A commentary on the findings of the latest issue of the “Global Peace Index” by the “Institute for Economics & Peace”
By Michael Pröbsting, International Secretary of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT), 21 June 2021, www.thecommunists.net
A few days ago, the 2021 edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI) was published. [1] The GPI is a report which measures international trends of conflicts and violence. It is produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace, a top bourgeois think tank which collaborates with various leading imperialist institutions like the OECD, the United Nations etc. The GPI report uses data collected and collated by the Economist Intelligence Unit which in turn is related to The Economist, a well-known publication related to the British monopoly bourgeoisie.
Naturally, one can not and one should not expect a thorough analysis of the global class struggle by such bourgeois institutions. They deal with “violence” and “conflicts” in abstract, without assessing the concrete political background, without understanding the class content. For them, all is equal – the violence of a capitalist regime against oppressed people as well as the resistance of the oppressed; the violent protests of right-wing forces as well as those of progressive.
However, this does not mean that the Global Peace Index is without interest for political observers. Even if such bourgeois institutions don’t understand the background and the inner dynamics of world politics and the international class struggle, their findings nevertheless reflect some important dynamics.
In this article we limit ourselves to three conclusions of this report which we consider – from a Marxist point of view – as the most interesting. As we will see, the GPI report contains several important confirmations of the analysis of the world situation as the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT) has elaborated in various documents in recent years.
First, the GPI 2021 report recognizes the fact that the pandemic, and the official policy to combat it, has been exploited by the ruling class in order to attack democratic rights and to expand the police and surveillance state. Such the report states: “The pandemic has been used as a pretext for government repression and political terror in some countries. (…) Excessive force has also been used to enforce lockdowns and movement restriction laws.” (p. 27)
As examples, the report refers to important countries like Russia, Egypt, India, South Africa, Ethiopia, Uganda, Honduras and Mexico. Naturally, many more countries could be named. More importantly, it is not only countries of the East and South which have utilized the pandemic as a pretext in order to launch an anti-democratic offensive and to introduce resp. expand chauvinist state bonapartism. As we have pointed our numerous times, in fact, the COVID-19 Counterrevolution is taking place all over the world – including in China and the Western imperialist countries. [2]
But, given the bourgeois political nature of the Institute for Economics & Peace – which collaborates closely with the OECD and the UN – one can does not expect such conclusions. As the saying goes: “you don't bite the hand that feeds you.” Nevertheless, it is important that the report admits the anti-democratic mature of the official COVID policy in many important countries.
The sharp turns of revolutionary and counterrevolutionary developments in 2019/20
Secondly, the GPI 2021 report gives an interesting assessment of the contradictory development of the international class struggle in the past one and a half years. The RCIT has pointed out in several documents that when the world economy entered the Great Depression in autumn 2019 [3], this went hand in hand with a dramatic rise in the global class struggle – opening a pre-revolutionary world situation. [4]
However, the pandemic and the launching of the COVID-19 Counterrevolution provoked a temporary end of this struggle cycle in spring 2020. But, as we have emphasized from the beginning, the reactionary offensive of the ruling class would and could only deepen the contradictions of the capitalist world system and provoke a new wave of mass struggles. And indeed, after some time, the masses again started to fight back – most importantly the Black Lives Matter uprising in the U.S. [5] and the general strike of more than 250 million Indian workers on 26 November 2020 and the following months-long mass rallies, blockades, and occupations by the poor peasants. [6]
The GPI report fully confirms this view from an empirically point of view. “The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the level of conflict and violence in the world in 2020, with some of these effects likely to last for years to come. While it was initially thought that the main impact of the pandemic would be to reduce violence around the world, this proved to be true for only some indicators of violence. Although key indicators of internal conflict did decrease in 2020, the impact of the pandemic on active conflicts was short-lived, and the total level of political and civil unrest rose over the past year.” (p. 25)
“Although there was an initial fall in civil unrest and demonstrations at the start of the pandemic, the number of demonstrations worldwide surged after this initial lull. The total number of protest events worldwide increased in 2020, and although not every demonstration was directly related to the pandemic, it was a key driver of civil unrest across many countries, most notably in Europe.” (p. 27)
Another confirmation by the CIA
At this point, we would like to add an important finding from another bourgeois research project. The RCIT has repeatedly emphasized the close relationship between the opening of a pre-revolutionary world situation in autumn 2019 and the dramatic decision of the ruing class in nearly all countries to launch the COVID-19 Counterrevolution in spring 2020. In our book about this historic event, published in April 2020, we noted: “This development [the opening of a pre-revolutionary world situation in autumn 2019, Ed.] was the single most important factor which caused the ruling classes to use the COVID-19 pandemic as a cover for launching a counterrevolutionary offensive with mass lockdowns and the build-up of chauvinist state bonapartist regimes.” [7]
Several weeks ago, Al Jazeera published an interesting article which illustrates the development of the global class struggle in the last years with several graphics. [8] The article is based on the findings of a university research project called “Mass Mobilization Project”. This academic project itself – led by two university professors of “Political Science and Peace Studies” – is highly interesting. Its official website states: “The Mass Mobilization (MM) data are an effort to understand citizen movements against governments, what citizens want when they demonstrate against governments, and how governments respond to citizens. The MM data cover 162 countries between 1990 and 2018.” Sounds progressive, doesn’t it?!
And indeed, if one opens the website of the MM project, one feels reminded to a classic left-wing website as the main page has a large single picture of a street fighter with a flag, gas mask and throwing a stone. But – contrary to this impression – this is definitely not a progressive or even radical research project! As its official website states: “The Mass Mobilization project is sponsored by the Political Instability Task Force (PITF). The PITF is funded by the Central Intelligence Agency. The views expressed herein are the Principal Investigators' alone and do not represent the views of the US Government.” [9] This demonstrates, by the way, the close relations of academic institutions and the ruling class or – in some case – even an imperialist secret service itself!
