Athens Meeting 18-20 November 2005, Contribution of
Lebanese CP
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From: SolidNet, Wednesday, January 04, 2006
http://www.lcparty.org , mailto:info@lcparty.org
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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 of the Lebanese Communist Party

Dear Comrades,

Our country along with the whole Arab region is going
through a severe crisis which took place as a result of a
complex of both domestic and international factors that is
the US aggression against our region. In our country and in
the region as a whole there is a discrepancy in opinion, as
well as among leftist forces, about the reasons of this
crisis and ways of its resolution.

What we call the US aggression against our region appears
to be the project of the region's decolonization,
confiscation of natural resources and goods and reforming
of its geopolitical map The Greater Middle East. However,
others consider it an international project that aims at
spreading democracy in the region for the sake of future
region's integration in the world's economy, liquidation of
dictatorship regimes in order to put into practice
political and economic reforms that would ensure
eradication of poverty. But at the same time they ignore
the presence of American military bases in the region.

I think that such debates about globalization and its
perspectives are taking place in all countries among all
political forces as well among leftist forces. There is
certain general ideological vagueness and ambiguity that
was caused by the crisis of the world socialist system
and manipulation of consciousness by the class enemy.

In this context our meeting and dialogue has acquired a
paramount importance. Our objective is to analyze new
tendencies within the capitalist system, work out a unified
position and to eradicate the break-up within leftist
forces and to equip revolutionary forces with new knowledge
about the capitalist reality.

I think that the central issue in our dialogue is "What
changes has globalization caused in the capitalist system
what in its turn led to ideological uncertainty? Has the
nature of capitalism changed as some people claim? Have the
main contradictions been resolved? Have favorable
conditions been created for the integration of the
third-world countries within the world economic system, and
overcoming their retardedness?

There is no doubt that imperialist globalization has
created more favorable conditions for building a globalized
capitalism where the whole world tends to be the field of
its action. This transnational capitalism is with
transnational capital and transnational oligarchy. This
capitalism gives an opportunity for the laws of capitalism
to be realized in full. It has ensured capital with a new
breath for realization as a social relation the content of
which is alienation. It is a fact that globalization has
injected new tendencies: the process of capital
reproduction and the laws of the capitalist system has
acquired a new globalize character. The globalization of
capital reproduction implies the exit of the reproduction
process, formation of production proportions and surplus
value production above the national frontiers to the world
space.

The most hazardous tendency that the globalization of
capital reproduction has produced is not only the
centralization and concentration but globalization of the
public life and monopolization of the conditions of this
production by means of the market that identifies who has
the right to live. We are facing a new social Darwinism
which creates conditions for new fascism.

We can look through the new tendencies in brief.

1. Realization of the main law of capitalism the law of
surplus value and profit production has become globalize.
Globalization eliminates the national frontiers which limit
the process of exploitation, and equips transnational
capital new opportunities to increase this exploitation
represented in the form of money globalization offers
capital additional surplus value when the production is
transferred to developing countries which ensures cheap
production factors what in turn can assist capital to limit
the action of the law of the tendency of the profit norm to
decrease, and ensures the conditions in the capitalism
centers to get rid of welfare state what can help to
decrease the part of profit allotted for working force
reproduction.

2. In the conditions of complete domination of capital, the
law of value tends to be almost deactivated. At least, this
law is placed under the full control of capital where the
relation between price and value tends to be disconnected.
Anyway, this law acts in favor of capitalism centers which
monopolize all conditions of this law action:
monopolization of capital, technology, natural conditions,
the media, and weapons of mass destruction. The mechanisms
of this law encourage direct foreign investments to the
capitalism centers what in turn limits the opportunities of
other economies to make use of these investments along with
the integration to the globalize capitalism.

3. As a result of the globalization of the general law of
capitalist accumulation there is a process of confiscation
of financial extras not only in capitalism centers but in
peripheral ones as well which are not able to take
advantage of these extras. In the periphery, not only the
confiscation of added labor but also the confiscation of
necessary labor takes place. We are witnessing the
realization of this law in the level of the whole world
where there is a concentration of treasures on one side and
poverty on the other one. At the same time, the reserve
army of unemployed has spread to all five continents which
are experiencing new kind of absolute and relative ways of
impoverishment.

4. It seems that the action of the law of tendency of
profit norm to decrease becomes the stimulus of
globalization of capitalism as a means of contraction to
the law in question. The transfer of production abroad
along with permanent increase of organic structure of
capital and reduction of the part of capital allotted for
purchase of new labor has two main consequences: first, it
hits the working movement in capitalism centers, supports
capital to get rid of expenses on working force; second, it
is used with the purpose to put into practice three ways of
production of surplus value absolute, relative, and extra
by means of liberating capital from all obstacles what
ensures the widest reserve army of unemployed.

