On the occasion of the first of May, International Workers’ Day:
Proletarians and oppressed peoples around the world, unite!
The first of May is the day of the global working class and oppressed masses. It is a day when the working class, alongside laborers and the oppressed, in imperialist countries and countries under imperialist rule, come together in the streets, expressing their global solidarity against imperialist exploitation and the ruling oppressors in the imperialist countries. They gather, march, and rise up in coordinated action against the tyranny of power and wealth, fighting and revolting, continuing their path towards establishing socialism and communism on earth. The first of May has always been the peak day of struggles of workers and toilers against the capitalist system, imperialist rule, and bureaucratic-capitalist and semi-feudal regimes, for the establishment of a new democracy, socialism, and communism.
A glance at the current state of the world indicates the alignment of two fundamental poles: capitalism and socialism, the owners of the means of production and the mass producers lacking the means of production, the capitalists and the workers, opposing each other in most countries.
Imperialist Capitalism – Economic Crisis:
For the majority of workers and toilers, the situation in imperialist countries is now much graver than in the past decade. In Western imperialist countries, the pervasive crisis that began in 2008 has continued to worsen, intensified during the COVID period, and exacerbated further with imperialist reactionary wars by Russia and Western imperialism in Ukraine, and now the Zionist state of Israel against the Palestinian people. This crisis has become even worse than before.
Economic Crisis and Workers’ Wages:
The burden of these crises and wars falls heavily on the shoulders of the working class, toilers, and middle classes. In most imperialist countries, there is rampant inflation and price hikes, not on an annual basis anymore, but monthly and even weekly. In most of these countries, over the past fifteen years, the prices of essential goods such as food, healthcare, and housing have doubled or even more in the last five years, especially in the past two years. Meanwhile, workers’ wages have not seen a corresponding increase for years. In some imperialist countries, the minimum wage has been set at around $1 per hour of work to ensure profitability for employers. Consequently, the real value of labor, which includes reproduction of labor power with standard living needs, including a certain level of education, health, and recreation, has plummeted well below 50% of pre-2008 economic crisis levels. Alongside this decline in real wages, both visible and hidden unemployment (including part-time) has increased. Additionally, in some imperialist countries, taxes have increased, while welfare services, especially in healthcare, have been severely cut, pushing the working masses and toilers into unbearable economic hardship.
Cross-Border Wars and Weakening of Imperialists:
In this regard, mention must be made of the whirlwind of wars over the past three decades, especially the reactionary war by Russia on one side and Ukraine and the West on the other, a war in which Russian and Ukrainian workers and toilers are the first victims, and also the reactionary war by Israel and Western imperialism against the Palestinian people, resulting in the horrific massacre of around 34,000 Palestinians by Israel. With the military support of imperialists for Ukraine and Israel, these wars have drained the economies of imperialist countries and left them vulnerable, forcing them to bear the heavy burden of these wars on the working masses and toilers. Over time, these wars have become increasingly risky for their own internal situation. One of the reasons for the endless collusion of US imperialism with the reactionary forces in the region, including the despotic religious regime in Iran, which supports the Houthis in Yemen, the Hashd al-Shaabi in Iraq, and Hezbollah in Lebanon, is that US imperialism and other Western countries, after predatory and occupation wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria, and in the last two years, Russia and Ukraine, and in the last six months, Israel with the Palestinian masses, have lost their financial and military infrastructure and simply cannot afford to engage in another war.
The Dirty Role of Yellow Unions and Imperialist Propaganda:
What prevents the uprising of the working class and toilers in parts of these countries is the role of trade unions and associations like syndicates and unions, whose leaders and upper echelons are disciples of their own imperialist government rather than servants of the interests of workers and toilers. Secondly, it is the creation of hatred between races, ethnicities, and religions, especially between whites and immigrants. Thirdly, it is the ideological-cultural propaganda of the imperialist governments that turns people into intensely individualistic followers of their own interests, transforming them into human robots. And fourthly, it is the absence of genuine revolutionary communist parties, or their weakness, that has failed to play an enlightening role for this class and the toiling masses and organize their struggles against the capitalist dictatorship effectively.
Rise of Fascist Movements in Western Imperialist Countries:
The intensification of economic pressures on the working class and toilers in these countries has coincided with a tendency towards right-wing fascist politics. On one hand, the most severe economic pressures have been imposed on the working class in recent decades, which has been unparalleled, and on the other hand, there is a tendency towards the growth of right-wing and fascist forces in the politics of these countries. These are the most prominent trends in imperialist economic and political policy!
