The KKE: “a thorn in the side” of social-democracy

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It is no secret that the political line formed by the KKE is particularly irritating for the forces of social-democracy, both “old” and “new” social-democracy, as well as its “leftwing fellow travelers”.



This has been demonstrated once again by an article in the Turkish journal “Özgürlük Dünyası”, at a moment when the KKE was waging a serious political battle- with the title “Modern Social Reformism and the KKE”. This article was then translated into English and uploaded onto the internet.



There are a number of slanders against the KKE in this article, about “sectarianism” and “party fetishism” that in our opinion rely on baseless references to the alliance policy of our party, which the article distorts, references to its stance against the new social-democracy (the SYRIZA party) as well as to our party’s principled position about the socialist character of the revolution in Greece and more specifically our party’s abandonment of the view, which tormented the international communist movement for many decades, about “stages to socialism”.



On the alliance policy



As regards the first issue, the alliance policy of our party, there are assessments in the specific article that baselessly argue that allegedly the KKE is identical with PAME and the other popular rallies. That they are one and the same. This is a well-known accusation for us, which both the forces of social-democracy (old and new) and also small ultra-left groups unleash with the aim of limiting the dynamism that these social rallies and their alliance are continually acquiring.



However, a simple piece of research on the part of the article’s authors would have demonstrated that the trade unions which are rallied in PAME have many more registered members than the total votes the KKE receives in the elections. Hundreds of trade unions where the communists are not in the majority of the executive committees take part in the mobilizations organized by PAME. For example, if the authors were to visit the farmers’ mobilizations, the farmers’ roadblocks on the highways, where the rally of poor farmers, PASY, plays a leading role, they would see that the vast majority of the farmers struggling against the anti-people political line and the EU are not communists or KKE voters.



We could mention that the recent proposal of PAME for demonstrations on the 22nd of October all over Greece and a general strike on the 12th of November against the anti-people political line of the SYRIZA-ANEL government and the EU was supported by over 600 trade unions and mass movement organizations.



Consequently, the accusation found in the article that the KKE works for “organisational unity” with itself is completely slanderous.



The KKE never concealed its full support for those popular social organizations that struggle in an antimonopoly-anticapitalist direction. It does not conceal that it supports the social alliance of the working class with poor popular strata in the cities and countryside against the monopolies and capitalism. We believe that such a social alliance can come into conflict with the anti-people measures, fight for the restoration of the losses of the workers’ income which have shrank due to the capitalist crisis and the measures to strengthen the profitability of capital. At the same time, such an alliance, in our estimation, can pave the way for the social overthrow and rupture with the capitalist system and the imperialist unions, like NATO and the EU.



Of course, we know that this alliance policy, which has nothing to with “left alliances”, “anti-neoliberal alliances” i.e. alliance policies that narrowly focus on rallying political and not social forces, upsets social-democracy. It also upsets those small ultra left political forces like NAR and Antarsya, which today are following a social-democratic programme and have become the political “tail” of social-democratic SYRIZA. However, this unhappiness has crossed the Greek borders and has become an article in Turkey and is being published in English, which misleads the workers in your country and internationally, who do not have the sources of information and data to discern where reality ends and slander begins.



On the stance towards social-democracy



This article suggests that our party “establish a platform that incorporated the urgent and pressing demands of workers and the public, join in a wide alliance with Syriza and other progressive forces through this platform, and make adhering to these demands as a precondition of its alliance with Syriza” while it also assesses that “It was of course going to be wrong for the KKE to be coalition partner in a government led by the social reformist Syriza”.



In other words what is suggested is that the KKE transform itself from a party that works for the overthrow of capitalist barbarity into a party that will support the government of the “leftwing” SYRIZA and nationalist ANEL, without directly participating in it. This is being proposed to us in conditions when the means of production in Greece, the keys of the economy, will continue to be in the hands of the capitalists and our country will remain trapped inside the imperialist NATO organization that promotes imperialist wars and inside the EU, which amongst other things determines how its member-states will implement measures to reinforce capital by reducing the workers’-people’s rights. The EU also determines what the country produces and also the quantities and methods of production.



However, such a policy of “critical support” for the bourgeois governments of social-democracy, i.e. the governments that operate inside the political-economic framework of capitalist society, never and nowhere led to positive results for the workers. Quite the contrary! This policy led to the major disillusionment of the workers and popular masses, to revulsion with politics, to the rise of far right and fascist forces. In our country, these fascist forces are being strengthened. But the KKE is not responsible for this as the article groundlessly accuses us, just because we do not follow the political line the authors propose. These forces are on the rise due to the political line of the bourgeois parties and of social-democracy in particular. First of all, there are the responsibilities of PASOK which completely shattered the hopes of the popular strata on the eve of the capitalist crisis, promising a better and more humane management of the crisis. The new social-democratic government, SYRIZA, did something similar when it made the utopian promise before the elections of “placing people above profits”, but ended up implementing the old and new anti-people measures, transforming, once again, the people into the fuel for the profits of capital.



In these conditions the “pedagogical” role of the KKE can not be fulfilled by supporting illusions fostered by social-democracy, as the article proposes to us. It will be fulfilled in the struggle to impede these illusions and the anti-people measures advanced by the government of the “left”.



The people will be educated and the correlation of forces will change through this struggle, with the formation of the great people’s social alliance that will fight against the anti-people measures and will have the struggle against the monopolies and capitalism as its stable orientation. This will strengthen the organization and militancy of the working class and other popular strata against submission and fatalism, against the subordination of the people to the old and new managers of capitalism’s barbarity.



A stronger KKE everywhere is needed for this path and not for reasons of “party fetishism” which the article attributes to us.



On stages



However, we should point out that the strategy proposed by the specific article is not “new”. This political line of closer or looser alliances with social-democracy was followed and is still being followed by many Communist and Workers’ parties all over the world. In the past, especially after the 20th Congress of the CPSU, this political line prevailed in the communist movement, ideologically based on the “peaceful road” to socialism, the “many forms of transition to socialism”, the parliamentary road etc. Often this rationale separated social-democracy into a “rightwing”(bad) and “leftwing” (good) and also separated the bourgeoisie into a “comprador-subservient” section and a “patriotic-nationally conscious” section. An alliance was sought with this “good” social-democracy and the “good” section of the bourgeoisie, even for the management of capitalism, as a “first stage” of a unified revolutionary process.



The paradox is that while this article criticizes the 20th Congress of the CPSU, it at the same time defends this logic which prevailed then in the CPSU and later expanded its influence in the international communist movement, with painful consequences for the revolutionary movement.



The KKE studied the historical experience at a national and international level. However, the KKE forged historical blood ties with the working class and poor farmers of Greece from the very first moment of its establishment. Through the armed struggle against the foreign occupation, it has come into direct conflict twice with bourgeois power. Our party, studying its almost 100-year history, as well as the experience of the international communist movement, came to the conclusion that this specific strategy of intermediate strata not only has not led to a revolutionary overthrow anywhere (something that is obvious and well-known) but acts as an obstacle to the formation of a revolutionary strategy. Our party abandoned the rationale of stages in 1996 and even earlier in the 1980s had formed a stable ideological-political front against social-democracy, which is a pillar of the bourgeois political system.



Our party has shaped its strategy which is not determined by the correlation of forces at any given moment but by the fact that the material preconditions for the passage to a higher form of society without class exploitation and imperialist wars have been formed. Our party strives so that the working class acquires consciousness of its historic mission to abolish its exploitation and as a result all class exploitation and oppression and this would be negated by adopting the theory concerning the process of stages and forms of intermediate power on the terrain of capitalism.



On this basis, the KKE is the only party today that reveals to the people that what it faces is a unified strategy that aims to benefit capital and not merely a “bad” government or a political line imposed by overlords or colonialists, a consequence of the timidity and bad negotiations on the part of the government, as other political forces claim.



The KKE reveals to the people the nature and real cause of the capitalist crisis. It demonstrates that solutions proposed by the bourgeois political parties (rightwing and social-democratic) are forms of pro-capitalist management.



The KKE explains to the people that there is only one solution that is in their interests and not in those of the plutocracy: people’s power, the other development path that exclusively serves their needs. The positions of the party and the way out it proposes are gaining ground in the people’s consciousness, making it difficult for the bourgeoisie to advance its anti-people political line. They trigger processes that help emancipate the people’s consciousness from the bourgeois political line and constitute a pole of popular mobilization against the anti-people political line.



The KKE is fighting to make the people conscious of the need to struggle in order to pave the way for people’s power and the people’s economy. It plays the leading role in organizing the people’s struggles, with forms of struggles and demands that respond to the needs of the working class and popular families today. It refutes the ideological constructs promoted by the bourgeois, i.e. that the people are jointly responsible for the crisis, the capitalist debts and deficits, and therefore should pay for them.



This political line and activity of the KKE in the workplaces, neighbourhoods, places of education, is characterized by the efforts to organize and develop the struggle, to forge the alliance of the working class with the other poor popular strata, the small and medium farmers, the self-employed, the women and youth so that there is a unified expression for their struggle and demands, with the aim of establishing a powerful people’s alliance. This alliance is a necessary condition for the victorious outcome of the struggle, with the overthrow of the power of the monopolies, the construction of socialism-communism.



International Relations Section of the CC of the KKE



21.12.2015

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-KKE-a-thorn-in-the-side-of-social-democracy/

This political line and activity of the KKE in the workplaces, neighbourhoods, places of education, is characterized by the efforts to organize and develop the struggle, to forge the alliance of the working class with the other poor popular strata, the small and medium farmers, the self-employed, the women and youth so that there is a unified expression for their struggle and demands, with the aim of establishing a powerful people’s alliance. This alliance is a necessary condition for the victorious outcome of the struggle, with the overthrow of the power of the monopolies, the construction of socialism-communism.

As usual, KKE is dead-on. The "pitch-perfect" working class responses, formulations, slogans, and stances are inspirational, enviable, and in comparison to CPUSA, embarrassing.

Casus Belli

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“Sustainability”, “fairness”, “necessary reform” are some of the words uttered by government officials in their effort to defend its plans against the social-security system and to conceal the truth.

They are not at all original. The “sustainability” and “fairness” of the system were invoked by all the previous governments in order to justify their own anti-people interventions in the social-security system. They are now doing the same. ND and PASOK used tonnes of lies and selective data in their line of argument. Today, the coalition government of the “left” party SYRIZA and the allegedly “patriotic” party ANEL are doing the same.

Previous “rightwing”, “social-democratic”, “technocratic” bourgeois governments also implemented increases in the retirement age, increases in social security contributions and reductions in pensions. The new measures of the SYRIZA-ANEL government are a continuation of all the preceding anti-people laws.

This is the reason why the SYRIZA-ANEL government is trying on the one hand to differentiate itself from the other bourgeois parties by using fake slogans and on the other is attempting to curtail or assimilate popular protests with lies and maneuvers.

This similarity with previous governments is not at all accidental. The government is marching unswervingly along the line set out by the specific directives and guidelines of the EU, which aim to liberate capital and its state from their contributions to the social security system, to transform healthcare, welfare and pensions into a private matter for the workers.

In the end, they aim to create new avenues of profitability for the vultures of the private insurance companies, either through their management of the assets of the professional funds or through insurance contracts in the health and pension sectors.

All the laws drafted over the last 25 years, amongst them those voted for or being prepared by the current government, are completely aligned with the aim of further reducing the price of labour power in order to increase capital’s profitability. The difference is that today’s government is once again posturing that it is allegedly a “tough negotiator” with the imperialist organizations (EU, European Central Bank, IMF). So, G. Katrougalos, the Minister of Labour stated: “The people should take to the streets. The people on the streets support the same things I do. Redistribution, higher pensions… And I am trying to negotiate with the institutions for these things. However, at the same time I am also trying to balance between the need for the pension system to have these characteristics and the need to tame the deficits that exist. And our basic difference with the previous governments is that my reform has a redistribution character and is socially in favour of those “at the bottom”.”

The brazenness of these so-called “left wingers” has no limits. And if the goals of the government are in line with those of the people, how is it possible for the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEB) and the “institutions”, i.e. the EU and IMF, to applaud the government’s plan against social security and for Katrougalos to be pleased with this?

If the government wants the people to take to the streets, then why did it send the riot police to attack PAME’s demonstration last Friday on 8/1/2016?

If this reform is “socially in favour of those at the bottom” then why does it crush the small and medium farmers, abolish EKAS (additional pension) for poor pensioners, condemn old and new pensioners to starvation pensions?

The minister is a liar and a conman and wants the movement to demonstrate in favour of the government to conceal that it is on the same side of the employers and “institutions”.

The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, during his visit, the 4th largest city in Greece, stated that “The new social-security bill is a casus belli for the working class and popular strata.” As the GS of the CC of the KKE stressed during his visit to the city’s town hall and after his meeting with the city’s communist mayor, K. Peletidis’ “There needs to be a general uprising so that this draft law is not tabled or proposed, nor in the form that it will finally take after the government’s negotiations with its “partners”. It must not be tabled in Parliament. If it is tabled it must be voted against. And of course this can happen only if the working class, the poor farmers, the self-employed, the youth and women from the popular strata of our country take to the streets. If they take to the streets and demonstrate their real power, then this draft law can truly be tossed aside.”

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Casus-Belli/

KKE: Rupture and conflict with capital and its power

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On the 17th of January 2016 the Attica Party Organization of the KKE held a major political and cultural event in an indoor stadium located in Piraeus. The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, spoke at the event and stressed amongst other things:
"We honour all the men and women who held the party's banner high in difficult conditions. Those unbowed by the class struggle, the honoured dead heroes of the struggle.

We continue under the same banner, with even greater determination, unshakable faith and optimism!

We salute all those who have taken to the streets in this period in order to struggle for their rights, for a better and decent life.

We are at the side of the workers who in this period are being laid off due to the closures of factories and other businesses.

The false expectations and hopes came to a very early end, a year into SYRIZA's government, as we are entering the 8th year of the economic crisis.

It has been a year when the industrialists via their federation SEB, the ship-owners and big capital have been demanding new tax exemptions, additional state mechanisms to support them.

The crime against the social-security system concerns us all. No one will be untouched by this offensive. This is why the people must rise up now.

The government's plan for the social security system is yet another piece of evidence that the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government is finishing the dirty work that the previous governments of ND and PASOK could not.

Because it is dirty work to implement to the letter the demands that capital has been making for years i.e. that the state abolishes the social character of insurance so that this money can be given to the capitalists to make investments.

Because it is dirty work to transform social-security into a private matter for each worker and self-employed and to transform the pension into a "poorhouse" allowance and thus to pave the way for the health-care businesses and insurance companies to make enormous profits.

And if certain people still get annoyed when we talk about SYRIZA's dirty work, they should answer the following question:

What can you call the attempt to placate and trick the movement and the people, when at the same time they are bringing a plan to completely restructure the social-security system in a reactionary direction, other than dirty work?

D.Koutsoumpas stressed that "The people and working class in the war being unleashed by the government-capital-EU to finish off the social-security system must provide their own answer to the real dilemma:"Acquiescence to the slaughter or a popular uprising?" They must respond by organizing their struggle, by strengthening the social alliance in the direction of rupture and conflict with capital and its power.

Because when we are talking about social security we are essentially talking about healthcare, welfare, medical cover, the protection of maternity, cover for work-related accidents, about rights and gains regarding every aspect of our lives.

Yes, the Communist Party of Greece, insists on talking about rights and gains, about what the people obviously need today to live decently.

Yes we should live a life with dignity and modern rights!

The worker, after many years of toil, should retire at a suitable age and live decently. The unemployed, the pensioners should have medical cover, medical exams, and affordable medicines. The workers should have cover for work-related accidents. The family and maternity should be protected. There should be high quality health and welfare services for all.

And to those who ask us if all these things are possible, if we can really enjoy a life with rights, we answer categorically. Yes we can, because today, despite the negative consequences and difficulties due to the crisis, our country has significant productive potential.

There are enormous scientific and technological developments. Thanks to the people's labour and the wealth they produce, the preconditions exist for a dignified and prosperous life.

And the workers enjoyed such a life with rights in places where their needs and not the needs of capital were the focus. In places where workers'-people's power was in control of the economy, i.e. in countries where socialism was constructed and indeed in the previous century.

The KKE insists, in opposition to the sirens that call for submission, on talking about real rupture and conflict with capital and its power.

It issues a call for the people to join the radical path of struggle that aims to abolish capitalist ownership and power.

The labour-people's movement can struggle and have results on this path, block anti-people measures and make gains.

Our people have not yet attempted to consistently and continuously follow this path to its victorious conclusion.

Our people have not yet tested their strength." He added:" Now more people are beginning to realize why the KKE insists that the people's prosperity presupposes more comprehensive changes at the level of power and the economy, which will disengage the country from the EU and NATO."

Representatives from the embassies of Cuba, Palestine, Venezuela, and Vietnam, cultural figures and artists, representatives from mass organizations attended the event. After the political speech there was a musical-theatrical performance.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJVj4Xf3I6g&feature=player_embedded

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/KKE-Rupture-and-conflict-with-capital-and-its-power/

Workers’ protests against the new anti-people plans of the government

The forces of PAME carried out a mass protest outside the Megaro Maximou (Prime Ministers’ official residence) on Friday 8/1/2016 against the SYRIZA-ANEL government’s measures that are the coup de grace for Social Security.

On 7/1/2016, a meeting was held between the Prime Minister, A. Tsipras, and the representatives of the employers’ organizations at the Megaro Maximou. The representatives agreed with the new anti-worker measures of the “left” government. These measures provide for new reductions in pensions, increases in the retirement age for workers, new additional social-security contributions for the workers and popular strata. These are measures that further strengthen the businessmen and are at the expense of the workers and pensioners.

So, on Friday, dozens of demonstrators, workers, young people and pensioners surprised the police and gathered outside the Megaro Maximou before 8 AM to carry out a snap mobilization, which had not been previously announced in public, unfurling PAME’s banner, sending the message:

“All must take part in the struggle! No compromise with the new crime”, “Take back the plan to destroy social security”.



Christos Katsotis, member of the CC of the KKE and an MP, was present at the demonstration.

At 12.00 midday PAME also carried out a mobilization outside the Ministry of Labour.

The security forces used teargas and stun grenades in order to impede PAME's demonstrators from outside the Ministry of Labour uniting with those outside the Megaro Maximou.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKnOkqR5zaw&feature=player_embedded

The people’s resistance can block the political line of the government

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/522636.jpg_1422996966.jpg

The workers'-people's mobilizations have been intensifying in Greece since the beginning of 2016, focusing on the reactionary changes the SYRIZA-ANEL government is seeking to make to the social-security and pension system, wiping out significant workers' gains, increasing the social-security contributions of the workers and the retirement age, reducing pensions and cutting social benefits, e.g. for people with special needs.
Hundreds of trade unions all over the country, rallied by the All-workers' Militant Front (PAME) have been carrying out mobilizations in the first weeks of 2016 including pickets, rallies, symbolic occupations of public buildings, demonstrations, strikes. So, yesterday, 26/1, PAME held new demonstrations in Athens and other cities. The demonstrators in Athens reached Parliament, at the time when the discussion between the political leaders was underway in relation to the impending anti-people changes to the social-security system. At the same time, PAME's forces are playing the leading role in organizing the general strike that has been called for the 4th of February. PAME's basic demand is for the government to withdraw its plans, the law "guillotine", as the anti-people plans of the "leftwing" SYRIZA government have been labeled by the workers.
In addition, all over the country there are impressive mobilizations of small and medium farmers, who have set up dozens of roadblocks on the country's motorways, protesting against the heavy taxes, against the EU's political line that is destroying them, as well as against the government's plan to foist new burdens on them in relation to social-security. Only at one roadblock outside the city of Larisa (Nikaia), on the country's central motorway, over 2,500 tractors have gathered at the largest farmers' roadblock in the country. Representatives from 37 roadblocks met on 26/1 at Nikaia to discuss the framework of their demands. They stress in their resolution that "We came onto the roads to struggle for our survival. To fight against the political line that wants to destroy us, to drive us off the land, to poverty and destitution, so that the land and production can be concentrated in the hands of the big farmers and business groups, implementing the directives of the CAP and of the EU in general. So that the measures to wipe out the small and medium farmers do not pass, i.e. the measures of the Third memorandum that the government agreed to with its partners, the EU and IMF, and passed with votes of other parties. These measures attack the workers and the people as a whole." The small and medium farmers refuse to take their tractors off the roads and discuss with the government until it withdraws its draft law for the social-security system and responds to their demands, such as, for example, those related to tax reductions, reductions to the cost of production and others.
The self-employed, youth, women, who are also being attacked by the government's plans, are at the side of PAME and the small and medium farmers. An important role in these popular mobilizations is being played by the forces of the "All-farmers' Militant Rally" (PASY), the "Nationwide Anti-monopoly Rally" (PASEVE), the Students' Struggle Front (MAS) and the Federation of Greek Women (OGE). The size and dynamism of the mobilizations is such that the silence of the foreign media (US, European, Russian etc.) is noteworthy. These media have either completely concealed these mobilizations or have mentioned them in a very brief way. For this reason, the KKE is adding new photographs and videos from these struggles onto its foreign language web pages on a daily basis- http://inter.kke.gr/en/firstpage/- While those that understand Greek can visit the KKE's news portal at http://www.902.gr/ , where there is the relevant news stream.
Dimitris Koutsoumpas: The SYRIZA government is a useful multitool of the decaying capitalist system
Dimitris Koutsoumpas, the GS of the CC of the KKE, speaking in Parliament on 26/1, noted amongst other things" "Social security is one of the most important gains.
It is at the heart of the life of the families from the working class and popular strata. It safeguards the protection of the weak, including social insurance and pension cover, access to health and welfare services, special institutional protection for those who have unsafe and unhealthy occupations, protection from work-related accidents, leave for pregnancy and recuperation.
These gains were not given easily, but achieved through the tough and bloody struggles of the workers".

The GS of the CC of the KKE stressed that the goals of the government are the implementation of the plans of the capitalists to end the social character to insurance, to transform it into a private matter for each individual worker. So that sections of capital-insurance companies, big health businesses- to benefit from the collapse of the social-security system. In addition, thousands of poor farmers and self-employed people, who cannot endure the competition, are being violently driven from production. Their position in production will be taken by the large capitalist businesses.
D. Koutsoumpas underlined that "this government is finishing the dirty work, on behalf of capital, that ND and PASOK did not have the time or were not able to finish." He underscored that the SYRIZA government is a "useful multitool of this decaying system."
The GS of the CC tabled in Parliament the draft law, which the KKE has elaborated and meets the needs of the people today in relation to social security and also expressed the party's support for the workers', farmers' and other popular mobilizations, stressing that "the same and similar measures are being taken in all the EU countries. They are directions that have been in place since the beginning of the 1990s."
He added that "The only force that can impede the government's plans to impoverish the people, that can put a brake on the surge of the monopoly groups and their governments is a strong social alliance of the people. The KKE calls on the workers to join a mass front of struggle to save and strengthen the institution of public social security (...) We say that we can lead a life with dignity, with contemporary rights. In any case, this is what history teaches us and also the gains of other peoples in the socialist countries, which were achieved in the previous century. Insurance, pensions, medical cover were the exclusive responsibility of the state (...) So we can live, our people can live as they deserve to, as long as the our country's productive potential, natural resources, concentrated means of production, become socially owned, under the aegis of people's power. So that they are utilized through central planning, which will be scientifically guided, with the active participation of the workers in the organization and administration of social production and social services, with disengagement from the shackles of the EU and unilateral cancellation of the debt. Only in this way can there be an end to the increasing torments of our people caused by the capitalist system, its crises, the EU and the governments that manage this path."


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCLQEu-4fgQ&feature=player_embedded

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-peoples-resistance-can-block-the-political-line-of-the-government/

Google Translator

Slide show at link.

The size and dynamism of the mobilizations is such that the silence of the foreign media (US, European, Russian etc.) is noteworthy. These media have either completely concealed these mobilizations or have mentioned them in a very brief way.

If there is really any need to remind folks of whose side Putin/Russia is on, this quotation is an easy 'go-to'. Workers' rights, the needs of the peoples, ending the reign of terror of the EU/NATO/IMF/capitalists/oligarchs over the working citizens of all nations - these are anathema to Putin and his masters. Putin is a Russian Bush. I would have said "Russian Obama", but that comparison doesn't fit as well...

Greek police turn to teargas as tempers flare over pensions
ATHENS | BY RENEE MALTEZOU AND ALKIS KONSTANTINIDIS

Scuffles broke out and police used teargas during a mass rally in Athens on Thursday as Greeks railed against government pension reforms needed to meet demands of international creditors.

Demanding an end to austerity, about 50,000 Greeks marched peacefully on parliament in central Athens chanting for the government to ditch the proposals, which many see as a betrayal of the leftist values of the main governing party, Syriza.

Public health workers carried black balloons, and a large banner depicting a hunched-over nurse with a walking stick. "This is retirement at 67," it said, a reference to the later pension age that will come from the reforms.

Breaking away from the main march, black clad youths hurled stones and petrol bombs at police, who responded with rounds of teargas and stun grenades. Some of them smashed bus stops and set a car alight after the march, during a cat-and-mouse game between police and protesters in the back streets of central Athens.

The angry backlash is piling pressure on leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, first elected just over a year ago. With just a three-seat majority in parliament, he is stuck between either pushing the reforms through to appease international creditors, or attracting the wrath of thousands of Greeks.

"They should be strung up here, in Syntagma Square," said pensioner Nikos Ghinis as he walked along with thousands of others in central Athens. "I'm getting 740 euros ($826.21) a month for 40 years of work ... I'm (demonstrating) here for my children and grandchildren," he told Reuters.

It was the second nationwide walkout since Tsipras took power in January 2015 on a pledge to end years of austerity, only to cave in under the threat of expulsion from the euro zone and sign up to new belt-tightening reforms under an EU-IMF bailout package worth up to 86 billion euros.

"They are raiding our souls not just our pockets," said 70-year old George Stathopoulos. "They betrayed us."

BAILOUT TALKS

The 24-hour strike coincides with a major review of Greece's performance on terms of its bailout. The heads of the European Union and International Monetary Fund mission assessing Greece's progress arrived in Athens earlier this week to discuss the pension plan, tax reforms and bad loans weighing on Greek banks.

Greek ministers were in talks with the mission chiefs in a hotel near Syntagma square, when the clashes erupted.

The government wants to conclude the review swiftly to start talks on debt relief and convince Greeks that their sacrifices are paying off after six years of austerity and a deep recession that have brought the jobless rate to 25 percent.

Greece's economy will be the only one in the European Union to shrink this year, the EU Commission said on Thursday, but the fall is much smaller than previously estimated.

Greece has promised to cut pension spending by 1 percent of GDP, or 1.8 billion euros, this year. To protect retired people whose pensions have been slashed 11 times already since 2010, the government plans to increase social security contributions by employees and employers.

But unions say the new plan will increase unemployment as the costs for hard-pressed businesses will go up, and will force workers, mainly the self-employed, into tax evasion as it links social security contributions to declared income.

Under the terms of pension reform, social security contributions will increase almost threefold in coming years

(Additional reporting Phoebe Fronista; Writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt.)


http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160204&t=2&i=1114901925&w=&fh=&fw=&ll=644&pl=429&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC130QZ
Riot police react to petrol bombs thrown by masked youths in Syntagma Square during a 24-hour general strike against planned pension reforms in Athens, Greece, February 4, 2016.
REUTERS/ALKIS KONSTANTINIDIS

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eurozone-greece-strike-idUSKCN0VD0O0

(The typical 'riot' footage which msm uses to explain these things would not copy in the above post but here's a bit from KKE showing what's really important.)


http://youtu.be/n6u8xsjXsnQ

The working people demanded: Take back the law-guillotine

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/pame-asfalistiko-04-02_46.jpg_1755238309.jpg

The largest strike mobilization of recent years was held on 4/2/2016. Thousands of people, workers, farmers, self-employed, students and school-students, filled the streets of all the country's major cities, with as their central demand the withdrawal of the SYRIZA-ANEL government's draft law for the social security system.

This law has been characterized as a "law-guillotine", as it reduces pensions, increases the social security contributions of the workers, reduces state spending on the public system of health and welfare and increases the retirement age.

The strike demonstrations of the All-workers' Militant Front (PAME), together with the forces of the social people's alliance, were the most mass in character all over the country. The other components of this alliance are: the "All-farmers Militant Rally" (PASY), the "Nationwide Anti-monopoly Rally" (PASEVE), the forces of the Students' Struggle Front (MAS), the Federation of Greek Women (OGE).The farmers with their tractors took part in the workers' strike mobilizations in many Greek cities, symbolizing the common struggle of the working class with the poor and medium farmers.

Thousands of workers all over the country fought to defend the strike early in the morning, outside the factories, the shops, the services, ports etc., against the strike-breaking apparatus of the employers. Production and services came to a standstill across the entire country.

PAME's demonstration in Athens was enormous. It passed in front of the Parliament. When the head of the march reached the Columns of Olympian Zeus, its tail was still in Omonia sq, filling all the central roads for a distance of over 3 kilometres. It was a mass popular mobilization, which according to all the estimates was at least 4 times the size of the other demonstration organized by the compromised leaderships of the GSEE and ADEDY federation together with social-democratic and ultra-left groups, and groups of so-called "anti-authoritarians", who at the end engaged in some small-scale incidents with the police.

The speaker at the central rally of PAME was G. Perros, member of the Executive Secretariat of PAME, who attacked the plans of the SYRIZA-ANEL government, the EU and big capital, stressing that:"The big businesses will not give up on pursuing their interests! They have immediate and vital interests in dismantling Social Security. The measures mean new wealth and the increase of profitability for them. For us, however, they mean even greater misery, poverty, a life without rights, minimal health and welfare cover!

We have the power to stop them! We have the power to escalate our struggle, so that they come face to face with impregnable wall created by the people and a solid front of struggle that will not be stemmed.”

Christos Pasoulas, a member of the National Secretariat of PASY and Valentin Pacho, Deputy General Secretary of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) also addressed the rally.





Statement of the GS of the CC of the KKE

The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, attended PAME's strike rally in Athens and made the following statement:

"The great success of the general strike, the large demonstrations in all the country's cities, the militant roadblocks of the farmers, the participation of hundreds of thousands of self-employed, professionals-scientists, youth and women from the popular families send a message: This situation cannot continue.

The monstrous draft law that destroys the social-security system must be withdrawn immediately. The anti-worker and anti-people laws must be abolished. We escalate and continue the struggle until the final victory. With working class unity, with the workers in the frontline, with the social people's alliance of all the workers in every sector. With an orientation against the monopolies that exploit us, against the capitalist system that drags down the lives of the working people even further. We must take matters into our own hands."



Statement of PAME

In its statement after the strike, PAME calls for more militant, more dynamic struggles, with more advanced forms, for an increase in the number of mobilizations, with general meetings in the workplaces, with work stoppages, sectoral strikes. There must be struggles in every sector, every union must take the decision for a new even bigger and mass strike so that they will not dare to bring the draft law to Parliament to be voted on.

As the Statement stresses:

"Today’s strike was special. It clearly demonstrated that without the working people nothing works. No factories, no farms, no shops, no ports, trains, no forms of transport. When the working people stop production, the country comes to a standstill!

The great success of today’s strike, the massive strike rallies in every city, the militant roadblocks of the poor farmers all over Greece, the streets that flooded with people, reveal the potential that exists today to block the new crime of the Government against Social Security, to move forward with new demands.

Today’s strike revealed the great weapon of the people: the alliance of workers, self-employed, poor farmers, women, and youth. The success of today’s general strike shows the strength of the popular alliance, how important and valuable its formation and strengthening are, with demands and slogans that strike at the heart of those who enrich themselves at our expense today, our exploiters, the monopolies, the big employers, the EU and their governments.[..]
The working class and popular strata can live as they deserve. For this reason we must not retreat an inch from the slogan "the law-guillotine must not pass", from the demand that this monstrous draft law that dismantles and buries social security must be withdrawn.

PAME calls for more militant, more powerful struggles, with more advanced forms! We can stop this crime!

Every day they must feel our presence, in every workplace, branch, school, university, apprenticeship, neighborhood, everywhere!

This is not the End! This is the beginning!”


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EdwP5Tr6uk&feature=player_embedded

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-working-people-demanded-Take-back-the-law-guillotine/

Other video at link.

Workers-Farmers, one voice and one fist

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/13022016-22.jpg_459428615.jpg

Thousands of farmers flooded the centre of Athens, outside the Parliament building, on the 12th and 13th of February. The farmers are waging a struggle of economic survival and for over 20 days and nights have set up roadblocks at around 100 points on the national highways. At the initiative of 68 roadblocks, a decision was taken to hold a national farmers' demonstration in Syntagma Square in Athens.
It was decided to hold a demonstration as the next step to escalate the struggle of the small and medium farmers, in a meeting held a week ago in Nikaia, Larisa, where it was also decided to maintain and reinforce the roadblocks, to intensify their local activity, to reject every attempt by the government to set up a dialogue in order to manipulate the farmers' struggle without taking back any of the measures that are driving the small and medium farmers off the land.
Tens of thousands of farmers reached Athens by coach and ferry to demonstrate, while those gathered enthusiastically welcomed a symbolic number of 18 tractors, which had set out a day earlier from the country's biggest roadblock on the national highway at Nikaia (Larisa).The tractors that arrived after a 14 hour journey were bedecked with flags depicting Marinos Antypas (1872-1907), the socialist revolutionary who was murdered by the big landowners.
Representatives of many farmers' roadblocks and workers' trade unions spoke at the rally.
The two-day farmers' mobilization gained the support and solidarity of workers and other popular strata. The class-oriented unions, rallied in the All-workers' Militant Front (PAME), highlighted the need to strengthen the common struggle together with the farmers, to reinforce the alliance with the poor urban and rural popular strata. The success of the farmers' demonstration, in combination with the successful general strike on the 4th of February, creates better conditions for the escalation of the workers'-people's struggle, with the central demand being the withdrawal of the law-guillotine for the social security system.
As the presidents of the farmers' associations in the prefectures of Karditsa and Larisa noted, the struggling farmers will return to the roadblocks after the rally in Athens, where they will decide on the suitable forms for the further continuation of their struggle.

Statements of the GS of the CC of the KKE
Dimitris Koutsoumpas, the GS of the CC of the KKE, attended the national farmers' demonstration on Friday evening, 12th of February, and made the following statement:
"The farmers' demands are just. The struggle of the Greek farmers is just. We are at their side. The government must at last stop slandering the farmers' movement, the Greek farmers. They are fighting and struggling for decent lives for them and their families, so that they can remain in their fields and villages. So that they can live decently and produce the food necessary for the Greek people. Primary production, the agricultural economy must be supported, here and now.
The government after today's popular mobilization must withdraw the monstrous draft law that will destroy the social-security system. This bill cannot be improved or amended. If in the end they bring it before Parliament, it must be defeated. It must not push forward with the draft tax laws, which once more attack Greek farmers and the working people as a whole. On the contrary, it must abolish the crushing tax laws, all the anti-social security laws, to continue to provide free fuel, as it does to the ship-owners, so that the Greek farmer has cheap energy and can produce and feed the Greek people, being able to cover the costs of production, so that their families can live decently and proudly in the Greek villages and countryside. We, the workers, unemployed, all the other farmers who could not travel here today, the self-employed tradesmen, the youth, the women from the popular families are with them. We will continue until the victory. We wish everyone strength."
The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, also attended the solidarity demonstration (Saturday the 13th of February) with the small and medium farmers organized by labour unions, federations and labour centres, rallied in PAME, and stated the following to the mass media:
“There is one message: Workers-farmers one voice, one fist. Workers, farmers, the urban self-employed, the pensioners, youth, women from the popular families, have common class interests against the class that exploits them, against the anti-people guillotine-laws, like the social security and tax bills, against the governments that vote for these laws, against the predatory alliances that suck our people dry. What we need now is a people's alliance and counterattack.”


http://youtu.be/qSAM78B4fvE

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Workers-Farmers-one-voice-and-one-fist/

Other video and slide show at link.

We honour the heroic people's army, the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE), we are inspired by and learn from its titanic struggle

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/ekdhlosh-ke-kke-gia-th-maxh-ths-florinas-67_1.jpg_2126691551.jpg

The unveiling of a special monument, worthy of the sacrifice of the fighters of the DSE who fell in the battle of Florina in February 1949, took place on Sunday 14th of February during a special event organized by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece in Florina. This event was held in the framework of the celebrations of the KKE's 100th anniversary.

The monument was erected at a location where over 700 partisans of the DSE, men and women, are buried. It was designed by Memos Makris.

Thousands of people responded to the call of the KKE. They took part in a march that began in the centre of the town of Florina and reached the place where the unveiling of the monument took place.

The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, spoke at the event and stressed amongst other things:

"It is our duty and task to project the contribution of the heroic people's army, the Democratic Army of Greece in its harsh, unequal, bloody but just struggle. The battle of Florina was one of the most difficult and deadly battles that the DSE participated in. The bourgeois army had understood the intentions of the DSE in good time due to the major concentration of its forces in the area and its intensive exercises with live ammunition. The fact that the bourgeois army was prepared for this battle and having the balance of forces in its favour, made this military confrontation unequal for the DSE from the very beginning, as the DSE had lost the advantage of surprise, which resulted in it having a disadvantageous position from the outset. However, the partisans of the DSE fought with incomparable heroism and self-sacrifice in this battle, fully aware of their mission and duty. As in many other instances, they bravely attempted in unbelievably difficult conditions, with their unbending will and dedication to their just cause as their main weapons, to reverse the unequal balance of forces and to do the impossible.

Despite the defeat and heavy losses (over 800 were killed and 1,000 wounded), the moral and political superiority and indomitable courage of the DSE were clearly demonstrated.

After the end of the fighting, the bourgeois army committed an outrage. It gathered the dead fighters of the DSE and many wounded and buried them, both the dead and living, with bulldozers in a pit that it had dug in a field on the south east side of the city, in the area known as Agios Giorgos, i.e. where we are standing today.

The KKE bought this field in 2009 in order to erect a monument to the heroic and honoured dead of Florina, which we are unveiling today.

The monument was designed by the important artist, Memos Makris. His daughter, Kleio Makris, granted us the rights to this work."

As was stressed by D.Koutsoumpas "in the framework of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of our party, the projection of the DSE's struggle is enormously important. We honour the DSE, its contribution and we are inspired by its titanic struggle. We study, we learn, we continue. This is the best and greatest way to honour the thousands of fighting men and women of the DSE who "fell in an unequal battle and struggle.

The struggle of the DSE was a just one. It was mass popular armed response to the ruthless attempt of the bourgeoisie to subjugate or exterminate the great EAM movement in order to consolidate its anti-people power. In order to achieve this goal, it used all means available, with murderous violence and naked mass terror as its main weapons, decisively supported militarily and economically initial by British and then later by US imperialism.

Almost a year after the heroic December of 1944 and the unacceptable "Varkiza Agreement", which imposed the disarming and dissolution of the people's liberation army, ELAS, the following against the EAM movement and the KKE :1,289 murders, 6,671 wounded, 31,632 acts of torture, 18,767 acts of looting and imprisonment, 84,931 arrests, 509 attempted murders, 265 rapes.

The stark choice for the party and movement: Submission or a new uprising. It chose, even if in a delayed way, to march on the path of conflict and not that of submission and humiliation. So, the mass armed popular struggle confronted the armed violence of the bourgeois state directed by the governments of the bourgeois parties and supported by the USA and G. Britain, which sought to secure their barbaric system of exploitation and to integrate the country into imperialist alliances.

The military conflict was harsh and year by year became even more unequal for the popular class forces. The "Truman Doctrine" and the "Marshall Plan" contributed decisively to the bourgeoisie's victory. The USA's napalm bombs were first used and testes against the DSE' partisans.

The DSE may have been defeated militarily, but despite the atrocities, bigotry and anti-communist vehemence of the bourgeois state after the civil war, which manifested itself through the savage terror of executions, mass persecution, imprisonments and exiles, they were not able to erase the magnificence of its struggle, it moral and political superiority.

For this reason, the mechanisms of the bourgeoisie never ceased their distortions and slanders against the struggle of the DSE and KKE. Opportunism has made its contribution to these efforts, as it characterizes the sacrifices as being in vain and the armed people's struggle as adventurism.

No struggle of the labour-people's movement and of the communists, no sacrifice was in vain. This is the lesson of the history of the peoples and the revolutionary movement. Through small and great victories, painful defeats and setbacks, the revolutionary movement of the working class learns, regroups and advances, becoming more capable and powerful in the struggle to overthrow capitalism and with more impetus drives forwards for the victory of the peoples.

The struggle of the DSE honoured the previous struggles of the people's movement and was the major inspiration for the struggles of the following generations. It continues to inspire and teach.

[..]

We hold firmly in our hands the flag that represents the greatest and most human ideals in whose service they fell. We raise it up high. So that we can put an end to the exploitation of man by man, wars, poverty. For socialism-communism.

No conciliation with the class enemy. The completely opposed and hostile worlds which confronted each other at that time, remain as hostile and irreconcilable today.

The working class, the poor popular strata, the youth suffer from the continuous assault against their most basic rights that aims to safeguard the highest level of profitability for the monopolies.

The SYRIZA-ANEL government continues its anti-people political line, picking up from where the ND-PASOK governments had left off. It is attempting to finish the dirty work at the expense of our people, with the support of domestic capital and the EU. The promises it gave to the people proved to be false, while the ideological constructs that "there is a political line which increases the profits of the capitalists and improves the lives of the workers", "that the EU can change" and other big talk have been proved to be traps in order to disarm the people's radicalization and indignation.

The capitalist system and its state bring only disaster to the people, regardless of who is in government. It is now historically obsolete, obstructs social progress, gives rise only to poverty, economic crises and wars.

The only way for the people to put an end to poverty, unemployment and ensure their own prosperity, peace and sovereign rights, is that of the people's alliance for the overthrow of the monopolies' power and the disengagement of the country from the imperialist organizations, with workers'-people's power.

And this path can be opened by a strong KKE and an emancipated people, who know their history and learn from and are inspired by it.

Every working man and woman, who are the victims of relentless exploitation, every young person who start their lives in this jungle, where the injustice of the powerful prevails, is in a position to understand the cause and aim of this ideological offensive.

The exploiters, their hangers on, the warmongers and their unions attack the ideology of class struggle, precisely because they worry about the future of their class's domination. They fear the working class, the poor farmers, the toiling self-employed. They take preemptive measures so that the working class cannot become conscious of its social position and historical mission. Their fear about the future is what makes them focus their ideological offensive on the youth. They want to assimilate their liveliness, creativity and militant stance into their plans. They will not succeed in this! The social contradictions cannot be controlled by the ideological constructs concerning so-called national unity and the alleged abolition of the dividing lines in society, which are propagandized by the SYRIZA government and the official opposition ND, with the chorus of approval of the eager servants of the system.

As history demonstrates, the great bourgeois revolutions, like the French Revolution in 1789, and the proletarian revolutions, above all the great October Socialist Revolution in Russia, brought humanity forwards. The decisive contribution of the Soviet Union to crushing fascist imperialism during the 2nd World War and to the national liberation movements, the struggle of the peoples of Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Cuba and Palestine brought the world forwards.

We are in solidarity with all the peoples that struggle for their rights. We fight to strengthen the mass political struggle in Greece. We know that the path is very difficult, and that the most difficult obstacles lie in front of us. But we have deep faith in the working class, in the radical popular forces.

The political line of the KKE can rally many more thousands of workers, unemployed people, pensioners, youth, women, small and medium farmers, self-employed, tradesmen, intellectuals.

The correlation of forces will change. What is needed is for this to happen as rapidly as possible. And for this manifest itself now everywhere.

In the everyday struggles, in the labour unions, the farmers' associations, the associations of the self-employed, in the schools, in the higher education institutions, in the local elections, in the parliamentary elections, whenever they are held.

This must be expressed through the weakening of all the bourgeois and opportunist parties, their memoranda, anti-people laws and their imperialist predatory alliances.

We must make the KKE as strong as possible, to raise it up ideologically, politically and organizationally so that is capable of rallying even more forces and strengthening the conditions for the creation of a new great social anti-capitalist anti-monopoly alliance for workers'-people's power.

There is no other way out for the people. The representatives of social-democracy and political adventurism, who trumpet the need for another "European model" as an alternative solution, are deceiving the workers.

We got to know the "middle way" through such governments in the past and present, in Italy, France, Spain, Cyprus, Portugal, today in Greece, in other European countries and all over the world.

In every instance hopes and expectations were disappointed, pro-capital measures were taken, the people were disillusioned, the people's-labour movement retreated or collapsed.

The allegedly realistic "third way" is capital's way, the path for the defeat of the people and the ridiculing of their ideals and dreams.

Together with the KKE, in the furnace of the class struggles of the people

Some apologists of the system and of the victors' hatred, who exorcise the civil war as if it were a curse, do this in order to justify the barbarity of capitalism that organizes and wages a civil war every day against the working class and popular strata.

Their goal is to denounce the legitimate right of the peoples to defend their rights, using all the forms of struggle available to them, and above all their right to and their struggle for a better life without the exploitation of man by man.

We are fully conscious that you must examine history objectively. That you must study the positive and negative aspects, with the mistakes and shortcomings. There is enormous experience from the class struggles, in particular from the struggle of the DSE. There must be no class hatred towards the children of the working class, the farmers, towards the people, Greek men and women, who were conscripted and fought, brother against brother, in the civil war in the ranks of the bourgeois army. The class hatred and the dividing lines are not aimed against the working people, regardless of whether they vote for "leftwing" or "rightwing" parties, or how they define themselves ideologically. There must be class hatred and indeed an intensification of it towards a system, a class, a state and their imperialist warmongering predatory alliances which massacre the peoples.

The workers, employees, popular strata that follow the social-democracy of SYRIZA, the neo-liberal ND, as well as other parties of the so-called centre-left or centre or right, in reality have no place in these formations. All of them, the ordinary people, have a place here: In the KKE and together with the KKE.

The attempts to blacken and to distort the historical contribution, as well as the current activity of the KKE, take on many different forms. One of them is the blatant slander that the KKE allegedly is not interested in the pressing problems of the people, in their demands, and that it refers everything to a distant socialist future. The relationship of a party, however, with the labour and people's movement cannot be formed on a contingent basis, or in an adventurist opportunistic way. The relationship of the KKE with the people was built on the fact that the KKE and KNE were always in the frontline of the struggle concerning all the social needs as they were expressed in each historical period.

And so today, we are in the frontline of the struggle, together with the people as a whole, so that the monstrous draft law which will destroy social security does not pass, so that there are no tax burdens, so that all the anti-worker anti-people laws are abolished. We are the first in the strike battles, the demonstrations and rallies, in the farmers' roadblocks, in the struggles of the self-employed, professionals and scientists, in the struggles of the students and school students, pensioners and women from the popular strata. The heart of our future beats here. This how the struggles and sacrifices for a better future will be vindicated. Here with the KKE in the furnace of the class struggles of the people, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

In the run up to the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of our party, in 2018, we swear in the memory of the hundreds of thousands of our people's heroes that we will continue along the same class-oriented line of struggle for the just cause of the salaried worker, employee and their families.

We are committed to struggling, in alliance with the farmers and self-employed, for the defense of the needs of the workers, unemployed, pensioners, refugees and immigrants.

We are committed to intensifying our initiatives to coordinate the communist line of struggle at a European and international level, in the struggle against exploitation, oppression and wars.

We are committed, with our Marxist education, historical understanding of the class struggle and the experience from the struggles as our weapons, to free the historical truth from the obfuscation created by capital to serve its class interests. We fight against the defeatist fake left adaption to the system as well.

HONOUR AND GLORY TO THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE DEMOCRATIC ARMY OF GREECE.

HONOUR AND GLORY TO THE PARTISANS OF THE DSE WHO FELL HEROICALLY IN THE BATTLE OF FLORINA IN 1949.

HONOUR AND GLORY TO THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF GREECE.

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/We-h...anic-struggle/

The position of KKE needs no further explanation.

Protests at the Ministry of Defense against NATO's involvement in the Aegean

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/eedye-diamartyria-4.jpg_2126691551.jpg

The mass mobilization that took place in the afternoon of Thursday 25th of February at the Ministry of Defense against NATO's involvement in the Aegean ended with the symbolic blockade of the Ministry's gate and with the slogan "EU and NATO are the syndicate of war, close the bases of death now."

The mass protest was organized by the Greek Committee for International Detente and Peace (EEDYE), while PAME, OGE, EEDDA (Greek Committee for International Democratic Solidarity), OBSA (Athens Federation of Craftsmen)and MAS, issued a call for people to participate. A plethora of organizations of the people's movement, workers, youth and women responded to the call.

A delegation of the CC of the KKE also attended the mobilization, headed by the members of the PB, Giorgos Marinos and Louiza Razou.

A similar mobilization against NATO's involvement in the Aegean was the All-Crete protest at the NATO firing range on the island.

The speaker at the rally was the president of EEDYE and MP of the KKE, Stavros Tassos, who stressed that the "SYRIZA-ANEL government plays the leading role in implementing the very dangerous political line that serves the interests of the monopolies and assimilates our country even more deeply into the war plans of NATO and the EU."

The demonstrators demanded:

•NATO out of the Aegean
•No participation of Greece in the imperialist interventions
•The euro-atlantic military bases in Greece must be closed now."

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Protests-at-the-Ministry-of-Defense-against-NATOs-involvement-in-the-Aegean/

Slide show at link.

Farmers: The struggle continues with other forms

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/killeler-34.jpg_2126691551.jpg

A mass rally to commemorate the uprising of the tenant farmers (1910) in Kileler, Sunday 28/2/2016, saw the completion of one phase of the struggle of the small and medium farmers. As their representatives noted, after almost 40 days of roadblocks on all the country's highways, and the experience drawn from these roadblocks, they will continue the struggle with other forms.

Representatives from the various farmers' roadblocks from all over the country spoke at the rally. The central speaker was Vangelis Boutas, member of the Nationwide Committee of Roadblocks and president of the Unified Federation of Farmers' Associations of Karditsa.

V. Boutas noted that farmers were doing what they can to keep their land that this is reflected in their line of struggle. They fight against the monopolies and the multinationals that sell them the machinery and other resources at very high prices, against the banks that drink their blood, against the big retailers that take their crops at unbelievably low prices.

And he also stated that "the EU and the IMF and the governments want to collect money not from the rich, but from us, the poor farmers and workers," V. Boutas stressed that "in this struggle we waged, we came to understand once again that alone we cannot succeed. For this reason, we must strengthen our joint struggle together with the workers and other popular strata."He underscored that the demands they tabled in their meeting with the government had to do with the very survival of the small and medium farmers. For the first time, the government accepted the need for there to exist a tax-exempt level for the farmers' income and other tax credits. Due to the struggle of the farmers and workers, the social-security bill's tabling in parliament has already been delayed by two months. As was stressed by V.Boutas, "We will be ready at any moment to react when the government brings it to be voted on in parliament."Of course, we will wait to see what the final legislation looks like in order to ascertain if the commitments have been honoured. We will be ready for battle. And from tomorrow we will be preparing to return to Athens, if necessary."


http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Farmers-The-struggle-continues-with-other-forms/

Slide show at link.

We Condemn The Prosecutions Against The Metal Workers Union!
on 29 February 2016. Posted in Press Releases
The capitalists and their state criminalize the trade union action, the struggle of the Metal Workers Union of Athens!

Metal workers are being systematically dragged to trials with false charges, especially the last two years.

We are dealing with an “industry” of persecutions against the trade unionist workers, which was set up by the employers’ mechanisms in the Industrial Zone of Schisto (a few kilometers outside Athens) in order to intimidate the Union and generally every worker who is trying to stand up against them and struggle for his rights. Almost every member of the Union’s leadership are being accused while it’s the contractors who stand up against them, as prosecutors. Needless to say that many of the contractors are having close relations with the Nazi Criminal organization of Golden Dawn.

In some cases, Greek Justice brings back some cold cases which were on the verge of the lapse. In other trials, the prosecuted trade unionists are being convicted despite the opposite position of the prosecutor. In the same time, there are also completely unjustified convictions, which constitute a real provocation for the working class.

The criminal prosecutions are not accidental. Neither the way, nor the time of the prosecutions is random. The hundreds of law suits come as a result of the furious employers’ reaction who made their best in order to prevent the union’s presence in the Industrial Zone. The employers’ intimidations were escalated in 2007 during a strike which endured for 2,5 months and demanded a collective labor agreement as well as the expansion of workers’ conquests (7 hours- 5 days – 35 hours) on all the Industrial Zone.

This issue has not only to do with the Metal Workers Union - which is threatened by the employers with financial extermination because of the large trial costs- but also with every Trade Union, the whole people.

The employers, along with their allies, are trying to impose medieval working conditions through the criminalization of the union action and transform the whole region into a Special Economic Zone.

We appeal on all trade unions, on every workers’ and people’s organization to prevent these plans. We appeal on every one to condemn the criminalization of workers’ struggles, to enforce their support and solidarity to the prosecuted trade unionists metal workers!

Athens, February 29, 2016

http://pamehellas.gr/index.php/en/homepage/92-press-releases/6175-we-condemn-the-prosecutions-against-the-metal-workers-union

The positions of the KKE on the refugee-immigrant question

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The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, during the meeting of the political leaders called by the President of the Republic on the refugee question last Friday (4/3/2016) submitted a paper with the full and elaborated positions of the party on the specific issue.


“1.The KKE, from the very first moment of the sharpening of the refugee-immigration issue, attempted to explain its causes to the Greek people, which are the wars and interventions unleashed by the USA, NATO and the EU in the wider region of the Middle East, the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, in the framework of their competition with other forces, like Russia.

2. Needless to say the people who are victims of wars, interventions and reactionary regimes have the right to seek a safer life in other countries, despite the fact that a permanent solution to the problem can be found if the people of each country organize and struggle to overthrow the system that creates wars, poverty and refugees.


3. The situation has been exacerbated in the recent period, due to the confrontation between Russia and Turkey, the development of Turkey's military activity in Northern Syria, as well as the direct involvement of NATO in the Aegean Sea, which was decided at the recent summit of NATO defense ministers, after the request of the Greek government as well. This involvement is using the refugee issue as a pretext, but in essence is related to the antagonisms and escalation of the war in Syria, while it prepares new possible interventions in other countries in the region. This development will sharpen the problem of the refugee flows. At the same time, this development has encouraged aggressiveness and provocativeness on the part of Turkey, as was apparent from its actions in recent days, which dispute Greece's sovereign rights in the Aegean Sea, utilizing the well-known position of NATO that the Aegean is a single operational area, a fact that opens up the issue of abolishing Greece's sea borders.

4. The Greek government must immediately withdraw its agreement to the involvement of a NATO naval force in the Aegean. It must provide no assistance, no infrastructures or bases; it must not allow the use of its land and maritime territories and airspace for the preparation or carrying out of imperialist interventions and wars. In addition, it must withdraw its support for the EU decisions, which together with the Schengen Agreement and the Dublin Regulations, condemn thousands of refugees to being trapped in Greece against their will.


5. The KKE, from the very first moment when the tendency for the exacerbation of the refugee-immigration issue became clear, denounced the political line of the EU on the refugee-immigration question as being the main cause for the entrapment of refugees and immigrants in various countries that are gateways to the EU, including Greece. The decision of the Summit of 23rd of September 2015 created the conditions for us to arrive at today’s suffocating situation of entrapment. This decision, which was saluted by the Greek government as a success, determines the relocation of a small number of refugees, who the capitalist economies of European countries want to absorb, to EU countries, while the vast majority will face repression, refoulement and entrapment in countries like Greece. The Summit of the 18th of December 2015 "tightened the noose even further" around the refugees and immigrants, with decisions for the strict observance of Schengen, the creation of a European Border and Coast Guard etc. In parallel, it violates the Geneva Convention and does not recognize people coming from countries like Afghanistan as being refugees, despite the fact that they are war zones and under imperialist occupation.

6. The recent decision of the EU Summit on the 19th of February reproduces the same impasses, such as closed borders, fences, forces of repression and teargas, the ceiling and quotas even for refugees. The ground is being prepared for even more permanent and painful solutions. Certain sections from the decision of this summit are characteristic:"the continued and sustained irregular migrant flows along the Western Balkans route remain a grave concern that requires further concerted action and an end to the wave‑through approach and to uncoordinated measures along the route,.. Asylum seekers do not have the right to choose the Member State in which they seek asylum;"These decisions give the "green light" for bans and entrapment and embolden states, like Austria and others, which unacceptably close the borders. While Germany and Sweden reinforce border controls and restrictions as regards the granting of asylum, strengthening the human trafficking networks and fueling fascist organizations.


7. Based on the above and given that there can be no solution to or even alleviation of the problem, as long as the imperialist wars and interventions in the region continue and the specific EU and NATO decisions remain in force, the KKE proposes specific positions to relieve the problem, which however require the annulment of the decisions of the imperialist unions and alliances. The consequences can only be dealt with in this direction.
--Immediate, safe transfer of refugees-immigrants from the first reception countries like Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, as well as from the Greek islands to their final destination countries, under the responsibility of the UN and EU and with full respect for the rights that flow from their refugee status. Especially as regards the islands, this is a direct answer to those who shed tears about the economy, tourism etc.
--Withdrawal of NATO from the Aegean. NATO's involvement in the Aegean, apart from the hazards for the country's sovereign rights and for the greater entanglement of the people in the war plans of the imperialists in Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean, is dangerous, unacceptable and signals the country's deeper involvement in a more generalized imperialist war. It is in direct breach of the UN Treaties and international law concerning refugees, according to which it is illegal to impede or deter refugees from submitting asylum applications to countries that have accepted and are fully integrated into international refugee law .The refoulement of refugees is also absolutely outlawed.
--Full respect for the Geneva Convention and international law concerning refugees. Specifically:
a) The rights that flow from refugee status and asylum seekers must be recognized for all nationalities that the UN attributes a refugee profile to, which includes the Afghan refugees.
b) The repressive police measures against refugees at the borders with closing of the borders as is happening today in FYROM and other countries must stop.
c) The imposition of ceilings for asylum applications must stop now, which is being carried out according to the rationale of proportional distribution over time, on the basis of the quotas that have been decided on by the EU-a violation in practice of refugee law.
--Generous funding for infrastructure and rescue personnel, especially in the winter months, as well as for reception, medical care and registering, under the exclusive responsibility of the state, without any NGO involvement.
--The creation of decent public temporary reception centres, which will function under the responsibility of the Ministry of Immigration Policy, for as long as the procedures of first reception, medical care, registration and preparation of documents will last, which will allow the safe continuation of the journey for those who want to continue-the overwhelming majority- or the examination of asylum applications for those that choose Greece as their final destination country, which is a relatively small minority.
--Inactive military camps, unused buildings, properties and facilities etc. that belong to the public sector can be used and adapted for the purpose of providing this accommodation, with the satisfaction of the needs of the refugees and all the residents of the area being the basic criterion. The organized transport from the port of Piraeus and Victoria Sq. of thousands of refugees, putting an end to their unacceptable living conditions. Immediate measures, under the responsibility of the state, for the creation of humane conditions for the temporary stay in Idomeni of the thousands of refugees, utilizing all means and possibilities.
--The "Hot Spots", the relocation centres, the camps of refugees-immigrants are in essence sorting centres, where a very small number will be transferred in an organized way to other EU member-states and the majority will be trapped in Greece, against their will. This has been borne out after the obvious failure of the so-called EU relocation programme of refugees. The 50,000 "temporary", according to the government, places of shelter, have been proved to be places of permanent entrapment, as the KKE predicted, and of course it will not remain at this number as there is already preparation for more than 100,000 places.
--Abolition of the Dublin Regulations, Schengen, Frontex and all the repressive mechanisms of the EU. No to the new measures of the EU and mechanisms for repression and the disputation of sovereign rights at the borders, like the soon-to-be-established "European Border and Coast Guard". We are particularly worried that the refugee issue will be used to intensify repression against the peoples of Europe.
--No participation or involvement of Greece in and no provision of its armed forces to the imperialist wars and interventions, which are responsible for thousands of refugees and uprooted people amongst the other many torments they create for the peoples .All the US-NATO military bases in Greece must be closed now.
8. The KKE, with these demands outlined above, addresses itself chiefly to the Greek people, who are facing the grave consequences of the capitalist economic crisis and at the same time are expressing their full and moving solidarity with the refugees in every way. The labour and people's movement must struggle for immediate measures to relieve and support the refugees, for their transport to the destination countries, against the decisions of the EU. It must strengthen internationalist solidarity, the struggle against imperialist war and the rotten exploitative system that gives rise to it.

9. It follows that the KKE does not consent to the positions of the government in light of the Summit on the 7th of March. It is clear that the decisions of the EU will have a direction that will intensify the causes of the problem and will not deal with the negative consequences for the peoples of the EU and the refugees themselves.”

08.03.2016

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-positions-of-the-KKE-on-the-refugee-immigrant-question/

The endless hypocrisy of the new social-democracy

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The CC of SYRIZA, which met last Sunday 6/3, published on 9/3 its specific decision on the refugee issue. What does SYRIZA say in this decision? That a "mass Europe-wide anti-war movement needs to established as well as the struggle to form a road map for peace in the Middle East" is necessary to deal with this issue.

So, at the same time when the SYRIZA government is supporting the warmongering plans of the EU, when it has provided military bases in Crete and other areas in Greece to the USA, when it is actively participating in the NATO plans, i.e., in everything that lights the "fuse" of imperialist war in the powder keg of the Middle East, the leadership of the "left" party strolls about here and there smoking the "pipe" of peace.

The decision of the CC of SYRIZA also says that what is necessary is "the just and viable solution to the Palestinian problem" and that "Greece is called on to contribute in this direction, by recognizing the state of Palestine."It says all these things at a time when the SYRIZA government has elevated the Israeli state into being its privileged interlocutor and strategic partner in the region, deepening its military, economic and political cooperation with it. It says these things when it is planning to further reinforce military cooperation with Israel. The governmental party says these things about "recognizing the state of Palestine" when the leader of SYRIZA and Prime Minister, A.Tsipras, states that it is not the "right time" yet to recognize the Palestinian state, despite the relevant and unanimous decision of the Greek parliament.

And while the government celebrates that the Prime Minister went to Brussels to the recent Summit of EU leaders with a "national line" after the consent given to him by the leaders of the rightwing parties of ND and ANEL, as well as of the social-democratic parties of PASOK and Potami, the CC of SYRIZA discovers that the refugee issue demonstrates the demarcation lines between "conservativeness and progress, left and right", which "in essence do not allow national consensus"...

Hypocrisy without any boundaries...

10/3/2016

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-endless-hypocrisy-of-the-new-social-democracy/

The position of the militant class-oriented forces has been strengthened in the trade union movement

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A few days ago the 36th Congress of GSEE (General Federation of Workers of Greece), which represents the trade unions of workers in the private sector, was held.
In the elections for the new administration of GSEE, the list of DAS, which was supported by the All-workers' Militant Front (PAME) achieved the 2nd position (it was 3rd in the previous elections).And this despite the corruption and fraud that prevails in the trade union elections.
The specific election results were:
DAS (supported by PAME):83 votes (22.55%) and 10 seats.
PASKE (list of the social-democratic PASOK party):119 votes (32.33%) and 15 seats.
DAKE (list of the rightwing party of ND) :67 votes (18.2%) and 8 seats.
META (list of SYRIZA and Popular Unity):53 votes (14.4%) and 7 seats.
New Democratic Independent Initiative of Workers (split from the DAKE grouping):31 votes (8.42%) and 4 seats.
EMEIS (split from PASKE): 9 votes (2.44%) and 1 seat.
Militant Class Unity (Antarsya and others):6 votes (1.63%) and no seats.

