WIVL schrieb: > > Elections in Zimbabwe and the sanctions myth > > > The capitalist press is blasting our ears with the call for sanctions against > Zimbabwe. There are calls for the Freedom of the press and other democratic > freedoms made by imperialist ministers from Britain, to the EU, etc. This > reminds us of the dying days of the apartheid regime in South Africa, when > the representatives of the same international big capital suddenly became > very 'democratic'. At certain moments the international monopoly capitalists > seem to develop a social conscience. But what is really happening? > > > > If monopoly capital had any true democratic concerns they would long ago have > acted against the many years of butchery of the Palestinian people, they > would long ago have acted against those who massacred the youth in Tianneman > Square, China. Indeed there are too many such examples to quote here. So > what makes international monopoly capital [imperialism] work with repressive > regimes of the worst types and in other cases, call for sanctions against > others. There are many examples, of the imperialist -capitalists, > alternating giving support to regimes, and later opposing them. Some times > they would support them again after a period of opposition. The most > important concern for the international capitalists is to have the working > class under control. If a brutal military suppression of workers is > sufficient to keep the working class in check, and allow exploitation to > continue, the monopoly capitalists have no problem with this at all. If we > look at the many years that the resistance forces in SA were suppressed and > imperialism had no problem with the SA regime, we can see the truth of the > above statement.. After the 1960's big capital poured huge amounts of > capital into SA. It became a capitalist paradise. It is only when the > working class can no longer be controlled by brutal military suppression, > that imperialism allows parliamentary forms of control to emerge, rather > than risk losing everything. In South Africa, when the working class was no > longer prepared to tolerate racial oppression and exploitation, when the > masses were on the march and imperialism was in danger of losing everything, > that they suddenly called for sanctions. In reality, they were concerned for > the safety of their investments and were trying to cut their losses by > taking as much of 'their' capital out of the country as possible. A similar > process is currently underway in Zimbabwe. > > > > For many years since 1980, international monopoly capital had no problem with > the Zanu-PF regime under the leadership of Mugabe. For those years, Mugabe > fulfilled the required role - to keep the working class in control for > exploitation by the big bosses. Mugabe, under the instruction of US monopoly > capital, launched wave upon wave of attacks on the working class and youth > in Zimbabwe. There was no call for any democratic freedoms at all. Most of > the land was kept in capitalist hands. Mugabe even used Korean troops > against anyone who dared invade the land under the control of the big > capitalists. The capitalists were really in the pound seats. It was only > when the working class in Zimbabwe, after many hard battles, burst forth, > no longer prepared to tolerate the brutal exploitation imposed by Mugabe on > behalf of imperialism, that imperialism started to make democratic noises. > In other words, brute force no longer achieved the results for imperialism > and they now sought parliamentary means to regain full control. In other > words, the capitalists want to divert the democratic demands of the > Zimbabwean masses into the dead-end of elections. The international monopoly > capitalists will switch support to whoever can keep the working class under > control, by whatever means. The imperialists will only tolerate those > democratic demands that serve their purpose of continued exploitation. The > 'democratic' demands allowed by imperialism is directly linked to how strong > and conscious the working class movement is. The democratic demands gained > by the working class are often more that what the capitalists are happy > with. Thus the capitalists will always try to undermine any democratic > demand, before the ink has even dried on the paper that the rights are > agreed to. The need for parliamentary control is the reason behind big > capital supporting the MDC. [Did they even initiate it?]. Even if the > working class is split between the Zanu-PF and MDC, as long as there is > parliamentary control, imperialism would be happy. The capitalists are known > to back many horses, so as to ensure their absolute control. > > > > The hypocrisy of big capital can be seen in their call for sanctions [they > are already taking capital out of the country] and in their call for press > freedom [they want to ensure that the capitalist media can operate to create > a climate for the maximum protection of imperialist interests], while they > remain absolutely quiet on the proposed new labour law which bans strikes, > stayaways and demonstrations. That the Mugabe led regime did not go ahead > with the Labour law, shows that he is scared of losing what little support > remains in the working class for him. > > > > WIVL condemns all anti-working class actions of the Zimbabwean state, > especially the repression of ISO activists, Elliot Madzivayika and Jokonia > Maopa. We support the call by the ISO for an end to all dictatorial > measures. We would add that there should be transitional demands developed > to advance the aspirations of the masses. These should include demands for > work for all and for food and shelter for all; there should be the > unrestricted right to strike. We support the programme of mass action for > the demands of the working class. The ZCTU leaders who fail to fight for the > demands of the masses, should be replaced with fighters who carry working > class interests at heart. No illusions in elections or sanctions. Forward to > the mass action of 15th February. Forward to the building of a revolutionary > working class party in Zimbabwe. Forward to Socialism! > > > issued on 2.02 2002 by > Workers International Vanguard League > 1st Floor, Community House > 41 Salt River rd > Salt River > 7925 > South Africa > > ph/fax [27] 21 4476777 > email [EMAIL PROTECTED] >
_______________________________________________ Leninist-International mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