In recent decades, fascist parties in these countries, whose major intellectual aspect is anti-immigrant propaganda, have grown significantly and have been able to win more seats in parliamentary elections. These parties have been able to lead sections of white workers by fuelling the contradiction between white workers and immigrants and ethnicities and religions, thereby not only preventing the unity of the working class but also inciting sections of the working class against each other.
Migration of Labor Force:
The dismal economic conditions and suffocating internal spaces in countries under imperialism have led to a flood of labour migration from subordinate countries, whether officially or through smuggling, to imperialist countries. This has resulted in the gathering of a large mass of migrant workers in imperialist countries. These populations in these countries play the role of surplus population, a pool of cheap labour, and part-time workers, competing with previous workers in imperialist countries. This situation keeps wages for workers in imperialist countries consistently low, and workers, due to the threat of capitalists to lay them off and replace them with unemployed workers, cautiously approach the issue at hand. On the other hand, imperialist capitalists exploit this situation and shift the burden of economic crises, recession, and unemployment onto migrants, exacerbating the contradiction between previous workers and newly arrived migrants.
Mass Struggles:
The combination of these factors has fuelled contradictions between the working masses and the ruling capitalist system, sparking class struggles in these countries. The peak of these struggles in recent years can be observed in France, particularly in the Yellow Vest protests and retiree movements, which have been directed against the central government and lasted for an extended period.
Furthermore, racial, ethnic, and religious contradictions among the working masses contribute to the alignment of some workers with right-wing and fascist parties. These parties blame all current economic problems in imperialist countries on immigrants, whether legal or illegal, exacerbating the contradiction between different segments of the working class. The white working-class vote for Trump and the current rise of fascist factions in European countries illustrate this issue.
Weaknesses of the Working Class and Maoist Movements in Imperialist Countries:
Two fundamental problems hinder the revolutionary advancement of the working class in these countries: firstly, the presence of yellow trade unions, led by a minority of labour aristocracy, and secondly, the prevalence of various revisionist ideologies such as social democracy, Trotskyism, and various lines that are parliamentary in nature in Western imperialist countries.
Moreover, after the defeat of the proletarian dictatorship in China, the weakening or absence of revolutionary communist and Maoist parties has become a significant internal obstacle to the mobilization of the working class. The working class in imperialist countries can only advance by rallying around revolutionary Maoist parties, defending the basic revolutionary teachings of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, and Mao Zedong on one hand, and fighting against revisionist, Trotskyist, and parliamentary tendencies and the leadership of labour aristocracy over yellow unions on the other hand. This struggle can lead to the abolition of private ownership of means of production, the establishment of revolutionary dictatorship, and socialism in capitalist-imperialist countries. Communist Maoist parties in the West must prepare conditions for revolutionary struggles, uprisings, and armed rebellions and, if necessary economic-political conditions and necessary facilities are provided, engage in guerrilla warfare and partisan struggles.
Countries under Subjugation:
The influx of large sections of workers, toilers, and petty-bourgeois layers from subordinate countries to imperialist countries as simple and skilled labour themselves reflects the dire economic situation of these countries. Except for some countries such as South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam in Asia, and oil-selling Arab countries such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in West Asia, most countries on three continents of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America under imperialist subjugation are facing economic, political, and cultural crises. The masses of these countries are suffering and falling under the economic, political, and cultural pressures of the ruling mercenary and reactionary classes.
In many countries on three continents of capitalism, bureaucratic-comprador subjugation has become the dominant economic structure, and old feudal, tribal, and clan structures and feudal classes and tribal and clan leaders have disappeared more than ever. This has either led to the disappearance of the peasant class or its relative disappearance and the greater growth of the working class either in these countries themselves or as immigrant workers in neighbouring countries.
Governments:
In these countries, bureaucratic-comprador capitalists alone or in alliance with feudal lords and tribal chiefs dominate. Due to national and class oppression and imperialism-dependent reactionary classes and classes, movements and uprisings are possible in these countries. Any movement can take shape in one country or a series of countries, and mass movements and uprisings can occur. In recent decades, movements like the “Asian Tigers” in Southeast Asian countries, the “Arab Spring” in Arab countries, and mass movements in South and Central American countries, which have led to the retreat of imperialism and the rise of semi-social democratic forces, have emerged.
