PART A -------------- Unilateral entire debt suspension of payments – Greece out of Euro-EMU-European Union
Against the big local capital’s current strategic choice of KEEPING Greece inside EMU-Euro-EU, with the open support of the big bourgeois parties (PASOK-ND-LAOS), as well as the silent support of socialdemocratic parties (“K”KE-SYN) and organizations of the Extraparliamentary Left (KOE-NAR-ANTARSYA-KKE m-l -ML-KKE, etc.) Today, in 2010, the working class and the whole Greek people as well as the country are undoubtedly confronted with a novel negative and extremely painful financial-political condition for their class interests, as well as the country’s interests. A novel condition, the existence of which has to be initially verified and recognized, and then analyzed. These are necessary premises for the designation of the content and correct orientation of the class struggle of the working class in the current very difficult and crucial period. The country’s new financial-political condition is characterized by: 1. the deep crisis and bankruptcy of economy, 2. occupation by the “troika” of Commission-ECB-IMF, 3. violent abolition of all workers’ conquests, 4. deterioration of the relations between Greece and EU, to the country’s detriment. A. Crisis and bankruptcy of the Greek economy. 1. Crisis. The crisis that keeps on shattering the entire capitalist world, as well as our country, burned out for years to come, in the hell that created massive unemployment of hundreds of millions of unemployed-half-unemployed humans, great poverty, hunger and the absolute immiseration of billions on the planet, the final illusory glow of the widely advertised by recently faded myth of capitalist “prosperity”, as well as the celebrated jabbers-myths of bourgeois and revisionist economist about “full employment,” “elimination of unemployment,” and a capitalist development “undisrupted by crises.” Regardless of its existent singularities and main features as well as the way in which it broke out, this crisis is, as all the previous ones, a cyclical crisis of over-production, the root and cause of which exists within the fundamental contradiction of capitalism, which the other contradictions of this exploitative system are also connected with: the “the contradiction between the social character of productionand the private form of its appropriation.” It derives from here that the periodic crises of overproduction are an inherent and inevitable phenomenon in the capitalist mode of production which accompanies capitalist along its course of development. It is the result of the action and function of objective economic laws despite the contradicting claims of bourgeois economists cultivating the opposite view on the current crisis, seeking its cause within “erroneous financial policies” and limiting it to the “financial sector”: “bourgeois-capitalist circles try to propagandize by every mean the view that this crisis is the result of erroneous economic policies, in particular erroneous financial and monetary policies, which have led to increasing speculation and the “bubbles” in the financial sector. With such positions and propaganda they seek to hide the fact that capitalist economic crises are inevitable stages in the course of capitalist development, that they are the inevitable result of the capitalist mode of production developing in an uneven way, because it is led by profit and the market.” In contrast to the bourgeois, for revolutionary Marxists, according to Marx, “the general conditions of crises … must be explained through the general conditions of capitalist production.” The current world economic crisis, as all cyclical crises of over-production emerging from the essence, i.e. the inherent contradictions of the capitalist mode of production, “are never more than momentary, violent solutions for the existing contradictions, violent eruptions that re-establish the disturbed balance for the time being.” The current crisis could not but also affect the local capitalist economy, despite the contradicting idiotic assurances of the reactionary Karamanlis governments and its indescribable and benighted economic headquarters that the country’s banks and economy are “armoured” against the crisis (and a few days later “endowed” the supposedly “armoured” banks with 28 b. Euros). Indeed, gross flubs of this kind were being uttered at the moment when it was known that the crisis had become manifest in our country before the outbreak of the world capitalist crisis – it became manifest unevenly in various country in terms of time and intensity, as well as sectors – affecting initially the construction sectors, and all its related branches. The crisis has affected Greek economy more than