Anyway, the findings of this “Mass Mobilization Project” are highly interesting as they fully confirm the RCIT’s analysis of the dramatic turn of the global class struggle in 2019. A graph – reproduced in the Al Jazeera article mentioned above – shows the number of global mass protests (outside the U.S.) with more than 10,000 participants in the years 2010-2020. In the years 2010-18, the number oscillated between 50 and 100. However, in 2019, the graph shows a dramatic jump to 250, i.e. two and a half times as many as the highest year recorded before!
One does not need to be Einstein to understand that the imperialist bourgeoise must have been highly worried about the dramatic acceleration of the global class struggle in 2019 – combined with the beginning of the collapse of the capitalist world economy – and that, when the pandemic started, it saw its chance (and need) to exploit this event for a massive counterrevolutionary offensive! It is only the silly petty-bourgeois left which ignores this so obvious fact and which shamefully supports the reactionary Lockdown policy of the ruling class! [10]
The revolutionary character of the historic period opening in 2008
Finally, the GPI report contains an interesting observation about the class struggle in the historic period which opened up with the Great Recession in 2008/09. The RCIT has pointed out repeatedly that the crisis of capitalism and the antagonisms between the classes as well as between the states has dramatically accelerated in this historic period. Hence, there has been a massive rise in the class struggle – most importantly the Arab revolution beginning in 2011 – as well as an acceleration of the inner-imperialist rivalry between the Great Powers (U.S., China, EU, Russia and Japan). Given such basic lack of equilibrium on the world stage – economically and politically – the RCIT has characterized this historic period as "revolutionary." We have arrived at such an assessment of this period already in January 2009 and, since then, we have elaborated our analysis in a number of documents. [11]
The GPI report confirms the Marxist analysis in its own way by providing an interesting graph about the number of “violent demonstrations” in the years between 2008 and 2020. [12] This graph shows a massive rise since the Great Recession in 2008/09, reflecting the dramatic rise of global class struggle in the current historic period.
The authors of the study comment. “The level of civil unrest has also risen substantially since 2008. The number of anti-government demonstrations, general strikes and riots rose by 244 per cent between 2011 and 2019, and 61 countries had a deterioration on the violent demonstrations indicator from 2008 to 2021, compared to just 27 countries that recorded an improvement over the same period. Central America and the Caribbean was the only region to record an improvement since 2008. It seems likely that the trend of increasing violent demonstrations will continue in the near future. Lockdowns and other movement restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic initially led to a fall in the number of demonstrations. However, the level of protest activity surged shortly after and has remained at pre pandemic levels or higher in most countries. Several countries saw record numbers of people protesting in 2020, most notably in the United States.” (p. 34)
In the past years, numerous Stalinists and pseudo-Trotskyists have refuted the characterization of the current period as “revolutionary” by the RCIT and other authentic Marxists. These people rather view this period as “reactionary” and denounce the masses for their “backward consciousness”. As we noted in the past, “such ideas rather reflect the distance of these forces to the revolting workers and oppressed who might have a raw political consciousness but who are determined to fight against reactionary regimes and imperialist aggressors. In many cases, such pseudo-Marxist organizations are politically (and often also organizationally) linked to the bureaucracies of reformist and populist mass organizations. In various cases they are also linked, directly or indirectly, with imperialist Great Powers like China, Russia or the European Union. In general, they are – politically speaking – “old dinosaurs” who feel repulsed by the revolting masses.” [13]
The task of authentic Marxists is to side with the workers and oppressed in the class struggle, to aid the vanguard by elaborating a revolutionary strategy and by building a new World Party of Socialist Revolution. Such a party must be primarily based on the new vanguard layers of the militant workers and youth. The RCIT calls all revolutionary activists to join us in the struggle for a socialist future!
[1] Institute for Economics & Peace. Global Peace Index 2021: Measuring Peace in a Complex World, Sydney, June 2021. Available from: http://visionofhumanity.org/reports (accessed 19 June 2021). See also GLOBAL PEACE INDEX. World less peaceful as civil unrest and political instability increases due to COVID-19, https://www.visionofhumanity.org/world-less-peaceful-as-civil-unrest-and-political-instability-increases-due-to-covid-19-pandemic/
[2] The RCIT has analysed the COVID-19 counterrevolution extensively since its beginning. Starting from 2 February 2020 we have published nearly 90 pamphlets, essays, articles and statements plus a book which are all compiled at a special sub-page on our website: https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/collection-of-articles-on-the-2019-corona-virus/. In particular we refer readers to the RCIT Manifesto: COVID-19: A Cover for a Major Global Counterrevolutionary Offensive. We are at a turning point in the world situation as the ruling classes provoke a war-like atmosphere in order to legitimize the build-up of chauvinist state-bonapartist regimes, 21 March 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-a-cover-for-a-major-global-counterrevolutionary-offensive/. In addition, we draw attention to our book by Michael Pröbsting: The COVID-19 Global Counterrevolution: What It Is and How to Fight It. A Marxist analysis and strategy for the revolutionary struggle, RCIT Books, April 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/the-covid-19-global-counterrevolution/. See also our very first article on this issue by Almedina Gunić: Coronavirus: "I am not a Virus"... but WE will be the Cure! The chauvinist campaign behind the “Wuhan Coronavirus” hysteria and the revolutionary answer, 2 February 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/wuhan-virus/; Michael Pröbsting: The Second Wave of the COVID-19 Counterrevolution. On the ruling class strategy in the current conjuncture, its inner contradictions and the perspectives of the workers and popular resistance, 20 July 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/the-second-wave-of-the-covid-19-counterrevolution/; by the same author: The Police and Surveillance State in the Post-Lockdown Phase. A global review of the ruling class’s plans of expanding the bonapartist state machinery amidst the COVID-19 crisis, 21 May 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/police-and-surveillance-state-in-post-lockdown-phase/; COVID-19: The Great Barrington Declaration is indeed Great! Numerous medical scientists protest against the reactionary lockdown policy, 11 October 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-the-great-barrington-declaration-is-indeed-great/; Michael Pröbsting: COVID-19: The Current and Historical Roots of Bourgeois Lockdown “Socialism”. Police State and Universal Basic Income are key elements of the new version of reformist “War Socialism” of 1914, 19 December 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/covid-19-the-current-and-historical-roots-of-bourgeois-lockdown-socialism/.