After the resurgence of religious theocrats and misogynists (Taliban) by American occupiers in Afghanistan, the contradictions between Afghan workers and toilers, especially middle classes and women in this country, with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have intensified further. Similarly, in Iran, the large movement of “Women for Freedom” emerged and dealt heavy blows to the religious government.
The two despotic religious theocratic countries in Iran and Afghanistan are directly or indirectly supported by imperialists. American imperialism seeks to turn Afghanistan into a terrorism nest to secure its interests in the region. The insecurity in the region caused by ISIS is a testament to this.
Reactive Structures and Tendencies in African Countries:
Despite the presence of various economic structures such as tribal, clan-based, ethnic, and sectarian economic forms, particularly in African countries, and the backwardness of economic and social structures, contradictions between these groups have led to internal conflicts or conflicts between neighbouring countries. These wars are either directly created by imperialists or supported by them. Whether imperialist wars or local and regional conflicts, they are essential for imperialists because without these reactive wars, they cannot sustain their military-industrial complexes, leading to recession and closures. As these factories close down, they have a severe impact on the economies of these countries, dragging other sectors of their economies into recession. Therefore, imperialist forces are the initiators of such wars, as they are always eager to ignite and perpetuate them. As long as imperialism exists, these wars and imperialist wars are inevitable, and the workers and toilers will not find liberation from them. War will only disappear through the working class in communism, giving way to peace.
Reactive Religious Governance Trends in the Middle East:
On the other hand, in Middle Eastern countries, despite the mobilization of masses against them in countries such as Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran, and Egypt, religious factions and Islamic tendencies are still in power or leading movements, like Hamas. The rise of these forces in the Middle East and North African countries coincides with the relative decline and defeat of the communist movement globally, especially after the death of Mao Zedong and the seizure of power by revisionists in China, transforming China into a capitalist and imperialist country.
Growth of Women’s and Youth Movements in Religious Authoritarian Governments:
One of the indicators of class struggle evolution in these countries is the struggle of women, especially working-class women and toiling masses, who constitute the majority of the population. Women in religious authoritarian governments are not only under class exploitation but also under patriarchal oppression and backward laws, making them actively participate in recent decades’ struggles against entrenched religious governments and being a significant base for mass movements in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Arab countries. Alongside them are the youth, who, due to increasing unemployment and modernization of life, are vehemently against religious conservatism. With their significant presence in mass movements, they provide a new and rich force.
Latin America and Central America:
Like other countries under imperialism, in Latin American and Central American countries, on one side, the working class, peasants, and toiling masses have become increasingly impoverished over the past three decades, and on the other side, armed struggles by revolutionary proletarian parties like the Communist Party of Peru and revolutionary petty-bourgeois parties in parts of these countries have intensified. In these countries, American imperialism has not been able to support its mercenary dictators and improve their economies, nor has it been able to counter mass movements (for example, look at mass movements in Chile or Bolivia) and armed movements in these countries and prevent them from coming to power; therefore, it has been forced into a relatively widespread retreat. This retreat, imposed on imperialism by mass movements, aims to prevent the economic and political crises in these countries from turning into more severe class struggles and preventing the expansion of mass armed struggles that exist in some of these countries, leading to democratic revolutionary revolutions on this continent and the establishment of people’s democracies. That is, it is precisely what American imperialism fears will not happen. The form of American imperialism’s retreat has been such that in some of these countries, where their economic situation is worse or where revolutionary democratic movements of the people and revolutionary Marxist-Leninist-Maoist parties have more room to grow, they have refrained from establishing military dictatorships or semi-military governments while maintaining their armies and mercenary generals and, alongside, not showing severe reactions to the opening of internal political space and allowing more room for unions, associations, and some parties that are examples of the SYRIZA party in Greece to rise to power.
The role of these power-hungry parties is to either seize power or be outside power, a reassurance pop like the pope. Just as in imperialist countries like France, when imperialist capitalists feel threatened by mass movements like the Yellow Vests or retirees, they do not hesitate to take action and bloody repression; in these countries, too, such governments can tolerate as long as the economy of these countries remains within the framework of imperialist international division of labour, and nationalist tendencies are not encouraged in the economy and, secondly, the presence of these parties in power and also the opening of political space does not prevent revolutionary proletarian class and Marxist-Leninist-Maoist groups from growing. Therefore, apart from tactical flexibilities against these parties within their contradictions with right-wing currents and militarists, the general struggle against these revisionist parties in countries like Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, etc., is among the tasks of Marxist-Leninist-Maoists.
