Editorial Board of the Journal Revolutionary Communism

 

We welcome our readers to the first issue of this journal. Revolutionary Communism is the English language organ of the Revolutionary Communist Organisation for Liberation (RKOB), based in Austria and the Revolutionary Workers Collective (RWC), based in the USA. The founding cadres of these two organisations were leading members of the League for Fifth International from which they were either expelled or resigned.

At the moment no consistently revolutionary international organisation exists. All the existing international tendencies which claim to stand on the basis of Marxism, Leninism and Trotskyism have shown that in fact they are non-revolutionary, centrist formations. In this issue of the journal Revolutionary Communism we demonstrate this using the examples of two major events in the global class struggles 2011 – the Arab Revolution and the August Uprising of the poor in Britain.

This crisis of the working class leadership is a tragedy given the tasks and challenges of the new historic revolutionary period which opened at the end of the 2000s. Capitalism as a system is in a historic crisis. Its decay endangers the continuity of mankind’s existence, as the numerous environmental catastrophes, wars, increasing hunger and poverty demonstrate. This is why Bolshevik-Communists fight for the perspective of the permanent revolution to overthrow capitalism and build a global socialist society.

But this is impossible to achieve without a new revolutionary communist world party – the Fifth Workers International. Only such a world party is capable of leading the working class and oppressed towards revolution.

For us as Bolshevik-Communists the burning issue therefore is to build a new revolutionary communist international organisation. Such an organisation needs a clear programmatic foundation. Of course while we are numerically weak we have the fortune to stand of the shoulders of our political predecessors of revolutionary Marxism. This is seen first and foremost in the achievements of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and Leon Trotsky and also of other central figures of the revolutionary workers movement like Rosa Luxemburg. But “Marxism is not a dogma but a guide for action” as Lenin explained repeatedly. It therefore needs development and modifications in accordance with the development of the class society, which is its purpose to overthrow. For this we build on the revolutionary tradition of the LFI before its recent centrist degeneration. The LFI and its forerunners have played an important role in applying the principles of Marxism to a wide range of questions which arose since the death of Trotsky. But the pressures and challenges of the class struggle in the new historic period were too big for the majority of its leadership. Our central task is to apply and to develop Bolshevism – as the theory and practice of the proletariats liberation struggle – to the conditions of the class struggle in the new historic period of the 21st century. This journal shall act as an instrument for this goal.

The RKOB and the RWC are at the moment national organisations. But this is a situation which we desire to overcome as soon as possible. A revolutionary organisation in the long run can only exist as an international organisation. If revolutionaries are nationally isolated they are doomed to degenerate politically. Therefore independent of our numerical strength or weakness we must strive from the first day to build parallel and combined Bolshevik organisations both nationally and internationally.

We base our understanding on Trotsky’s method of party building. At the time when the Left Opposition was itself weak he opposed those who wanted to focus first on building a national organisation and only sometime later an international. He answered one of his national-centred critiques:

 “Your conception of internationalism appears to me erroneous. In the final analysis, you take the International as a sum of national sections or as a product of the mutual influence of national sections. This is, at least, a one-sided, undialectical and, therefore, wrong conception of the International. If the Communist Left throughout the world consisted of only five individuals, they would have nonetheless been obliged to build an international organization simultaneously with the building of one or more national organizations.

It is wrong to view a national organization as the foundation and the international as a roof. The interrelation here is of an entirely different type. Marx and Engels started the communist movement in 1847 with an international document and with the creation of an international organization. The same thing was repeated in the creation of the First International. The very same path was followed by the Zimmerwald Left in preparation for the Third International. Today this road is dictated far more imperiously than in the days of Marx. It is, of course, possible in the epoch of imperialism for a revolutionary proletarian tendency to arise in one or another country, but it cannot thrive and develop in one isolated country; on the very next day after its formation it must seek for or create international ties, an international platform, an international organization. Because a guarantee of the correctness of the national policy can be found only along this road. A tendency which remains shut-in nationally over a stretch of years, condemns itself irrevocably to degeneration.” (Leon Trotsky: To the Editorial Board of Prometeo (1930); in: Writings 1930, S. 285f.)