Organization-regroupment is our path

In its statement, PAME notes that the results f the elections demonstrate "the trust, stability and dynamism of PAME's forces in the sectors and workplaces. This was also expressed at the Congress of GSEE, in conditions where once again fraud, the adulteration of the real correlation of forces, under the table deals, bribery, the complete degeneration of collective procedures were prevalent. Phenomena that are alien to the working class, far removed from the worries and concerns of the thousands of workers and unemployed."
"The difficulties are in front of us!" notes the statement which continues:"We have to face the escalation of the onslaught on the social-security and pension rights and then a new round of attacks on the labour rights, salaries, trade union rights, as regards taxation and the "red" loans etc.
The only response that can create strong obstacles and reverse the onslaught, push for the restoration of the losses of the working class and popular families and struggle for new demands on the basis of the contemporary needs of the people, is the organization in the workplaces, the sectors, the organization in the trade unions.
The organization in the trade unions, the intensification of the collective activity linked with all the values of the class struggle, the implacable struggle against capital and its political personnel, the exposure and isolation of the representatives of employer and government led trade unionism, the ceaseless conflict against the ideological constructs and "values" of these forces are preconditions for the change of the correlation of forces that exist today and are the basis for the regroupment of the labour-people's movement.
The forces of PAME will utilize the results of the 36th Congress of GSEE in this direction. They will continue in a more organized, decisive and combative way and will devote all their forces to the class struggles, will focus their fight on the workplaces and sectors."

24.03.2016

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-position-of-the-militant-class-oriented-forces-has-been-strengthened-in-the-trade-union-movement/

CP of Greece, Symbolic occupation of the Finance Ministry
Tuesday, 29 March 2016 15:20 Communist Party of Greece E-mail Print PDF

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The forces of PAME from trade unions had from early in the morning on Tuesday 29 of March carried out a symbolic occupation of the Finance Ministry in Syntagma sq., protesting against the new anti-worker measures as regards the social-security system, taxation and house repossessions.

PAME calls on all the workers to take part in the demonstrations today in Thessalonica and on Thursday in Athens, demanding in a mass way that the draft law should not be brought before parliament. And at the same time they are preparing their response with their participation in a 48 hour general strike if the government dares to bring the measures to parliament.

In the area around the ministry PAME"s trade unionists handed out leaflets to passersby and shopkeepers which called for mass participation in the demonstrations on Thursday 31 March, while the larger banner, which had slogans calling for participation in the 48 hour general strike, that had been draped over the facade of the building, attracted the attention of many people in Syntagma sq. The forces of PAME also shouted slogans such as:"Hands of social-security, it is not something to be bargained over and destroyed."

In his speech, Alekos Arvanitidis, member of the Executive Secretariat of PAME, denounced the political line of the EU and capital which as he said is the source of all the anti-people reversals regarding the social-security system, taxation, labour rights etc, while afterwards an EU flag was burnt by the demonstrators.

http://www.solidnet.org/greece-communist-party-of-greece/cp-of-greece-symbolic-occupation-of-the-finance-ministry-en-ru-ar-sq

The political line that supports capital and intensifies the anti-people onslaught is the "great scandal"

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On the 29th of March 2016, a pre daily discussion agenda was held in the plenum of the parliament about "the developments in the field of justice", which are connected to a "convenient" controversy between the bourgeois political forces, which accuse each other of corruption and relations with specific interests. This controversy-between the SYRIZA-ANEL government and the other bourgeois parties- is convenient for these parties because it does not touch on the causes of these phenomena. This controversy also seeks to conceal the real causes of the workers'-people's problems, to hide the convergence of these parties as regards the service they provide for capital's strategy, the implementation of which deepens the bankruptcy of the people.
The Prime Minister and leader of "leftwing" Syriza, A. Tsipras and the leader of the rightwing ND party, K. Mitsotakis, with their speeches crossed swords and provided various pieces of "evidence", seeking to demonstrate that the only "responsible" ones for the torments of the people are some "corrupt" politicians and businessmen. Of course, they accused each other of having relationships with certain "corrupt" figures and in this way exonerated the system as a whole, the system that they both serve. The rest of the political leaders of the bourgeois parties contributed to this political theatre with their speeches.
In contrast, the GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, stressed that the basic lesson that the people should draw from yesterday's discussion is that any political force that does not dispute the dominance of capital in the economy objectively supports the framework in which the phenomena of corruption and relations between businessmen and politicians acquire enormous proportions and in fact becomes a part of this process.
He stressed that in the name of combating corruption, under the table dealings, they are attempting to restructure the state sector in order to facilitate the activity of the capitalists, the big businessmen and the redivision of the market shares between old and new business interests.
The people are faced, as D.Koutsoumpas stressed, with greater "scandals" and injustices, which are coming again in the form of a storm, as a continuation of the previous anti-people measures, and are focused on the social-security system, taxation, the "red" loans, i.e a raft of measures that will sound the death knell for the workers'-people's rights.

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-political-line-that-supports-capital-and-intensifies-the-anti-people-onslaught-is-the-great-scandal/

The SYRIZA-ANEL government ratified the wretched bargain of the EU with the ruling class of Turkey

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On the 1st of April 2016, the draft law related to the ratification of the European Union’s agreement with Turkey on the issue of refugees and immigrants was discussed and passed in the Greek parliament. All the reactionary EU decisions from September 2015 to its most recent Summit that have been co-signed to by the SYRIZA-ANEL government were integrated into Greek legislation in this way.
The European bourgeois states adjust- in a more reactionary direction- their legislation on asylum and regarding those who are entitled to international protection in line with these decisions. This is in complete contradiction to International Law regarding refugees, despite the hypocritical references to and invocations of the Geneva Convention.
The reality is that due to the decisions of the European Union, which are expressed in the specific draft law, the rights of the refugees are being trampled on, their entrapment in Greece is becoming more intense, after the closing of the borders in the north of the country. Now, over 50,000 refugees, according to official statistics, have been trapped in Greece and are attempting to survive in wretched conditions.
Yesterday the All-workers’ Militant Front (PAME) organized a rally at Propylaia in the centre of Athens and a march to Syntagma sq. in front of Parliament, at the time when the government’s draft law on refugees and immigrants was being discussed and voted on. Trade unions and organizations of the people’s movement denounced the political line of the government and EU, the imperialist organizations, their antagonisms and bargains. It is these imperialist organizations that have waged war on and uprooted thousands of people from their homelands and driven them into becoming refugees.

The MPs of the KKE, speaking in Parliament, highlighted the dangerous and reactionary character of the government’s draft law. The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, noted in his speech that the draft law is based on the decisions of the EU Summit and ratifies the wretched bargain of the EU with ruling class of Turkey. It does not solve the problem of those trapped in Greece.
It is very clear that the inhumanity will continue with the seal of approval of the SYRIZA-ANEL government. The workers and popular strata must continue to express their solidarity with these people who are trapped in the country, in light of this volatile situation. As D. Koutsoumpas stressed in his speech: “The labour and people’s movement must demand immediate relief measures to support the refugees, measures to transport them to their destination countries, in opposition to the unacceptable decisions of the EU. They must isolate the racist, fascist voices and strengthen the people’s struggle and solidarity against imperialist war and the rotten system of exploitation that causes it.”


http://youtu.be/NHsxRbjyjpg

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-SYRIZA-ANEL-government-ratified-the-wretched-bargain-of-the-EU-with-the-ruling-class-of-Turkey/

Strike of the workers in the Public Sector (7/4/2016)

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The workers in the public sector carried out a nationwide strike against the draft law which the SYRIZA-ANEL government is preparing to table regarding the social-security system, as well as against the other anti-worker measures that the government is discussing with the representatives of the imperialist institutions.

The forces of the All-workers' Militant Front (PAME) organized rallies and interventions in dozens of Greek cities with the participation of teachers, local government workers, health workers, employees in the state administration and social security funds, as well as student unions and the journalists rallied in PAME"s print and press section, in the framework of the 24hr strike that had been called by their union in the mass media.

The focus of the speeches was the denunciation of the measures that are being prepared, as well as the determination of the class-oriented forces in the public and private sector to escalate the struggle and carry out a successful 2-day general strike.

In Athens, the forces of PAME marched to the Parliament building.

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Strike-of-the-workers-in-the-Public-Sector-7-4-2016/

March Against Unemployment, from Patras to Athens: The beginning of new peoples' struggles

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With a massive demonstration in front of the Greek Parliament, in Syntagma Square, labour unions, working class associations, youth and women organisations welcomed the participants in the Great March Against Unemployment. After 7 days and covering a distance of 220 km, the march which began from the city of Patras arrived in Athens on Sunday afternoon. The KKE-backed mayor of Patras, Kostas Peletidis, whose initiative was the March against unemployment, was the major speaker in the rally.

Addressing the demonstrators, Kostas Peletidis, a doctor by profession, said in his speech among other things: "The slogan 'Patra-Athens is the beginning- People go forward on the first line" compacts our orientation for the future. No compromise, it's about time for those who make peoples' life a "living hell" to feel peoples movement's breath on their necks. Organisation and struggle everywhere, (to) confront the anti-people policy of the EU, of the bourgeois governments, of the monopolies. They are bodies of decline and regression. Their domination blocks social progress".

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Patras' mayor Kostas Peletidis greeted with
enthusiasm in an Athens neighborhood.

The rally was also attended by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece Dimitris Koutsoumbas. In his statement to the journalists, KKE's Secretary said the following: "This gathering here in Syntagma isn't the end of the Great march which started in Patras. It is the beginning of new, large, powerful struggles from now on, against unemployment, for permanent and stable work for everyone, for labour with equal rights, for the protection of the unemployed people, for a total overthrow of the anti-people policy".

A delegation of the Patras City Council, under the leadership of mayor Peletidis, alongside the GS of KKE Dimitris Koutsoumbas and KKE MP Thanasis Pafilis met with the Parliament's Vice-President Tasia Christodoulopoulou. The delegation handed over a Council's resolution regarding unemployment.

http://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/04/march-against-unemployment-from-patras.html

άτακτη ‏@redrevenance 6h6 hours ago
Secretary General of the Greek Communist Party (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoubas proves he is everybody's favorite uncle:


http://youtu.be/64JxsGiQLiY

A gyro & a bottle of ouzo(shudder) sez Tsipras can't do that.

Greece's 'Black Anniversary': Announcement of KKE for the Military Coup of 21 April 1967

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21 April 1967: Tanks parade in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens.

The 21st of April is a black anniversary for Greece. It was April 21, 1967 when a group of far-right army officers led by Brigadier General Pattakos and Colonels Papadopoulos and Makarezos seized power after a coup d'etat. In the early morning of that day, tanks were already marching in central streets of Athens while small mobile units of the army were arresting politicians, government officials and prominent figures who were regarded as left-wing sympathies. The military dictatorship (Junta) lasted seven years, from 1967 to 1974.

KKE: Announcement for the military coup of April 21st.
Source: 902.gr / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

Today, 49 years after the military coup of April 21st 1967 we get taught, we honor the fighters, the victims of Junta. We honor the members and staff of KKE and KNE, all those who stood unbending in detention centers, in the EAT-ESA torture rooms, in prison and exile.

The military dictatorshop was supported by parts of the plutocracy, by centers of our country's bourgeoisie, by the USA, which is a proof that the bourgeoisie and its state can even support military and political coups in order to serve their interests, (to serve) the needs of the exploitative system.

Today, while Junta's nostalgics try to stand up, (while) the Nazi-criminal Golden Dawn pours its fascist, racist poison, the historic conclusions from Junta's imposition are of great importance, because they prove that the reactionary, fascist forces are born and feed from the capitalist system itself. That's why the confrontation of fascism and the defense of working-people's rights and conquests passes through the struggle for the overthrow of the system which generates poverty, exploitation and oppression.

The 1967 Colonels' Coup was imposed not only because it was the choice of the bourgeoisie to promote, through the overthrow of bourgeois democracy and legality, the anti-people plans, in order to overcome her own difficulties, but also because the people were unable to organise their struggle and prepare against her.

The KKE which, during the Dictatorship, in the midst of illegality and persecutions, reorganised its Party organisations. grew stronger, founded its Youth wing (KNE) and anti-dictatorship organisations, with its activities and the unwavering attitude of its members and staff, managed to inspire People's struggle against the Junta thus contributed decisively to the defeat of opportunism's views which wanted the compromise with Junta and its (political) disguises.

The strengthening and readiness of peoples movement, with the endurance and strengthening of KKE, is a crucial factor for the people who must be able to put their stamp on developments, for the redeployment of the working-peoples movement which must pass totally to counter-attack against the Capital and its authority, for a society without exploitation, poverty and wars.

Especially today- when, for the sake of profitability's shielding and Capital's recovery, the anti-people measures' "barrel" has no bottom- the KKE calls the working class, the unemployed, the self-employed, the poor farmers, the youth and women of popular families, to participate in the organisation of the struggle, for the invigoration of peoples alliance towards a direction of rupture and overthrow.

Αναρτήθηκε από In Defense of Communism

http://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/04/greeces-black-anniversary-announcement.html

A gyro & a bottle of ouzo(shudder) sez Tsipras can't do that.

Hey, I like ouzo (if it is the good kind). It's like cilantro, some like it, some don't. Tsipras is just a place-holder, now (maybe always was). Who's next?

Hey, I like ouzo (if it is the good kind). It's like cilantro, some like it, some don't. Tsipras is just a place-holder, now (maybe always was). Who's next?

Forty years later and remembrance of an ouzo binge still gives me the cold sweats.

Who ever it is they won't dance like that.

The good (EU), the bad (IMF) and the SYRIZA-ANEL government
By Dimitris Koutsoumpas, General Secretary of the CC of the KKE
Published in Ethnos newspaper

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/dhmhtrhs_koytsoympas_25.jpg_2126691551.jpg

The discussions of the IMF's executives, which were published on the "Wikileaks" site, highlighted the sharp contradictions between the IMF, sections of US Capital on the one hand and the EU, particularly parts of the German Capital on the other, which (contradictions) are manifested as regards the Greek program and the difficulties related to the completion of the current evaluation.

Because it is naive for someone to think that the publication of these discussions, at this time, but also what followed, such as the Merkel-Lagarde meeting, have to do only with the process of the Greek government's negotiation and the attitude of technocrats like Thomsen and Velculescu.

The causes are much deeper and are related to the debt management as a whole and not only of Greece, as well as the course of the eurozone itself.
For example, the US and, by extension, the IMF, propound the completion of the evaluation as a prerequisite for a "haircut" of the Greek debt, which will be mainly shouldered by Germany.

Germany reacts to this prospect and raises the completion of the evaluation as a measure of pressure for the acceleration of the reforms, even by keeping open the possibility of the country's exit from the eurozone.

Therefore, the exposure of this confrontation through media publications is neither random nor unprecedented. We remind ourselves of the US-German conflict in the wake of the revelations by NSA agent Snowden, regarding the tapping of European officials by US agencies with the involvement of "Wikileaks".


Besides, lately, more generalized than ever, there are many conflicting scenarios about the future of the EU, always combined with the future of the eurozone, with Britain, France and Germany as the key actors in this conflict.

All these (happen) in the background of concerns regarding global economy, because in 2015 the global capitalist growth decelerated, while 2016 began with dangerous messages. The threat of new synchronized downturn in global capitalist economy throws even more "fuel to the fire" in the antagonisms between large business groups and the respective states and international alliances, which act like gangs of robbers. Their alliances, first and foremost, turn against the people, while they (alliances) are maintained for as long - and as many as fields - there is consistency of their interests.

Regarding the government, it is obvious that it leverages the discussions of the IMF's personnel in order to repeat the known and tested blackmail that "it can get even worse" - for the acceleration of the evaluation and the new package of measures, in order to prettify the memorandum signed with the EU. What is interesting is that, while the SYRIZA-ANEL government had during all the previous period invested in the role of the IMF and US, now it appears to be closer to the positions of EU and Germany. Of course, this "good-evil" role-play cannot hide the fact that both the IMF and the EU have as a common goal the implementation of anti-people measures and the strengthening of their monopoly groups' profitability, at the expense of the Greek people.

The SYRIZA-ANEL government, which was elected having as a slogan the cancellation of the memorandums, comes today, 15 months later, to the point of not only implementing the previous policies of New Democracy and PASOK but signing one more, as well as making it's "banner" the literal application of the memorandum as an "act of defiance" towards the IMF's demands!

In this way, it tries to overcome the existing difficulties in completing the evaluation- difficulties which also relate to the different opinions within the Quartet- but also to overcome people's mobilization against and opposition to the new measures, the taxation, social security plans etc. The bourgeois policy-maker personnel, both in Greece and abroad, prefer the "completion" of the "evaluation" by the SYRIZA-ANEL government, but they are also preparing for other possible political eventualities. While (at the same time) the other opposition parties and especially New Democracy raise the issue of governmental change, either through elections or based on the present parliament.

All these must be in the knowledge of Greek people who must not passively look at the developments, must not getting trapped between "Scylla and Charybdis", must not carried away by the government’s and other parties’ media games - but, more significantly, in order to be in a position, the people themselves, the workers, the movement to put their stamp on the developments, driven by their own interests and not by the misleading "national aim" of recovery, which is anyway uncertain, but most importantly because (this aim) will be based on the ruins of peoples' rights.

Above all, the people must be in a position to organise and direct their fight in asserting their rights, in building a new large People's Alliance, which will target the same rotten system and the monopoly groups.


Especially people who acknowledge KKE's militancy, stability and consistency in the struggle for peoples' interests, are already reflecting deeply. They can, they must make the step today and support actively the KKE's political proposal for the exit from the crisis, for a new type of social organisation, which will abolish the barbaric relations of exploitation, will organise and direct the production, the economy, the social services, the relations with other countries towards the benefit of peoples' prosperity, the real peoples' needs and the safeguard of permanent and stable work for all.

The more this proposal gains ground, the more we will be in a position to delay and impede the anti-people measures, to demand the improvement of our life, to achieve things. There is enough experience. But the people have not yet realised and reclaimed their true power. This is the power that they, must and can, test now. The government must not be deluded that if it brings the proposed law to parliament during the Easter holidays- along with the crucifixion and the epitaph- the people won't be in the streets.

Published in Ethnos newspaper 10/4/2016

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-good-EU-the-bad-IMF-and-the-SYRIZA-ANEL-government/

Don't let that dancing fool ya, remember the Spartans...

The 1936 “Bloody May” in Greece
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oT8P_DQSf64/VyZtuon4hbI/AAAAAAAAAss/VGDRlK5XILUIzkX45xD5yDSr6OGiVftcACLcB/s640/Salonika%2BMay%2B1936%2B1-1.jpg
Left: Mother mourns her murdered son; Right: Workers rally in Thessaloniki.

The 1936 “Bloody May” in Greece.
By Nikos Mottas.

May 1936: A milestone in the history of the Greek working movement. The country was in the midst of unprecedented moments of militant upheaval. Large-scale strikes, began on April, gradually took the characteristics of peoples' revolt which had to face the barbarity of the fascist Metaxas government.

The center of the demonstrations was Thessaloniki where, since March, strikes in various sectors had been erupted due to the miserable conditions of labor. On April 29, the tobacco workers declared an indefinite strike demanding, among other things, better wages. Their mobilizations created a wave of solidarity and revolt across Greece. Until the Workers' Day of 1936, the strikes had been spread in other cities, from Serres to Volos and from Karditsa to Athens. By May 7th, the strike had already spread in all over the country, with the participation of thousands of workers. The government of Premier Metaxas- a government of violence and terrorism- had one major aim: the dissolution of the strikes with any means.

On May 8th, equestrian policemen attacked a workers' demonstration, opening fire against the masses. For the next day (May 9th), the General Confederation of Greek Workers declares a 24-hour strike. The government, in an attempt to break the strike, conscripted men from various sectors (railways, electricians etc) but without result: the workers ignored the government's terrorist efforts and create an unprecedent, huge strike-rally in Thessaloniki. The rally was converting into a mass uprising against the fascist political establishment, while the government had already transformed the city into a military camp with hundreds soldiers and policemen in almost every corner and building.

The clash was unavoidable. The fascist government unleashed an armed murderous attack against the workers' rally. The first dead worker was Tasos Tousis, in the crossroad of Syggrou and Ptolemeon streets, in front of “Metropolis” hotel. His comrades placed his lifeless body on a door they had ripped from a nearby building. His mother found him on that point- the shocking photo of her son's mourning was published the other day on “Rizospastis”. This tragic photo would later become the inspiration for communist poet Yannis Ritsos to write his epic and best known poem “Epitafios”.

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UuVm3LknKkI/VyZujGxeNyI/AAAAAAAAAs0/g8_gv6REO-I5uUrkqhAPPNBKupW_5DBKQCLcB/s320/Salonika%2BMay%2B1936%2B1.jpg

However, the deadly attacks by the army and police couldn't stop the demonstration, while a huge number of people- even soldiers who denied to shoot- joined the workers. The slogan “down with fascism” spreads in the city. The working class mourned 9 deaths (12 according to other sources) while hundreds were the wounded workers.


On the next day, the funerals of the workers, attended by more than 200,000 people, turned into new mass demonstrations against the bloodthirsty Metaxas government. What followed was an orgy of violence and arrests from the side of the government while armed forces, disembarked at Thessaloniki's port, tried to enforce law and order in the city. On May 13th another nationwide strike took place condemning the murderous attack of the state authorities. Under the public pressure and an outburst of complaints by labor unions and opposition parties, the Metaxas government hypocritically declared that the workers' demands would be pleased- something that never happened. The Greek bourgeoisie (powerful industrialists like Bodosakis, Hadjikyriakos, Kanellopoulos etc), the Royal family and their imperialist collaborators had different plans.

What followed is known as “Metaxas Regime”. On August 4th 1936, the state authority of the fascist Prime Minister carried out a Coup, dissolving the bourgeois parliament and establishing an authoritarian dictatorship which ruled Greece until 1941. Thousands of communists (among them the General Secretary of KKE Nikos Zachariadis) were persecuted and imprisoned.

From bourgeois parliamentary democracy to the 4th of August.

“Metaxas is the most sophisticated fascist with a clearly hitlerite, fascist program”
Rizospastis, 6 March 1936.

May 1936 was a brilliant militant moment in the history of the Greek workers movement which the then fascist government “drowned in blood”. It could possibly mark the beginning of the end of Metaxas' authority, if the bourgeois parties had responded positively to KKE's call for a united struggle against the ambitious dictator. The CC of the Communist Party of Greece was pointing out in a statement: “Metaxas the murderer, the representative of the most terrorizing, plutocratic circles, of the King and fascist militarism, accelerates his effort in order to establish a monarcho-fascist dictatorship in Greece” (“KKE-Official Documents”, Vol.4).

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fi_MLPsomUg/VyZu6NEGqDI/AAAAAAAAAs4/KQzONp4hikstw8i-356NJaDgY62PbkTnwCLcB/s400/Metaxas%2Bfascist.jpg
Dictator Ioannis Metaxas and the Nazi salute.

The Communist Party had multiple times pointed the danger of the rise of a possible monarcho-fascist dictatorial regime. On March 28, 1936, a few weeks after the murder of medicine student A.Sotiriadis by the Police, a KKE manifesto was stressing out: “Working People! In front of your eyes, under the auspices of the Monarchy, the most anti-people, dishonest, criminal conspiracy is being unveiling. The leader of this conspiracy is Metaxas. His collaborators and accomplices are all the plutocratic parties, from the anti-Venizelos ones which bidding in anti-people governmental measures and plans to the pro-Venizelos parties which support the government and it's antipeople policy” (Makis Mailis, “From the 4th of August until today”). On the same time, despite the press reports which were exposing the danger of a dictatorship, the centrist leader of the Liberals Party Themistoklis Sofoulis was stating: “Mr.Prime Minister (Metaxas) does not consider such a thing. On that issue, I am convinced that the people must remain calm and shall not believe such intentional rumors”.

The bourgeois political powers turned their backs to KKE and Metaxas- who came to power with their support- showed his real face. A face which was- as Brecht wrote- “the most naked, braze, oppressive and deceitful Capitalism”; the face of Fascism. The Metaxas regime, which today is celebrated by the criminal, Neo-nazi party of Golden Dawn, was born from the womb of bourgeois power, of the exploitative system, of the dictatorship of the Capital.

http://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/05/the-1936-bloody-may-in-greece.html

CP of Greece, One starts the fire, the other fans it On the stance of the so-called "European Left" concerning the refugee question [En, Ru, Ar]
Thursday, 05 May 2016 14:21 Communist Party of Greece E-mail Print PDF
One starts the fire, the other fans it

On the stance of the so-called "European Left" concerning the refugee question [En, Ru, Ar]



Ms Gabi Zimmer recently spoke in our country on the topic "A left-wing refugee policy for the European Union." Gabi Zimmer is the president of the "left" group in the EU Parliament (GUE/NGL) and an MEP of the German "Die Linke" party which together with SYRIZA is the flagship of the so-called Party of the European Left (PEL).

In her speech, she made the basic observation that "the 21st century will be the century of the refugees", while she also noted that "91 percent of the migrants arriving in Greece are war refugees from countries like Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan", she estimated that "Due to civil wars and climate catastrophes many more people will be forced to leave their homes worldwide."

Really, is this the explanation for the refugee problem? Civil wars and climate change? The President of the GUE/NGL's position is very convenient and useful for imperialism...And in Ms Zimmer's speech of over 1,000 words you will not find the words USA and NATO, nor will you read about the stance of the EU and the aforementioned powers in their competition with other capitalist powers, like Russia, over oil, natural gas, pipelines and other transport routes, over the market shares. No reference to the monopolies, the nature of the capitalist system, which gives rise to crises and lights the fire of imperialist war. This "left" seems to be very ready to fan the flames caused by this fire.

For this reason, no one will find a word in Ms Zimmer's speech about the need to overthrow this barbarity, which apart from anything else forces millions of people to abandon the paces they were born and raised, sometimes due to war or the capitalist crisis (poverty, unemployment, destitution) or the other torments caused by the capitalist system. It is no secret that parties of GUE/NGL in the previous period supported the imperialist interventions of NATO and the EU in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic etc. In other words, they added fuel to the fire of the imperialist interventions and wars.

Such a "left", which is represented by Ms Zimmer, conceals the basic dilemma of our era ("Socialism or Barbarism") posed by her fellow German, Rosa Luxembourg, and consequently is a very convenient and useful tool for capital.



In whose service?

The President of GUE/NGL considers this barbarity to be a given and states that she is ready, like all the other bourgeois parties, to manage it. And on the basis of her speech, her management coincides with the exhortations of the German industrialists, who demanded that Merkel "open the borders" to the refugees and immigrants. That is to say, she demands that the mass influx of refugees and immigrants on an annual basis be utilized by the capitalists to rejuvenate the economically active population and to find a new cheap labour force, as has been the case in the USA for many decades and in Russia for the last 20 years. We should not overlook the fact that the average age in Germany is 45.6 years old, and that it is the oldest population group in Europe.

We know that capital sometimes uses nationalism and supports in many ways a variety of racist and even fascist forces in order to divide the workers in the basis of national background, religion, language etc. in order to strengthen the exploitative system and its powers, by putting into practice the tactic of "divide and rule."At other times it resorts to cosmopolitanism with the aim of serving the same plans of the bourgeoisie and to increase its profitability. If in the first scenario it uses fascist forces, like Golden Dawn, and the so-called "eurosceptics", in the second instance the forces of the so-called "European Left", the opportunist formation of the ELP that is now the little brother of European social-democracy, are eager to be utilized.



The Europe of capital is not the only way

However, in her speech Ms Zimmer, apart from her eagerness to support the interests of European capital to renew its labour force, seeks to identify the struggle of the peoples against the EU of capital with the nationalist forces of the far right. Her goal in this instance is the same as that of European capital: So that the EU one-way street is not disputed. This union, like the every other inter-state capitalist union, has been constructed in line with the interests of the plutocracy and is directed against the rights of the workers and peoples.

So, for example, with this rationale Ms Zimmer "gifts" all the working class and popular forces to the far right (which is against the EU from the standpoint of serving the interests of a section of capital) and attacks the communists, who in many countries are struggling politically against the EU of capital. Such a position is no surprise, as it is well-known that the ELP and the forces rallied there strongly support the capitalist EU and declare their willingness to contribute to its "improvement". However, as was stressed in the Founding Declaration of the European Communist Initiative (ECI) which was formed two years ago by many communist and workers parties in Europe, the EU is the choice of capital."It promotes measures in favour of the monopolies, the concentration and centralization of capital; it is strengthening its characteristics as an imperialist economic, political and military bloc opposed to the interests of the working class, the popular strata; it intensifies armaments, authoritarianism, state repression, limiting sovereign rights."In opposition to the ELP, the parties of the ECI assess that "the European Union is the European imperialist centre, supports the aggressive plans against the peoples, and is aligned with the USA and NATO. It has militarism as a structural element."At the same time they stress that "there is another development path for the peoples. The perspective of another Europe, the prosperity of the peoples, social progress, democratic rights, equal cooperation, peace, and socialism are highlighted through the workers' struggles. We believe in the right of every people to choose its own sovereign path of development, including the right to disengage from the multi-level dependencies on the EU and NATO, as well as the right to choose socialism."


Anticommunism is the "icing on the cake" of the European Left.

Ms Zimmer in her attempt to argue in favour of "open borders" resorted to anti-communism, noting the following:"Walls, fences and closed borders will never solve the problem. I can tell this from my own biography in the former GDR. Instead, it will worsen the humanitarian crisis. "

This is a well-established tactic of the forces of the so-called "European Left", i.e. resorting to anticommunism and functioning as "employees" of the EU, which has for a long time now been organizing a similar ideological-political offensive against communists and the socialism that we knew in the 20th century. In any case, Ms Zimmer, wherever she finds herself, seeks to promote the unhistorical equation of fascism with communism, indeed characterizing the socialism that was constructed as "dark chapter in history". She also actively participated in the recent past in the EU's campaign to undermine Cuba. What talk can there be however about a "humanitarian crisis" in the German Democratic Republic?

Much ink has been spilled, much money spent and many means utilized to slander the socialism that existed in the GDR. However, whatever they say cannot change the reality: The overthrow of socialism, the fall of the Berlin Wall is what led to the tearing down of unprecedented gains and rights to healthcare, education, social security, culture etc of the workers in the GDR. At the same time, this development created new class barriers, dividing society into antagonistic classes and giving the reins of power to the few, because in Germany, in the so-called economic "steam engine" of Europe, not everyone is in the same carriage. The vast majority are "shoveling coal" to keep the engine running and the very few are enjoying all the privileges.


For what kind of 21st century are we struggling?

If the representative of the "European Left" stated in her speech that the "21st century will be the century of refugees", the KKE, as is well-known, on its part states that it is struggling so that the 21st century will be the century of a new upsurge of the international revolutionary movement and a new wave of social revolutions.

The KKE stands at the side of the thousands of persecuted people, who are the victims of imperialist wars and capitalist exploitation. It struggles for their just cause and recognize their right to escape the fire of the inter-imperialist competition and for the international law on refugees to be observed. It makes specific proposals to reduce their distress and misery and in this direction it supports specific solidarity activity and at the same time highlights and continues the struggle against the causes of this problem. Because, as was stressed in the Joint Statement signed by 57 CPs "We must organize and come into conflict with the exploitative system that gives rise to wars, refugees, immigration and poverty. So that the conditions can be created that will allow the refugees and immigrants to return to their homelands, with the peoples in charge of their own destiny."

Our weapon in these efforts is proletarian internationalism, which is reflected in the immortal slogan:"Workers of the world, unite", against the ideological currents of bourgeois nationalism and cosmopolitanism, which in differing ways serve the interests of capital.

Elisseos Vagenas

Member of the CC of the KKE

http://www.solidnet.org/greece-communist-party-of-greece/cp-of-greece-one-starts-the-fire-the-other-fans-it-on-the-stance-of-the-so-called-european-left-concerning-the-refugee-question-en-ru-ar

Militant Demonstrations on the First Day of the General Strike
on 06 May 2016. Posted in Press Releases
Greek Government, to catch the people unprepared by bringing the bill for voting in the parliament during the weekend, failed.

PAME organized a

The class unions gave a first militant response to the Greek Government’s plans for imposition of the butcher bill that destroys social security and imposes new taxes to the people.

The tactics of the flash protest at the Prime Minister’s Mansions, on Thursday afternoon, only hours after the Government’s announcement.

On Friday, May 6, first day of the General Strike, PAME held massive and militant demonstrations all over Greece. The messages of International Solidarity were read during the demonstrations.

New strike demonstrations are planned for Saturday afternoon, May 7 and Sunday, May 8.



Continuous Photo updates at https://plus.google.com/+PamehellasGr/photos

The SYRIZA-ANEL government trembles before the people’s rage and indignation and has surpassed every boundary of political wretchedness

The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, noted in his statement on the plans of the government to pass the law-guillotine during the weekend of the 7-8 of May:
«The SYRIZA-ANEL government trembles before the people’s rage and indignation. It has surpassed every boundary of political wretchedness. It is attempting to pass the anti-people social-security and tax draft laws and its additional agreements with the quartet this weekend in a surprise move.
This is an act of naked authoritarianism and hostility to the labour-movement in order to serve the big employers. It is proof that such a government, however it presents itself, implements anti-people policies and resorts to acts that aim at manipulating the movement and our people.
It also demonstrates that the recovery, the debt adjustment, the new success story, a la Tsipras this time, and all the promises of the government to sweeten the pill of the anti-people agreements it signed with the crows-institutions have as their precondition new endless barbaric measures for the people.
The government is really fooling itself if it believes that by using cheap tricks it will avoid the people’s protests against the measures-guillotine it is pushing forwards
The KKE calls on the workers, the self-employed, the farmers, the young men and women, the pensioners, the women from the popular families to provide a proud militant response, by participating in the strike rallies and demonstrations in a mass way, targeting those really responsible for the people’s problems: the EU, the IMF, the power of capital itself, the governments and parties that serve them.
A people’s uprising today and every following day, with an immediate climax this weekend, when the governmental MPs are planning to vote for the law-guillotine.
The KKE will fight this battle in the streets and inside parliament until the final overthrow of the anti-people political line so that the Greek people really become the masters in their own land and send those who butcher their rights to the Tartarus of history.”

06.05.2016

The KKE will fight this battle in the streets and inside parliament until the final overthrow of the anti-people political line so that the Greek people really become the masters in their own land and send those who butcher their rights to the Tartarus of history.”

Man, that's a great line!

The communists in the frontline to inform and mobilize the people

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/omonoia-18.jpg_2126691551.jpg

In the evening Thursday 5/5 in dozens of cities and neighbourhoods in Greece, as soon as the anti-people plans of the SYRIZA-ANEL government became known i.e. that it wanted to rush through the new anti-people measures through parliament this weekend, the communists went out onto the streets. With mass demonstrations, they informed the workers about the developments, as well as about the strike response of the labour movement, calling for mass participation in the strikes and strike rallies. The organizations of the KKE and KNE in Athens organized a mass demonstration in the city centre. The banner of the central Athens’ organizations of the KKE and KNE read “take back the law-guillotine”, while the banner of party organizations of the KKE in the universities and technical institutes said “The people must rise up. Take back the measures that crush the people.” The slogans that resounded at the demonstration were: “Workers forwards, now as one fist, tear down the memoranda and the bosses.” “They are destroying social security. We take to the streets. Take back the law-guillotine.” And “Forwards people, don’t bow your heads, go on the offensive and struggle alongside the KKE.”


http://youtu.be/53MEZcDx0C4

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-communists-in-the-frontline-to-inform-and-mobilize-the-people/

May 1st: Mass condemnation of the law-guillotine

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/syntagma-34.jpg_2126691551.jpg

The All-workers Militant Front (PAME) sealed the three-day strike which began with a 2-day strike on the 6th and 7th of May and continued yesterday with the 1-day strike of May 1st, which due to Orthodox Easter has been moved to the 8th of May, by organizing a particularly mass demonstration in the evening of Sunday 8/5. This demonstration expressed the people's opposition to the law-guillotine for social security and taxation, shortly before it was passed through the full session of Parliament.
The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, made the following statement to the media at the rally in the morning."130 years ago, the workers of Chicago and later their successors shed their blood for the rights of their class. Today, capital and its governments are trying to take back all those gains, which the workers of our country and the whole world had won with their blood. We must not allow them. The working class, the labour movement in our country and Europe, internationally, must regroup, must gather its forces together and launch a new counterattack. The temporary retreat, the great difficulties that we face today must not lead us to disappointment and fatalism. The workers, the peoples have the strength. They must utilize this strength. The KKE, the class-oriented labour movement and the rest of the people's movement in Greece and all over the world are struggling in this direction."
In the evening of the 8th of May, thousands of people once again gathered at the meeting points organized by PAME in order to participate in the rally outside Parliament, at the time when the discussion on the law-guillotine was concluding. This law provides for new tax burdens for the working class and popular strata and the further demolition of social security. In the end, the SYRIZA-ANEL government with 153 votes out of the 300 MPs in Parliament passed the anti-people law, despite the hammering they received from the MPs of the KKE. Speaking in parliament, D.Koutsoumpas stressed: "The struggle does not end here. The people will show their real strength."
At the same time outside parliament, where thousands of people had gathered, there was an attempt by the provocateurs and the forces of repression to disperse the large rally and to force the peoples out of Syntagma sq., creating an atmosphere of tension with Molotov cocktails, tear gas, stun grenades, thrown into the rally, under the pretext of "dispersing" the "hooded ones", who previously had literally been pushed by the police forces onto the demonstrators in Amalias Avenue. This attempt, which had been denounced in parliament by the Parliamentary Group of the KKE, did not succeed. Then the Parliamentary Group of the KKE, headed by the GS of the CC of the party, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, left parliament where the discussion on the social security law was continuing and united with the demonstrators amid loud applause.

http://inter.kke.gr/en/news/

Slide show at link.

The MSM, and the pseudo left press for that matter, when they mention the demonstrations in Greece at all, never, ever, mention KKE or PAME.

German report: Bailout has saved banks, not Greece

http://www.ekathimerini.com/resources/2016-05/ecb_euro_sign_web-thumb-large.jpg

Some 95 percent of the 220 billion euros disbursed to Greece since the start of the financial crisis as loans from the bailout mechanism has been directed toward saving the European banks. That means about 210 billion euros was eventually channeled to the eurozone credit sector while just 5 percent ended up in state coffers, according to a study by the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Berlin.

“Europe and the International Monetary Fund have in previous years mainly saved the banks and other private creditors,” concluded the report, published yesterday in German newspaper Handelsblatt. ESMT director Jorg Rocholl told the financial newspaper that “the bailout packages mainly saved the European banks.”

The business school’s study found that 86.9 billion euros was used for the repayment of old debts, 52.3 billion for the payment of interest and 37.3 billion euros for the recapitalization of Greek banks.

The economists who took part in the study have analyzed each loan separately to established where the money ended up, and concluded that just 9.7 billion euros – less than 5 percent – actually found its way into the Greek budget for the benefit of citizens.

“This is something that everyone suspected, but few people actually knew. That has now been confirmed by the study: For six years Europe has tried in vain to put an end to the crisis in Greece through loans, and keeps demanding ever harder measures and reforms. The cause of the failure obviously lies less on the side of the Greek government and more on the planning of the bailout programs,” the German daily concluded.

Meanwhile, Cyprus Finance Minister Harris Georgiades, who saw the island out of the bailout process last month, on Wednesday expressed the view that Greece should not raise its taxes as that policy does not lead to any positive results. However, he still called on Athens to fulfill the program it has committed itself to.

Speaking to another German daily, Suddeutsche Zeitung, Georgiades stressed that Greece’s creditors should not make any new demands on Athens, commenting that “I don’t think another increase in taxation would lead Greece anywhere.”

http://www.ekathimerini.com/208381/article/ekathimerini/business/german-report-bailout-has-saved-banks-not-greece


http://youtu.be/2TnkJ8_BmSI

Video (00:10-00:15): riot police stops attacking a "hooded anarchist" after he reveals his identity


https://youtu.be/36gwIkRcZlc

This almost a week old, but just came across it (been falling behind, a lot, gonna stop that):






International Solidarity of the WFTU with the 48-hour Strike in Greece


07 May 2016

EUROPE, GREECE, PAME



The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) on behalf of its 92 million members in the 5 continents expresses its full support and class solidarity with the working class in Greece and PAME in front of the 48 hour strike called for May 6-7 and the mobilizations of May 8th 2016.

We are on the side of the working class of Greece in this important mobilizations and its generalized conflict with the antipeople policy applied by the Greek government. The Greek government using autocratic and dictatorial procedures is aiming to destroy the workers’ and people’s conquests in social security, aiming to serve the interests of the monopolies and show its obedience to the IMF, the World Bank and the EU.

We support PAME and all the working class of GReece in these three days of mobilizations in defense of the workers rights. We call upon the class oriented and militant trade union movement in every country to express their solidarity.

THE SECRETARIAT

http://www.wftucentral.org/international-solidarity-of-the-wftu-with-the-48-hour-strike-in-greece/

Greek Court's shameful decision in favor of Neo-Nazis! Hands off Sotiris Zarianopoulos!

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EkzURWZqhc0/Vz9MhiVAO5I/AAAAAAAAA0Q/XDLZyRM1tRIQ8ynGYclE62sQXhLbhnE7QCLcB/s320/zarianopoylos.jpg

Sotiris Zarianopoulos.
With an unaccaptable and shameful decision, the single-member First Instance Court of Thessaloniki accepted the lawsuit of Neo-Nazi Golden Dawn's members against KKE MEP Sotiris Zarianopoulos. The members of the Nazi Party had sued Zarianopoulos four years ago, in 2012, because in a public statement he referred to them as "Nazis of the criminal Golden Dawn" and "scumbags"! The statement was delivered on the occassion of the October 28th national holiday in 2012, when Zarianopoulos was head of the "Popular Rally"- the KKE-backed party in Thessaloniki City Council.

The Neo-Nazis sued the militant communist- now member of the European Parliament- asking for 150,000 euros (!!!) per person for "moral damage"! Later, they reduced their demands at 25,000 euros per person. The Thessaloniki First Instance Court finally decided to accept the lawsuit of the Neo-Nazis earlier this month, setting a compensation of 1,500 euros for "moral damage". However, the court decision is appealable.

The above decision consists a provocative action. Especially today, when Giorgos Roupakias, the Golden Dawn member who murdered anti-fascist singer Pavlos Fyssas on September 2013, has been released under conditions. On the same time, despite the government's proclamations for Justice, the court procedure regarding 'Golden Dawn's' criminal activity has been halted. Justice is not class-free. While trade union members are prosecuted for their militant activities and strike organisation, the Neo-Nazi criminals of 'Golden Dawn' rejoice a strange kind of immunity.

Every progressive and democratic person, in Greece and elsewhere, must condemn this decision. 'Golden Dawn' is a criminal organization and it's members are Neo-Nazis, fascists and scumbags - exactly as Zarianopoulos had described them. Hands off the Communists!

In Defense of Communism ©.

http://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/05/greek-courts-shameful-decision-in-favor.html

Justice is not class-free.

No it isn't. And when the tables have been turned, it won't be. That is something for the Nazi criminal scum to think about, because it is coming.

The lists supported by the communists came second in the student elections
http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/483651.png_1893240802.png

For the third consecutive year, students nationwide placed Panspoudastiki Kinisi Synergasias (PKS, the list supported by KNE) in second position in the elections held last Wednesday, May 18, in the student unions of the universities and technological institutes (TEI).

Specifically, PKS, won 13,500 votes nationwide, 20.46% in the universities and 23% in the technological institutes (TEI).It won first place in 41 student unions in the universities and TEI, 26 of them with an absolute majority. These elements of yesterday's elections demonstrate that there are conditions for steps to be taken to revive and militantly strengthen a number of student unions, to create a bloc of unions that will reinforce the rally of the Students' Front of Struggle (MAS), which will empower the necessary response that the students must provide together with the people to the ongoing offensive of the government-EU-capital against their rights.

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/foithtikes-ekloges-2016-4-1.jpg_875307648.jpg
The other forces that participated in the elections remained at the same percentages with minor changes. DAP (list of the conservative ND party) received 30.27% in the universities and 25.07% in the TEI, in a number of student unions DAP requested for the nationwide percentage to be recorded separately due to internal problems in the ND party (9.22% in the universities, 19.99% in the TEI). PASP (the list of the social-democratic PASOK party) received 10.76% in the universities and 20.50% in the TEI, remaining in third place, after years of falling sharply.

The results for the forces of EAAK (the list supported by Antarsya) can only be considered to be disappointing, 8.46% in the universities and 1.05% in the TEI, while in many student unions it participated independently and in others as a united list with AREN(the former list of the SYRIZA government, which now is part of social-democratic Popular Unity) receiving 7.43% in the universities and 0.91% in the TEI. Despite all these "marriages" and manifestations, these formations together received the same percentage that EAAK had last year.

There was a clear message of condemnation for the SYRIZA government. The new governmental list, which participated this year in the elections under the title "Bloco", was not able achieve 1% (550 votes nationwide).


In addition, forces of the so-called anti-authoritarian current that acted as a para-state mechanism against the election process, stopped the election procedures in a small number of departments.

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/foithtikes-ekloges-2016.jpg_632244161.jpg
In his statement, the Secretary of the CC of KNE, Nikos Ambatielos, stressed amongst other things:

"The thousands of young men and women that supported PKS and participated in its lists constitute an important force that must and will be utilized in the daily struggles, for the militant regroupment of the student movement, the revival of the student unions."

20.05.2016

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-lists-supported-by-the-communists-came-second-in-the-student-elections/

Mass workers'-people's response to the new monstrous law of the SYRIZA-ANEL government

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/syntagma-02.jpg_2126691551.jpg

Thousands of workers in Athens and other cities responded to PAME's call and demonstrated against the new unacceptable anti-people draft law, which the SYRIZA-ANEL government brought to Parliament to be voted on the weekend of 21-22nd of May.

This monstrous law provides for VAT increases on a number of items (from 23 to 24%) and fuel, imposes new indirect taxes, increases taxes for farmers, increases taxes on homes, creates a new super-fund for privatizations in preparation for the handing over transport and nearly all state-owned infrastructure and property to capital. It paves the way for the seizure and auctioning off of homes that belong to the popular families. It creates an automatic contingency mechanism to cut spending i.e. that will automatically cut salaries, pensions, social benefits and other spending if the fiscal goals of the state budget and memorandum are not achieved.

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/stadiou-2.jpg_846534270.jpg

At the same time it provides for new provocative tax exemptions and favourable terms for capital. So the funds earmarked for businesses are exempted from the "contingency mechanism", while new tax breaks are established for the industrialists.

In essence, this is a new fourth memorandum of 7,500 pages, which the "government of the left" attempted to pass on the quiet, with emergency procedures over the weekend. It is no accident that SEB (The Hellenic Federation of Enterprises) saluted the draft law, while the workers demonstrated against it.

The people's protests were immediate with a two-day strike in public transport and rallies organized by PAME all over the country. The central rally was held in Athens in the evening of the 22/5 at the time when the draft law was being voted on.

The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, made the following statement to the media at the rally: "As the KKE, the message I wanted us to send at this moment from Syntagma square, together with the workers who are demonstrating, is that the Greek people must not expect anything from the various parliamentary procedures, from this parliament, but must organize their struggle right now and even more dynamically, organize their people's alliance and fight until all these anti-people policies are overturned in their entirety."


http://youtu.be/GKslvmEkrcY

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Mass-workers-peoples-response-to-the-new-monstrous-law-of-the-SYRIZA-ANEL-government/

Slide show at link.

Greek Port Workers Strike Again Over Privatization

http://www.maritime-executive.com/media/images/article/Photos/Ports/Cropped/Port_Thessaloniki_16x9.jpg
Port of Thessaloniki (file image)
By Reuters 2016-05-24 13:46:32

Greek port workers will walk off the job on Thursday for 48 hours to protest against the sale of the country's two biggest ports, which Athens has promised to international lenders in exchange for much-needed bailout loans.

Privatizations, a key term of Greek bailouts since 2010, have generated only a fraction of an initial $56 billion target and have met strong union resistance. Port workers, who fear job cuts, have staged repeated strikes.

"Selling the ports is a mistake, it won't help bring growth," George Gogos, general secretary of the Piraeus Port dock workers' union, told Reuters.

Port workers unions will decide on a new 48-hour walkout after the end of the strike, Gogos said. Rolling strikes can lead to container pile-ups and disrupt cargo operations.

The left-led government halted the sale of its two main ports in Piraeus and the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki when it first won elections last year but relaunched the tenders under Greece's 86 billion-euro bailout deal agreed in August.

Greece last month named China Cosco Shipping as the highest bidder for a 67 percent stake in Piraeus Port.

Investors are expected to submit binding bids for a majority stake in the port of Thessaloniki at the end of September, sources close to the privatization said on Monday.

Denmark's container terminal operator APM Terminals, Philippines's International Container Terminal Services and Dubai-based P&O Steam Navigation Company (DP World) were interested in the Thessaloniki Port, the head of the country's privatization agency said last month.

http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/greek-port-workers-strike-again-over-privatization

KKE: No to any imperialist intervention in Libya- No to any participation of Greece in the euroatlantic plans

Statement of the Press Office of KKE regarding the planned imperialist intervention in Libya. Source: 902.gr / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

"What is happening in the Mediterranean?

Is a new imperialist intervention in Libya prepared?

Which is the target of the NATO exercise 'Phoenix Express 2016' in the region?

What is the role of the military base of Souda (Crete)?

What is the purpose of NOTAM (notice to the pilots), which has been issued under the responsibility of the Greek government- along with relating NOTAM of Italy and Malta- for the closing of the airspaces for aircrafts coming from Libya and the reception of NATO aircrafts in the Greek airspace?

The government is obliged to give concrete answers.

The KKE condemns every intervention in Libya and demands Greece's non-participation in the euroatlantic plans.

The argument about facing Jihadists, which are a fabrication of the USA and their allies, consists pretext for the justification of wars.

The imperialist war ventures in Syria and Libya since 2011 have added fuel to the fire in the region, have led to thousands dead and injured people, have uprooted hundreds of thousand people from their homes.

The SYRIZA-ANEL government will have new and heavy responsibilities if it intends to drag our country to another massacre in Libya for the interests of the monopolies".

http://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/05/kke-no-to-any-imperialist-intervention.html

The argument about facing Jihadists, which are a fabrication of the USA and their allies, consists pretext for the justification of wars.
The imperialist war ventures in Syria and Libya since 2011 have added fuel to the fire in the region, have led to thousands dead and injured people, have uprooted hundreds of thousand people from their homes.

This is so hard to get across to anyone. Why is that? Let's set aside the indifference and callousness of the US citizen to anything happening anywhere else (even elsewhere in the US), but the Greek citizen is right in the middle of all this. The Greek, Italian, Maltese, Cypriot citizens are on the front lines, here. Are they so consumed with their struggle to survive (not unlike many US citizens) that they just can't be bothered? I am not castigating the citizenry of Mediterranean countries, I am just questioning the "deaf ears" KKE seems to be speaking to.

PAME Short Video of the 3day General Strike And the Demonstrations of the Last Month


http://youtu.be/SlAR2WeajLE

http://pamehellas.gr/index.php/en/homepage/136-multimedia/videos/6651-pame-short-video-of-the-3day-general-strike-and-the-demonstrations-of-the-last-month

*********************

PAME-WFTU-MAS: Action of Solidarity with the French Workers
on 26 May 2016. Posted in Greece
On Thursday, May 26, a delegation of PAME (All Workers Militant Front), WFTU (World Federation of Trade Unions) and MAS (Militant Students Front) held a protest at the Embassy of France in Athens.

The action aims to express the Solidarity of the workers and the youth of Greece, and of the WFTU, with the Struggle of the workers of France. In a provocative response, the French Embassy refused to meet with the representatives of the Trade Unions, who were “welcomed” by the Embassy’s Head of Security.

The delegation condemned this behavior of the Embassy, which is in accordance with the intimidation tactics and threats of the French Government, aiming to break the militant spirit of the strikers.

PAME, expressing its Solidarity with the Struggle of the French workers, submitted a letter, where it states:

“The class trade union movement of Greece, the Federations, the Labour Centers that rally with PAME:

We unite our voices with our French colleagues and Demand the withdrawal of the “El Khomri package”

We denounce the intimidation, the threats and the attacks against the fighting workers

We express our Solidarity with all the workers who walk the streets of struggle and to the trade unions-WFTU/FSM affiliates, who have a main role in the mobilizations.

http://pamehellas.gr/index.php/en/homepage/121-activities/greece/6646-pame-wftu-mas-action-of-solidarity-with-the-french-workers

On the developments in Brazil
The people must disentangle themselves from the dilemmas of bourgeois management



Article published in 'Rizospastis" on 22/5



The developments in Brazil, the escalation of the political crisis have been at the centre of attention internationally.

This is not strange, as we are talking about the 7th largest economy in the world, the 5th largest country in terms of area and population, and the largest country in the planet's southern hemisphere. A country that in previous years witnessed high levels of capitalist growth, indeed in 2011 it replaced Britain as being the world's 6th largest economy.

It plays a significant role in the framework of the BRICS alliance (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) as well as in important inter-state capitalist unions (.e.g.Celac, Mercosur/Unasur) that are being promoted in the American continent. We should also bear in mind that since 2004, i.e. in the period of the "progressive" governments, it has been the head of the military intervention in Haiti, which is being carried out under the mantle of the UN.

Scandals and defections: The "bread and butter" of the bourgeois political system

The process of removing President Dilma Rousseff, 18 months after her victory in the Presidential elections of 2014, which has been accompanied by demonstrations both in her favour and against her and the intense political confrontation is a serious development after a period of 13 years of government headed by a President from the social-democratic PT (Workers Party) that cooperates at a governmental level with the CP of Brazil. It is worth noting here that the Brazilian CP does not take part in the scenarios of the "left management" of capitalism.

It is not easy to draw conclusions if you examine only the surface of the events and various accusations. On the one hand, those that denounce the President for being corrupt are themselves up their necks in scandals. It is indicative that the Speaker of the Parliament, Eduardo Cunha, after triggering the process that led to President Dilma's removal was then himself removed by the Supreme Court, on charges of corruption concerning millions of dollars in bribes right left and centre. Cunha, of course, had been elected Speaker of the Parliament by the votes of the PT and together with Vice President Temer is a member of the "centre" party the PMDB. Vice President Michel Temer who had taken on the duties of Acting President has been condemned for irregularities in his election campaign funding, indeed losing the right to be an electoral candidate for 8 years, while his name along with the names of half a dozen ministers of his "uncorrupted" government are part of investigations regarding the scandal involving the state oil company "Petrobas". So it is not at all strange that in a recent opinion poll 58% stated that they wanted to see him share the fate of his predecessor...

On the other side, the supporters of the President talk about a "parliamentary coup" because the charge that is basis of the impeachment against Dilma- she is accused of "cooking the books" in terms of fiscal data-is not a criminal act. The accusations "betrayal", "a coup" and an "attack against democracy" are of course aimed at their...former allies and the PMBD in particular, the largest partner in the government coalition for the last 8 years (It supported the re-election of Lula in 2006, and the election of Dilma in 2010 and 2014). This party had been assigned the 2nd and 3rd most important positions in the state hierarchy (Vice President and Speaker of Parliament) which they used to support the "progressive government"...

Naturally, the scandals and shady dealings of the bourgeois politicians with capitalists exist and flourish both in Brazil and in our country and in all the capitalist countries. For example, in 2012 around 25 businessmen and politicians, including leading PT officials, were condemned to heavy sentences.

But the "defections" are also a routine matter. The bargains and switching of bourgeois forces from one coalition to another, as well as politicians from the party they were elected with to another are common phenomena, examples of a very fragile bourgeois party political system that is a cause of concern for the ruling class. For this reason, a discussion has begun concerning political reforms in the direction of reinforcing the system.

International experience shows that there are many examples where existing scandals and "cleansing" are used as a vehicle for a violent recomposition of the political system in phases when the economic crisis and the contradictions in the capitalist economy are sharpening.

Towards a change in the formula of capitalist management

Anyone who studies the situation seriously will understand that the real problem is related to the economy. Truly, after many years of rapid capitalist growth that benefited the Brazilian monopolies and enhanced Brazil's position internationally under the PT governments, the slowdown of the Brazilian economy turned into stagnation in 2014 and in 2015 into a -3.8% recession, with an inflation of the state debt, a rapid increase of inflation and the loss of over 1.5 million jobs.

The exhaustion of the economic policy formula that relied on the expansion of state spending and the orientation towards restrictive measures has been becoming clear for some years in Brazil and in Latin America as a whole. The Dilma government already from 2013 when the first signs of crisis appeared proceeded to implement new measures in favour of capital, such as tax exemptions and exemptions from social security contributions, incentives, even more flexible labour relations, a programme of privatizations that compare with the most "neo-liberal" governments: ports, motorways, airports, oil fields etc.

It is no accident that Henrique Meirelles, the Finance Minister in Temer's government used to the President of the Central Bank during Lula's period in office. Indeed, it is reported that Lula tried in recent years to persuade Dilma to appoint him as Finance Minister in her government.

The situation impedes the social consensus that was sought by the PT governments through a number of policies related to social benefits that reduced absolute-extreme poverty, while continuing a political line to support the monopoly interests, with a very high rate of exploitation of the working class. In any case, no one can hide the reality that over 53 million people live under the poverty line.

Intra-bourgeois confrontations over the issue of international alliances

Significant sections of capital seem to prefer more stable government formations to manage the crisis. The situation is made even more complicated by the fact that China’s economic slowdown had a direct impact on the outbreak of the economic crisis in Brazil, while other BRICS countries like Russia also face difficulties and the inter-imperialist contradictions are sharpening in Latin America as a whole between the USA, EU countries, Russia and China. The concerns regarding the international orientation of the country are intensifying amongst sections of capital.

The controversies inside the ruling class over its international alliances in crisis conditions can lead to an extremely sharp political situation. It is enough for us to take into account the recent example of Ukraine and the trajectory the intra-bourgeois confrontations took in the context of the more general inter-imperialist competition.

The necessity of the anti-capitalist struggle

In such conditions, as we know from history, social-democratic management often prepares the ground for an intensely reactionary turn in the political system and bourgeois forces, which always define "legality" in a way that is convenient for them at any given moment. Such signs have already manifested themselves during Dilma's impeachment process and they will intensify.

The organization of the struggle against the reactionary political line that will be implemented by the Temer government, the internationalist solidarity with the struggles of the workers for their social and democratic rights must be accompanied by a substantial discussion in order to draw conclusions about what led to this situation.

The positions that were promoted about "sustainable" capitalist growth without crises in Brazil did not take into account the relentless economic laws and contradictions of the system and led to illusions. The developments in Brazil were the subject of controversy inside the communist movement as well.

What is needed is the emancipation of the labour movement from bourgeois influences, its orientation towards conflict with the bourgeois state, the monopolies and the political forces that express their interests.

Significant experience has been accumulated from the policies of the bourgeois governments of the second half of the 1980s after the dictatorship and 1990s which caused high levels of poverty and exploitation for the working class of Brazil, as well as from the bourgeois governments of Lula and Rousseff (2002-2016) that continued the management of capitalism with "left" and "anti-neoliberal" slogans and fostered false expectations.

All this provided the basis for serious conclusions to be drawn and for steps to be taken to liberate popular forces from the vicious circle of the alleged "lesser evil". In order for the necessity of anti-capitalist struggle to be advanced decisively, it is necessary for the labour and communist movement to form a strategy independent of bourgeois centres, a strategy that will look towards socialism, which is the precondition for the abolition of exploitation of man by man, utilizing the vast potential of a country with enormous natural resources that are being appropriated by a handful of capitalists.

Note:

1. In one section of the EU reports it is noted that before the elections in 2014 the differences in economic policy between Dilma Rousseff and the other candidate, Neves from the PSDB, were "in practice between them may be less pronounced than their electoral messages suggest." (http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2014/536412/EXPO_IDA(2014)536412_EN.pdf)

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/On-the-developments-in-Brazil-p-The-people-must-disentangle-themselves-from-the-dilemmas-of-bourgeois-management/

Sometimes I think KKE might be a little idealistic. These Left governments are not socialist, including Venezuela, but they ain't chopped liver either. One look at the ultra reactionary programs of their opponents speaks volumes. Fully understanding that these leftist governments are in the end doomed to fail as they contend with capital with one hand tied behind their back, we might not be so dismissive. They are an advance over the past, and have made some socialist concepts accepted and commonplace which up's the ante for the next advance. And they serve as unfortunate object lessons, nothing short of the abolition of capital will do.

Mass workers'-people's response to the new monstrous law of the SYRIZA-ANEL government

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/syntagma-02.jpg_2126691551.jpg

Thousands of workers in Athens and other cities responded to PAME's call and demonstrated against the new unacceptable anti-people draft law, which the SYRIZA-ANEL government brought to Parliament to be voted on the weekend of 21-22nd of May.

This monstrous law provides for VAT increases on a number of items (from 23 to 24%) and fuel, imposes new indirect taxes, increases taxes for farmers, increases taxes on homes, creates a new super-fund for privatizations in preparation for the handing over transport and nearly all state-owned infrastructure and property to capital. It paves the way for the seizure and auctioning off of homes that belong to the popular families. It creates an automatic contingency mechanism to cut spending i.e. that will automatically cut salaries, pensions, social benefits and other spending if the fiscal goals of the state budget and memorandum are not achieved.

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/stadiou-2.jpg_846534270.jpg

At the same time it provides for new provocative tax exemptions and favourable terms for capital. So the funds earmarked for businesses are exempted from the "contingency mechanism", while new tax breaks are established for the industrialists.

In essence, this is a new fourth memorandum of 7,500 pages, which the "government of the left" attempted to pass on the quiet, with emergency procedures over the weekend. It is no accident that SEB (The Hellenic Federation of Enterprises) saluted the draft law, while the workers demonstrated against it.

The people's protests were immediate with a two-day strike in public transport and rallies organized by PAME all over the country. The central rally was held in Athens in the evening of the 22/5 at the time when the draft law was being voted on.

The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, made the following statement to the media at the rally: "As the KKE, the message I wanted us to send at this moment from Syntagma square, together with the workers who are demonstrating, is that the Greek people must not expect anything from the various parliamentary procedures, from this parliament, but must organize their struggle right now and even more dynamically, organize their people's alliance and fight until all these anti-people policies are overturned in their entirety."


http://youtu.be/GKslvmEkrcY

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Mass-workers-peoples-response-to-the-new-monstrous-law-of-the-SYRIZA-ANEL-government/

Mass workers'-people's response to the new monstrous law of the SYRIZA-ANEL government

I have to say again, I like the "flagpoles" they carry.

I have to say again, I like the "flagpoles" they carry.

Demonstrate loudly and carry a thick stick.

Demonstrate loudly and carry a thick stick.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CkL1hs5XIAApGL9.jpg

They do come in handy.

