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13^th International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties

Athens, December 9-11, 2011

SOCIALISM IS THE FUTURE!

The international situation and the experience of the communists 20 years after the counterrevolution in the USSR. The tasks for the development of the class struggle in conditions of capitalist crisis, imperialist wars, of the current popular struggles and uprisings, for working class-popular rights, the strengthening of proletarian internationalism and the anti-imperialist front, for the overthrow of capitalism and the construction of socialism.

Contribution by Communist Party of Malta

History continues. Victor Degiovanni

I must start by first thanking The Communist Party of Greece for hosting this 13th Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties here in Athens, and giving us the facility to air our views on matters that concern all of us gathered here.

Comrade Chairman,

These past 20 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Socialist Community in Eastern of Europe, Great changes have taken Place. Initially, this was a setback for Communist and workers party, as the bourgeoisie cried out that communism was dead. Fukuyama declared the “End of History”. All this was triumphalism over the great betrayal by Gorbachev and Company back 1989. Communism did not die, and history today still continues.

Today we are witnessing a resurgence of communist parties and other left wing parties almost everywhere. Communist parties together with other progressive forces are making great advances. In some countries namely Cyprus, South Africa, Nepal are in government or form part of a coalition that is in power. In Latin America, the United States has lost its influence, and can longer install puppet fascist regimes. Thanks to the Cuban Revolution which served as an inspiration to leaders namely Chavez, Ortega, Morales and others.

Capitalism during this past 20 years has finally, entered into a deep crises, with there are no effective solutions, for this system to recover as Karl Marx had very ably forecasted. Austerity measures on the working classes are not viable solutions, these measures will put the system into a more deeper crises, according to the now abandoned Keynesian theories to Milton Friedman and Monetarism. According to Keynes the workers are the motor of capitalist economy, if they do not have money to spend, the system fails.

However, we are not concerned about the salvation of Capitalist system; on the contrary we would like to see its demise.

Neo Liberal concepts of maximum profit and free unregulated market economy has put capitalism on the path towards its final oblivion, and now we are on the threshold of a new beginning, a new dawn, which will usher an era of socialism, which is within our grasps.

The Struggle for Socialism will not be an easy one, there will be a large number of setbacks. There are also dangers that we must face, as the bourgeoisie are once again reverting to fascist tactics as they had done back in the 1930’s.

The bourgeoisie do not want to loose their hegemony over the masses. With their absolute control of the media, they manage to put believable lies across, and this deceitful propaganda is believed by a large cross section of the masses. This can be seen in how, what the EU and the other financial institutions have done here in Greece and in Italy is being described. It is not being described as fascism, as it really is, but as a measure to save the Euro from its impending doom. The bourgeoisie media manages to convince a proportion of the masses to jump from the frying pan into the fire. A clear example of this is the last election in Spain, although the united left made progress. A large number of voters in order to avoid austerity measures were deceived into voting for an oligarchy which will impose harsher measures.

The unification of Communist and other progressive forces is what is mostly needed today. We must consolidate our forces, to give Capitalism its coup de grace, and bring about the socialist transformation of society. This unity can only be achieved between Communist or Left wing progressive parties, and must not include pseudo leftists who adhere to the bourgeoisie creed of a democracy dependent on a free market. Free Market Democracy which is a Neo Liberal Concept, has enslaved the working people, reduced their working conditions, and rendered them jobless.

Any Party calling itself a left wing party, and supports neo liberal concepts is in fact a disguised rightist party, and merely imitating Hitler’s Nazi Party a fascist party, calling itself socialist (National Socialism)

After the Collapse of the Soviet Union we have seen great upheavals. US imperialism in its bid for global hegemony has overstretched itself in order to globalize the world, wanting absolute control over world markets, with the dire consequences of impoverishing third world countries, and also, after the natural resources in third world countries, unleashing imperialist wars, in order to grab these recources.

The Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are such an example. These wars have proven to be unwinnable, have brought about large scale miseries to the population of these countries; they have also resulted in large civilian casualties, and badly deteriorated the living conditions in these countries as the existing infrastructure was completely destroyed.

The recent criminal colonial war against Libya by the U.S. and its NATO allies namely Britain and France, and the threats directed against Syria and Iran, is a continuation of imperialist aggressive policy of war and destruction to obtain by the use of force the right to control natural resources, especially oil.

US banks and other financial institutions brought about the capitalist crises. This crises, in turn caused the collapse of the whole western capitalist system, bringing down the Dollar and also the Euro, with grave consequences for the working classes in the western capitalist countries, especially in Europe.

Here in Greece, like elsewhere in Europe, we are witnessing the working class struggling to keep the gains won by hard struggle in the past. Here, my only comments will be, is that the EU is exposing its undemocratic credentials, and also to express the Solidarity and support of the Communist Party of Malta to the Greek working class, to its Union PAME and to KKE . I will leave this subject to our Greek Comrades who are more able to give us a true picture about the events taking place here.

Same events are happening also in Italy where the Berlusconi Government was put to the side and a new cabinet installed with again another unelected Banker to head it, again here, all was done at the behest of the European Union.

Similar situation are in store for Portugal, Ireland, and France if we do not manage to halt this fascist encroachment on the liberal democratic institutions. The only way to stop these bandits is by the establishment of Socialist society.

In Malta the centre right administration, had imposed measures of austerity, to come out of the recession in Maltese economy, is now encroaching on the right to strike. A few days ago the Maltese Government amended the Industrial relations bill without consulting anyone. Was this done with tacit agreement of the bureaucrats in Brussels? Or at their behest. Is this part of the EU plan to ensure the imposition of the austerity measures proposed? If so then, what should be our next steps? We know all that the EU do not see eye to public referendums, general elections, and considers them to be a threat to its hegemony, and it is no surprise, if the right to strike, will be next on the agenda of their current dislikes. We must not allow fascism to reign once again in Europe.

We must resist these attempts, and keep struggling till Socialism triumphs.

Long Live Socialism

Long Live, Marxism Leninism.