AnarchoCommunist
23rd June 2005, 12:03
Out of all the regions in the industrialised capitalist world, Europe seems to be the worst off.
Economic crisis has been compounded with a political and social crisis that has now put the very process of EU intergration on the backburner.
As the European situation has caused many a headache for the capitalist class, I think that we, as Marxists/anarchists/communists, should start to discuss this issue. At the moment the Left has not really grasped how deep Europe's crisis is and we should for out of all the regions of the industrialised capitalist world, Europe is most ripe for working class liberation and political power.
Below, I will give a small analysis of the European countries and from there we can look at how all of their respective problems add up to the general problems of the capitalist system in Europe:
Germany: For the capitalist class, Germany presents them with the most problems. Unemployment in Germany is now at an [/B]all time high, not seen since before 1933. As the global economy is slowing down, countries all over the world are cutting back on their state budgets and Germany is no exception. Germany's economy has shown no growth rates for years now and there are no indications that it will pick up in growth anytime soon. The German government has proposed the 'Hartz 5' plan, essentially a massive attack on the social safety net of Germany and an attack which not only hits the millions of unemployed of Germany, but also many workers as the regulations regarding job security, workers rights and social rights are all being attacked by the German capitalist class.
For all real communists/marxists/anarchists, this should come as no suprise that all of these anti-worker policies are being done by a 'social democratic' government. Social democracy has shown it's hatred for the workers and has been capitalisms loyal servant ever since the 'social democrats' betrayed the European working class in 1914 by supporting the genocide of WW1, where workers died for the 'glory' of kings, emperors and bloodthristy prime ministers.
The position of the 'Green' party has not been that much better, if not just as bad, as the 'social democrats'. They are in a coalition with the 'social democrats' (the SPD) both at the federal government level and have been the SPD's loyal puppet at the local level.
This shows the working class movement and the left in general that the Greens are not to be trusted nor are they any sort of alternative to the system. It also shows the limits of middle class liberal 'issue' politics, like the ecology movement. The environment is important, but under capitalism, everything has to be seen within the context of the class system and the environment is no exception. Only by looking at the environment from a class stand can we solve it's problems.
Outside the SPD/Green axis, the German left is at a crossroads. The main/largest party to the left of the SPD/Green axis is the former East German communist party, the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS). The PDS is a mixed bag, on the one hand they have been active in the anti-Hartz 5/SPD movement and have built up street demonstrations and have been involved in the European Social Forums (ESFs). Yet on the other hand in certain German states the PDS have joined with regional SPD governments and have supported the cuts in welfare and the SPD's attack on the workers.
This is probably a reflection of the divide between a reformist PDS leadership and a more radical offensive grassroots layer of the PDS membership.
Outside of the PDS there is the Welfare and Social Justice Party (WASG). It is a breakaway from the SPD and does not consider itself to be anti-capitalist but sees itself as a reutrn to 'real social democratic values'.
It is only a matter of time to see of the WASG is of any worth to the working class or not, but the early indications do not look that good.
France: Like Germany, France has many similar characteristics: High levels of unemployment that is in the millions, no economic growth with no sign of future economic growth, a discredited 'social democratic left' and developing social antagonisms.
The recent defeat of the EU constitution referedum in France was much more than just a rejection of EU intergration, as the ruling class and the anti-European xenephobes and nationalists will say.
It was a 'no' to a policy that was promoted by a very unpopular right wing government and a corrupt even more unpopular and totally discredited President, Chirac.
We must remember that Chirac did not really win his last election to office, despite his 80% vote of 'approval'. We all know who was running against Chirac in 2002, the fascist Jean Marie Le Pen! It was, as the French themselves will say, a choice between a crook and a fascist.
The referedum on the EU was the first chance on a national scale to damage Chirac and his regime.
Besides the French giving a bloody nose to the Chirac regime, many French people saw the EU constitution as a neo-liberal blueprint for Europe and it was just that! As the global economy slows down, as economic growth in Europe is all but dissapearing and as more and more young people and workers are starting to reject the status quo of global neo-liberalism, the capitalist class of the EU saw the constitution as a way to impose the free market neo-liberal agenda on the people of Europe to try and stave off an economic crisis that could push the workers over the edge.
Yet Chriac's unpopularity does give the real, anti capitalist left a very good opportunity. This is because, like Germany the 'official mainstream' left in France is reformist and has been nothing but a loyal servant of the capitalist class in France.
The 'social democrats', the French 'Socialist' Party (PSF), have been in government many years from 1981 up until the late 1990s. Either in government or in opposition the PSF have never made any real gaines for the working class and for fear of putting of capitalist support for them, the PSF have never really sought to fight off attacks on the working class.