Since the purpose of Revolutionary Communism is to advance the building of a revolutionary communist international organisation it also means that we will deal with important programmatic and theoretical questions in it. We will present in this journal our point of views but we also want to stimulate a debate and an exchange of ideas with activists and organisations from the working class and the oppressed. We therefore invite readers to send us letters and contributions.

This first issue of Revolutionary Communism has its focus on the two most important issues of the present world situation. The revolutionary process in the Arab world which started with the revolution in Tunisia and spread to Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria and – while we are writing these lines – we see a new highpoint in the successful overthrow of the Gaddafi regime in Libya. We therefore reprint the RKOB resolution written during the first days of the victory of the rebels in Tripoli. We also publish several chapters of a recently published book from Michael Pröbsting on the Arab Revolution in German language. Adam Beltz has thankfully translated them into English.

The second focus of this journal is the August Uprising of the poor, black and migrant youth in Britain. This event shows that revolutionary class struggles are not confined to the semi-colonial world only but – given the enormous sharpening of the class contradictions in the new historic period – are now becoming an important feature in the old imperialist world too. This Uprising also demonstrated how separated the centrist and reformist left is from these layers of the working class and how little it is able to meet the task of applying a revolutionary policy in such a situation. Several articles from Nina Gunić and Michael Pröbsting are included. Additionally there is a report from a RKOB delegation which we sent to London in the days of the Uprising cover it and learn its lessons.

In addition we publish a summary of the RKOB theses on Migration and the Marxist strategy of revolutionary integration. The thesis was initially written when we were still in the LFI and the majority’s hostility to our position forms an important background for our expulsion. We also print an article from Adam Beltz and Ahmed Sharan on the heroic struggle of the KESC workers in Karachi in Pakistan. And finally we reprint our short declaration of principles.

We are confident that this journal will succeed in making a contribution to the development of Bolshevism in the 21st century class struggle conditions. And we are optimistic that it will also succeed in winning new co-fighters for the biggest goal that is worth living for: the creation of a world party for the liberation of the working class and the oppressed.

1. September 2011

 

 

Editorial Board of the Journal Revolutionary Communism

 

This second issue of our English language journal Revolutionary Communism reflects important developments in the international class struggle in the last few months since our first issue appeared in September 2011. These events have proven again the assessment of the Bolshevik-Communists that the world has entered a new historic period characterised by the death agony of capitalism, a sharpening of the class contradictions and struggles and hence a period full of (pre)revolutionary developments and counterrevolutionary dangers. It is a period, which has the question, which class possesses power, at its centre and puts humanity before the alternative “Socialism or Barbarism”. In short, it is a historic revolutionary period.

In this context one can’t over-emphasise the central importance of the working class to create a leadership which is capable of meeting the challenges posed by the capitalist’s attacks. Only a leadership which possess a program showing the road from the defensive struggles today to the struggle for power tomorrow can advance the working class cause. Only a leadership which speaks out uncompromisingly for the liberation of the working class and all oppressed and does not “forget” sectors of the oppressed in order not to offend (petty-)bourgeois leaderships; only a leadership which name names and openly denounce the false misleaders of the class and the oppressed; only a leadership which combines the words with the deeds – only such a leadership can lead the working class to a successful revolution.

Such a leadership cannot be organised other than in a revolutionary party nationally and internationally – based on the model of the Bolshevik party under Lenin, the only party in history which successfully led the working class to power.

The tragedy of the present political conjuncture is the enormous gap between the sharpness of the class contradictions and the complete lack of a sharp instrument for the working class to overcome these contradictions. In other words such a party for the liberation struggle does not exist at the moment. The working class, the peasantry, the oppressed nations have at their top various reformist, nationalist, liberal, religious forces. Understanding their dangerous role, combining open propaganda and agitation against them with an elastic united front tactic which is directed in the first line towards the rank and file workers and in this context put demands to the leaders which they still trust, fighting for a program around which Bolshevik fighting parties – respective pre-party organisations as a first step – this is the essential task for revolutionaries in the coming period. The fundamental principle of every Bolshevik organisation is and can only be what Rosa Luxemburg – this great women leader of our movement – once summarised in the sentence: „And nothing is more revolutionary, than to recognize and speak out what is“ (Rosa Luxemburg: Speech about socialist tactic (at the International Socialist Congreß in August 1904 in Amsterdam); in: Gesammelte Werke Band 1.2, p. 446 (translation from German by us))

It is in the light of this burning task of building a new world party of socialist revolution – the Fifth Workers’ International – we analyse and develop strategies and tactics for the most important events of the world class struggle.