[3] See on this e.g. Michael Pröbsting: No, the Corona Virus is not the Main Cause of the Global Economic Slump! Bourgeois Media Officially Recognize the Beginning of another Great Recession, 3 March 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/corona-virus-is-not-themain-cause-of-global-economic-slump/; Chapter “Another Great Recession has begun“ in RCIT: World Perspectives 2020: A Pre-Revolutionary Global Situation. Theses on the World Situation, the Perspectives for Class Struggle and the Tasks of Revolutionaries, 8 February 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2020/; Michael Pröbsting: Another Great Recession of the Capitalist World Economy Has Begun. The economic crisis is an important factor in the current dramatic shift in the world situation, 19 October 2019, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/another-great-recession-of-the-capitalist-world-economy-hasbegun/; see also Michael Pröbsting: The Next Looming Great Recession. Observations on the Latest Stock Market Slump and the Structural Crisis of the Capitalist World Economy, 12 October 2018, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/the-next-looming-great-recession/
[4] See on this e.g. RCIT: World Perspectives 2020: A Pre-Revolutionary Global Situation. Theses on the World Situation, the Perspectives for Class Struggle and the Tasks of Revolutionaries, 8 February 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2020/; For an overview and a characterization of these events see, in addition the relevant statements on the individual countries, Michael Pröbsting: Are We Nearing a New “68 Moment”? A massive upsurge of global class struggle in the midst of a dramatic shift in the world situation 22 October 2019, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/are-we-nearing-a-new-68-moment/
[5] The RCIT has published a number of documents on the popular uprising after the murder of George Floyd. They can be accessed on our website here: https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/north-america/articles-on-uprising-after-murder-of-george-floyd/.
[6] See on this e.g. RCIT: India: Victory to the “Dilli Chalo” Uprising! Poor peasants are waging the largest struggle in modern history against the reactionary BJP government 22.12.2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/asia/india-victory-to-the-dilli-chalo-uprising/
[7] Michael Pröbsting: The COVID-19 Global Counterrevolution: What It Is and How to Fight It, p. 18
[8] Mohammed Haddad: Mapping major protests around the world. From Lebanon to India and Hong Kong, we explain some of the biggest protests around the world in five graphics, 30 March 2021, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/30/mapping-major-protests-around-the-world
[10] For our critique of the Lockdown Left see e.g. chapter V of our above-mentioned book by Michael Pröbsting: The COVID-19 Global Counterrevolution: What It Is and How to Fight It; see also by the same author the last chapters in the above mentioned essay: The Second Wave of the COVID-19 Counterrevolution; COVID-19 and the Lockdown Left: The Example of PODEMOS and Stalinism in Spain, 24 March 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-lockdown-left-podemos-and-stalinism-in-spain/; Social-Bonapartism in Argentina. The Partido Obrero (Tendencia) of Jorge Altamira supports the State of Emergency, 29 April 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/latin-america/social-bonapartism-in-argentina/; When Ultra-Leftism marries Social-Bonapartism and Gives Birth to “Post-Marxist” Obscurantism. A reply to the CWG/ILTT, 5 May 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-when-ultra-leftism-marries-social-bonapartism/; Brazil: Social-Bonapartism of the Lockdown Left in Practice. How the leaderships of the trade unions, PT, PCdoB, the pseudo-Trotskyist PSTU and PSOL sabotage the struggle against the Bolsonaro government, 10 June 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/latin-america/brazil-social-bonapartism-of-the-lockdown-left-in-practice/; Lockdown Left says: “Cops Need to Enforce Laws”. The ex-revolutionary L5I as another example for shameful social-bonapartism in the era of the COVID-19 counterrevolution, 24 July 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/lockdown-left-l5i-says-cops-need-to-enforce-laws/; COVID-19: Zero Socialism in the “ZeroCOVID“ campaign. Following the model of China and Australia, some British Stalinists and “Trotskyists” call for a “total and indefinite lockdown”, 22 December 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-zero-socialism-in-the-zerocovid-campaign/; COVID-19: The Current and Historical Roots of Bourgeois Lockdown “Socialism”. Police State and Universal Basic Income are key elements of the new version of reformist “War Socialism” of 1914, 19 December 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/covid-19-the-current-and-historical-roots-of-bourgeois-lockdown-socialism/; “ZeroCOVID” Left Calls for the Authoritarian State – A Practical Example. A revealing article shows that the Lockdown Left calls for the expansion of the police and surveillance state, 8 April 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/zerocovid-left-calls-for-the-authoritarian-state-a-practical-example/
[11] See e.g. chapter 14 in Michael Pröbsting: The Great Robbery of the South. Continuity and Changes in the Super-Exploitation of the Semi-Colonial World by Monopoly Capital Consequences for the Marxist Theory of Imperialism, RCIT Books, Vienna 2013, http://www.great-robbery-of-the-south.net/. See also the annual World Perspectives documents which the RCIT has published in the past years: RCIT: World Perspectives 2020: A Pre-Revolutionary Global Situation. Theses on the World Situation, the Perspectives for Class Struggle and the Tasks of Revolutionaries, 8 February 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2020/; RCIT: World Perspectives 2019: Heading Towards a Volcanic Political Eruption. Theses on the World Situation, the Perspectives for Class Struggle and the Tasks of Revolutionaries, 2 March 2019, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2019/; Michael Pröbsting: World Perspectives 2018: A World Pregnant with Wars and Popular Uprisings. Theses on the World Situation, the Perspectives for Class Struggle and the Tasks of Revolutionaries, RCIT Books, Vienna 2018, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2018/; RCIT: World Perspectives 2017: The Struggle against the Reactionary Offensive in the Era of Trumpism, 18 December 2016, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2017/; RCIT: World Perspectives 2016: Advancing Counterrevolution and Acceleration of Class Contradictions Mark the Opening of a New Political Phase, 23 January 2016, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2016/; RCIT: Perspectives for the Class Struggle in Light of the Deepening Crisis in the Imperialist World Economy and Politics, 11 January 2015, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-situation-january-2015/; RCIT: Escalation of Inner-Imperialist Rivalry Marks the Opening of a New Phase of World Politics. Theses on Recent Major Developments in the World Situation Adopted by the RCIT’s International Executive Committee, April 2014, in: Revolutionary Communism (English-language Journal of the RCIT) No. 22, http://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-situation-april-2014/; RCIT: Aggravation of Contradictions, Deepening of Crisis of Leadership. Theses on Recent Major Developments in the World Situation Adopted by the RCIT’s International Executive Committee, 9.9.2013, in: Revolutionary Communism No. 15, http://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-situation-september2013/; RCIT: The World Situation and the Tasks of the Bolshevik-Communists. Theses of the International Executive Committee of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency, March 2013, in: Revolutionary Communism No. 8, www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-situation-march-2013
[12] See p. 34 of the GPI report.
