Political Knavery: SYRIZA government crushes people's rights, votes for extra austerity measures

"Butchers" of pensions, salaries, workers rights.
PM Alexis Tsipras (right) with Finance Minister
Euclid Tsakalotos.

With the 153 votes of the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government's MPs, Greece’s parliament approved on Friday a handful of additional antipeople austerity measures demanded by creditors in order to unlock more than €7bn of aid and complete a much delayed second review of the so-called bailout progam. 

Once again, the government of Tsipras proves its role in doing the "dirty job" on behalf of the creditors and the big Capital. 

The extra austerity measures, which were added to draft legislation on fishing regulations in an attempt to speed up their passage through parliament, are related to further cuts in pensions and "freezing" of the collective contracts until 2022, taxation issues and electronic auction of properties. 

43rd KNE-Odigitis Festival: The Communist Youth of Greece to honor October Revolution's centennial

KNE-Odigitis Festival (Archive photo).

In Defense of Communism with info from 902.gr.

For more than four decades, the KNE-Odigitis Festival, organised by the Communist Youth of Greece (youth wing of the KKE), consists a major annual cultural and political event. 

This year, the KNE-Odigitis festival will honor the Great Socialist October Revolution, using as a major slogan the lyrics of the Soviet poet Vladimir Mayakovsky: "100 years since the October that shocked the world "the future will not come on its own… If we do not also take measures". 

Communist Party of Sweden (SKP): Report on the 37th Congress

Sveriges Kommunistiska Parti (SKP)

A brief report on the 37th Congress.

The 37th congress of the Communist Party of Sweden was held May 26th – 28th. The entire congress was characterised by lively discussions and good comradeship. Each congress is a milestone in the development of the party, and the 37th congress was no exception to this.

КОММУНИСТИЧЕСКАЯ ПАРТИЯ ГРЕЦИИ (КПГ) : ПОЛИТИЧЕСКАЯ РЕЗОЛЮЦИЯ 20-го СЪЕЗДА

ПОЛИТИЧЕСКАЯ РЕЗОЛЮЦИЯ 20-го СЪЕЗДА КПГ.

С 30 марта по 2 апреля в штаб-квартире Центрального комитета КПГ прошел 20-й съезд КПГ.

20-й съезд утвердил тезисы ЦК, включающие в себя отчетный доклад о деятельности партии и политические задачи на период до 21-го съезда, приняв во внимание обсуждение и одобрение тезисов общими собраниями первичных партийных организаций (ППО) и конференциями. Также был утвержден доклад ЦК к 20-му съезду и отчетный доклад Центрального комитета экономического контроля (ЦКЭК).

Statement of the CC of the KKE regarding the latest dangerous developments in the Middle East

Source: 902.gr / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

In a statement regarding the latest developments in the Middle East, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) stresses the following:

"Yesterday's US bombings against forces of the Syrian army, combined with the diplomatic crisis in Qatar and today's attack in Iran's Parliament, consist a dangerous escalation of the imperialist interventions and competitions in the region of Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Persian Gulf.

Precisely these interventions of the USA-NATO-EU, in their antagonism with other powers in the broader region, such as Russia, are the ones which led to the dismemberment and destabilization of countries, the support of jihadist groups like ISIS, aiming at the control of the natural resources and energy routes of the region.

Youthforoctober.org - A website dedicated to the 1917 October Socialist Revolution

Encouraged by the 13th Meeting of European Communist Youth Organisations held in Istanbul on 24-26 February 2017, the website youthforoctober.org has been prepared in order to inform the world's youth about the political activities honouring the centenary of the Great October Socialist Revolution in many countries of Europe. By publishing the events and manifestation of the contributory European Communist Youth Organisations, we are to strengthen our common struggle.

We call the youth to hold high the flag of October and to join the struggle for socialism!

British Elections: Dear comrades, be aware of social democracy bearing gifts

EDITORIAL

On Saturday 8^th June, the working people of Britain will be called to choose between two versions of bourgeois management: The Conservative Party of Prime Minister Theresa May or the Labour Party of Jeremy Corbyn? Despite their existing individual differences regarding the mix of policies, both parties serve the capitalist system. They are both thoroughly bourgeois parties, fully committed to the goal of promoting the profits of the capitalists.