Our comrades from the Revolutionary Workers Organisation (RWO) in Pakistan present in this journal their resolution “Pakistan: For mass mobilization against US imperialism and its henchmen! No to a military coup! No support for the Zardari government!” in which they take a revolutionary position on the latest political turmoil in their country. We also reprint their political platform which summarises their programmatic positions.

Greece is obviously the country where the class struggle in Europe reached its highest stage in the past 2 years. We therefore outline in the RKOB-resolution “Perspectives in the Greek Revolution“ our analysis of Greek capitalism, the general strike movement, the failed strategy of the reformist and centrist forces and a revolutionary program.

Iran can become the next target of the Western imperialist military machinery. We are therefore publishing our resolution “Defend Iran against the U.S., EU and Israel warmongers!” on the threatening war, combining the fundamental class opposition to the bourgeois-theocratic regime in Iran with a principled anti-imperialist defence of the country against any imperialist attack.

Our US-American comrades analyse the Occupation movement in the resolution “Solidarity with the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement! Expropriate Wall Street!”. In it they combine an enthusiastic appraisal of the emergence of this democratic protest movement with a critical analysis of the widely held petty-bourgeois illusions and outline a revolutionary answer to the challenges of the struggle.

The Arab Revolution was and is one of the most important questions of the present world situation and we therefore publish two resolutions on this. One deals with the Arab revolution and the necessary revolutionary struggle against the Zionist state Israel. Another resolution deals with the end of the Gaddafi regime in Libya. This resolution is a joint resolution with organisation (CWG (Aotearoa/NZ), the HWRS (USA) and the RWG (Zimbabwe)) with which we are in a process of discussion and collaboration with the view of overcoming remaining differences.

Finally we publish a programmatic essay “What sort of Fifth International do we need?”. It was written by our comrade Michael Pröbsting as a background document on the strategy for the Fifth Workers’ International. This article was originally written in 2010 before our bureaucratic expulsion from the ranks of the LFI and we publish it here with an actual preface.

The journal also reflects important developments in our efforts to build a revolutionary communist international tendency. Since the publication of the first issue our English language journal Revolutionary Communism two new organisations have joined the original Revolutionary Communist Organisation for Liberation (RKOB, Austria) and the Revolutionary Workers Collective (RWC, USA). It is the Revolutionary Workers Organisation (RWO, Pakistan) and the United Lankan Workers Party (ULWP, Sri Lanka). While the RWO stems from a recent split following a factions struggle inside the Pakistani LFI section, the ULWP is the product of the joint efforts of former leaders of the Sri Lanka LFI section and other revolutionary working class cadre mainly among the most oppressed Tamil plantation workers. Both have in common the determination to break with all forms of opportunism towards reformism and centrism and sectarianism towards the liberation struggles of oppressed nations.

We have decided to build together a revolutionary communist international tendency. If you share this desire, join us!

11. January 2012

 

 

The RCIT has published the third issue of Revolutionary Communism in June 2012. It contains the following articles:

 

* Editorial

 

* Greece: For a Workers‘ Government! Critical electoral support for SYRIZA and KKE! Workers: Organize and prepare yourselves for the struggle for power! (Michael Pröbsting)

 

* Greece: After SYRIZA’s victory in the elections on 6th May: The question of a Workers Government and the revolutionary way forward (Michael Pröbsting)

 

* Action Programme for Pakistan: Our goal – socialism, our way – the revolution, our instrument – the revolutionary party! (Revolutionary Workers Organisation, Pakistan)

 

* Report from Pakistan: Murderous attack on Sindhi rally in Karachi. For a socialist programm against national oppression! (Shujat Liaqat)

 