[13] Michael Pröbsting: A Powerful Confirmation. A bourgeois study on the revolutionary character of the current historic period, 12 March 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/confirmation-of-revolutionary-character-of-historic-period/
“세계평화지수(GPI)” 최신호의 글로벌 계급투쟁 결론에 대한 논평
미하엘 프뢰브스팅, 혁명적 공산주의인터내셔널 동맹 (RCIT) 국제서기, 2021년 6월 21일, www.thecommunists.net
며칠 전 ‘세계평화지수(GPI)’ 2021년판이 나왔다.[1] 세계평화지수(Global Peace Index)는 국제 분쟁·폭력 동향을 측정하는 보고서다. 이 보고서는 OECD, 유엔 등 각종 주요 제국주의 기관들과 협력하는 부르주아 싱크탱크인 경제평화연구소(IEP)가 생산한다. 세계평화지수 보고서는 영국 독점 부르주아지의 신문인 이코노미스트지의 연구소 ‘이코노미스트 인텔리전스 유닛’이 수집·분석한 데이터를 사용한다.
이들 부르주아 기관들이 평가·분석하는 “국제 분쟁·폭력” 동향에는 주요하게 글로벌 계급투쟁 동향이 포함된다. 그리고 당연한 바지만, 계급투쟁 동향에 대한 철저한 분석을 이러한 기관들에게 기대할 수도 없고 기대해서도 안 된다. 그들은 “폭력”과 “분쟁”을 구체적인 정치적 배경을 평가하지 않고, 계급적 내용을 이해함이 없이 추상적으로 다룬다. 그들에게는 억압자의 폭력이나 피억압자의 폭력이나 ‘폭력 일반’으로 다 똑같다. 피억압 인민에 대한 자본가 정권의 폭력이나 피억압자의 저항이나. 우익 세력의 폭력 시위나 진보 세력의 폭력 시위나 모두 동일한 범주로 처리한다.
그러나 그렇다고 해서 이 세계평화지수가 정치 관측자들에게 아무 정보도, 아무 흥미도 주지 못하는 것은 아니다. 비록 그러한 부르주아 기관들이 세계정치와 국제 계급투쟁의 배경 및 내적 동역학을 이해하지 못한다 하더라도, 그들의 조사연구에 일부 중요한 역학관계 정보가 담겨 있는 것은 사실이다.
이 보고서에는 맑스주의 관점에서 흥미로운 세 가지 결론 부분이 있다. 지금부터 보겠지만, 이 부분은 최근 몇 년 동안 혁명적 공산주의인터내셔널 동맹 (RCIT)이 여러 문서를 통해 제시해 온 세계정세 분석을 주요하게 확인해주고 있다.
첫째, 세계평화지수 2021 보고서는 코로나19 팬데믹과 이를 퇴치하기 위한 국가 공식 정책이 민주적 제 권리를 공격하고 경찰·감시 국가를 확대하기 위해 지배계급에 의해 이용된 사실을 인정하고 있다. 보고서는 "팬데믹이 일부 나라에서는 정부 탄압과 정치 테러의 구실로 사용되어 왔다. (…) 록다운 봉쇄 및 이동 제한법을 시행하는 데 과도한 공권력이 사용되기도 했다."(27쪽)
예를 들어, 보고서는 이집트, 러시아, 인도, 남아공, 에티오피아, 우간다, 온두라스, 멕시코와 같은 나라들을 주요하게 언급하고 있다. 당연히, 더 많은 나라들이 호명될 수 있을 것이다. 더 중요한 것은 반민주 공세를 펴고 배외주의적 국가 보나파르트주의를 도입, 확대하기 위한 구실로 팬데믹을 이용한 것이 이들 나라뿐이 아니라는 점이다. 우리가 수없이 지적했듯이, 실제로 코로나19 반혁명은 중국과 서방 제국주의 나라들을 포함하여 전 세계에서 일어나고 있다.[2]
그러나 이 보고서를 생산한 경제평화연구소 ㅡ OECD와 UN의 후원을 받고 있는 ㅡ 의 부르주아 정치 성격을 감안할 때 그러한 결론을 기대할 수는 없다. (속담에 있듯이 "개도 먹이를 주는 손은 물지 않는다."). 그럼에도 보고서가 많은 주요국들에서 실시된 공식 코로나 정책의 반민주적 성격을 인정하고 있는 점은 중요하다.
