenda on international investment
and competition or there's no deal.

There was no deal the poor countries refused to buckle
under "We are leaving stronger than when we arrived", said
Brazil" foreign minister, Cellos Amarin who coordinated the
rebellion.

Moreover, the resistance at Cancun from regional power such
as Brazil, India and China shows that the major powers will
not have everything their own way in the future.

Imperialism had become concerned and nervous in relation to
the growing spread of massive struggle against the
transnational corporations and capitalist institutions as
demonstrated on the streets of Seattle, Davos, Barked
Okinawa. Ottawa. Guttenberg, Genoa and Florence.

Big campaigns were launched prior the sixth world trade
Organization (WHO) Ministerial Conference that will convene
in December, 2005 in Hong Kong, one of the campaigns is
launched by the Asia Pacific forum on Women, law and
development, under the slogan "Don't Globalize Hunger". The
other is launched by Oxfam International calling for an end
to unfair trade rules: "Make Trade Fair".

"Poverty today affected almost half the world's population"
reports the International Labor Organization "The gap
between the world's poorest 80% and the richest 20% has
more. than doubled between 1960 and 1999" poverty has
surged, says the ILO, in Africa Latin America, The Middle
East, Eastern, Europe and central Asia. According to the UN
Human Development Report 2003, 1.2 billion people now live
on less than $1 a day and 2.3 billion live on less than $2
a day.

Compared to 1990, 54 countries are now poorer as measured
by per capita GDP, In Africa, 20 countries have experienced
falling per capita GDP, 17 in Eastern Europe, 6 in Latin
America, and 6 in East Asia and the pacific region, During
the 1990, the Human Development Index (which combines
economic, health and education Criteria) declined in 21
countries, where as in the 1980, it declined in only four,
The proportion of the global population now living on under
$1 a day is now 23% compared with 30% in 1990. But most of
this improvement is the result of growth in China, which
has drawn many more into the cash economy (Jeff Madrick,
Regardless of the progress of a few, many nations still
face economic despair, New York Times) Such statistics are
hardly a recommendation for the neo-liberal, free trade
policies of the last 10-15 years.

Inequality is not confined to the poor countries, however.
In the US the gap between the rich and the poor more than
doubled between 1979 too 2000. The gulf is such that the
richest 1% (2.8 million) of Americans in 2000 had more
money to spend after taxes ($950bn or $860.700 each) than
the bottom 40% (110 million who had $21,118 each) (Lynnley
Browning, US Income Gap Widening, New York Times) This is a
class chasm which will provoke social and political
explosion on the heartland of imperialism in the next few
year.

The international trends towards stagnation and increased
inequality arise from the brutal logic of capitalism.
Reform of the WTO other international agencies, which are
ultimately instruments of the US and the other major
powers, will not fundamentally change the direction or the
nature of world capitalism, Explosive events will pose the
need for an alternative to the exiting system. The anarchy
of the market has to be replaced by democratic economic
planning. International trade, too, has to be planned, as
neither free trade nor protection can guarantee economic
progress. Natural resources and productive forces should be
developed on the basis of international co-operation and
planning, with protection of the environment, to eliminate
gross inequalities and maximise the benefits to the
world's' toiling workers and small farmers. This is the
socialist alternative. which requires a social
transformation to be carried out by the working class and
its numerous allies among the exploited peasantry and the
dispossessed.

The Communist alternative

More than ever before, socialism has become a necessity for
the survival, the dignity and the cultural and spiritual
development of the masses. And more than ever before in
history, technological developopment renders socialism
possible.

Socialism cannot be realized but as an international system
of federal socialist republics, This will be guided by the
principles of solidarity and mutual help to put together
the progress of development in a planned manner.

Proletarian internationalism will guide solidarity among
the people, the elimination of all ethnic or national
barriers, the disappearance of discriminatory practices and
attitudes as well as of chauvinism the mutually
advantageous exchanges between peoples the sharing of
Knowledge outside any mercantile considerations, the
harmonious and proportion development of all regions in the
world, if on this basis production obeys a plan that takes
into consideration the needs of all people in a cooperative
framework (G.Resolution I.C.S Bruxels. May 2001).

The unity of the left, democratic and progressive forces
around the world must be forged to fight against
imperialism and defeat the ruling classes who seek to
sustain and perpetuate the present unjust world.

Armed with long experience, the international working class
and the peoples of the world will make the twenty-first
century the century of the definitive victory of socialism
and of national liberation against imperialism.

Communists must carry out campaigns for the dissolution of
NATO. The main instrument of American imperialism and its
European allies. And defend the pre-counter-revolution
gains of international law.

The international situation makes it necessary for
communists all over the world to strengthen their links to
exchange their analyses and their points of view and to
develop common action.

Communists must lead the struggle of the oppressed people
and nations for the destruction of imperialism and the
establishment of socialism all over the world in which
man's exploitation by man is abolished Free from
colonialism and imperialist power.

A theory of socialism is necessary to enable the people to
build socialism, a theory of socialism based on detailed
analysis of the historical reality and current state of
imperialism.

Socialism is the most exciting goal of a society that can
be built for the future of mankind. It means a tremendous
step forward on the road of liberty, equality, justice,
democracy and, progress, Society that differs fundamentally
from the current capitalist system:

- through relations of solidarity and equality between all
peoples and the maintenance of a stringent peace policy.
- through an economy, which is no longer predicated on
private profit.
- through a democracy which is, for the first time in
history, a true rule of the people.

The predominance of public ownership of the means of
production and the resulting political power of the working
class in alliance with the other sectors are indispensable
condition for the building of a socialist society. It also
requires a plan for shaping social development. (Heinz
Steerchairmancommunist party of Germany).

It is necessary to build another world and to achieve that
to have a transitional programme and organize mass
struggles to achieve these measures;

- Immediate cancellation of Third World debt.
- Defence of public services and renationalization of
privatized industries.
- Abolition of immigration controls and extension of
citizenship.
- A programme to forestall environmental catastrophe.
- Dissolution of the militaryindustrial complex.
- Defense of civil liberties
- End all foreign intervention, occupation and achieve
peaceful solutions for conflicts all over the World
especially the Palestinian problem.

To encourage the struggle to overcome the power of
monopolies and open the way to socialism, Communists and
other forces of the left have to develop a common strategy
and finding common ground and points of agreement, with all
those who in their own countries oppose the policies and
the ideology of big capital inspired by goals of
anti-capitalist and democratic social needs of the people.

Communists needs to give coherent lead on the main issues,
providing further basis for the deepening of
classconsciousness and the spread of socialist ideas.

Prepared by Emily Naffa

Member of Polit Bureau