those of the other member-states of the imperialist EU, as shown in figures (while maintaining relevant reservations) by Eurostat for 2009: investments declined by 13,4% in contrast to 2008, households’ consumption decreased by 1.8%, exports by 18.1% and imports by 14.1. The 2% decline of GDP shown by Eurostat is in reality much larger, while actual unemployment surpassed 15%. Predictions for 2010 are much more unfavourable, since it is estimated the GDP decline will be at about 4%, while it is expected to have reached 7.5% by 2012, whereas unemployed will have reached 20%. Already in the second quarter of 2010, a 3.5% GDP shrinking was recorded. Construction activity fell by 22.4%, industrial production dropped 4.5%, while inflation 5.5% (in reality it fluctuates between 6 and 7%), and large waves of high prices are an everyday phenomenon. As for the army of hundreds of thousands of the unemployed, some more will be added, which, according to the GSEE’s estimations will have reached, and may have even surpassed, 1.200.000 by the end of the year. 2. Bankruptcy. Yet, besides the multiple problems caused by the profound economic crisis, which is expected to further intensify, the country’s economy was led in 2009 to open bankruptcy, which was already visible to the naked eye from the beginning of 2007 – despite the distorted statistical figures coming to light –, as a result of the application of extreme neoliberal policies by Karamanlis’ government and of dependence by the EU. The government of the monarcho-fascist party of ND, with K. Karamanlis as prime-minister, is first and fore mostly responsible for the country’s financial bankruptcy, by doubling the external debt (more than 300 billion Euros) and multiplying the deficit by five (more than 30 billion Euros), leading to the country’s triple supervision-occupation by Commission-ECB-IMF. However, the then-opposition parties, the big-bourgeois PASOK and the social democratic “K”KE and SYN (the nazi-fascist LAOS had identified with the politics of ND), aretremendously responsible as well, for not revealing-denouncing this destructive financial course to the Greek people – a course, which at least for the final two years of ND’s governance was completely manifest and, as already mentioned, visible to the naked eye. The very fact of the country’s financial bankruptcy (the typical statement “Regretfully, we arebankrupt” is not necessary) is questioned by all bourgeois and reformist forces, and even from those of the Extraparliamentary Left. In contrast to the fabrications of the government and bourgeois politicians that “the country has not gone bankrupt,” along with those of ND and the Khruschevite socialdemocratic parties of “K”KE and SYN, who are also disputing the existence of bankruptcy,1 the bankruptcy is a concrete and painful fact for the working class, as well as the people and the country in general. An analysis of the relevant economic data can certainly reach the conclusion that the figures composing-indicating in an indisputable way the bankruptcy of Greek economy are: 1. an overwhelming external debt of more than 300 billion Euros, or about 120% of GDP (in a country with a minimal to inexistent industrial production, while even the “production” of waiters decreased with the drop of tourism since last year), 2. a huge deficit of more than 30 billion Euros or 14,5% of GDP, 3. a usurious 7-10% interest rate with a spread of 500-700 bps (an interest rate that only bankrupt countries are borrowing with), 4. inability of “managing”-serving the external debt, 5. the triple severe supervision by the Commission-ECB-IMF and designation of financial politicy not by the elected government but by the delegations of the imperialist Organizations, 6. recourse to the so-called EU-IMF “support mechanism” (i.e. enslavement) for a further loan, again with a usurious interest rate of 5%. 3. Occupation of the country by the “troika”: Commission-ECB-IMF. The extreme neoliberal financial policy of Karamanlis government, the unprecedented looting of public wealth, the successive great scandals, etc., etc., that led the country’s economy to bankruptcy, with the doubling of external debt and the deficit’s surge to 14,5% of GDP, rendered Greece a weak link of imperialist EU and the target of severe attacks of international speculative and usurious capital – in combination with the intense antagonism between Dollar and Euro – leading to an inability of borrowing and the surge of spreads to overwhelming heights. Eventually, the newly-elected Papandreou government, also continuing the destructive neoliberal financial policy, is turning to the notorious and newly-created “support mechanism” of EU and IMF, with first and fore mostly the