5. It would not be an exaggeration to say that imposed
policies for third world countries (policies of economic
stabilization and structural reforms) have turned into a
new mechanism of initial capital accumulation. The process
of confiscation of the property of these countries is going
on by globalize capital by means of mechanisms of debts,
privatization and interest and currency rates. This law
appears to an additional proof of uselessness of
integration of third world countries into the globalize
capitalism.

In spite of all profits that capitalism has gained as a
result of globalization, its crisis is being globalized. As
soon as a crisis starts in one of the countries, it rapidly
spreads in other countries. What is the most hazardous in
this relation is that `wandering' capital is not satisfied
with an `invisible hand' for self-development but it
demands an `invisible fist' (the navy, nuclear weapons,
etc.) for its defense.

Capitalism not only got rid of its notorious features but
its parasitism and decay has deepened considerably. It is
acquiring a destructive character in relation to
environment and society, and transferring into a mechanism
of robbing people.

In addition, it is a must to correct the statement
according to which globalized capitalism eliminates the
role of the state. Capital can not exist without a state.
There is a new fact that capital does not want to have a
state as a partner but wants to impose its will on the
state in order to put into practice the policy and measures
which support its goals.

What have gained developing countries from globalization of
capitalism?

These countries have turned into a field for experiments,
for putting into practice the recommendations and rules of
`Washington's consensuses. Privatization has had a certain
impact not only production industries but also production
of public services. The process of mechanization has
touched upon everything including sovereignty. The
liberation of all economic activities has taken place.
These countries have been transformed into objects of
robbery on behalf of globalized capital and victims of the
price scissors.

What is the most hazardous in this connection is that
these countries are forced to take part in a competition
for obtaining direct and foreign investments among
themselves, and later among other countries. However,
investments are allotted in case if the most appropriate
conditions for them are ensured.

But the most dangerous tendency is the desire of
globalized capital co confiscate natural resources. These
countries are facing a dilemma to accept the imposed on
them the policy of globalized capital or to be subjected to
aggression and war in case of refusal and opposition.

All the aforementioned highlight is the essence of new
imperialistic attack against our countries. The Greater
Middle East Project seems to be nothing else but a
mechanism of confiscation of treasures of the region, in
particular, oil. All the arguments that are used to justify
the war in Iraq tend to be utter lie. The aggression
against Iraq took place after the regimes in Arab countries
had been put under control of `Briton-Woods' organization.

In spite of everything we have experienced in Lebanon in
the course of recent decade as a result of new-liberal
experiments as well as a result of the policy of monetary
stabilization which forced the country into the crisis of
debt of $45 billion and sharpened the problem of
unemployment and immigration, new imperialistic attack in
our region submitted our country into a new stage of
insecurity and violence starting with assassination of the
former Premier Minister Rafick Hariri and ending with the
assassination of the former Secretary General of our party
Comrade George Hawi. These events have been used as the
pretext for direct interference in our country's domestic
affairs. Our country has liberated itself from the Syrian
custody and substituted it by American-French one.
Americans are trying to force Lebanon to change its
position towards American attack on the region from direct
opposition to support.

Under the pretext of investigation of Hariri's
assassination, which is the right thing to do, life in
Lebanon has been slowed down and completely stagnated. This
crisis has clearly identified deep disagreement among the
Lebanese in the domestic and international levels. This
disagreement is the result of confessional form of the
political regime in Lebanon which provokes political
crises.

Our party has made a number of proposals in order to
overcome the present deadlock situation in Lebanon. We
proposed a program of struggle in the level of Arab
countries which includes:

To oppose and to resist imperialistic attack. Failure of
American attack in our region, in Iraq, in particular,
would have a paramount importance for the whole of the
world

Introduction of political reforms and spreading of
democracy as an indispensable condition for participation
of people in the resistance movement

Acceptance of the strategy of social and economic
development that would ensure independent economic
development and would prevent confiscation of natural
resources.

Revival of the slogan of Arab Unity, and gradual social
and economic integration

In the level of Lebanon our program presupposes
construction of democratic regime as an alternative to the
present confessional regime by means of establishment of a
political union of those forces that suffer from this
regime. At the same time we are trying to safeguard civil
peace in the country at all costs, trying to prevent a new
civil war in the country, make dramatic amendments in the
election law, and put into practice political and social
reforms. We are following this course of action because the
present government is planning to introduce new liberal
experiments in our country.

Comrades, capitalism has produced all material conditions
for resolution of all problems of mankind but the logic of
capital excludes such an opportunity. Capitalism has
produced the most dangerous phenomenon that is terrorism.
It places our peoples in the face of a dilemma either the
terrorism of Bush or the terrorism of Ben Laden. Capitalist
countries spend money on space projects in search of new
planets in order to transport people to these destinations
instead of paying more attention to our planet. Globalized
capitalism has widened the circle of those who suffer what
in turn has initiated the antiglobalization movement. It
was a long time ago that capitalism has turned into the
system that has to be overcome. Capitalism has been
globalized and it has globalized exploitation but the
opposition and struggle against capitalism appears to be
disintegrated. Let's integrate our struggle against
imperialistic globalization.