In foreign affairs, the PSF are as bad as the right in their projection of French imperialism, especially in Africa and the middle east. French imperialism like American imperialism has a long and bloody history of supporting dictators they 'can do business with.'
The French Greens are a clone of their German counterparts, reformist sellouts who always fail to see any class prospective in anything. However unlike the German Greens, the French Greens are not as big in France as they are in Germany.
The French Communist Part (PCF) is now but a shell of it's former self. Ever since the PCF's treachery in destroying the possibility of a genuine workers revolution in May 1968, when the PCF sided with the autocratic General De Gaulle regime against the workers, out of petty sectarianism, the PCF have proven itself to be nothing but a waste of space. This view is now shared by many people in France, look at the PCF results in the 2002 presidential elections, they got 3% of the vote, compared to the combined Trotskyist vote of 10%.
The two main Trotskyist parties the Workers Struggle (LO) and the Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) have shown good results in elections as they have now easlily overtaken the PCF as the main far left force in France. Both parties got a total of 10% in the 2002 elections. The LO are 'economist', that is they only partake in economic struggles of the workers and ignore leftist causes like feminism, the youth and other issues. The LCR however takes up these issues and out of the two, the LCR is by and far the larger of the two Trotskyist parties.
In Holland we have seen the EU referedum defeated, like in France and over the last 3 years, political assinations, the rise of the far right, and ethnic strife.
In Spain, we have seen the Basques step up their demands for statehood and like France and Germany, Spain has a very high levels of unemployment.
In Italy there is growing worker unrest and people are starting to see through the empty promises and empty populist rhetoric of Berlissconi and the far right Northern League, both of whom have lost their appeal to people. Mounting corruption under the current regime in Italy has also angered people over there.
However the main leftwing force in Italy Communist Refoundation (CR) has moved to the right, just as the right is being shunned by people unhappy with the neo-liberal project. However I do not know why CR has moved to the right and if anyone can help me out on that one, please do.
All the countries of Europe are at a point of going in one of two directions, either continue on the neo-liberal path and 'Americanise' Europe or with the level of workers unrest, public apathy to the ruling elite and the economic crisis, we can help build up the left and make Marx's claim that Europe will see the first proletarian revoltuions, a reality![B]
I hope forums members will discuss this as the situation in Europe can give the left the chance to make a difference to the global situation.
Economic crisis has been compounded with a political and social crisis that has now put the very process of EU intergration on the backburner.
As the European situation has caused many a headache for the capitalist class, I think that we, as Marxists/anarchists/communists, should start to discuss this issue. At the moment the Left has not really grasped how deep Europe's crisis is and we should for out of all the regions of the industrialised capitalist world, Europe is most ripe for working class liberation and political power.
Below, I will give a small analysis of the European countries and from there we can look at how all of their respective problems add up to the general problems of the capitalist system in Europe:
Germany: For the capitalist class, Germany presents them with the most problems. Unemployment in Germany is now at an [/B]all time high, not seen since before 1933. As the global economy is slowing down, countries all over the world are cutting back on their state budgets and Germany is no exception. Germany's economy has shown no growth rates for years now and there are no indications that it will pick up in growth anytime soon. The German government has proposed the 'Hartz 5' plan, essentially a massive attack on the social safety net of Germany and an attack which not only hits the millions of unemployed of Germany, but also many workers as the regulations regarding job security, workers rights and social rights are all being attacked by the German capitalist class.
For all real communists/marxists/anarchists, this should come as no suprise that all of these anti-worker policies are being done by a 'social democratic' government. Social democracy has shown it's hatred for the workers and has been capitalisms loyal servant ever since the 'social democrats' betrayed the European working class in 1914 by supporting the genocide of WW1, where workers died for the 'glory' of kings, emperors and bloodthristy prime ministers.
The position of the 'Green' party has not been that much better, if not just as bad, as the 'social democrats'. They are in a coalition with the 'social democrats' (the SPD) both at the federal government level and have been the SPD's loyal puppet at the local level.
This shows the working class movement and the left in general that the Greens are not to be trusted nor are they any sort of alternative to the system. It also shows the limits of middle class liberal 'issue' politics, like the ecology movement. The environment is important, but under capitalism, everything has to be seen within the context of the class system and the environment is no exception. Only by looking at the environment from a class stand can we solve it's problems.
Outside the SPD/Green axis, the German left is at a crossroads. The main/largest party to the left of the SPD/Green axis is the former East German communist party, the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS). The PDS is a mixed bag, on the one hand they have been active in the anti-Hartz 5/SPD movement and have built up street demonstrations and have been involved in the European Social Forums (ESFs). Yet on the other hand in certain German states the PDS have joined with regional SPD governments and have supported the cuts in welfare and the SPD's attack on the workers.