The communists need to struggle decisively and methodologically againts imperialism

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/makis.png_1527843781.png

Special interview with Makis Papadopoulos, member of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Greece, responsible for the Ideology Department.
ICP, 01 June 2016
ICP: As a result of the protocol that exists between CP of Greece and CP, Turkey you came to give a seminar on imperialism to the cadres of CP, Turkey. Do you think that the seminar was productive?
Makis Papadopoulos: The seminar itself proves the substantial and fraternal cooperation in the relationship of the two parties. CP of Greece (KKE) and CP, Turkey (KP) in order to develop a revolutionary strategy they realize the need of a new theoretical analysis in the Marxist-Leninist approach. This seminar was productive because it gave us the chance to clarify the Leninist approach of our party and to debate certain critical points of the topic. At a period which the antagonism among the inter-imperialist centers is intensifying and with NATO getting more aggressive, thus there is a risk of a more general war, the communist parties need to be alert to act in time.
ICP: How do you define shortly the imperialist system of the modern world? Do you think that there are differences in relation to the period of Lenin?
MP: The position of Lenin on imperialism, the reactionary stage of the rotten capitalism is proved to be true today more than ever. Today, the contradiction between capital and labour and the parasitic role of capital is deepening more and more. Certain shareholders-parasites that have no direct relation with the function and the organization of these enterprises they gain enormous profits.
According to Lenin, the characteristics of monopoly capitalism in the international imperialist system are the common characteristics of the capitalist states. These are: the domination of international monopoly unions, the creation of financial oligarchy, the increasing role of capital export, the competition in the re-distribution of new markets and territories of economic importance.
In some wrong analysis of the Leninist approach, only a handful of powerful countries are defined as imperialist ones. But according to the actual Leninist approach not only the countries in the top of the imperialist pyramid apply imperialistic policies. The imperialistic actions for example of Belgium, Denmark and Italy prove this. Especially in this modern world we will not be able to understand in comprehension the complexity of the global capitalist economy, if we limit the analysis with the actions of the countries, which are at the top of the imperialistic pyramid. For example, look at the decreasing role of G7 countries in the last 15 years. Moreover, if we try to evaluate the developments in Middle East without taking into consideration the plans and the effects that Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Israel have on the region, we shall certainly make wrong conclusions.
Supporting that we are in a new era of ‘globalization’ in which the power of multinational firms is increasing and the inter-dependence among the capitalist countries widening, is also wrong. These facts reflect the internationalization of capital mobility. On the other hand, these tendencies do not eliminate the law of unequal development and the national-state structure of the economy. Regarding the two military camps in East Mediterranean we can easily understand the course in the intensification of inter-imperialist antagonism.
ICP: In this perspective how do you define the relationship between USA and Germany? For example, do you think that the crisis in Volkswagen was a result of a competition between the monopolies? Or, do you think that it is based on the strategic contradiction between the imperialist centers?
MP: It is not the first time that the USA contributes to bring to the foreground scandals, which strike economically a German company. Besides Volkswagen, there are also the examples of Siemens and Deutche Bank, which clearly give signals of ‘an economic war’ between the USA and Germany. The internationally continuous change in the balance of powers among countries is intensifying the conflicts more and more. At the last 15 years the proportion of the Eurozone in the Gross Global Product has shown a smaller decrease than the USA. As far as the role of Russia and China on the German economy is concerned, USA still being the leading country, has proportionately increased.
Moreover, the USA is supporting the pressure that the French and Italian governments apply on the German government to change the monetary policy. The USA at the same time is playing the leading role on the sanctions on Russia, which strike the German interests. Also, the reaction of the German bourgeoisie on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Project is of big importance. This project in an aspect aims ‘an economic-NATO alliance’ while the German and French bourgeoisie suggests that the American proposal is in an aspect ‘a Trojan Horse’. It is clearly seen that in the context of the European-Atlantic imperialist camp, which NATO represents, the inter-imperialist conflicts between the USA and Germany are intensifying.
ICP: Where do you position China in this system?
MP: As we pointed out 10 years ago in our 17th Congress, China has strengthened its capitalist production relations and opened its economy to the international capitalist markets especially after being a member of Global Trade Organization and International Monetary Fund. These tendencies have increased since then. The Chinese economy is motivated from the capitalistic profits and not from the social needs. China, today, carries all the characteristics of a powerful monopoly capitalist state, a creditor state and a leading force in the imperialist pyramid.
The last fifteen years the economic force balance between the USA and China, in relation to their proportion to the Gross Global Product and their trade flow, has changed in the advantage of the latter.
China and the interstate capitalistic alliances that it participates in, like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, are competing with other imperialist centers such as the USA and the EU, for the re-distribution of new markets and territories of economic importance. The initiative ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) is pointing out the attempt of a free trade zone aiming to unite Chine with the rest of Asia, Europe and Africa. The formation of the New Development Bank (NDB) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is an answer to the American dominance in the World Bank and IMF.
After the retard in the Chinese economy, the state has proceeded to a restructure of the state industry sacking six million workers, while the access of the people to free social supplies such as health and education has been limited. The developments, in the total prove the domination of capitalist relations of production in China.
ICP: Do you think that in the near future USA and its allies shall declare a war to China, Russia and their neighbour countries? In this context, how do you evaluate the summit of NATO that will take place this summer in Warsaw?
MP: We cannot foresee that. But we can tell for sure that the over-accumulated capital that cannot be turned into a profitable investment is increasing in the modern international imperialist system. None of the imperialist centers can easily and effectively secure a bankruptcy of any bourgeois state or a large banking group. On this economic context the conflicts among imperialist centres for the control and the re-distribution of markets, energy sources and generally of territories with big economic significance, such as the sea-based hydrocarbon sources in East Mediterranean and the land-based sources in Middle East. These conflicts penetrate today the international negotiations among the imperialist centers about the borders and the sovereignty rights of the countries in Eurasia, and the confronting of big issues such as the Cyprus, the Kurdish and the Palestinian issue.
The temporary compromise between the USA and Russia in the wider region is quite fragile, if we also take into consideration the new possibility of the USA to export energy. Still, the military exercises of NATO suggest the preparation to a new intervention in Libya.
The fortification of NATO’s fleets in Aegean See, the new steps towards the fortification of NATO in Baltic See, the activation of the antimissile shield in Romania and the Summit of NATO scheduled to take place in Warsaw this summer with the topic, enhance the ‘stability’ beyond the borders of NATO, are indications of the escalation in the aggression of Euroatlantism.
The ally forces of USA such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia seem unpleased with this temporary compromise between the USA and Russia, and they contribute to the further intensification of their conflicts.

ICP: What kind of possibilities do the competition and the contradictions among the imperialist countries open do the leading parties of the working class?
MP: The communists need to struggle decisively and methodologically so that the working class does not follow the bourgeois class, not get trapped and not conciliate with one of the competing imperial alliances. Only in this condition, can they evaluate the conflicts among the imperial centers for the benefit of the peoples’ interests, to topple with a revolutionary action the bourgeois class in each country. The everyday political struggle for people’s rights and needs to deter the imperialist war, should not be detached from the main revolutionary task, the aim of a socialist government. At the same time, we should strengthen the coordination as the communist parties and the working class movement need to act in common in an anti-monopolist – anti-capitalist orientation. In this orientation, the close fraternal cooperation of the CP’s in Turkey and Greece gains a special significance. The common declarations that we have made since March 2011 show the way to organize the struggle against NATO, the bourgeois classes of the two countries from the aspect of the people’s interest.

06.06.2016

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-communists-need-to-struggle-decisively-and-methodologically-againts-imperialism/

The communists need to struggle decisively and methodologically against imperialism

First rate analysis. We need thinkers like this over here, wonder where you find them.

Would the situation for Greek people be better if KKE participated in a government with SYRIZA?

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Question: Would it not be better if KKE participated in a government with SYRIZA or even supported it critically so that it could shape government policy?

Answer:

The experience of the 1 year government of SYRIZA confirms the fundamental conclusion that there cannot be a pro-people management of the rotten and obsolete capitalist system. The government of SYRIZA not only did not give whatever crumbs promised to the people, but continues the same unpopular policy as the previous governments, it did not overthrow even one anti-people law from those which were voted in the previous years, it voted a 3rd barbarous memorandum with the lenders. The participation or support of KKE in such governance would mean betrayal of the people’s interests. It is not a matter of intentions, besides as historical experience shows, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The illusion that the participation of Communist Parties to bourgeois governments can pressure for something better for the people, has been answered not only by KKE but also from other revolutionaries.
Characteristically the words of Rosa Luxemburg: “The entry of a socialist into a bourgeois government is not, as many think, a partial conquest of the bourgeois state by the socialists, but a partial conquest of the socialist party by the bourgeois state.” Ever since, history and of course the history of KKE, have repeatedly proved this to be true. Examples of the participation of Communist Parties in bourgeois governments in France, Italy and elsewhere, show that not only did they not bring radical changes to the benefit of workers but instead scattered disappointment to the people, led the Communist Parties to even greater compromises, to abandon revolutionary principles and in the end to the very refutation of the existence of the Communist Parties.

Our Party studying its own as well as this international experience, based on our principles, our theory, our strategic goal, i.e. the raison d’ etre of a Communist Party which is the overthrow of capitalism and the building of the socialist society, has resulted in the position which is set out in its program: that during the era of transition from capitalism to socialism, the Communist Party must not take responsibilities in a bourgeois government or generally in a government of bourgeois management. As long as the working class has not the power in its hands, the Communist Party must be an opposition force and from this position to justify its title as the vanguard of the working class fighting for the organisation and realisation of the class, to build its alliance with its social allies, overall the concentration of forces and the ideological – political - organisational preparation for the overthrow of capitalism in revolutionary state conditions. The participation in a bourgeois government constitutes a mistake not easily corrected and can prove fatal, it is a matter of strategic importance.

KKE 4 years ago, in the elections of 2012 undertook the burden of responsibility for this position, when the pressure was very heavy for participation in a government like this of today. This option had election costs but they failed to subjugate KKE in bourgeois planning, this is the most important. If KKE had succumbed it would have been a calamity for the people as workers, young people would be left without the force that can lead the struggle to overthrow capitalism. We would be adding more grist to the mill of illusions if we said that the important issue was to change a government in the territory of capitalism and not the class in power.

Source: 'Odigitis' (Organ of the CC of KNE, the Communist Youth of Greece), International Edition, February 2016.

http://communismgr.blogspot.ca/2016/06/would-situation-for-greek-people-be.html

KKE political event held in London - The political developments in Greece and Britain's EU referendum

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Source: 902.gr / Translation: In Defense of Communism.
Read the full speech of G.Marinos here.

A successful political event organised by the KKE Party Organisation of Britain took place in London, with major speaker being Giorgos Marinos of the Political Bureau. The subject of the event was "The political developments in Greece, the British EU referendum and the positions of KKE". A large number of Greek immigrants, as well as British people, attented the event.

In his introductory speech, Giorgos Marinos refered to the anti-people policy of the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government: "The political route of this government must be condemned in the peoples' conciousness, this is a precondition for the development of class-struggle and the confrontation of the fake dilemmas which favor the phony bipolarism between SYRIZA and New Democracy [...].

Cde G. Marinos pointed out: "The so-called left government has been tested and through it's policy confirmed what KKE was stressing from the beginning, that governments of bourgeois management which wear the mask of the 'Left' in order to entrap large popular forces serve the interests of the big capital, provoke big damage to the labour movement and try to transform it into a tool of class collaboration and support for the capitalist development".

"This is the role of social-democracy and the center-left, that is proved from the experience of France, Italy, Cyprus, Portugal, Brazil and other countries" he underlined.

Regarding Britain's EU referendum which take place on June 23rd, Giorgos Marinos said: "One section of the British bourgeoisie that supports the REMAIN vote assesses that it has the strength and robustness to meet the requirements of the competition inside the EU and identifies its interests with remaining in the EU, utilizing its historic exemptions and choosing to struggle in alliance with the USA for a better position in its competition with Germany
The other section of the bourgeoisie that supports the LEAVE vote assesses that is at a disadvantage due to the strong presence of Germany and is impeded by the EU’s legal framework of restrictions and controls. It aims to form new conditions to maintain the markets it has already acquired and to win positions in new markets in the BRICS countries and elsewhere. It even looks to the formation of a centre in the framework of the British Commonwealth, which includes India, Australia, South Africa and other states that are former British colonies.
In any case, whether with a vote for REMAIN or LEAVE, the British bourgeoisie will continue to negotiate with the EU to serve its own interests"



"We appreciate that a large part of the working class says 'NO' to the EU".

"The communist movement must utilize the contradictions in the imperialist camp, reinforcing its independent ideological and political struggle that will draw strength from and be nourished by the struggle to overthrow monopoly power.".

In another point of his speech, Cde Marinos said:

"Many states are not members of the EU, many bourgeois governments of various shades have tried out different forms of management, but their common denominator in every continent is the accumulation of wealth on the one side and poverty on the other, the maintenance of the exploitation of man by man.
When we have such rich experience, including the experience provided by the referendum in Britain and the division of the monopoly groups into the REMAIN and LEAVE camps, in the service of their own interests, we can more decisively confront the illusion that withdrawal from the EU and the Euro on its own can be a step or stepping stone to radical changes and ruptures without posing the conditions that connect the necessary condemnation of the EU and disengagement from it with the struggle for capitalism's overthrow, for socialism.

Because this is the absolutely necessary precondition for the socialization and the taking into people’s ownership of the means of productions, the instruments of economic development, mineral wealth, energy, telecommunications, transport, land, retail. It is the necessary precondition for the development of scientific central planning and for the satisfaction of the contemporary needs of the people, abolishing the base that gives rise to capitalist profit and exploitation.

We should think about the value building socialism in a powerful capitalist country like Britain, where the material preconditions for the construction of the new society are overly ripe and show the way forwards. We should think about the major impact such an enormous development would have and what serious responsibilities the working classes in countries that are at the summit of the imperialist pyramid have to fight against their co-option by the system and to stand tall and defiant"

The KKE Political Bureau member underlined that Britain's EU referendum- and the monopolies' divisions between 'YES' and 'NO', for their own interests- provides an opportunity for the communist-labour movement to confront the illusion that the exit from the EU or the Eurozone can be, by itself, a step of radical changes without connecting the needed condemnation of the EU with the struggle for Capitalism's overthrow.

http://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/06/kke-political-event-held-in-london.html

CP of Greece, The political developments in Greece, the referendum on the EU in Britain and the positions of the KKE [En]
Wednesday, 08 June 2016 15:49 Communist Party of Greece

The political developments in Greece, the referendum on the EU in Britain and the positions of the KKE [En]

The political event of the Party Organizations of the KKE in Britain was held on Saturday 4/6 in London. The main speaker was Giorgos Marinos, member of the PB of the CC of the KKE. The event’s title was “The political developments in Greece, the referendum on the EU in Britain and the positions of the KKE”.

His speech was as follows:

“Dear comrades,



Dear friends,



We would like to thank you for your participation in today's meeting of the KKE's party organizations in Britain and we believe that we can have a substantial discussion which will lend strength to all of us so that we can continue our struggle in these complex conditions.

It is a fact that the developments in Greece have taken on international dimensions and can be utilized to draw important conclusions.

During the eight (8) years of the capitalist crisis of capital over-accumulation, the management policy of all the bourgeois parties has been tested, which in collaboration with the EU, ECB and IMF, known as the Troika, used all means available in order to thrust the burden of the crisis onto the working class and popular strata, advancing a strategy to increase the competitiveness and the profitability of the big businesses.

During this period, an intense inter-imperialist competition manifested itself between the EU, chiefly Germany, and the IMF, USA over the management of the debt and the formula for the management of the debt from the standpoint of the interests of the plutocracy.

ND and PASOK implemented the two memoranda and very harsh anti-people measures that provoked intense popular indignation. Illusions about a lesser evil and false expectations fostered by SYRIZA and the government it formed together with the nationalist party "Independent Greeks" (ANEL) flourished in the context of poverty and high levels of unemployment.



Dear comrades and friends,



Remember the situation before and after the elections of January 2015, the discussions in Britain and other European countries, remember the events held in support of SYRIZA and the attacks on the KKE, which the opportunist forces called on to submit to new social-democracy in the name of left unity.

Think about that now! Think about how it important it is that the KKE defended communist principles, dealt with the pressure in a decisive way, demonstrated confidence in the working class and came into conflict with the SYRIZA-ANEL government, the EU and big capital, the real opponent that is being served by this government.

The deceitful role of the cadres of "Popular Unity", the former Speaker of the Parliament who participated in the SYRIZA government and distinguished themselves in the offensive against the KKE is not forgotten but is part of the experience that warns and teaches the workers about the role of the "leftwing" managers of capitalism, who sloganeer in order to conceal the fact that they operate within the boundaries of the system.

This is also true of Antarsya that supported the government, constantly and indiscriminately attacked the KKE and with noisy slogans attempts to conceal the fact that its political line operates within the boundaries of capitalism, but with another currency or with other imperialist alliances.

Today things are clearer. SYRIZA, as a social-democratic party in government serves the interests of big capital and implements a very harsh anti-people political line, at the same time attempting to entrap popular forces with lies and vulgar claims.

The political record of this government means that it is imperative that it be condemned in the people's consciousness. This is a precondition for the development of the class struggle and also in order to deal with the false dilemmas that feed the false polarization between SYRIZA and ND.

This experience is of great importance and highlights the need to bring class criteria to the fore in our analysis.

The SYRIZA-ANEL government with the support of the other bourgeois parties passed and is implementing the 3rd memorandum.

In the recent period, the government voted 2 laws through parliament, in the framework of passing the assessment of this memorandum being carried out by the EU-ECB-IMF. We are talking about laws that have extremely painful outcomes for the working class and popular families.

The social character of social insurance is being eradicated by these laws, and pensions have been drastically reduced. EKAS has been abolished, the supplementary pension for the poorest pensioners, who are now being forced by the government to live on 450 Euros a month, a form of slow death.

These laws impose unbearable direct and indirect taxation at the expense of the working class and popular families, have created a fund for the privatization of state businesses. It has introduced an "automatic contingency mechanism" that will be used to further reduce salaries and pensions and carry out other cuts; the path has been cleared for the seizure of the primary residences of workers who cannot repay their loans.

At the same time, the SYRIZA government submitted the so-called "law for development" to Parliament that contains provocative measures which favour big capital, with new tax exemptions and greater financial support for it. It is also preparing a new raft of harsh measures at the expense of the workers for the 2nd assessment in the autumn which will include the right for businesses to carry out mass dismissals, restrictions on the right to strike etc.

SYRIZA is attempting to conceal the class character of its policies with blatant lies and promises about capitalist growth that in reality will be based on the destruction of the workers'-people's rights and will continue the vicious cycle of capital accumulation which will lead to a new capitalist crisis.

The offensive of the exploiters embraces all the EU member-states, all the capitalist states, regardless of whether they have memoranda or not.

Capital is thirsty for profits in order to replace the losses it underwent during the crisis and to equip itself with new resources to strengthen its position in the recovery phase, which the system's think tanks assess will be unstable and weak.

Capital's thirst for profits is transformed into political decisions and laws by social-democratic, liberal or new left parties.

We express our internationalist solidarity with the French workers and we denounce the social-democratic government of Hollande which, via the "El Khomri" law and using intense repression against the struggling workers, is demolishing sectoral labour agreements and paving the way for mass dismissals, as well as increasing flexible labour time and lengthening daily working time.



Dear comrades and friends,



SYRIZA has also distinguished itself in terms of furthering integrating Greece into the imperialist organizations.

The government has made the military base of Suda, Crete, all the military bases and Euro-Atlantic command centres available to the USA, NATO and the EU. It participates in the imperialist plans, interventions and wars, as can be witnessed by looking at the examples of the wars in Syria and Libya, at whose expense a new intervention is being prepared.

In essence, SYRIZA is also entangling our country in the inter-imperialist contradictions between the USA, the EU, Russia and China over the control of markets, energy and energy pipelines, which contain the danger of even a generalized imperialist war. NATO's presence in the Aegean at the invitation of the government is connected to the rivalries and wars in the region and emboldens the provocativeness of the Turkish state.

The imperialist wars and the repressive policies of the EU uproot millions of refugees and immigrants from their homes and trap thousands of families of persecuted people in Greece, who are living in wretched conditions. They have other European countries as their destination. The KKE in these conditions maintains a stance based on internationalist principles, stands at the side of the refugees and immigrants, contributes to the organization of the people's solidarity, confronts racism and xenophobia and struggles against the real causes of this situation, against capitalism that gives rise to wars, crises, refugees and poverty.



Dear comrades and friends,



In conclusion, we would like to note that the so-called left government has been tried and tested and its political line has borne out what the KKE had stressed from the beginning: that governments of bourgeois management which wear a leftwing mask in order to trap popular forces serve the interests of big capital, are damaging to the labour movement and try to transform it into an instrument of class collaboration and support for capitalist development.

This is the role of social-democracy and the centre-left. This is what has been demonstrated by the experience of France, Italy, Cyprus, Portugal, Brazil and other states.

The CPs that participate in or support governments of bourgeois management, regardless of intentions, bear grave responsibilities. Reality has demonstrated that the economic laws of capitalism which determine the system's motion cannot be tamed. They function on the basis of the profits of the big businesses, the intensification of the exploitation of the working class and the strengthening of bourgeois power.



Comrades and friends,



The KKE plays a leading role in a difficult struggle and strengthens its bonds with the working class, poor farmers and urban self-employed. Every day the party organizations, the organizations of KNE struggle concerning every problem the people have, are present in the factories, workplaces, organize dozens of events in the popular neighbourhoods and are trying to develop the workers'-people's struggle.

The communist men and women support the struggle of PAME, the class-oriented movement, in which hundreds of trade unions participate; they support the struggle of the farmers, the urban self-employed, the youth.

Through daily activity, strikes, occupations, dozens of mass demonstrations, the superiority of the class-oriented movement is apparent. This movement comes into conflict with capital, the anti-people political line and government and employer-led trade unionism. It wins over new forces, new trade unions in its efforts to change the correlation of forces, to regroup the movement, to strengthen its mass characteristics, insisting on fighting for demands that correspond to the contemporary needs of the people.

A strong labour movement that fights in an antimonopoly-anticapitalist direction can be the spine of a great social alliance that will gather popular forces together, make its mark on the daily struggles and fight to overthrow capitalist barbarity.

It has been demonstrated in reality that a party with a revolutionary strategy, which has dispensed with the rationale of intermediate transitional stages that operate within the framework of the system and have tormented the communist movement for decades, can struggle for socialism and can draw strength from the everyday struggles for the workers'-people's rights. Such a party can be distinguished by the sacrifices it makes in these everyday struggles.

much more....

http://www.solidnet.org/greece-communist-party-of-greece/cp-of-greece-the-political-developments-in-greece-the-referendum-on-the-eu-in-britain-and-the-positions-of-the-kke-en

What is the actual role of the NGOs in Greece's Refugee Crisis?

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What is the role of the NGOs?
Source: Rizospastis / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

In Rizospastis' travelogue in refugee camps around the country, which started on May 29, there are shocking information about the entrapment, the miserable living conditions, the wounds that the war has left to thousands of people. This journalistic travelogue will continue in the following days, in an effort to highlight all the aspects of the refugee-immigration question.

One aspect, for example, is what is happening with the so-called "Non-Governmental Organisations" (NGOs), which literally have the total control inside the refugee camps, operating as "state within the state". The government has left in their hands the infrastructures (which host refugees), while- along with the EU- provides to these NGOs financial aid of many million euros. Various organisations have taken control of all services. From the feeding sector to the entertainment of the refugee children. From Ellinikon to Ritsona, in Larisa and in Central Macedonia.

It would be useful to remind what the KKE Europarliament team was mentioning in a question to the European Commission: "their (NGOs) activity extends to the reception of refugees and immigrants [...] proving that the EU and it's immigration policy rejects the construction of reception and hospitality infrastructure...". Most of these NGOs collaborate with large business groups and this isn't limited only to their refugee-related activities but is spread in other sectors too. It is true that we met refugees and immigrants who are afraid to talk about their problems, not because they have no problems but because some people tell them not to talk...

Let's see some specific info:

- The NGO 'Arsis' (Greek: Άρσις), which has been appeared in Ellinikon refugee camp, has among it's partners and financiers the institutes of Bodosakis, Latsis and Stavros Niarchos*.

(Translator's Note: These institutes belong to some of the economically most powerful Greek families, including industrialists and shipping companies' owners).

- The DRC (Danish Refugee Council) stresses out in it's website that DRC's "activities are funded by money concentrated by the Denmark's public and with a subsidy plan from the Danish government and other bilateral governmental financiers, the EU and the UN". The DRC points out that it is also funded by "selling advisory and consultancy services related to the humanitarian aid sector". DRC consists of 30 organisation members and voluntary groups, while it maintains close collaboration with the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as with EU and UN institutes. DRC's "activities" are spread to Iran, Jordan, Turkey and Ukraine. In our country, DRC underlines that it seeks people for the "development of innovative, strategic partnerships with international, regional and local public and private bodies, including the authorities, humanitarian bodies, leaders of industry, businessmen as well as citizens' society".

- The NGO 'Save the children', which collaborates with 'Egon Zehnder' - a company that specializes in search and evaluation of executive managers, in firm organizing and company board consulting- with 'Standard Chartered Bank' as well as two international law firms, the 'Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP' and the 'Baker & McKenzie'.

- The 'ECHO 100 PLUS' (from Austria, with members including among others Eleni Varvitsioti, sister of Miltiadis Varvitsiotis; Lilian Evert, wife of the former deputy Minister of Finance Petros Doukas), the 'Solidarity' (charity institute of the Church of Greece) and the 'Pan-Piraeus Iniative of Support to Refugees and Immigrants - Refugees Welcome to Piraeus'.

Especially the last one, which lately has promoted activity via the internet, has proved the negative role that the NGOs can play for the refugees. As a self-appointed gate keeper in Piraeus' Port, this NGO has tried to prevent class-based unions from expressing their practical solidarity towards the immigrants and refugees. It's people came to the point to demand from the PAME-affiliated trade unions' members (who were visiting the refugee camp) to leave and even threatened them that they would call the "authorities". Talking to 'Rizospastis', immigrants unveiled that members of that specific NGO were saying that KKE doesn't want immigrants in the country. It is clear that these places, where thousands of refugees and immigrants are trying to live, are unsuitable and that they must be transfered immediately to decent places of temporary hospitality which would cover all their needs and which would operate under the responsibity of the state, without NGOs being in charge. It is also a fundamental issue that the needed procedures will be launched so that these people will be transfed to their destination countries. Based on these issues, the struggle of the working class, of the labor unions, of the Greek people must be strengthened against the refugee-immigration policy of the EU-government-bourgeois parties, being an element of solidarity towards refugees and immigrants.

Petros Anastasiadis.

http://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/06/what-is-actual-role-of-ngos-in-greeces.html

We struggle for socialism and this is what gives us strength in the daily battles for the workers’-people’s rights

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On the 14/06/2016, The Workers Party of Ireland held an event in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on the topic: «The European Union and the crisis of capitalism-lessons from Greece. A delegation of the KKE headed by Elisseos Vagenas, member of the CC and Responsible for the International Relations Section of the CC of the KKE had been invited to speak at the event. Below you can find his introductory intervention at the event.
Dear comrades and friends,
We are very pleased to be here today with you in Northern Ireland, at the invitation of the Workers’ Party of Ireland, in order to discuss the situation and developments in Greece, as well as the conclusions that the workers can draw from them.
Just a few months have passed since the mutated “Left”, the SYRIZA party, was able to win the elections in September and for the second time in 1.5 years form a government with the nationalist party “ANEL”. In the months since then, Greece has witnessed new major workers’ and popular mobilizations against the anti-people political line implemented by the SYRIZA-ANEL government. Thousands of workers, the majority of them under the banners of the All-workers’ Militant Front (PAME) participated in these struggles. Thousands of farmers, with the important contribution made by the communists, gathered at over 100 points all over the country and for over 40 days blocked the national highways. Dozens of mobilizations have been carried out by other popular strata that are being negatively affected by government’s policies, a government which has picked up the baton left for it by the previous rightwing and social-democratic governments.
The question arises, how is it possible for a “leftwing” government, which had declared that it would come into conflict with the neo-liberal political line of the previous rightwing and social-democratic governments, with the memoranda that they had signed, to find itself in the same position as them? And not only! But to implement even harsher anti-people policies, as it has kept all the previous measures in place and in these last 18 months has taken new barbaric measures that reduce salaries and pensions, increase taxation for the popular strata, with further cuts in social security, healthcare and education. In addition, it continues Greece’s full participation in NATO’s imperialist plans, states its willingness to take part in all NATO expedition, provides new bases and infrastructure for their implementation and continues and deepens the military cooperation with Israel.
Certain political defenders of SYRIZA cannot, do not want to believe this development. Like a terrified ostrich with its head in the sand so that it cannot see, they hide themselves in various misleading ideological constructs in order to avoid facing reality and so that they can interpret the developments in a way that is convenient for them, e.g. that “SYRIZA could not do otherwise due to the negative correlation of forces in the EU” or that “things began well but then they retreated and carried out a betrayal” or even that SYRIZA is still resisting the EU, not on every question, because it cannot, but is allegedly conducting “guerilla war” wherever it can.
These are pretences that aim to obscure the reality. SYRIZA knew and knows what is doing! It did not betray anything, but faithfully continues to serve the same class interests, those of big capital, of Euro-Atlanticism.
It is no secret that even before SYRIZA became the country’s government the KKE issued warnings about its role. Of course, someone who carefully monitored the situation, without relying on the theory of scientific socialism, would have noticed Tsipras’ visits, for example, to the USA, his statements in Texas, where he made it clear that he was ready to offer his services to manage capitalism. They would have noted his statement, before the 2015 elections, even in 2014, when he said “from the depths of my heart, I state that Greece belongs to the EU and NATO”, they would have observed the celebrations of business groups and the USA, as well as their close links with officials from SYRIZA.
Aside from these obvious things that an observant person would have noticed, the KKE uses its analysis, its understanding of our worldview, Marxism-Leninism, and of our country’s history as well as of international history.
Our knowledge tells us the following: economic crises and imperialist wars are inherent in the capitalist system. This system of exploitation cannot outgrow them, because they are a part of its nature.
We can see, for example, in many regions of the planet and particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean the intensification of imperialist interventions and wars over the control of raw materials, the transport routes for commodities and the market shares. The issue of our country’s involvement in a war was discussed at the recent 19th Congress of our party, which noted that: “In the instance of Greece's involvement in an imperialist war, either in a defensive or aggressive war, the Party must lead the independent organization of the workers'-people's struggle in all its forms, so as to lead to the complete defeat of the bourgeois class, both the domestic one and the foreign invader, and link it in practice with the conquest of power.”
Dear friends and comrades, it is very important on the question of war and also on other issues that the workers are not dragged into following a “false flag”. For example, in recent years in Greece, there has been a lot of misleading talk about the causes of people’s unemployment, poverty and destitution. The Greek people have not just been facing a form of neo-liberal policies in recent years, before SYRIZA took the reins of government, but the outbreak of a deep capitalist crisis, which in our country manifested itself through the rapid inflation of the public debt. The workers and popular strata of Greece were called on to pay, through cuts in public spending for social services, wage reductions, heavy taxation for a public debt they did not create.
In these conditions, the bourgeois political system mobilized all its forces to manage the crisis. Amongst other things it was forced to form a coalition government of all the bourgeois political parties (rightwing and social-democratic) in the context of the harsh anti-people measures that were being pushed through.
Up until that point, social-democratic PASOK represented the "light" (according to PASOK!) and rightwing ND the "darkness". In a matter of a few days, all this changed and they both found themselves in the same government, which amongst other things led to the electoral collapse of PASOK, in just a few short months from 43% to 13% and then later to 4%.
Then, like a "conjurer", the bourgeoisie pulled SYRIZA and a leftwing government from its hat. SYRIZA, which contains forces that had split from the KKE in 1968 (following the eurocommunist current) and 1990 (under the influence of Gorbachev's "new thinking") was every quickly transformed from being a small opportunist party into being the basic vehicle of social-democracy in Greece, absorbing like a "sponge" a lot of the rotten material from PASOK, the previously dominant social-democratic force.
Of course this was not the only change in the political system during the period of the crisis. We saw the emergence of the fascist organization, Golden Dawn, which was supported in various ways by sections of the bourgeois class and its state apparatus. Golden Dawn is the “guard dog” of the bourgeoisie against the labour-people’s movement during the period of the outbreak of the capitalist crisis. The KKE confronts fascist Golden Dawn, fights to isolate it and at the same time struggles against the causes that give rise to fascism.
This was how things are, dear friends and comrades, and the essence is that the government of the "left" with its rightwing nationalist "helper" (ANEL) defended the interests of the country's bourgeois class .It negotiated hard with the EU and IMF for those interests. Not for the workers and people. Its goal was to provide breathing space for the businessmen, either through a reduction of the debt or through allegedly low primary surpluses so that the government can find ways to strengthen "entrepreneurship" and to bring about a recovery in their rate of profit, to return them to profitability. So that in this way some "breadcrumbs" from capitalist growth can fall from the table to some sections of the workers. At the same time, it did not relax the anti-people measures but took new ones that further reduced the price of labour power. Because the "formula" that all the parties follow , which try to manage the crisis of capitalism, whether they are rightwing, social-democratic or "leftwing" is one and the same: financial backing for big capital in every way possible, on the ruins of the workers'-people's rights and gains. It is a reality that even led the Minister of Labour of the SYRIZA government to admit a few days ago that what his government is implementing is "distilled liberalism, which in the past was implemented by Pinochet in Chile".
The Minister confessed in the same statement that this is the direction in the EU as a whole. The "same current" for the reduction of the workers' gains is prevalent everywhere. We express our internationalist solidarity with the French workers and we denounce the social-democratic government of Hollande which via the "El Khomri" law and using intense repression against the struggling workers is demolishing sectoral labour agreements and paving the way for mass dismissals, as well as increasing flexible labour time and increasing the length of the working day
The question also arises that perhaps this EU could change and improve and become more humane. Perhaps a political correlation of forces could be formed inside of it, either through the so-called "alliance of the South", or through the emergence of other "leftwing governments" as SYRIZA and PODEMOS claim so that they could become more equal? Or as some say, less German?
You know this is not a new question. It was tabled in discussions that were held over 100 years ago. In fact it is exactly 100 years since Lenin wrote "On the Slogan for a United States of Europe». In this work, the leader of the October Revolution, stated with clarity that in the conditions of capitalism a United States of Europe would either be reactionary or impossible,. Today Lenin has once again been proved to be relevant, when we examine what is happening in the EU. The onslaught of the exploiters is underway in every EU member-state, all the capitalist states, irrespective of whether they have memoranda or not.
The EU also demonstrates its reactionary nature when together with the USA and NATO it plans and carries out interventions in, for example, Ukraine, indeed utilizing fascist forces there as well, and also when it abolishes the 8 hour day, increases the retirement age and demolishes the social-security funds.
It is not a project that began well but took a wrong turn along the way, as certain opportunist forces claim, like those that are members of the “Party of the European Left" and act as the "leftwing chorus" in defense of the EU. The EU was never a union of the peoples. From the very beginning, as the Coal and Steel Community, then later as the EEC, it was a union of capital. It is a temporary alliance of the bourgeois classes of the EU with aim of exploiting the workers more intensely and also confronting together the other bourgeoisies that are its competitors. It was never a safe haven for the peoples, as the bourgeois parties promised and this was also apparent as regards the outbreak of the capitalist crisis in Greece, where the EU, together with the IMF, the Hellenic Federation of Industries and all shades of bourgeois governments destroyed the workers' social gains one by one.
The goal set by certain political forces, including some CPs in Europe, for the formation of "equal" relations within the EU has no grounding in reality. To begin with, these political forces ignore the chief issue, the class character of the EU, which cannot change, as long as its member-states are governed by the laws of capitalism, the market, capitalist ownership of the means of production and bourgeois power. In addition, they overlook the fact that the EU is a temporary alliance of the bourgeoisies of Europe, formed on the basis of their respective economic, political and military strengths. Relations inside the EU were not and could never be or become equal. They were always characterized by inequality. Indeed, due to the impact of the law of uneven development, the unequal relations between capitalist states are inherent in the imperialist system and there is a constant changing and shifting of the correlation of forces in the capitalist alliance of the EU. So the communists cannot have the safeguarding of equal relations between the capitalist states as their goal.
Nor can the communists and other militant radical people have the enhancement of their country's position within the EU and the imperialist system as a goal. Such a goal would lead them into class collaboration, into collaboration with sections of the bourgeoisie in managing capitalism.
The difficulties in managing the capitalist crisis, the unequal relations and competition inside the EU, inside the states and inside the bourgeoisie of each state itself are factors that lead to the emergence and development of what is known as 'Euroscepticism". But the "Eurosceptic" trend is not just represented by rightwing, nationalist, racist and xenophobic parties in the EU, but is also expressed by parties that have a leftwing label, criticize or reject the EU and Euro, support a national currency and seek other imperialist alliances, with a strategy that operates within the framework of capitalism.
In essence, these forces are calling on the peoples to "mobilize" under a false flag, under the banners of the bourgeoisies or sections of them that seek to improve their position inside the imperialist system.
As you possibly are aware, the KKE even in the years when it was illegal characterized the then EEC as being a "Lions' Den». The KKE was the only political force in Greece that voted against the Maastricht Treaty that transformed the EEC into the EU. We have voted against all the reactionary agreements that followed.
Our party has always confronted the bourgeois forces in Greece as well as the various opportunist forces that supported and extolled the EU. This includes the predecessors of ND and PASOK and also SYRIZA, whatever their names were (ERE, THE CENTER UNION, the so-called "KKE INTERIOR", SYNASPISMOS), that enthusiastically voted for all the reactionary treaties and aligned with this hornets' nest, served the system's plans i.e. the system that gives rise to economic crises, poverty, unemployment and wars.




Today the so-called "European ideal" and "ideal of a united Europe" has unraveled in the people's consciousness, because life in the EEC and EU has clearly demonstrated that this organization does not widen the rights and gains of the workers but on the contrary attacks them, through flexible labour relations, the abolition of the 8 hour day, the privatization of healthcare, education and social security. It is driving the small farmers and livestock farmers off the land, through the CAP. It is bankrupting the urban self-employed, as it supports the activity of the monopolies everywhere.
The communist men and women support the struggle of PAME, the class-oriented movement, in which hundreds of trade unions participate; they support the struggle of the farmers, the urban self-employed, the youth.
Through daily activity, strikes, occupations, dozens of mass demonstrations, the superiority of the class-oriented movement is apparent. This movement comes into conflict with capital, the anti-people political line and government and employer-led trade unionism. It wins over new forces, new trade unions in its efforts to change the correlation of forces, to regroup the movement, to strengthen its mass characteristics, insisting on fighting for demands that correspond to the contemporary needs of the people.
A strong labour movement that fights in an antimonopoly-anticapitalist direction can be the spine of a great social alliance that will gather popular forces together, make its mark on the daily struggles and fight to overthrow capitalist barbarity.
This is the KKE's line of struggle, a party that has formed a revolutionary strategy and has dispensed with the rationale of intermediate transitional stages that operate within the framework of the system and have tormented the communist movement for decades. We fight for socialism and draw strength from this in the daily struggles for the workers'-people's rights, which require self-sacrifice and determination. We argue that the solution for the people is to be found in the unilateral cancellation of the debt, in the rupture and disengagement of the country from the imperialist organizations of the EU and NATO, something that only workers' power can impose for the benefit of the people, which will socialize the means of production and will implement the scientific central planning of the people's economy.
We know very well that our struggle is an international one, is not restricted by national borders, because capital is an international force. For this reason, we seek coordination and joint action with other communist and workers parties. A new form of cooperation between our parties has emerged in the last two years in Europe, in which the KKE, the WPI and dozens of other parties participate and have defined the EU as "the European imperialist centre, supports the aggressive plans against the peoples, and is aligned with the USA and NATO" and take a position against it. Our parties, inside the European Communist Initiative, stress that "there is another development path for the peoples». The perspective of another Europe, the prosperity of the peoples, social progress, democratic rights, equal cooperation, peace, and socialism are highlighted through the workers' struggles."
Dear comrades and friends,
At the end of our introductory intervention, we would like to warmly salute the communist men and women in Britain and Ireland for the struggle they are waging in the upcoming referendum, highlighting the reactionary class character of the EU. We assess that a large section of the working class, popular strata and youth support a vote to leave the EU, in opposition to capital and its power.

16.06.2016

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/We-struggle-for-socialism-and-this-is-what-gives-us-strength-in-the-daily-battles-for-the-workers-peoples-rights/

"Greek and immigrant workers against capitalism that gives rise to crises-wars-refugees"

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This slogan set the tone for this year's weekend of events for Greek and immigrant workers, which was organized by the Attica Party Organization of the KKE in Fix Park, Patissia, on 24-25 of June.

For two days, Greeks , refugees and immigrants not only discusses the causes of their problems but also the solution, the way that is to be found in the political proposal of the KKE, which was presented by Louiza Razou, member of the PB of the CC of the KKE, in the event's central speech.

Young children skillfully presented songs and dances from their homelands and were warmly applauded.
The immigrant communities had their own kiosks, while there was a children's nursery where kids from different countries drew pictures around the same table. The experiences of those who have been uprooted from their homes was stunningly portrayed by theatrical performance that with images and real testimonies expressed the fact that "no one chooses to become a refugee", which was its title. At the end of this performance, the audience united their voices in shouting the slogan "No submission to imperialism, the peoples are the only superpower."

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Greek-and-immigrant-workers-against-capitalism-that-gives-rise-to-crises-wars-refugees/

bolding added

The experiences of those who have been uprooted from their homes was stunningly portrayed by theatrical performance that with images and real testimonies expressed the fact that "no one chooses to become a refugee", which was its title. At the end of this performance, the audience united their voices in shouting the slogan "No submission to imperialism, the peoples are the only superpower."

This is the way to a sane future.

Aleka Papariga- The importance of the critical assessment of the socialist construction in the 20th century

The importance of the critical assessment of the socialist construction in the 20th century for the strengthening of the labor movement and for an effective counter-attack.

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By Aleka Papariga*.
Source: International Communist Review, Issue 2, July 2014.
When we made public the subject of our 18th Congress, which, besides the mandatory overview of our work, included as a special subject our conclusions from socialist construction, several friends of the Party wondered whether it was advisable, under the current conditions and while the signs of the economic capitalist crisis had already become visible in the international scene, to focus on such an important issue which, in their opinion, might not have been at the top of the agenda.
It is not necessary, of course, to remind the reaction raised in the bourgeois press, the ironic and bitter comments of well-known journalists, who were annoyed by our decision to deal with this issue as they knew beforehand why we took such a decision. Their reaction is quite understandable from their point of view; they have a sharp instinct, they catch everything that can give strength and dynamic to the revolutionary movement.
From the very first moment that we realized that the infamous course of perestroika was nothing else but the beginning of the counterrevolution and the temporary defeat of the socialist system, we understood that we had to bear the brunt of giving answers to all progressive people –and to ourselves as well- who were reasonably wondering what happened. Even more so, since it was proved that we were not at all prepared for such a tragic development; we had not anticipated it and, unfortunately, we did not have the appropriate reflexes in order to react, even just before the lowering of the red flag from the Kremlin.

Of course, our Party was not a party in power and therefore we didn’t have any direct responsibility in socialist construction. Nevertheless, our position that regarded our Party as part of the problem was quite correct. Besides, the counterrevolutionary storm affected all communist parties, causing internal crises, splits, complete mutation of several parties, confusion and even existential questions to some others.
During the first period that determined the fate of socialism in the USSR, namely from 1989 until 1991, KKE entered a deep ideological, political and organizational crisis that led to a split, with a significant number of the members of the CC, led by the general secretary of the CC, leaving the Party.
What they were actually supporting was the historical condemnation of the revolutionary movement, of the course of socialist construction and the transformation of the Party to a left opportunist party diffused inside a left alliance, that would restrict itself to certain reforms, to the management of the system.
The crisis brought to the surface the existence of a strong opportunist current in the leadership of the Party which enjoyed the approval of the bourgeois political system. The crisis that KKE went through was not merely an imported crisis. We have never attributed it solely to the victory of the counterrevolution and its impact within the Party. The international developments accelerated its outbreak, but, above all, determined the extent of the losses incurred, in the sense that the bitterness caused by the sudden realisation of the backsliding made it difficult for thousands of communists to see from the very first moment the character of the crisis in the Party and led to their demobilization.
The members of the CC who took an active role in the overcoming of the crisis or realised it during its course, even in the nick of time, should never forget that we had the obligation to have posed this problem clearly to the members of the Party, so as to develop the inner party debate and struggle, where all the members of the Party would be involved and form a true majority. This was dictated by the statutes of our Party, which establishes democratic centralism and guarantees the conditions of inner-party democracy
When the rift in the leadership of the Party has to do with issues of strategy, issues that literally concern the existence of the Party, then the problem cannot be solved by the leading body itself; it can become concealed, although it exists and it can literally dynamite the Party.
Under such conditions, splits are inevitable. A split is not a tragic development in a general and abstract sense. It ultimately leads to the expulsion from the revolutionary Party of all those forces -above all of the cadres- who have chosen the path of compromise, who have chosen to play with the rules of the bourgeois political system. In such cases a split leads to the necessary purging, provided that all possibilities have been exhausted and there’s no other option left.
If we had behaved in a such a fashion on time, without the unjustified fear of a split (under the specific conditions at the national and international levels) many members and several cadres of the party would not have strayed from the right path; they wouldn’t have been led to demobilization in such a critical period for the popular movement in general.
Under the conditions of socialism, right-wing opportunism once again proves itself to be a counterrevolutionary force, a force splitting the revolutionary communist movement. If it is not dealt with on time, if it is underestimated, then it can strike a destructive blow and push the communist movement decades back.
The years 1989-1991 were one of the hardest periods of our Party, even compared with the conditions of illegality or with the defeat in the civil war of 1946-1949. The reason is that these previous periods were marked by the existence of the rising communist movement, the formation of the socialist system in Europe and the improvement in the international correlation of forces. Therefore, the difficulties or the defeat in one country could not create such a profound turbulence and disappointment.
KKE finally managed to find its way relatively on time, mutatis mutandis of course; it managed to overcome the crisis, to stand on its own feet and maintain, even during that period that all signs were against us, a reputation and an influence among the people.
The class enemy embraced the cadres who left the party with all its mechanisms and in all its forms; helping them systematically, while launching, at the same time, an open anti-communist campaign against KKE, using all ideological and political means, as well as the most vile slander.
The course of other fraternal communist parties that did not bring the crisis to the surface shows that they did not ultimately avoid adventures. Some of them chose to leave aside the problem of the victory of the counterrevolution, due to the fear of a possible or certain split and engaged in the daily struggle for the immediate and vital problems, without, however, renewing their programme after the enormous negative changes.
Irrespective of their wishes and desires, irrespective of their intentions (of course, in certain cases, the intentions were not at all innocent) they had troubles in due course and they still have, as they are exposed to significant and irreconcilable contradictions. A communist party cannot cope with the immediate issues, let alone the medium-term ones, if it does not chart a clear line towards socialism. It will be a trip without prospect that will finally lead to assimilation, to the difficulty to meet the challenges that the daily problems pose.
Nowadays, 20 years after the split, under the conditions of a worldwide defeat of the revolutionary movement (temporary, but deep and with long-term consequences), KKE has regrouped itself organisationally, ideologically and politically. It has an increasing political influence; it plays a significant role in the class struggle in our country, while it makes efforts for the regroupment of the international communist movement. On the contrary, the political organisation of opportunism, despite the support it enjoys, has not managed to increase its political influence; it suffers from internal disputes over its tactics, it constantly seeks “renewal”, appealing mainly to several highly-paid segments of the civil servants and to well-placed Intellectuals. We do not underestimate them. Our struggle includes a firm ideological political front against the opportunist views that, under the conditions of imperialism, can strengthen and poison the rising radicalism which has a dynamic tendency under the conditions of the capitalist economic crisis. Even if it is not shaped organisationally, due to its relationship with social democracy, opportunism, as a branch of bourgeois ideology, is always dangerous and corrosive, both in periods of the movement’s decline or counterattack. It is for that reason that opportunist ideas are acceptable among liberal and social democratic parties, even when they criticise the political representatives of such ideas, especially in periods that they seek open and not covert allies. When they have to face a revolutionary communist party, they need them either as views or as supporters of parties that serve as an obstacle to the popular movement. Opportunists are always useful for the system. Both the past and the recent history of the movement in Greece offer plentiful examples.
From the very first moment that the ideological-political unity of KKE was restored at the end of 1991, we realised that the strengthening of KKE, its influence on socio-political developments would be impossible unless we provided answers regarding the objective and subjective causes for the victory of the counterrevolution; unless we reached conclusions; unless we answered above all to the working class of our country whether our choice to defend socialism, the October revolution and the USSR was correct or not.
We do not forget that thousands of Greek communists were murdered, executed, because they chose not to save their life by signing a statement condemning the CPSU, the USSR and Stalin. We had to assume our responsibility to give an answer to the thousands of questions posed by the members of the party and KNE, by the friends and supporters of the party, but also by well-intentioned people. We have always felt as an integral part of the international communist movement that has a share both in the positive, as well as in its negative aspects.
We knew that it was a difficult and responsible task to give answers to an issue of world importance, given that it was not possible to cooperate initially with the communist parties of the former socialist countries since they had been dissolved or mutated.
We established relations with new communist parties that were founded in these countries, as well as with Marxist scientists. We managed to collect a significant portion of the material from the discussions held within the CPSU and the scientific institutes, of the different views on the course of the socialist construction, especially after World War II. At the same time, we linked this problem to the international conditions, the international correlation of forces, as well as the situation that existed in the international communist movement.
Examining things nowadays, after a considerable time interval has elapsed since 1991, we realise how beneficial and crucial has been our choice to focus our research not merely to the last period, but to the entire course from the very beginning, from the victory of the October Revolution, after we had specified in our Congress that we do not have to do with a collapse, but with a counterrevolution that used perestroika as its vehicle.
It was really a bold decision since we knew that it would be a gigantic task; we had to carry out a scientific investigation, not a superficial or emotional approach, of the entire course of socialist construction in the field of the socialist relations of production, in the field of the economy and not merely at the level of the political superstructure as many parties did.
We realised that we had to examine the entire course of the unprecedented task of socialist construction, as it was not possible for the founders of scientific socialism-communism to predict the progress of socialist construction and the new problems that would arise. Our decision to begin at the origin of things, our awareness that the counterrevolution was not merely the result of external factors, but also had roots within the very socialist countries, did not lead us to the rejection of the socialism that was constructed. From the very first moment we underlined its superiority, its great, valuable, irreplaceable contribution in international developments, in the struggle of the working class and the peoples. Our investigation confirmed and consolidated the contribution of the socialist system led by the country where socialism was constructed for the first time, namely the USSR.
In 1995, after having taken into account the opinions and the comments of the communist parties, with which we had relations at the international level, we held a national Party Conference (following an inner party discussion) that discussed and voted a document with the first conclusions regarding the objective and subjective causes of the counterrevolution.
Of course, this document left many issues about the socialist economy and the superstructure unanswered. Nevertheless, it provided us with an essential material that allowed us to defend in an aggressive fashion Marxist-Leninist theory and the theory of scientific socialism in general. We highlighted in a critical fashion the mistakes that were made, the basis that enabled their development, the way in which mistaken assessments and choices paved the way for the opportunist deviation. This document was mainly based on the material from the socialist construction in the USSR. This does not mean that our investigation is not extended to the other socialist countries. However, it was practically easier to focus on the first country that provided the experience of socialist construction.
The 1995 resolution provided us with the position that socialism had in fact been constructed, as opposed to the view arguing that state capitalism and workers’ bureaucracy existed in the USSR. It provided us with the position that the counterrevolution had started from the top, from the parties in power themselves.
We concluded that the 20th Congress of the CPSU constituted a turning point towards the strengthening of the counterrevolutionary forces, followed by the subsequent economic reforms of 1965.
After 1995 we turned a new page in the deeper study of socialist construction, using a more extended bibliography, increasing our cooperation with communist scientists from countries that had constructed socialism, as well as with communist parties, organising seminars and trips, using extensive material which has been translated with the assistance of Marxist scientists.
The CC elaborated for a long period a new more comprehensive document that focused on the socialist relations of production, on the field of the socialist economy and in 2008 we formulated a draft document which was discussed two times within the party down to the level of the Party Base Organisations and in KNE.
We collected comments, questions, even opinions that expressed a different viewpoint and then this document became a pre-congress document and a separate subject in the 18th Congress that took place in February 2009. The draft text of the theses was sent to all communist parties with which we maintain relations and we asked for their comments and reflections.
We were conscious of the fact that such a big issue that determines the character and the strategy of the Party should not be merely a document of the CC, but that it should be approved by the Congress of our Party.
The discussion within the party and KNE turned a new page in our action; it changed to a great extent the atmosphere within and around the party, within KNE, among the young people that approach the Party and experience an anti-communist storm. The young people who were born either a little before perestroika or after the overthrow are more vulnerable to the reactionary, un-scientific propaganda.
The pre-congress discussion created an atmosphere of confidence that KKE is able to examine with courage and boldness major theoretical issues, to take self-critical positions, to level criticism without resorting to nihilism and the ad-nauseam reference to “mistakes”, without allowing the class enemy and opportunism to utilize this criticism at the expense of the movement.
As it is mentioned in the 18th Congress, bourgeois polemics against the communist movement, appearing quite often in the form of intellectual elitism, are aimed against the revolutionary core of the working class movement. It fights in general against the necessity of revolution and its political product, the dictatorship of the proletariat, that is the revolutionary working class state-power. In particular, it fights against the product of the first victorious revolution, the October Revolution in Russia, struggling with fierceness against every phase where the Revolution exposed and combatted counter-revolutionary activities, the opportunist supports, which ultimately, directly or indirectly, weakened the Revolution, both at social and political levels.
Nowadays in the modern capitalist societies, in the societies of monopoly capitalism, the material preconditions for the transition to socialism-communism have matured to a great extent, namely there is concentration of production and working class. Unevenness is definitely an important element for the designation of strategic duties e.g. alliances, prediction of the chain that can accelerate the intensification of the contradictions. Nevertheless, unevenness does not justify a different strategic goal, namely a state power different from the workers’ state power; it does not justify an intermediate power between the capitalist and the worker’s state power. The class character of the worker’s state power that the communist party strives is given. Of course it will have to pursue a policy of alliances and maneuver in order to gather and prepare forces.
KKE expresses this position with its line for the anti-imperialist anti-monopoly democratic front, as an alliance of the working class with the small and medium sized farmers and the self-employed. However, the very communist party should not confuse the line for the gathering of forces with its strategic goal; it should not give up its independent, ideological-political strategic position, its independent organizational entity due to its participation in the various forms of the organizations of the alliance.
KKE made such mistakes in the past. We have draw conclusions collectively that, in our opinion, are of international importance.
Uneven development means uneven political and social development; it means that the preconditions for the outbreak of the revolutionary situation can emerge sooner in a country or a group of countries, which under specific conditions may constitute the “weakest link” in the imperialist system. This is particularly important nowadays, that developments and reshufflings take place in the imperialist system and the contradictions intensify both in within the countries as well as in the imperialist system. Thus, we consider that every Communist Party and the working class of each country have the internationalist duty to contribute to the international class struggle, by successfully utilizing the nationwide crisis for the destabilization–overthrow of the bourgeois power, for the conquest of power and the socialist construction.
In the program of our party, which was formed in the 15th Congress, we state that the coming revolution in Greece will be a socialist revolution.
Irrespective of the size of the country, its position in the international imperialist system, irrespective of which continent it belongs to, we consider that the new society, the socialist relations which are formed by the revolutionary workers’ state power do have common characteristics. We do not agree with the views arguing about different “models” of socialism and the “national peculiarities” that negate the laws. The reality in each society e.g. the size of the rural population, the level of the means of production etc does not negate the general tendencies and principles.
Another crucial issue is to form a unitary perception on a fundamental issue, that is whether the new socialist relations can emerge through reforms, without the profound clash-overthrow with the bourgeois power and its bodies.
Although it has been dealt with, both theoretically and practically, it arises again and exerts pressure on communist parties, that often declare their faith to Marxism Leninism. It is a fundamental issue for the strategy of the communist movement.
In our opinion, the action of the worker’s and people’s masses during the revolutionary situation entails the challenging-clash with all the bodies of the bourgeoisie till their demolition and the formation of the new organs of the worker’s state power.
Only in that way can the bourgeoisie lose its political power, its domination; only in that way can we beat its resistance since it has never given up its power voluntarily. The concept of the socialist revolution does not restrict to the overthrow of the bourgeois power but
extends during the entire course for the consolidation and dominance of the communist relations, till the complete eradication of the classes.
One of the most significant conclusions is the highlighting of the character of the socialist society as an undeveloped form, as an initial stage of the communist society.
We saw that, although Marx, Engels and Lenin had a clear theoretical position on the character of socialism, in practice this position was interpreted so as to suggest a consummate distinct society whose development would lead to communism.
Irrespective of intentions, this arbitrary division of the communist society into socialist and communist societies constituted the basis for the strengthening of opportunist views, both in the field of the socialist relations of production, as well as in the field of the superstructure. It undermined the character of the dictatorship of the proletariat, of nationwide planning; it undermined the character of the Communist Party, as an ideological political vanguard of the working class during the consolidation and the development of the new society. It undermined the character of the central planning and finally led to the weakening of the socialist relations of production, instead of their reinforcement. On this basis, we can explain the strengthening of the counterrevolutionary forces on the political superstructure.
Our party believes that according to the theory of Marxism Leninism as well, socialism is the immature communism, that is the lower stage of the communist society; namely communism, which is just coming from the bowels of capitalism and has to be based on the economic-technical basis inherited by capitalism.
Nevertheless, the main laws of the communist society are valid in socialism: the socialization of the concentrated means of production, the expanded reproduction aiming at the satisfaction of the social needs, the central planning, the workers’ control, and to some extent the distribution according to the needs (e.g education, healthcare etc). Due to the very immature character of socialism, a part of the social product (those destined for individual consumption) is distributed according to the principle “to each according to its labour”.
We take into account the theoretical struggle in the USSR and we will continue our investigation on this issue.
However, our party believes that the perception and the policy which regards the law of value as the basis for the distribution of the social production constitute a violation of the socialist relations. The specific, temporary choice to give a higher remuneration to the specialized and managerial labour is a different issue. In socialism the only “measure” of labour is the labour time, that symbolizes the planned individual contribution to the formation of the total social product. We highlight the need to investigate further the issues that concern the wage policy followed in the USSR and the other countries of Eastern and Central Europe.
The starting point of the socialist construction is the immediate socialization of the concentrated means of production. Taking into account the current dimensions of the capitalist economy, we refer to the strategic sectors that capitalism itself has concentrated into huge stock companies and monopoly groups. New Economic Policy is utilised nowadays in order to justify the extended concessions to the capitalist relations, as in China, where they have now dominated, and in the USSR in the last years of the 1980s.
We believe that NEP was a specific particularity in Soviet Russia after the civil war and the foreign intervention. Lenin regarded that NEP had a short–term character, as a need for the transition from war communism due to the imperialist intervention and the civil war. The prospect of the abolition of NEP in the near future was clear for Lenin.
The point is that the workers’ revolutionary power must plan and act with the aim to abolish the exploitative relation between salaried labour and capital. In that sense, we consider impossible the long coexistence of communist and capitalist relations in the framework of the socialist construction. As the experience in the USSR showed, the question “who-whom” will soon emerge in practice.
Communist production – even in its immature stage – is directly social production: the division of labour does not take place for exchange, it is not effected through the market, and the products of labour that are individually consumed are not commodities.
Commodity money relations cease to exist with the eradication of the elements of the old system that reproduce them. This is not realised spontaneously but consciously, through the policy of the workers’ state power. This means that the dictatorship of the proletariat must have a policy for the eradication of the elements of the old society and the participation of every individual labour to the direct social labour.
We accept the existence of commodity money relations in the exchange of products between the socialist and cooperative production. Nevertheless, the direction of the socialist construction must be the eradication of the commodity-money relations and it should be followed by the appropriate policy, namely by measures for the acceleration of the process of merging the smallest forms of cooperatives with bigger ones, for the development of bigger forms of cooperatives, their maturation -from the view point of material conditions- so as to pass to the direct social production.
We understand that several countries as for instance Greece, which has relatively wider strata of small commodity producers (e.g. in agriculture), require the alliance with such strata during the process of the socialist construction to be ensured through the productive cooperatives that will be subjugated to the central planning, as a transitional form aiming at the formation of the material and subjective conditions for the substantial participation of the self employed in the direct social production, for the complete socialization of the means of production.
We support the principle of the central planning in the economy, production and the distribution of the manpower and the distribution of the products of the socialist production and we believe that nowadays we should investigate how the Communist party can guarantee in each phase the timely and complete utilisation of scientific technical achievements in the central planning, so as to express the socialist laws as a product of the subjective factor and therefore function effectively as regards the goals of the extended socialist production and distribution.
From this point of view, we regard, as mistaken the political choice, that held sway after the 20th Congress of the CPSU and especially after 1965, regarding the utilization of the mechanisms and the laws of the market for the correction of mistakes and the overcoming of shortcomings in the central planning (e.g. enterprise profits, establishment of enterprises’ self-management etc.).
In socialism at the level of power corresponds the revolutionary dictatorship of the working class which is a prerequisite for the transformation of the social relations and above all of the relations of production and the superstructure as well. Dictatorship of the proletariat , despite the slanders of the bourgeois and petty- bourgeois propaganda, is the very type of state that manages to de-marginalise the proletarian masses as opposed to the bourgeois parliamentarianism. The attraction of workers’ masses to the organs of the state power, which are built on a productive base, in social services etc, has to do with the ability of party and the confirmation of its revolutionary leading role in practice. In these organs, with the assistance of the respective party organizations, the working class learns how to perform the three functions of power: how to decide, how to perform and how to control. Another special issue for the revolutionary workers’ power is to attract the non proletarian or semi-proletarian strata to the prospect of socialism. This entails the plan of respective organs e.g. in the cooperatives, in the self-employed.
The Resolution of the 18th Congress on socialism signalled the transition to a new phase of ideological and political counterattack.
The investigation of socialist construction helped us to enrich our perception on socialism that we had elaborated in 1996 in the 15th Congress of our Party.
The document on socialism does not merely help us to answer to the class enemy. This is one aspect, but we didn’t have only this goal. Having clarified in the collective consciousness of the party what socialist construction is, how the problems of socialization, of social stratification, of the class struggle that sharpens are being solved, what happens with commodity-money relations, with planning and programming, with worker’s control, we can improve today our ability to link our tactics with our strategy, to propagate to the people our alternative which is linked with the problem of power.
When we highlight the gains that were achieved under socialism, that despite the mistakes, the omissions and objective obstacles due to the negative correlation of forces were unprecedented and incomparable to those of the working people under capitalism, we not only expose the slanders, but we also prove that there exist possibilities to solve workers’ and people’s problems, that there is a solution and a prospect.
We give a substantive content to our struggle against bourgeois ideology, against reformism and opportunism.
International opportunism has regrouped itself in Europe through the European Left Party, utilizing the victory of the counterrevolution, the disappointment and the confusion that followed. In other continents e.g. in America it tries to promote the social democratic perception on socialism and to manipulate radical progressive parties and movements that are in a process of awakening.
The Greek communists who have accumulated experience of 92 years of continuous struggle do not have the right to forget that the bourgeoisie supports every ideological and political deviation from the principles and the laws of the revolutionary movement, of the theory of scientific socialism. The attack of the bourgeoisie focuses on the issues of “socialist democracy” and is particularly intolerant vis-a-vis the period in which the socialist base of the USSR was constructed, because it was that period that determined the victory of socialism.
As it is stressed in the Resolution of the 18th Congress “We examine things in a critical and self-critical manner so as to make KKE, as part of the international communist movement, stronger in the struggle for the overthrow of capitalism, for the construction of socialism. We are studying and judging the course of socialist construction in a self-critical manner, that is with full consciousness that our weaknesses, theoretical shortcomings and mistaken evaluations also constituted part of the problem.”

We move on to the further study and enrichment of our programmatic perception on socialism, with collective spirit, awareness of the difficulties and the shortcomings and class determination. We accept that the future historical study by our Party and the communist movement internationally will definitely shed more light to the experience from the USSR and the other socialist countries. Some of our assessments might need to be completed, improved or deepened. Furthermore, the development of the theory of socialism-communism is a necessity, a living process, a challenge both for our Party and the international communist movement, nowadays but also in the future.
*Aleka Papariga was the General Secretary of the CC of KKE from 1991 to 2013. She is currently member of the CC.

http://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/07/aleka-papariga-importance-of-critical.html

KKE: "The Warsaw Summit proved the criminal role of NATO"

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

"Pro-Peace declarations with dangerous heated-war decisions".
Source: 902.gr / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

The Summit of NATO in Warsaw proved, once again, the criminal role of this imperialist organisation, which decided:

- the further concentration and redeployment of wartime military forces to countries which border with Russia,

- the completion of the installation and operation of the so-called "Missile Shield" with bases in Romania, Poland, with the naval support and general infrastructure connected to the use of nuclear weapons in a destructive showdown. Its not accidental that the Declaration of the Summit's conclusions states the readiness of NATO to use nuclear weapons,

- the permanency and strengthening of NATO's presense in the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea, North Atlantic, in the Aegean and the Mediterranean, by using for the later two sea regions the pretext of controlling the refugee waves which are created and strengthened by the imperialist wars and the painful consequences against the people.