2019/20년 혁명적 · 반혁명적 정세의 교차와 급전환
둘째, 세계평화지수 2021 보고서는 지난 1년 반 동안 국제 계급투쟁의 모순적 발전에 대한 흥미로운 평가를 제공한다. RCIT는 세계경제가 2019년 가을에 대공황에 접어들었을 때[3], 이것은 준 혁명적 세계정세를 연 글로벌 계급투쟁의 극적인 상승과 맞물려 진행된 것임을 여러 문서 속에서 지적했다.[4]
그런데 팬데믹과 함께 코로나19 반혁명의 시작으로 2020년 봄에 이 투쟁 사이클이 일시적으로 종료됐다. 그러나 우리가 그 시작부터 강조했듯이 지배계급의 반동적 공세는 자본주의 세계체제의 모순을 심화시키고 새로운 대중투쟁 물결을 일으킬 것이며, 또 실제로도 그렇게 할 수 있을 뿐이다. 실로 얼마 안 지나 다시 대중은 반격을 시작했다. 그 가장 중요한 투쟁이 미국에서 ‘흑인 목숨도 소중하다’ 항쟁[5]이고, 또 인도에서 2020년 11월 26일 2억 5천만 명 이상 인도 노동자들의 총파업과 그 후 수개월에 걸친 가난한 농민들의 대규모 집회와 도로봉쇄, 점거 시위다다.[6]
세계평화지수 보고서는 이 견해를 경험적 관점에서 완전하게 확인해준다. "코로나19 팬데믹은 2020년 세계의 분쟁·폭력 수준에 상당한 영향을 미쳤으며, 이러한 영향 중 일부는 향후 몇 년 동안 지속될 가능성이 크다. 처음에는 팬데믹의 주된 영향이 전 세계의 폭력을 줄여주는 것이 될 걸로 생각되었지만, 이것은 폭력의 일부 지표에 대해서만 사실로 판명되었다. 내부 분쟁 주요 지표들이 2020년에 줄긴 했지만, 팬데믹이 능동적인 분쟁에 미친 영향은 단기간에 그쳤고, 전체적인 정치·사회적 소요 수준은 지난 1년간 상승했다.(25쪽)
"팬데믹 시작 때는 소요와 시위가 초기에 감소했지만, 이 초기 소강상태 이후 전 세계적으로 시위가 급증했다. 2020년에 전 세계적으로 총 시위 건수가 증가했으며, 비록 모든 시위가 팬데믹과 직접 관련된 것은 아니었지만, 많은 나라에서는, 특히 유럽에서는 팬데믹이 소요의 주요 동인이었다."(27쪽)
CIA에 의한 또 다른 확인
이 지점에서 우리는 또 다른 부르주아 연구 프로젝트에서 나온 결과물을 추가하고자 한다. RCIT는 2019년 가을 준 혁명적 세계정세의 개막과 2020년 봄 거의 모든 나라에서 지배계급에 의한 코로나19 반혁명 개시 사이의 긴밀한 연관을 거듭 강조해왔다. 이 역사적인 사건에 관한 책자 ㅡ 2020년 4월에 출판한 <<코로나19 글로벌 반혁명>> ㅡ 에서 우리는 다음과 같이 지적했다. "이러한 사태발전 [2019년 가을 준 혁명적 세계정세의 개막]은 지배계급이 코로나19를 엄폐물 삼아, 대규모 록다운 봉쇄와 배외주의적 국가 보나파르트주의 체제 구축으로 반혁명 공세를 개시하게 만든 가장 중요한 단일 요인이었다."[7]
몇 주 전, 알자지라는 지난 몇 년간 글로벌 계급투쟁의 발전을 몇몇 그래픽으로 설명하는 흥미로운 기사를 실었다.[8] 이 기사는 "대규모 동원 프로젝트 Mass Mobilization Project"라는 이름의 한 대학 연구 프로젝트의 연구결과에 근거하고 있다. 이 학술 프로젝트의 공식 웹 사이트에서는 다음과 같이 밝히고 있다. "대규모 동원(MM) 데이터는 정부에 반대하는 시민들의 운동을 파악하기 위한 노력으로서, 시민들이 정부에 반대하여 시위할 때 무엇을 원하는지, 그리고 정부는 시민들에게 어떻게 반응하는지를 이해하고자 한다. MM 데이터는 1990년부터 2018년까지 162개국을 다루고 있다." 진보적으로 들리지 않는가?!
그리고 실제로도 MM 프로젝트 홈페이지를 열면, 깃발과 최루탄 방독면을 하고 짱돌을 던지는 가두 투사의 대형 사진이 메인 페이지에 실려 있어 고전적인 좌파 웹사이트를 보는 느낌이다. 하지만 이러한 느낌과는 달리 이 프로젝트는 전혀 진보적이거나 급진적인 연구 프로젝트가 아니다! 그 공식 웹사이트에서 명시하고 있듯이, "<대규모 동원 프로젝트>는 정치 불안정 태스크포스(PITF)의 후원을 받고 있습니다. PITF는 중앙정보국(CIA)의 자금 지원을 받습니다. 여기에서 표명된 견해는 연구책임자 개인의 견해로, 미국 정부의 견해를 대표하지 않습니다."[9] 학술 기관이 지배계급과 (어떤 경우에는 아예 내놓고 제국주의 정보기관과) 어떻게 긴밀한 관계를 맺고 있는지 스스로 드러내고 있다.
