The following message was delivered by Daniel O’Brien on behalf of our party at a meeting to celebrate the 20th founding anniversary of the PRCF in France.
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Dear comrades, is an honour and a privilege to be invited to speak at your 20th anniversary celebrations on behalf of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist).
Twenty years ago, the communist and the entire workers’ movement was at a low ebb. It seemed as if revisionism, which had decimated the communist movement worldwide after Khrushchev’s secret speech in 1956, had won. The world has suffered from a long and slow retreat from the vital principles of Marxism-Leninism, which had unleashed the power of workers and peasants to turn backward nations into superpowers, and to defeat fascism and imperialism.
And it was not just revisionism, but other forces of imperialism that corrupted communist parties and trade unions, particularly the imperialist nations. They achieved this through labour aristocrats in the unions and paid Trotskyite organisers in the movement.
Revisionism, opportunism and Trotskyism confused and divided the working class. The destruction of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the disarray of workers in imperialist countries signalled the start of a bacchanalia for imperialism.
To form an anti-revisionist Marxist-Leninist organisation at this time must have seemed like madness. It was the “end of history”, and humanity was condemned to endless war and degradation.
But it was not madness, it was vital. You in the Pôle de renaissance communiste have kept the revolutionary flame alive, for “without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement”.
Lenin has been proven right time and time again during the decades of revisionism and renegacy. Experience has shown that, without a doubt, Marxism-Leninism is the only theory that can ultimately liberate the working class. The workers in Britain and France must come to understand the power they have, and how to use it.
Unfortunately, the bourgeoisie currently knows the strength of the working class better than the workers do themselves. The bourgeois also know how weak they themselves are. We have seen how uncoordinated they are, how they fight amongst themselves, and how the insatiable drive to extract profits stop them from fulfilling any other goals.
They have nothing to offer the world, and they threaten it with total war should they not get their way. They have no new ideas, and struggle futilely against reality.
Imperialism is in crisis. In the imperialist world, the politicians are unable to solve any problem. They can no longer rely on social democracy. They have nothing they can offer to the workers except punishment for speaking up or stepping out of line.
In Britain, the Labour party is now in government, and all illusions about it being the ‘party of workers’ are being swept away. Only the most shameless trade union bureaucrats try to sell the idea that the Labour party is ‘our’ party, as it announces more austerity at home and more war abroad.
In France, the Nouveau Front populaire exposed itself by supporting Emmanuel Macron. Macron in turn (again) exposed the truth of who French democracy is really for by refusing to accept a government of the NFP.
We see as well, the limitations of our trade unions and protests in both countries. Despite massive strikes, millions in the streets and social unrest, imperialism continues to degrade the lives of the workers.
Not to mention both our countries support the fascism and naked genocide in Ukraine and Israel, and posture aggressively against Iran, China and the DPRK. The world is poised on the edge, about to plunge into a global war.
We must grow our ranks, build our organisations, and reach the working masses! Although they do not yet know it, they are desperate for our clear analysis.
It is only with a clear understanding of who their enemies are and what their goals must be that the working class will achieve victory over the barbarians in power. This includes understanding at home that the social democrats are not our friends, and abroad that those who fight against the armies of imperialist governments, or struggle against the economic chains of finance-capital, are our allies, for they are fighting the same enemy that we must recognise here.
The fake left would have us despair at victories that advance the cause of the working class. They would have us believe we can only defend our ever-shrinking share of the imperialist profits. They would convince us that misled workers are all hardened fascists, and that we must vote for the status quo. But like the bourgeoisie, reality is against them, and the tide is turning against them too.
In Europe there is mass popular support for the Palestinian cause, but we must translate this from liberal hand-wringing sentiment into steadfast support for the victory of the resistance. It is in Palestine that all the contradictions of imperialism are most clearly revealed, and we can link this with the resistance against imperialist Nato in Ukraine, as well as the ongoing occupation of the Korean peninsula.
This is the reason our ruling classes seek to criminalise support for the Palestinian resistance, because it has clarified who are the anti-imperialist forces in the world, and who are the anti-human imperialist aggressors.
In Britain, we have seen harassment and oppression of journalists and communists, using the police for political repression. Just this week another journalist, Asa Winstanley, has had his house raided because of his support of Palestine. Eight of our comrades were detained, had their houses raided, and were placed under draconian bail conditions, all for the crime of telling the truth about imperialism. All charges have been dismissed, but the arrests served their purpose for propaganda and intimidation.
The primary task before us is to highlight the links between the forces of anti-imperialist resistance, to demonstrate the real material needs and development of the resistance, economic and military needs, and bring forth an understanding that this struggle is linked inextricably with the struggle of workers in imperialist countries for a better life and freedom from exploitation.
The CPGB-ML salutes the steadfast Pôle de renaissance communiste, your anti-revisionism, your international solidarity, and your opposition to liberalism, fascism and social democracy.
But, you are also not just against things. As communists we have a positive vision for the future of humanity. A future of peace, prosperity, exploration and discovery. We shall fight together for a communist future!
Long live proletarian internationalism!
Long live the axis of resistance!
Long live Pôle de renaissance communiste en France!