- the continuation of (NATO's) presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, in West Balkans, Caucasus, North Africa as far as the intense presence of NATO in these areas is connected to the continuation of the military operations in Syria (and) the preparation of a new intervention in Libya.

The decisions of NATO and the deepening of the collaboration with the imperialist EU, (decisions) which are taken in the name of "peace" and "security", have obviously no relation with the actual interests of the people, but only for the "security" of the profitability of the Euro-American monopolies.

The KKE denounces the SYRIZA-ANEL government, which readily and actively participates in all the above dangerous plans of the US, NATO and EU, which in the context of their antagonism with Russia can cause a real holocaust to the people of Europe and generally.

It is now required to invigorate the struggle against Greece's involvement in NATO's heated-war plans, for the exit of our country from NATO's "hornet's nest" and every imperialist alliance, in order to make reality the slogan "Neither soil nor water to the peoples' murderers".
Αναρτήθηκε από In Defense of Communism

http://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/07/kke-warsaw-summit-proved-criminal-role.html

Speech of the KKE at a meeting on Anti-communism

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On the 29th of June, the CP of Ukraine organized a meeting on the margins of the Summit of the Human Rights’ Council of the UN against anti-communism, the persecution at the expense of the CPU and the attempts to rehabilitate Nazism and its supporters in Ukraine. The KKE was invited to this meeting and its representative, Vangelis Katsiavas, cadre of the KKE’s delegation in the European Parliament, made an intervention as did the President of the CP Ukraine, Pyotr Simonenko and a representative of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers.
The speech of the KKE’s representative is as follows:
“INTERVENTION AT THE EVENT ON THE "GLORIFICATION OF NAZISM"

We would like to thank you greatly for the invitation to this exceptionally interesting discussion.

In the recent period we have been facing a coordinate effort in Europe to support and reinforce nationalist, racist forces, far-right groups and openly fascist parties, such as, for example, the criminal-Nazi organization "Golden Dawn" in Greece and similar organizations in France, Britain, Austria, Hungary, Ukraine etc. This rise is not only due to the grave consequences of the burdens thrust on the working class and poor popular strata by the capitalists so that they can overcome the capitalist crisis in the EU or to the sharpening of the refugee drama caused by the wars of the imperialists. The other half of the truth that the apologists of capitalism are trying to conceal is that the fascist, racist parties enjoy the multifaceted support of the EU, bourgeois governments and sections of capital in various countries. Anti-communism is the official ideology of the EU, spearheaded by the equation of communism with the fascist monster, the attempts to rewrite and falsify history that was written by the peoples with their blood and struggles, with the communists and the world's first socialist state, the Soviet Union, in the front line.

From the anti-communist memorandum of the Council of Europe in 2005 to the motion of the European Parliament in 2009 about "European Consciousness and Totalitarianism", the proclamation by the EU of the 23rd of August as a "day of memory for the victims of Nazism and Stalinism", the attempt to transform the 9th of May from being a day to celebrate Anti-fascist Victory of the Peoples into a "day of Europe", i.e. of the EU, and all the other anti-communist statements and decisions of the EU, we are facing a provocative falsification of historical truth. A project that is being funded with hundreds of millions of Euros from the EU budget, such as the creation of the "House of History", which is expected to start functioning next year or the programme "Europe for the citizens", which is mainly targeted at schools, school-students, local government institutions, NGOs. Both plans target the consciousness of the youth so that they are systematically poisoned with anti-communism, slanders against the countries where socialism was constructed, excuses for or the whitewashing of the Nazi-fascist crimes. For example, the recent organized efforts-which were even promoted at the well-known song contest- to glorify Tatars that collaborated with the Nazis and slander the period when the Soviet state was headed by Stalin, cannot go unnoticed.
They target the past but chiefly the future so that communist ideology and activity are stigmatized, as precursor for an overall onslaught against the labour-people's movement, so that they can manipulate and control the consciousness of the younger generations. In the countries that experienced socialism, the workers who today are face to face with the savage anti-people policies of the exploitative capitalist system are seriously reflecting and comparing their rights and gains in both systems.

A second and serious aspect of the anti-communist campaign of the EU is the justification of the criminal character of Nazism-fascism in the consciousness of the people, concealing the fact that fascism is the awful creation of the capitalist exploitation of man by man. Fascism was always the armed hand of the capitalists against the labour-people's movement and the communists, this remains true today. Historical experience has demonstrated that it is impossible to uproot fascism if capitalism itself is not uprooted, because fascism is capitalism's inhuman, awful and revolting form. Anti-communism, the persecutions against the CPs and the communists are always accompanied by savage anti-people measures, which today are being taken in all the EU member-states and go hand in hand with support for racist, nationalist and fascist parties.

It is no accident that all the member-states of the EU in November 2015 abstained from the motion adopted at the General Assembly of the UN "against the glorification of Nazism, Neo-Nazism and other practices That Contribute to Fueling Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.” Indeed, we should note that the stance of abstention-in full convergence with all the other EU governments-was observed by the Greek government of SYRIZA-ANEL that has a "left" label. The same stance was observed by the previous ND-PASOK government on the last motion last year. Their argument that "they are concerned" that perhaps these measures will negatively affect the right to free speech and assembly is provocatively false. Laws have been passed in a number of EU countries that outlaw and criminalize the activity of communists, communist ideology and even the use of communist symbols. We did not seed in these instances any sensitivity on the part of SYRIZA or the other EU governments, or even more on the part of the EU. Quite the opposite. The EU and the other governments support and encourage the persecution against communists and CPs. Despite the dozens of questions tabled to the EU bodies by the Delegation of the KKE in the European Parliament in relation to the measures being taken in the various EU member-states against the communists, not one word has been said by them about this over this entire period. Lets only mention a most recent example: The EU Commission in its reply to the KKE's question on the criminal attacks of fascist gangs against the Secretary of the Union of Leninist Communist Youth of Ukraine and the First Secretary of the City Committee of Kiev and other cadres of the organization claimed that "The partnership agreement between the EU and Ukraine is based on common values, especially the full respect for democratic principles, the rule of law, solid governance, human rights and fundamental freedoms", at a moment when life itself has demonstrated that the specific agreement legitimized the systematic attacks and state repression and also ratified the existing anti-communist laws and the outlawing of the political activity of the communists after the trial-parody which decided on the banning of the CP of Ukraine last December.

However, we should also look at the situation in a number of EU countries, especially those where capitalism was restored after the victory of the counterrevolution.
Known fascists have ascended to positions in government. The revival of fascist parties and gangs is being financed at the same time that anti-communism is on the rise.

In the Baltic countries the bourgeois parties govern in coalition with those have nostalgia for fascism, communist symbols have been criminalized, and communist political activity is a criminal offense. The parliament in Latvia has officially rehabilitated the SS and provided pensions to its surviving members. In contrast, the armed resistance to the Nazis is considered a crime. Former partisans like 80 year old, Vasili Kononof, were brought before the courts on the charges that they killed Nazi collaborators during World War II!

Thousands of war criminals and armed Nazi collaborators have been declared symbols of the "National Resistance"!I.e. those that in 1941-44 fought at the side of the Hitlerites, as foot soldiers of the Waffen SS, in the so-called "Auxiliary Police" (Schummo), the Estonian division of the SS, playing a leading role in the Nazi crimes: the burning of villages, mass executions of civilians, and chiefly the holocaust of Jews and Gypsies. Finally, hundreds of thousands of people in these countries who - either they themselves or their parents-moved to this region as workers in the framework of the Soviet Union have been characterized "non-indigenous" and are deprived of all political and basic social rights.

There is a similar situation in other countries, in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania etc, with multifaceted attempts to criminalize communism, even outlawing communist symbols.

In Poland, for example, members and cadres of the CP of Poland were recently condemned to up to 9 months in prison, because the dissemination of their ideas via the newspaper and the website of the CP of Poland, with the rotten accusations about the "public promotion of a totalitarian system». It is no accident that this year's Summit Meeting of NATO is being held in July, focusing on, amongst other things, the installation of the anti-missile shield in Eastern-Central Europe, in combination with the upgrading of the presence of NATO's forces in the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea in competition with Russia.

A final and very recent example for the European Parliament, where on the 14th of June, an exhibition was organized to honour the known Nazi Croatian Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, a supporter of the Ustasha regime during the Nazi occupation of Yugoslavia, a war criminal condemned for his participation in pogroms against Serbs, Jews, Gypsies and other nationalities.

The conclusions, we think, are obvious. The EU, bourgeois classes and parties of bourgeois management play a leading role in anti-communism, the falsification of history, the persecutions against CPs and communists, the criminalization of their activity and communist ideology. The opportunist parties also add grist to the mill of anti-communism, as well as the new-style social-democratic parties of the ELP, by identifying with the EU propaganda about "totalitarian regimes" and "Stalinist crimes".

Anti-communism is sharpening as the onslaught of the EU's business groups becomes ever more savage against the working class and the popular strata with the aim of promoting their positions in their fierce monopoly competition with other imperialist centres and powerful capitalist states. The justification, whitewashing and exoneration of Nazism-fascism are an obvious consequence of the anti-communist campaign. This is fertile ground for the development of racist, fascist parties in all the EU member-states. It is not at all accidental that these parties are using the entire anti-communist arsenal of the EU in order to attack communist ideology and communists in order to promote their rotten and disgusting fascist ideas. We can see this clearly from Holland (Party for Freedom) to France (National Front/Le Pen).From Greece with the Nazi criminal gang of "Golden Dawn" and the recently established National Unity party to Italy with the (Lega Nord), from Finland (True Finns) to Hungary (Jobbik). In any case, it is anti-communism that brings neo-liberals, social-democrats and neo-fascists into governmental coalitions in a common front against the working class, with reactionary policies that are labeled "reforms".

We experienced the imperialist intervention of the EU and its allies, the USA and NATO in Ukraine in order to defend the interests of its monopoly groups in conflict with the corresponding ones of Russia. They supported the ascendance via a coup to governmental power of reactionary forces in collaboration with armed fascist gangs, in a form of historical revanchism against the results of World War II, elevating anti-communism into being an official state policy and prettifying the fascist gangs, their criminal ideology and activity, promoting the division of the people of Ukraine. The illusions of the opportunists that there could be another "better EU", "another better partnership agreement between the EU and Ukraine" are dangerous. The EU, like every capitalist inter-state union, is a predatory alliance that has a deeply reactionary character, cannot become people-friendly, always acts against the working class and people's rights.

The KKE with its activity in the European Parliament, with protests and marches practically expressed its support and solidarity with the communists of Ukraine, as it does in any case with the communists and CPs of Europe and elsewhere, which face persecution and the onslaught of the bourgeois state. For this reason, it incurred the rage of the reactionary regime of Ukraine, which via Presidential decree imposed sanctions, amongst those imposed on other people, political figures, MPs, journalists, lawyers, on an MEP, an MP and another cadre of the KKE on false and baseless charges.

Our party calls on the labour-people's movement to struggle and international solidarity in order to defend democratic rights and popular freedoms in the framework of capitalism. There is a place for all well-intentioned people in this struggle, who understand that the persecutions against communists and the CPs are am attack on the peoples as a whole and their freedoms. The peoples of Europe can draw conclusions. Their rights and freedoms are in constant danger as long as the monopolies are in power, in a suffocating framework, as the repressive mechanisms are increasing in size at a national level and in the EU. For this reason, the issue of struggling to abolish the anticommunist persecution and defending democratic rights is integrally connected to the struggle for the people to take power so that, freed from the shackles of every capitalist inter-state union, the way can be paved for real people's freedom and sovereignty in an economy and society that serves the people's needs.”

11.07.2016

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Speech-of-the-KKE-at-a-meeting-on-Anti-communism/

They refused to relieve the people from their debts to the banks

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The SYRIZA-ANEL government as well as the bourgeois opposition parties, with a common line in defense of capital, but using a "variety" of arguments, rejected the draft law of the KKE for the relief of popular families from their debts to the banks in the full session of parliament on the 14/7.
Their class choice in favour of the banks and business groups became clear in the discussion and at the same time they were scornful of the KKE's proposal, because it presupposed that the bankers and capital would pay the costs for the measures to provide substantial relief to the working class and popular families. Their goal is to force the people to live with diminished expectations and demands, to live destitute wretched lives, with the noose of indebtedness, which is increasing due to unemployment, very high taxation, reductions in salaries and pensions etc.
The speeches of the KKE's MPs hammered this political line and called on the people to adopt the proposals contained in the party's draft law in order to struggle for their implementation, coming into conflict with capital, the EU, their political line and parties.

15.07.2016

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/They-refused-to-relieve-the-people-from-their-debts-to-the-banks/

The EU does not condemn the anticommunist persecution in Poland, but even seeks to justify it

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The answer of the EU commission is unacceptable in relation to the question of the KKE’s delegation in the European Parliament regarding the unacceptable decisions of the Polish courts against members and cadres of the CP of Poland, with sentences of up to 9 months in prison, because it is considered an “offense” and crime to disseminate their ideas in the “Brzask” newspaper and the website www.kompol.org. Not only did it not condemn the anticommunist persecution, but it even attempted to legally justify it by invoking the non-application of the reactionary EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. While the Commission and other EU bodies are very noisy in other instances that are convenient for their interests, in the face of the anticommunist hysteria it pretends to “wash its hands of it”. While it presents itself as being … sensitive and an unsolicited “defender of human rights”, intervening in the internal affairs of states all over the world, using all forms of imperialist interventions and pressure, it finds nothing to say about anticommunist persecution and bans.
The EU’s stance is no surprise, as it plays a leading role in the anticommunist campaign and clears the way for its governments, justifying and in practice applauding the laws that are being pushed forwards on the basis of its own anticommunist guidelines and ahistorical declarations. The government of Poland is providing its credentials both to the EU and NATO, whose recent summit it hosted, via these persecutions. We are referring to a NATO Summit that took dangerous decisions at the expense of the people. This is their class-based democracy, the dictatorship of capital.
The KKE will intensify its struggle so that the people will denounce and isolate the anti-communism of the EU and its government, so that they seek to learn the historical truth that will shine brightly against the anticommunist persecution and bans, against the ahistorical distortion of socialism and the provocative slanders at the expense of the communists. Solidarity with the Polish communists. Hands off the CP of Poland.
The answer of the EU Commission
The answer of the EU Commission, in full, to the question of K. Papadakis, is as follows:
(…)

EN
E-003067/2016
Answer given by Ms Jourová
on behalf of the Commission
(13.7.2016)


Freedom of expression and information is a fundamental right enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The Commission seeks to ensure respect for those rights within its powers under the EU Treaties.

According to its Article 51(1), the EU Charter applies to Member States only when they are implementing European Union law.

The issue raised by the Honourable Member does not pertain to the implementation of Union law. Therefore the Charter is not applicable.

The question to the Commission with a demand for a written reply, which was tabled by the MEP of the KKE, K. Papadakis, was as follows:
"Recently members and cadres of the CP of Poland were convicted by the regional court of Dąbrowa Górnicza to prison sentences of up to 9 months, many months of "limited freedom" and compulsory social work and also fines, because the dissemination of their ideas through the newspaper "Brzask" and the website www.kompol.org is considered to be an "offense" and a "crime".The court in order to convict them, following the anticommunist positions of the Polish authorities, utilized rotten and groundless accusations regarding "the public promotion of a totalitarian system". This is part of their attempt to cancel and slander the gains of the workers under socialism, the right to work, labour and social rights. The Polish authorities have for some years provocatively banned the communist symbols and now convict the communists, invoking "democratic values".
Similar anti-communist persecution, convictions and bans against CPs have also been imposed in other EU member states, with the open support of the EU which has elevated anticommunism into being its official ideology, something that goes hand in hand with the intensification of the anti-people onslaught. Now there is enough evidence so that everyone can understand what the EU's declarations about the "values of freedom and democracy" really mean.
The Commission is asked: Are the banning and persecution of the communist ideology, the criminalization of the expression of communist ideas and of the activity of communists imposed by the authorities and government of Poland part of the EU's "values"?

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-EU-does-not-condemn-the-anticommunist-persecution-in-Poland-but-even-seeks-to-justify-it/

Greece: Communists honor the victims of the nuclear holocaust in Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Statement by the KKE

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With mass gatherings and rallies in Athens and Thessaloniki, the Greek Committee for International Peace and Detente (EEDYE) honors the victims of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki nuclear crime.

In the afternoon of August 9th, a political event have been scheduled in the shadow of the Athens Acropolis, marking the 71th anniversary of the imperialist crime in Japan. The major slogan of the event is "To condemn the US crime in Hiroshima-Nagasaki" and "Condemn the Imperialist Wars and Intervention". A similar event will take place in Thessaloniki's city center.

On the occasion of the 71 years since the dropping of the atomic bombs in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (6-8 August 1945), the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued the following statement:

This year marks the 71th anniversary of the US imperialist crime in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where hundreds of people lost their lives from the atomic bombs, while thousands continue to die every year because of radiation consequences.

Today, 71 years later, in the soil of capitalist crisis the antagonisms between states and monopolies are sharpening for the distribution of markets and natural resources; especially in our broader region, the danger of a generalized war with Greece's involution is growing. A proof of that is the interventions, the dozens of local and regional wars with people being the victims and with thousands refugees and uprooted (people). What is emerging is the need for the working-class movement to have a steadily orientation against the imperialist war and the causes which create it.

The SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government, like the previous governments, readily and actively participates in all the dangerous plans of the US, NATO, EU which, in the framework of their competition with Russia can cause a real holocaust for Europe's people and broader. (The government) supported the recent NATO decisions, the deepening of the collaboration with the imperialist EU, which under the pretext of “peace” and “security”, are seeking the “security” of the Euro-American monopolies against the peoples' rights.

Capitalism isn't humanized, cannot give solutions to the basic problems of the people, cannot secure peace for them. The imperialist wars will exist as long as the power is in the hands of the capitalists.

The disengagement from NATO and all imperialist organisations, the struggle for the defense of the borders and the sovereign rights of Greece, for the disengagement from imperialist wars and interventions is inseparable with the struggle for the overthrow of Capital's power, with the people being dominant under their own power.

(Translation: In Defense of Communism).

http://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/08/greece-communists-honor-victims-of.html

The timeliness of the Leninist criticism in relation to the “parliamentary road” to socialism

August 15, 2016 | 9:25 pm
http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-timeliness-of-the-Leninist-criticism-in-relation-to-the-parliamentary-road-to-socialism/

The theses of the KKE for the 10th annual conference “V.I.Lenin and the contemporary world” which was held on the 22nd of April 2016 in Leningrad



1The entire history of the political labour movement from the 19th century until today has as its basic arena of controversy the path that should be taken in order to create a classless society.

2Two basic views emerged over time: the opportunist view about the possibility of reforming, “conquering” and utilizing the bourgeois state for socialism and the revolutionary view regarding the need to smash the bourgeois state. Lenin himself set the following demarcation line: “Only he is a Marxist who extends the recognition of the class struggle to the recognition of the dictatorship of the proletariat.”

3This controversy is a reflection of the ideological confrontation about the bourgeois state and bourgeois democracy. The opportunists understand the bourgeois state-especially in the form of bourgeois parliamentary democracy- as a state that expresses the correlation of forces between the various classes, in essence as a “supra-class” state that expresses the democratically expressed will of the members of bourgeois society, regardless of which class they belong to. On the basis of this standpoint, they approach bourgeois democracy, the democratic form of the bourgeois state as favourable terrain that can be utilized to the benefit of socialism. In contrast, Marxists understand the class character of the bourgeois state, regardless of the exceptionally varied forms it has taken on historically. They understand bourgeois democracy as one of the varied forms of the dictatorship of capital and indeed the most “secure” form for the protection of the “omnipotence of wealth”, as Lenin wrote in the State and Revolution.

4The position that bourgeois democracy and fascism share a common class denominator has been repeatedly borne out in history by the interchanges between fascist and parliamentary forms of government which have served the stabilization of bourgeois power in changing economic and political conditions. The most characteristic example is inter-war Germany, while in our country the transition from bourgeois democracy to the Metaxas dictatorship in 1936 took place with the almost unanimous support of the bourgeois parliament.

5Historical experience has clearly demonstrated that the passing of ministries of the bourgeois state into the hands of communists cannot be utilized in favour of socialism but indeed accelerates the co-option of communist parties by the bourgeois political system. Examples of this is the past participation in or support for bourgeois governments in Spain, France, Italy, Chile by CPs as well as more recently in a number of countries in Latin America, Cyprus, Portugal etc. Another characteristic example is the participation of the KKE in the government of “national unity” in 1944 and the acceptance of wage freezes and the liberalization of dismissals by the communist ministers in the name of making sure the government survived. In none of these cases did the support or participation in bourgeois governments operate in favour of socialism.

6The defense of the “parliamentary road” to socialism is not always openly formulated. It often lurks behind the formulation of varied transitional programmes that accept the possibility of utilizing the participation in a government on the terrain of capitalist ownership and the bourgeois state in order to improve the lives of the workers and sharpen the revolutionary mood of the masses. This analysis in essence denies both the economic laws of capitalism (as it considers that these laws when managed by a CP can used to benefit the people) and the class nature of the bourgeois state (as it promotes the “capture” of the bourgeois state as a means to overthrow it).
7These views are in direct opposition to the theoretical analysis of Marx, Engels and Lenin on the state. The way in which Lenin explained the need to smash the bourgeois state in State and Revolution is characteristic. This analysis of Lenin constituted the basis for the adoption of the strategy for socialist revolution by the Bolshevik party formulated in the April Theses. Lenin indeed did not just write about this but practically applied the conclusions by stubbornly rejecting the strong-even inside the Bolshevik party- calls to participate in the Provisional Government (which was considered in this period to be the most democratic government in Europe) and directing the entire party towards its revolutionary overthrow.

8Over the course of time, this strategic analysis, which was borne out by the victorious October Revolution, did not endure. Strategic views that mechanistically transferred (to completely different conditions) the older strategic analysis of the “democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and peasantry” held sway in the International Communist Movement (ICM).The views concerning the possibility of a parliamentary transition to socialism over the course of time established themselves as a distinct current within the ranks of the ICM, the eurocommunist current, which prevailed in major capitalist states (France, Italy, Spain) with tragic consequences for the labour movement, while basic aspects of this line were expressed in the analysis of nearly the entire ICM. Today however, significant historical experience has been accumulated from the efforts to utilize the participation in governments on the terrain of capitalist ownership to serve the goal of socialism.
9.2017 is the 100th anniversary of Lenin’s work State and Revolution. This anniversary should be used so that we remember, as he himself mentioned in this work, ” “forgotten words” of Marxism” (and Leninism we would add) on the question of the state. The CPs must struggle to gather together forces to smash the bourgeois state and build the socialist-communist economy and corresponding state institutions and reject the management of the capitalist economy and bourgeois state. They must in other words use the conclusions of the State and Revolution to guide their daily activity.

http://houstoncommunistparty.com/the-timeliness-of-the-leninist-criticism-in-relation-to-the-parliamentary-road-to-socialism/

“Only he is a Marxist who extends the recognition of the class struggle to the recognition of the dictatorship of the proletariat.”


5Historical experience has clearly demonstrated that the passing of ministries of the bourgeois state into the hands of communists cannot be utilized in favour of socialism but indeed accelerates the co-option of communist parties by the bourgeois political system. Examples of this is the past participation in or support for bourgeois governments in Spain, France, Italy, Chile by CPs as well as more recently in a number of countries in Latin America, Cyprus, Portugal etc. Another characteristic example is the participation of the KKE in the government of “national unity” in 1944 and the acceptance of wage freezes and the liberalization of dismissals by the communist ministers in the name of making sure the government survived. In none of these cases did the support or participation in bourgeois governments operate in favour of socialism.

Excellent stuff, here. KKE is currently the best representative of the working class. Anaxarchos once joked (I think it was a joke) that we should try and start a branch of KKE here. I wish we could piggy-back on them, because they strike the nail squarely, so consistently, that I feel that they represent me. As silly as it may sound, I am a member of the international working class and KKE is our best representative.

"The man with the carnation": 64 years since the execution of communist hero Nikos Beloyannis

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F20JM6wgk-0/Vvu5b9-mAQI/AAAAAAAAAXU/lyEHUMIywxINK2r0T1tcY8sNWfLdg6w3g/s640/Nikos%2BBeloyannis.jpg

Written by Nikos Mottas / In Defense of Communism.

Nikos Beloyannis, the man with the carnation, the Communist, the hero. It was in the dawn of Sunday 30th March 1952 when his heart stopped beating. The bullets of the firing squad gave an end to the lifes of Beloyannis and three of his comrades- Dimitris Batsis, Elias Argyriadis and Nikos Kaloumenos.

The post-civil war bourgeois, centrist government of Plastiras, under the orders of his imperialist patrons, had done it's job. Beloyannis, a member of the Central Committee of the- then illegal- Greek Communist Party, was dead. However, his legacy and ideals were already immortal.
"Beloyannis instructs us one more time,how to live and how to die.

With just one carnation he unlocked all of immortality.With just one smile he brightened the world so darkness can never fall. Good morning comrades
Good morning sun
Good morning Beloyannis".
- Yannis Ritsos, Poem "Man with the Carnation".

Belogiannis and his comrades had waged an unwavering struggle against German, British and US imperialism. This was the reason why they arrested, tried and executed them. In his highly publicized and controversial extraordinary trials Beloyannis fought with courage against his prosecutors. The first trial began in Athens on October 19th, 1951, with a lawsuit against Beloyannis and 92 more members of the Communist Party (KKE). The accusation was that they had violated the law 509 of 1947 about "communist propaganda", taking into account that KKE had been declared as "illegal" by the state. The verdict of the first trial sentenced Beloyannis and 11 comrades to death. Nonetheless, after an international outcry - and as it was clear that the trial process was nothing but a political conspiracy- the sentence was not executed.

The bourgeois state, however, alongside it's local and international allies, unfolded an alternative plot: Beloyannis and and some of his comrades had to be tried again, this time accused for "espionage" based on the law 375 of 1936. The second trial of Nikos Beloyannis- a parody trial- began on February 15th 1952. The extraordinary military tribune of Athens accused Beloyannis and his comrades for secretely transmitting important information of national interest to the Soviet Union. However, Beloyannis utilized both trials against him in order to ridicule his prosecutors and denounce their motives. Here are some memorable excerpts from his defense speeches in the military tribunal:


“We believe in the most correct theory which has been conceived by the most progressive minds of humanity. And our effort, our struggle, is that this theory becomes a reality in Greece and the entire world (…) We love Greece and its people more than our accusers (…) Precisely because we struggle so that our country will see better days, without hunger and war (…) and when it is necessary, we sacrifice our lives.”

★ ★ ★

"If I had renounced the KKE most likely I would have been declared innocent with great honours... But my life is connected with the history of the KKE and its activity... Dozens of times I faced the following dilemma: “to live and betray my beliefs, my ideology or to die and remain faithful to them. I have always chosen the second and today I am doing this again”

★ ★ ★

"The responsibility for the fact that the land of Greece is seeded with graves and ruins belongs only to the foreign imperialists and their greek servants".

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9_khnp8hf_g/Vvu6irnpBgI/AAAAAAAAAXg/8-N9xoMYyGcuv8Tob2fPFFnWUGWFKWU9Q/s640/Beloyannis%2Btrial.jpg
Nikos Beloyannis delivering a defense speech in the court.

It is also very interesting to cite a characteristic dialogue between Beloyannis and one of his major accusers, policeman Angelopoulos:
BELOYANNIS: Do you claim that I came here to implement the decisions of the plenary sessions of the CC of KKE?
Angelopoulos: Yes I do.
BELOYANNIS: These decisions state that the basis of the activity of the KKE is the struggle for bread, democratic freedoms, peace. Is this not the case?
Angelopoulos: It is indeed.
BELOYANNIS: Consequently, the struggle for bread, democratic freedoms and peace is a conspiracy against Greece, isn’t it?
Angelopoulos: No.
BELOYANNIS: Thank you. This was all I wanted to clarify.

On March 1, 1952 Nikos Beloyannis and 7 comrades were sentenced to death. Within a week the Greek government received from all over the world hundreds of thousands telegrams against the death sentense, while an international campaign - with the participation of personalities like Picasso, Chaplin, Sartre, Éluard, Nazim Hikmet and others- asked for the cancellation of the military tribune's verdict. On the contrary, the US demanded that the Plastiras' government and the King carry out the execution of the sentense. In the late evening of Saturday, March 29, 1952, King Pavlos rejected a request for clemency for Beloyannis and his comrades.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF NIKOS BELOYANNIS:

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Portrait of Beloyannis by Pablo Picasso.

Nikos Beloyannis was born in Amaliada, Peloponnese in 1915. He was the son of of a poor craftsman. He was involved in the youth progressive movement from an early age, as a high school student and, later, as a University of Athens' student. He joined the Organization of the Communist Youth of Greece (OKNE) and in 1934 he became a member of the Communist Party (KKE). For his revolutionary activities, Beloyannis was expelled from the Law School of the University of Athens. In mid-1930s he became an organizer and leader of various party organizations in Peloponnese and in 1936 was arrested for his activities. Later he escaped from prison and re-arrested in 1938 when he was sentenced to five years in prison and two years in exile.

In the first years of 1940s Beloyannis remained in prison as the fascist government of Metaxas handed over thousands of communist prisoners to the italian and german occupation forces. He escaped in 1943 and joined the resistance struggle against the Nazis. In 1943-44 Beloyannis was involved in party and partisan work in the area of ​​Patras being political commissar of the 3rd Division of the People's Liberation Army of Greece (ELAS). After Greece's liberation, he became head of the ideological work department of KKE organization in Peloponnese. He edited the magazine "Free Morias" and on the same time wrote two books: "Foreign capital in Greece" and "History of Modern Greek literature".

During the Greek Civil War (1946-1949) Beloyannis conducted political work in the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE). In 1947 he became head of the Propaganda Department of the DSE and in 1948-49 he served as political commissar of the 10th Division of the DSE. He was wounded in battle in 1948.

After the defeat of DSE on September 1949, Beloyannis and thousands of armed comrades went to the socialist countries of central and eastern Europe. After the end of the Civil War, an anti-democratic, anti-communist and completely depended on US and Britain regime was installed in Greece.

In 1950, Nikos Beloyannis was elected as a member of the Central Committee of the- then exiled- Communist Party of Greece (KKE). In June 1950, after the decision of the Central Committee of KKE, Beloyannis arrived in Greece secretely, using false documents and passport. His duty was to inform the party forces in Greece about the new party line as well as to reorganize the underground network of party organizations in the country. With the aid of the newly founded US intelligence service (CIA), the Greek authorities arrested Beloyannis on December 1950.

http://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/03/the-man-with-carnation-64-years-since.html

"If I had renounced the KKE most likely I would have been declared innocent with great honours... But my life is connected with the history of the KKE and its activity... Dozens of times I faced the following dilemma: “to live and betray my beliefs, my ideology or to die and remain faithful to them. I have always chosen the second and today I am doing this again”


Nikos Beloyannis is the definition of "hero".

Mr. Tsipras' new fairytale can no longer convince the people

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Source: inter.kke.gr.

The overwhelming majority of the Greek people are being called on in this period by the "left" government to pay an unbearable property tax, which had been introduced by the previous government. This is a tax that has been kept in place and intensified by SYRIZA, despite its pre-election promises to abolish it. And it is precisely this period that the Prime Minister, A.Tsipras chose to spread new illusions amongst the people, by supporting with gusto in an interview with the newspaper "Real News" the fairytale of supposedly "just" development. He also seeks to utilize the upcoming meeting of the leaders of the EU's Mediterranean countries, which he is convening in Athens, in this direction.
He said, when explaining the goals of the attempted coordination of the states of the "South" on behalf of their bourgeoisies, that the aim was to push for the transfer of funds to the periphery in order to support the capitalist recovery and the way out from the economic crisis. And he noted: "We do not want to be the poor periphery of the EU, we want to be a new centre, with an agenda and positive proposals for development and social cohesion."

In addition, A. Tsipras highlighted the issue of the "adjustment" of the Greek debt and the reduction of the budget surpluses, which he had already agreed to with the imperialist institutions, presenting all the above as the beginning of a solution that will allegedly be in the people's interests.
At the same time, he conceals the new measures, which aim to even further cut the social and labour rights and gains of the people.
In its comment, the Press Office of the CC of the KKE noted the following regarding the interview of A.Tsipras in "Real News":
"Mr Tsipras is calling on the Greek people to patiently endure the anti-people measures that he is burdening them with, on top of those taken by ND and PASOK, in the name of some adjustment of the debt, which the people will continue to pay for, some reduction of the surpluses, which the popular families will continue to be sucked dry for, some recovery, which will only be for the profits of the few. The new fairytale of Mr Tsipras can no longer convince the people, as they know that they will once again be the losers, while the only winner will be capital."

31.08.2016.
Αναρτήθηκε από In Defense of Communism

http://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/08/mr-tsipras-new-fairytale-can-no-longer.html

Tsipras is a tool - the leading tool in a box of tools called SYRIZA...

Πέμπτη, 1 Σεπτεμβρίου 2016
Giorgos Marinos- The Leninist Theory on Imperialism, Guide for the struggle of the Communists
http://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/09/giorgos-marinos-leninist-theory-on.html


The Leninist Theory on Imperialism, Guide for the struggle of the Communists.
Certain issues related to Lenin's work "Imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism" on the occasion of its 100th anniversary this year.
By Giorgos Marinos*.

The complexity of the economic and political developments at an international and national level is borne out on a daily basis and requires a more serious, systematic effort to develop the theoretical work on the part of every communist party and to form a robust infrastructure that will have the capacity to support the independent ideological-political struggle of the communists, the struggle inside the trade unions, inside the labour-people's movement.

A permanent task for communists is the study of the development of the imperialist-capitalist system and its components, the capitalist states, the precise assessment of the position each state has in the imperialist system so that the formation of a revolutionary strategy and tactics is based on the real objective data that highlight that our era is the era of the passage from capitalism to socialism.

The CPs have a major advantage, they hold in their hands the irreplaceable work of Marx-Engels-Lenin and are guided by the Marxist-Leninist worldview.
One such valuable resource is Lenin's work "Imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism", which was written in 1916, two years after the start of the 1st Imperialist World War, utilizing a plethora of data regarding the course of capitalism and its contradictions, the changes brought about by its development. In particular, the changes brought about by the crisis of 1873 in relation to the concentration of capital and the creation of a higher economic unit, the monopoly, led Lenin to come to the scientific conclusion that we had entered a new period of capitalism, its imperialist stage.

Lenin, with his scientific accuracy, studied the political issues that arose and focused on the historical position of capitalism in its final imperialist stage, teaching us the necessary connection between politics and the economy, providing the CPs and the working class with a priceless resource.

WHAT IS IMPERIALISM?

First, imperialism is capitalism in the historical era that began at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century and according to the briefest definition provided by Lenin "imperialism is the monopoly stage of capitalism". He noted that this definition is not sufficient to express its essence and content in its entirety.

In his work "Imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism", Lenin provided a comprehensive definition, highlighting its five basic economic features:
"(1) the concentration of production and capital has developed to such a high stage that it has created monopolies which play a decisive role in economic life;
(2) the merging of bank capital with industrial capital, and the creation, on the basis of this “finance capital”, of a financial oligarchy;
(3) the export of capital as distinguished from the export of commodities acquires exceptional importance;
(4) the formation of international monopolist capitalist associations which share the world among themselves, and
(5) the territorial division of the whole world among the biggest capitalist powers is completed. Imperialism is capitalism at that stage of development at which the dominance of monopolies and finance capital is established; in which the export of capital has acquired pronounced importance; in which the division of the world among the international trusts has begun, in which the division of all territories of the globe among the biggest capitalist powers has been completed. "

On this crucial issue, what is imperialism?, an intense ideological struggle is being waged within the communist movement. In the framework of the ideological retreat and strong impact of bourgeois and opportunist views, a number of CPs understand imperialism as only being the aggressive stance of the USA or other powerful capitalist states towards other states with a subordinate position in the imperialist-capitalist system, using economic, political and military means.


This is a very serious problem that leads communist parties to being unable to analyze the developments with the actual data as they approach the capitalist system and its laws in the new final imperialist stage in a one-sided way, seeing them only as an aggressive foreign policy of powerful capitalist states which-as is said-leads to the weakening or loss of sovereignty of smaller states, the loss of independence.

This approach, which is unable to see the imperialist (capitalist) system as a totality made up of capitalist states that are not the "same' and "equal" due the unevenness of their economic, military and political strength and have a different position in the system-imperialist pyramid, cannot understand the basic issue: that the capitalist countries in the era of imperialism which have formed a monopoly economic base have entered the imperialist stage.
This does not mean that Greece is the same as Germany or that Mexico is the same as the USA. Nor does it mean that each capitalist state and alliance have the same goals, nor does it negate maneuvers and compromises that can take place at various historical moments, always with the permanent goal of advancing the interests of the monopolies.

Capitalist unevenness and inequality in economic-political relations is a basic law of capitalism and each bourgeois state serves the interests of the monopolies, whether it is in a higher position in the system or in a lower subordinate one.

In addition, the bourgeois class itself chooses the path of ceding sovereign rights e.g. to an imperialist alliance like the EU or NATO, or even to inter-state relations in order to safeguard its more general class interests, to find support and to perpetuate its power. Consequently, the problems of "sovereignty" have a class basis and their resolution is connected to the elimination of their causes by overthrowing bourgeois power.

The identification of imperialism only with the aggressive foreign policy of powerful capitalist states and the detachment of politics from the economy (i.e. the monopoly domination of the economy) leads to the deeply mistaken separation of the anti--imperialist from the anti-capitalist struggle.

It is also leads to "prettifying" the role of the bourgeoisie of "smaller states".
The most serious problem is the one related to the changing of the CPs' goal. The utopian quest for strategies to restore sovereignty and independence in the framework of capitalism replace the struggle to overthrow capitalism-imperialism. This is accompanied by transitional political formations, so-called "left" "progressive" governments to manage the bourgeois system, with negative results for the course of the class struggle leading to the reinforcement of the capitalist camp.

The example of states in Latin America is characteristic and the analysis of the CP of Mexico regarding the damage caused by so-called "progressivism" and "21st century socialism" is an important contribution to the struggle of the communist movement. These approaches operate within the framework of capitalism, maintain bourgeois power, capitalist ownership of the means of production, the law of monopoly profit, capitalist anarchy that leads to crises.

Taking into account the seriousness of the problem, Lenin's emphatic warning that "Unless the economic roots of this phenomenon are understood and its political and social significance is appreciated, not a step can be taken toward the solution of the practical problem of the communist movement and of the impending social revolution. »

Secondly, Lenin, on the basis of the economic essence and contradictions that permeate imperialism, studied and highlighted its political characteristics, demonstrating that imperialism is the final stage of capitalism, the eve of the socialist revolution.

THE DECISIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE SOCIALIZATION OF PRODUCTION AND LABOUR

Lenin noted in 1916 that:"Capitalism in its imperialist stage leads directly to the most comprehensive socialisation of production...Production becomes social, but appropriation remains private...When a big enterprise assumes gigantic proportions, and, on the basis of an exact computation of mass data, organises according to plan the supply of primary raw materials to the extent of two-thirds, or three-fourths, of all that is necessary for tens of millions of people; when the raw materials are transported in a systematic and organised manner to the most suitable places of production, sometimes situated hundreds or thousands of miles from each other; when a single centre directs all the consecutive stages of processing the material right up to the manufacture of numerous varieties of finished articles; when these products are distributed according to a single plan among tens and hundreds of millions of consumers (the marketing of oil in America and Germany by the American oil trust)then it becomes evident that we have socialisation of production" (Lenin. Collected Works. Volume. ).

Based on the above, it is worth examining the Leninist methodology, focusing our thoughts on the years that have passed since 1916, noting that today the socialization of production and labour has increased exponentially.

THE POLITICAL TASKS OF THE CPs

"Imperialism is the eve of the social revolution of the proletariat. This has been confirmed since 1917 on a world-wide scale" (from the preface to the German and French edition of the work of V.I. Lenin "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism"

What is the basic feature that demonstrates this important truth and allows the communist parties to take a daring step forwards, to disentangle themselves from strategic choices that not only have not been borne out but refer to historical periods when the bourgeois class was the leading social force against feudal system?

The Great October Socialist Revolution shows the way. The socialist revolution at the beginning of the 20th century in a relatively backward agricultural country where (however) the material preconditions for the construction of the socialist society had been created.

The necessity of socialism has drastically intensified in our period, as capitalism has greatly developed and has formed a strong economic (monopoly) base, a high level of infrastructure, technological means that allow for the rise of labour productivity.
Maturation of the material preconditions. This is the basic issue that the development of capitalism in its imperialist stage solved and it determines the character of our era as the era of the passage from capitalism to socialism.

The study of the developments and the substantial discussion that took place at the 19th Congress of the KKE (Spring 2013) established that Greece is in an intermediate position in the international imperialist pyramid, with dependencies on the USA and EU.

In the Programme of the KKE, which was approved by the 19th Congress it is noted that:"On this basis, the KKE has come to the conclusion that the Greek people will be freed from the shackles of capitalist exploitation and the imperialist unions, when the working class together with its allies carries out the socialist revolution and proceeds to the construction of socialism-communism.

The strategic goal of the KKE is the conquest of revolutionary working class power, the dictatorship of the proletariat, for socialist construction, as the immature phase of the communist society.

The revolutionary change in Greece will be socialist."

Our party does not restrict itself to proclaiming the necessity of socialism, but on the basis of the study of the economic-social developments stresses that socialism is the only alternative socialism, necessary and very timely.

The chronic, unresolved and sharpening problems faced by the working class are rooted in the dominance, the strengthening and expansion of monopoly capital into all sectors of the economy and social life. Capital accumulation is at unprecedented levels, there is a major increase in labour productivity.

The outbreak of the economic capitalist crisis in 2008 even further highlighted the historically outdated and barbaric character of the capitalist system, the timeliness and necessity of socialism, the need to regroup the international communist movement and emancipate the labour and people's movement.
It contributed to the sharpening of the inter-imperialist contradictions (which is the basis for imperialist wars), to changes in the correlation of forces and realignments in the international imperialist pyramid.

Our party focuses its attention on strengthening and regrouping the labour movement and constructing a powerful people's-social alliance that expresses the interests of the working class, the semi-proletarians, the self-employed and poor farmers, the youth and women from the working class and popular strata in the struggle against the monopolies and capitalist ownership, against the country's assimilation in the imperialist unions, e.g. in the EU and NATO.

The programme of the KKE mentions that: "The rallying of the majority of the working class with the KKE and the attraction of leading sections of the popular strata will pass through various phases. The labour movement, the movements of the urban self-employed and farmers and the form that their alliance takes on (the People's Alliance) with anti-monopoly and anti-capitalist goals, with the vanguard activity of the KKE's forces, in non-revolutionary conditions, constitute the first form for the creation of the revolutionary workers' and people's front in revolutionary conditions. "
"In the conditions of the revolutionary situation, the revolutionary workers' and people's front, using all forms of its activity, can become the centre of the popular uprising against capitalist power. .."

ON THE DECAY OF CAPITALISM

The Leninist position concerning the decay of capitalism in its imperialist stage is confirmed by the experience of the capitalist states themselves. The phenomena of decay, the scandals etc are multiplying, but we must be careful because it is obvious that this decay does not automatically lead to the overthrow of capitalism. The system defends its power with all means available to it. And consequently there needs to be an intensification of the efforts of the CPs and the strengthening of the ideological, political and mass struggle to shape the class consciousness of the working class with a strategy that favours the development of an antimonopoly-anticapitalist struggle so that the systematic efforts to concentrate and prepare working class-popular forces in a direction of rupture and overthrow takes place on a solid basis.

LENIN'S CRITICISM OF THE RENEGADE KAUTSKY

Lenin demonstrated in practice that the struggle against opportunism is a necessary component of the struggle against imperialism-capitalism and for its overthrow.

The exposure of the mistaken positions of the renegade Kautsky is of particular importance. Kautsky argued that:"Imperialism is a product of highly developed industrial capitalism. It consists in the striving of every industrial capitalist nation to bring under its control or to annex all large areas of agrarian [Kautsky’s italics] territory, irrespective of what nations inhabit it."

The First World War was an imperialist war on both sides-the Entente (Britain, France, Russia etc) and the German alliance- a war between two coalitions of capitalist states over the territorial division of the world and the opportunist positions detached politics from the economy and saw imperialism as the policy of annexing territories by the powerful capitalist states.

Lenin stressed that the definition of Kautsky "is of no use at all because it one-sidedly, i.e., arbitrarily, singles out only the national question (although the latter is extremely important in itself as well as in its relation to imperialism), it arbitrarily and inaccurately connects this question only with industrial capital in the countries which annex other nations, and in an equally arbitrary and inaccurate manner pushes into the forefront the annexation of agrarian regions. Imperialism is a striving for annexations—this is what the political part of Kautsky’s definition amounts to. "

Because there is a discussion-ideological confrontation taking place in the communist movement, we would like to note that of course Lenin spoke at the beginning of the 20th century about a small group of states that had a leading position in the global market due to their trusts, cartels, colonies, in the inter-state relations between creditor-states and debtor states.

However, Lenin himself taught us that capitalism develops, that capitalist unevenness led and leads to important changes in the position of capitalist states in the imperialist system.

In reality, it has been demonstrated that the colonial system was overthrow and the former colonies acquired their independence as states thanks to the struggle of the peoples and the contribution of the Soviet Union.

Taking this reality into account, we believe the analysis that stresses that all the capitalist states where monopoly capitalism has already developed participate in the imperialist system correctly expresses the tendency of our era. Unequal interdependence is predominant in terms of the relations between these states and each country's influence is determined by its economic, political and military strength and each seeks to represent and advance the interests of "its own" mono
polies.

These features allow us to interpret, on the basis of class criteria, the role of each state and alliance. They allow us to take a position on the role of the alliances of capitalist states e.g. the EU, and also BRICS, the stance e.g. of Russia and China which act on behalf of the Russian and Chinese monopolies in the international competition with the USA, the EU and Japan etc for the control of the markets and the natural resources and today particularly for control of natural gas, oil, energy pipelines.

IN CONCLUSION

We believe that the communist parties must study the developments using the all the (unified) Leninist features of imperialism as their resource and elaborate their strategy on the basis of the important truth that imperialism is capitalism in decay and that our era is the era of the passage of capitalism to socialism.

We can overcome difficulties using Lenin's work as a resource so that we can take a principled position against imperialist wars that are a result of the sharpening of the inter-imperialist contradictions and competition and fight against the pressure exerted by bourgeois and opportunist forces which leads to support for the interests of the bourgeoisie of "our country", disarming the working class, condemning it to following a "false flag", to choosing imperialist or imperialist alliance.

This position is not just related to the stance of the communists towards imperialist war but also to their stance towards the imperialist alliances and many other questions of the political struggle.

Recently the KKE in its statement on the referendum in Britain and the decision for a BREXIT mentioned that: "The result of Britain's referendum demonstrates the increasing discontent of the working class and popular forces towards the EU and its anti-people policies. However these forces must disentangle themselves from the choices of sections and political forces of the bourgeoisie and acquire radical and anti-capitalist characteristics.

The result records the evaporation of the expectations, which had been fostered by all the bourgeois parties-in Greece as well-together with the EU's mechanisms that the peoples could allegedly be prosperous inside the framework of the EU.

The necessary condemnation of capital's predatory alliance, the EU, the struggle for the disengagement of every country to be effective must be connected to the necessary overthrow of capital's power by workers'-people's power. The social alliance of the working class and the other popular strata, the regroupment and strengthening of the international communist movement are preconditions to pave the way for this prospect of hope."
This conclusion, this direction truly shows the way for the overthrow of the system and not the positions that are constantly searching for "rungs" and "stages» on the terrain of capitalism and promote various substitutes, impeding the necessary anti-capitalist struggle for the overthrow of capitalist barbarity.
The experience of the communist movement shows that the ideological-political and organizational independence of the communist parties is a very important principle which when violated leads to deviations and opportunist mutations.

The ideological-political and organizational independence with a strategy that responds to the contemporary needs of the class struggle in the direction of gathering forces for the overthrow of capitalism and not trapping them in the rationale of intermediate stages that manage capitalism constitute very important tools for the struggle of the CPs and the regroupment of the communist movement.
Giorgos Marinos is a member of the Political Bureau of the CC of KKE (Communist Party of Greece).

http://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/09/giorgos-marinos-leninist-theory-on.html

"NO COMPROMISE WITH POVERTY & MISERABLE LIFE". Huge banner by #PAME workers at #Thessaloniki's White Tower, #Greece.

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"No compromise with poverty, misery. Organization - Struggle to overthrow "

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"No compromise with poverty, misery. Organization - Struggle to overthrow. " With this slogan the PAME addresses wide call to employees, self-employed, small farmers, women and young people to participate massively in the demonstrations organized in Thessaloniki and Athens view of TIF inauguration.

The rally in Thessaloniki will become the Saturday 10 September at 6 pm in Aristotelous Square.

In Athens , the rally will take place one day earlier, on Friday 9 September at 7pm at Omonia. The preselection for the mobilization of Athens in Vathi Square, Canning, National Resistance Square and Karaiskaki Square (Read here in detail).

During the demonstrations will attend the Secretary of the CC of KKE Dimitris Koutsoumpas.

The announcement - call of PAME

Their class forces in the trade union movement call on the workers and the working classes with the massive participation to express their condemnation of the government's policy - Capital - EU which breaks their rights and their lives. PAME addresses employees of private and public sector, the self-employed, small farmers, women and young people call collusion and support of racing , for racing and answer counterattack!

As noted in the statement - calling the main line that defines the organization of the struggle, the intensity of class exploitation, the intensification of the attack are: " Or we or monopolies! Or with the needs of the people or the opulence and riches of monopolies. The working - popular family has already gone bankrupt because of heightened aggression of business groups on the right to work, wages and pensions and rights in Health and Education ".

He notes that "the new model of the supposedly fair development that brazenly said, is not for us. The development of stands on the ruins of the labor - popular rights. The European Social Model, cited again and again the government has imposed on workers of each country working conditions jungle with starvation wages, without rights. "

(Read here the whole communication PAME).

Call for participation by social alliance

Calling mass participation in rallies addressed by the PASEVE, stressing among other things that "empty government promises of equal burden-sharing and equitable development is challenging. While kinked income and our pensions, who launch new forokynigito to self with old and new recovery mechanisms that deliver the popular house, Health, Education in crows lurking, go far to play defenders of the weak. " (Read more here).

The Nationwide Commission bloc of farmers to its call states inter alia: "Reply to this attack will give the race the streets, in alliance with the workers and other popular sectors, turning together against the real common opponent being monopolies , multinationals and governments.

The next our next racing appointment is the rally in Thessaloniki and will follow and more. Knowing that the government will not easily extricate with us ... " (Read here in detail).

The Greek Federation of Women in the call "invites women of the popular families most dynamic and determined to unite in the struggle to regain all the achievements that took us back and to retaliate in the light of our modern rights! Our needs for work, motherhood, creative life is incompatible with the profits of monopolies and oppression " (Read more here).

The Student Struggle Front, calling students and students in rallies, says inter alia: "The menu of unpopular attack on education is not endless !!! Late September preparing new unpopular bill in accordance with the national dialogue includes: New Athena project No.2 mergers in higher education institutions, elimination of free textbooks, further generalization of tuition graduate, strengthening business operations in our schools and sellout of infrastructure our schools to private " (read more here).

Preparations in other counties

The organized movement in Thessaloniki Labour Centres and local Secretariats from various regions of Greece will be as follows:

From Larissa , buses will depart at 2.30 pm, in front of the Technical Chamber. From Katerini , at 4 pm from the main square. From Serres , at 4 pm, in the former prefecture. From Kilkis , at 3.30 pm, Peace Square. From Pella buses will depart: from Edessa , at 4 pm, on the Liberty Square from Skydra - Mavrovouni at 4.15 pm and from Giannitsa (Egnatia) at 4.45 pm From Veria , at 4 pm, Clock Square.

From Naoussa , at 4 pm, the Labour Centre. From Kavala , at 2.30 pm, the Public Garden. From Drama, at 2.30 pm, the main square. From Xanthi, at 2 pm, on the Liberty Square. From Kozani, at 3 pm from the main square. From Ptolemaida , at 3 pm, City Hall. From Florina , at 3 pm, by bus. From Grevena , at 3 pm, Vegetable Market Square. From Kastoria, at 2 pm, the "Masoutis".

Concentration organizes tomorrow, Friday, the Chios Secretariat of PAME, at 7 pm, at the entrance of Aplotarias.
Diverse rallies preparatory

At noon Thursday, the Executive Secretariat of PAME, with the Panhellenic Committee of the blocks, self employed (PASEVE), women (IAHS), youth (Students' Struggle Front) will give a press conference at the Thessaloniki Labour Centre, the program action and objectives of the class movement for the coming period.

The rally in TIF flanked by a series of actions and initiatives of the class movement to rally and mobilize the city workers and the region. ( Read more HERE).

http://www.902.gr/eidisi/ergazomenoi-symmahia/107572/kanenas-symvivasmos-me-ti-ftoheia-ti-mizeri-zoi-organosi-agonas

Google Translator

Links at site

Honoring the communists-political prisoners of Greece’s “Dachau” – KKE event in Makronisos prison island
http://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/09/honoring-communists-political-prisoners.html

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EVENT-VISIT TO THE MAKRONISOS CONCENTRATION CAMP.

The struggle of the communists-political prisoners inspires our struggle.
Source: inter.kke.gr.

A large number of people honoured the immeasurable sacrifices of communists and other militants that suffered in the concentration camp of the island of Makronisos by taking part in the event-visit, organized on 6/9 by the Attica Party Organization of the KKE and the Attica Region Organization of KNE.

Makronisos “hosted” thousands of militants who experienced unspeakable tortures on its few hectares. Bourgeois power demonstrated its most revolting face on this dry and barren rock in the Aegean Sea as regards its treatment of the militants of the national resistance against the Nazis-i.e. the militants of the National Liberation Front (EAM), the fighters of the Greek People’s Liberation Army (ELAS), defiant members and cadres of the KKE and other leading militants. There, it demonstrated all its inventiveness regarding the torture methods it used to break the morale of the communists.

As Dimitris Koutsoumpas, GS of the CC of the KKE, stressed in his speech ; “In recent Greek history the name of Makronissos expresses the special regime of inhuman deprivations and awful torture which tens of thousands of militants of the national resistance, citizens and soldiers, men and women, young and elderly people, even very old people and children were subject to, particularly in the period 1947-1950, with the aim of their “detoxification” and “national re-education”, as they used to say, i.e. the violent renunciation of their political ideas, the disavowal of their militant past. Makronisos was correctly characterized as being the Greek Dachau, it was a black stain on the civilization of modern Greece. This enormous camp ended up with over 30,000 prisoners”, and he added amongst other things:

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/makronhsos-ekdhlosh-54.jpg
KKE GS Dimitris Koutsoumbas speaking at the event.

“We are here today because we do not want to forget a dark period in the history of our country, which even if it includes extreme characteristics, which many today formally denounce or express sympathy for the victims, nevertheless reality demonstrates that bourgeois violence is also present today everywhere, a violence of course adjusted to today’s conditions, different in form in each country and each phase, but always the same in terms of its class content.

D.Koutsoumpas stressed that “The indissoluble bonds created between our party and the working class and people were the result of tough struggles, mass sacrifices regarding the major problems of Greek society. Those who passed through Makronisos left their own mark on these dissoluble bonds. These struggles, these sacrifices inspired thousands of militants and continue to inspire the youth.(…)

The KKE endured and endures because the working class exists and will exist, its party will exist and act, whose role is necessary for the working class to fulfill its historic mission, to realize its immediate and more general tasks. The KKE endures and will continue to act with the same unshakable conviction, because its world view is scientifically grounded in the laws of historical development themselves. The passage from capitalism to socialism-communism is based on the scientific laws of social development, it is inevitable. The KKE maintains its class character, its principles, Marxism-Leninism.”

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Hundreds of people arrived in Makronisos from Athens and other parts of Greece.

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Makronisos, the Greek Dachau. Post Civil-War photo.

http://houstoncommunistparty.com/11053-2/

Statement of the Secretariat of the European Communist Initiative
Hope is to be found in the struggle of the peoples to overthrow capitalist barbarity!

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/initiative_logo_shmaia.jpg_1428759584.jpg

The European Communist Initiative carried out an important intervention regarding the upcoming meeting of the heads of the states of the so-called “European South”, which the Greek government is organizing on the 9th of September in Athens.
The “European Communist Initiative” notes in this statement that the organizers of this meeting aim to utilize it to reinforce the illusions of the peoples of Europe about an “Alliance of the South”, which will allegedly “put an end to austerity” and calls on the peoples to strengthen their struggle to overturn the anti-people political line of the EU and the capitalist system which they serve.
The full statement of the Secretariat of “European Communist Initiative” can be found below:
“A conference of the leaders of the Mediterranean countries of the EU, of the so-called "South" of the EU, will be held in Athens on the 9th of September, at the initiative of the "left" SYRIZA-ANEL government of the new memoranda and the dozens of anti-worker measures, and will be focused on the developments in the EU, the refugee-immigrant question and the notorious issue of "development".
This initiative comes just a few days after the meeting between old and "new" social-democracy in Paris.
These two initiatives, just as other similar ones, have as their "common denominator" the aim to sow false hopes amongst the peoples that the capitalist system and its reactionary inter-state "edifice" on the European continent-the EU-can be improved and "humanized". They seek to persuade the people that another correlation of forces at the centre of Europe, in favour of the "South" and at the expense of the 'North", or in favour of social-democracy over the liberals, will bring the "end of austerity", "equality", "solidarity" and "development" n the EU.
However, the peoples of Europe have experienced for decades that the EU and every kind of bourgeois government (both liberal and social-democratic) aim to support the profitability of capital, its recovery by intensifying the anti-people political line. The "development" that they are promising was never and cannot be "just" and is based on the destruction of the workers'-people's rights and the intensification of exploitation.
The workers ascertain from their experience that the competition between the imperialist centres and the capitalist countries (of the North and South, with social-democratic and liberal governments) which intensify the imperialist wars and interventions, bring new torments and persecution for the peoples and drive people into becoming refugees.
The peoples can understand that mechanisms like ISIS and their repellent activity, funded and supported by the USA, NATO, the EU and their allies in the Middle East region, constitute the pretext for the intensification of repressive measures by the EU and its governments.
Today, the result of the British referendum for a departure from the EU has brought to the surface contradictions amongst the various imperialist centres in relation to the future and prospects of the EU. The main issue in the controversy inside the Eurozone and EU remains the bourgeois management formula, i.e. between fiscal stability and the monitoring of the member-states by the EU mechanisms on the one side and on the other side a relaxation of fiscal adjustment so that state funds can be released to support the monopolies. This controversy is alien to the people's interests because both approaches will be to the detriment of the working class and poor popular strata as they both have the sharpening of the anti-people offensive as their precondition.
The governments of old and new social-democracy in Europe use the slogan "no to austerity" in a misleading way. This slogan has no relation to curbing or overturning the barbaric anti-worker measures, relieving the people. On the contrary, it is related to supporting the business groups with additional hot money. This is also demonstrated by the fact that these governments, just as the liberal ones, push forward new barbaric anti-worker measures in Greece, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus in order gather funds for big capital.
However many summits and high-level meetings between the "leaders of the countries of the South" take place, however much grand rhetoric is uttered about "restarting the EU", the EU cannot become pro-people, but can only become worse for the peoples, nor in any case can the capitalist system be humanized, which it serves.
Hope is to be found in the struggle of the peoples to overthrow capitalist barbarity!”

08.09.2016

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Statement-of-the-Secretariat-of-the-European-Communist-Initiative/

“Struggle, Knowledge, Courage, Strength”: Communist Youth of Greece organises the 42nd KNE-Odigitis Festival

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The annual KNE-Odigitis Festival consists one of Greece's most significant political and cultural events. Following a tradition of more than four decades, the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) organises her 42nd Festival with a rich programme of political, cultural and sports activities. After numerous successful festive events in all over the country during the previous months, the KNE-Odigitis festival will take place in Greece's two largest cities; in Thessaloniki on 15-17 September and in Athens on 22-24 September.

In Thessaloniki the festival will be held at the former military camp 'Pavlos Melas' in Stavroupoli. The cultural programme includes concerts from popular bands like Imam Baildi, Onirama and Kitrina Podilata as well as famous singers like Glykeria, Filippos Pliatsikas, Giorgos Margaritis and Melina Kana. A speech will be delivered by the member of the Political Bureau of KKE Kostas Paraskevas on Saturday 17 September.

The major and final events of the 42nd KNE-Odigitis festival will be held a few days later at 'Antonis Tritsis Park' (Ilion) in Athens. Numerous popular artists, composers, singers and bands, will participate in concerts including: Vasilis Lekkas, Thanos Mikroutsikos, Yannis Markopoulos, Miltos Paschalidis, Manolis Mitsias, Dimitris Basis, Natasa Bofiliou, Lakis Halkias, Giorgos Margaritis, Vangelis Korakakis, Rebellion Connection, Yperastikoi, Glykeria, Rita Antonopoulou, Imam Baildi, Onirama etc.

The major political speech will be delivered by the General Secretary of the CC of KKE Dimitris Koutsoumbas on Saturday 24 September.

You can find the venues of the festival in Athens and Thessaloniki in the maps below:

http://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/09/struggle-knowledge-courage-strength.html

Maps at link


http://youtu.be/fj1MS33xcoI

Trial dragged K.. Peletidis because not facilitated the Golden Dawn

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Trial dragged the communist mayor of Patras Kostas Peletidis by the Inspectorate - Accountants Public Administration, which comes under the Ministry of Justice, on charges of misconduct!

In particular the mayor dragged to court as a defendant since 2015, for the parliamentary elections, not ceded places killers chrysafgites to propagate their fascist beliefs and dropping their racist poison.

In addition, the mayor of Patras accused as it failed to chrysafgites data on how many migrant children housed in the municipal kindergartens, after Question fascists had deposited in Parliament.

The trial is set on February 13, 2017 in accordance with the summons sent to him.

Recall that the Municipality of Patras contested on chrysafgites said: "The Municipality of Patras nothing wants to have with Nazi organization Golden Dawn. Therefore, in no way will not facilitate parliamentary or other activity and hence the criminal action, with the disposal of assets, premises belonging to him or any other way. " In fact, the above position and policy decision is an offense under the laws of the bourgeois state.

It is obvious that the responsibilities of the coalition SYRIZA - ANEL for this development are enormous, especially given that this prosecution was -in a way- announced by the same former interior minister and current chairman of the House Nikos Voutsis, summer 2015.

In Question answer the fascist Golden Dawn on the subject, and whether it attributed criminal responsibility in Patras mayor, the then minister had replied that the decision of the mayor of Patras, which mention above, "is a political stance and responsibility which takes the mayor, which of course is in crisis and civil and public opinion, public space wider (...) If there is misconduct issue, there is the matter of disciplinary sanctions, which the legality controller imposes etc. There is a whole context in which it might be mentioned in this regard. I tell you directly, although I do not agree -diafono- the political position of this mayor. " With this response had started and compliments on the part of the fascist construct and especially MP M. Arvanitis. The MP, ie, which has sued the mayor of Patras.

http://www.902.gr/eidisi/politiki/108145/se-diki-sernetai-o-k-peletidis-epeidi-den-dieykolyne-ti-hrysi-aygi

Google Translator

chrysafgites = Golden Dawn

chrysafgites = Golden Dawn

Kostas Peletidis = hero

Three years since the murder of Pavlos Fyssas by Golden Dawn Nazi thugs- Antifascist concert by KNE to take place in Piraeus on 17/9
http://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/09/three-years-since-murder-of-pavlos.html

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It was the night of September 17th, 2013, at the western Athens district of Keratsini, when antifascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas was fatally stabbed three times by the nazi ‘Golden Dawn’ member Giorgos Roupakias. On the ocassion of the three years since the murder of Fyssas (also known by the nickname “Killah P”), the Piraeus Sectoral Organization of KNE (Communist Youth of Greece) organises an antifascist event on Saturday 17th in Pasalimani. The General Secretary of the CC of KKE Dimitris Koutsoumbas will attend the event.