어쨌든 이 "대규모 동원 프로젝트"의 연구결과는 2019년 글로벌 계급투쟁의 극적 전환에 대한 RCIT의 분석을 십분 확인해주고 있기 때문에 꽤나 흥미롭다. 위에서 언급한 알자지라 기사에 실린 그래프는 2010-2020년 기간에 참가자 1만 명 이상의 전 세계 대규모 시위 (미국 외)의 한 해 숫자를 보여준다. 2010-18년에는 그 횟수가 50에서 100 사이를 오갔다. 그러나 2019년에는 250으로 극적으로 뛰어오른 것을 보여준다. 즉, 이전 가장 높은 해보다도 2.5배 더 많은 것이다!
제국주의 부르주아지가 2019년 글로벌 계급투쟁의 급격한 가속화 ㅡ 자본주의 세계경제 붕괴의 시작과 결합된 ㅡ 를 두고 걱정이 많지 않았을까?! 그리고 팬데믹이 시작하자 그 속에서 대대적인 반혁명 공세를 위해 이용할 기회 (그리고 필요)를 보지 않았을까?! 계급투쟁에 대해 지배계급은 일상적으로 기민하게 촉수를 뻗고 있다는 것을 우리가 알고 있다면, 이 연관을 이해하는 데 누구도 아인슈타인이 될 필요는 없을 것이다. 이 너무도 명백한 사실을 무시하고 부끄럽게도 지배계급의 반동적인 록다운 봉쇄 정책을 지지하는 것은 어리석은 소부르주아 좌익들뿐이다![10]
2008년에 그 뚜껑이 열린 현 시기의 혁명적 성격
마지막으로, 세계평화지수 보고서는 2008/09년 대공황으로 개막된 역사적인 시기에 전개되고 있는 계급투쟁에 대해 흥미로운 관찰을 담고 있다. RCIT는 자본주의의 위기와 계급 간 적대 및 국가 간 적대가 이 역사적인 시기에 급격히 가속화하고 있다고 거듭 지적해 왔다. 그리하여 계급투쟁의 대대적인 상승 ㅡ 가장 중요하게는 2011년에 시작한 아랍 혁명 ㅡ 과 함께 강대국 (미국, 중국, EU, 러시아, 일본) 간 제국주의 패권경쟁도 급가속이 붙고 있다. RCIT는 세계무대에서의 이 같은 근본적인 (경제적·정치적) 균형 결여를 감안하여 이 역사적인 시기를 "혁명적" 시기로 성격규정 했다. 우리는 이미 2009년 1월에 그 같은 평가에 도달하였으며, 그 이래로 많은 문서들을 통해 우리의 평가·분석을 세부적으로 다듬어왔다.[11]
세계평화지수 보고서는 2008년-2020년 기간 "폭력 시위" 횟수에 대한 흥미로운 그래프를 제공함으로써 맑스주의적 분석을 나름대로 확인해준다.[12] 2008/09년 대공황 이후 그래프는 급격히 치솟고 있다. 현 역사 시기에 전 세계 계급투쟁이 대대적으로 증가하고 있음을 가리킨다.
이 연구의 저자들은 다음과 같이 논평한다. “2008년 이래로 소요 수준도 크게 높아졌다. 2011~2019년 기간에 반정부 시위, 총파업, 폭동 횟수가 244% 늘었고, 2008~2021년 기간에 61개국이 폭력시위 지표가 악화된 데 비해 같은 기간 개선 효과가 나타난 나라는 27개국에 불과했다. 2008년 이래로 유일하게 개선을 보인 지역은 중앙아메리카와 카리브 해 지역이다. 폭력시위 증가 추세는 가까운 미래에도 계속될 것으로 보인다. 코로나19 팬데믹으로 인한 록다운 봉쇄를 비롯한 이동 제한은 처음에 시위 횟수의 감소를 가져왔다. 그러나 곧이어 항의시위의 수위가 급상승했고 대부분의 나라에서 팬데믹 이전 수준으로 돌아가거나 그 이상을 기록하고 있다. 2020년에 시위자 숫자가 사상 최대를 기록한 나라들도 있었는데, 그 중에서도 특히 미국에서 그러했다.(34쪽)
지난 몇 년 동안 각종 스탈린주의자들과 사이비 트로츠키주의자들은 RCIT를 비롯한 진정한 맑스주의자들이 현 시기를 "혁명적" 시기로 성격규정 한 것에 대해 반박해 왔다. 이들은 반대로 이 시기를 "반동기"로 보고, 대중의 "후진적 의식"을 탓한다. 우리가 과거에 언급했듯이, “이러한 태도는, 정치의식은 다듬어지지 못했을 수 있지만 반동 정권과 제국주의 침략자들에 대항하여 싸우고자 결의한 항쟁 노동자·피억압자들에게서 이들 세력이 얼마나 멀어져 있는지 보여준다. 많은 경우, 이러한 사이비 맑스주의 조직들은 개량주의·민중주의 대중조직들의 관료들과 정치적으로 (또 조직적으로) 연결되어 있다. 또 여러 경우에서 그들은 직간접으로 중국, 러시아 또는 EU와 같은 제국주의 강대국들과도 연결되어 있다. 일반적으로 그들은 항쟁 대중들이 혐오감을 느끼는 ‘늙은 공룡들’ - 정치적으로 말해서 – 이다.”[13]
진정한 맑스주의자들의 임무는 계급투쟁에서 노동자·피억압자를 편 들고, 혁명 전략을 구체화하고 새로운 사회주의혁명 세계당을 건설하여 노동자 전위투사들을 돕는 것이다. 그러한 당은 일차적으로 새로운 전투적 노동자·청년 전위대에 바탕을 두어야 한다. RCIT는 모든 혁명적 활동가들에게 사회주의 미래를 위한 투쟁에서 우리와 함께 할 것을 요구한다!