Here is the translation of the Persian text into English with some corrections:
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The status of communist parties in subordinate countries:
The working class in its struggle for the establishment of a communist system has had three peaks, each associated with a central link in the chain during each period of class struggle. First, the French working class and the establishment of the Paris Commune, which laid the first foundation of proletarian dictatorship. Second, the Russian working class and the establishment of Soviet rule in the Soviet Union under the leadership of Lenin and Stalin. Third, the Chinese working class and the establishment of proletarian dictatorship in China under the leadership of Mao and Maoists. After Mao’s death and the defeat of the working class in China, the working-class movement experienced relative decline, and since then, except for two major uprisings in the people’s war against imperialists and reactionaries, it has not had significant developments. One of them took place in Peru through the Communist Party of Peru, and the other in Nepal through the Communist Party of Nepal. Unfortunately, in Peru, after reaching its peak and considerable hope, it suffered relative defeat with the arrest of movement leaders, and in Nepal, its leadership leaned towards revisionism, leading to a relative decline in the movement.
Alongside these peaks, many struggles of communist parties have turned into people’s wars. Such as the Communist Party of India, which controls parts of the regions, and also communist parties in Turkey and the Philippines, which continue their military struggles. In other countries, Maoist communist parties exist, which are trying to prepare the ground for engaging in people’s wars. The perspective of the working class and communist parties in subordinate countries under imperialism is the establishment of a new democratic revolution and the establishment of people’s democratic republics, which is the first stage towards proletarian dictatorship in these countries.
Overall Conclusion:
Now more than ever, the working class and capitalists, as well as people under subjugation and imperialists, stand against each other worldwide.
Although the situation of the working class forces is relatively weaker compared to before the defeat of the Chinese working class in 1976 after Mao’s death or before the defeat of the Soviet working class in 1956 and after Stalin’s death, the working class has had significant quantitative and qualitative growth globally, and has also experienced many deviations such as revisionism in the Soviet Union, narrow-minded Maoism in China, and Western Marxist trends, Eurocommunism, and “new left” movements in Western countries. Alongside these, the working class in Latin American and Central American countries, especially Brazil, has experienced opportunist governments under the guise of workers and masses, and also in Middle Eastern and North African countries, it has faced Islamic reactionary movements, parties, and governments.
In contrast, imperialist capitalists and bureaucratic comprador bourgeoisie and feudalists in subordinate countries are weaker than ever in each period. American imperialism, despite its economic and military supremacy in the past decades, is not what it used to be, and its powers, if not weak, have been somewhat analysed and are similar to the situation of Britain after World War II. The same goes for imperialists such as England, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan. A look at the war in Ukraine and Israeli Zionists against the Palestinian people and the policies of imperialists clearly shows the weakness of these imperialist powers.
All of these contribute to the more successful and active promotion of new Marxist-Leninist-Maoist forces worldwide and enable existing communist parties to grow further, and new communist parties to emerge.
Our Revolutionary-Democratic and Communist Propaganda Duties on the first of May this year:
Here, we discuss the most general issues that need to be addressed on International Workers’ Day.
First: Against the imperialist war in Ukraine, which is between Russian imperialism on one side and Western imperialists and the fascist Ukrainian government on the other, and in which social imperialism of China sometimes leans one way and sometimes the other. The working class, toilers, and middle classes of Russia and Ukraine are the victims of this war. If the necessary conditions are met, this war could turn into a full-scale world war or even a nuclear war. We support the growth of the communist movement in Russia and Ukraine and turning this imperialist war into a civil war against the capitalists of both countries. The working class demands the cessation of any military support to the Ukrainian government on one side and intensification of the struggle against the imperialist tendencies of Russia against the national sub-system of Ukraine on the other side.
Second: Against the war of the Zionist state of Israel and Western imperialists against the Palestinian people in Gaza. We must expose the imperialists and the Zionist state and, on the other hand, take a position against the reactionary Hamas movements and the self-governing Mahmoud Abbas government in Palestine. The working class opposes the imperialist “two-state” plan and advocates fighting for the creation of a united Palestinian state, where followers of various religions, including Jews, live together in peace and harmony.