* For a free and socialist Azawad! Our attitude to the freedom struggle of the Tuareg people in Mali (Johannes Wiener)

 

* France: Attack in Toulouse. What was behind it and what will happen now? (Nina Gunić)

 

* Chinese Workers and Peasants Confront Chinese Imperialism: For the Socialist Revolution! (Communist Workers‘ Group of Aotearoa/New Zealand)

 

* Zimbabwe: Forward to a Civil Service General Strike! (Leaflet from the Revolutionary Workers Group (RWG) Zimbabwe)

 

* Where is the „League for the Fifth International“ drifting? A Letter from the RCIT to the LFI comrades (Michael Pröbsting and Shujat Liaqat)

 

* RCIT: What do we stand for

 

The journal has 48 pages (A4 format).

 

Price: 5 Euro / 7 US-Dollar / 4,5 UK Pound

 

If you want to receive the journal Revolutionary Communism by post you can contact us via our website www.thecommunists.net or send us an e-mail to rcit@thecommunists.net

 

or buy it directly via paypal.

 

The RCIT has published the fourth issue of Revolutionary Communism in August 2012. It contains the following articles:

 

Editorial p. 3

China‘s transformation into an imperialist power
A study of the economic, political and military aspects of China as a Great Power, by Michael Pröbsting p. 4

What are the criteria for an imperialist state? p. 5

China’s race to a world leading economy p. 7

China’s Monopolies p. 8

Exploitation and super-exploitation of the working class p. 9

Capital export as bond and loan capital p.13

Capital export as Foreign Direct Investment p.15

A note on Hong Kong’s role in Foreign Direct Investment p.15

Where is China investing abroad? p.16

Super-exploitation of the semi-colonies p.17

China’s military forces p.17

The struggle for control over the South China (or East) Sea p.18

The approach of the Bolshevik-Communists towards possible wars involving China p.21

Why did China’s rulers succeed in becoming imperialist where others failed? p.25

Notes p.29

Miners’ strike in South Africa: Perspectives and some first lessons
Statement of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency, 20.8.2012 p. 33

Marikana massacre - a proposed way forward
Leaflet from the Workers International Vanguard Party on the Marikana Strike, 19.8.2012 p. 36

The real situation of the miners in Marikana in South Africa
Michael Pröbsting, 21.8.2012 p. 38

South Africa: The “Communist” Party calls the police to arrest the miners‘ leaders, by Michael Pröbsting, 17.8.2012 p. 38

Pakistan: Young doctors fight for their rights
Shujat Liaqat (Pakistan), 25.7.2012 p. 40

Sri Lanka: To whom does the country belong?
M.A. p. 41

Canada: Victory to the university student struggle in Quebec!
Richard Thompson, 28.6.2012 p. 42

From the Archives of Marxism:
Rudolf Klement: Principles and tactics in war (1937) p. 44

RCIT: What do we stand for p. 47

 

The journal has 48 pages (A4 format).

 

Price: 5 Euro / 7 US-Dollar / 4,5 UK Pound

 

If you want to receive the journal Revolutionary Communism by post you can contact us via our website www.thecommunists.net or send us an e-mail to rcit@thecommunists.net

 

or buy it directly via paypal.

 

The RCIT has published the fifth issue of Revolutionary Communism in September 2012. It contains the following articles:

 

Editorial p.3

 

Stop the imperialist witch-hunt against WikiLeaks founder Assange!

Statement of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency, 25.8.2012 p.4

 

South Africa: We condemn the charging of the surviving miners

Statement of the Workers International Vanguard Party on the Marikana Strike, 31.8.2012 p.6

 

South Africa: We denounce the Marikana Commission of Inquiry!

Statement of the Workers International Vanguard Party on the Marikana Strike, 26.8.2012 p.7

 

South Africa: List of the dead mineworkers at Marikana p.9

 

After the elections on 17th June: A new phase of the Greek Revolution

Michael Pröbsting, 19.6.2012 p.10

 

Building a militant trade union in the telecommunication sector in Greece

Interview with Sophia Theodoropoulou (OKDE, Greece), August 2012 p.14

 

Fighting for the liberation of the Kurdish people in Turkey!