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[1] Institute for Economics & Peace. Global Peace Index 2021: Measuring Peace in a Complex World, Sydney, June 2021. Available from: http://visionofhumanity.org/reports (accessed 19 June 2021). 다음도 보라. GLOBAL PEACE INDEX. World less peaceful as civil unrest and political instability increases due to COVID-19, https://www.visionofhumanity.org/world-less-peaceful-as-civil-unrest-and-political-instability-increases-due-to-covid-19-pandemic/
[2] RCIT는 코로나19 반혁명을 그 시작 이래로 광범위에 걸쳐 분석해 왔다. 2020년 2월 2일부터 우리는 90편의 소책자와 논문, 기사, 성명에 단행본 책까지 발표했다. 이 모든 것을 다음의 우리 웹사이트 별도 하위 페이지에 모아놓았다. https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/collection-of-articles-on-the-2019-corona-virus/. 특히 다음을 보라. RCIT Manifesto: COVID-19: A Cover for a Major Global Counterrevolutionary Offensive. We are at a turning point in the world situation as the ruling classes provoke a war-like atmosphere in order to legitimize the build-up of chauvinist state-bonapartist regimes, 21 March 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-a-cover-for-a-major-global-counterrevolutionary-offensive/. [<코로나19: 글로벌 반혁명 공세를 가리는 덮개> https://www.thecommunists.net/home/%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%96%B4/covid-19-cover-for-major-global-counterrevolutionary-offensive/] 다음도 보라. Michael Pröbsting: The COVID-19 Global Counterrevolution: What It Is and How to Fight It. A Marxist analysis and strategy for the revolutionary struggle, RCIT Books, April 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/the-covid-19-global-counterrevolution/. [<<코로나19 글로벌 반혁명>> https://www.thecommunists.net/home/%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%96%B4/book-the-covid-19-global-counterrevolution/] 이 문제에 대한 다음 우리의 첫 기사도 보라. Almedina Gunić: Coronavirus: "I am not a Virus"... but WE will be the Cure! The chauvinist campaign behind the “Wuhan Coronavirus” hysteria and the revolutionary answer, 2 February 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/wuhan-virus/ [<코로나바이러스: “우한 바이러스”히스테리 뒤에 숨은 배외주의 캠페인> https://www.thecommunists.net/home/%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%96%B4/wuhan-virus/]; Michael Pröbsting: The Second Wave of the COVID-19 Counterrevolution. On the ruling class strategy in the current conjuncture, its inner contradictions and the perspectives of the workers and popular resistance, 20 July 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/the-second-wave-of-the-covid-19-counterrevolution/; 같은 저자: The Police and Surveillance State in the Post-Lockdown Phase. A global review of the ruling class’s plans of expanding the bonapartist state machinery amidst the COVID-19 crisis, 21 May 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/police-and-surveillance-state-in-post-lockdown-phase/; COVID-19: The Great Barrington Declaration is indeed Great! Numerous medical scientists protest against the reactionary lockdown policy, 11 October 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-the-great-barrington-declaration-is-indeed-great/; Michael Pröbsting: COVID-19: The Current and Historical Roots of Bourgeois Lockdown “Socialism”. Police State and Universal Basic Income are key elements of the new version of reformist “War Socialism” of 1914, 19 December 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/covid-19-the-current-and-historical-roots-of-bourgeois-lockdown-socialism/.
[3] 이에 대해서는 다음을 보라. Michael Pröbsting: No, the Corona Virus is not the Main Cause of the Global Economic Slump! Bourgeois Media Officially Recognize the Beginning of another Great Recession, 3 March 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/corona-virus-is-not-themain-cause-of-global-economic-slump/ [<코로나바이러스는 세계경제 공황의 주 원인이 아니다!> https://www.thecommunists.net/home/%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%96%B4/corona-virus-is-not-main-cause-of-global-economic-slump/; Chapter “Another Great Recession has begun“ in RCIT: World Perspectives 2020: A Pre-Revolutionary Global Situation. Theses on the World Situation, the Perspectives for Class Struggle and the Tasks of Revolutionaries, 8 February 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2020/ [<2020년 세계 정세전망: 준 혁명적 글로벌 정세> https://www.thecommunists.net/home/%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%96%B4/world-perspectives-2020-a-pre-revolutionary-global-situation/]; Michael Pröbsting: Another Great Recession of the Capitalist World Economy Has Begun. The economic crisis is an important factor in the current dramatic shift in the world situation, 19 October 2019, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/another-great-recession-of-the-capitalist-world-economy-hasbegun/ [<자본주의 세계경제: 새로운 대공황이 시작됐다> https://www.thecommunists.net/home/%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%96%B4/another-great-recession-has-begun/]; 다음도 보라. Michael Pröbsting: The Next Looming Great Recession. Observations on the Latest Stock Market Slump and the Structural Crisis of the Capitalist World Economy, 12 October 2018, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/the-next-looming-great-recession/
[4] 이에 대해서는 다음을 보라. RCIT: World Perspectives 2020: A Pre-Revolutionary Global Situation. Theses on the World Situation, the Perspectives for Class Struggle and the Tasks of Revolutionaries, 8 February 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2020/ [<2020년 세계 정세전망: 준 혁명적 글로벌 정세> https://www.thecommunists.net/home/%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%96%B4/world-perspectives-2020-a-pre-revolutionary-global-situation/]; 이 사건들에 대한 개괄과 성격규정으로는, 개별 나라에 관한 관련 성명 이외에 다음을 보라. Michael Pröbsting: Are We Nearing a New “68 Moment”? A massive upsurge of global class struggle in the midst of a dramatic shift in the world situation 22 October 2019, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/are-we-nearing-a-new-68-moment/
[5] RCIT는 조지 플로이드 살해로 촉발된 민중항쟁에 관해 많은 문서들을 발표했다. 그 문서들이 다음의 우리 웹사이트 별도 섹션에 있다. https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/north-america/articles-on-uprising-after-murder-of-george-floyd/.