Third: Against Western imperialist interventions in subordinate countries and the fanning of wars between subordinate countries in Africa and Asia, including the interventionist policies of Turkey, which covets the soil of Syria and some neighbouring countries.
Fourth: In Favor of the women’s movement and revolutionary struggles of the working class for women’s rights, against sexual discrimination, unequal pay, violence against women, including domestic violence and sexual assault, denial of the right to abortion, compounded oppression of medieval and modern times in imperialist countries, and feudal bondage in subjugated countries under imperialism; the struggles of the working class must create a situation where the women’s movement aligns with the struggles of the working class while maintaining its independence.
Fifth: Formulating slogans in Favor of the youth movement in all countries where generational gaps have arisen and contradictions exist between the current generation and previous generations, identifying these contradictions, and crafting slogans to foster a leaning towards Maoist communist tendencies within the youth movement.
Sixth: Against the capitalist tendency to destroy the environment and in solidarity with progressive currents in democratic movements that fight against imperialism and for the preservation of the environment.
Seventh: In imperialist countries, Marxists-Leninists-Maoists must expose the current economic crisis in these countries and urge the working class to oppose the conciliatory leadership of yellow unions, which are a significant obstacle to increasing wages. On the other hand, they should engage in continuous and tireless struggle against former revisionist, Eurocommunism, “New Left,” Western Marxism, and Trotskyism parties, and especially advocate for militant struggle and organization of uprisings, and under certain conditions, partisan warfare. Without this struggle and without eliminating the weeds, there is no possibility for the growth or consolidation of revolutionary Maoist communist currents and parties. New growth only occurs in the struggle against the old, and Marxism-Leninism-Maoism and the revolutionary path can only grow in the struggle against all right and “left” deviations and non-revolutionary and anti-revolutionary paths.
Certainly, alongside these main issues in each specific country based on economic, political, cultural, and class struggle conditions, there will be various other issues that must be independently addressed and promoted by the communists of that country as the forefront of promotional and advocacy activities.
The future belongs to the working class:
Capitalists invest, and the working class opposes investment. Capitalists oppress, and the working class opposes any form of class, gender, ethnic, religious, and national oppression. Capitalists seek to perpetuate private ownership of the means of production, but the working class seeks to establish social ownership of the means of production. Capitalists wage imperialist wars for their economic and political interests, as well as reactionary wars within subjugated and puppet countries, sacrificing workers and toilers in futile conflicts for their own benefit, while the working class opposes all forms of imperialist wars and national, tribal, and religious wars. Capitalists advocate for the continuation of bourgeois dictatorship, while the working class desires its own dictatorship, namely proletarian dictatorship, which is a dictatorship against the minority of exploiters and reactionary elements and the broadest democracy for the majority, namely workers and toilers, to transition from capitalism to communism. Capitalists exploit the armed force of the army and military against the working class and oppressed masses to maintain the survival of the capitalist production system and their bureaucratic-bourgeois and semi-feudal capitalism, but the working class seeks to use force and arms to end the use of any force and arms. The working class seeks revolutionary war against capitalists, against imperialists, against all reactionaries in subjugated countries, to end perpetual wars.
In a broad overview, capitalism is in decline and collapse. Socialism has passed three major phases of proletarian dictatorship in the Paris Commune, Lenin’s and Stalin’s Soviet Union, and Maoist China, and the new phase of the movement of this class will undoubtedly surpass them. The working class wants to end all the filth of capital and establish communist society. This can only be achieved by the working class and under the leadership of revolutionary communist parties of the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist persuasion, with revolutionary force against anti-revolutionary force.
The Maoist movement globally needs the People’s War to start in new countries and consolidate and expand existing People’s Wars. The Maoist movement needs to resolve existing disputes between different factions of the movement through constructive and principled discussions. The Maoist movement needs to organize more extensive, extensive, and systematic international militant campaigns, and have a unified international propaganda and advocacy voice. To achieve the above urgent needs and address these deficiencies, it is necessary to establish an international Maoist centre. This requires an international Maoist conference to overcome the scattering of the movement.
Therefore, it is necessary for all of us to understand and seriously take steps in this direction.
Let us unite and rise against imperialism and the reactionary forces ruling over subjugated countries!
Down with imperialism!
Down with the reactionaries ruling over subjugated countries under imperialism!
Long live the revolution!
Long live Marxism-Leninism-Maoism!
Long live proletarian internationalism!
Long live communism!
May 1st, 2024