POLITICAL RESOLUTION OF THE 20th CONGRESS OF THE KKE (Full Text)

Source: inter.kke.gr. 

The 20th Congress approved the Theses of the CC which include the report on the party's work and its political tasks until the 21s Congress, taking into account the discussion and their approval by the general assemblies of the Party's Base Organizations (PBOs) and the Conferences. It also approved the report of the CC at the 20th Congress as well as the report of work of the Central Auditing Committee (CAC).The 20th Congress of  the KKE was held from the 30th of March until the 2nd of April 2017 at the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Party.

"You shall not pass!": KKE protesters blocked the road to NATO convoy in Greece

A human chain stood against a NATO convoy on Friday afternoon in northern Greece. Hundreds of KKE and KNE members blocked the road at the tolls of Polymilos in Egnatia motorway, close to the city of Kozani, thus denying the passage to a convoy of 22 NATO vehicles coming from Albania. 

Under the slogans "NATO killers go home" and "Neither soil nor water to the murderers of the people", the KKE protesters demanded the return of the convoy back to Albania. Among the participants in the human blockade were the KKE MEP Sotiris Zarianopoulos and Sakis Vardalis, KKE MP. 

Spain: PCPE continues the struggle under Secretary General Ástor García

KKE's PB member Giorgios Marinos during
his speech (Source: PCPE Twitter).

Info: Rizospastis / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

On Saturday 20^th May the PCPE (Partido Comunista de los Pueblos de Espana) organised in Madrid an internationalist anti-imperialist political event under the title “No water, no soil, no air to the imperialists”. The major speaker was the Secretary General of the CC of PCPE Astor Garcia, while a greeting message was also delivered by  Marina Gómez, Sec. General of the Collectives of Young Communists.

Representatives of the Communist Parties of Italy (Partito Comunista) and Turkey (TKP) attended the event while the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Mexico Pavel Cabrera sent a recorded greeting message. The KKE was represented by the member of the Political Bureau of the CC Giorgos Marinos and Lefteris Nikolaou.

Alexis Tsipras assures industrialists that the anti-people policy will continue

His committment in implementing new anti-people, anti-workers measures Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras expressed at the Hellenic Federation of Enteprises (SEV) annual general assembly on Wednesday. 

Tsipras delivered a speech during an event marking the 100th anniversary since SEV's foundation where he characterized the capitalist recovery of the economy as a "national goal". 

"The future of the economy for many decades will be judged at this time. We must be united before a goal of national importance," Tsipras said. The demand for sustainable growth and a national plan for radical changes had yet to be fulfilled, he said, while the years of crisis had amply demonstrated that the previous production model had failed. This model would have to be redesigned in order for Greece to exit the crisis and the country was now asking its creditors to meet their own commitments, enabling Greece to access the markets on its own merits.

All-Workers Militant Front (PAME): ITUC and the Goals of the EU-IMF in Greece

ITUC and the Goals of the EU-IMF in Greece.

In a message to its members in Greece, the GSEE-ADEDY, the international mechanism of the multinationals within the trade unions, the ITUC, “criticizes” the IMF-EU that they promote “wrong” policies in Greece and “do not succeed in their goals”.

We inform the ITUC that the IMF-EU-Greek Government have succeeded their goals 100%, because their goal is to destroy workers’ rights, so as to guarantee the profits of the monopolies.

Having no relation with class struggle, nor with the meaning of class exploitation, imperialism, capital, or working class, the ITUC repeats the arguments of the Greek Government of SYRIZA and the nationalist-racist ANEL party, about a “just growth”, which will supposedly will benefit the workers. 

KKE slams Tsipras' government: Greece must be disengaged from imperialist interventions and wars!

The Parliamentary Team of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) submitted a written question about Greece's disengagement from imperialist interventions and wars to the Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs. The text of the question is the following:

Source: Rizospastis / Translation: In Defense of Communism *.

"The decisions of the governments of ND and PASOK in the previous years, as well as the ones of the SYRIZA-ANEL government today, for the involvement of Greece in imperialist interventions and wars, have put and continue putting our people in great adventures and dangers.

The 12th Congress of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) declares 2017 as the year of Socialism

Source: soL international.