imperialist EU, as well as the government of PASOK, being responsible. During this year, the crisis and the bankruptcy of Greek economy also brought to the surface the profound crisis within the domain of imperialist EU, and furthermore, highlighted acutely the relations of servitude, dependence and exploitation of the smaller weak capitalist countries, such as Greece, by the large imperialist countries, first being France-Germany, which not only imposed to Greece a usurious interest rate of 5%, but pressed-are pressing Greece to buy military equipment manufactured in those countries. All these developments led to an unprecedented, in terms of severity, and long-lasting supervision of Greek economy by the imperialist Organizations and the placement of permanent representatives of theirs at Athens, creating a completely new situation: a new occupation of the country, without troops. It is certainly a fact that Greece’s incorporation to the imperialist EEC-EU and its entrance to the EMU had as a consequence the drastic limitation of its governments’ role (having an essentially decorative role), as well as of all small, weak and dependent EU member-states, in the outlining of financial politics, since this is determined in its basic directions by the powerful EU monopolies, and are only validated ex post facto by their local puppet-parliaments, thus deepening evern further and reinforcing imperialist dependence. The notorious “Stability and Growth Pact” of the Maastricht Treaty essentially meant an almost absolute loss of national sovereignty for the dependent member-states of the imperialist EU, such as Greece, despite the much-publicized illusory “equal” co-operation-alliance of nationally sovereign states within the EU domain. Yet, there is no doubt that the current situation is different, much worse than the previous one, and completely new, since all aspects of Greek economy are decided and determined directly and absolutely by the branches of the imperialist Organizations Commission-ECB-IMF. The recognition and realization of this situation requires the intensification of the class struggle of the working class and all broad popular masses against imperialist dependence in general, and the country’s dependence by the imperialist European Union in particular. But this new occupation – which is obviously accepted and supported by the servile government of PASOK – is disputed by the social democrats of “K”KE by considering it inexistent, beautifying in this way not only imperialist dependence but also its particular further deepening and strengthening. A “talented” social democrat from “K”KE even reached the point of claiming that because NAR-ANTARSYA2 correctly recognize that the country “under IMF’S occupation,” this means that they are “absolving the government and giving shelter to them.”3Only Khruschevite social democrats are capable of blabbing such incredible flubs. The appointed members of the Commission-ECB-IMF troika – these unscrupulous and stiffening representatives of European and international capital – are working out the implementation of the most extreme neoliberal measures of cutting down wages and pensions, increasing mass unemployment, poverty and immiseration of broad popular masses, measures of annihilating privatizations as well as plundering of the country’s resources and of turning them over to – mainly – foreign capital, as well as its “poor relative,” the local capital, with catastrophic consequences for the workers as well as the country. 4. Violent abolition of all workers’ gains at all levels. The representatives of the “troika’s” imperialist Organizations and the servile government of PASOK mounted an attack unprecedented in vehemence and intensity – the larger since the years of “the political changeover” – against the class interests of the working class and all working people, embracing all levels – an attack in favour of European and international, as well as big local capital. All the gains of the workers were demolished and annihilated violently overnight, the peak being 8 July when even the last remnants of the working class’s rights were abolished. The disgraceful “Memorandum” – a “Loan Agreement between Greek Government-European Union-International Monetary Fund” of colonial nature – besides being a monument of servitude, it moreover marks the “graveyard” of workers’ gains. Among others, already “lying” in this “graveyard” are the 13th and 14th pension, as well workers’ 13th and 14th salary, while a pension with a 65-year age-limit and 40-year employment-limit and a way of estimating it that is leading to a 40% decrease was enacted. The tremendous cut back on wages and pensions, the continuous increase of mass unemployment, the