[6] 이에 대해서는 다음을 보라. RCIT: India: Victory to the “Dilli Chalo” Uprising! Poor peasants are waging the largest struggle in modern history against the reactionary BJP government 22.12.2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/asia/india-victory-to-the-dilli-chalo-uprising/
[7] Michael Pröbsting: The COVID-19 Global Counterrevolution: What It Is and How to Fight It, p. 18
[8] Mohammed Haddad: Mapping major protests around the world. From Lebanon to India and Hong Kong, we explain some of the biggest protests around the world in five graphics, 30 March 2021, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/30/mapping-major-protests-around-the-world
[9] https://massmobilization.github.io/about.html
[10] 록다운 좌파에 대한 우리의 비판으로는, 위에서 언급한 책 (Michael Pröbsting: The COVID-19 Global Counterrevolution: What It Is and How to Fight It)의 5장을 보라. 또 위에서 언급한 논문 (The Second Wave of the COVID-19 Counterrevolution)의 마지막 장도 보라. 다음도 보라. COVID-19 and the Lockdown Left: The Example of PODEMOS and Stalinism in Spain, 24 March 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-lockdown-left-podemos-and-stalinism-in-spain/ [<자본가 국가의 록다운 봉쇄에 찬동하는 좌익들: 스페인 스탈린주의와 포데모스의 사례> https://www.thecommunists.net/home/%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%96%B4/covid-19-and-the-lockdown-left-the-example-of-podemos-and-stalinism-in-spain/]; Social-Bonapartism in Argentina. The Partido Obrero (Tendencia) of Jorge Altamira supports the State of Emergency, 29 April 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/latin-america/social-bonapartism-in-argentina/; When Ultra-Leftism marries Social-Bonapartism and Gives Birth to “Post-Marxist” Obscurantism. A reply to the CWG/ILTT, 5 May 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-when-ultra-leftism-marries-social-bonapartism/; Brazil: Social-Bonapartism of the Lockdown Left in Practice. How the leaderships of the trade unions, PT, PCdoB, the pseudo-Trotskyist PSTU and PSOL sabotage the struggle against the Bolsonaro government, 10 June 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/latin-america/brazil-social-bonapartism-of-the-lockdown-left-in-practice/; Lockdown Left says: “Cops Need to Enforce Laws”. The ex-revolutionary L5I as another example for shameful social-bonapartism in the era of the COVID-19 counterrevolution, 24 July 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/lockdown-left-l5i-says-cops-need-to-enforce-laws/; COVID-19: Zero Socialism in the “ZeroCOVID“ campaign. Following the model of China and Australia, some British Stalinists and “Trotskyists” call for a “total and indefinite lockdown”, 22 December 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-zero-socialism-in-the-zerocovid-campaign/; COVID-19: The Current and Historical Roots of Bourgeois Lockdown “Socialism”. Police State and Universal Basic Income are key elements of the new version of reformist “War Socialism” of 1914, 19 December 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/covid-19-the-current-and-historical-roots-of-bourgeois-lockdown-socialism/; “ZeroCOVID” Left Calls for the Authoritarian State – A Practical Example. A revealing article shows that the Lockdown Left calls for the expansion of the police and surveillance state, 8 April 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/zerocovid-left-calls-for-the-authoritarian-state-a-practical-example/
[11] 다음 책의 14장을 보라. Michael Pröbsting: The Great Robbery of the South. Continuity and Changes in the Super-Exploitation of the Semi-Colonial World by Monopoly Capital Consequences for the Marxist Theory of Imperialism, RCIT Books, Vienna 2013, http://www.great-robbery-of-the-south.net/. 다음도 보라. the annual World Perspectives documents which the RCIT has published in the past years: RCIT: World Perspectives 2020: A Pre-Revolutionary Global Situation. Theses on the World Situation, the Perspectives for Class Struggle and the Tasks of Revolutionaries, 8 February 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2020/; RCIT: World Perspectives 2019: Heading Towards a Volcanic Political Eruption. Theses on the World Situation, the Perspectives for Class Struggle and the Tasks of Revolutionaries, 2 March 2019, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2019/; Michael Pröbsting: World Perspectives 2018: A World Pregnant with Wars and Popular Uprisings. Theses on the World Situation, the Perspectives for Class Struggle and the Tasks of Revolutionaries, RCIT Books, Vienna 2018, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2018/; RCIT: World Perspectives 2017: The Struggle against the Reactionary Offensive in the Era of Trumpism, 18 December 2016, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2017/; RCIT: World Perspectives 2016: Advancing Counterrevolution and Acceleration of Class Contradictions Mark the Opening of a New Political Phase, 23 January 2016, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2016/; RCIT: Perspectives for the Class Struggle in Light of the Deepening Crisis in the Imperialist World Economy and Politics, 11 January 2015, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-situation-january-2015/; RCIT: Escalation of Inner-Imperialist Rivalry Marks the Opening of a New Phase of World Politics. Theses on Recent Major Developments in the World Situation Adopted by the RCIT’s International Executive Committee, April 2014, in: Revolutionary Communism (English-language Journal of the RCIT) No. 22, http://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-situation-april-2014/; RCIT: Aggravation of Contradictions, Deepening of Crisis of Leadership. Theses on Recent Major Developments in the World Situation Adopted by the RCIT’s International Executive Committee, 9.9.2013, in: Revolutionary Communism No. 15, http://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-situation-september2013/; RCIT: The World Situation and the Tasks of the Bolshevik-Communists. Theses of the International Executive Committee of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency, March 2013, in: Revolutionary Communism No. 8, www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-situation-march-2013
[12] 세계평화지수 보고서 34쪽을 보라.
[13] Michael Pröbsting: A Powerful Confirmation. A bourgeois study on the revolutionary character of the current historic period, 12 March 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/confirmation-of-revolutionary-character-of-historic-period/ [<부르주아 싱크탱크들이 현 시기의 혁명적 성격을 확인하며 걱정하다> https://www.thecommunists.net/home/%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%96%B4/confirmation-of-revolutionary-character-of-historic-period/]