This is probably a reflection of the divide between a reformist PDS leadership and a more radical offensive grassroots layer of the PDS membership.
Outside of the PDS there is the Welfare and Social Justice Party (WASG). It is a breakaway from the SPD and does not consider itself to be anti-capitalist but sees itself as a reutrn to 'real social democratic values'.
It is only a matter of time to see of the WASG is of any worth to the working class or not, but the early indications do not look that good.
France: Like Germany, France has many similar characteristics: High levels of unemployment that is in the millions, no economic growth with no sign of future economic growth, a discredited 'social democratic left' and developing social antagonisms.
The recent defeat of the EU constitution referedum in France was much more than just a rejection of EU intergration, as the ruling class and the anti-European xenephobes and nationalists will say.
It was a 'no' to a policy that was promoted by a very unpopular right wing government and a corrupt even more unpopular and totally discredited President, Chirac.
We must remember that Chirac did not really win his last election to office, despite his 80% vote of 'approval'. We all know who was running against Chirac in 2002, the fascist Jean Marie Le Pen! It was, as the French themselves will say, a choice between a crook and a fascist.
The referedum on the EU was the first chance on a national scale to damage Chirac and his regime.
Besides the French giving a bloody nose to the Chirac regime, many French people saw the EU constitution as a neo-liberal blueprint for Europe and it was just that! As the global economy slows down, as economic growth in Europe is all but dissapearing and as more and more young people and workers are starting to reject the status quo of global neo-liberalism, the capitalist class of the EU saw the constitution as a way to impose the free market neo-liberal agenda on the people of Europe to try and stave off an economic crisis that could push the workers over the edge.
Yet Chriac's unpopularity does give the real, anti capitalist left a very good opportunity. This is because, like Germany the 'official mainstream' left in France is reformist and has been nothing but a loyal servant of the capitalist class in France.
The 'social democrats', the French 'Socialist' Party (PSF), have been in government many years from 1981 up until the late 1990s. Either in government or in opposition the PSF have never made any real gaines for the working class and for fear of putting of capitalist support for them, the PSF have never really sought to fight off attacks on the working class.
In foreign affairs, the PSF are as bad as the right in their projection of French imperialism, especially in Africa and the middle east. French imperialism like American imperialism has a long and bloody history of supporting dictators they 'can do business with.'
The French Greens are a clone of their German counterparts, reformist sellouts who always fail to see any class prospective in anything. However unlike the German Greens, the French Greens are not as big in France as they are in Germany.
The French Communist Part (PCF) is now but a shell of it's former self. Ever since the PCF's treachery in destroying the possibility of a genuine workers revolution in May 1968, when the PCF sided with the autocratic General De Gaulle regime against the workers, out of petty sectarianism, the PCF have proven itself to be nothing but a waste of space. This view is now shared by many people in France, look at the PCF results in the 2002 presidential elections, they got 3% of the vote, compared to the combined Trotskyist vote of 10%.
The two main Trotskyist parties the Workers Struggle (LO) and the Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) have shown good results in elections as they have now easlily overtaken the PCF as the main far left force in France. Both parties got a total of 10% in the 2002 elections. The LO are 'economist', that is they only partake in economic struggles of the workers and ignore leftist causes like feminism, the youth and other issues. The LCR however takes up these issues and out of the two, the LCR is by and far the larger of the two Trotskyist parties.
In Holland we have seen the EU referedum defeated, like in France and over the last 3 years, political assinations, the rise of the far right, and ethnic strife.
In Spain, we have seen the Basques step up their demands for statehood and like France and Germany, Spain has a very high levels of unemployment.
In Italy there is growing worker unrest and people are starting to see through the empty promises and empty populist rhetoric of Berlissconi and the far right Northern League, both of whom have lost their appeal to people. Mounting corruption under the current regime in Italy has also angered people over there.
However the main leftwing force in Italy Communist Refoundation (CR) has moved to the right, just as the right is being shunned by people unhappy with the neo-liberal project. However I do not know why CR has moved to the right and if anyone can help me out on that one, please do.
All the countries of Europe are at a point of going in one of two directions, either continue on the neo-liberal path and 'Americanise' Europe or with the level of workers unrest, public apathy to the ruling elite and the economic crisis, we can help build up the left and make Marx's claim that Europe will see the first proletarian revoltuions, a reality![B]
I hope forums members will discuss this as the situation in Europe can give the left the chance to make a difference to the global situation.