The Communist Party of Turkey's (TKP) 12th Congress was held in Istanbul on May 27-28 with the slogan, 'to empower the socialist alternative'. The Congress unanimously approved six basic documents, and declared 2017 as 'the year of socialism'. The Congress has also announced that TKP will hold a 'festival of socialism' during the anniversary of the Great October Revolution.

Many important resolutions were taken during the conference sessions, in which 383 delegates from all party organisations participated, including 14 delegates from abroad.

A Masterpiece of Human Intelligence: Quotes from Karl Marx's "Das Kapital" (1867)

More than 150 years since the publication of "Das Kapital" (The Capital)- the most significant book for the world's working class- we remember some basic thoughts written by Karl Marx. 

The commodity is first of all, an external object, a thing which through its qualities satisfies human needs of whatever kind. The nature of these needs, whether they arise, for example, from the stomach, or the imagination, makes no difference. Nor does it matter here how the thing satisfies man's need, whether directly as a means of subsistence, i.e. an object of consumption, or indirectly as a means of production.

• Vol. I, Ch. 1, Section 1, pg. 41.

Every commodity is compelled to chose some other commodity for its equivalent.

• Vol. I, Ch. 1, Section 3, pg. 65.

Joseph V. Stalin- Concerning Questions of Leninism

Concerning Questions of Leninism.

By Joseph V. Stalin.

 January 25, 1926.

Source: Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow, 1954 via Marxists Internet Archive.

Dedicated to the Leningrad Organisation of the C.P.S.U (B).

I. THE DEFINITION OF LENINISM

The pamphlet The Foundations of Leninism contains a definition of Leninism which seems to have received general recognition. It runs as follows:

“Leninism is Marxism of the era of imperialism and the proletarian revolution. To be more exact, Leninism is the theory and tactics of the proletarian revolution in general, the theory and tactics of the dictatorship of the proletariat in particular.”1

Palestinian hunger-strikers’ medical condition is deteriorating after 40 days

Source: Communist Party of Israel. 

The medical condition of dozens of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners is deteriorating and many more prisoners have been hospitalized over the past four days, representatives of the strikers have announced. 

The centennial of the 1917 October Revolution to be commemorated in New York (Left Forum, 2-4 June)

Marxism-Leninism Today is co-organizing a panel commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution at the Left Forum in New York City.

Jointly co-sponsored with the Party of Communists USA, the panel is entitled: “The Russian Revolution and its Indelible Stamp on the Course of World History”  

The event will take place on Sunday, June 4th at 10:00 AM. Room 1.124 John Jay College, 899 10th ave (between 58 & 59th Sts.).

Featured panelists include Zoltan Zigedy and Joseph Jamison both members of the Editorial Board of Marxism-Leninism Today;  George Gruenthal an officer of the PCUSA; and Grover Furr Professor at Montclair State University and author of  several volumes , including "Khrushchev Lied"; "Yezhov vs Stalin" and "Trotsky’s Amalgams".

KKE: PM Tsipras and his government are the "best students" of NATO

Info: 902.gr / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

On the occasion of the NATO Summit in Brussels, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued the following statement:

"The Summit of NATO's leaders of states and governments took the baton from last year's Warsaw Summit and, despite individual contradictions, decided the escalation of its (NATO's) attack against the people, thus confirming the criminal role of this imperialist organisation.

The Summit decided:

KKE and PAME express solidarity with farmers and agricultural workers in West Bengal

The KKE denounces the state repression against poor farmers and agricultural workers in Calcutta.

The KKE denounces the barbaric attack of the forces of repression against mass organizations of poor farmers and agricultural workers in Calcutta, India, yesterday (22/5). The demonstrators, who had the support of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the West Bengal Left Front, demanded relief measures and marched to the headquarters of the state government in order to hand over a memorandum with their demands. The forces of repression unleashed an assault , attacking the demonstration and journalists, with the result that 900 demonstrators were injured and 100 of them are in a critical condition.

Communist-backed 'Panspoudastiki' gains second place in Greece's student elections

“Panspoudastiki KS”, the communist-backed university students party- emerges again at a national level as the second force in the Universities and the Technological Institutes. The result confirms that there is a very important mass of students that place their trust in the positions and activity of the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE).

