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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 of Communist Party of Sweden

Kjell Bygden

Socialism is the future!

Yes comrades, that’s the way it is.

The importance of the former Soviet Union, (USSR), to the working people of the world can hardly be explained. But by the time of the formal dismantling of the USSR in 1991, the capital in Sweden also began to dismantle the economic, social, political and cultural improvements that had been achieved through the struggle of the working people and for the people as a whole, with Soviet Union as a role model.

As for the capitalism in general, the postwar era in Sweden with an economic upturn in terms of production lasted from 1950 to 1970, with a consecutive recession and regular crisis as a consequence. The crisis of the capital has been going on for 40 years and the working people have been paying it all exclusively. And 20 years after the dismantling of the Soviet Union, the Swedish welfare society still is dismantled and has soon reached the end of the road.

Sweden created the largest public sector of all comparable countries, the so-called Swedish Welfare State. But the development was impeded from going "too far" by the social democrats, their opportunism and collaboration with the capital for the current state and class society. This can be simplified by the fact that the Swedish crown rose hundreds of times more on the market in comparison with the wage crown between 1970- 1997 and this after the tax had been paid. But the ruling social democracy took the entire credit for the Swedish Welfare State themselves.

Comrades, the socialism/communism is still alive since the atmosphere of lynching in 1990. At this particular time we were supposed to search within ourselves and (knuckle under the falsification of history and revisionism). But our way of thinking was healthy and as the dialectics offers, it gave us an opportunity to sharpen the arguments.

The governmental institute “Forum for living History” assigned to do research on the crimes of the communism against humanity was heavily criticized by hundreds of historians in an appeal 2008, neither to give historical or scientific enlightenment but ideological. So it is written in the system’s political duty. More and more opine that the institute should shut down its business.

Through the propaganda we are today teached that the social democrats are socialists, not to mention the Papandreou administration in Greece and the previous one in Spain. The fact that they are not showing any features worth to mention relative to what represents the current system, creates great confusion among young people and those who are class- unaware. (To them socialism turns into capitalism and capitalism becomes socialism. There the capitalism is the final stage that includes socialism. Why pick a fight? And it is certainly beneficial for the system as long as the people don’t figure out the meaning of socialism. (Here we have the Holy Trinity: capitalism- the role of the imaginary opposition and- the media)

It is said that Borg, the Swedish finance minister is the best one in Europe. He is, from EU:s point of view, through his conservative right-wing party, The Moderates and a quiet opposition. He is the best because the right wing parties for instance creates unsafe workplaces and allows an unemployment rate among the youth of 25 % in the age range between 16-24 years. There our tax money nowadays are spent on private corporations within health care, education and welfare that later on rewrites the obligations of the workplace activities in order to gain as much profits as possible. Self-financing becomes even more substantial.

There our society suffers severely when retirees are mistreated

and the Swedish schools are displaying great differences in terms of results,

there the importance of the student’s social- economic background has been

drastically increased.

From a prior solidary and tax funded health care equivalent to everyone, there

exists since 2003 privately- owned hospitals. The regionally responsible bodies

regarding health care has put together lists which contain specific health care only

received if you pay.

In this way one of the world’s greatest health care systems is transformed into emergency aid.

Since 1991 at least 350000 jobs has been lost and about half of these within

the public sector.

It is obvious that mentioned sectors were conducted in a better manner when they were public owned. But we can see weak indications of a popular opinion.

In the context and concerning the taxes, a prominent social democrat in the parliament makes mutual cause with the capital as followed. “We can’t turn people’s economy upside down. When we facing elections next time, the Swedish people have been living with a right-wing fiscal policy for eight years, the changes are a fact that people include in their economy”.

The social changes from about 1970 that contributed to a Swedish admittance in the European Union in 1994 must reasonably be its continuing way. We recall that the social democrats were extremely accessory and dominating in the process where the collective agreements at an admission would still exist through a clause. This dictum to calm down the people and make them positive to an entrance. They disappeared however more or less practically thanks to the Laval sentence in the EG-court in 2008. The free capitalism with outsourcing and leasing had to stop the national collective wage agreements.

Through the admittance in the European Union, the trade unions are silenced gradually and prevented to present what not is in accordance with the European Union and what its institutions demands. Obvious for the most of the people today is that the European Union either is democratic, nor a peace project. There is currently nothing that provides a higher standard living for the working people, increased equality or justice, as we heard before 1994.

Today 80% of the Swedish laws are decided in Brussels. The reason to why Swedish capital in some extent has managed to make it throughout the economic crisis is because our prominent finance minister 2008 granted a bank emergency room costing 1500 billion Swedish crowns at the people’s expense. This while only 20- 25 billions were procurable to ease the impact of the crisis on the working class. We are also fortunate of not being members of the euro zone since a referendum resulted in a clear No- in 2003. Anders Borg, above all should be thanking the No for his award!

The Swedish neutrality and non-alignment that at least has existed on the paper is soon only a memory. It has been revealed that Sweden cooperated with NATO since many decades. Constant attempts are done to establish a “sneak connection” despite the fact that the public opinion still supports the non- alignment (increased after the war in Libya and the Swedish “participation” with observation aviations. Sweden has contributed with soldiers in Afghanistan since 2002 with a consisting troop of 500 men, under the command of NATO. For instance it is written in the Swedish delegation, accessible on the NATO homepage that PFP has become a particular important tool for the participating countries to coordinate, prepare and train their troops for future crisis management operations.

If we wish to obtain a full understanding of the cause behind the full scaled and iniquitous massacre of Libya it was clearly a “crisis management operation.” The NATO intentions of recruiting both Finland and Sweden as member countries for their “north flank” in order to approach Russia and as a complement of US installations in the so-called missile defense in the areas of several European countries. It means a dangerous and a very undesirable security political development.

Dear comrades, November 19th this year the communist party of Sweden participated in “Socialistically Forum” with more than 100 different lectures, book tables and other arrangements. This event was very well attended. It showed a widespread criticism against the current system. On the other hand it is lacking insight of that the whole system needs to e overthrown.

With an insight and acting similar to the class-aware Greek people today, the KKE and the PAME, the capital and all its methods regarding social liberalism, social democracy, neo- liberalism and fascism would be gone. Methods in the different phases of the class struggle that has been utilized to preserve the means of production in the possession of the monopoly capital. The corporation of state and capital wouldn’t be existing. Not either the exploitation of work, class society, reformism, opportunism and other system preservation.

Socialism is the future!