The major slogan of the concert is “We don’t forget! We fight fascism and the system that gives birth to it”. The concert of KNE will take place in Pasalimani, Piraeus on Saturday 17/9 at 9 pm. Among the performers is the band “Rebellion Connexion”. In a statement, among other things, the Piraeus Sectoral Organization of KNE points out: “The Goldendawnists (Golden Dawn members) are criminals because they are fascists. Their rotten ideology, the poison of racism, nationalism, xenophobia, is the womb which gives birth to their criminal activity (…) They are supporters of the exploitation system (…) The struggle of the people and of the youth will uproot the nazi- racist poison”.
It must be noted that a few days before the murder of Pavlos Fyssas, on September 12, in Perama, a group of ‘Golden Dawn’ nazi thugs had attacked with murderous fury members and trade-unionists of PAME and KKE.

On the ocassion of the third anniversary of Pavlos Fyssas’ assassination, we republish an extensive article titled “The murder of Pavlos Fyssas: a political anatomy” written by Thanasis Kampagiannis, one of the lawyers involved in the trial of the Golden Dawn.

The murder of Pavlos Fyssas: a political anatomy.
By Thanasis Kampagiannis.

18 September 2015 marks the second anniversary of the murder of Pavlos Fyssas by a Golden Dawn battalion squad in Keratsini. The antifascist explosion that followed the assassination was a catalyst for political developments, and Antonis Samaras’s government was forced to give the judiciary the signal to prosecute Golden Dawn as a criminal organisation. The austerity government of New Democracy (ND) and Pasok sacrificed its valuable — though repulsive — “black crutch” of fascism, just a few months after its “pink crutch” (the centre-left Dimar party) withdrew from the coalition after the closure of national broadcaster ERT. It was a political precursor to the collapse of Samaras-Venizelos government just over a year later, and the rise of Syriza to power.
But what was the murder of Pavlos Fyssas? This question has been given many answers, from the Right and the Left. The mainstream media initially made a desperate attempt to present the murder as a random “argument over football”. However very quickly, and under the weight of testimonies and revelations, the involvement of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party could not be covered up.
The fascists themselves tried to present the murder as an “isolated incident” while pushing a conspiracy story that it was a “provocation”. Michalis Arvanitis, the Golden Dawn MP for Patras and a former advocate for I. Kalampokas (the right-wing ND thug who murdered teacher Nikos Temponeras during the school occupations of 1990-1991) called the Golden Dawn member Giorgos Roupakias — who stabbed Pavlos Fyssas — an “agent of the Communist Party” who was trying to incriminate Golden Dawn.
Theories of provocation found an unexpected ally in certain Left and anti-authoritarian circles. The murder of Fyssas was, for them, a state-led plan to smash the “two extremes” — first Golden Dawn (which “took votes from New Democracy”) and then the social movement and the radical Left. These theories tried to link the Greek political system and the state machine with the murder of Fyssas, but ended up absolving the leadership of Golden Dawn. The fascists grabbed those theories and used them to their advantage.
What was the murder of Fyssas, then? A random event? A plan by the leadership of Golden Dawn? Maybe something which went beyond a plan? Is there a link between the murder and the political system and state institutions, and — if so — what kind of link?

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On the left side, Giorgos Roupakias, member of the Nazi ‘Golden Dawn’.

The crucial role of the battalion squads
The murder was part of the activity of the “battalion squads” of Golden Dawn, a phrase commonly used for the security bodies of the local organisations of the neo-Nazi organisation. Unlike the claims made in retrospect by its accused leaders, battalion squads were not “hot-blooded fans” of Golden Dawn or some isolated initiative of a local organisation. For a neo-Nazi group like Golden Dawn, building battalion squads on the model of the archetypal German Nazi party is central to its political project — something that differentiates it from other political parties, even extremely conservative ones.
In the case of the murder of Pavlos Fyssas, the perpetrators received an order by SMS from the head of Golden Dawn’s local organisation in Nikea, Giorgos Patelis, who used one of the organisation’s mobile phones. They received the message at 23:28 on 17 September 2013, a Tuesday evening [1]. The recipients of the message were not random — they were all members of the “Security” of the local organisation. The Security was a permanent paramilitary structure with a given composition, uniforms, hierarchy, weapons, training, wireless, reports and rules of secrecy. The Security of Nikea was the best organised battalion of Golden Dawn, which is why it was used as a “wildcard” (a name given to it by the party’s MP Ilias Panagiotaros) in missions throughout Greece (e.g. openings of offices, training excursions, attacks, etc.).
Nikea Security Battalion had formed up within 20 minutes (by 23:50) at the organisation’s offices on Kesarias Road. They were equipped with batons, knuckle-dusters and knives. Battalion members learned of the intended target of the attack after being informed by members of Security who were already in the Coralli café in Keratsini, and they headed in a procession of cars and motorbikes to their destination.
Within 15 minutes, by 00:05 Wednesday morning, Fyssas was lying stabbed three times by Roupakias, who was also a member of the five-member coordinating body of the local GD organisation in Nikea.
The battalion squad that night also included at least two paid Golden Dawn officials, the head of the local organisation (Patelis), and the head of the Security battalion (Yannis Kazatzoglou). The murder took place inside a circle of dozens of Golden Dawn members backing up Roupakias, some of them holding Fyssas down, and in the presence of at least eight armed police officers who never intervened. Dozens of terrified people watched the murder from the neighbouring streets or from their balconies [2]. In a tragic rendering of a verse written by Fyssas, his death occurred “in public view” [3]. The goal of the attack was to sow terror.
The picture of these events is now clear (and firmly established by the documents of the investigation) and we can ask some basic questions: how was the murder of Pavlos Fyssas made possible? And who is responsible for it, apart from those we know were directly involved?
The props of Golden Dawn in the state, capital and the political system
The relationship between fascists, the state machine and the overall system of economic and political power are historically well documented [4]. We will not detail here the history of these relations, for either Golden Dawn or previous fascist parties. It is well known that Golden Dawn is an organisation with close ties to the machinery of state and the secret service. It enjoyed the favour of powerful business interests (just one example: the conferences of Golden Dawn in Caravel Hotel were always an in-kind “sponsorship” by the Theodorakopoulos shipping family), and the political support of the traditional Right (two former deputy chiefs of the organisation, Haris Kousoumvris and Dimitris Zafiropoulos, have never denied the claim that organisational materials were printed with New Democracy’s expenses).
However, in considering 2012-2013, the period in which Golden Dawn built the battalion squads including that which killed Pavlos Fyssas, things are even more concrete.
Regarding the state: The battalion squads of Golden Dawn acted under the wing of state protection by ELAS, the Greek Police [5]. The experiment began in central Athens after 2008, in Agios Panteleimonas, where the local police decided that the policing needs of the area would mean the action of Golden Dawn patrols as a supplementary force to that of the local department [6]. But the generalisation of this experience came with the escalation of state racism against immigrants, and particularly with the launch of the “Xenios Zeus” project by Minister of the Interior Nikos Dendias in August 2012. The ELAS national headquarters’ specific aim was “to make life for immigrants hell” so that they would leave Greek territory, and the battalion squads of Golden Dawn were a friendly force allied to the police. This policy, expressed most clearly in the open cooperation of the heads of the police departments of Agios Panteleimonas and Nikea — Skaras and Giovanidis — with the respective local organizations of Golden Dawn, has a long history within the Greek state. Such cooperation goes back to the post Civil War period, with parastate bodies of “civilians” functioning to help the Gendarmerie in emergency situations.
One such body was the “Association” (known as the “Pin”) of former Nazi collaborator “Von Giosmas” in Thessaloniki. It was the organisation responsible for the assassination of Grigoris Lambrakis, an MP of the United Democratic Left, in 1963 [7]. It is not accidental that Roupakias addressed the policemen who led him to the Keratsini police station, shortly after the murder of Fyssas, with the phrase: “I am one of yours, I am in Golden Dawn”.

http://www.thepressproject.gr/photos/kke-epithesh-apo-xrysh-avgh-05_01380635600.jpg
12 September 2013, Perama: After the murderous attack of ‘Golden Dawn’ Nazi thugs on
KKE and PAME members.

Regarding capital: In 2013 Golden Dawn was able to take cooperation with business circles to a new level. Beyond the hiring of battalion squads by merchants and shopkeepers for “cleansing” an area of immigrants, or controlling the labour market in terms of national preference (raids in markets, attacks against immigrants’ shops, etc.), Golden Dawn achieved the most important contract in its history — the creation on behalf of shipowners of a “yellow” pro-employers union at the Ship-building Zone in order to break collective agreements, reduce labour costs, and achieve “industrial peace”. The hurdle to this project was obvious: the existing unions in the Zone belonging to the PAME trade union front. Tellingly, a few days after the attack on members of PAME and the KKE (Greek Communist Party) in Perama on 12 September 2013, and one day after the murder of Fyssas in Keratsini, the majority of Golden Dawn “union” members were hired by a company owned by the president of the association of ship-builders of Piraeus [8].
Regarding the political system: These connections with state institutions and employers were condensed in the political relationship that Golden Dawn enjoyed with the highest levels of the Samaras government, within the prime minister’s Maximos Mansion, in the person of the General Secretary of Government (similar to a cabinet secretary) Takis Baltakos. An old far-right-winger himself, Baltakos offered Golden Dawn first class political protection and functioned as a bulwark against members of the leading circle of New Democracy who sought a more aggressive policy against Golden Dawn. [9] This relationship had to be “secret” if it was to be in the interests of both parties — Golden Dawn had to display itself as anti-systemic, and therefore in opposition to New Democracy, at the same time as its actions gave the government the legitimacy of the “centre” against “both extremes” (i.e. Golden Dawn and Syriza). However, the relationship could not be denied. Former Dimar ministers have made public the threats from Maximos that if they withdrew from the coalition government, they would allow a government in cooperation with Golden Dawn (or maybe a “serious” version of it) to become possible.
Without the relationships that Golden Dawn had with the state, powerful business circles and the dominant political system, battalion squads could not have acted, let alone killed Pavlos Fyssas. However, the murder of Fyssas was not merely the expression of the subaltern position of the neo-Nazis to their patrons. In September 2013 the leadership of Golden Dawn unrolled its own, independent, political strategy.
The political project of the ‘Greek September’
Unlike ideological analyses that treat fascism only as “the long arm of the state and capital”, the fascist party is not just a “deep state”. It has its own political project, beyond the will of the politically and economically powerful. This is exactly what emerged in September 2013. During a lengthy period of economic, social and political crisis, with the government of ND-Pasok weakened and facing a new wave of discontent and workers’ struggles, Golden Dawn decided to seek an enhanced political role — an objective that would be achieved through the escalation of the violent actions of the organisation. The project of a “Greek September” (as it was baptised by an old member of the Greek far Right), part of which was the terrorising the neighbourhoods of Piraeus, was centrally organised and guided, like all of Golden Dawn’s activities.
The plan included widening the circle of victims of fascist violence. Instead of just foreign immigrants like the Egyptian Abouzid Embarak and the Pakistani Shahzad Luqman, the attacks would now have as their victims local trade unionists and antifascists, like Sotiris Poulikogiannis and Pavlos Fyssas. In terms of symbolism, Golden Dawn chose even to challenge the hegemony of the traditional Right in the annual “hate celebrations” at Vitsi and Meligala, at which the Right commemorates the victims of “red terror” and revels in its victory in the Civil War. The sequence of events and their orchestration by leaders of the organisation leave no doubt about the central planning.
On 1 September uniformed Golden Dawn members under the guidance of Panagiotaros ejected a New Democracy MP from the podium of the “memorial” in Vitsi. On 12 September, battalion squads of Golden Dawn were ordered by Lagos to attack the members of PAME and the KKE in Perama with murderous fury, smashing the head of the leader of the trade unions in the Ship-building Zone, Sotiris Poulikogiannis. On 15 September Golden Dawn, in full military array and dress, ejected leaders of the Right from the “memorial” of Meligala, taking it over themselves, and under the guidance of Kasidiaris, Lagos and Germenis, beat up other far-right organisations’ members (the president of the youth of LAOS and the president of the Patriotic Association of Larissa). On 17 September, the Security of Nikea attacked Pavlos Fyssas and his friends with murderous fury: he was known throughout the area for the antifascist lyrics of his songs.
The perpetrators of the murder of Pavlos Fyssas had been trained to carry out attacks like that of 17-18 September. They were fully aware of the immunity they enjoyed from law enforcement authorities. The experience of the “Greek September” itself offered them proof that the violent actions of Golden Dawn, either against the trade unionists of PAME or cadres of the Right, remained unpunished. Moreover, Nikea’s Security was present when MPs of the organisation were beating their rivals in Meligala. However, the decisive factor in the murder of Fyssas was the order coming from the offices of the organization, given by Patelis and Kazatzoglou under the direction of Lagos.
In an organisation that operates on the basis of the “Führerprinzip” (the “Leader Principle”), violation of a command given by a superior body constitutes disobedience to the “Chief” of the organisation himself. [10] For this reason, the battalion squad members of Nikea absolutely understood, while heading to Coralli, that what they were carrying out was the order of the Führer of the organisation, Nikos Michaloliakos. And this command they executed, murdering Pavlos Fyssas.
A plan that stumbled because of personal and collective resistance
But Golden Dawn’s plan of at once escalating violence and enhancing its political role failed. Instead of getting a step closer to power, the leaders of Golden Dawn found themselves behind prison bars. Michaloliakos had in the past been faced with criminal acts by GD members that “exposed” him (the greatest such moment was in 1998, after the attempted murder of the left-wing student Dimitris Koussouris by a battalion squad of the organisation led by its deputy leader, Periandros Androutsopoulos). So he used a tried and tested method: he “condemned” the murder; he professed ignorance about Roupakias, whom he characterized as had been a “passer-by” of the organisation; and he denounced the prosecution of GD as a criminal organization as “political persecution of a legal political party”.
But this time his method failed.
We need to be clear that it was resistance from below that defeated the Neo-Nazis’ project. First and foremost, we can never ignore the resistance of Pavlos Fyssas himself to the fascist raid. Although unarmed, Fyssas resisted the battalion squad that attacked him in order to protect his friends, but also to keep the territory of the neighborhood in which he grew up free. He refused to run away. This is not a matter of clichéd antifascist heroism. His personal and political stance, as it is described by his friends and comes out in the lyrics of his songs, was more that of social solidarity to fellow human beings than of an encompassing Leftist or anarchist ideology. [11] It was this attitude that determined that the killing didn’t take place in some dark alley, but in public view on Panagi Tsaldari Street. And it was he who succeeded, just before he died, in forcing the arrest of Roupakias by the otherwise apathetic police officers, when the offender attempted to flee and get into his car.
The goal of the fascist raid at Keratsini was to sow terror in the working class neighborhoods of Piraeus and to establish the reign of Golden Dawn. But the murder boomeranged on its perpetrators. Instead of terror, what was unleashed was an astonishing antifascist uprising in Keratsini the following day, and also throughout Greece. This majority antifascist tide built on the experiences of the antifascist movement that had confronted Golden Dawn in the previous 15 months during which it was in Parliament. The battalion squads had failed to control the neighborhoods and streets even before the assassination of Fyssas because of hundreds of antifascist rallies and activities that developed rapidly during 2012-2013. It is also noteworthy that the antifascist uprising after the murder also built upon the industrial action and workers’ strikes that were taking place, with the teachers’ indefinite strike being the most important one.
The antifascist explosion after Fyssas’s death created an acute dilemma for the government, which was faced with the risk of a new December 2008, when there was a nationwide youth uprising following the police murder of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos. If the cover provided by the state and the political system for Golden Dawn was not lifted (at least temporarily), New Democracy would jeopardise the stability of its government. Hence, Dendias was forced to send a list of “32 cases” to the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, who ordered a preliminary investigation into the existence of GD as a criminal organisation.
Samaras might have afterwards attempted to portray himself as a “persecutor” of Nazism, but the reality is that the government and the state gave the leadership of Golden Dawn 10 precious days, from September 18 to 28, to destroy all incriminating evidence and to organise its defence. During these days, Secretary General of the Government Baltakos unsuccessfully attempted to sabotage the prosecution. According to an article in Kathimerini — always well-informed in such matters — on the one-year anniversary of the arrests: “a lawyer — a close associate of Baltakos — was day and night in the Courts trying to elicit information on the progress of the investigation”. [12] The contradictory messages sent to the judiciary by government ministers and from Maximos were not unrelated to the decision to releasethree Golden Dawn MPs, Kasidiaris, Panayiotaros and Michos.
However the persistence of the antifascist explosion, expressed in the huge demonstration of 25 September 2013 to the offices of the “Central Command” of Golden Dawn (especially as the Syriza leadership failed to reduce it into a “harmless” concert in Syntagma Square) determined that criminal proceedings would go ahead. On 28 September the leadership of Golden Dawn was arrested, while the next day the members of the Security of Nikea who participated in the murder of Fyssas were arrested as well. At the same time, the perpetrators of the attack against PAME were arrested (they had remained free up to that point!). Other cases on file were correlated, such as the attack on Egyptian fishermen in June 2012, which was now redefined as an attempted murder.
Justice for the victims of Golden Dawn
20 April 2015 marked the beginning of the trial of Golden Dawn before the Three-Member Court of Felonies in Athens. In addition to the murder of Pavlos Fyssas, the attempted murder of the Egyptian fishermen and trade unionists of PAME are being co-tried, along with charges of belonging to a criminal organisation, the direction of which is attributed to the 18 MPs of the previous parliamentary group of Golden Dawn (essentially its entire core leadership).
Whether the 69 defendants sitting in the dock of the court will be convicted will not depend solely on what is happening inside the courtroom. Admittedly, the investigative material is overwhelming and, to the extent that it will be the sole factor of the formation of the judicial verdict, the conviction of the defendants will be heavy. However, as we know from similar trials in the past, state procedures can favour parastate and fascist criminals, usually condemning some perpetrators, giving instigators “soft” sentences and always concealing the ties between the criminals and state functionaries who covered up their action.
Having this historical experience the antifascist movement must develop its activity both in the trial and beyond. The trial of the fascists passes through the constant presence of the antifascist movement in the court, the support of victims and their lawyers (the “civil action” as it is legally called), ensuring the publicity of the trial through the transfer of the venue from the women’s prison of Korydallos to the Court of Appeal’s complex, widening the front of social and political forces demanding the conviction of the neo-Nazis. The nationwide campaign conducted by the KEERFAantifascist and antiracist coalition has already paved the way in this direction.
Precisely because the fascists sense the overwhelming weight of the evidence of their criminal activity, they have transferred all hope for their acquittal outside the courtroom. The intended re-legitimisation of Golden Dawn involves specific tactics: utilisation of their parliamentary presence and its acceptance by the parties of the “constitutional arc”, “anti-memorandum” rhetoric after the signing of a new agreement by the Syriza-ANEL government, echoing institutional racism on the occasion of the new refugee flow, and pursuing the widening of its voting base.
The antifascist movement must wage a lasting and targeted campaign at all levels, in order to prevent the re-legitimisation of the neo-Nazis: initiatives to reveal the criminal character of the Nazi gang behind the institutional facade of the “legal political party”; unmasking its false anti-systemic rhetoric; antiracist initiatives that will restore the unity of the working class; and exclusion of Golden Dawn from every public space (particularly on the occasion of the elections) through mass antifascist rallies. Only through such a campaign can we exclude any possibility of Golden Dawn playing a role in the subsequent phases of the economic and political crisis and relaunching its battalion squads, which have retreated since September 2013.
The victims of Golden Dawn, the family of Pavlos Fyssas (called finally this week to testify in court), the Egyptian fishermen, the trade unionists of PAME and hundreds of others who were attacked by battalion squads are entitled to get justice for the attacks they suffered and for the people they lost. Justice, however, will not be easy for them. This is because the perpetrators of these attacks were not just isolated individuals, but a Nazi criminal organisation with strong support in the machinery of state and in the system of economic and political power. It will be a rough road to achieve justice.
Let us try to walk it with the determination and the courage of Pavlos Fyssas on the night of 17-18 September 2013, as he stood up against a pack of neo-Nazi murderers.
Notes
[1] The SMS read: “Everyone in Local offices now. Those of you who are nearby. We will not expect far away. Now”. Referred to in: Memo of the civil action of the anti-fascist movement in the trial of Golden Dawn, Marxist Bookshop, Athens 2015, p. 87.

[2] For more details on the murder of Fyssas see: Memo, ibid, pp. 84-94.

[3] “Such a day is good for dying/ nice and standing up in public view”, in: Killah P, Zoria, tinyurl.com/oxnnzts.

[4] A good starting point is: Robert Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism, Kedros, Athens 2006.

[5] For ELAS-Golden Dawn relations and efforts to conceal them, see: Initiative for the Civil Action of the Antifascist Movement, The Nazi criminal organisation Golden Dawn, JailGoldenDawn, Athens 2015, pp. 215-226.

[6] See: Tasos Kostopoulos, “Neo-Nazism as a counterinsurgency project: the ‘deep state’ and the rise of Golden Dawn”Archeiotaxio, issue 16, November 2014.

[7] For the murder of Lambrakis see: Stratos Dordanas, German uniforms in mothballs, Survivals of Collaborationism in Macedonia, 1945-1974, Estia, Athens 2011, pp. 285-351.

[8] For further details regarding the attack on PAME see: Memo, ibid, pp. 80-84.

[9] See: Dimitris Psaras, “Hotline between Maximus and Golden Dawn”, EfSyn, 18/09/2014, tinyurl.com/olk7p3d.

[10] For the “Leader Principle” and the original Statute of the Golden Dawn, see: The Nazi criminal organisation Golden Dawn, ibid, pp. 5-25.

[11] As he said himself: “fuck revolutions at last / we just talk about personal resistances”, in: Killah P, For my own good, tinyurl.com/nf4uvll.

[12] Marianna Kakaounaki, “The Night of the Long Golden Dawn arrests”, Kathimerini, 21/09/2014, tinyurl.com/ng7nwnl.

http://houstoncommunistparty.com/three-years-since-the-murder-of-pavlos-fyssas-by-golden-dawn-nazi-thugs-antifascist-concert-by-kne-to-take-place-in-piraeus-on-179/

“With KKE, on counterattack!”- Massive political event at KNE-Odigitis youth festival in Athens (PHOTOS)
http://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/09/with-kke-on-counterattack-massive.html

http://www.902.gr/sites/default/files/MediaV2/20160924/panoramikh.jpg
Thousands of people attended a large political event during the third- and last- day of the 42nd KNE-Odigitis festival in Athens. The major speaker was the General Secretary of the CC of KKE Dimitris Koutsoumbas.

Other speakers included the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Sitaram Yetsury who delivered “red” revolutionary salutes on behalf of his country’s communists and Nikos Abatielos, Secretary of the Central Council of KNE, who stressed that “our festival is a picture from the beautiful world for which our Party struggles”.

In his speech, apart from the contemporary political, social and economic issues, the GS of the Communist Party of Greece Dimitris Koutsoumbas refered also to the Party’s 100th anniversary in 1918. He said, among other things:
“Today, moving towards the completion, in two years, of the 100 years of our honoured and heroic Party, we can become more capable in the promotion of our political proposal, which responds to the potentiality of a better life for the working people, on the basis of today’s modern needs” Secretary Koutsoumbas pointed out, adding that this can become a reality if “the productive capabilities of the country, the natural resources, the concentrated means of production become social property, with a central scientific plan, with the active participation of the workers in the organization of social production and social services”.

Among other visitors, the political event of the festival was attended by the ambassadors of Palestine, Cuba and Venezuela, as well as by the communist mayors (backed by KKE) of Patras, Petroupolis, Chaidari and Kesariani.

Below you can see some photos from the event (Source: 902.gr).

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http://houstoncommunistparty.com/11383-2/

Youth in contact with the KKE: Earthquakes that are to come'

http://icp.sol.org.tr/sites/default/files/omilia_38.jpg_2126691551.jpg

Dimitris Koutsoumpas, GS of the CC of the KKE addressed the three-day long 42nd Festival of the KNE at the political rally-climax of the events.

ICP, 27th September 2016

The 42nd Festival of the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) were held with the participation of 32 youth organizations between 22nd and 24th of September in Athens. This year, KNE’s festival also traveled to dozens of Greek towns with similar mass events, was completed in Athens with a political rally. At the political rally-climax of the festival on 24th September, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, GS of the CC of the KKE addressed the masses as the main speaker. Sitaram Yechury, GS of the CC of the CP of India (Marxist) and the Secretary of the CC of KNE, Nikos Ambatielos, also addressed the meeting.

Koutsoumpas began his speech by referring to the importance of the Festival, since amongst other things it brings thousands of young people into contact with the history of the KKE and labour movement. «They find about the activity of the previous generation of fighters, they are inspired, they make a decision to take their place in the organized struggles, they take up the baton for the great battles that we have in front of us, for the “earthquakes that are to come” said the GS and added:

"The history of the KKE, the conclusions that we draw for the strategy of the party are weapons in the complex daily and demanding struggles against the system of exploitation. In the great cause of the fight for socialism- communism."

The GS pointed out that "while the Communist Parties had socialism – communism as a goal in their program, they actually always put an intermediate stage before it for the maturation of the revolutionary forces, (and) this strategy resulted in some Communist Parties not meeting their duty, when the conditions of a generalized economic crisis were expressed in their countries that led to a generalized imperialist war and after that a revolutionary situation."

Koutsoumpas emphasized that in order to struggle consistently based on KKE's program, which aims of the concentration, maturation and organization of the working class as the leading social force of the revolutionary process, ... this struggle should take place,... within the working class and the other popular strata even in non- revolutionary circumstances."

The GS of the CC of the KKE also referred to the political developments in Greece and stressed that “SYRIZA was chosen to do the dirty work on behalf of the capital and the EU, because at least in this phase, it is able to deceive and manipulate people easier than the traditional bourgeois political forces".

D. Koutsoumpas underscored amongst other things the future of KKE's struggle path by saying: “Today we are more capable, armed with our party's program, the conclusions of the study of our party's history, the experience drawn from socialist construction, to shed light on the duties our party has in the years to come… Marching towards the 20th Congress, we set a goal for an all-round reinforcement of the KKE, to meet the needs for the immediate regroupment of the labor movement, the development of the social alliance in an anti-capitalist, anti-monopoly direction, for the struggle against the imperialist war, for working class power.”

For the full speech of Dimitris Koutsoumpas see the link.

http://icp.sol.org.tr/europe/youth-contact-kke-earthquakes-are-come

Greece: Communist mayor slams SYRIZA government, boycotts Tsipras’ fiesta
http://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/10/greece-communist-mayor-slams-syriza.html

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KKE-backed mayor of Kesariani,
Ilias Stamelos.
ATHENS- In a symbolic gesture which carries a great message, the communist (KKE-backed) mayor of Kesariani, Ilias Stamelos, officially denied to participate in a governmental fiesta for the 75th anniversary of the country’s most significant WW2 resistance movement, EAM (National Liberation Front). The government, along with the state television, ERT, are organising an event at the Kesariani Shooting Range (Skopeftirio)* on Sunday 2 October. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is scheduled to attend the event.
In a letter addressed to the SYRIZA-ANEL government, mayor Stamelos points out the the city council’s decision to deny any participation in October 2nd governmental event. Ilias Stamelos mentions that the heroic legacy of Kesariani’s Shooting Range is in contrast with the governmental policy which attacks the rights of the working people. In his letter, among other things, the communist mayor writes:

“The policy exercised by the government is in total dissociation with the struggles and the claims of Kesariani’s people and is directed against the Greek people in general. The SYRIZA-ANEL government has unleashed an attack against the rights and achievements of the people. It votes and applies memorandums of austerity, thus implementing a policy which crashes the people with taxes and reductions in wages and pensions, while on the same time it offers exemptions to the big capital”. […]
“Within the spirit of the city council’s decisions, as the mayor of Kesariani, honoring the history of the city, the historical memory and the lessons from the struggles and the sacrifices of the previous generations, the 750 people executed at the Shooting Range, I will not attend the 2nd October’s event”.

The decision of mayor Stamelos to avoid attending the governmental fiesta is both a correct and proud gesture. The “left” government of Mr.Tsipras tries to atone itself for the antipeople, antiworkers policy by appealing to the heroic struggles of the past. The Tsipras’ government, which has been proved an extraordinary collaborator of the imperialist organisations and mechanisms (EU, NATO), has no right to exploit the sacrifices of communists and resistance fighters in order to improve it’s public image.

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Photo from the interior of “Skopeftirio” in Kesariani. The signs on the wall bear the names of
those executed by the Nazi forces during WW2.
*Kesariani’s “Shooting Range”, known in Greek as “Skopeftirio”.

Kesariani is a suburban town and a municipality in the eastern part of the Athens metropolitan region. It is located approximately 3km south-east of the center of Athens. The Kaisariani Shooting Range (Skopeftirio) is notable as the site of executions by the Nazi forces during the Second World War. The best known- and most tragic- crime committed there was the mass execution of 200 communists by the Nazi occupiers on May 1, 1944.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMUNISM ©.

http://houstoncommunistparty.com/greece-communist-mayor-slams-syriza-government-boycotts-tsipras-fiesta/

The measures against the workers'-people's rights are the major scandal

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An off-the-agenda Parliament debate at the level of the political leaders on the issue "the phenomena of corruption and vested interests, their influence on the institutional and political system and how to deal with them" was held on the 10th of October 2016 on the plenum of parliament. The discussion took place at the proposal of the Prime Minister, A. Tsipras, as it is a "convenient" issue of discussion for the bourgeois parties ("left", "centre" and "right"), which seek to hide their convergence in terms of serving the anti-people strategy of capital by accusing each other over issues of management, corruption and "ethics".
Against this direction, the GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, highlighted that the phenomena of corruption and vested interests are integral to the defense of capitalist power and ownership itself, which all the bourgeois parties support. He underscored that the people have to face greater scandals, greater injustices that come again in the form of an avalanche of measures related to labour rights, heavy taxes, home seizures, a raft of measures that bury the rights, income and lives of the people.
D.Koutsoumpas, in reference to the confrontation between SYRIZA and ND, reminded the people of the similar "cockfights" between PASOK and ND in the recent past, before these two parties ended up in the same coalition government and underlined that in the name of fighting against corruption and vested interests, they are trying to carry our restructuring and readjustments in the state sector, in the economy, the bourgeois political system, which will facilitate the activity of the big businesses.
The GS of the CC of the KKE noted that the party has submitted specific proposals on the issue of corruption, which however were rejected, because they confront the sacred cows of capital.
He called on the Greek people to look at the overall picture, the "forest" and not the "trees" that are being set up to mislead them in each phase. And this is "forest" is the rotten and corrupt system that bleeds our people. It is its political personnel, the various centres which -despite the competition between them-serve this system.

11.10.2016

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/Its-the-State-Stupid-20161010-0024.html

Thanasis Pafilis (KKE): "The capitalist way of development neither wants nor can give a better life to the people"

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Translation: In Defense of Communism.

The KKE's pre-electoral evaluation that the SYRIZA government will continue towards an even worse way than the previous governments and will bring a third memorandum has been proved, Thanasis Pafilis, member of the Central Committee and Parliamentary representative of KKE pointed out in a TV interview. Talking on "Skai" Television, Pafilis said that the only hope derives from the people who must take the streets and fight for their lives; he called the people to participate in the demonstrations that will be held on October 17th by hundreds of labor unions.

When asked about the "left" character of the government, Pafilis mentioned that the people know that "Left and NATO" are not compatible, bringing as an example the offer, by the SYRIZA-ANEL government, of a new military base to NATO at Karpathos island.

A left party, Thanasis Pafilis said, is not the one which crushes the working people, the self-employed and the poor farmers while it gives new privileges to those who have the power; the capital and the monopoly groups. The solution, Pafilis pointed out, is not New Democracy which poses as the original best manager of the bourgeois power.

The KKE MP said that the capitalist way of development has bankrupted, not only in Greece, but in the whole world, because it doesn't want and cannot give a way out to the peoples for a better future.

He mentioned that the recovery which may come will not be in the interests of the workers and we must not forget that, historically, Capitalism has overcome his crises only through wars. The solution, Pafilis underlined, lies in the scientifically documented proposal of KKE, through the pass of the power in the hands of the working class which produces the wealth, with a planned economy, for the interests of the people.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/10/thanasis-pafilis-kke-capitalist-way-of.html

ΚΚΕ: The Paris Agreement on the Climate provides new field of profitability for the monopolies, amid fierce competition
https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/10/paris-agreement-on-climate-provides-new.html


Source: inter.kke.gr.
The KKE delegation to the European Parliament voted against its ratification by the European Parliament.
The KKE delegation to the European Parliament voted against the ratification of the Paris Agreement on the “climate change” in the European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg, because it perpetuates the causes which cause environmental problems, the ones which the capitalist development path creates and exacerbates.
In its speech to justify its negative vote, the KKE delegation to the European Parliament stressed the following:
“The Paris Agreement on Climate, which is a temporary compromise between imperialist centers and powerful capitalist countries, neither wants, nor can address the acute environmental problems created by the capitalist mode of development, as it sees the environment as a means of increasing the profits of business groups, which pillages natural resource and also have devastating effects not only due their uncontrolled emissions, but also due to the imperialist wars around the planet.
The Agreement has the various Emissions Trading Systems (ETS) at its heart, which as mechanisms for the profitable purchase of pollution itself have been proven to intensify environmental degradation.
The “green” technologies are designed to open up new investment fields for the monopolies with large and quick profits amid intense rivalry, where the EU plays a leading role, believing that their own business groups have a comparative advantage in this sector. As for financing the poor, less developed countries in Africa, Asia, etc. to allegedly meet the agreement is but another way for the large business groups to enter new markets, for the control and greater plunder of resources and of their peoples.
The certain result also of this agreement (as of the previous one, Kyoto, etc.) will be the aggravation of environmental problems, conditions and living conditions of the families of the popular strata.
Only the socialization of wealth and means of production, an economy and society that will not be based on capitalist profit, but on the satisfaction of popular needs, can ensure a planned, consistent and balanced impact of the working people on nature, on the environment. For such a life which the working people deserve, they must take the power of the economy into their hands creating their own social alliance, breaking with capitalist barbarism, the monopolies and their imperialist unions.”
07/10/2016,
The KKE delegation to the European Parliament.

http://houstoncommunistparty.com/%CE%BA%CE%BA%CE%B5-the-paris-agreement-on-the-climate-provides-new-field-of-profitability-for-the-monopolies-amid-fierce-competition/

Mass demonstrations organized by Labour Unions to take place in Greece on October 17th

Source: PAME (All-Workers Militant Front).
On Monday 17th October: In Athens at Syntagma Square at 18.30, in Thessaloniki at 18.30 at Venizelos statue.
More than 400 trade union organizations, federations, labour centres, industrial unions, etc from all branches and sectors, all over Greece, we coordinate, demand and fight for the cancelation of all anti-workers laws and measures of the recent years. We fight for the signing of National Collective Agreement and sectoral Collective Contracts.
We demand the reestablishment and the signing of sectoral Collective Contracts, the recovering of all of our losses! No worker without the minimum wage! All in the struggle for full time steady jobs, with full rights, higher wages, pensions and social benefits!

We Call to the Great Demonstration of the Unions on Monday, October 17
We cannot live with starvation wages, without social security, without labour rights! On October 17 we will submit to the Greek Parliament, to all parties (except the Fascist Golden Dawn) our Resolution!
We demand it to be discussed and legislated! We demand the life we deserve!
No worker, no branch, no union alone can stop this unified and planned attack of the Greek Government and the Employers. We strengthen the front against the employers of each sector who want us to be cheap, flexible workforce, without any rights. Against the planning of the EU, IMF and the big capitalists, who aim to make new cuts in our wages and social rights, we must give our response!
The SYRIZA Government talks about implementing in Greece the “best European practices”. That is, to impose contemporary slavery, exploitation based on the demands of the big business groups, work without rights, starvation wages, zero hour contracts, mini jobs, no obligations for the employers. So them to be free to pay the worker whenever they want, to layoff with no costs, with no obstacles from trade union organization and action of the workers.
They must receive massive, militant, fighting response, with all forms of struggle and General Strike! No more Sacrifices for the Profits of the Capitalists! Their “growth” and “development” is not for us and our children! We witness and live this. Their growth is built over the ruins of our rights; it is based on cheap labour. We do not compromise with poverty and wretchedness!
We organize the great front of struggle to demand the recovering of all the losses we had in wages and pensions. But most of all, to demand the abolition of all anti workers’ measures imposed the last years that have cancelled the Collective Contracts.
We demand our Rights in Work and Life based on our Time, the 21st Century, our contemporary needs. We will not live as slaves!
Signed by more than 450 National Federations, Labour Centres, Unions to demand Collective Contracts

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/10/mass-demonstrations-organized-by-labour.html

Mass demonstrations organized by Labour Unions to take place in Greece on October 17th

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Source: PAME (All-Workers Militant Front).
On Monday 17th October: In Athens at Syntagma Square at 18.30, in Thessaloniki at 18.30 at Venizelos statue.
More than 400 trade union organizations, federations, labour centres, industrial unions, etc from all branches and sectors, all over Greece, we coordinate, demand and fight for the cancelation of all anti-workers laws and measures of the recent years. We fight for the signing of National Collective Agreement and sectoral Collective Contracts.
We demand the reestablishment and the signing of sectoral Collective Contracts, the recovering of all of our losses! No worker without the minimum wage! All in the struggle for full time steady jobs, with full rights, higher wages, pensions and social benefits!

We Call to the Great Demonstration of the Unions on Monday, October 17
We cannot live with starvation wages, without social security, without labour rights! On October 17 we will submit to the Greek Parliament, to all parties (except the Fascist Golden Dawn) our Resolution!
We demand it to be discussed and legislated! We demand the life we deserve!
No worker, no branch, no union alone can stop this unified and planned attack of the Greek Government and the Employers. We strengthen the front against the employers of each sector who want us to be cheap, flexible workforce, without any rights. Against the planning of the EU, IMF and the big capitalists, who aim to make new cuts in our wages and social rights, we must give our response!
The SYRIZA Government talks about implementing in Greece the “best European practices”. That is, to impose contemporary slavery, exploitation based on the demands of the big business groups, work without rights, starvation wages, zero hour contracts, mini jobs, no obligations for the employers. So them to be free to pay the worker whenever they want, to layoff with no costs, with no obstacles from trade union organization and action of the workers.
They must receive massive, militant, fighting response, with all forms of struggle and General Strike! No more Sacrifices for the Profits of the Capitalists! Their “growth” and “development” is not for us and our children! We witness and live this. Their growth is built over the ruins of our rights; it is based on cheap labour. We do not compromise with poverty and wretchedness!
We organize the great front of struggle to demand the recovering of all the losses we had in wages and pensions. But most of all, to demand the abolition of all anti workers’ measures imposed the last years that have cancelled the Collective Contracts.
We demand our Rights in Work and Life based on our Time, the 21st Century, our contemporary needs. We will not live as slaves!
Signed by more than 450 National Federations, Labour Centres, Unions to demand Collective Contracts

https://communismgr.blogspot.ca/2016/10/mass-demonstrations-organized-by-labour.html

KKE GS D.Koutsoumbas: "The Greek people must throw in the trash the lies and the propaganda of the government"

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The General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas, who attended the large demonstration in Athens on Monday, made the following statement:

"The Greek people must throw in the trash the lies and the propaganda of the government, the conclusions of the various alleged specialists, the pressure of the creditors, of the EU and the IMF and engrave its own way of struggle. General uprising everywhere, with the working class on the forefront, in alliance with the other popular strata, aiming against the monopolies and the capitalist way of development itself which brings poverty, crises, unemployment. There is no other solution, there is no other way out".

Thousands of people participated in mass demonstrations held in Athens and other major Greek cities, against the antipeople measures of the SYRIZA-ANEL government. More than 500 labour unions, centers and organisations jointed the protest rising their voice in defense of the collective contracts and the demand for stable jobs with rights. Among other speakers, including trade unionists and workers' representatives, the President of the World Federatio of Trade Unions (WFTU) George Mavrikos delivered a salutatory speech.

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[img]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KTXnkPW85CE/WAUVQdW3g1I/AAAAAAAABtg/QrzdUgiJ_qsQHgRkP3cgr6XHM8gVNP0CgCLcB/s640/Athens%2Bdemo%2B17-10-2016%2B23.jpg

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/10/kke-gs-dkoutsoumbas-greek-people-must.html

Interview with Kostas Papadakis (KKE): "SYRIZA has been chosen by the bourgeois class to complete the dirty work..."

Special interview with Kostas Papadakis, member of the CC of the KKE and Member of the European Parliament.

International Communist Press, 17th October 2016.

ICP: After the 3rd memorandum in Greece, we are all witnessing anti-worker and anti-popular laws passing from the parliament. Is it possible to say that the people are getting more and more politicized and organized as their standard of living has been decreased into half?

Kostas Papadakis: The SYRIZA-ANEL government established its own memorandum, which was passed together with the votes of the "rightwing" and "centre" bourgeois parties (ND, PASOK, POTAMI), on the basis of the two previous memoranda. The memoranda are not just an agreement with the imperialist institutions, but the "programme" of the bourgeois class in order to return to profitability, reducing labour rights and the price of labour power.

The SYRIZA-ANEL government, taking harsh anti-worker measures, causes deep disillusionment amongst wide sections of the people. Amongst those who believed that the memoranda could allegedly be abolished via parliament and referenda.

The disillusionment gives way to the people's struggle. In the first 6 months of the 2nd SYRIZA-ANEL government there were 4 mass general strikes, together with other mobilizations of workers, self-employed, scientists and professionals. The poor farmers set up roadblocks at 100 points all over Greece for 40 days. In this period, there are mobilizations every day.

But even these struggles do not correspond to the offensive being waged against the people. However, it is not just the mass character of a struggle on its own that is of importance, but also its direction. Mass struggles were waged in previous years; however the demand for one government to leave and for another to take its place was the dominant one. In the end, the new government continued the same political line, sowing disillusionment amongst sections of the people.

Today, there must be mass struggles concerning all the problems, which will target the capitalist development path itself, the power of the monopolies, the EU. And these struggles can have the strength, duration, victories and above all prospects.



ICP: Do you evaluate a dissolution in the SYRIZA-ANEL government and do you expect early elections?

Papadakis: SYRIZA has been chosen by the bourgeois class to complete the dirty work, with the 3rd memorandum, because it can do it better than ND. There are other bourgeois political forces ready to be the "reserve force", in case the governmental majority needs support. Nothing is accidental. The government uses "left" phraseology in order to create a false distinction in relation to the largest opposition party, the "rightwing" ND, which it accuses of being a supporter of neoliberal ideology in order to show that the government allegedly has social sensitivities. This is a tactic to deceive the people, something which is assisted by the other parties and a section of the media that talk about the government having a leftwing profile. Of course, the developments have their own dynamics. If things do not go as they plan, we do not exclude the possibility of a "heroic exit" by the government and the possibility of elections. Such a scenario will depend on the international and European developments and their trajectory.



ICP: In order to reach the 'aimed' budget surplus for 2017 big cuts in the pensions and more taxing are evaluated for the coming year. What will be the axis of the struggle of KKE in the near future?

Papadakis: The communists struggle inside the trade unions, the associations of poor farmers, the self-employed so that the anti-people measures of the government do not succeed, and for the restoration of the losses the people's income has undergone. We use every possibility. Recently, for example, the KKE tabled a draft law to Parliament for the abolition of the special consumption tax and VAT on heating oil and natural gas for household use. At the same time, our party highlights in a militant way that the needs of the people can be satisfied on the basis of the real productive potential and wealth produced in this country, only if production and the economy are freed from the chains of capitalist ownership. It calls on the people to think: why do we today import milk, animal food, pesticides and medicines, meat, sugar, and other products that can be produced in our country? Why has construction come to a halt when there are some many works that must be carried out-anti-flood, anti-earthquake anti-forest-fire infrastructure-which are urgently needed?



The party highlights the superiority of its proposal regarding social state ownership of the means of production and scientific central planning. It highlights the superiority of socialism, demonstrating the potential of an economy that will be planned according to social needs, in opposition to today's system that brings crises and austerity to the people and is dominated by capitalist profit.

The Greek people, the working class above all, must organize their counterattack and not wait for solutions from above, from the EU and its governments, in order to follow this path. They must organize their struggle to change the correlation of forces inside the labour movement.

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"The CPs of Europe, strengthening the struggle against the imperialist EU, NATO, the USA, must reinforce the independent political role of the communist movement ..."

ICP: Brexit and the financial difficulties of Deutsche Bank are signals of the deepening of the crisis in the European Union imperialism. In this perspective what should be the tasks of the communist and workers' parties in Europe?

Papadakis: In order to understand the developments in the EU and the tasks of the communist movement, we must begin with examinig the more general situation and specifically that in today's conditions:

No imperialist centre will function as the engine of a significant increase of the rate of capitalist growth in the international imperialist system over the next decade.

Over-accumulated capital is continuously expanding, i.e. capital that cannot be invested at a satisfactory rate of profit.

There is a continuation of the trend for changes in the correlation of forces, with the reduction of the share of the USA and Eurozone in the Gross World Product and the increase of the share of China and other countries.

The confrontation between the imperialist centres over the control of markets, energy resources and oil-natural gas transport routes is sharpening in this framework. The struggle between the USA-NATO and Russia is characteristic.

Of course, the USA, which maintains the first position in the pyramid of the international imperialist system, is proposing the TTIP with the EU, which will cover 50% of global production today and 30% of world trade.

Significant sections of the French and German bourgeois classes are reacting against this, because they understand that the US proposal is a "Trojan Horse" in order to ensure US economic hegemony in Europe. Consequently, the economic war between the USA and Germany, with the emergence of scandals, court verdicts related to "Siemens", VW, Deutsche Bank, Apple.

The USA is also playing a leading role in the extension of sanctions against Russia, which do not only negatively affect the bourgeoisie of Russia, but also particular interests of Germany, Italy and France.

This framework to a great extent defines the developments in the EU. The EU today remains an advanced form of reactionary alliance between the capitalist states in Europe. However, the common aims of the monopolies, of the bourgeois classes that formed this alliance cannot negate the asymmetrical development of the economies of its member-states.

It is in this context that we must evaluate the result of the British referendum, which reflects the existence of sections of capital that desired Brexit. The increasing discontent of the people was trapped in the current of bourgeois euroscepticism. In particular it should be noted that there is an attempt by far-right and fascist forces to utilize this current, which is developing in many EU countries.

In these conditions, the governments of France, Italy and Greece are requesting the relaxation of the EU fiscal policy, the increase of state and EU funding for businesses so that they can strengthen their domestic monopoly groups. However, this web of intra-bourgeois contradictions cannot and must not conceal the strategic convergence of all of them against the interests of the working class and popular strata. All of them, despite their various differences, are continuously sacrificing the people's needs in order to buttress the competitiveness and profitability of capital.

In these conditions, the communist movement in Europe undertakes serious responsibilities and must struggle so that the workers are not deceived by the new fraudulent promises e.g. of A. Tsipras that the anti-people political line can allegedly change and be reversed by an alliance of the states from the South of the EU or an alliance of European social-democrats. What is required is the ideological-political confrontation against the forces of the "Party of the European Left" (PEL) and the other social-democratic parties that sow similar illusions. This is why the creation and activity of the "European Communist Initiative" is of great significance. 29 CPs participate in it and declare that the EU is a union of capitalist states that cannot be improved and humanized, as capitalism cannot be improved and humanized.


The CPs of Europe, strengthening the struggle against the imperialist EU, NATO, the USA, must reinforce the independent political role of the communist movement so that the peoples do not follow a "false" flag, i.e. a flag of sections of the bourgeois class of their countries or other imperialist centres, with false slogans, like those about the "sovereignty" and "equality" of countries in the framework of capitalism and the EU. In addition, it is very important for the struggle for disengagement from the imperialist unions of the EU and NATO to be connected with the struggle for workers' power, which is the only guarantee that such disengagement will benefit the people.

The CPs of Europe, struggling to prevent the even worse measures that are in the pipeline, in order to satisfy the needs of the workers, must come into conflict with the bourgeois and petty bourgeois illusions that there can allegedly be painless solutions for the people, without clashes against our real opponent, without conflict with the power of the monopolies, of capital.

One hundred years after the Great October Socialist Revolution, socialism remains necessary and timely for the peoples, despite the fact that the global correlation of forces has deteriorated. This necessity and timeliness is highlighted by the impasses of the capitalist mode of production, which causes crises, wars, poverty, unemployment, destitution. We can and must organize our counterattack, to change the correlation of forces in favour of the working class and popular strata, to strengthen flashpoints of resistance, to form the preconditions so that ultimately power can change hands.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/10/interview-with-kostas-papadakis-kke_19.html

Five years since the organized murderous attack against a massive PAME demonstration in Athens


http://youtu.be/sHMLD_Vql0o
Article of the International Relations Section of the CC of the KKE in relation to the statements of the international Media on the murderous attack on the large demonstration of PAME.
26 October 2011.

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The people’s-labour movement has the strength to face the provocateur mechanisms of the bourgeois system.
The murderous attack unleashed by anarcho-fascist groups against the enormous rally which was organized by the class-oriented trade unions, rallied in the All-workers’ Militant Front (PAME) in opposition to the new anti-people measures of the government, made the news on a global scale. Nevertheless, there were many attempts by the bourgeois media to distort the facts.
Indeed in this effort they use as arguments fabrications and lie drawn from the opportunist forces and the Trotskyist websites.
As is well-known on the 19-20 October hundreds of thousands of workers participated in the big strike mobilisation, in which the class-oriented trade unions of PAME played the leading role, together with other forces of the social alliance (MAS,PASEVE,PASY,OGE). The success of the 1stday of the strike and the massive demonstration in the central square of Athens, outside Parliament, where PAME was predominant, sent a strong message to the government, the EU, capital: No sacrifice for the plutocracy! The workers are not responsible for the capitalist crisis! The fight for goals of struggle which are connected to the contemporary needs, in rupture with the capitalist system, the concentration of forces for the people’s power and economy!
The fake-incidents, the “hide and seek” with the riot police, the damage to shops and buildings, which small provocateur groups organized, could not extinguish the message of the huge popular demonstration of PAME. Certain international media, in an attempt to mislead the workers in their countries spoke of an attack and attempt of the demonstrators to occupy the parliament. Something which of course had no relation to reality.
On the 2nd day the forces of capital sought to suppress the strong political message of the workers. PAME had announced the encirclement of the Parliament for the time when the anti-worker measures were to be discussed and voted on by article with a roll call vote, at the request of the KKE. For this reason they mobilised and unleashed in a planned way organized groups with specific instructions and anarcho-fascists who with Molotov cocktails, stones, and other weapons which are used by the police, such as teargas and stun grenades, attempted to disperse the majestic rally of the workers and people in Syntagma and especially the part where PAME was concentrated. The assault took place on the edges of the demonstration and had as a result the injury of 80 PAME demonstrators and the death of the construction worker-trade unionist of PAME, Dimitris Kotzaridis. Nevertheless, their goal, which was to disperse the rally of PAME, to intimidate and suppress the working class and popular torrent for counterattack which came onto the streets for the 48 hr general strike, failed! The forces of the protection of the rally successfully repelled the murderous assault!

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(Picture. The hooded ones, the mechanisms set up by the bourgeois system against the labour-popular movement, attempted to disperse this enormous demonstration).

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(Picture: the deceased Dimitris Kotzaridis, construction worker, trade unionist of PAME. The suffocating atmosphere which was caused by the use of smoke bombs and fire extinguishers by the provocateurs against demonstrators had as a result the tragic death of Dimitris Kotzaridis. The demonstrator felt dizzy and collapsed. His comrades took hold of him and carried out first aid procedures and moved him out of Syntagma Square. “The suffocation from the teargas could have led to respiratory failure and constitute a cause of death.” Ilias Sioras, cardiologist and President of the union of workers in “Evanggelismos” hospital denounced to the media. “the final findings will be made by the investigation of the coroners.” Concluded Ilias Sioras.)

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(Picture: the head of the demonstration of PAME. Solid protection everywhere).

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(Picture: The attack of the provocateurs against the protection teams of PAME).

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(Picture: The image of PAME’s demonstration after the murderous attack of the provocateurs) .

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(Picture. The forces of PAME have withdrawn from Syntagma to Omonoia. A picture the moment the news of the death of the trade unionist of PAME, when a minute’s silence was observed).

Certain international bourgeois media sought to present the aforementioned incidents as a conflict between two ideological-political currents inside the people’s movement. This approach has nothing to do with reality since in Greece it is well-known that these groups which appear under the cover of the black colour, the hood, “anarchism” are organized and staffed by the forces of the bourgeois system and include everything from organized hooligans of football teams, to hired thugs from night clubs, members of neo-Nazi organizations and forces of security services. There is a lot of evidence from the recent past (photographs and videos) that show the relations of these groups with the mechanisms of the system. They are murderous groups which serve the bourgeois system and have no relation with the people’s movement. They are unleashed by the system itself in order to organize provocations (like the burning of the bank on 5/5/2010 where three employees died) and provide a pretext to the security forces so as to use the equipment they possess in order to disperse the mass people’s demonstrations.
Even more dangerous and dirty is the slander that PAME protected the parliament from the protesters, an allegation reproduced by bourgeois and opportunist mass media - domestic and international ones. This dirty allegation seeks to portrait PAME as a support of the bourgeois system and the KKE as a “systemic force”, as a party of the bourgeois system. It emanates from those forces which praise the “spontaneous” movement and present it in opposition to the organized class-oriented workers’ movement. It is they who misleadingly identify the revolution and the people’s uprising with the burning of rubbish bins and the breaking of shop windows and not with the organized political struggle of the workers’ movement which has roots in the factories, in workplaces, in people’s neighbourhoods and will dispute the bourgeois power leading to a conflict with the imperialist organizations of NATO and the EU, to the establishment of people’s power. The KKE and PAME do not need any “credentials” for their militancy which the bourgeois media hand over to the hooded provocateurs, to the anarcho-fascist groups. Our history and activity has the appreciation of hundred of thousands of working people who take part in the people’s demonstrations, of millions of workers who appreciate the consistent, unwavering struggle of our party, the firmness of its goals for the overthrow of the capitalist barbarity and the militancy of its members and cadre in the places where they work and live. This slander that PAME allegedly “protected the bourgeois parliament from the rebels” has nothing to do with reality and moreover it seeks to conceal the truth, namely the fact that PAME managed, thanks to its strong vigilance, to defend the demonstration and prevent the plans for its dissolution.
As we say in Greece “lies have short legs”… On Friday morning hundreds of cadre and members of the KKE, numerous forces of the class-oriented movement visited many workplaces informing the working people and preparing new mobilizations. This mass political work among the people which will continue on a daily basis constitutes a decisive response to every kind of anarcho-fascist, to the police informers, to the bourgeois state, to the government and the parties of capital, the opportunist formations.

21/10/2011.
OTHER PHOTOS FROM THE MURDEROUS ATTACK AGAINST PAME.

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The supposedly "indignant citizens". A mixed crowd of anarchists, fascists and others ready to throw molotov cocktails against the organised demonstration.

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The murderous attack against the PAME demonstration resulted in injures of protesters.

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An unknown hooded thug attacks a PAME protestor with a police batton!

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https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/10/five-years-since-organized-murderous.html

Other images at link.

PAME: “Everyone in the struggle” – General Strike to take place on November 24th in Greece
https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/10/pame-everyone-in-struggle-general.html

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“No waiting, no delay! We respond: General Strike on November 24th!” stresses a recent declaration of the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) which calls in struggle for the rights in labour and life, according to the needs of the working people.
The declaration PAME calls the workers, the self-employed, the youth and the pensioners of the country to give a militant response to the barbaric, antipeople measures of the SYRIZA-ANEL government. “We demand rights in our work and life, according to our era- the 21st century, our needs!” as PAME points out in its call for the strike.
“Enough with the blackmails, the lies and the deceptions. The new round of attack which began has been decided a long time ago from the government, the quartet, the EU and the IMF, the Federation of Greek Industrialists and other employers’ associations, the parties which voted the third memorandum and the compromised trade unions’ leaderships. They want, with any means, even more cheap labour. They want to abolish whatever has remained from the workers’ rights”.
“They won’t stop, if we will not stop them!”.

The PAME declaration includes specific, pro-workers demands, such as the cancellation of all the anti-labour, anti-social security laws of the last years, the restoration of the wages and pensions, the protection of the unemployed people.
IN DEFENSE OF COMMUNISM ©.

http://houstoncommunistparty.com/11937-2/

“They won’t stop, if we will not stop them!”.

So simple, so clear, so true. This is the easy to grasp statement that no faux-left asshole can get. If we don't stop them, they will not stop, period.

NATO Imperialists not welcome in Piraeus! KKE denounces the presense of US Navy flagship in Greek port

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The presense of the United States 6th Fleet command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) and USS Mason, a US navy destroyer, in the port of Piraeus on October 24th has been strongly denounced by the KKE Piraeus Sectoral Organisation. In its announcement, the KKE calls the city's people to strengthen their struggle against the involvement of Greece in NATO's war plans.

More specifically, the KKE Piraeus S.O. points out:

"They have the audacity to dock at the port of Piraeus, while the presense of NATO in the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Aegean and the Mediterranean is enhanced, using for the last two sea areas the pretext of controlling the refugee flows which are caused and amplified by the imperialist wars and the dire consequences against the people.

At the same time, the US, NATO and the EU, in their antagonism with capitalist Russia, slaughter the people for the control and exploitation of natural resources, of oil, gas, water, energy pipelines and trnasportation "arteries", in order for the monopolies to gain more profits, thus capturing larger shares of the market.

The struggle to prevent any involvement, any participation of our country in the imperialist plans must be strengthened now.

The Greek government of SYRIZA-ANEL bears huge responsibilities, continuing the same policy with the previous governments, in ordered service by the bourgeois class of our country, giving "soil and water", participating actively in the imperialist plans showing each time its willingness to involve the country even more. At the same time, the growing imperialist antagonisms and plans, the escalating intervention in the broader region of Eastern Mediterranean and Eastern Europe, objectively open issues of border change and sovereignty disputes in a wider region, bleeding the people again and again.

We call the working class, the working people to strengthen the struggle against the involvement of Greece in NATO's war plans, for the disengagement (exit) of our country from NATO's "nest" and every imperialist alliance, for the removal of foreign military bases and nuclear (weapons), the return of the military forces from the imperialist missions, in order to put in practice the slogan "Neither soil, not water to the murderers of the people". This struggle must be included to the struggle for the overthrow of the rotten exploitative system which generates crisis, wars, refugees".

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/10/nato-imperialists-not-welcome-in.html

TRIAL OF NAZI CRIMINAL GOLDEN DAWN

Monday 31/10/2016 - 10:35 - Update: Monday 10/31/2016 - 14:48


http://youtu.be/CEX8ulOHRXM
Concentration conviction of criminal Nazi Golden Dawn made the morning Monday, October 31 outside the Court of Appeals hundreds of employees who responded to the call of PAME .

"Enemies of the workers are chrysafgites, minions of the bosses and criminals" , writes the banner of the Secretariat Attica PAME which was ahead, while hundreds of workers complained about the views and actions of the Golden Dawn with slogans such as ' slavers fascists hit the workers and your bosses do the backs " , " you are the rottenness of all Dounia, blockade the fascists in every neighborhood " .

With its own massive block participated in mobilizing the Metal Syndicate Attica Shipbuilding Industry Greece. Followed People's Committees of Athens neighborhoods, student unions, the workers' union in private education "Byron."

When the march arrived out of brief greeting courts did Alekos Perrakis , a member of the Executive Secretariat of PAME, recalled the "works and days" Golden Dawn Zone of Perama and the surrounding area of Piraeus, setting up slave-trade on behalf of employers , beating and terrorizing immigrants, pioneers in attacking trade unionists of PAME, killing a few days later the fascist musician Pavlos Fyssas.

"Golden Dawn is criminal because it is Nazi," he said among others. He underlined that the mobilization of support is gathering those who accepted the attacks and called on the workers, the youth, the whole people, to isolate the fascists.

Speaking in the morning ERT - 1 Alekos Perakis stressed in particular that, "we are here today to stand by every worker, every immigrant who was attacked and violence of fascist, Nazi Golden Dawn."

Mobilize attended by Christos Katsotis , member of the CC and MP as well as Liana cinnamon , MP of KKE.

http://www.902.gr/eidisi/ergatiki-taxi/112805/sygkentrosi-katadikis-tis-hrysis-aygis-exo-apo-efeteio-athinon

Slide show at link.

Popular discontent can find a way out through the political proposal of KKE

Interview of the GS of the CC of KKE Dimitris Koutsoumpas on the ERT1 public television channel, on 24/10. Below are extended excerpts from the interview.

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/koytsoympas-24-10.jpg_2126691551.jpg

- I read the following in “Rizospastis”: The day when the government begins the discussion with the “institutions” (Troika) about the new attack against working and trade union rights, SYRIZA and ND choose to squabble about their favourites and also about the misleading issue of corruption in order to hide their convergence on the antiworker measures. Is corruption a misleading issue? Can you explain this? Doesn't this issue objectively exist in our lives?

- The issue of corruption always exists in our lives, exists in this system, exists in the state. Our evaluation is that it is the state which has decayed, that the political system has been corrupted more generally. Therefore, it is a real issue, but it is utilized every time when the parties which are in power, the government and the respective official opposition, and want to confront each other around such issues in order to hide the big problem, the “forest”- the peoples' problems, the antiworker and antipeople measures that they are discussing in this period with their partners (Troika)- because they aren't the partners of the Greek people- the creditors in order to bring new measures, possibly a new memorandum as well.

This is the essence of the whole confrontation. Because, from now on, in this system, with these measures, with these governments, with those who have the power, neither corruption will be confronted, nor the problems solved. We saw it also regarding the TV license issue, we saw it with the successive laws they have passed which, regarding the supposed offensive against corruption, or, for example, the issue of transparency, ended in total failure, both those of the previous (governments) and the present one.

Let me tell you this simply: The representatives of ND and PASOK are servants of some interests, owners of TV channels I mean, and the current governmental majority of SYRIZA-ANEL is servant of some other owners and interests.

- Let us say something on that point which is interesting regarding the critique that is directed towards the KKE about its tactics. In completely good faith, some people ask and say, at this conjuncture that Tsipras has chosen to collide with specific interests, with major interests, as you say the swords and knives that have come out from the sheaths are big...

- I didn't say that he has decided to collide. I said that he has decided to serve some other interests.

- Yes, but the knives have come out. Therefore, at this conjuncture some evaluate that the stance that the KKE follows, to lump them all in together, is a tactic that helps ND. That, your ideological position “the liars who applied these, he told us one thing and did another etc.” becomes dominant, as if, they say, you are interested in the application of SYRIZA's promises.... and within this context they say that the KKE is trapped and follows the same rhetoric, i.e. that the opposition approach of ND becomes the hegemonic direction.

- This supposed argument is well-known, it comes from the very past and we believe that our people have gained significant enough experience. It is the same line that PASOK used in the past, when it was in the opposition, when it was the “light and darkness” division, when it wasn't in governmental coalition with ND, where PASOK then, with G.Papandreou and others before him, was saying that the KKE plays the role of ND. It is the same old story. When a party becomes a government, it later argues that KKE or the opposition agrees with some other party, simple as that. It is the other side of the same coin. The argument that you say, that “by criticizing SYRIZA, the KKE supports ND”, exists, which is ridiculous, because the KKE fought against ND steadfastly, as it does now. As you have seen, we talk about bipolarity, criticizing both respectively, because they follow the same direction.

- Naturally, KKE will criticize, this is obvious, it has a different ideological starting point and defends specific interests. What I ask is different. They argue that through this way, the right-wing view becomes a hegemonic ideology which talks about the rationalization of the state, that it can become better, that the bad people should leave and the better ones should come. Thus, they change the political agenda at the core of politics.