Interview with Sedat Durel and Fuat Karan (İşçi Cephesi, Turkey), August 2012 p.20

 

Bosnia: Never forget Sebrenica - learn the lessons for today!

by Nina Gunić p. 22

 

Liberation struggles and imperialist interference:

The failure of sectarian “anti-imperialism” in the West:

Some general considerations and the example of Libya in 2011

Michael Pröbsting p.25

 

Thesis on Maoism

Michael Pröbsting p.35

 

From the Archives of Marxism:

 

Leon Trotsky: Learn To Think. A Friendly Suggestion to Certain Ultra-Leftists p. 38

 

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin: On the Question of Dialectics p. 40

 

RCIT: What do we stand for p. 42

 

Below you find the contents of issue No.6 of the RCIT’s Journal Revolutionary Communism as well as a link to download it. You can also order it via our contact adress. It costs €5 / $7 / £4,5 (plus delivery charges)

 

Revolutionary Communism No. 6, November 2012

 

 

Editorial

New anti-Islam film: On the mass protests against the US embassies in the Middle East

No military intervention by Turkey/NATO in Syria! Victory to the Syrian Revolution!

US Election: No vote for Obama or Romney! For a new Workers Party!

Open Letter to the Workers that voted for Obama in 2008

Presidential elections in Venezuela: No support for Hugo Chavez or Orlando Chirino!

On the outcome of the presidential elections in Venezuela

Defend socialist activists in Argentina against state repression!

The European Union and the issue of the accession of semi-colonial countries

South African „communists“ continue to support police violence against miners

Action Programme: Victory for the South African miners!

Action Program for Socialist Revolution in Sri Lanka

The chauvinist war-mongering by Japanese and Chinese imperialism

From the Archives of Marxism:

Resolutions from the Bolsheviks on imperialist war (1915)

Communist International: Theses on the Eastern Question (1922)

RCIT: What do we stand for

Below you find the contents of issue No.7 of the RCIT’s Journal Revolutionary Communismas well as a link to download it. You can also order it via our contact adress. It costs €5 / $7 / £4,5 (plus delivery charges)

 

Revolutionary Communism No. 7, March 2013

 

Editorial

Victory to the Revolution in Syria!

Austria: Demonstration in Solidarity with the Revolution in Syria on 15.3.2013

Syria: FLTI-Report from the Sevian al-Laith Brigade (Brigade Leon Sedov)

New Wave of Israeli terror against Gaza: Support the Palestinian Resistance!

Gaza Solidarity Demonstrations in Austria in November 2012

Reports from the RKOB (Austrian Section of the RCIT)

Austria: Zionist War-Mongers try to imprison 20-year old Palestine Solidarity Activist!

Austria: Zionists want to criminalize Solidarity with Palestinian Resistance

Statements in Solidarity with RCIT-Activist Johannes Wiener

Victory! Charge against Johannes Wiener has been dropped!

Release Samer al-Isawi! Release All Palestinian Political Prisoners!

Protests in Israel against Murder of Palestinians

Is a New Palestinian Popular Uprising Erupting?

Israel: Fight against Zionist racism and fascism

Israel: Down with the Netanyahu-Lapid-Benet-Liberman government!

New RCIT Book by Michael Pröbsting: THE GREAT ROBBERY OF THE SOUTH

Theses on Islamism

From the Archives of Marxism:

Leon Trotsky: Perspectives and Tasks in the East (1924)

RCIT: What do we stand for

Below you find the contents of issue No.8 of the RCIT’s Journal Revolutionary Communism as well as a link to download it. You can also order it via our contact adress. It costs €5 / $7 / £4,5 (plus delivery charges)

 

Revolutionary Communism No. 8, April 2013

 

Editorial

Down with France’s Colonial War in Mali!

Protest Rally in Vienna against the French Invasion in Mali

New Imperialist Threats in East Asia: Hands off North Korea!

Obituary for Hugo Chavez Frias, 1954 - 2013

Report on the Uprisings for Bread in Argentina

On the spontaneous Hunger Uprising in Argentina

Victory to the Revolution in Syria! The second anniversary of the uprising in Syria

Greetings for New Year 2013 from the RCIT

Bulgaria: All power to the Working Class!