high level of inflation (over 5,5%) and the unprecedented waves of high prices, great tax increases especially in goods of mass consumption, cut backs on social expenses, etc. aggravated the condition of the working class and broad popular masses dramatically, deepening the process of their absolute immiseration to the extreme and confirming afresh Marx’s theory of absolute immiseration, which was repeatedly declared “dead” and “outdated” by the bourgeois and traditional social democrats as well by the social democrats of Khruschevite “K”KE (in 1976, S. Zorbalas, GC of “K”KE’s “Marxist” Research Center claimed that the absolute immiseration of the proletariat did not exist in advanced capitalist countries and the USA: “without excluding absolute immiseration, specifically in some branches and certain popular layers, such as USA’s Negroes and minorities, the proletariat’s relative immiseration is the dominant tendency in these countries.”)4 The working class, despite the relatively massive strikes and marches, the central motto of which was “capitalist must pay for the crisis and bankruptcy,” was not able to hold off the attacks of international and local capital. It could not have cancelled the promotion and implementation of extreme anti-worker/anti-popular measures, because these strikes, with the responsibility of reformist workers’ patrons of GSEE-ADEDY-PASKE-PAME-AP:5 1) did not succeed in even having the necessary massiveness, which is absolutely necessary for aborting the measures, 2) were split, and 3) their major characteristic was an absolute lack of unity. Another contributing important factor was the lack of prompt organizing, as well as many more and successive strike mobilizations. All these factors prevented the exercise of larger pressure to the government of PASOK and their bosses Commission-ECB-IMF. Certainly, the workers’ patrons GSEE-ADEDY-PASKE-PAME-AP are first, fore mostly and absolutely to blame for this consequence, for they are serving the interests of capital with the reformist line of class collaboration (the activity of the fascists of DAKE (ND)6 is not necessary to mention, since they are nevertheless defending capital openly), for neither wanting not attempting to achieve the MASSIVENESS of strike mobilizations against anti-popular/anti-worker measures. It is obvious that without MASSIVE strike mobilizations, it is impossible to hold off capital’s attacks. Without MASSIVE strike mobilization, through the perpetuation of misery, the “return” of workers into trade unions and the creation of grass-roots trade unions in firms are impossible. Only MASSIVENESS can exercise a significant pressure to any given governments for the abortion of whichever anti-popular measures. But the UNITY of strike rallies is a presupposition of MASSIVENESS. MASSIVENESS cannot be achieved without UNITY, an issue directly connected to the strikebreaking role of the reformist leaders PAME (the trade-union controlled by the “Communist” Party of Greece-“K”KE). The strikebreakers-reformist leaders of PAME ― through the permanent fragmentation of strike rallies with their separate gatherings ― helped in the past the government of the monarchofascist party of Nea Dimokratia, with C. Karamanlis as prime minister, to promote and implement all the anti-popular/anti-worker measures; today, by continuing the same disruptive tactic in strike rallies, they are in the service of the government of the big bourgeois PASOK, and they are helping-enabling it to pass the present annihilating measures. For it is not possible for the reformist leaders of PAME to not understand that with their strikebreaking tactic they break immediately the UNITY of strike rallies, obstruct their MASSIVENESS and, thus, render the strike rallies INEFFICIENT before hand. Here, it is worth reminding that, when the working class managed 10 years ago to hold off the the-then capital attack, forcing Simitis’s government to withdraw the Insurance Bill of Giannitsis, this became possible because the strike mobilizations of that time had been characterized by a UNITY that secured that unprecedented MASSIVENESS – not only in Athens and Thessaloniki, but throughout Greece – with the enormous militant participation of workers in strikes and demonstrations. The Political Committee of the "Movement for the Reorganisation of the Communist Party of Greece 1918-55" PO Box 3689, 102 10 Athens Greece Tel: +30 2108621543 Site:http://anasintaxi.awardspace.com Blog (English):http://anasintaxi-en.blogspot.com Blog (Greek):http://anasintaxi.blogspot.com _______________________________________________ Marxist-Leninist-List mailing list Marxist-Leninist-List@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxist-leninist-list