- This doesn't have anything to do with KKE, but with criticism we also direct towards ND. Rationalization of the state and productive reconstruction, with the same owners and the same people who have the power, cannot be done. A substantial change in the political system and a reform of the state, through partial measures, like the current government does or as ND says that will do, cannot be done. The notion that must prevail in the Greek people, in the movement, but also in the very consciousness of the workers is that all these things require a fundamental overthrow, they need radical changes, actual revolutionary changes, but not in words. Such revolutions and overthrows in words, we had before the elections like those of Mr.Tsipras and SYRIZA and Mr.Kammenos and ANEL, even before them we had G.Papandreou of PASOK, others in ND etc. Everyone talks about revolution in society, for fundamental radical changes of the state. What needs here is another programme, another perspective, there is a need for another course to be charted, not in an improvised way, but with a plan.

The KKE has such a plan and proposes it to the Greek people. They say “it seems difficult”. But why, is it easy to live as we do now? So many measures have come, memorandums, a 4th memorandum is being prepared now, new measures are coming, the people are bleeding daily from these, from the taxation, the incomes of every Greek worker have been decreased, the farmers also suffer and are being driven off their land. We cannot always invoke some difficulties, or that the political proposal of a party is difficult and another one is easy. Such easiness is known to us too. You don't have to be particularly intelligent in order to practice the easiness of mockery and lies. As, for example, the governmental parties did, which rule today and which in past received 4% of the vote-they fooled the Greek people with revolutionary slogans and we have seen what they have done. We warned the people then. Therefore, this isn't enough, the peoples' consciousness must work towards this direction and the workers must struggle around these issues.

Recently, I am hearing various things, from circles of the Church as well as from political persons, leaders, etc, that “we must find consensus, we must reach out with our hands”. But, of course, the KKE extends its hand to the worker, the farmer, the self-employed, the popular family, to the people who suffer and all together must be united, but this needs a raised fist, because the fist symbolizes the struggle, the demands. Without struggles and demands, nothing can be achieved. You can't say “let us all agree and we will all be fine”. This is preaching from the pulpit and when this is said by political persons or people who have prestige within Greek society, it becomes dangerous. They actually act, without perhaps realizing it themselves, against what we call resistance, struggle, fight for radical changes.

- Mr.Koutsoumpas, the trailer of our interview was playing for a whole week. Yesterday, at the cafe, someone told me, in good faith, to ask you a question: “I believe in the overthrow that the KKE talks about, but until it comes, in the Armageddon that we live now- while others come and talk about the 'under-minimum salary'- why doesn't the KKE lend a hand until the revolution comes?

- Not only do we lend a hand, but also legs and arms. You know, a few days ago, to answer your friend, a major mobilization-demonstration took place, which came about from work in the workplaces, in the unions. Over 500 trade union organizations, primary and secondary level unions, federations and labour centers created a draft law, which they discussed with the workers themselves, and which refers to the needs of today, to the Collective Labour Agreements, not to the total overthrow of the system and Socialism. Of course, , the trade unions and everyone, must work in this direction, but this specific draft law referred to the Collective Labour Agreements, to the minimum wage, to a number of labour rights that have been taken away (…). This draft law was submitted to all the political parties in Parliament, as well as to our party. However, the KKE was the only party which submitted this draft law in order to become a decision of Parliament. The other parties and the government turned their backs on it.

Therefore, why are you saying that we don't fight concerning the everyday issues or today's problems. The current problems and the struggle in relation to them paves the way for the struggle about tomorrow, when you combine them and when you don't lie to the Greek people that you supposedly can manage, from a governmental or oppositional position, an unacceptable, rotten situation which makes our people suffer...

- There is much talk about social democracy, about the need for social democracy, perhaps a turn of a Left to approach social democracy, whether or not and to what extent SYRIZA moves in this direction or not...

- In any case, the so-called “left” of SYRIZA, here in Greece, not only moves in this direction but, in our opinion, it has already crystallized as a social democratic party, a clearly bourgeois party. It takes more and more, if not completely, the position of PASOK and moves, driven by the decisions of its recent congress, to occupy the whole space of the center-left; this creates difficulties for other parties of the opposition, such as PASOK, Potami, Centre Union which are moving in this center-left space. Because SYRIZA occupies this space and this is what it intends to do. I don't know if it will succeed (to occupy the whole center-left space). In the end, that will depend on many other factors and parameters, but it moves in this direction and this has crystallized (as is perfectly clear).

Besides, it is no coincidence that (SYRIZA) more and more often participates in meetings and caucuses of Socialists in Europe, of European social democracy, has close ties with Hollande and others who also apply respective antipeople-antiworker policies in their countries, even without memorandums. It is the same direction of the EU and the Quartet. And from this point of view, SYRZA and Mr. Tsipras personally are moving rapidly towards this direction.

However, the people have experienced these policies, they are the same policies which in the past led PASOK to form a coalition with ND, to a continuous change of positions and to a collapse, which SYRIZA will obviously follow in the next period.

- Do you think that such a possibility exists? I mean, in order to overcome the national problems, as they call them, that the two big parties can form a coalition? Do you see this as a possibility?

- At some point in the future, of course. Currently, it doesn't seem realistic. But, a part of ND can very well, we believe- I imagine there are discussions, both covert and more open, I don't know, but this seems to be the case if you examine the political scene and the actions of the Prime Minister and the government – approach not only sections of the old PASOK (although most of it has joined SYRIZA) but also other forces which are in the center-Right political space. […]

Look, the loss of SYRIZA's forces can been seen inside the trade unions, associations, in the workplaces, in the elections in trade unions, in the struggles, the neighborhoods, where a large amount of resentment has developed over the last year, as a result of SYRIZA's governmental policies; this discontent isn't being reaped by ND. That can be seen also in opinion polls.

- Does this resentment go somewhere?

- There is a large mass of people who are currently worried, thinking, discontent with the policies of SYRIZA and, at the same time, they are unhappy because they have experienced the policies of ND and they don't want to go back neither to ND or to PASOK which they have also experienced for many years; these people are worried, indignant, participate in the struggles.

That is expressed in the elections in the trade unions of the private and public sectors. The forces which KKE supports are the second largest with votes of over 20% within the broader trade union movement, in the associations of women, the youth, in the students unions and school-student councils- for younger ages, as the school-students of the two last high school classes will now vote under the new law- and of course (KKE has) a large influence amongst farmers. To these people, who are more than 20%, the ones we meet in the struggles, the ones who in the past voted SYRIZA, PASOK and others possibly ND or other smaller parties as a gesture of dissatisfaction, we say to them to join with the KKE, despite their reservations. Because, it is the only proposal which can provide a way out for today but also to pave the way for a better future. And this proposal must be strengthened everywhere and within the movement, but also whenever elections take place, either national elections, local ones or Europarliamentary elections.

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Popular-discontent-can-find-a-way-out-through-the-political-proposal-of-KKE/

Golden Dawn Trial: The murderous attack against the members of KKE and PAME was planned and organized
https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/11/golden-dawn-trial-murderous-attack.html

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JL6OVlKypxE/WBiMcpkIf4I/AAAAAAAABw4/ujH64DPDcZkqGMZJT0GQ5xVHaBJZfAofACLcB/s640/Poulikogiannis%2Btestifies%2Bat%2Bcourt.jpg
Sotiris Poulikogiannis testifies in the court during the trial of the Nazi Golden Dawn (Monday, 31/10/2016)

Special to In Defense of Communism.
Info from ‘Rizospastis’ (1/11/2016) and news services.

In a revealing testimony on Monday, at the trial of the Nazi ‘Golden Dawn’ party in Athens, the president of the Metalworkers Trade Union of Attica Sotiris Poulikogiannis, who was among the victims of a murderous attack on September 2013, provided to the court some very interesting facts. Poulikogiannis spoke about the viciousness of the attack, the organized and planned character of the ambush and he revealed the relations between the Golden Dawn and large contractors of the dockyards in Perama. The communist trade unionist said that Golden Dawn is a criminal organisation because of her Nazi ideology and character and he refered to historical examples about the role and the activity of Nazism.
Regarding the murderous attack against the members of KKE and PAME on September 2013, Sotiris Poulikogiannis said that it was a planned and organised attack which, at first, aimed against himself. It was an attack with all the characteristics of an organised, military-type of attack, with military-type structure and distinct roles of the participants. Poulikogiannis indicated the members of the Golden Dawn Pantazis and Hatzidakis as heads of the attack who, during the attack, were bearing murderous weapons, nails and blades.

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2u3gcG_UgU8/WBiLKGFusCI/AAAAAAAABww/1jM153Y6Hqcn3BkWlubX_uD5B5-7pOSJQCLcB/s640/Golden%2BDawn%2BNazis%2BPerama.jpg
August 2013: Golden Dawn’s MPs Iliopoulos, Lagos and Panagiotaros in Perama dockyard zone
speak to a few workers about how they will “wipe PAME out of the zone”.


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September 2013: Sotiris Poulikogiannis, KKE cadre and trade unionist, after the organised vicious
attack by Golden Dawn’s neo-Nazi thugs.
“Golden Dawn is the boss in the dockyard – You are finished!”.

Sotiris Poulikogiannis testified that the murderous attack by the Golden Dawn thugs was a well-organised attack, directed by specific circles within the Perama dockyard zone. When he was asked about the motive of the attack, the communist trade unionist said: “They acted upon order of large contractors from inside the dockard zone. For many years, the large contractors, that means the employees, are trying to function the zone in a monopoly way, to get rid of the trade unionists, as they repeatedly have said… They want workers’ union which will work for them, to do whatever they want, without Collective Contracts, without strikes, without hygiene and security (for the workers)”.

Poulikogiannis testified that these people were presidents, vice-presidents as well as members of the board of directors of employees’ unions, having direct connections with Golden Dawn. He refered to them by his names, adding: “They began an industry of lawsuits (against trade unionists) in 2008 and in 2012 Golden Dawn joined the game…”. Cde Poulikogiannis refered also to the role of Golden Dawn’s MPs, like Yannis Lagos, who had a leading role in the effort to “terrorize” the workers and the trade unionists. Lagos himself had appeared in a video recorded in Perama in which he had threatened the PAME trade unionists that “will be wiped out of the dockyard”.
Sotiris Poulikogiannis spoke the truth about the real character of Golden Dawn, by saying in the court “Golden Dawn is a criminal organisation because they are Nazis […] Golden Dawn herself says that she is the descendant of the 1945’s defeated. Who were the descendants of ’45? The Nazis. Their slogan is ‘Blood-Honour-Golden Dawn’”. Golden Dawn’s lawyers reacted fiercely to these words of Poulikogiannis and the trial was interrupted for a while.

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OUTSIDE THE COURT – MASS RALLY AGAINST THE GOLDEN DAWN’S NAZIS.

Thousands of people, workers, students and women responded to the call by the Attica Secretariat of PAME (All-Workers Militant Front) and demonstrated in Athens’ central avenues before reaching the Athens Court of Appeal. Having as a major slogan “Goldendawnists are enemies of the workers, they are minions of the bosses and criminals”, dozens of trade union centers, workers and students associations sent a message against the fascist-criminal activity of Golden Dawn.

In a statement, PAME pointed out the following:

PAME calls on the workers, the people and the youth in mass condemnation and isolation of criminal Nazi Golden Dawn. With a militant demonstration the unions of Athens, the class forces protested, while the trial of the Fascist-Nazi organization Golden Dawn is underway. The trial started regarding the attack on trade unionists of PAME, members and cadres of the Communist Party in Perama by members of the Golden Dawn.
The way the Golden Dawn fascist organization acted on September 12, 2013 in Perama, as well as in other cases, demonstrate the murderous nature of the attack. While the fact that they targeted pioneer fighters whose actions constitute a nail in the eye of employers confirm their role as lackeys of the system.
The murder of P. Fyssas in Keratsini, the murderous attack in Perama, the attack on Egyptian fishermen continued with dozens of attacks on immigrants, tradesmen, workers, and antifascists.
The Golden Dawn was organizing and performing criminal acts against the class trade union and popular movement, while at the same time they founded slave-trade offices offering free labor to employers and they were asking for new tax breaks and benefits for ship-owners, industrialists, and exploiters of workers in the Parliament.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/xO3uIcaTVEhEn-JHuxOmaa2ULmQLtO8uT3Uq60iNf_7uAFC9LnYA2VL4I87aa7CCfhWD4VhrTgSk5_ezn0798V3VjGQ0KM5Rntn5Xmn85Q1owCe9a7IFERDrz7Rq5itMSeU_Vc6xm7UIhWr6_Dk=s0-d
Its action serves the interests of certain big employers, against the people and the popular movement. They sigh for Hitler, the fascist regimes that slaughtered peoples. The Golden Dawn is a criminal organization because it is Nazi organization!
Every effort to camouflage the Nazi criminal character of the Golden Dawn must fail.
The class trade union and popular movement must confront any attempt to equate Nazi criminal action with the struggle of the workers movement -which is based on relevant EU guidelines-.
The mass struggle of the people and the youth in direction of rupture with the exploitative system, which creates fascism, can create the conditions for the isolation and uprooting of the fascists.

http://houstoncommunistparty.com/golden-dawn-trial-the-murderous-attack-against-the-members-of-kke-and-pame-was-planned-and-organized/

OBAMA NOT WELCOME IN GREECE- Demonstration against the visit of US President to take place in Athens on November 15th

Peace, Workers, Students, Women's Associations and Unions against the visit of the U.S. President Barack Obama in Greece.

Info from 'Rizospastis', 6/11/2016.

OBAMA IS NOT WELCOME - NO PARTICIPATIΟN OF GREECE IN THE IMPERIALIST PLANS AND WARS.

With the slogan "Obama is not welcome in Greece- No participation of Greece in the imperialist plans and wars" numerous unions and associations of the labour-peoples' movement in Greece call for a massive demonstration on Tuesday 15th November in Omonia square, Athens. Among the participants are the Greek Committtee for International Detente and Peace (EEDYE), workers' unions, associations of self-employed and women, students unions and others.

In the statement, the unions call for mass participation in the demonstration, in order to condemn decisively the visit-provocation of Obama in Greece, to strengthen the intervention of the people against the imperialist competitions and wars. The people must once more denounce the criminal role of NATO and the EU. The statement stresses the need for the people to intensify the struggle against the dangerous policy of the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government, as well as to express the internationalist solidarity towards the refugees and immigrants, raising a wall against racist and xenophobia.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/11/obama-not-welcome-in-greece.html

December 8 National General Strike!
on 07 November 2016. Posted in Announcements
PAME Calls for National General Strike December 8!

ALL IN THE STRUGGLE!



We demand rights at work and life, based on our needs and our time - the 21st century!



Colleagues, unemployed, self-employed, scientists, farmers, pensioners, young men and women in flexible working conditions and wages-crumbs, do not accept the new barbarity!

PAME calls on all unions, each Federation, Labour Centre, each association, all the workers to decide on aNationwide General Strike In Both The Public And Private sector on December 8. We shall not waste any more time!

No more blackmails, lies and deception. The new round of attack that has started is predetermined a long time ago by the government, the EU and IMF, SEV (Hellenic Federation of Enterprises)and the other employers associations, the parties that voted in favour of the 3rd Memorandum, the compromised trade union leaderships (ETUC affiliates). They want at all costs even cheaper workforce. They want to eliminate every labor right that is left.

The negotiation between the Greek Government and the EU, IMF, ECB started in the well-known common basis of blackmails and threats to workers. The results either they take as a basis the finding of the Commission of "experts" or the "Joint Declaration" of the social partners, or the "best European practices", lead to: The making bigger the sweatshop conditions for the workers, for the benefit of the business groups. The legalization of massive layoffs, the undermining of the –already cut- minimum salary, the legalization of lockout, the limitation or the prohibition of trade union rights and freedoms and new heavy taxation to the people. Also to allow poor people’s homes to be seized and auctioned.

They will not stop unless we stop them!

Our life every day moves backwards so that the profits and privileges of the monopoly groups, of the few, can be increased. The more than 530, so far, workers’ Federations, Labour Centres, Trade Unions, who stepped forward and participated in rallies on October 17 against the anti-people policy and the fight for Collective Contracts, show the way of organization and confrontation that must be opened before us.



We demand:

• The cancelation of all the anti-workers and anti-social insurance laws of the last years.

• The restoration of the basic salary, the abolition of the anti-workers’ framework for the Collective Labour Agreements and the reintroduction of the sectoral collective bargaining.

• The abolition of the new payroll and reactionary assessment in the public sector, the reestablishment of the 13th and 14th salary, the coverage of the losses of the public sector employees.

• Sectoral Collective Contracts with wage increases on the basis of the huge losses in the workers’ income in each sector and workplace.

• The reestablishment of cut pensions and benefits.

• The protection of the unemployed with an increase of the unemployment benefit.

• To put a brake on the taxation of the workers.

• To make the industrialists, bankers and ship-owners pay.

Colleagues, workers, unemployed,

Ignore the voices of compromise and subjugation that are being grown together by the government, the big employers, the parties who signed the 3rd Memorandum and the compromised leaderships in the GSEE and ADEDY(ETUC Affiliates in Greece) that attend the prearranged “social dialogues”, they sign "joint findings" and "joint statements" with the butchers of the working class.



We have nothing good to expect from the "negotiation", the "compassion" of employers that does not exist, the capitalist growth that they preach. Their "development" will be watered with the blood of the children of the working class, who are condemned to unemployment, to cheap work and to flexible working conditions!



No Waiting, No Delay!

We Respond: December 8 - National General Strike!

http://www.pamehellas.gr/index.php/en/homepage/91-announcements/7194-december-8-national-general-strike

KKE: The role of the Communist Party in the struggle for the equality and contemporary needs of women

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AZmcwttwI80/WCWXd2bDBxI/AAAAAAAABzw/X9RqNh6Q-WMxQw9MCK901aO9SVsoRUUWQCLcB/s320/Young%2Bwoman%2BKKE%2Brally.jpg

The role of the ΚΚΕ in the struggle for women's equality and their contemporary needs.
Source: inter.kke.gr.

In the struggle for women's equality and the contemporary needs of women, in the unrelenting class struggle, leading women communists emerged as cadres of the global revolutionary labour movement. They gained their impetus from their understanding and deep conviction in the goal of their struggle for the abolition of the exploitation of man by man.
Their example highlights the need to prepare a vanguard of communist women, utilizing the practical example of the communist women in social, political activity, in the workplaces, universities, in the family. It reflects the need of the CP and the Communist Youth Organization to act as a vanguard everyday in the struggle for the needs of women today, from young girls to the elderly, for equality and social liberation, for the strengthening of women's participation in the class struggle and their promotion in the organs of the labour-people's movement, in the mass organizations.

This means there are related tasks for all the CPs to integrate the woman question into the ideological, political and organizational mass activity of the party in a consistent way. This specialized ideological, political intervention of the party amongst sections of women with class criteria must be based on inner-party work in the organs of the CP and CY, in the party organizations so that the political positions of the party are understood in combination with its view on the woman question. More specifically, the effort to promote women cadres from the working class, the work to prepare young women in the party must be engaged with. So that these women are better equipped when they start a family to deal with the new problems and their participation in the movement and party from a class standpoint.
For our work to have clearer results, what are required are the collective responsibility of the party organs with a long-term plan and creative, persistent control and the simultaneous allocation of suitable comrades who will enthusiastically contribute to this work.
An aspect of the ideological-political reinforcement of the members of the party and KNE, their political circle of influence, is the publication of articles in Kommounistiki Epitheorisis, Rizospastis, Odigitis, as well as the publication of books and other print material. This includes theoretical works like the Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State by F. Engels, anthologies of texts on the woman question of Marx-Engels-Lenin, and recently the book of A. Kollontai "The woman question from primitive society to the contemporary world" (1925) The timeliness of these theoretical works and their usefulness is that they shed light on the class essence and historical basis of the social position of women. This is basically related to their position in social labour and consequently their position in the family-based on their special needs that arise from their role in the reproductive process- and the relations between the two sexes.
They also maintain their importance today for women of a working class and popular class position or origin and for young women who are less well-informed on these issues. They are also important for the class awakened and active workers and employees in trade unions, students and salaried or self-employed professionals, and above all for the cadres and members of the KKE and KNE.
Of course, the form of the double oppression of women, based on class and gender, today is not identified with that from the beginning of the previous century, as described in the works of theoretical and other representatives of the revolutionary labour movement. This is related to more general bourgeois rights (e.g. to education) and especially for women (e.g. family law, the extension of the bourgeois electoral rights).When we read certain positions or slogans that were used, we must examine them as they should be adapted to the current conditions. For example, even if the demand for electoral rights has been satisfied, this remains to a great extent a formal right, or more accurately one subject to the manipulation of capitalist power, for the majority of women, for those women who belong to the working class and popular strata. In the words, women workers, employees, self-employed and farmers can use the right to "stand for elections" only under the protection of the bourgeois parties, while they can only act in favour of their full social liberation by joining-directly or as allies- the revolutionary labour movement, the communist party.
The same adjustment is required regarding the slogan that was used concerning the "liberation of women from their pots and pans». Today, due to the development of productive forces, the "slavery of the private household" has different technical conditions from what it had 100 years ago. In a very large part of the capitalist world, women do not wash clothes by hand in a tub or cook on a wooden stove. Of course these phenomena still exist even in the contemporary capitalist world, particularly in large swathes of Asia, Africa and Latin America. At the same time there also exist wretched conditions for women refugees, their children, even in European countries, like Greece. There are also the large numbers of homeless women, and men, due to unemployment and destitution. However, what is a general phenomenon in the capitalist world is the insecurity of the salaried woman worker-and self-employed- the lack of a stable work schedule on a daily or weekly basis, the intensification of work without women in essence being freed from the care and responsibility not only for the reproduction of her own strength, but also that of her children and often that of her unemployed husband or the survival of her parents who do not have social-security cover etc.
Possibly, it may be considered unnecessary, in the contemporary conditions of the class struggle, even in the framework of the organized labour-people's movement, to carry out elaborated specialized work amongst women with a working class-popular socio-economic position or background in order to increase their participation in the anti-capitalist, anti-monopoly struggle. The fact today that a number of anachronistic obstacles have been removed in a formal-legal sense in relation to their right to education, family and inheritance law, the influx of women as a salaried workers in a number of sectors of the economy does not negate their unequal position in the framework of capitalist society, which is expressed by new forms in the contemporary conditions.
The development of the productive forces, chiefly their capitalist expression, was what brought relative economic independence of women from men (according to the data of the European Union the percentage of employed women is an average of 63.5% of women in the EU who are able to work).However, this independence could not take on the character of real economic and social liberation in the conditions of the exploitative social relations. Capitalism has an interest in perpetuating inequality, as it is a source of additional profits, the increase of the level of exploitation and political manipulation. In the framework of the exploitative society, women's relationship with maternity is used in a reactionary way. The care of children, the elderly and disabled, the home, continues to be a private-family matter, with a particular burden for the women from working class and popular families. Women have not been freed from economic and social coercion, and nor have men. Such liberation requires the social and political revolution of the proletariat to establish revolutionary workers' power for socialist construction.
All these things mentioned previously form the terrain that objectively impedes, delays the development of the political and class consciousness of women, their stable organized participation in the struggle. The crucial issue today is the reduction of the level of the demands, the chasm between the reduced demands and the increasing needs. The reduction of the level of demands is related to the lack of political experience, the lack of organization and the manipulation and intimidation of women in particular.
Understanding these difficulties, the need arises for a long-term plan to build the CPs in the working class, with recruitment of women with a working class-popular socio-economic position or background. The contribution of the Section of the CC of the KKE with elaborated positions for salaried and self-employed women, farmers, young women on each issue that concerns popular women can be decisive in the party's efforts to recruit women, to develop bonds with the working class and people. We need to take into account what section of women we are addressing, both in terms of age and social-class position.
For example, a number of monopolies in Greece are hiring staff on temporary and part-time contracts. The majority of workers on such contracts are women. The course of party building and the regroupment of the trade union movement in specific sectors (telephone centres, restaurants-tourism, food-beverage industry, finance sector, private healthcare etc.) and as a whole depends to an extent on the specialization of our political line for women workers and employees.

The KKE's struggle against bourgeois and petty bourgeois theories on the woman question
An aspect of the mass ideological-political intervention of the CP is the monitoring, study and organization of the ideological struggle against the specialization of the bourgeois strategy aimed at women, as is directed by the decisions of the EU, NATO, OECD, bourgeois governments, other mechanisms of the bourgeois state (local government, education, mass media etc.)
This effort today is more demanding than before, as the exploitative system, through the bourgeois modernizations that has implemented in relation to the position of women, i.e. the legislation passed by its political personnel, the bourgeois governments, camouflages the contemporary problems faced by young women and the majority of women from the popular strata.
All these bourgeois modernizations brought certain changes for women workers, employees and self-employed women. However, these changes took place under the impact of the gains which women had in the countries where socialism was constructed, under the pressure exerted by the struggle of the labour and women's movement. At the same time, however, they also served the needs of capitalist society.
As capitalism was developing, it needed educated women in order to integrate them into capitalist production.
At the same time, however, utilizing the existing difficulties of women to combine their work with their care of the home, the EU, governments and capitalist employers implemented flexible labour relations and part-time work for women in a mass way, something which did not meet with the required level of people's protests. Based on their own data, 76% of workers that work in part-time jobs in the Eurozone countries are women. This results in women having lower salaries than men and lower pensions.
Why? Because they work in greater proportions as unskilled workers, because they work part-time, which means a part-time wage, social-security cover, half a life in essence. And also because they are compelled to stop working for longer periods during their working lives, having the exclusive responsibility for looking after children and the elderly.
This time, they invoke the need for men to participate more in childcare, housework in order to impose labour flexibility on working men as well. A comprehensive discussion is taking place in the European Parliament, in the relevant committees about the so-called "paternity leave".
There is particular interest about the participation of women in the so-called "Decision Making Centres" on the part of the imperialist organizations and alliances, like NATO, the IMF and the EU, as well as on the part of the monopoly groups. That is to say, they propose the increase of the percentage of women in the National Parliaments, in the organs of bourgeois power, in the boards of directors of companies. In this way, not only do they exonerate the capitalist system, but they foster the opposition between the two sexes, concealing the basic contradiction between capital and labour behind the polarization of men and women.
The criterion for policies and positions is not gender, but what class interests are being served by men or women.
Correspondingly, they are concerned about the participation of women in the leadership of companies. They bring forward as an example that wherever women are in charge there is a 6% increase of profits each year. Profits mean the intensification of the exploitation of the workers in the company, men and women.
This entire discussion is the bait used to co-opt and manipulate young women university graduates in particular, who the bourgeois have the tendency to use a small percentage of. The bourgeois class in each country understands that it must form a leading group of women from the big bourgeoisie, which will promote its values and ideas, the ideology of the bourgeois class amongst women, concealing the different class interests which they (women from the working class and popular strata) have from the wives of their exploiters.
At the same time, they seek to implement a compromise in the jungle of labour relations that exists today. For example, an article in MANPOWER invoked the ability of bourgeois women to work with a more flexible work pattern, which does not require their actual presence in the workplace and could be a management role.
This is not a problem of course for businesswomen but for young women researchers, salaried professionals, specialized workers, who are being deprived of even basic rights related to the protection of maternity, vacations, benefits.
But for a researcher who is a mother, who will leave her child at home to carry out sociological research, not just library based research, to spend time in the labs, when social infrastructure like nurseries provide minimal or expensive services. In this sense the phenomenon of the "glass ceiling" still exists.
But there are many ways to "hide" the root, the class root of all the contemporary forms of women's inequality, which are exceptionally dangerous for the struggle of men and women inside the labour-people's movement on the basis of their common class interests.
For example, the view that says that women's inequality is a product and creation of the mindset of men and concludes that women should see their husbands, brothers, fathers and male colleagues as their opponent and not the system that creates inequality, poverty, unemployment, insecurity for them and their families.
These theories and corresponding political practices present as a source of the unequal position of women the specific character of the biological functions of women and the differences between the two sexes. They present them as an issue of mindset, behaviour, a result of patriarchal power. They consider that views and ideas create social problems, including the problems related to the woman question. In reality, ideas are created on the basis of the material relations of people and reflect them.
Finally they come to the view that legislative initiatives can deal with gender discrimination.
The KKE does not at all underestimate the state, education, the church, the mass media, social policy which legitimize inequality in the framework of society. The fact that mistaken views on the position of women in the modern capitalist world are reproduced not just via the stance of the employers in the workplaces, but via the stance and behaviour of men in the organs of the bourgeois state, via the mass media, education, religious doctrines, does not negate the fact that the source of women's inequality is the division of society into exploiters and those who are exploited.
On the one hand, extremely anachronistic and reactionary views are being reproduced that survive up until today, especially in more backward societies or in conditions of a prolonged capitalist economic crisis and mass unemployment. They want women tied to the private household, to have maternity as their main role, far from social production and social activity.
At the same time, bourgeois propaganda in our period, in the name of alleged "freedom" reproduces theories that even include irrational views about procreation and childbirth.
The theories about social gender present the role society allocates to its members as a social construct, a language construct. These are views that in certain instances go as far as not recognizing the gender differences between men and women as being an objective fact, turning reality on its head. They do not accept that there is a biological basis for the attraction between women and men so that the sexual act can be realized, they argue that attraction has an exclusively social root cause.
The main thing is that they absolutize individual experience as the source of knowledge at the expense of social experience and understanding and social reality.
They do not think that language reflects reality, but that language constructs reality. They say that identities are constructed through speech. They deny the existence of objective reality, which exists independently of human understanding and is reflected by it, for examples, in experiences and language.
The word, for example, is more than a simple symbol. It is not just a contract so that we can understand each other. It has a material basis and is connected to objective relations and reflects their historical character. When we name something, we do so because it already exists and not in order to create it. Correspondingly, the meaning expresses the objective relationship of an individual with the world, despite the fact that it is created subjectively.
In this way, they distort the class and gender oppression, as a consequence they negate the specific social needs of women that arise from their role in reproduction. This is how they hide that the problems in relation to the two sexes-communication, behaviour-have their roots thousands of years ago, in the first class society.
As long as the private-capitalist ownership continues, individualism and competition, the egoistic lifestyle, will be reproduced and this also influences the working class, popular strata and ruins social relations, the relations between the two sexes, personal relationships. The capitalist profit motive operates as an economic incentive via the institution of the family itself, reproducing economic, social and cultural forms of coercion. The economic relations of parents with their children are what define it, also from a legal standpoint, in capitalist society.
The organization of the struggle against these theories- and the political practice based on them-together with the programmatic elaborations of the CPs, using the positive and negative experiences from the class struggle, socialist construction in the 20th century, can raise our efforts to a higher level in the ideological, political, mass struggle, in the organization of women in the labour and women's movements and the people’s movement more generally. We should take more decisive steps as CPs to develop the party with working women, women from the popular strata, especially young women, and also to promote them to the party's organs.
The importance of the specialized activity of the labour-people's movement amongst women, the experience of the independent women's movement must be highlighted.
The KKE, together with KNE, seeks to utilize the experience of how the KKE opened the way for women's participation in the social-political-class struggle, in the trade union movement and radical women's movement. It will do this through many types of activities in the run up to 2018, when it will celebrate its 100th anniversary. We must highlight the important experience of our party's efforts in working with working class women, in elaborating political goals for the mass movement and struggle of working women, self-employed women, workers in the informal sectors, for example maidservants in the past, home-based workers and cleaners.
The communist women and those allied to the KKE participate in the women's organizations, whose orientation and activity is defined on the basis of the class character of the woman question. We are referring to the associations and groups of the Federation of Greek Women (OGE).Women from the working class and popular strata participate in the women's associations, irrespective of their political preferences.
Workers, unemployed, self-employed, farmers, young mothers, students, pensioners, immigrants are rallied in OGE. In addition, there are still women who are only engaged in housework. Some of them participated in the movement before. However, some came into contact with the collective, radical activity through the associations and groups of OGE in their neighborhood.
The communist women that participate in the radical women's movement are attempting to elaborate the content and forms of activity, the militant demands, which can contribute to rallying more women of a working class-popular socio-economic position or background, to awakening their class consciousness. These elaborations also assist to stir the organs of the labour-people's movement so that they develop similar specialized activity to increase the level of women's organization.
There is even the danger of class conscious women approaching the woman question as completely integrated in the labour-trade union movement, as women and men are found together in nearly every sector of industry, every sector of social labour, in the sectors of state administration and they participate or can participate in the relevant trade union organizations. Communist student women are also endanger of having this one-sided thinking as they no longer experience the gender separation in secondary education, as was the case in the past, or gender-based barriers to higher education.
It is a fact that today at least the class-oriented trade unions have the demand for "equal pay for equal work" in their statements, i.e. the equality of men-women in the regime of capitalist exploitation. However, in practice they find it difficult to examine specifically how the "equality" of the level of exploitation of men and women is "violated" by the capitalists and their states or why in reality the female labour force as a commodity has a lower value than that of men, e.g., the greater percentage of women in the lowest paid jobs, the restrictions due to pregnancy, greater participation in work with flexible labour relations etc.
At the same time, the majority of the executive committees of the trade union federations, integrated into government and employer led trade unionism, in the name of "equality" supported the reactionary measures of the government and employers at the expense of salaried women e.g. the increase of women's retirement age to the same age as men, the abolition of the ban on night shifts for women or the limitations on their exemptions from it etc.
A general problem for the class-oriented trade unions, federations, labour centres, which are today rallied in PAME in Greece is the very low participation of women in the executive committees, even in sectors where there are a lot of women workers. Even the fact that there has been no serious study of women's participation in the organs of the trade union movement is an expression of the lack of understanding concerning the contemporary forms and dimensions of the woman question.
The efforts being made in recent years for joint activity of women's associations with working class and popular organizations with an antimonopoly line of struggle has helped to strengthen the orientation on the content and forms of this specialized work. We are referring to the joint organization of militant initiatives regarding dismissals of pregnant women by companies, the working conditions of salaried women, as well as issues that concern the working class-popular families as a whole: maternity, healthcare, increased need for preventive medicine for the female organism, education, welfare, sports, culture, refugee-immigrants, violence against women etc.
The most complex issue is the patient work to strengthen women's initiatives in the movement, to deepen the agreement on the line of march in an antimonopoly-anticapitalist direction.

Section of the CC of the KKE for the Equality and Emancipation of Women.

SEMINAR IN ATHENS: “Women’s inequality in the EU and the rest of the capitalist world. The struggle of the communists”.



On the 10 and 11 November 2016, in Athens, the seminar on the theme “Women’s inequality in the EU and the rest of the capitalist world. The struggle of the communists” takes place, hosted by the KKE delegation to the European Parliament..
This seminar aims to open up a discussion amongst the CPs for the necessity and the content of specialized work amongst women, as, despite the significant participation of women in wage labour, there is not the corresponding participation in the labour and trade union movement, even more so in the communist movement.
The discussion will engage with the ideological and political intervention of the CPs concerning the woman question in the contemporary conditions of the sharpening of the offensive of the bourgeois governments, the EU and other imperialist inter-state unions, of the bourgeois classes in every country. In addition, the specialization of work amongst women contributes to the building of the CPs in the working class, to strengthening their militant bonds with it, the popular strata and youth, and how this is expressed in recruitment. There will be an exchange of views about the intervention in the radical women’s movement, i.e. the women’s movement with an antimonopoly-anticapitalist orientation, and also in the labour and trade union movement.
The seminar will be opened by the MEP of the KKE, Sotiris Zarianopoulos.
Eleni Bellou, member of the PB of the CC of the KKE, deliver the introductory speech.
20 Communist and Workers Parties have stated their participation in the Seminar:

1. CP of Venezuela
2. Union of Communists in Bulgaria
3. Party of Bulgarian Communists
4. Brazilian CP
5 ΚΚΕ
6. CP of India
7. CP of India (M)
8. Workers Party of Ireland
9. CP of the Peoples of Spain
10. CP, Italy
11. Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan
12. Socialist Workers Party of Croatia
13. Socialist Party of Latvia
14. CP of Mexico
15. South African Communist Party
16. Hungarian Workers Party
17. Communist Workers Party of Russia
18. New Communist Party of Yugoslavia
19. CP of Sweden
20. CP, Turkey

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/11/kke-role-of-communist-party-in-struggle.html

"Neither land nor water to the murderers of the people"- Statement by the KKE about President Obama's visit in Greece

Regarding the upcoming visit of the U.S. President Barack Obama in Greece on Tuesday 15 November, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece issued the following statement.

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Translation: In Defense of Communism.

"Neither land nor water to the murderers of the people".

The KKE calls the working people, the youth, all Greek people to give a militant "welcome" to the outgoing President of the USA, Barack Obama, who visits our country in a period when the offensive plans of NATO-US-EU are intensified, with Greece's active participation and with huge dangers for the Greek and other people of the region. They (the people) must participate massively to the demonstrations organised by the EEDYE*, PAME and the other bodies of the popular-labour movement, of the youth.

The SYRIZA-ANEL government is exposed to the Greek people, not only because it strews "red carpets" and prepares to welcome the leader of an imperialist power, which is responsible for wars, interventions, deaths of civilians and successive wages of refugees, but also because it mocks by saying that Obama's visit will benefit the Greek people, such as, for example, an american intervention regarding the settlement of the Greek debt.

The reality is complete different. The visit of the President of the United States in Greece has as its focal point the further participation of our country to the dangerous plans of the imperialists in the broader region, from Syria, Iraq and Libya to the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea, within the framework of the antagonism with other imperialist powers, having as an epicenter the control of the control of the wealth resources, markets and routes of strategic importance.

The sharpening of the inter-imperialist contradictions and rivalries is also manifested with the war which is underway in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine and can cause a real holocaust of the people of Europe and generally. The aggressive imperialist policy of the USA will continue under the new President Donald Trump, despite the tactical differences. As it would continue if Hillary Clinton had been elected in the presidency.

The SYRIZA-ANEL government, with great eagerness and with the agreement of New Democracy and all the other parties, has supported until now all the NATO decisions which consist an escalation of the antagonism with Russia and refer to a situation of war preparation. The government supported the decisions of the NATO Foreign Ministers Summit, offers Greek islands for the establishment of NATO bases, has legitimized NATO's presence in the Aegean under the pretext of confronting the refugee flows. While, at the same time, it conceals (the fact) that the de facto partition of Cyprus is promoted through a new "Annan Plan".

The Euro-atlantic orientation of the SYRIZA-ANEL government is camouflaged under the slogan of the "multidimensional foreign policy" as well as from the fact that the government tries to play the role of the mediator between rival imperialist centers (US-EU-Russia), thus serving the aim of the Greek capital to upgrade its position in the region.

From these developments, only new dangers can arise for the Greek people and the sovereign rights of the country. For that reason, the people must be in militant readiness and vigilance. (The people) have now a rich experience, in order not to believe that the participation of Greece in the imperialist organisations and plans supposedly consists a factor of stability and peace. At a time when these organisations are responsible for the wars, the refugee flows, the support to the murderers of the "Islamic State", the redrawing of borders as well as for the fostering of the Turkish provocation and aggression.

The position which actually says that all the above are justified if there is a U.S intervention of the debt relief issue, which will pave the way for the economy's recovery, is an unacceptable and dangerous position which must be rejected by the Greek people.

This position hides that the debt issue is also connected directly with the antagonisms between powerful capitalist centers (mainly USA-Germany) which refer to the situation in the Eurozone, on the basis of the difficulties that capitalist recovery encounters. A rivalry which, of course, does not contest at all the antipeople measures, the restructures which are promoted against the people.

The visit of Obama, during the anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising against the military dictatorship imposed with the support of the U.S. and NATO, consists a provocation for the people and the youth. As an opposition, years ago, SYRIZA was deleting the "U.S-led" characterization before the word "Junta", while now, as a government it thanks the U.S. for their intervention on the debt issue and the negotiation for the 3rd memorandum.

The most outrageous issue is that the SYRIZA-ANEL government, under the mantle of the "left" tries to acquit and legitimize the U.S. policy, being lascivious against the historical memory and collective conciousness of the Greek people.

Now, more than ever, a labour-popular mobilization and international solidarity is needed against the imperialist plans and the intervention of Greece, against the system which creates crises, wars, poverty and refugees:

- For the closure of all NATO bases in Greece.

- To get NATO out of the Aegean.

- For the return of the Greek military forces from NATO and EU missions.

- For the disengagement of Greece from NATO and EU, from all the imperialist organisations.

- Solidarity to the victims of the wars, in order to create humane spaces for temporary accommodation and secure move to the destination countries.

- To abolish all antilabour-antipeople laws of the memorandums, to recover the large economic losses of the popular strata, to pave the way for the development in favor of the people, with unilateral debt deletion, socialization of the wealth produced by the people, with the working class, the people in power.

People must not shed their blood for the interests and the antagonisms of the imperialists".

* (EEDYE: Greek Committee for International Peace and Detente)...

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/11/neither-land-nor-water-to-murderers-of.html

The visit of Obama, during the anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising against the military dictatorship imposed with the support of the U.S. and NATO, consists a provocation for the people

This is pure provocation. Despicable, shameless, a stupid, callous affront to the Greek people. Obama continues the tradition of tastelessness of imperial bosses. He just can't go low enough...

Despotic and despicable decision by the SYRIZA government forbids demonstrations during Obama visit in Athens!

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With a despicable decision which reminds authoritarian establishments, the Greek Police have banned demonstrations in Athens on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of security preparations for a visit to the Greek capital by outgoing US President Barack Obama.

The despotic decision by the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government was slammed by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) which issued the following statement / Source: 902.gr, Translation: In Defense of Communism.

"With a despicable and despotic decision by the Police, the SYRIZA-ANEL government essentialy forbids any demonstration against the visit of the U.S. President Barack Obama, thus following the policy of the previous New Democracy-PASOK governments which SYRIZA, being in the opposition then, was denouncing.

Once more it is proved that the slogans about "democracy" are empty, when the governments implement reactionary, antipeople policies, either they concern the labour-popular rights or the participation of our country in dangerous war planms, such as the ones of USA-NATO-EU, which are evolving in our region. After all, for all these the President of the USA comes to Greece.

The Greek people and the youth must condemn and answer to the governmental authoritarianism and the policy which dictates him, by participating in a mass way in the demonstration of EEDYE, PAME and other organisations of the labour-popular movement and the youth, on Tuesday 15 November, at 6.30pm in Omonia Square."

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/11/despotic-and-despicable-decision-by.html

As Tsipras kisses Obama's balls......


http://youtu.be/-Awu9wwTItg

Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Massive rally against Obama's visit in Athens - People say a thunderous "NO" to US-NATO imperialist murderers

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Under the slogans "Neither land nor water to the murderers of the people", "Get NATO out of the Aegean" and “The imperialists re-divide the world, they draw the borders with the blood of the peoples” thousands of people, workers, young men and women, participated in a massive rally in central Athens against the visit of U.S. President Barack Obama. The protesters condemn Obama's visit and the Greek government's participation in the Euroatlantic imperialist plans.


It must be noted that the labour-peoples movement defied the provocative and authoritarian decision by the SYRIZA government to ban demonstrations in the Greek capital during Obama's stay in Athens.

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas participated in the demonstration and made the following statement to reporters:

"We deliver a militant 'welcome' to the president of the USA; of an imperialist state which, among other things, especially during the last years with the capitalist economic crisis, leads the "crows" of IMF which bleed the Greek people. A state which causes military coup d' etats, which causes interventions, imperialist wars, from Ukraine to Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, Northern Africa, Asia, Latin America. A state which murders civilians in these countries, which creates the large wave of refugee flows, which afflict and uproot thousands, millions of people from their homes, thus afflicting these people, the Greek people, the Aegean islands.

Against this provocation, as well as for the past of the United States and the present, the KKE, the class labour union movement, the Greek people as a whole and the pro-peace powers contend a thunderous NO against the USA, NATO, the "alliances of wolves" and their wars. We denounce the government of the- supposed- "first time Left" of SYRIZA-ANEL which tried, with all possible ways, to impose cemetery silence today in Athens. We respond in a militant way, we are here, at the front line, we demonstrate, exactly because we don't surrender, we don't compromise, we give neither land nor water to the murderers of the people".

PHOTOS FROM THE DEMONSTRATION (Source: 902.gr).

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https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/11/massive-rally-against-obamas-visit-in.html

Massive rally against Obama's visit in Athens - People say a thunderous "NO" to US-NATO imperialist murderers

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Under the slogans "Neither land nor water to the murderers of the people", "Get NATO out of the Aegean" and “The imperialists re-divide the world, they draw the borders with the blood of the peoples” thousands of people, workers, young men and women, participated in a massive rally in central Athens against the visit of U.S. President Barack Obama. The protesters condemn Obama's visit and the Greek government's participation in the Euroatlantic imperialist plans.

It must be noted that the labour-peoples movement defied the provocative and authoritarian decision by the SYRIZA government to ban demonstrations in the Greek capital during Obama's stay in Athens.

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas participated in the demonstration and made the following statement to reporters:

"We deliver a militant 'welcome' to the president of the USA; of an imperialist state which, among other things, especially during the last years with the capitalist economic crisis, leads the "crows" of IMF which bleed the Greek people. A state which causes military coup d' etats, which causes interventions, imperialist wars, from Ukraine to Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, Northern Africa, Asia, Latin America. A state which murders civilians in these countries, which creates the large wave of refugee flows, which afflict and uproot thousands, millions of people from their homes, thus afflicting these people, the Greek people, the Aegean islands.

Against this provocation, as well as for the past of the United States and the present, the KKE, the class labour union movement, the Greek people as a whole and the pro-peace powers contend a thunderous NO against the USA, NATO, the "alliances of wolves" and their wars. We denounce the government of the- supposed- "first time Left" of SYRIZA-ANEL which tried, with all possible ways, to impose cemetery silence today in Athens. We respond in a militant way, we are here, at the front line, we demonstrate, exactly because we don't surrender, we don't compromise, we give neither land nor water to the murderers of the people".

PHOTOS FROM THE DEMONSTRATION (Source: 902.gr).

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https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/4BffWFQ4ZrsHdjbakPBrAmCzHEzpTd9AtFaqtpVhXA3_n_JTHaXXOa7jHqyVlBb0VpDKmkKrpZ3dFxwix9sitQqcYaeFgdBTyv2WNNLq7GrtYX48v4SyzP0L_WMdAcn-wncukA=s0-d

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/WPBvx3JoRp7XdjywptZov0mHyNpnWMOvqb8yBYze9pBotuKNjk3lEPZuD-D7GuNrFn0DPvGpjH5K_H1Ho9bWkfUgtciqJ0S0ArFoVMojm7IoiK3tTb6e2uopsLR5IDFCn06oOQ=s0-d

UPDATE INFO FROM inter.kke.gr.

Speaking in Athens, Elpida Pantelaki, General Secretary of EEDYE, denounced this ban, imposed by the SYRIZA-ANEL government, and stressed that «This despicable decision of the government follows in the footsteps of the previous governments of ND and PASOK, which the current government used to denounce when it was in opposition. This decision confirms that working class and popular mobilizations against the imperialist plans of NATO and the EU and that dispute capitalist barbarity itself have no place in their bourgeois democracy. Their democracy is restricted to the freedom that the business groups have to exploit the peoples, for their governments constantly to draw up new anti-people laws and so that the peoples become the cannon fodder of the imperialists. Today’s rally is the answer of the labour and people's movement of Attica. We do not accept such bans. We do not submit to the anti-people political line of the government, capital, the imperialists. We demonstrate, we struggle, and we demand that our country have no participation in the imperialist plans and wars."
In reference to the real goals of Obama's visit, E.Pantelaki stressed:"The goals of the visit of the US President to Greece are:
The advancement of the US-NATO interests in the region, with the greater involvement of Greece in the interventions and imperialist wars, expansion of the activities of the NATO base in Suda and the more planned utilization of other military bases and command centres in order to promote the Euro-Atlantic plans, in the framework of the competition with Russia over natural gas and oil, energy pipelines, the control of markets and strategically significant regions.
The immediate implementation of the criminal decisions of the NATO summit in Warsaw.
The intense intervention of the USA in the developments concerning the Cyprus problem in order to impose a confederal dichotomous solution of two states, legitimizing the consequences of the Turkish invasion-occupation, so that Cyprus can be used to advance the imperialist plans and open the way for the exploitation of the natural resources, hydrocarbons by the US and the European business giants.
The outgoing US President is promoting all this, congratulating the Greek governments the SYRIZA-ANEL government, because at the same time when they condemn the workers to poverty, they maintain very levels of military spending for the needs of NATO."
The representative of EEDYE also mentioned the goals of the people's movement:
No involvement of our country in the imperialist plans and wars.
The US-NATO military bases and command centres must be closed.
The Greek military forces must return home from NATO and EU missions.
NATO out of the Aegean
Solidarity with the refugees-immigrants, strengthening of the struggle against racism and xenophobia.
And she noted:" As difficult as the conditions of struggle are today, as negative as the correlation of forces is, our people have great strength in their hands and this will be liberated to the extent that they understand their just cause and interests. The prospect of disengagement from NATO and the EU with the people masters in our own land must become a reality."
The representative of EEDYE denounced the recent decision of the Turkish authorities to ban the Peace Association of Turkey and expressed the solidarity of EEDYE with the Turkish comrades and demanded the annulment of the ban.
It should be noted that on the 17th of November, the anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising, new anti-imperialist demonstrations will be held in Athens and other Greek cities.
Posted by In Defense of Communism

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/11/massive-rally-against-obamas-visit-in.html

Greek police clash with demonstrators protesting Obama’s visit to Athens (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
November 15, 2016 | 7:54 pm
https://www.rt.com/news/367049-athens-police-obama-protest/

Published time: 15 Nov, 2016 18:19Edited time: 15 Nov, 2016 21:22

Leftist demonstrators protesting against US President Barack Obama’s visit to Athens have clashed with police, who used tear gas to disperse the crowd as people tried to break through cordons.

https://img.rt.com/files/2016.11/original/582b5296c36188624c8b467c.jpg
Protesters run away from teargas as they clash with riot police during a demonstration against the visit of U.S President Barack Obama, in Athens, Greece, November 15, 2016. © Alkis Konstantinidis

Some 7,000 people took to the streets of central Athens on Tuesday to protest Obama’s visit to the Greek capital, Reuters reports. The demonstrators initially planned to walk all the way to the US Embassy located in another part of the city, but the procession was disrupted as protesters clashed with police officers.

“We don’t need protectors!” one of the banners carried by the demonstrators read. Some could be heard exclaiming: “Yankees go home!”

One protester was seen setting an American flag on fire.

All public gatherings were banned in the central part of Athens due to Obama’s two-day visit. Riot police parked buses along Obama’s route and erected cordons.

No injuries or arrests have been reported so far, according to AP.

More than 5,000 police officers were deployed in central Athens to maintain order.

Nearly 1,000 people took part in a similar protest in Greece’s second biggest city, Thessaloniki.

Protesters are rallying against US policy that is “creating tensions” with various countries around the world, starting with China and Russia, as well as against the US attempts to “overthrow the government in Ukraine,” Greek journalist Aris Chatzistefanou told RT. Apart from that, protesters are blaming the US for supporting“Islamic extremists”which led to“well-known consequences.”

“While the Greek government is trying to present the visit of Obama as a visit of a peacemaker, thousands of demonstrators came onto the streets to protest US policy in [such] parts of the world from Latin America to Middle East, Afghanistan and Syria,” Chatzistefanou said.

“The government was trying to present to the Greek public that Barack Obama will come and help with the austerity policy that was imposed by the Troika,” Chatzistefanou said, also adding that there is “no direct connection” between Obama’s promises and what the IMF is planning to do.

https://img.rt.com/files/2016.11/original/582b573ac361884c4c8b469c.jpg
Protesters clash with riot police during a demonstration against the visit of U.S President Barack Obama, in Athens, Greece, November 15, 2016. © Alkis Konstantinidis / Reuters

Notis Marias, an independent member of the European Parliament, believes that the difference in attitudes toward the US in Greece lies in the hope of the Greek parliament that President Obama might influence the EU and the IMF over the austerity measures – an idea that, however, looks rather improbable.

“Obama is an outgoing president. He is not going to be in office in two months. Trump might follow a different approach. I think that Obama can’t help Greece,” Marias told RT.

Obama may be advocating for Greece in an effort to reach an agreement with the US regarding LNG (liquefied natural gas) that could be transferred from Texas via Greece to the Balkan region, Marias suggested.

Obama’s visit nearly coincides with Greece’s annual anti-American demonstrations carried out to commemorate a pro-democracy student protest that was harshly suppressed by military forces in 1973.

This is the first time that Obama has visited Greece during his eight years in office. Last time Greece was visited by a US president when Bill Clinton held the office in 1999. His visit also saw extensive street fighting between anarchists and riot police.

https://img.rt.com/files/2016.11/original/582b57aac3618813528b463d.jpg
Protesters clash with riot police during a demonstration against the visit of U.S President Barack Obama, in Athens, Greece, November 15, 2016. © Alkis Konstantinidis / Reuters

Authorities had to step up security measures “as the circumstances require,” with a number of protests planned, a police source told AFP earlier today.

Obama left Washington on Monday, embarking on his last trip across Europe before President-elect Donald Trump assumes his post in January 2017.

He is to spend one more day in Greece to continue the discussion of Greece’s economic situation and Europe’s migration crisis. He will then leave for Germany on Wednesday, intending to soothe concerns over Trump’s upcoming presidency.

http://houstoncommunistparty.com/greek-police-clash-with-demonstrators-protesting-obamas-visit-to-athens-photos-videos/

No injuries? You gotta be shitting me.

43 years since the 1973 Athens Polytechnic Uprising against the military Junta

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Mass rallies have been scheduled for today in many Greek cities in order to commemorate and honour the 43rd anniversary of the students and workers uprising in Athens, which is historically known as the Polytechnic Uprising. The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and the Communist Youth (KNE) have organised a large demonstration-march to the U.S. embassy in downtown Athens, as well as other rallies in major cities, including Thessaloniki, Patra, Larisa, Iraklio etc. This year's anniversary of the 1973 Polytechnic Uprising against the military Junta coincides with the visit of U.S. President Obama (15-16 November) in Greece and the SYRIZA-ANEL policy which involves the country deeper in the imperialist plans.

What follows is a brief historical review of the 1973 Polytechnic Uprising.

On the night of the 20th to the 21st of April 1967, the reactionary military circles of the country, which were closely connected to the secret services of the USA and NATO, conducted a military coup. The operation of the surrender of power to the army had been developed at the staff of NATO, under the code name "Prometheus". Colonels G. Papadopoulos and N. Makarezos, who were actively involved in the preparation of the coup, became known as "the black colonels".

During the fascist occupation 1940-44, several of these officers participated in the security forces and the mopping'up operations against communists; some of them even worked with Gestapo and were later connected to the secret services of the English and Americans. The military junta, headed by G. Papadopoulos, N. Makarezos and the generals S. Pattakos and G. Zoitakis, having planed a conspiracy with the king and based on the article 91of the Constitution of Greece, published a decree stating the transition of all of the power to the army and the abolition of a series of articles of the Constitution, concerning democratic rights.

Having seized the power, the military dictatorship proceeded with the materialisation of the "Prometheus" operation. Every democratic liberty in the country had been abolished, a marshal law had been imposed, strikes and meetings were banned, harsh censorship was introduced, political parties and progressive social organizations were also banned. The army took upon it extensive authority, arrests and searches had been conducted. By the order of the dictatorship, thousands of political and social fighters of our country were arrested, first and foremost cadres of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and the legal, until then, political party, United Democratic Left (EDA), through which, communists also fought. According to statements by the officials of the dictatorial regime, more than 40 thousand communists had been arrested till the May of 1967.

In order to deceive people, the colonels named their coup "national revolution", which was supposed to have been conducted "for the benefit of all the classes of the Greek society". The army and especially the officers, were declared "driving force of the revolution", and the struggle against communism had been set as the main goal.

The coup became possible in Greece, because the military forces of the country were under the strict control of the reaction. The labour and democratic movement had not still reorganized its forces after the defeat in the civil war of 1946-1949. The development of the mass movement in Greece was impeded by the emergency laws, which first of all prohibited the action of KKE. The leaders of the "Centre Union" Party followed a policy of fragmentation of the democratic forces, disintegrating any common stance of the opposition, aiming at the repulse of the reaction, thus enforcing it. The opportunist elements that existed inside KKE during that period had succeeded in 1958 a decision to be taken for the dissolution of the illegal party organizations, to be taken, supposing that KKE, could, at the end, allegedly be replaced by a wider structure of the Left, EDA. EDA, despite its' high election results, up to 28%, not only failed to develop a true alternative, but even failed to prepare the party forces and the popular movement before the coup.

The regime of the 21st of April of 1967 was an overt terrorist military-fascist dictatorship of the domestic and foreign monopolies. A characteristic particularity of the military-fascist regime has been no other than the close involvement of the American imperialism, in the preparation and the establishing of the dictatorship.

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Archive Photo: People of every age honoring the 1973 Polytechnic Uprising.
The anti-dictatorship struggle

Straight after the coup, KKE strengthened its' struggle for the rallying of all of the democratic and patriotic organizations. It summoned all the patriots, despite their party belonging, at factories, neighbourhoods, villages, universities, schools and state institutions, to organize in resistance committees, in order to overthrow the fascist dictatorship. On the initiative of KKE and EDA, the Patriotic Anti-dictatorship Front (PAM) had been formed on the May of 1967. Later, other anti-junta organizations made their appearance, such as PAK and the "Democratic Defence".

KKE at deep illegality and in spite of the blows it had endured not only from junta, but also from the opportunists who had split the party in 1968, managed to regroup the party organizations, created the "Unified Trade Union Anti-dictatorship Movement" (ESAK) and set up its' youth organization, the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE), which was going to play an avant-garde role in the Polytechnic uprising in 1973.

The uprising of the Polytechnion

The sharpening of the socio-economic contradictions in Greece and the rise of the anti-dictatorship movement, in 1973, lead to the deep crisis of the regime. The dissatisfaction grew even in the army, the regime's main support.

In the mid of 1973, the demonstrations of the workers embraced one branch of the economy after the other. One federation after the other gave notice of termination of their collective contracts and demanded a 45-50% rise in their salaries. These mobilizations were characterised by the vivacity and unity of workers, independently of their political beliefs and lead to the isolation of juntas' people in the trade union movement.

The struggle of the university and technological institutions students was an important parameter of the political developments in Greece, especially in 1973. Their main demands were the progressive reforms in the educational system, the restoration of trade union, academic and political liberties. The students of Athens, Thessalonica, Patra, Ioannina, conducted meetings, assemblies, demonstrations with slogans such as: "Democracy", "Down with fascism", "Down with the dictatorship", "One is the leader, the sovereign people", "Freedom to the political prisoners".

Because of the worsening of the financial standing of the poor peasantry, mass manifestations started to break out through the whole of Greece, and took the form of refusal of handing the goods over to the trade. The solidarity with the political prisoners and their families' movement, aiming at the release of the political prisoners, also developed.

In order to diminish the pressure towards the regime, the military dictatorship, Papadopoulos went on to remove several of their collaborators from the government and to form a "political" government headed by the leader of the 'Progressive Party' S. Markezinis. The main task of the new government (October 8 1973) was to prepare 'parliamentary elections'.

The political manoeuvres of Papadopoulos did not lead to the stabilization of the situation the in the country. The anti-government manifestations persisted. It is worth mentioning that the opportunist fraction that split from the party in 1968 and created the eurocommunist 'KKE-interior' supported the manoeuvre of 'politization' of the dictatorial regime. A top moment had been the uprising of the students of the Polytechnic University of Athens and of the young workers of Athens, on the 14-17 November 1973, which gave the final blow to the attempts to disguise the regime. The main slogans of the uprising were: 'Bread, Education, Liberty', 'National Independence', 'Down with Papadopoulos', 'Out the Americans and NATO' e.t.c. Large masses of workers supported the students and the young workers. The students' mobilizations acquired the form of university building occupations, in Thessalonica and Patra. Demonstrations had also been organized in Trikala and Drama.

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Athens, 1973: A large banner in the Polytechnic says "BREAD, FREEDOM, EDUCATION" which
was one of the uprising's major slogans.
In Athens, the students managed to create a radio station and inform people from the building of Polytechnic of the mass manifestations. KNE in Athens and the Anti-dictatorship Students' Union (Anti-EFEE), played a special role in the organization of the struggle.

On the 17th of November, at night, tanks had been thrown at the revolted students and workers. At that night, 56 people were killed, according to official records. According to police records, 1103 citizens and 61 policemen had been injured. As it became known after the fall of the dictatorship, 34.000 bullets had been used by the police, in addition to the 300.000 cartridges of all kinds, used by the army, so as to repress the revolt. In the days of the revolt, the regime went on to arrest 2.500 people, although it announced merely the arrest of 866, having made the following presentation of their social status: 475 workers, 268 students, 74 pupils, 49 Polytechnic students.

Although the revolt had been drowned in blood, the overall reaction to the regime grew. Eight months later (24 July 1974), the dictatorship fell under the weight of its treason and adventurism in Cyprus, where the coup, that it had organized in cooperation with the secret services of NATO, aiming at the extermination of the progressive regime of President Makarios (15/7/1974) led to the Turkish invasion and occupation of the 37% of Cyprus.

Then, mass demonstrations against the dictatorship had been held in a lot of cities of Greece. The pressure of the masses had been so great that the Greek oligarchy, decided to remove junta and to hand the power over to a coalition of bourgeois parties, in which right-conservative elements persisted, in order to avoid the worst. This coalition had been but an expression of the compromise among the junta supporters, the imperialist circles of NATO and USA, as well as of the bourgeois political powers of Greece, for the 'legal' handing over of the power to the latter.

At the same time, and without waiting for the release and return of the comrades in exile and from abroad, the illegal organizations of KNE and KKE regained legality. The legal activity of KKE had been won de facto and the circulation of the daily party's newspaper 'Rizospastis' began. The new bourgeois government was forced to abolish the anti-communist law 509, through which the political activity of KKE had been prohibited for whole decades, since 1947.

Each year, activities are held in honour of the students and workers, who revolted in the November of 1973. The culminating moment of these annual manifestations is the demonstration to the US embassy on 17th of November.


http://youtu.be/Ym3wWBleHjY
"The Slaughterhouse" (To Sfagio) is a well-known militant, anti-dictatorship song by Mikis Theodorakis written in 1968. In this video it is combined with stills from the 1973 Uprising.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/11/43-years-since-1973-athens-polytechnic.html

Greek police clash with demonstrators protesting Obama’s visit to Athens (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
November 15, 2016 | 7:54 pm
https://www.rt.com/news/367049-athens-police-obama-protest/

Published time: 15 Nov, 2016 18:19Edited time: 15 Nov, 2016 21:22

Leftist demonstrators protesting against US President Barack Obama’s visit to Athens have clashed with police, who used tear gas to disperse the crowd as people tried to break through cordons.

https://img.rt.com/files/2016.11/original/582b5296c36188624c8b467c.jpg
Protesters run away from teargas as they clash with riot police during a demonstration against the visit of U.S President Barack Obama, in Athens, Greece, November 15, 2016. © Alkis Konstantinidis

Some 7,000 people took to the streets of central Athens on Tuesday to protest Obama’s visit to the Greek capital, Reuters reports. The demonstrators initially planned to walk all the way to the US Embassy located in another part of the city, but the procession was disrupted as protesters clashed with police officers.

“We don’t need protectors!” one of the banners carried by the demonstrators read. Some could be heard exclaiming: “Yankees go home!”

One protester was seen setting an American flag on fire.

All public gatherings were banned in the central part of Athens due to Obama’s two-day visit. Riot police parked buses along Obama’s route and erected cordons.

No injuries or arrests have been reported so far, according to AP.

More than 5,000 police officers were deployed in central Athens to maintain order.

Nearly 1,000 people took part in a similar protest in Greece’s second biggest city, Thessaloniki.

Protesters are rallying against US policy that is “creating tensions” with various countries around the world, starting with China and Russia, as well as against the US attempts to “overthrow the government in Ukraine,” Greek journalist Aris Chatzistefanou told RT. Apart from that, protesters are blaming the US for supporting“Islamic extremists”which led to“well-known consequences.”