No “Public Council“, but real Councils of the Workers and Poor all over Bulgaria!

N14: An important first step – but not enough!

New RCIT Book by Michael Pröbsting: THE GREAT ROBBERY OF THE SOUTH

The World Situation and the Tasks of the Bolshevik-Communists

From the Archives of Marxism:

George Plekhanov: Dialectic and Logic (1908)

RCIT: What do we stand for

Below you find the contents of issue No.9 of the RCIT’s Journal Revolutionary Communismas well as a link to download it. You can also order it via our contact adress. It costs €5 / $7 / £4,5 (plus delivery charges)

 

 

Revolutionary Communism No. 9, May 2013

 

 

Editorial

May Day 2013 Statement of the RCIT

Declaration of Fusion between the RCIT and the ISL (Israel/Occupied Palestine)

The Nakba Day 2013

Victory! Israel was forced to release Sammer Issawi

What is the meaning of the Zionist’s Offensive against the Haredi Jews?

Egypt: Free Post Said 21

Land Day 2013: From a Symbolic Struggle to a Real Struggle

Land Day in Palestine

Land Day in Palestine: Solidarity Rally in Austria on 30.3.

Turkey, Syria and Egypt: No Political Support for Bourgeois Forces

The reconciliation between Israel and Turkey

Solidarity with the Hunger Strike in Greece!

Cyprus: General Strike against EU Diktat and Austerity Plans!

France: Fight the Discrimination against the LGBT-Community!

Contradictions and challenges of the imperialist EU project

New RCIT Book by Michael Pröbsting: THE GREAT ROBBERY OF THE SOUTH

Which way forward for the Strongsville Teachers Strike?

Workers Memorial Day & May Day in USA

Greetings to the 3rd Congress of the TPR (Argentina)

No War against North Korea!

From the Archives of Marxism:

Leon Trotsky: Letter on South Africa (1935)

RCIT: What do we stand for

Below you find the contents of issue No.10 of the RCIT’s Journal Revolutionary Communismas well as a link to download it. You can also order it via our contact adress. It costs €5 / $7 / £4,5 (plus delivery charges)

 

 

Revolutionary Communism No. 10, June 2013

 

 

Yossi Schwartz: Israel‘s War of 1948 and the Degeneration of the Fourth International

The Zionist’s Aim in the 1948 War

Revolutionary Wave after the Second World War

Stalinism supported Israel’s reactionary War in 1948

Shachtmanite Right-Wing Centrism supports Israel’s reactionary War in 1948

The increasingly centrist Fourth International remains neutral in the 1948 War

The Birth of Palestinian Trotskyism

Tony Cliff’s Autobiography

The Palestinian Revolt in 1929

Show Commission

The Arab Uprising in 1936-39

The Debate with the South African Workers Party (WPSA)

Trotsky’s struggle against Cliff and the RCL on the question of revolutionary defeatism before WWII

The RCL and the 1948 War

Notes

Michael Pröbsting: Zionist Oppression and the Permanent Revolution in Palestine

Trotsky’s Theory of the Permanent Revolution

The uniqueness of Israel as a colonial settler and oppressor state

The Israeli Jews as a nationality or an “almost nation”

Can Marxists support the right of national self-determination for the Israeli Jews?

The Marxist classics and the right of national self-determination

Revolutionary Defeatism against Israel in its Wars and Revolutionary Defensism for the Arab countries

Israel’s development into an imperialist state

Is Israel a fascist state?

Who will the vanguard of the Revolution in Palestine?

The Palestinian Revolution must begin as a national, democratic revolution leading to the socialist revolution

Oppression of Women

The role of Women in the national liberation struggle

What should be the slogans for power in the Permanent Revolution in Palestine?

On the slogan of a “single democratic state in Palestine”

The Arab Revolution and its consequences for the Palestinian Liberation Struggle

Notes

 

New RCIT Book by Michael Pröbsting: THE GREAT ROBBERY OF THE SOUTH

From the Archives of Marxism:

The Spark (South Africa): Zionism and the Arab Struggle (1938)

RCIT: What do we stand for