Thousands of students supported the lists of “Panspoudastiki KS” (PKS) in the student union elections held on the 24th of May. They struggled alongside the members of KNE in order to shape the positive result of the student union elections.

“Panspoudastiki KS” increased its actual votes and percentage in the Universities, receiving 24.48% (in 114 from 199 Schools). The lists of DAP (of the conservative party New Democracy) gain the majority of votes (37.89%), while PASP (of the social-democratic party PASOK) and EAAK (ultra-left ANTARSYA) saw a reduction in their actual votes in the universities. The government-oriented  list BLOKO of the new social-democratic party SYRIZA has decreased dramatically, reaching 0.50%.

In the Technological Institutes “Panspoudastiki KS” received 25.81% (in 37 from 66 Schools) being in the third place.

In a statement, the General Secretary of the CC of KNE Nikos Abatielos points out the fact that "Panspoudastiki KS" remains a "militant force", remaing the second force in the University student elections. "The KKE and KNE will continue our efforts to strengthen the line of counterattack, against the antipeople policy of governments-EU-capital which crashes the studies and life of thousands of students" said Abatielos, adding that "the KKE and KNE will be in the front line of the struggle".

* While this post was written, the counting of the votes was still in progress. You can check out the results by clicking here (in Greek).

UPDATE (25.5.2017, 1:06 pm).

"Panspoudastiki" has received 20.69% (in 185 from 199 Uni. Schools) in Universities remaining second force. In Technological Institutes "Panspoudastiki" has 20.70% being the third force after DAP and PASP.

Dimitris Koutsoumbas: The significance of the October Revolution in the era of the transition from capitalism to socialism-communism

By Dimitris Koutsoumbas*.

Source: International Communist Review, Issue 7, 2017.

In 2017 we will honour the 100th anniversary of the Great Socialist Revolution that took place in 1917 in Russia. This event marked and determined the course of millions of people, not just within the geographical confines of the first workers' state in the history of humanity, the USSR, but it also had an impact of every corner of the planet for many decades.

October demonstrates the working class's potential and capacity to implement its historical mission as the only truly revolutionary class, to lead the first attempt to construct socialism-communism.

At the same time, October shows the irreplaceable role of the guiding force of the socialist revolution, the communist party.

Great October demonstrates the enormous strength of proletarian internationalism. Despite the developments after the overthrow of socialism in 1989-1991, the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution, with all the theoretical and practical experience and maturity that we have acquired over the years, makes us even more certain and categorical about the timeliness and necessity of socialism-communism.

Raul Castro slams 'Yankee' Trump's provocative statement on Cuban Independence Day

Cuban President Raul Castro responded to the unacceptable and provocative comments of Donald Trump by characterizing U.S. President's statement on Cuban Independence Day as "ridiculous and controversial". 

More specifically, as Telesur reports, in a broadcast on Cuban state television Saturday, President Raul Castro said Trump’s imperial castigation of the communist island as home to “cruel despotism” were "the contradictory and clumsy pronouncements of the millionaire magnate-turned-president on issues of both foreign and domestic policy."

With Saturday marking 115 years since Cuba’s victory against Spanish colonial and U.S. military rule, Trump offered his timeworn criticism against the country, saying, "The Cuban people deserve a government that peacefully defends democratic values, economic freedoms, religious freedoms and human rights. And my administration is committed to achieving that vision.”

Declaration of the CC of the KKE on the 100 years of the October Revolution published in 'Rizospastis'

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) presented its declaration on the centennial of the October Socialist Revolution. The declaration was published in the Party's official newspaper 'Rizospastis' on Sunday 21st May. 

According to 902.gr, the publication of the declaration consist the beginning of a multiform political activity of the Party's organisations, as well as those of the Party's Youth (KNE). This activity will include publications by "Synchroni Epochi" publishing house as well as related articles about the 1917 Revolution in 'Rizospastis'. 

The publication of the Central Committee's declaration is part of a long-time Party's effort for the study of the socialist construction and the reasons which led to the counterrevolution. A crucial role in this effort had the Party's 18th Congress (2009) which resulted in conclusions and decisions regarding the 20th century's socialist construction, focusing on the Soviet Union.