“While the Greek government is trying to present the visit of Obama as a visit of a peacemaker, thousands of demonstrators came onto the streets to protest US policy in [such] parts of the world from Latin America to Middle East, Afghanistan and Syria,” Chatzistefanou said.

“The government was trying to present to the Greek public that Barack Obama will come and help with the austerity policy that was imposed by the Troika,” Chatzistefanou said, also adding that there is “no direct connection” between Obama’s promises and what the IMF is planning to do.

https://img.rt.com/files/2016.11/original/582b573ac361884c4c8b469c.jpg
Protesters clash with riot police during a demonstration against the visit of U.S President Barack Obama, in Athens, Greece, November 15, 2016. © Alkis Konstantinidis / Reuters

Notis Marias, an independent member of the European Parliament, believes that the difference in attitudes toward the US in Greece lies in the hope of the Greek parliament that President Obama might influence the EU and the IMF over the austerity measures – an idea that, however, looks rather improbable.

“Obama is an outgoing president. He is not going to be in office in two months. Trump might follow a different approach. I think that Obama can’t help Greece,” Marias told RT.

Obama may be advocating for Greece in an effort to reach an agreement with the US regarding LNG (liquefied natural gas) that could be transferred from Texas via Greece to the Balkan region, Marias suggested.

Obama’s visit nearly coincides with Greece’s annual anti-American demonstrations carried out to commemorate a pro-democracy student protest that was harshly suppressed by military forces in 1973.

This is the first time that Obama has visited Greece during his eight years in office. Last time Greece was visited by a US president when Bill Clinton held the office in 1999. His visit also saw extensive street fighting between anarchists and riot police.

https://img.rt.com/files/2016.11/original/582b57aac3618813528b463d.jpg
Protesters clash with riot police during a demonstration against the visit of U.S President Barack Obama, in Athens, Greece, November 15, 2016. © Alkis Konstantinidis / Reuters

Authorities had to step up security measures “as the circumstances require,” with a number of protests planned, a police source told AFP earlier today.

Obama left Washington on Monday, embarking on his last trip across Europe before President-elect Donald Trump assumes his post in January 2017.

He is to spend one more day in Greece to continue the discussion of Greece’s economic situation and Europe’s migration crisis. He will then leave for Germany on Wednesday, intending to soothe concerns over Trump’s upcoming presidency.

http://houstoncommunistparty.com/greek-police-clash-with-demonstrators-protesting-obamas-visit-to-athens-photos-videos/

No injuries? You gotta be shitting me.

And of course a complete news blackout in US. Not a peep. Obama's "farewell tour" goes off without a hitch - even the Merkel blowjob was a satisfying endeavor.

Communist Party of Greece (KKE): Statement on the death of the leader of the Cuban revolution Fidel Castro

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STATEMENT OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE KKE.

In its statement on the death of the leader of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro, the Central Committee of the KKE noted:
«The CC of the KKE, with great sadness, bids farewell to the legendary figure of the international communist movement, the leader of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro.
We express our most sincere condolences to the President of Cuba, Raul Castro, the CC of the CP of Cuba and to the entire Cuban people.
Fidel Castro was born in Birán, Cuba, on the 13th of August 1926 and studied law at Havana University. As a student he began to participate in the revolutionary movement against the Batista dictatorship in Cuba, a dictatorship which was also openly supported by the USA.

On the 26th of July 1953, he was the head of a group of revolutionaries that attacked the military barracks of Moncada, with the aim of encouraging the people of the island to rise up against the dictatorship. The attempt failed and he and his comrades were arrested, however the 26th of July marked the beginning of a great popular uprising against the dictatorial regime of Fulgencio Batista.
Faced by his accusers, on the 6th of October 1953, in the courtroom of Santiago in Cuba, Fidel Castro said: "I know that imprisonment will be harder for me than it has ever been for anyone, filled with cowardly threats and hideous cruelty. But I do not fear prison, as I do not fear the fury of the miserable tyrant who took the lives of 70 of my comrades. Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve me."
The court sentenced him to 15 years in prison.
On the 15th of May 1955, Castro was released and at the beginning of July he departed for Mexico, where he organized and militarily trained a group of revolutionaries, from whose ranks emerged all the great leaders of the Cuban Revolution, such as Camillo Cienfuegos, Juan Almeida and Ernesto Che Guevara.
The revolutionaries began their rebellion in the mountains of the Sierra Maestra and the revolutionary army that was formed was based on the systematic political-military preparation, which had been begun by the 26th of July Movement under F. Pais, the Popular Socialist Party, as the CP of Cuba had been named, and the Revolutionary Directory comprised of revolutionary students. It was based on that activity of organized forces in the cities, on the clandestine work developed by the communists in the workplaces, farmers and youth. This preparation of the working class and the other popular strata contributed decisively to the victorious outcome of the revolutionary struggle. These were also the main forces that were then united into the Integrated Revolutionary Organizations, which led to the reconstitution of the CP of Cuba in 1965.
On the 1st of January 1959, the people's guerilla army of Cuba entered Havana triumphantly, after the long struggle of the people of Cuba against the Batista dictatorship, which was supported by the USA. The Cuban Revolution demonstrated that imperialism is not invincible and immediately found the full support of the Soviet Union and the then socialist countries.
Two years and 4 months after the Revolution, the Cuban people, guided by its leadership and by Castro himself, repelled the invasion and landing of 1,400 mercenaries sent by the US government at the Bay of Pigs in Giron,.
At the large demonstration on the 16th of April 1961, at the funeral of those killed by the air raids (shortly before the landing of the CIA mercenaries), Fidel Castro for the first time declared the socialist character of the Revolution. For decades Fidel Castro as the President of Cuba and the head of the CP of Cuba, led the struggle of the people of the country to construct socialism, in the difficult conditions of imperialist aggressiveness and encirclement and particularly after the counterrevolution in the Soviet Union and the other socialist countries in 1989-1991.
Fidel Castro leaves a valuable legacy for the international communist movement and particularly for the Cuban people, in the struggle they are still waging today against the US embargo that continues and against all the efforts to undermine the socialist development path, efforts in which the USA and the EU are playing a leading role.
Fidel Castro will forever live on in the historical memory and collective consciousness of the peoples of the entire world, of the oppressed, in the struggle for the liberation of humanity from the exploitation of man by man, for the final victory, for socialism-communism.
Hasta la victoria siempre!»

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/11/communist-party-of-greece-kke-statement_26.html

Message of the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) to Cuba's Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas regarding the death of Fidel

The Communist Youth of Greece (KNE), the youth-wing of the KKE, send the following message to the Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas of Cuba on the occassion of Comandante Fidel Castro's death:

"Comrades of the Union of Communist Youth of Cuba,

We extend the sincere condolences of the members and friends of the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) for the death of Fidel Castro.

With deep sorrow we farewell the great communist leader, the Cuban revolutionary, Fidel Castro, who became for decades a source of inspiration for the struggles of the youth in all over the world, including of course Greece. Whole generations of fighters were educated with his example. Especially in the very difficult conditions for the international revolutionary movement which were formed after the counter-revolutionary overthrows of 1989-1991, the members and friends of KNE continued taking courage from the achievements of the Cuban Revolution, from the decisive stance of the Cuban people and Fidel against imperialist aggressiveness.

We continue the struggle that comrade Fidel gave for the abolition of the exploitation of man by man, for Socialism-Communism. The big moments such as the new year's day of 1959 with the peoples-revolutionary army entering triumphantly in Havana, or like April 1961 with the the Cuban people repelling the invasion of the CIA's mercenaries in Plaza Giron, accompany us in the struggle, thus being source of inspiration for us. They show that the system of capitalist exploitation is neither undefeated nor eternal.

Fidel lives in the modern struggles of the people and the youth against capitalist barbarity, for the ultimate victory of Socialism-Communism".

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/11/message-of-communist-youth-of-greece.html

Condemn the unjust prosecution of young communist- member of KNE by the Greek authorities

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CynT_WLXEAEP1g5.jpg

Information from 'Rizospastis' and 902.gr.

KILKIS- Numerous working class unions, students and women associations, various bodies of the labour-peoples' movement in Greece have condemned the prosecution by the police authorities of a young woman, member of the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE). The KNE member, a student at Thessaloniki's Aristotle Univerity, was arrested on November 7th outside a high school in the city of Kilkis, northern Greece, after a complaint by the school's director. Her "criminal offense" was that she was....discussing with students the organisation of mobilization and struggle against the governmental policy on Education!

Showing primitive anticommunism the Greek authorities arrested the young comrade and appointed a court hearing on December 2nd. The prosecution was immediately denounced by the KKE Kilkis Sectoral Organisation and the KKE MEP Sotiris Zarianopoulos who expressed their protest to the local police department.

It has been clear that the unfair prosecution of the KNE member consists part of a more general effort by the bourgeois Greek state to terrorize and repress the struggles of the students. It is characteristic that the prosecution of the KNE comrade is based on a 1951 law which actually regards any call for militant mobilization as a "crime"!

According to the Professor of Contemporary History at the Aristotle University, Giorgos Margaritis, "the persecution equates any call to militant mobilizations (abstain, protest, occupation, protest) to invitation for committing a crime or misdemeanor. Therefore, it restores in the legal but primarily in the political spotlight the framework of restriction of freedoms and political repression which prevailed in post-civil war Greece".

The prosecution of the young member of the Communist Youth is a totally unjust and repressive action which aims in terrorizing the students movement. The SYRIZA-ANEL government is accountable for this primitive anticommunist stance of the Greek authorities.

The effort to terrorize the students and the labour-popular movement shall not pass.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/12/condemn-unjust-prosecution-of-young.html

Syriza pursues 'show' with fascist Golden Dawn
Syriza deputies and Defense Minister Kammenos took factional members of the fascist party to Turkey and made "shows" on Greek islands near Turkey. The Communists reacted strongly to this demonstration.

http://haber.sol.org.tr/sites/default/files/styles/newsimagestyle_615x410/public/megistis.jpg?itok=rXcMQEin

Monday, 05 December 2016 21:14

In Greece, the ruling party, Syriza, the young partner of the coalition government Anel and the fascist party, Golden Dawn (XA) visited three Greek islands in the Southeast Aegean.

Kastelorizo, Roya and Stroggyli, was represented by Defense Minister Panos Kammenos (Anel), Chief of General Staff V.Apostolakis and 9 members of Parliament Foreign Relations and Defense Committee.

On this board were 5 Syriza deputies, 1 Parliamentary deputy and 2 XA deputies.

Ilias Kasidiaris and Christos Pappas are the names of the delegation of the neo-Nazi deputies to the island.

WARNİNG FROM THE GREEK GOVERNMENT TO THE MAYOR OF THE KKE, WHİCH DOES NOT ALLOW NEONAZİLERE: BE DEMOCRATİC

The Press Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) made a tough statement about the visit and stressed that the demonstration of the Syriza-Anel government, taken by the fascist Golden Dawn, was dangerous.

These three islands are the closest Greek islands to Turkey. It is estimated that the Greek state gave such a "response" to the tension that began with Erdogan's Lausanne accounts in the last weeks.

http://haber.sol.org.tr/sites/default/files/images/2016/12/05/nazis_and_syriza_kastelorizo.jpg

http://haber.sol.org.tr/sites/default/files/images/2016/12/05/syriza_golden_dawn_kastelorizo_1.jpg

http://haber.sol.org.tr/sites/default/files/images/2016/12/05/kasidiaris_pappas_nazis.jpg

Solda Kasidiaris, on the right Pappas

http://haber.sol.org.tr/sites/default/files/images/2016/12/05/pappas_golden_dawn_mp_nazi.jpg

Pappas greets Nazi on the left; On the right is seen giving the same greetings with a child

http://haber.sol.org.tr/dunya/syriza-fasist-altin-safakla-birlikte-sov-pesinde-178022

Google Translator

Condemn the unjust prosecution of young communist- member of KNE by the Greek authorities

Information from 'Rizospastis' and 902.gr.

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4S6rGPuW2wg/WEB5Zc58SuI/AAAAAAAAB7k/5E5PTxR-DpQ5ZjY5-iRAWh0nAMK8UGcDQCLcB/s320/KKE%2BYouth.jpg

KILKIS- Numerous working class unions, students and women associations, various bodies of the labour-peoples' movement in Greece have condemned the prosecution by the police authorities of a young woman, member of the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE). The KNE member, a student at Thessaloniki's Aristotle Univerity, was arrested on November 7th outside a high school in the city of Kilkis, northern Greece, after a complaint by the school's director. Her "criminal offense" was that she was....discussing with students the organisation of mobilization and struggle against the governmental policy on Education!

Showing primitive anticommunism the Greek authorities arrested the young comrade and appointed a court hearing on December 2nd. The prosecution was immediately denounced by the KKE Kilkis Sectoral Organisation and the KKE MEP Sotiris Zarianopoulos who expressed their protest to the local police department.

It has been clear that the unfair prosecution of the KNE member consists part of a more general effort by the bourgeois Greek state to terrorize and repress the struggles of the students. It is characteristic that the prosecution of the KNE comrade is based on a 1951 law which actually regards any call for militant mobilization as a "crime"!

According to the Professor of Contemporary History at the Aristotle University, Giorgos Margaritis, "the persecution equates any call to militant mobilizations (abstain, protest, occupation, protest) to invitation for committing a crime or misdemeanor. Therefore, it restores in the legal but primarily in the political spotlight the framework of restriction of freedoms and political repression which prevailed in post-civil war Greece".

The prosecution of the young member of the Communist Youth is a totally unjust and repressive action which aims in terrorizing the students movement. The SYRIZA-ANEL government is accountable for this primitive anticommunist stance of the Greek authorities.

The effort to terrorize the students and the labour-popular movement shall not pass.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMUNISM ©.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/12/condemn-unjust-prosecution-of-young.html

General Strike on December 8th in Greece - PAME calls for massive, militant response of the working class

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A general, nationwide strike will take place on Thursday 8th December in Greece. Numerous labour unions, confederations and centers, students and women's associations have called for mass participation in the strike, against the policies of the SYRIZA government, the EU and the Capital.
The Government of SYRIZA, with the EU-IMF-ECB, are realizing the demands of the business groups and plan the imposition of:
Liberalization of massive layoffsNew cut of the-already cut- minimum wage, Abolition of any benefit left, Complete imposition of individual or company based contracts, in order to cut further the average salary, Further imposition of flexible working relations, New cuts in pensions and social security rights, Legalization of employers’ “lockout”, Imposition of new trade union legislation that will abolish the right to strike and destroy trade union rights and freedoms and more measures.

PAME (All-Workers Militant Front) calls for massive, militant response of the working class. December 6 is a day of national action, activities, campaigns, rallies, discussions, meetings and conferences, where all unions, federations and labour centres massively inform the working class on the strike, the new measures, the planning of the industrialists, the bankers, the ship-owners, the need for the workers to fight back. PAME calls all unions to take all necessary measures for the success of the Strike.
On December 8 Everything to a standstill! No one to Work!
The demonstration in Athens will take place at 10.30 am at Omonia Square and in Thessaloniki at 10.30 am in front of Venizelos statue.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/12/general-strike-on-december-8th-in.html

General Strike in Greece: Mass participation in PAME's strike demonstrations sent message to government-EU

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Thousands of protesters took the streets in Athens, Thessaloniki and several cities in Greece, participating in militant demonstrations organised by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME).

Workers, self-employed people, pensioners, youth and women associations, unemployed men and women unified their voice against the antipeople policy of the SYRIZA-ANEL government, the EU and the Capital. They demanded, once again, their rights in labour and life against modern slavery.

The General Secretary of the CC of the KKE Dimitris Koutsoumbas, who attended the demonstration in Athens' Omonia Square, made the following statement to journalists:

"The negotiation of the government for the second evaluation, for the debt, the new antipeople budget which is under discussion these days at the Parliament consist a "slap" for the workers, for our people. The government, alongside the EU, the ECB and the IMF talks and celebrates for the recovery of the economy; but this recovery will be only for the few, for the big capital. Our people, the working class will suffer, will be the beasts of burden, with intensification of the exploitation, "squeezing" of income and pensions, with new tax burdens, with lasting memorandums. This is the proposal of the SYRIZA-ANEL government, this is the proposal which actually the other opposition parties accept.

The solution lies in the political proposal proposed by the class-based labour movement, the social alliance, the radical rallies, the KKE. In order to have a real development in favor of the popular needs, in favor of the working people, of our people. This is the proposal all of us are called to spread in the next period, being ready with lasting struggles, continuous ones, from all bastions".


* * *

VIDEO FROM THE STRIKE RALLY IN ATHENS:


http://youtu.be/Zrz0_jCYy0M

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/12/general-strike-in-greece-mass.html

Damn right

KKE slams PM Tsipras: "His announcements consist provocative mockery for the people"

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Regarding today's announcement (read below) by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, the Press Office of the CC of the KKE issued the following comment (Source: 902.gr).

"When the government votes in the Parliament another budget with new taxes and cuts for the people and prepares a new blow to the working-people's rights for the sake of the second evaluation and Eurogroup decision, the governmental announcements, which distribute "crumbs" - from the bloody surpluses- to the most impoverished people that its own policy creates multiplies, cannot be regarded as anythng but provocative mockery.

Even worse, they aim to persuade the people to forget any sense of right and to compromise with the minimum and the sums benefits-"crumbs".

The answer to the Prime Minister and his government was given today by the working people with their mass mobilizations, in the framework of the General, nationwide strike, the success of which forced the Prime Minister to resort to this night statement".

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PM pledges benefits for pensioners, triggers speculation of snap polls
From Kathimerini (Bourgeois/Conservative newspaper), 9.12.2016.

In a bid to ramp up the government’s social profile, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras presented a package of measures to benefit low-income pensioners late Thursday in a televised address to the nation.

He also announced the suspension of the measure to increase value-added tax on the islands of the northern Aegean which have borne the brunt of the migration crisis.

The prime minister’s address coincided with the ongoing negotiations with Greece’s international creditors – to complete the second review of the country’s third bailout – which are hanging in the balance.



The timing of his announcement of socially minded measures could spark off speculation regarding the government’s plans over the course of the next few month as Tsipras has hinted that snap polls could not be ruled out if negotiations with creditors reach an impasse. Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos dismissed the prospect of further measures in order to reach agreement with creditors over fiscal targets beyond 2018.

Tsipras said that 1.6 million pensioners receiving up to 800 euros per month will immediately receive a special supplement which will be proportional to the pension they receive.

Regarding VAT, he said the government will stick to its commitment for a uniform tax around the country, but insisted that this will not apply on the islands of the northern Aegean as long as they continue to struggle under the pressure of hosting large numbers of migrants.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/12/kke-slams-pm-tsipras-his-announcements.html

The prime minister’s address coincided with the ongoing negotiations with Greece’s international creditors – to complete the second review of the country’s third bailout – which are hanging in the balance.

Bullshit. This transparent sop and facile gesture "coincided" with thousands of commies and others in the streets, stopping work and making this sell-out government look bad.

What was it the man said? "Pandejo!"

Kostas Papadakis (KKE MEP)- No trust in any bourgeois government, any bourgeois class, any imperialist alliance

Source: inter.kke.gr.

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Kostas Papadakis, member of the CC and MEP, in the introductory speech of the KKE at the international seminar of the KKE's delegation to the European Parliament stressed the following:

Dear comrades,

Our seminar today aims to shed light on contemporary, complex and serious (for the workers) developments, through the prism of Leninist thought, as this was exemplified 100 years ago in the work "On the Slogan for a United States of Europe". With the utilization of other works that also analyze the constituent elements of imperialism, as the highest stage of capitalism.
Today, we see new inter-state unions next to the old ones, like NATO and the EU. Unions are emerging in Eurasia, Latin America, Asia that supposedly aim to unite the peoples and economic life of entire continents. The problems are serious, because apart from the mutated parties that bear the "communist" title and follow the social-democratic path, there are CPs that are trying, struggling but detach this development from its economic base and salute it, adopting the ideological construct of the so-called "multi-polar world".

At the same time, we can observe processes in the EU, which is an advanced form of reactionary alliance between capitalist states in Europe. It is inside this framework that we must evaluate the developments around the Brexit, where the increasing discontent of the people was trapped in the current of bourgeois euroscepticism. There is an attempt by far-right and fascist forces to utilize this trend, which is developing in many EU countries. And this is happening at a time when the "left" parties and parties that are vehicles for opportunism and are connected to the current of so-called "Eurocommunism» have been addressing vain appeals and struggling for the "democratization" of the EU for decades, the "return to its foundation principles" which it is allegedly not following now, its "humanization", its transformation into a "Europe of the peoples", where "national independence and sovereignty will be respected». Equally dangerous-in our opinion- are views that, using various arguments, retreat from the struggle to overthrow capitalism at a national level, directly rejecting the Leninist view regarding the potential for the revolution to be victorious in one country, something which is also analyzed in this specific work of Lenin.
In our estimation, this occurs because a number of opportunist positions and analyses that in essence understand imperialism chiefly as a foreign policy, as a foreign external invasion and domination of a weaker bourgeois state by a stronger one today continue to have a strong influence in the ranks of the international communist movement. These analyses often highlight existing imperialist military offensives and interventions of the most powerful capitalist states, the penetration of foreign monopolies in order to exploit and control the market of a country or a wider region, but in a way detached from the unequal relations that are an integral feature of the capitalist system and from the socio-economic content of imperialism, as the final highest stage of capitalism.
These views restrict the labour movement to making a superficial condemnation of the imperialist interventions and at the same time they mistakenly promote the possibility of the social alliance of the working class with bourgeois forces, with the aim of overcoming the backwardness of capitalist development in the country and fully acquiring its national independence. In this way, the goal of enhancing the position of a capitalist country inside the imperialist system, a goal that leads to class collaboration, is advanced as being “anti-imperialist” and presented as a radical goal for the struggle against imperialist dependency, even more so as step or stage towards socialism.
For this reason, it is particularly important to project the Leninist position on imperialism, as the reactionary era of capitalism which is decaying and dying, with unified features for all the states of the international imperialist system, whether they are weaker or stronger at any given moment.
These unified features are related to the dominance of the monopolies, of the powerful stock companies and the sharpening of the capitalist competition, the formation of finance capital, the increase of the importance of the export of capital in relation to the export of commodities, the struggle for the redivision of the markets and territories amongst the imperialist states and international monopoly groups.
The dominance of the monopolies, of the powerful stock companies leads to the distancing and separation of capitalist ownership from the management and organization of capitalist production and constitutes the economic basis for the intensification of the parasitic role of the bourgeois class in each capitalist state. Dangerous parasites profit on a daily basis from the buying and selling of the shares of capitalist businesses, without any other relationship with the specific businesses.
Parasitism, the sharpening of the basic contradiction between the social character of production and the capitalist appropriation of its results characterize all the capitalist states, regardless of their position in the international imperialist system.
At the same time, the strengthening of the trend for capital exports accelerates capitalism’s development in countries to which these capital exports are destined. It also contributes, together with the speed of technological developments, to the rapid change of the correlation of forces between states in the international imperialist system, according to the law of uneven development.
Lenin highlighted in his writings at the beginning of the 20th century that a small group of states possessed the leading position in the global market thanks to the trusts, cartel and inter-state relations between creditor states and debtor states. He shed light on the increase of strength achieved by these specific states, which play the role of the creditor, the usurer, the rentier (Rentnerstaat) in relation to the debtor states. He also focused on the group of strong states that possessed colonies in his era. Following the Leninist method, we must examine the contemporary changes in the positions of the states in the international imperialist system. Today about 200 states have acquired their political independence. The unequal relations between capitalist states are inherent in capitalism and the constant changes in the correlation of forces amongst the states are a result of the impact of the law of uneven development. Consequently, the safeguarding of equal relations between bourgeois states, on the terrain of capitalism, even in the framework of an interstate alliance, like the EU or any other capitalist inter-state union, cannot be a goal of struggle for the communists.
A web of unequal relations of interdependence amongst all the capitalist states has been formed in the contemporary imperialist system. Creditor states of the 20th century have today been transformed into debtor states (e.g. the current large state debts of the USA, France and Italy), while China is today a creditor state. The change in the correlation of forces between Britain and India from the 20th to the 21st century is the most characteristic example.
Today the USA remains the strongest power in the imperialist world, as the strength of each bourgeois class is a sum of its military, economic and political power. However, there is a continuation of the trend for changes in the correlation of forces, with the reduction of the share of the USA and Eurozone in the Gross World Product and the increase of the share of China and other countries. This is a development connected to the creation of new inter-state unions of capitalist countries, such as e.g. the BRICS alliance (Brazil, Russia, India, China, S. Africa).
It is inside this framework that the communists must examine the development of the imperialist alliances, the unequal inter-state relations, the existing imperialist military, political and economic dependencies, as well as the intensification of imperialist interventions, the expansion of local wars and the danger of a new generalized imperialist war.
Otherwise, any predictions will be unsound, as they will not be based on the relationship between the economy and politics. Otherwise, there is the real danger that the communist movement will in the end serve the interests of one of the competing imperialist centres instead of utilizing the inter-imperialist contradictions for the revolutionary overthrow of the bourgeoisie.
It is through this prism that we must examine such major agreements, like the TTIP with EU, which is designed the cover 50% of the current global production and 30% of global trade. The TTIP in essence constitutes the Euro-Atlantic response to the rise of powerful capitalist economies like China and India in Asia, as well as the BRICS countries as a whole. Significant sections of the French and German bourgeois classes are reacting against this development, because they understand that the American proposal is a "Trojan Horse" in order to ensure US economic hegemony in Europe. At the same time, this coexists with ambitions of European monopolies to more decisively penetrate the US market, not to impose "pro-people specifications and health and safety standards that do not exist in the USA” as bourgeois and opportunist forces like the ELP claim but to maximize their profitability. Indicative of this is the recent acquisition of the emblematic US company Monsanto, in the field of genetically modified crops, by the German monopoly Bayer. In this way the economic war is intensifying, not only between Russia and the Euro-Atlantic countries, but also inside the Euro-Atlantic bloc, between the USA and Germany, with the emergence of scandals related to "Siemens", VW, Deutsche Bank, Apple.
In these conditions, the criticism of social-democratic and other opportunist forces regarding such agreements, which will allegedly remove the "reins" from the monopolies, will impede "viable" and "sustainable" development, will infringe the sovereignty of each state, conceals the essence: That the TTIP and every other such capitalist agreement and alliance is not a deviation but a clear confirmation of the exploitative character of the capitalist system. As Lenin wrote in this specific work about those who championed the humanization of the imperialists "To think that it is possible means coming down to the level of some snivelling parson who every Sunday preaches to the rich on the lofty principles of Christianity and advises them to give the poor, well, if not millions, at least several hundred rubles yearly."
Of course, such agreements, as well as the discussion about a "multipolar world", "the reformation of the UN" etc, which, whether consciously or not, foster the illusion amongst the people concerning a new "peaceful" world, where the possibility of a world war has receded, due to the deepening of economic cooperation, major economic agreements, of multi-national monopolies.
For this reason, the Leninist criticism of the theory of “ultra-imperialism” acquires particular significance. A series of contemporary theoretical and political analyses are in essence returning to the core of Kautsky’s opportunist viewpoint (e.g. globalization, empire), invoking certain existent contemporary trends.
They advance the expansion of the strength of companies with a multinational stock composition, the larger growth rate of world trade, the widening of the interdependencies between the capitalist states as contemporary features of a new historical stage of capitalism in relation to imperialism.
In reality, all these phenomena reflect the general trend for the internationalization of production, investments, the movement of capital inside the framework of the global capitalist market. However, this tendency cannot negate the impact of the law of uneven development nor can it reverse the fact that the basic part of the social reproduction of capital is carried on the terrain of the nation-state formation of the capitalist economy. The inter-imperialist contradictions are sharpening in the context of this objective and contradictory movement of the capitalist economy.
The law of uneven developments results in the change of the material conditions on whose basis the alliances between the capitalist states, especially in the era of monopoly capitalism, are formed.
Lenin very aptly highlighted this specific conclusion by examining the economic content of the slogan for the “United States of Europe». He stressed that in the conditions of capitalism the United States of Europe would either be reactionary or unrealizable, as it would amount to a permanent agreement for the division of the colonies and markets amongst the major European bourgeois states. He explained that a temporary agreement between the European states would be possible so that they could suffocate socialism in Europe together and protect the looted colonies and markets that they control against the USA and Japan.
There is now a great deal of evidence that demonstrates the correctness of Lenin's assessments. The imperialist alliances are inter-state alliances that express the common interests of the bourgeois classes of their member-states. The common interests are related to expanding their monopolies, buttressing their competitiveness in the international imperialist system in conditions of sharpening competition, as well as confronting the labour movement and neutralizing the revolutionary communist parties in a unified way.
However, the common aims of the monopolies of the various states of an imperialist alliance cannot negate the unevenness and nation-state organization which are the foundations for capitalist accumulation. They cannot negate the competition and contradictions inside each imperialist alliance and also amongst the various imperialist alliances and axes. The realignments in the international correlation of forces also lead to changes in the composition and structure of the imperialist alliances. Imperialist alliances and the sudden exacerbation of inter-imperialist contradictions, which lead to the breaking of alliances, are two side of the same coin.
A very characteristic example is the EU, which today is an advanced form of alliance between the capitalist states in Europe and has undergone various stages in its development.
Dear comrades,
In the current difficult and complex conditions, as the inter-imperialist contradictions are sharpening over raw material, energy, the transport routes for commodities and market shares, the danger of a generalized imperialist war is also increasing. The communists must disperse the illusions about an allegedly "peaceful multipolar world" and even more to struggle decisively and methodically so that the working class does not align with the bourgeoisie of its own country, so that it is not trapped into choosing to align with one of the competing imperialist alliances. In our estimation, the constant efforts for the daily political and economic struggles not to be detached from the main revolutionary political task are a prerequisite for the achievement of this aim. The goal of working class power must not be pushed to the margins by another “transitional” political goal on the terrain of capitalism (e.g. the change of the bourgeois government).The revolutionary strategic orientation must remain stable both when the movement is on an upward trend or in retreat, without watering it down in the name of the outbreak of the economic crisis, the rise of the fascist current, the danger of or waging of an imperialist war.
Dear comrades,
The communists must educate the people and orient the labour movement so that they place no trust in any bourgeois government, bourgeois class or imperialist alliance. Only then can they utilize the inter-imperialist contradictions to the benefit of the historic mission of the working class and respond to the sudden intensification of the class struggle.
To this end, it is important to repeatedly highlight that no imperialist alliances are permanent and stable and that at the same time they are inherently reactionary. In the conditions when the EU and Eurozone were established, for example, their existence as a progressive phenomenon was even adopted by CPs. Even today there exists similar confusion and mistaken positions that do not expose the reactionary character of the EU and the role of uneven development inside it.
It is also particularly important for it to be understood that all the bourgeois classes of every imperialist alliance are jointly responsible for the escalation of the offensive against the working class.
Consequently, the aim of conflict and rupture with the EU and every capitalist inter-state union must be constantly advanced as features of the struggle for the overthrow of the monopolies’ power, which (workers’ power) is a precondition for the disengagement of a country from every imperialist alliance to work in favor of the people.
By following this strategy and over the course of its implementation, the revolutionary labour movement will be able to utilize fissures in the imperialist EU and NATO in order to truly destabilize bourgeois power in each member-state and the cohesion of the reactionary anti-people EU as a whole,.
A key issue is that each CP must form a revolutionary strategy in its own country and fight against opportunism which pushes it into becoming the political “tail” of the bourgeois class, against illusions about the “humanization” of the political line of the imperialist alliances (e.g. those fostered by the Party of the European Left regarding the EU).In this direction, each CP must strengthen its bonds with the working class and the popular strata, with the aim of mobilizing them for their immediate needs and as well to awaken their political class consciousness. In this sense the class struggle, economic-ideological-political, is unified whatever the correlation of forces between the opposing classes, whether it is favourable or unfavourable as is the case today in Greece and at a global level. So, the struggle for exclusively free public modern infrastructure and health services, for the recovery of the losses the people suffered during the deep crisis, for the abolition of the anti-worker laws must be conducted integrated into a line of rupture with the EU, capital and its power, for workers’ power, the dictatorship of the proletariat, which will lead to a full disengagement from the EU and NATO, will socialize the monopolies and the concentrated means of production in general.
At the same time, it is important to strengthen the coordination of the struggle at a European and international level, based on the contemporary needs and rights of the working class. The interventions of the “Initiative of Communist and Worker’s Parties of Europe” for the condemnation of the imperialist plans at the EU and NATO summits, to denounce the imperialist interventions in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Israel’s attacks against the Palestinian people, to condemn the imperialist plans at the NATO and EU summits as well as the plan to partition Cyprus, pave the way in this direction. It is important to denounce the deepening of the militarization of the EU via the "European Defense Community" and "its global strategy", the creation of the Euro-army; to develop activity to deal with the dangers of a general imperialist war that the sharpening of the inter-imperialist contradictions in many corners of our planet is creating.
Dear comrades,
A century has passed since Lenin wrote "On the Slogan for a United States of Europe" and "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism», which continue to be powerful resources for the communists in understanding the contemporary world and also for our implacable struggle to overthrow capitalist barbarity and to construct the socialist-communist society.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/12/kostas-papadakis-kke-mep-no-trust-in.html

In our estimation, this occurs because a number of opportunist positions and analyses that in essence understand imperialism chiefly as a foreign policy, as a foreign external invasion and domination of a weaker bourgeois state by a stronger one today continue to have a strong influence in the ranks of the international communist movement. These analyses often highlight existing imperialist military offensives and interventions of the most powerful capitalist states, the penetration of foreign monopolies in order to exploit and control the market of a country or a wider region, but in a way detached from the unequal relations that are an integral feature of the capitalist system and from the socio-economic content of imperialism, as the final highest stage of capitalism.
These views restrict the labour movement to making a superficial condemnation of the imperialist interventions and at the same time they mistakenly promote the possibility of the social alliance of the working class with bourgeois forces, with the aim of overcoming the backwardness of capitalist development in the country and fully acquiring its national independence. In this way, the goal of enhancing the position of a capitalist country inside the imperialist system, a goal that leads to class collaboration, is advanced as being “anti-imperialist” and presented as a radical goal for the struggle against imperialist dependency, even more so as step or stage towards socialism.
For this reason, it is particularly important to project the Leninist position on imperialism, as the reactionary era of capitalism which is decaying and dying, with unified features for all the states of the international imperialist system, whether they are weaker or stronger at any given moment.

This is what we were trying to say to Comrade about how to approach the various imperialist aggressions - we just didn't say it nearly so well.


Today the USA remains the strongest power in the imperialist world, as the strength of each bourgeois class is a sum of its military, economic and political power. However, there is a continuation of the trend for changes in the correlation of forces, with the reduction of the share of the USA and Eurozone in the Gross World Product and the increase of the share of China and other countries. This is a development connected to the creation of new inter-state unions of capitalist countries, such as e.g. the BRICS alliance (Brazil, Russia, India, China, S. Africa).
It is inside this framework that the communists must examine the development of the imperialist alliances, the unequal inter-state relations, the existing imperialist military, political and economic dependencies, as well as the intensification of imperialist interventions, the expansion of local wars and the danger of a new generalized imperialist war.
Otherwise, any predictions will be unsound, as they will not be based on the relationship between the economy and politics. Otherwise, there is the real danger that the communist movement will in the end serve the interests of one of the competing imperialist centres instead of utilizing the inter-imperialist contradictions for the revolutionary overthrow of the bourgeoisie.

Man, this is so clear-eyed, it makes one feel stupid.


Dear comrades,
The communists must educate the people and orient the labour movement so that they place no trust in any bourgeois government, bourgeois class or imperialist alliance. Only then can they utilize the inter-imperialist contradictions to the benefit of the historic mission of the working class and respond to the sudden intensification of the class struggle.

Sing it brother. I don't know why I am highlighting anything, the whole piece is a must read.


Dear comrades,
A century has passed since Lenin wrote "On the Slogan for a United States of Europe" and "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism», which continue to be powerful resources for the communists in understanding the contemporary world and also for our implacable struggle to overthrow capitalist barbarity and to construct the socialist-communist society.

Aleka Papariga: Capitalism will not live forever; it will be overthrown

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HtJ7JEtXLkU/WE__u6e-xvI/AAAAAAAACCA/0_O7uWXHKlkf5dzutOvIHdkrIF0H6LssACLcB/s320/Aleka%2BPapariga%2B2.jpg

Speaking in a political event organised by the KKE Sectoral Organisation of Volos on Sunday 11/12, the member of the CC of the KKE and former General Secretary of the Party Aleka Papariga, mentioned, among others, the following:

"The KKE is the only Party that knows very well what the capitalist system means. It knows very well the danger of Capitalism, the power it has in its hands, but also knows that the capitalist system isn't a system that will live forever. On the contrary, it is a system which can be overthrown. [...] Many believe that as long as the Socialist system does not exist today, the only system that can exist is Capitalism. We say that Capitalism has contradictions and deadlocks- even today, when it appears in a global scale, without opponent- and can be overthrown.

Of course, it will not collapse by itself, but in one or another country the conditions for its overthrow can be created. And what is important today, above all, is that the working class and her allies must understand that there is the potentiality to take the power in their hands.

That means to take in their hands all the wealth that exists in this place and exercise, not just governance, but politics, in order to put this wealth in the service of the needs and the big development capabilities that this country has. That (means) they can win and that the Greek people can stand on their own feet, far from the barbarity and the commitments of the EU, NATO etc..".

Source: 'Rizospastis', 13.12.2016 / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/12/aleka-papariga-capitalism-will-not-live.html

SYRIZA's political "flirt" with Golden Dawn - When Social Democracy tries to "acquit" the Neonazi criminals

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9G2uU7wed90/WFG4aCHySZI/AAAAAAAACCQ/A2zq6jb6z5YJ7sUAw0tAArYBSGTu4kBhgCLcB/s400/SYRIZA%2Band%2BGolden%2BDawn.jpg

The political "love affair" between SYRIZA and the Nazis of Golden Dawn seems to continue. After the joint visit of SYRIZA and Golden Dawn's MPs in Kastelorizo- and the common photographs in the island- we had another episode in social democracy's effort to politically caress the neonazi murderers.

This time, SYRIZA MP and former Justice Minister Nikos Paraskevopoulos decided to proceed a step forward. During an interview with the conservative 'Vradyni' newspaper, Paraskevopoulos said that the Neonazi party must be supported by democratic parties if it decides to embrace the rule of democracy.

The SYRIZA MP defended his hideous remarks in a second interview on Vima FM Radio, saying that “if a [Golden Dawn member], and there are many of them, changes their stance and makes steps toward democracy, then they must be supported.” He called for a “convergence” with Golden Dawn to bring it in line with democracy rather than being constantly at loggerheads with it.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/725sIs0p0_Nw124iNTHHbWZEhG3UoXcsxkuBGtt-iiakktSssubLLWdsLuhcLt7aFiL6FRVyiW-WdBsnNPJ7085RRPWOcqjS8bnxDGnm5kSPbU2qaNwIw9T5bAnfNgAJexlqPM_v5R9czZucqqp04WvwvcueKAG7KZAwEOIzv_U_tmA=s0-d
SYRIZA MP and former Justice Minister Nikos Paraskevopoulos.

Commenting on SYRIZA's political "flirting" with the Neonazis, an article published in 'Rizospastis', the Organ of the CC of the KKE, commented on 13 December:

"There is no doubt that with many and various ways the government, as well as other bourgeois parties, try to "aqcuit" Golden Dawn. Τo adorn its murderous character, which go hand - hand with the Nazi fascist ideology. It is a process which takes place both inside and outside the Parliament. Occasionally we see Golden Dawn members- inside the Parliament- to express good words for the government who, with their policy, serve the needs of the big Capital. Recently, we saw them embraced in Kastelorizo. What is important is that, since there are processes in the bourgeois political system, statements from the side of SYRIZA talk about convergence with the Golden Dawn. And that says it all...".

The family of Pavlos Fyssas- the 34 years-old antifascist musician who was murdered by Golden Dawn's member on September 2013- issued a statement in which strongly condemns the comments of SYRIZA's former Justice Minister Paraskevopoulos. Among other things, the Fyssas family statement says:

"Whoever believe that the devotees of fascism and neonazi formations can be democratized are politically naive and dangerously unhistorical, or either in combination with these, they serve specific expediences".

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/12/syrizas-political-flirt-with-golden.html

KNE-KG Joint Declaration: The people and the youth of Greece and Turkey have nothing to divide

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yoMPmlxW5OM/WFe3I4WBO8I/AAAAAAAACEA/a1KvqXlZ3Xg653tSNUg9VsCuLA4H9InPACLcB/s400/Communist%2Byouths%2BGreece%2Band%2BTurkey%2BKNE%2BKG.jpg

Source: International Communist Press.
The Communist Youth, Turkey (Komünist Gençlik-KG) had welcomed a delegation from the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) on 13-14-15th December in İstanbul.
One of the outcomes of the correspondences between the two organizations has been a joint call to the youth in both countries for joining their common struggle based on proletarian internationalism against imperialist bloodsheds and capitalist barbarity.
Representatives of the Communist Youth Organisations of Turkey and Greece met on 13/12/2016 in Istanbul, discussed over the concerning situation which is being developed in their countries and the greater region, over the problems, the life and the struggles of the youth, and they decided to develop furthermore their common struggle and cooperation especially during 2017 on the centenary of the Great October Socialist Revolution.

KG and KNE addressed the youth of both countries with a Joint Call, declaring the following:

"The youth of Greece and Turkey have common problems, common struggle, common future!
Young people in Greece and Turkey, we are on your side!
Young workers, school-students, students in Universities and Technical Universities, join us in our struggle for the satisfaction of the contemporary needs of the youth. Both our peoples, the youth of both countries, we have common problems, common tradition, historical and cultural bonds. Join us in order to struggle altogether for the overthrow of the capitalist system of exploitation, barbarity, unemployment, poverty, crisis, imperialist wars, refugee – immigration.
The Communist Youth of Greece and the Communist Youth, Turkey, we are both linked to the just effort to organize the common struggle of both of our peoples, especially the youth. We have common ideology, Marxism – Leninism, and we struggle alongside our parties, the Communist Party of Greece and the Communist Party, Turkey, for socialism – communism.
The Communist Youth Organisations of Greece and Turkey, we estimate that the developments in our region are characterized by the sharpening of the competitions, between strong capitalist forces, such as USA, NATO, EU and Russia, China and other forces. These inter – imperialist competitions, that concern which force will exploit the oil, natural gas, transport routes and the markets of the region of Eastern Mediterranean, are objectively the ground for the generalised imperialist war in the region.
Up to this moment, the youth of Turkey has already been dragged towards the war in Syria. In the Syrian trouble, that begun from the intervention of USA – NATO – EU, the monarchies of the Gulf and the government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the young people of Turkey are being sacrificed in the name of the expansionist ambitions of the capitalists of Turkey and the interests of the US imperialism in the region. The imperialist war, waging in Middle East has as consequence for millions of people to follow the road to immigration. Many refugees are trapped inside our countries, especially after the outrageous deal between EU and Turkey concerning the Refugee Issue.
In Greece, up to this moment, the government has supported all the dangerous decisions of NATO, it has offered Greek islands for the formation of NATO military Bases, it has decriminalized the presence of NATO in the Aegean Sea under the pretext of dealing with the waves of refugees.
Both organizations, we highlight more specifically that the bourgeois classes of Greece and Turkey follow the path of economic cooperation and at the same time of increasing competition. They were always spreading the poison of nationalism, racism, fascism in order to divide the two peoples, aiming more specifically towards the minds of the youth. On the other hand, they are always using the trap of the bourgeois cosmopolitanism for the young people, who do not bite the nationalist poison; in order to complacent them In front of the dangerous developments.
We clearly declare: The peoples and the youth of our countries have nothing to divide. We are against any attempt for changing the boarders of our countries. The young people must not shed their blood for the interests and the competitions of imperialists.
Loyal to the principles of proletarian internationalism, we will struggle together in order to put an end to the capitalist barbarity, the causes that create the imperialist wars, in order to put an end to injustice and the bloodshed of the peoples, due to the interests of the exploiters."

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/12/kne-kg-joint-declaration-people-and.html

Greek law limiting mass layoffs overturned by EU court

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/dailystar/Pictures/2016/12/21/580384_img650x420_img650x420_crop.jpg

BRUSSELS: A Greek law forcing employers to seek government approval for mass layoffs is too vague and violates European Union laws, the EU's top court ruled on Wednesday, potentially complicating Athens' stance in talks with international lenders.

The case was brought to the European Court of Justice after Greek cement maker AGET Iraklis, whose main shareholder is LafargeHolcim, was prevented in 2013 from making collective redundancies by the then-government because of the economic crisis and the high levels of unemployment in the country.

The court ruled that the Greek law goes against EU rules on companies' freedom to set up businesses in EU states.

"The Greek legislation is liable to constitute a serious obstacle to the exercise of freedom of establishment in Greece," a note from the court said.

The judges recognised the principle that a government is entitled to block mass layoffs "in certain circumstances in the interests of the protection of workers and of employment," but said the Greek law was too vague and gave the authorities excessive discretion "beyond what is necessary".

The fact that Greece was suffering an economic crisis and very high unemployment is not enough to justify blocking mass redundancy plans, the court said.

The ruling risks complicating the Greek position in talks with its international creditors under an 86 billion euros ($89.3 billion) bailout programme, the third received by the country since 2010.

Negotiations between Greece and its lenders on reforms needed in the country hit a snag earlier in December on an overhaul of the Greek labour market.

Lenders are pushing Athens to soften labour protection rules to make layoffs easier, but the government of leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has so far opposed the overhaul.

Talks have been further complicated after Greece decided to give in December a 600 million euro payout to poorer pensioners without prior consultation with its creditors. ($1 = 0.9634 euros)


http://www.dailystar.com.lb//News/World/2016/Dec-21/386216-greek-law-limiting-mass-layoffs-overturned-by-eu-court.ashx

Take all the pseudo-humanistic twaddle about the EU and flush it, 'freedom of establishment'(freedom of the establishment?) is what it's about.

The charting of a unified revolutionary strategy in Europe and all over the world is necessary for the final overthrow of capitalist barbarity, for peace and popular prosperity, socialism-communism

In his welcome speech at the international seminar of the KKE's Delegation to the European Parliament, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, GS of the CC of the KKE, noted the following:

Dear comrades,
On behalf of the CC of the KKE, I address a warm welcome to the work of the international seminar organized by the KKE delegation of the European Parliament in Athens on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the publication of Lenin’s work “On the Slogan for a United States of Europe”.
Lenin’s positions in the conditions of the beginning of the 20th century maintain their significance 100 years on. It is a work that should be studied by communists, radicals, well-meaning people not only in our continent, in Europe, but all over the world.
Of course, in a creative spirit, through the prism of the changes that have taken place in the world; changes, however, that have not altered the essence, the basic laws of the capitalist economy, production with as its incentive surplus value, profit, competition and unevenness, anarchy in production, injustice in distribution.
The inter-state agreements, the imperialist alliances that seek to “impose order” on international trade, capital exports, do not negate the laws of capitalism.
On the contrary, they make their consequences more painful for the peoples, more long-term and make the need for the revolutionary class struggle until the overthrow of capitalism and the construction of socialism-communism more necessary.
Comrades,
After the outbreak of the international crisis in 2008-2009, it became clear that the EU and Eurozone is not a cohesive, stable, economic-political inter-state alliance. In the years that followed, the correlation of forces altered inside the leading core of the EU in favour of Germany.
The gap widened at the expense of France and Italy.
In the last decade the average annual rate of growth of the GDP in the Eurozone is almost stagnant with Germany in the leading position.

The sharpening of the unevenness in the Eurozone is reflected in the increasing gap between the trade surpluses of Germany and the Netherlands and the deficits of most of the member-states.
At the political level, the exacerbation of the competition inside the EU was expressed by the result of the British referendum and the rise of bourgeois euroscepticism in France, Italy and other EU member-states, i.e. by the reinforcement of centrifugal forces. The impending Presidential elections in France, and the elections in other countries, in Germany itself, may manifest a new sharpening of the situation in the EU.
The result of the Brexit reflects to an extent the more general negative stance of the British bourgeois class as regards the trajectory of deepening the EMU and EU, its stable convergence with the USA in its competition with Germany, the existence of sections of British and US capital that desired Britain's exit from the EU and the entrapment of the people's discontent in the current of bourgeois euroscepticism.
On this terrain the dilemmas for the bourgeois political line in Germany and the rest of the EU member-states are becoming more complicated. The governments of France and Italy are demanding the relaxation of the fiscal policy so that they can reinforce their monopoly groups and the course of deepening the unification of the Eurozone, so that Germany in practice takes on the role of the guarantor for the indebted states and the problematic big banks in the EU.
Member-states that maintain close relations with the USA, such as the Visegrad group (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia) as well as Sweden and Denmark seek the maintenance of the intergovernmental character and the reinforcement of the independence of national politics concerning various issues (e.g. immigration-refugees).
The dominant line of the German bourgeois class operates between maintenance of the intergovernmental character of the decisions of the EU and the imposition in practice of a multi-speed EU, with a narrower and more cohesive core of the common currency.
However, German social-democracy converges to a great extent with the proposals of France and Italy for the deepening of the EU. There is also a confrontation concerning Germany's relations with the USA and Russia, while relations are developing between the EU and China.
The USA supports Italy and France concerning the issue of relaxing the fiscal policy as well as the Visegrad group and the Scandinavian countries to stop the course of the deepening of EU unification.
The G-20 also took a position in favour of relaxing the fiscal policy to the benefit of public investments.
The aim to join Ukraine to the EU, against the Russian plans to integrate it into the Eurasian Economic Community, sharpened the relations between the EU and Russia, with the latter supporting political forces inside the EU that are against deepening the capitalist unification in the framework of the EU.
The dominant line of bourgeois politics in Greece considers the country remaining in the Eurozone as a given, while at the same time there continue to be the especially close relations between Greek shipping capital and the USA and Britain, the reinforcement of the economic relations with China.

Comrades
In any case, the future of the EU and the Eurozone, of the international capitalist economy, is not only determined by the plans of the imperialists, because the contradictions have their own dynamics. None of the bourgeois management options can eradicate the competition and contradictions between the capitalist economies, while they come into conflict with the workers' and people's interests in all the Eurozone member-states.
The crisis highlighted even more intensely the historical limits of the capitalist system, more generally the difficulty in passing into a new cycle of expanded reproduction of social capital. The prolonged economic crisis in Greece is the expression of all the above factors, in a country of course which is not at the top of global capitalism or the EU. Even if the bourgeois class of Greece benefited from the accession to the EU, at the same time, the fiscal management of the crisis was demonstrated to be more difficult in conditions of the Monetary Union and the inter-state fiscal control.
The Greek bourgeois class initially benefited from the counterrevolutionary overthrow in the neighbouring Balkan countries and EU accession and achieved significant capital accumulation and capital exports in the form of direct investments which contributed to the strengthening of Greek businesses and monopoly groups. Capital exports expanded to other countries as well. It actively participated in all the imperialist interventions and wars, such as those against Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya etc, functioned as an active member of NATO.
After the outbreak of the crisis, the position of the Greek capitalist economy deteriorated in the framework of the Eurozone, the EU and the international capitalist system more generally, a fact that does not negate that the accession of Greece into the EEC-EU served the most dynamic sections of domestic monopoly capital and contributed to the buttressing of its political power.

Comrades
The proposal of the KKE is addressed to the people and has nothing to do with the change of currency or the linking of the Drachma with the Dollar, Sterling, the Yen or any other currency. We do not choose between Scylla and Charybdis.
A bourgeois party can adopt the position of withdrawing from the Eurozone, if it comes to assess that basic sections of the bourgeois class can be served by a national currency, that the recovery could be facilitated by a devaluation. Such trends were expressed in Britain's referendum and by parties that were created in Germany, as well as by the anti-EE positions of Le Pen's party and other far-right populist parties in Europe. The political current of protectionism is being reinforced, in the EU as a whole and in the USA now with the election of Trump, as a weapon against the dynamism of the Chinese economy and against the dynamism of the German economy in Europe.
At the same time it coexists with the current of bourgeois cosmopolitanism, decorated with leftwing rhetoric. The elevation of the "Greek problem" by bourgeois and opportunist forces in Greece as a "Paneuropean problem" is accompanied by the position that there can be no change at a national level in favour of the people, beyond the alternation of some governments and figures, without affecting the ownership relations over the means of production, the core of economic-political relations. They want to impede the people from struggling for another society, the socialist society. They misleadingly claim that either things will change simultaneously in Europe or globally, or nowhere at all. The truth is that changes begin in each country and their results then impact at a regional, continental and global level.
The bourgeois nation state remains the basic organ that secures the economic dominance of capital, the monopolies, the concentration and centralization of capital in competition with the corresponding processes in other states, remains an important arena for the implacable class struggle between labour and capital and for this reason the basic arena for the development of the class struggle. This does not at all negate the need for the coordinated class struggle at a regional, European, global level.

Comrades

Finally, I would like to once again stress that the inter-imperialist contradictions, which in the past led to dozens of local, regional wars and to two World Wars, continue to lead to tough economic, political and military confrontations, irrespective of the changes in the structure and the framework of goals of the imperialist unions, both old and new.
In any case, "war is the continuation of politics by other means", especially in the conditions of a deep crisis of capital's over-accumulation and important changes in the correlation of forces in the international imperialist system, in which the re-division of the markets rarely occurs without bloodshed.
From this standpoint, our parties must be in a state of readiness. The people and youth must not shed their blood for the interests of the capitalists.
Today, when the dangers of a more generalized imperialist war and conflicts are increasing in our wider region from the Balkans to the Middle East, the KKE is calling on the people to struggle so that there are no border changes, for the defense of the country's sovereign rights, from the standpoint of the interests of the working class and popular strata, something that cannot be detached from the struggle to overthrow capital's power and has nothing to do with the defense of the plans of the one or the other imperialist pole, the profitability of the one or the other monopoly group.
For this reason, the cooperation and joint struggle of our peoples, the close cooperation of our parties, the charting of a unified revolutionary strategy in Europe and all over the world must be strengthened, for the final overthrow of capitalist barbarity, for peace and popular prosperity, socialism-communism.

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-charting-of-a-unified-revolutionary-strategy-in-Europe-and-all-over-the-world-is-necessary-for-the-final-overthrow-of-capitalist-barbarity-for-peace-and-popular-prosperity-socialism-communism/

The charting of a unified revolutionary strategy in Europe and all over the world is necessary for the final overthrow of capitalist barbarity, for peace and popular prosperity, socialism-communism

In his welcome speech at the international seminar of the KKE's Delegation to the European Parliament, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, GS of the CC of the KKE, noted the following:

Dear comrades,
On behalf of the CC of the KKE, I address a warm welcome to the work of the international seminar organized by the KKE delegation of the European Parliament in Athens on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the publication of Lenin’s work “On the Slogan for a United States of Europe”.
Lenin’s positions in the conditions of the beginning of the 20th century maintain their significance 100 years on. It is a work that should be studied by communists, radicals, well-meaning people not only in our continent, in Europe, but all over the world.
Of course, in a creative spirit, through the prism of the changes that have taken place in the world; changes, however, that have not altered the essence, the basic laws of the capitalist economy, production with as its incentive surplus value, profit, competition and unevenness, anarchy in production, injustice in distribution.
The inter-state agreements, the imperialist alliances that seek to “impose order” on international trade, capital exports, do not negate the laws of capitalism.
On the contrary, they make their consequences more painful for the peoples, more long-term and make the need for the revolutionary class struggle until the overthrow of capitalism and the construction of socialism-communism more necessary.
Comrades,
After the outbreak of the international crisis in 2008-2009, it became clear that the EU and Eurozone is not a cohesive, stable, economic-political inter-state alliance. In the years that followed, the correlation of forces altered inside the leading core of the EU in favour of Germany.
The gap widened at the expense of France and Italy.
In the last decade the average annual rate of growth of the GDP in the Eurozone is almost stagnant with Germany in the leading position.

The sharpening of the unevenness in the Eurozone is reflected in the increasing gap between the trade surpluses of Germany and the Netherlands and the deficits of most of the member-states.
At the political level, the exacerbation of the competition inside the EU was expressed by the result of the British referendum and the rise of bourgeois euroscepticism in France, Italy and other EU member-states, i.e. by the reinforcement of centrifugal forces. The impending Presidential elections in France, and the elections in other countries, in Germany itself, may manifest a new sharpening of the situation in the EU.
The result of the Brexit reflects to an extent the more general negative stance of the British bourgeois class as regards the trajectory of deepening the EMU and EU, its stable convergence with the USA in its competition with Germany, the existence of sections of British and US capital that desired Britain's exit from the EU and the entrapment of the people's discontent in the current of bourgeois euroscepticism.
On this terrain the dilemmas for the bourgeois political line in Germany and the rest of the EU member-states are becoming more complicated. The governments of France and Italy are demanding the relaxation of the fiscal policy so that they can reinforce their monopoly groups and the course of deepening the unification of the Eurozone, so that Germany in practice takes on the role of the guarantor for the indebted states and the problematic big banks in the EU.
Member-states that maintain close relations with the USA, such as the Visegrad group (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia) as well as Sweden and Denmark seek the maintenance of the intergovernmental character and the reinforcement of the independence of national politics concerning various issues (e.g. immigration-refugees).
The dominant line of the German bourgeois class operates between maintenance of the intergovernmental character of the decisions of the EU and the imposition in practice of a multi-speed EU, with a narrower and more cohesive core of the common currency.
However, German social-democracy converges to a great extent with the proposals of France and Italy for the deepening of the EU. There is also a confrontation concerning Germany's relations with the USA and Russia, while relations are developing between the EU and China.
The USA supports Italy and France concerning the issue of relaxing the fiscal policy as well as the Visegrad group and the Scandinavian countries to stop the course of the deepening of EU unification.
The G-20 also took a position in favour of relaxing the fiscal policy to the benefit of public investments.
The aim to join Ukraine to the EU, against the Russian plans to integrate it into the Eurasian Economic Community, sharpened the relations between the EU and Russia, with the latter supporting political forces inside the EU that are against deepening the capitalist unification in the framework of the EU.
The dominant line of bourgeois politics in Greece considers the country remaining in the Eurozone as a given, while at the same time there continue to be the especially close relations between Greek shipping capital and the USA and Britain, the reinforcement of the economic relations with China.

Comrades
In any case, the future of the EU and the Eurozone, of the international capitalist economy, is not only determined by the plans of the imperialists, because the contradictions have their own dynamics. None of the bourgeois management options can eradicate the competition and contradictions between the capitalist economies, while they come into conflict with the workers' and people's interests in all the Eurozone member-states.
The crisis highlighted even more intensely the historical limits of the capitalist system, more generally the difficulty in passing into a new cycle of expanded reproduction of social capital. The prolonged economic crisis in Greece is the expression of all the above factors, in a country of course which is not at the top of global capitalism or the EU. Even if the bourgeois class of Greece benefited from the accession to the EU, at the same time, the fiscal management of the crisis was demonstrated to be more difficult in conditions of the Monetary Union and the inter-state fiscal control.
The Greek bourgeois class initially benefited from the counterrevolutionary overthrow in the neighbouring Balkan countries and EU accession and achieved significant capital accumulation and capital exports in the form of direct investments which contributed to the strengthening of Greek businesses and monopoly groups. Capital exports expanded to other countries as well. It actively participated in all the imperialist interventions and wars, such as those against Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya etc, functioned as an active member of NATO.
After the outbreak of the crisis, the position of the Greek capitalist economy deteriorated in the framework of the Eurozone, the EU and the international capitalist system more generally, a fact that does not negate that the accession of Greece into the EEC-EU served the most dynamic sections of domestic monopoly capital and contributed to the buttressing of its political power.

Comrades
The proposal of the KKE is addressed to the people and has nothing to do with the change of currency or the linking of the Drachma with the Dollar, Sterling, the Yen or any other currency. We do not choose between Scylla and Charybdis.
A bourgeois party can adopt the position of withdrawing from the Eurozone, if it comes to assess that basic sections of the bourgeois class can be served by a national currency, that the recovery could be facilitated by a devaluation. Such trends were expressed in Britain's referendum and by parties that were created in Germany, as well as by the anti-EE positions of Le Pen's party and other far-right populist parties in Europe. The political current of protectionism is being reinforced, in the EU as a whole and in the USA now with the election of Trump, as a weapon against the dynamism of the Chinese economy and against the dynamism of the German economy in Europe.
At the same time it coexists with the current of bourgeois cosmopolitanism, decorated with leftwing rhetoric. The elevation of the "Greek problem" by bourgeois and opportunist forces in Greece as a "Paneuropean problem" is accompanied by the position that there can be no change at a national level in favour of the people, beyond the alternation of some governments and figures, without affecting the ownership relations over the means of production, the core of economic-political relations. They want to impede the people from struggling for another society, the socialist society. They misleadingly claim that either things will change simultaneously in Europe or globally, or nowhere at all. The truth is that changes begin in each country and their results then impact at a regional, continental and global level.
The bourgeois nation state remains the basic organ that secures the economic dominance of capital, the monopolies, the concentration and centralization of capital in competition with the corresponding processes in other states, remains an important arena for the implacable class struggle between labour and capital and for this reason the basic arena for the development of the class struggle. This does not at all negate the need for the coordinated class struggle at a regional, European, global level.

Comrades

Finally, I would like to once again stress that the inter-imperialist contradictions, which in the past led to dozens of local, regional wars and to two World Wars, continue to lead to tough economic, political and military confrontations, irrespective of the changes in the structure and the framework of goals of the imperialist unions, both old and new.
In any case, "war is the continuation of politics by other means", especially in the conditions of a deep crisis of capital's over-accumulation and important changes in the correlation of forces in the international imperialist system, in which the re-division of the markets rarely occurs without bloodshed.
From this standpoint, our parties must be in a state of readiness. The people and youth must not shed their blood for the interests of the capitalists.
Today, when the dangers of a more generalized imperialist war and conflicts are increasing in our wider region from the Balkans to the Middle East, the KKE is calling on the people to struggle so that there are no border changes, for the defense of the country's sovereign rights, from the standpoint of the interests of the working class and popular strata, something that cannot be detached from the struggle to overthrow capital's power and has nothing to do with the defense of the plans of the one or the other imperialist pole, the profitability of the one or the other monopoly group.
For this reason, the cooperation and joint struggle of our peoples, the close cooperation of our parties, the charting of a unified revolutionary strategy in Europe and all over the world must be strengthened, for the final overthrow of capitalist barbarity, for peace and popular prosperity, socialism-communism.

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-charting-of-a-unified-revolutionary-strategy-in-Europe-and-all-over-the-world-is-necessary-for-the-final-overthrow-of-capitalist-barbarity-for-peace-and-popular-prosperity-socialism-communism/

Jesus! Vanguard? You fucking bet! One day the US will have one - the sooner the better.

Message of the KKE to the people for the New Year

The KKE wishes a good and militant year to the working people, the unemployed and self-employed ones, the poor farmers, the young people and the women of the popular strata, to the refugees and immigrants, who live or remain trapped in our country.

The new year 2017, which starts with new burdens for our people, can leave a strong imprint on the effort for the recasting of the labour movement, building of the social alliance, strengthening of the KKE, in order to pave the way for a better future for our people.

The SYRIZA-ANEL government, as well as the other parties of the system, despite their disagreements for the governmental chair, cultivate to the people the false explectation that the recovery of the capitalist economy will supposedly put an end to the people's sacrifices, will stop the deterioration process of his life.

The reality is completely different. Even if there is some kind of recovery, it will be for the profits of the few, it will be uncertain, because the developments themselves in the global and european economy are inauspicious. Above all, it will be a recovery which not only will not replenish the huge losses for the people, but will be accompanied by new masures, “bloody” surpluses, sustained “cutters” of working-peoples' rights.

Capitalism does not give birth only to crises, poverty and unemployment, but also wars. The developments in the broader region, the competitions among powerful states and regional powers for the raw materials and the transportation roads, bring the threat of a more generalized war closer.

The SYRIZA-ANEL government actively participates in all NATO plans. Along with the other bourgeois political forces, it reassures the Greek people that the participation of Greece in NATO consists a factor of “peace and security in the region”. It has legitimized the presence of NATO, which does not recognize the maritime borders and encourages the aggressive stratety of Turkey, in the Aegean Sea. At the same time, in the unsolved for 42 years problem of invasion-occupation of Cyprus they propose as a solution the de facto partition, through a new “Annan” plan.

Against this situation, the KKE gives all its forces in order to strengthen the working-people's struggle and solidarity, for a real relief of the people, recover of losses, satisfaction of the contemporary needs.

It prepares its 20th Congress, which will be held in Spring 2017, with the ambition to become more powerful, more capable towards the development of the working-people's movement and the promotion of the alliance of the popular strata in a direction of rupture and overthrow against the capitalist system. This is even more urgent in the current circumstances, when everything seems immovable or move slowly.

Today there is much experience in the people and more evidence for them to see that no government which serves the capitalist path of development can put a end to the major impasses.

What is needed is that the popular struggle for the acute problems must look forward, must not be trapped in the “clashing rocks” of the governmental change of antipeople governments and of a utopian, supposedly pro-people, management of the system. For the maturation of thinking, of discussion, of reflection regarding the fact that the current exploitative system, which, despite the achievements of science and technology, forces people to live in barbarity, cannot be the future of humanity.

The capitalist ownership and power, the economy of anarchism and profit for the few, must be replaced by the social ownership of the concentrated means of production, the scientific central planning of the economy, the production for the satisfaction of contemporary needs.


With the weight of this responsibility, the KKE continues even more decisively in order to respond successfully to the tasks of the time, for the cause of Socialism, which today, 100 years since the “storm to the sky”- the Great Socialist October Revolution- is timely more than ever.

Source: Rizospastis / Translation: In Defense of Communism.
Posted by In Defense of Communism

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2016/12/message-of-kke-to-people-for-new-year.html

Shocking conditions for refugees as winter cold and snow cover settled over Greece - Question by the KKE in the Parliament asking for immediate measures

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Freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall are making life even harder for thousands of refugees living in limbo across Greece. Migration Policy Minister Yiannis Mouzalas admitted that the situation on the islands due to the sub-zero temperatures is not acceptable but suggested that the main reason for this is that locals have obstructed plans to expand reception facilities so migrants can be moved out of the hotspots, where some are housed in tents.

"The UN Refugee Agency is today reiterating its call to accelerate the moving of asylum seekers from the Aegean islands to the Greek mainland," spokesman Adrian Edwards said last Friday in Geneva. "The need for better protection will become all the more acute this weekend when temperatures on the islands are expected to drop. We are worried."

With a Question to the Migration Policy Minister submitted in the Parliament, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) urgently asks from the government to provide protection to the refugees and immediately relocate them from the islands. The question, submitted by the KKE MP Christos Katsiotis, is the following:

(Translated by In Defense of Communism)


"Despite the early and continuous interventions of our Party and the bodies of the labour-peoples movement for the need to take immediate measures for the protection of refugees and immigrants from the heavy winter, despite the soothing assurances given by the government and the Minister, the recent snow brought to the surface the dramatic living conditions in the hotsports of Moria, Lesbos; of Samos, Chios as well as to the camps of Malakasa and elsewhere.

The government bears all responsibility for the fact that thousands of people, including little children, are freezing in tents or even in containers and covered places which either do not have heating or heating does not function. The government- and all those who defend the EU-Turkey agreement- bears all responsibility for the double entrapment of refugees and migrants in the islands of northern and eastern Aegean, under appalling conditions, with plans which lead to the deterioration of them through the creation of detention centers. (The government) bears responsibility for the fact that the NGOs which prey on community funds and are "in charge" in the hotspots and the camps, decide if and when the refugees will be provided with the winter clothes and blankets offered by our people as a sign of practical solidarity.

The statements of the government officials- who say things like "we suited" 9,000 from the 10,000 refugees and the rest 1,000 are at the mercy of snow and cold- consist a provocation.

We ask Mr.Minister, what measures he will take so that:

- No refugee or immigrant will stay in a tent- none without heating, electricity and water, without suitable feeding for the winter, without public health care. Winter clothes and special blankets must be given immediately under the responsibility of state authorities.

- The double-entrapped refugees and migrants to relocate immediately from the islands and to stop the plans for the creation of detention centers".

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Posted by In Defense of Communism

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/01/shocking-conditions-for-refugees-as.html

Solidarity with Greece's small farmers in their struggle against the SYRIZA and EU policies

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Small farmers in Greece are back on the roads again. With their tractors of work and struggle, on the roadblocks, in order to survive. They are struggling, tooth and nail, in order to keep their fields and animals, so that their remain in their villages, so that we can sustain our families through our work in a decent way.

The struggle is inevitable for poor farmers. If they don’t struggle, they will be driven off their land, if they do not resist, they will be throwed on the bonfire of unemployment and destitution.

Farmers from Tyrnavos, Central Greece, set the first blockade on Monday noon, while farmers from Karditsa, Trikala, Farsala, Larisa have scheduled to go out on the streets on Thursday. The protests and the blockades are to take place from South on the island of Crete and Peloponnese to the North in Central and East Macedonia and from East mainland like Magnisia to the West like Aitoloakarnania and Epirus.

"We are fighting and demand solutions to the immediate and vital problems which threaten our lives. We struggle against the EU's Common Agricultural Policy and the policy of the government which lead us to poverty and misery. At the same time, we highlight the need for another agricultural policy in our country, for the interests of the small farmers and the Greek people".

- Rizos Maroudas, President of the Unitarian Federation of Agricultural Associations in Larisa, quoted from 'Rizospastis', 23.1.2017.

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The All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) stands in total solidarity with the struggle of the farmers:
On Monday, January 23, small farmers from all over Greece with their tractors, formed dozens of roadblocks in all regions of the country as an escalation to their struggle against the policies that lead them to extinction.
The SYRIZA Government and the EU with their policy –policy which is adopted in the memoranda and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the EU- push the gathering of the land and of agricultural production in the hands of the few big agricultural business groups, forcing the small farmers to leave their lands.
With their struggle the small farmers fight for their survival, for the survival of their families. Their basic demands are:
Cancelation of new brutal taxes to small and poor farmers. Taxes should be imposed to the big business groups.
Free-Total Social Security for all farmers. Retirement Age limit to be lowered to 60 for men and 55 for women farmers.
No foreclosure of confiscation of homes and lands
The class trade unions stand by the side of the small farmers and their just struggle. PAME takes continuous initiatives for support and coordination of the struggle of the working class with the small farmers. As the farmers struggle escalates the workers will organize massive support and solidarity to the farmers’ roadblocks.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/01/solidarity-with-greeces-small-farmers.html

KKE GS Koutsoumbas: "The 21st century will bring the definite overthrow of Capitalism"

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KKE General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas speaking
at the European Communist Meeting, Monday 23 January 2017.

"The 21st century will bring the definite and- this time- irreversible overthrow of capitalism and the construction of socialism-communism. After all, the ice has been broken, the road is open, the way has been shown" said Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), during the closure of his speech at the European Communist Meeting which took place today in Brussels.

Refering to the 100 years since the 1917 Great Socialist October Revolution, the KKE General Secretary said among other things: "October proved the capacity and capability of the working class to realize its historic mission as the only really revolutionary class, to lead the cosmogony of building socialism-communism. On the same time, October demonstrates the irreplaceable role of the guidance factor of the socialist revolution, the Communist Party, the immense power of proletarian internationalism".

The opening speech of the European Communist Meeting, which is attended by representatives of 45 communist and workers parties from 34 countries, was delivered by the KKE MEP and member of the KKE's Central Committee Kostas Papadakis.

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The major subject of the European Communist Meeting is "100 years since the Great October Socialist Revolution. Capitalism- monopolies - European Union bring only crises, wars, poverty. Socialism is timely and necessary".

The Full Speech by KKE GS Dimitris Koutsoumbas.
Source: inter.kke.gr.

Dear comrades,

This year we honour the 100th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution of 1917 in Russia that left its mark on every corner of the planet for many decades.
October demonstrated 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, the enormous strength of proletarian internationalism.
Today, despite the developments since then, we are even more certain and categorical about the timeliness and necessity of socialism-communism.The counterrevolutionary overthrows do not change the character of the era. The 21st century will be the century of a new upsurge of the global revolutionary movement and a new series of socialist revolutions.The daily struggles for partial and more general gains are undeniably necessary, but they cannot provide substantial, long-term and permanent solutions. Socialism remains the only way out.
The necessity of socialism is highlighted by the sharpening of the contradictions in the contemporary capitalist world, the international imperialist system. The material preconditions for socialism, i.e. labour power and the means of production, have matured within capitalism itself.Capitalism has socialized labour and production to unprecedented levels. The working class, the main productive force, constitutes the majority of the economically active population. However, the means of production, the products of social labour are privately owned by the capitalists.This contradiction is the root cause of all the crisis phenomena of contemporary capitalist societies, such as economic crises, the destruction of the environment, the drug problem, the long working day despite the great increase of labour productivity, and which of course coexists with unemployment, under-employment, the intensification of exploitation etc.At the same time, however, this reality signals the need to abolish private ownership of the concentrated means of production, to socialize them and use them in a planned way in social production, the planning of the economy by workers' power, with the goal of people’s prosperity.

Dear comrades,

The theoretical legacy of October, enriched with the experience of the socialist revolutions that followed, is valuable.
It confirmed in practice the correctness of the Marxist-Leninist theory of the revolution, which flows from the complete systematic analysis of imperialism i.e. that the revolution matures over the course of historical developments and breaks out in a period determined by a combination of objective and subjective causes.
The bourgeois and all kinds of renegades distort or conceal the importance of the October Revolution because they obviously understand full well that through its victory the theory and ideas of Marxism became a material force that mobilized and continue to mobilize millions of workers all over the world against capital's power, who were victorious and organized their own state, the dictatorship of the proletariat, which is founded on the direct producers, the working majority, and is the highest form of democracy that humanity has ever seen.
The nihilistic stance towards the socialism we knew, the adoption of views that say it was a total failure-because its course was interrupted-is an unscientific stance and an ahistorical one and leads to impasses.
Socialism was constructed, developed, and began to solve the major economic and social problems. It was not possible for a number of reasons for it to highlight and most of all liberate, over the entire course of its construction, the inherent potential for the constant development and perfecting of production, to consolidate itself in its struggle against the capitalist system.
However, this does not negate the contribution and role of the socialist system, as it was formed in the 20th century, irrespective of deficiencies, weaknesses and mistakes that appeared during this difficult course.
The October Revolution in practice confirmed the Leninist analysis concerning the weakest link in the imperialist chain. Up until that point what was missing in the international movement was the theoretical foundation for the possibility of the socialist revolution being victorious in one country or a group of countries, which would emerge as weak links, as a result of the sharpening of the internal contradictions under the influence of international developments.

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Of course due to uneven economic and political development, such characteristics can manifest themselves in countries of a medium and lower level of development, where the revolutionary process of course can begin more easily but where it is exceptionally difficult for socialist construction to continue victoriously. Lenin’s analyses contributed to the development of Marxism and to the strategic thinking of the Bolsheviks as a whole.
The contribution of Lenin and the Bolshevik party was decisive in the confrontation against the section of social-democracy which, violating the decisions of the 2nd International, supported the bourgeois classes of their countries, sometimes by voting for war credits in Parliament, other times by participating in governments that waged wars, supposedly so that there could be a "peaceful development", defending the "imperialist peace" with a gun to the people's heads. A political line which inevitably entangled them even more deeply in the imperialist war, in the sharpening of the contradictions and antagonisms of the imperialist states and their alliances.
Lenin with the strategic line that he followed determined that from the standpoint of the revolutionary movement of the working class that aims to take power via a revolution, the issue is not a simple "pacifist" opposition to war, but chiefly the utilization of ruptures, which objectively in such conditions, are created in the imperialist camp, the utilization of the weakening of the bourgeoisie in each country with the aim of transforming this imperialist war in each country into a struggle to overthrow bourgeois power that brings death and poverty for the children of the working class and people of every country.
Lenin, on the basis of the experience of the October revolution, engaged in particular with issues of the power of the new workers' state. He made a particular contribution to identifying the seeds of the organs of the new power
These are lessons and experiences that have timeless value for today as regards the organization of the workers'-people's struggle, when the class struggle is sharpening in conditions of a revolutionary crisis, a revolutionary situation, as regards the organization and expression of the alliance of the working class with the poor popular strata, its natural allies, the poor farmers and self-employed, with the working class in the vanguard, their transformation into a revolutionary forces capable of leading the decisive confrontation against bourgeois power and forming new worker's-people's institutions of the new power.
The KKE, studying the valuable experience of the October Revolution, came to the crucial conclusion that the definition of the political goal, worker's power, must be carried out on the basis of the objective definition of the character of the era, something that determines the class movement which is objectively in the foreground of social development.
This defines the character of the revolution and not the correlation of forces which other Communist Parties focus on.
Of course, the correlation between the two basic rival classes, the bourgeois class and the working class, as well as the stance of the intermediate strata, is a decisive factor for the timing of the socialist revolution. In this sense, a CP must take the correlation of class forces into account, in Leninist terms, i.e. in terms of the relations of the classes with power.
The CP must at the same time take into account and calculate the correlation of forces inside the labour movement, the movements of its social allies, as a necessary element for suitable possible maneuvers, elaborated slogans so that the masses can be drawn to the struggle for power on the basis of their own experience.
However this can in no instance become an alibi for the submission of the labour and communist movement to any form of bourgeois governance, for its participation in or toleration of this in the framework of capitalism.
All the flowers of bourgeois and opportunist ideological constructs bloomed in Greece in recent years of the crisis. There was and still is a lot of discussion in relation to the need to create "left", "progressive", "democratic", "anti-right", "anti-memorandum", "patriotic", "national", "ecumenical" government (All these names have been used to describe such governments) as an immediate proposal for a way out of the economic crisis and anti-people political line.
These proposals are being made both by the traditional and the newly formed bourgeois parties, as well as by parties on the "left" wing of the political spectrum. The labour movement must reject all those traps that aim to manipulate the workers'-people's struggle and to co-opt the movement.
Historical experience has taught us that first "workers’'" and "left" governments emerged from social-democratic parties or as coalition governments of social-democratic parties with other bourgeois parties. There has been no instance in the history of the international labour movement and in the period immediately after World War I in particular, when such governments did not arise as a result of the maneuvering of the bourgeoisie in order to deal with a revolutionary upsurge, in order to assimilate the workers'-people's discontent in conditions of a very deep economic crisis before or after a war.
The goal of such a "left", "workers'" government in the framework of capitalist power, without a revolutionary overthrow, via parliamentary processes, was later adopted by CPs as an intermediate goal with transitional measures. The aim of this, as they believed, was to facilitate the struggle for socialism and solve some pressing popular demands.
However, experience demonstrates that, despite the good intentions of CPs, they were not able to open a window even and certainly not a path to socialism anywhere, and were also not able to stabilize some gains of the people's movement. This includes the experience before and after World War II and up to the present day. Communist Parties found themselves in the end organizationally, ideologically and politically disarmed.
The historical experience and significance of the Great October Revolution is incomparable. It confirms that the salvation of the working class and the other popular strata, in conditions of an economic and political crisis, in conditions of imperialist war, is only possible by overthrowing capitalist power and ownership, which of course presupposes the weakening and complete bankruptcy of its various "left" forms, represented by the dangerous trends of reformism-opportunism and the “governmental left”, as is expressed in Greece by SYRIZA.
We can refer to an assessment made by the KKE in our Theses for the 20th Congress as we now find ourselves in the European Parliament: The developments after the outbreak of the international crisis in 2008-2009 confirm that the EU and Eurozone are not a cohesive, stable, permanent formation. The policies of the EU cannot blunt the unevenness inside the Eurozone and EU. On the contrary, it reflects the widening of the gap between the member states, The Leninist position that the United States of Europe will either be socialist or will not be able to exist, or if does cannot serve the interests of the peoples and progress.
Dear comrades,

Our party will hold its 20th Congress at the end of March, with as its basic subject the comprehensive ideological-political-organizational strengthening of the party and its youth as a party of revolution. This steeling of the party is a necessary precondition so that we can successfully implement the complex tasks for the regrouping of the labour movement and developing the social alliance in an anticapitalist-anti-monopoly direction, in the struggle against imperialist war, with workers' power as its goal.

This steeling of the party also determines its ability to prepare the people for these tasks in a direction of rupture with and overthrow of the capitalist system. This is even more valid in conditions where everything seems immobile or is moving at a slow rate towards the goal of the workers’-people’s counterattack or even in a period when there are setbacks.
Our party has come to the conclusion that the fact that the revolutionary content and gains which came as a result of the October Revolution were weakened due to the impact of trying to solve existent problems of socialist construction in a mistaken direction, by following capitalist recipes, as we often say, a course that chronologically coincided with the decisions of the 20th Congress of the CPSU in 1956, which were expressed in their extreme form through Perestroika in 1985 and the counterrevolution as a whole in 1991.

However all this does not change or alter the internal dynamism of socialist construction or even more so the decisive importance of the Great October Revolution of 1917.
The developments in the International Communist Movement, the split in the ICM, issues to do with its strategy also played a serious role in the formation of the global correlation of forces.
Our party has learned from its weaknesses and mistakes during the past, such as the lack of theoretical and political readiness to understand the development of the counterrevolution in the USSR in a timely fashion.
We consider that it is the responsibility and right of every CP to study the theoretical issues of socialism, to evaluate the course of socialist construction, to draw conclusions for the battle against opportunism at an international level, to prepare the party and class forces in general in order to explain the class struggle at an international level, to provide a scientific class explanation of the setbacks to social progress and development. In this internationalist and communist spirit, we try to follow the developments today in countries like China, Vietnam, Cuba and other countries.
The scientific explanation and defense of socialism's contribution in the 20th century is an element that strengthens the revolutionary strategy of the communist movement.
The study of the contradictions, of the subjective mistakes of the historical progress as a whole is a process that develops the theory of socialism-communism, which will revive the communist movement ideologically and politically and will provide it with overwhelming strength in its new offensive and final victory.
Amongst our most important tasks today is to restore the workers' knowledge about the truth of socialism in the 20th century, without idealizations, objectively and free of the slanders of the bourgeoisie, which are based on the catastrophes brought about by the counterrevolution.
Capitalism may still be strong today, but it is not invincible. The capitalist crisis has demonstrated more intensely the historic boundaries of the capitalist system. The imperialist unions, such as the EU and NATO, which are established on the terrain of capitalism and for the defense of the monopoly interests, are not free of inter-imperialist antagonisms, both inside them and with other imperialist powers.
Especially in the current phase, during which we must be more concerned about their contradictions, with the emergence of populist, far-right, eurosceptic forces in a reactionary direction in all the countries of Europe, as well as with the election of Trump in the USA. Of course, it remains to be seen how US policy will be expressed after the official inauguration of the Presidency, because the election struggle has other elements, populism. Of course, the USA will continue its imperialist political line, as it is the number 1 economic and military power in the world. However, they are worried about China’s elevation into the 2nd position in the international economy and of course they worry about the balance of trade that is negative for the USA and positive for China. Particularly when China is the number 1 creditor country of the USA, which owes China over 1.5 trillion dollars. So the USA sees China as its number 1 enemy today, which has good relations with Russia which is the second strongest military power in the world.
Comrades,
It is our duty as a communist movement to follow all these developments closely, to exchange views, information, to determine a joint stance and activities in relation to the entire international situation and the developments that threaten our peoples.

In a way that will help today’s generation and the future generations, the new shift of the working class that enters production and the movement to say:
The 20th century began with the greatest offensive launched by the proletariat in any era and ended with its temporary defeat. The 21st century will bring the final and this time irreversible overthrow of capitalism and the construction of socialism-communism.
So in any case, the ice has been broken; the road is open, the way has been shown.
Long live the 100th anniversary of the Great October Revolution!

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/01/kke-gs-koutsoumbas-21st-century-will.html

Solidarity with Greece’s small farmers in their struggle against the SYRIZA and EU policies

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

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Small farmers in Greece are back on the roads again. With their tractors of work and struggle, on the roadblocks, in order to survive. They are struggling, tooth and nail, in order to keep their fields and animals, so that their remain in their villages, so that we can sustain our families through our work in a decent way.

The struggle is inevitable for poor farmers. If they don’t struggle, they will be driven off their land, if they do not resist, they will be throwed on the bonfire of unemployment and destitution.

Farmers from Tyrnavos, Central Greece, set the first blockade on Monday noon, while farmers from Karditsa, Trikala, Farsala, Larisa have scheduled to go out on the streets on Thursday. The protests and the blockades are to take place from South on the island of Crete and Peloponnese to the North in Central and East Macedonia and from East mainland like Magnisia to the West like Aitoloakarnania and Epirus.
"We are fighting and demand solutions to the immediate and vital problems which threaten our lives. We struggle against the EU's Common Agricultural Policy and the policy of the government which lead us to poverty and misery. At the same time, we highlight the need for another agricultural policy in our country, for the interests of the small farmers and the Greek people".

- Rizos Maroudas, President of the Unitarian Federation of Agricultural Associations in Larisa, quoted from 'Rizospastis', 23.1.2017.


The All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) stands in total solidarity with the struggle of the farmers:

On Monday, January 23, small farmers from all over Greece with their tractors, formed dozens of roadblocks in all regions of the country as an escalation to their struggle against the policies that lead them to extinction.
The SYRIZA Government and the EU with their policy –policy which is adopted in the memoranda and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the EU- push the gathering of the land and of agricultural production in the hands of the few big agricultural business groups, forcing the small farmers to leave their lands.
With their struggle the small farmers fight for their survival, for the survival of their families. Their basic demands are:
Cancelation of new brutal taxes to small and poor farmers. Taxes should be imposed to the big business groups.
Free-Total Social Security for all farmers. Retirement Age limit to be lowered to 60 for men and 55 for women farmers.
No foreclosure of confiscation of homes and lands
The class trade unions stand by the side of the small farmers and their just struggle. PAME takes continuous initiatives for support and coordination of the struggle of the working class with the small farmers. As the farmers struggle escalates the workers will organize massive support and solidarity to the farmers’ roadblocks.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/01/solidarity-with-greeces-small-farmers.html

The two years of the SYRIZA government confirm that there can be no pro-people management of capitalism

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--8mjgQSRoAE/WIv15R1VozI/AAAAAAAACSM/xeQZg8KBhYAeHkRzZlBxtnxcbqM3cTn7QCLcB/s320/tsipras12.jpg

At a major political-cultural event yesterday (25/1/2017) in Thessalonica for the 99th anniversary of the Party, the GS of the CC of the KKE, D.Koutsoumpas, spoke and stressed amongst other things:

The review SYRIZA is carrying out concerning its two years in government is a review about the management of poverty and unemployment. A management of the crisis of the system, with the goal of facilitating the recovery of capitalist profitability. It confirms that the growth of the profitability of the few is not compatible with the people's prosperity.
If one thing has been repeatedly confirmed, it is that any government which operates within the framework of the power of capital, the EU and NATO is a priori an anti-people government, whatever name it bears, and whatever its intentions may be. There can be no pro-people management of capitalism.
Today, all those who feel leftwing, who voted for SYRIZA in the previous elections can find their real place in the ranks of the labour-people's movement, which will have as its goal and direction the struggle against the monopolies, capitalism, against imperialist war, in alliance and cooperation with the KKE. So that we can all together strengthen the people's resistance and struggle, the social alliance against the monopolies and capitalism, in the struggle for socialism.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/01/syriza-capitalisms-social-democratic.html

The nature of SYRIZA and why it is supported by the bourgeoisie

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Photo credit: IDC.
Source: Rizospastis / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

The identification of SYRIZA's political positioning requires first of all the clarification of the relationship between bourgeois politics and the opportunist (political) stream. In respect to its class substance, the opportunist political line is a bourgeois political line, but as it is manifested within the lines of the labour movement. While it is a policy which supports the strategic objectives of the capital in economy and politics, it appears with a socialist cloak and slogans. The fact that the opportunist perceptions objectively have a common "core" with the bourgeois ideology and politics is expressed both in the occasional convergences between opportunist and bourgeois parties as well as in the convertion of opportunist parties into parties of bourgeois governance, especially in times when this is necessary of capitalism.

When an opportunist party is called to manage the general interests of the bourgeois class from governmental posts, then it de facto becomes subject to a series of political, ideological and organisational adjustments that are characterized by the retreat of its opportunist elements and references without, of course, meaning that these do not continue to be utilized for the entrapment of popular forces in the bourgeois pursuits.

The above have been expressed also in SYRIZA's history. The "backbone" of today's SYRIZA comes from the "Coalition of the Left and Progess" which was formed when the namesake coalition of parties was converted in 1991 into a distinct political body, with the accession of many members and cadres who left the KKE. In the following years, the Coalition (Synaspismos) and since 2004, the SYRIZA party (which began as an electoral alliance of opportunist parties), constituted the major body of opportunism in Greece. As such it acted in open confrontation with the KKE, while it was on the side of bourgeois stratetic options, e.g. the vote in favor of the Maastrict Treaty, participation in the nationalist rallies for the "Macedonian Issue", enthusiasm for the counter-revolutionary overthrows of the period 1989-1991, support of social enterprises.

The long-term transformation of the bourgeois political system on the territory of the deep capitalist crisis reserved for SYRIZA new tasks in the case of defending capitalism, through its "upgrading" into a party of bourgeois governance. This fact imposed a series of adjustments at all levels (conversion of SYRIZA into a single party which attracted PASOK members, adaptation of its ideological references, etc) in order to be able to perform adequately in its new role. The "violent maturation" of SYRIZA- according to the words of its own members- towards the route to governance and the first period of it, consists a result of its gradual transformation from an opportunist to a bourgeois social-democratic governance party, which, nonetheless, maintains its opportunist characteristics for the sake of extracting popular consent to antipeople politics.

The bourgeoisie in Greece as well as internationally timely foresaw the benefits of SYRIZA's utilization to ensure the smooth governmental rotation in conditions of economic crisis, popular mobilizations and relative "depreciation" of the old bourgeois parties. SYRIZA's opportunism, the open mockery of the popular strata, the mass spreading of illusions about pro-people consolidation of capitalism were appreciated (by the bourgeois class). These expectations of the bourgeoisie, alongside with the assurances of SYRIZA to the domestic and international bourgeoisie (e.g. visit in the US, speeches at "Brookings", "Forum Como", at the Federation of Greek industries (SEV), etc) led to its emergence in governance.

After taking over the government, the antipeople measures which were imposed, the management of the crisis in favor of the capital, accelerated the adjustments within SYRIZA. A product of these adjustments was the more open support of capital's strategic choices, the abolition of any pro-people slogans, the glorification of entepreneurship, the passage from the anti-memorandum rhetoric to the position that the implementation of the memorandums is a prerequisite in order to open the way for people's prosperity; while, recently, the appeals to other bourgeois political forces for convergence and consensus in the antipeople strategy condense. The above, of course, prove that the dividing lines within the bourgeois camp (e.g. pro-memorandum- antimemorandum) are very subtle.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/02/the-nature-of-syriza-and-why-it-is.html

KKE slams PM Tsipras for visiting Ukraine

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gGz33Q6cU70/WJyf137G9_I/AAAAAAAACVs/-UiTSZaG8hIyGUqxtqRgoU5C0qQXoesGgCLcB/s320/kke%2Btsipras%2Bporoshenko.jpgWith a statement the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) denounces the recent visit of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Ukraine. More specifically, the statement says:

"Prime Minister Al. Tsipras choosed to visit Ukraine in a period when a regime has been imposed in this country through coup actions, with the support of the US, EU, NATO and with the utilization even of fascist groups.

The visit coincided with the new sharpening (of the situation) in Southeast Ukraine, with the outbreak of a new bloodshed, under the primary responsibility of the current president P.Poroshenko and his reactionary government. He (Tsipras) visited Ukraine when the parody-trial for the prohibition of the Communist Party of Ukraine is in process, when soviet and antifascist monuments are taken down and the collaborators of the nazis are extolled to the youth as "patriots".

This regime visited by Mr.Tsipras has set up "black lists" for its political opponents, in which it has included cadres of the KKE, including MP and Vice President of the Greek Parliament G.Lambroulis and MEP Sotiris Zarianopoulos, because they showed the genuine interests and solidarity of the KKE to the people of Ukraine who shed their blood in the Donbass region.

The discussions for the cooperation within the framework of EU and NATO, for the business deals, prove that the so-called multi-dimensional foreign policy of the SYRIZA-ANEL government is nothing else but the one-dimensional service of capital's interests, far away from the true interests of the people of Greece and Ukraine".

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

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/02/kke-slams-pm-tsipras-for-visiting.html

Solidarity with Greek communist Mayor Kostas Peletidis- Fascism shall not pass!

The solidarity movement for the communist Mayor of Greece’s third largest city is growing. Kostas Peletidis, the KKE-backed Mayor of Patras, is being litigated by the Ministry of Justice’s Public Administration Body of Inspectors for refusing to provide public space to the neo-Nazi, fascist party of Golden Dawn.
More specifically, Peletidis has been charged with “breach of duty”, because during the 2015 parliamentary elections he refused to provide municipal space for the gatherings of the neo-Nazis. Furthermore, the mayor refused to provide information to Golden Dawn’s MPs about the number of migrant children attending Patras’ municipal kindergartens.
The trial has been scheduled to take place today, Monday 13th of February 2017.
Numerous city councils, labor unions and workers’ associations, as well as various personalities have already expressed their solidarity with the Mayor of Patras.
The Patras Sectoral Organisation of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued a statement about the persecution of Mayor Peletidis, calling the working people and the popular strata of the city to mobilize and express their solidarity with the Mayor. In the statement, the KKE Patras S.O. strongly denounces the SYRIZA-ANEL government for showing tolerance towards the neo-Nazi criminals of Golden Dawn. It is characteristic that last December, MPs from SYRIZA and ANEL (Independent Greeks) had been photographed side by side with two Golden Dawn’s MPs in Kastelorizo island during a Parliament delegation’s visit.
The SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government, as well as the mechanisms of the bourgeois state, have been exposed for their hypocritical tolerance towards the neo-Nazi party of Golden Dawn – especially when the criminal character of Golden Dawn is known and proved. Let us remind our readers that Golden Dawn has been accused for numerous murderous attacks against immigrants and trade-unionists, while members of the neo-Nazi, fascist party bear direct responsibility for the murder of 34 years musician old Pavlos Fyssas in 2013.
* Kostas Peletidis (born 1953), head of the KKE-backed “People’s Rally” in the city of Patras, was elected Mayor after the May 2014 municipal elections, gaining 63.51% of the votes in the second round. Peletidis is a doctor by profession.


IN DEFENSE OF COMMUNISM ©.

http://houstoncommunistparty.com/solidarity-with-greek-communist-mayor-kostas-peletidis-fascism-shall-not-pass/

Halted on February 23 the trial of Mayor. Peletidi (VIDEO - PHOTO)


http://youtu.be/zL2o3gbqV8I

On February 23 stopped the trial of Patras mayor, Kostas Peletidi , prosecuted following complaint of the Golden Dawn and particularly after indictment of former MP Nazi arrangement for alleged misconduct.

Outbound court, K.. Peletidis, said: "We will continue our struggle. The issue is political and the defense of the city, opposite to racist messages. Patras is an area that will not ever act those who want to divide us and say that children are foreign and would not go in our schools, because it is not ours. We will defend our city from the crimes which are based on Nazi ideology that has this arrangement "( see video here ) .

The mayor, addressing the assembled outside the court, stated inter alia that "the Municipal Authority will continue its fight to not pass the ideology and propaganda of the Golden Dawn and the racist poison."

From early morning, numerous people gathered in front of City Hall, to support the racing K. Peletidi, demand to stop persecution and take in this direction the government initiatives and the corresponding state agencies.

It started with the employees of the municipality , which staged a work stoppage and concentration at 8 am outside the Town Hall, which shortly before 9 turned into a militant path.

Led by the mayor of Patras Kostas Peletidi , mayors Kessariani Elias Stamelos, Going Green, Michael Selleck and Petersburg, Vangelis Simos , the deputy mayors, the president of the City Council Patras Katerina Geropanagioti , municipal and departmental advisors, headed the Courts, which was concentrated crowd, expected by the mayor and slogans expressing its support. (Click here to view video highlights from the course and the Mayor's greeting outside the courts).

In a statement, just before the start of the trial the K. Peletidis noted that "today not tried the mayor of Patras, but the entire Patraikos people who do not want to have criminal, Nazi organizations whose operations have lived humanity. We also have experienced what it was like Nazi organization, the refugee and Kalavryta. The world is concentrated here today, he does it because he wants to defend human values, knocking racism and those opinions that poison the city's political life. " At the same time he added that he expects the court to do "his duty. Stand with the Greek, Patraikos people and stop the course of these dripping poison, divide and sully with their crimes, the life of our country. "

1 pm The trial was stopped for about an hour. In the statement, the first witness of the mayor defense Katerina Geropanagioti, president of the City Council, referred to the unanimous decision of the Council for not renting space and generally do not facilitate the Golden Dawn Action, the Municipality of Patras as it has to do with Nazi, criminal character of the organization. Asked the accused former Members of the Golden Dawn, whether the decision hurt the Golden Dawn during elections, he said that "Patras benefited the people."

Also, the mayor Kaisarianis Elias Stamelos depositing in favor of K. Peletidi argued that and city council Kessariani has taken such a decision stressing that "will not let contaminated water Kaisariani, which is soaked with the blood of 750 fighters, with the criminal ideology of the Golden Dawn. "

Pro K. Peletidi testified and the president of the Regional Council Anastasia Togiopoulou

Outside the courts, with slogans like "criminals because they are Nazis - Murder workers and activists" , workers from dozens of clubs, players, Student Associations expressed its sympathy to the mayor of Patras, condemning the prosecution policy, but also the Nazi criminal organization Golden Dawn.

In gathering attended delegation of the CC of KKE , headed by Nikos Sofianos member of the Political Bureau, and consisting of Karathanasopoulo Nikos MP and member of the CC and Tasia Tsatsoulis , member of the CC of the Party.

The streets in front and around the courts remained closed from the crowd, among which are the heads of municipal factions, Christos Patouchas Andreas Filias Nikos Tzanakos, Vivian sable and Theo Drina and councilors Urania Birba behalf municipal party rap and Theo Spanking, from the municipal faction "New City."

mayor of Patras witnesses mayors Kessariani Elias Stamelos, Going Green, Michael Selleck and Petersburg, Vangelis Simos, the president of the City Council Patras, Katerina Geropanagioti and the president of the Bar Association of Patras, Nikos ducklings.

Over the past few days a broad wave of sympathy manifested in agonist mayor. (Read more here).

Recall that the City Council unanimously Patras, in his last meeting, demanded to stop the persecution of the mayor and take in this direction similar initiatives by the government and relevant state agencies. The text of the decision of the City Council gathered thousands of citizens' signatures in support of the mayor, Kostas Peletidi while dozens of communications and solidarity resolutions arrived in the municipality.

In solidarity, today, work attitude also made by the Association of Workers DEYAP and the Association of Teachers of Patras.

http://www.902.gr/eidisi/politiki/121638/sygkentrosi-symparastasis-sto-dimarho-k-peletidi-foto

Google Translator

Slideshow at link.

Such solidarity is hard to imagine in this country but the Greeks refuse to be crushed.

Greece's farmers converge in Athens to protest against government-EU policies

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After 22 days in road blockades, small farmers are going to give a powerful response to the provocative intransigence of the government which has ignored their rightful demands.

After a decision by the national committee coordinating the farmers’ protests, a large rally is scheduled to take place in Athens today as a way of pressure towards the government. Already, since the early hours of Tuesday, thousands of workers with their tractors and pick-up tracks, from all over Greece, began their route towards the Greek capital.

Vangelis Boutas, member of the national committee of the protesting farmers, has called the people of Athens to show solidarity with the rightful struggle of the small farmers and join the rally. Statements which call for participation in the rally have been issued by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME), the Panhellenic Antimonopolist Rally of the self-employed workers (PASEVE), the Federation of Greek Women (OGE) and other workers' unions and associations.

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas is expected to attend the farmers' rally.

Meanwhile, civil servants’ union ADEDY has called for a work stoppage between 12.30 p.m. and the end of the shift tomorrow so that public sector workers can join the farmers’ rally in Athens on the same day.

The rally of the farmers has been scheduled to take place at Vathis Square, at 13:00 local time.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/02/greeces-farmers-converge-in-athens-to.html

Solidarity does not just happen, it is forged.

Mass and militant rural Rally (VIDEO - PHOTO)


http://youtu.be/PG3ncm6aoP4

With massive, combative concentration in the Constitution completed the afternoon Tuesday, February 14 the nationwide rural rally in Athens organized by the Panhellenic Committee of blocks and attended by trade unions express solidarity and sympathy on their just struggle of small farmers and breeders.

Representation of the Panhellenic Committee of blocks visited Parliament resolution depositing with the demands of the political parties, except the Golden Dawn. As stated immediately after Vangelis Bhutan, Thursday, February 16 will be the general assemblies at all checkpoints in order to define further steps. However, whether they decide to continue the roadblocks or choose other forms of struggle, called on small and medium sized farmers and stockbreeders in mass participation in the demonstrations of PAME Tuesday, February 21.

Earlier the mass, combative march started from the square of Vathi, where speeches and greetings were made, and came to the Constitution with the slogans of vibrating air, such as "Now walk after the tractor, if not justified will be Kileler '. "One way we have a choice, organization everywhere to overthrow."

This followed the concentration in Vathi square in which trade unions massively welcomed with slogans like "workers, peasants, a voice and a fist 'small and medium- sized farmers and breeders from Monday, with ships from Crete and aximerota today from various parts of the country , drafted arrived in Athens to participate in the nationwide rural rally organized by the Panhellenic Committee of blocks.

http://www.902.gr/eidisi/agrotes/121780/maziko-kai-mahitiko-agrotiko-syllalitirio

google Translator

slide sho at link

PAME strongly denounces ETUC for attempting to exploit class Trade Union movement

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Snapshot from the article on "equaltimes.org"
where the altered photo from PAME's rally was used (click to enlarge).

Source: All-Workers Militant Front (PAME).

In article for Greece, published in its e-magazine, ETUC attempts to take credit for the struggles of the Greek, Class Oriented, trade union movement, by using photo from demonstration of PAME!!!

The ETUC, this notorious part of ITUC in Europe, which acts as the right hand of the employers and the European Union, has played an extremely dirty role in the imposition of the memoranda and the antiworkers’ policies of the EU in Greece, raised the level of its lies and hypocrisy.

Though the ETUC has 2 affiliate unions in Greece (GSEE and ADEDY), which have co-signed the wage cuts and attack on workers’ rights in Greece, the ETUC attempts to falsely take credit for the great struggles of the Greek workers, in which has played vanguard role the class oriented trade union movement of Greece, PAME, WFTU affiliate, and opposition to the ETUC’s aims.

Specifically, in article of ETUC, dated February 16, 2017, in its e-magazine, Equaltimes, under the title Greek workers face ever more precariousness, (https://www.equaltimes.org/greek-workers-face-ever-more#.WKa-ptJ97cd ), the article has as main photo, picture from a demonstration of unions of PAME, from which (by accident or on purpose) flags of PAME have been distorted. In addition, in the specific demonstration, which ETUC attempts to take credit for, main speaker was also the General Secretary of the WFTU!

This article is used by the ETUC, copied by the French newspaper Le Monde, where it was published under a different photo. That means, that the ETUC, copied and article, with statements of its affiliate in Greece, GSEE, in which the ETUC added a photo from a demonstration of PAME! This a clear attempt of ETUC, to falsely take credit for the struggles of the class trade unions!

The role of GSEE-ADEDY in Greece, as generally the role of the ETUC affiliates in Europe, has lead the trade unions in disrepute, demassification, rottenness, and removal from working masses. It is example of this, the fact that in the last General Strike in Greece (December 8), the GSEE tried to bring workers from all over Greece, in Athens, so as to be able to hold a Strike Demonstration. A plan, which failed, because no matted the effort and money spent, they only managed to gather a few hundred people.
The same date, PAME, the unions, the Federations and Labour Centres that rally with PAME, held Strike Demonstrations all over Greece, with the participations of dozens of thousands of workers. Only in the Athens region (Attica), on December 8, PAME held 4 different Strike Demonstrations in Athens center, in Piraeus, Lavrio and Elefsina, with participation that was much larger than that of the one gathering of GSEE.

This nakedness, this degeneration, ETUC attempts to hide and name itself militant, by using photos (altered) from demonstrations of PAME.
The ETUC is a mechanism of imperialism, servant of the EU and the monopolies. It is proud for being anti communist and for supporting imperialist interventions and many other “successes” against the workers and the peoples.

In Greece the ETUC supported the imposition of the anti-workers policies and memoranda, specifically in the 2015 Referendum, when it called the workers to vote in favor of the anti-workers’ measures, the same measures that today the ETUC is supposedly condemning.

PAME, since its foundation, is affiliated with the WFTU, part of the international class trade union movement. Its forces, the class trade unions, are in the first line of struggle against the antiworkers’ policies, against the EU, NATO and the imperialist interventions and wars.

The false attempt of ETUC’s forces, to take credit for the struggles of the class unions is not new. But, it is provocation to name themselves fighters, those, who openly are scabs, undermine the strikes and the struggles, those who cultivate disappointment, fatalism and defeatism to the workers.
PAME, the struggles of the workers of Greece, have no relation with the dirty mechanisms of ETUC. The honored flags of PAME have no place in the webpages and the media of the imperialists and their servants. But lies and hypocrisy, is second nature for them.

We call the working class of Greece and Europe to isolate these forces, to strengthen the struggle to reveal their dirty role.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/02/pame-strongly-denounces-etuc-for.html

We call the working class of Greece and Europe to isolate these forces, to strengthen the struggle to reveal their dirty role.

It never fucking ends. These parasites never sleep, never stop, always acting against working class interests. Can't wait for the axes to start falling.

Greek gov’t in damage control mode after Brussels

http://www.ekathimerini.com/resources/2017-02/tsipras_waits_web-thumb-large.jpg

After the government backed down on its vow not to take new measures at Monday’s Eurogroup, its number one priority now is damage control.

In the runup to Monday’s meeting of eurozone finance ministers, Athens had insisted it had drawn its “red lines,” but it left Brussels having promised its EU partners that it will legislate measures after the current bailout program expires in 2018, in exchange for the return of technical experts to Athens in the bid to conclude the second review of the country’s third bailout.

Faced with the challenge of explaining its turnaround and agreement to take new measures to an increasingly disillusioned electorate and lawmakers of ruling SYRIZA and Independent Greeks (ANEL), the government is using the term “neutral fiscal balance” in an attempt to sweeten the pill.

According to government sources, the term essentially means that for every euro saved from the new measures, there will be equivalent reductions in value-added, corporate or property taxes.

In other words, the government’s narrative is that even though new measures will be implemented, these will be neutral as their burden will be canceled out by tax relief.

Senior government officials were also busy laying the groundwork last week, saying that the government may have to accept new measures “for the good of the country” as the protracted negotiations to conclude the review were having a negative impact on the prospects of the country’s economic recovery.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/216364/article/ekathimerini/news/greek-govt-in-damage-control-mode-after-brussels

Massive rallies in Greece: Thousands of people demonstrated against government-EU policies

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With militant rallies in Athens, Thessaloniki and other Greek cities, thousands of workers, pensioners and young people gave their powerful response to the antipeople policies of the SYRIZA-ANEL government and the EU.

Headed by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME), numerous trade unions from the public and private sector, mass organizations, people's committees, self-employed associations, the Federation of Greek Women, the Students' Struggle Front, student unions expressed their their determination to fight against the new measures which come as a result of the so-called Eurogroup's "evaluation" and which will be added to those which have led the country's working class to poverty and misery.

"We are not going to compromise. We are not going to step down. We will not accept all these measures that the government brings now with the evaluation" said Giorgos Perros, member of PAME's Executive Committee, during his speech at Omonia square.

The demonstration in Athens was attended by the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas who made the following statement to the Press:

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eOb_WdskZNg/WKzFFd_xXYI/AAAAAAAACWY/q5D8vUZEl74G8XQFiG8JBnjGpHyJxITQwCLcB/s400/Koutsoumbas%2BPAME%2BRally%2BAthens.jpg
KKE GS Dimitris Koutsoumbas talking to journalists.

"While the government writes, directs and plays in this new episode of Greek people's deception, we are here, in the struggle, by the side of the working class and the peoples' movement in order to shout that this is enough, our people can't stand any more measures against their income, against their own life and the lives of their children. Here lies the hope, in the struggle, along with the KKE for the opening of better road for us, for our children, for the Greek people as a whole".

Militant rallies took place also in Thessaloniki and other major cities.

PHOTOS (Source: 902.gr)

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In Thessaloniki

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https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/02/massive-rallies-in-greece-thousands-of.html

Antifascist victory in Greece! Communist Mayor Peletidis acquitted of all charges by court

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Not guilty! The KKE-backed Mayor of the city of Patras Kostas Peletidis was acquitted of all charges by Patra's magistrate court earlier today. The public prosecutor's proposal was also "not guilty". The decision of the court consists a victory not only for Mayor Peletidis himself, but primarily for the popular antifascist movement in Greece against the neo-Nazi criminal organisation of Golden Dawn.

Peletidis had been charged with "breach of duty" by the Ministry of Justice's Public Administration Body of Inspectors, because during the 2015 parliamentary elections he refused to provide municipal space for the gatherings of the fascist criminals of Golden Dawn. Furthermore, the mayor refused to provide information to Golden Dawn's MPs about the number of migrant children attending Patras' municipal kindergartens.

After the court's decision, the Mayor made the following public statement: "The Mayor and the City Council continue to support with consistency the interests of the people. We will continue to do our duty, in refusing to facilitate the activity of Golden Dawn and her nazi ideology from which her criminal character is derived".

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/02/antifascist-victory-in-greece-communist.html

Peletidis had been charged with "breach of duty" by the Ministry of Justice's Public Administration Body of Inspectors, because during the 2015 parliamentary elections he refused to provide municipal space for the gatherings of the fascist criminals of Golden Dawn. Furthermore, the mayor refused to provide information to Golden Dawn's MPs about the number of migrant children attending Patras' municipal kindergartens.

After the court's decision, the Mayor made the following public statement: "The Mayor and the City Council continue to support with consistency the interests of the people. We will continue to do our duty, in refusing to facilitate the activity of Golden Dawn and her nazi ideology from which her criminal character is derived".

This is how you fucking "punch Nazis", under current conditions. This is real, slapping some politically incorrect, right-wing douche in the street may be gratifying, but THIS is the struggle. Standing up to Nazis who have political power, spitting in their faces in public and taking the consequences. This mayor is an example to all the working class.

Metalworkers’ Strike on March 1st for Collective Contracts
on 24 February 2017. Posted in Press Releases
The employers of the Metal Sector, the last years, have been using the crisis to avoid any discussion for Collective Contracts. They use the poverty and unemployment to abolish any rights we had achieved.

In these tactics they have as ally the Greek Government, which reformed working relations legislation on Collective Contracts, leaving workers without any legal protection against the employers. Today the Greek Government of SYRIZA comes to worsen the situation for the workers by imposing the so called “best European Practices”, claiming falsely, that this will be positive development for the workers. But our unions have experience of such lies and illusions of the Government, of the tactics and maneuvers of the employers.

Against these developments our unions in metal, shipyards and woodworkers are organizing their struggle. With massive meetings of the workers, general assemblies in the workplaces, work stoppages, we move forward with the fight for the signing of Collective Contracts.

In this direction, the metalworkers in the shipyards, with the Unions of Metalworkers of Athens, of Shipyards of Greece and Shipyards Woodoworkers organize Strike on March 1st demanding

Signing of Collective Contracts by reinstating the last Collective Agreement signed on 2009-2010

The Agreement to be submitted to the Government, which must impose this Agreement as mandatory for the whole sector in Greece

https://www.pamehellas.gr/index.php/en/homepage/92-press-releases/7673-metalworkers

Communists in Greece and Turkey denounce nationalist "cockfights" over the Aegean

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Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos and Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu
have been engaged in a warfare of nationalist and provocative statements over the Aegean.

Ankara and Athens resurrect old nationalist tension, writes soL international:

"Greece will do everything to prevent Turkey from getting to its territory", Greek Minister of National Defense Panos Kammenos said Sunday, adding that Greece is ready to rebuff Ankara in a case of any provocation. After his statement, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu called the Greek minister "a spoiled child".

Both Greece’s nationalist defence minister, head of the right-wing Eurosceptical Independent Greeks party, and Turkish government aim to incite sensibilities of their nationalist grassroots.

Earlier this week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that if the Turks wanted to get to the disputed Kardak islets, known as Imia in Greece and located in the Aegean Sea between the Greek island chain of the Dodecanese and the southwestern mainland coast of Turkey, they would have done this.

"It will never happen that they [the Turks] set foot on the Greek islands. We will prevent it from happening. If they do it, let's see how they will escape ... Any provocation will face counteraction," Kammenos said in an interview with the Skai TV channel.

A row over their sovereignty islets flared in January 1996, when the two countries sent marines to two neighbouring islands in a sign of an imminent armed confrontation.

The tensions around the islands renewed in January, following Greek refusal to extradite to Turkey eight servicemen, accused of involvement in the July 15, 2016 failed coup attempt, over concerns that they would not face a fair trial at home. The eight fled to Greece by military helicopter on the night of the putsch, which Turkey says was masterminded by the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen.

After Kammenos' remarks, speaking to reporters in Turkey’s Mediterranean province of Antalya, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoglu accused Kammenos of using “provocative rhetoric”.

“We do not need a show of strength. They are the ones who know best what a Turkish soldier can do when appropriate. The government knows it best. Let them tell it to that spoiled child precisely. They should not try our patience,” Çavuşoğlu said.

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) speak to Turkey's citizens, seeking to unite Turkish ultranationalists on the verge of the upcoming referendum. Turks are expected to vote in April in a potentially tight referendum on giving President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan extra powers. With approximately two months before Turks vote on a critical referendum to enhance presidential powers, this renewed dispute is fuelling nationalistic sentiment inside Turkey. Nationalist rhetoric traditionally escalates in Turkey ahead of elections.

The uninhabited rocky specks, Imia in Greek and Kardak in Turkish, are a historic flare point in a long-running demarcation dispute.

* * *
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A few weeks ago, the Communist Parties of Greece (KKE) and Turkey (TKP) issued statements in which they denounce the nationalist plans of the bourgeois classes of the two countries.

You can read here the statement by the Press Office of the CC of the KKE.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/01/kke-greek-and-turkish-workers-must.html

From its side, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) stated the following:

A few days ago, probably as a reprisal to the rejection of a request for the extraction of eight Turkish soldiers who had appealed to the Greek government for asylum after the 15 July coup attempt, Turkey’s Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar and army commanders visited Imia/Kardak Rocks with a military boat. Right after that, Greek Minister of Defense Panos Kammenos visited Imia/Kardak by air.
We know that the bourgeoisie of both countries try to take the attention of working people to Turkish/Greek tension and provoke issues whenever they have hard time within their countries. In addition, the bourgeoisie of both countries cultivate expansionist tendencies when appropriate. The membership of Turkey and Greece to NATO and their relation to the tactics of imperialism over the Aegean Sea do not pose an obstacle against those nationalist provocation.
However, the working class of Turkey and Greece is determined to fail this game and turn the Aegean Sea into a fraternity and collaboration sea by cleansing it from imperialist powers under socialist rule.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/02/communists-in-greece-and-turkey.html

You see this and see the difference between the social democrats, who would adhere to their national bourgeois, and the communists who are part of the workers of the world.

However, the working class of Turkey and Greece is determined to fail this game and turn the Aegean Sea into a fraternity and collaboration sea by cleansing it from imperialist powers under socialist rule.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017...nd-turkey.html

You see this and see the difference between the social democrats, who would adhere to their national bourgeois, and the communists who are part of the workers of the world.

The difference could not be clearer. Social Democrats adhere to the bourgeois line in all things. They advocate this, that, and the other thing and then accepts meekly whatever the ruling class decides. If the ruling class wants to ramp up cold war with Russia or China or, hell, any country, the SD falls right into line and vows undying patriotism - because "it's the right thing to do!"

To hear or read what actual communists say is like fresh air in a stale room.

The youth in Greece discusses widely for the 20th Congress of the KKE
13 March 2017

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The Organizations of Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) all over Greece are developing every day political activities and presentations for the Theses of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) on the 20th Congress of the Party, at the workplaces and places of studies of the youth.

Within that Framework, KNE organizes on a daily basis acts and also participates to acts of the Party for the presentation and discussion on the Theses of the CC for the 20th Congress, which are presented by members of the CC of the KKE and cadres of KNE. The acts are followed by rich and vivid discussions which mainly are focused on the complex developmens in a national and global level, the stance of the KKE, the tasks of the members and friends of the Party and of KNE in these conditions, their contribution to the struggle.

http://int.kne.gr/index.php/press/271-the-youth-in-greece-discusses-widely-for-the-20th-congress-of-the-kke

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School student mobilizations

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The school students of Attica are carrying out mobilizations with as their main demand that the decision to abolish repeat exams not to be implemented, struggling at the same time for solutions to the problems that exist in the schools.
"We struggle concerning all the problems that we and our parents are facing. We struggle concerning the shortages in our schools, the obstacles we encounter in order to finish school, the problems our parents face who are paying more in taxes, more for our education."
We stand against the SYRIZA-ANEL government, which is making our school even worse, with the "blessings" of the EU", notes the Coordinating Committee of School Students of Athens in its call.

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http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/School-student-mobilizations-00003/

Trial of the 35 cadres of PAME

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The All-workers Militant Front (PAME) denounces the reference of 35 of its cadres to a new trial for the mobilization organized on the 30th of January 2013 by class-oriented federations and trade unions at the Ministry of Labour to protest against the provocative statements of the then Minister of Labour G. Vroutsis that "the social-security system was built on the basis of clientelist relationships”.
The statement mentions that:
"On the 16th of March, the "independent" judiciary is again dragging the 25 cadres of PAME to trial, presidents and members of the executives of dozens of trade union organizations, who after repeated postponements were found innocent, as all the charges against them made by the previous ND government and the then Minister of Labour G.Vroutsis were refuted, because they attempted to carry out a protest in his office.
The fabricated indictment which is being resuscitated is related to the mobilization organized on 30/2/2013 by class-oriented federations and trade unions at the Ministry of Labour to protest against the provocative statements of the then Minister of Labour G.Vroutsis that "the social-security system was built on the basis of clientelist relationships”.
The previous government attempted to set up a provocation, accusing the trade unionists of causing damage to the office of the Minister of Labour. The published photographs and the witnesses exposed the provocation and the indictment collapsed, leading to the exoneration of all the accused.
In light of the new demands of the business groups and the negotiations to complete a new agreement between the SYRIZA-ANEL government and the institutions, there is an attempt to under way to impose a deathly silence in the sectors and workplaces. In any case, amongst the new anti-people measures, a basic aspect of the new agreement is the attack on trade union rights and the freedoms of workers, the right to strike. With the rerun of a trial-parody, they want to send a message, to intimidate the workers, to pave the way for the new offensive.
We call on the trade unions to express their mass denunciation of the new attempts to criminalize trade union activity. They must intensify their activity to widely inform and prepare the workers in light of the developments, to organize a strike response to the new measures."
The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) expresses its solidarity with PAME and "demands that the Greek government finally put an end to the criminal prosecution of the 35 trade unionists".

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Trial-of-the-35-cadres-of-PAME/

"Enough! It's time for uprising" - KKE calls for people's struggle against new measures

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"Another agreement - Another looting. Enough is enough! It's time for an uprising!". With this slogan the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) organises a broad campaign within the country's working people thus calling them to organize their struggle against the new pack of measures that the SYRIZA-ANEL government is negotiating with the creditors.

A KKE pamphlet writes among other things (translation from Greek):

"A WALL OF PEOPLE'S RESISTANCE AND COUNTER-ATTACK must be built against the new package of measures that the SYRIZA-ANEL government is negotiating with the EU and the IMF.

The new agreement will escalate the attack against the working people, the self-employed people, the pensioners, against all people.

It brings new overthrows in workers' rights, new cuts in pensions, new attack on the people's income through tax-robbery. It prepares the antipeople framework for the post-2018 period.
[...]

No more waiting - No tolerance to the new mockery of "counter-measures" and "fair development".

The latest data confirm that the recovery of the Greek economy will be tortuous, uncertain, in the background also of the international developments.

Even if a development takes place, it will be for the profits of the few. Austerity will not end for the people.

The fights between the government, the New Democracy and the other parties are not taking place for the people's interests.

Behind their fights for the "show" lies the real reason for the confrontation: Who is more capable to pass the "reforms" that the capital asks for. On this task they are giving exams."

The KKE pamphlet also writes:

"The working-peoples movement, in Greece and Europe, can utilize the rifts and the contradictions in the imperialist alliances in order to weaken them. It (the movement) must connect the struggle for the disengagement from the EU with the struggle for the overthrow of capital's power which, as long as it exists, will lead to such reactionary antipeople alliances". [...]

"Greece must get OUT of the imperialist plans and wars". It is needed to strengthen the struggle for:

- The disengagement of Greece from the imperialist coalitions, NATO and the EU.
- No participation of the country in missions abroad.
- Closure of the foreign bases in Greece- NATO out of the Aegean".

[...]

The pamphlet of the KKE concludes with the following:

"There is no other way to repel the attack on the working-people's rights, to assert the replenishment of the losses, for an elementary satisfaction of the contemporary needs.

This is the way to prepare the new confrontations, the new victorious struggles.

Having as an aim the real power of the people, the only one which can satisfy their contemporary needs, according to the scientific and technological achievements and the capabilities of the country. To delete the debt, to disengage Greece from the imperialist alliances".

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/03/enough-its-time-for-uprising-kke-calls.html

The intervention of KNE at the 13th Meeting of European Communist Youth Organizations

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Below is the full text of the intervention of the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) at the 13th Meeting of European Communist Youth Organizations which was held in Istanbul, Turkey on 24-26 February 2017.

Dear comrades,

We greet all the organizations participating in the 13th Meeting of European Communist Youth Organizations. We would especially like to thank our comrades from the Communist Youth of Turkey that gave their best to host this meeting, under the difficult conditions in which they fight in their country.

The Meetings of the European CYOs are of a great importance, since they contribute each year to the exchange of experience from the action in our countries, and the substantial discussion among our organizations. They can contribute further on to the reinforcement of the coordination of our struggle, through cooperation and expression of solidarity in a bilateral and multilateral level, through common acts and announcements, ideological seminars, initiatives and forms of cooperation that life constantly brings before us.

Our goal is:

-To reinforce the common struggle in our countries, against the exploitative system, the EU, the parties of the capital and their governments.

-To take a step forward in the exchange of experience that can help us take with our side more class conscious youngsters in our countries, who will fight within the ranks of our organizations, and also to reinforce the workers' movement in our countries with a mass introduction of young age forces.

-For the Communist Youths to discuss how we are going to become even more stronger ideologically, politically, organizationally, thus contributing to the effort of the regroupment and reinforcement of the Communist Movement, with a revolutionary strategy, discussing openly and comradely all the critical issues,ncluding the differences that exist in our analyses.

-To continuously cultivate as a distinguishing characteristic of our members the proletarian internationalism, the education with the principles of Marxism – Leninism, thus, shaping the future members and cadres of the CPs with the values of class solidarity, love for the working class and the solid knowledge for its historical role, i.e. the conquest of the political power. By cultivating as a consciousness the struggle for the overthrow the bourgeois power, the power of the exploiters of the peoples, in addition to the knowledge of how the capitalist system works, and the reason why it is historically outdated and the source of all contemporary problems of the working class and youth.

The European meetings of the CYOs from the beginning of 2000 when they started, and travelling since then all around Europe, they have proven that they are a space for discussion and rich exchange of experience for the crucial matters of our action, refuting each year those who fight against them. The fact that they continue on a rise today, as it was shown in the most recent meetings in Madrid, Frankfurt and Rome, fills us with optimism for the continuation.

Especially, this year, we have a great weapon that we must utilize: that is the lessons from the Great October Socialist Revolution of 1917 in Russia. October has proved the possibility and capability of the working class to carry out its historical mission as the only class that is truly revolutionary, to lead the construction of socialism - communism.

Today, despite the counter-revolutionary overthrows of the period 1989-91, after which of course many of our members were born or raised, we are even more sure and absolute for the timeliness and the necessity of socialism - communism. The aim of our struggle, our belief that it can become a reality, is what has always set the communists apart from those who speak of “struggles in general” and manage the barbarity of capitalism, it distinguishes us from the marsh of social-democracy and opportunism, but also from those who use the title of the “communist party”, but in practice are turning towards the marsh - if we would like to remember Lenin’s words in “What is to be done putting the blame on the struggle for socialism-communism, accusing it as sectarian.

The objective of our struggle, that is socialism-communism, which is necessary and timely today, reinforces us with strength in our fight against the bourgeois classes that cast the ghost of communism out by also adopting anti-communist measures such as in Poland, Turkey, Serbia, Germany (we are referring only to last year) where they prosecute the communists.

The counter-revolutionary overthrows do not change the character of our era, which expresses the necessity of the passage from capitalism to Socialism. The 21st century will be the century of a new rise of the worldwide revolutionary movement and of a new series of socialist revolutions.

Everyday struggles for individual and overall achievements are indisputably necessary. However, they cannot give significant, long-term and permanent solutions. The only way-out is still the society which is going to satisfy the expanding popular needs and shall abolish exploitation of man by man.

The necessity of socialism emerges from the very sharpening of the contradictions of the contemporary capitalist world, the international imperialist system. The material preconditions for socialism have matured within the framework of capitalism.

Capitalism has socialized labour and production in an unprecedented scale. The working class, the main productive force, constitutes the majority of the economically active population. However, the means of production, the products of social labour, constitute private, capitalist property.

This contradiction is the matrix of all crisis phenomena in the contemporary capitalist societies, such as the economic crises, the big amount of daily working hours despite the great increase of labour productivity, which of course coexists with unemployment, underemployment, the intensification of exploitation, as well as other problems that concern the life of the youth (access to culture and sports), the attempt to exterminate youth with drugs etc.

At the same time, however, that same fact signifies the necessity of the abolition of capitalist ownership of the concentrated means of production, their socialization and their planned use in social production, the planning of the economy by the workers' power, with the aim of popular prosperity.

The KKE has highlighted these issues, it studies them further, it has imprinted them in its documents such as in the Resolution of the 18th Congress of the KKE for the causes of the overthrow of socialism, it pursues to discuss them within the working class and the poor popular strata, but also within the framework of the International Communist Movement. KNE, having as a weapon these positions of the Party, conducts inside the youth, an ideological-political struggle with the bourgeois and opportunist forces, with the ruling ideology, which the bourgeois educational system produces and reproduces. For example, the 3 brochures of the CC of KNE “Truths and Lies about Socialism”, which you too received a few months ago in English, have been distributed in tenths of thousands of copies, and they truly open ways for the intervention of KNE in schools, universities, workplaces, opening the discussion for socialism, answering rational questions that the young people have today in our countries on how the society for which we fight will be.

Comrades,

The CC of the KKE has declared as a five years goal towards the completion of 100 years of revolutionary life and action of our Party and the 50 years of KNE in 2018, the dissemination of our Program, the unveiling of the decay and the contemporary barbarity of capitalism upon the working class and the popular forces, especially the young men and women. As a special goal, it has declared the ideological - political and organizational strengthening of the KKE and KNE, as a party of the revolutionary overthrow.

These days in Greece, the members and friends of KNE are preparing for the 20th Congress of the KKE that will take place in approximately one month. The theses of the CC of the KKE give emphasis on the international developments and the developments in our region, they analyze the contradictions that penetrate the imperialist system. It’s main content is the: “The comprehensive strengthening of the KKE for the task of regrouping the labour movement and developing the social alliance in an anticapitalist-anti-monopoly direction, in the struggle against imperialist war, for workers' power.”

In this process, a public discussion has started with the open participation of members of the KKE and KNE and fighters with whom we join hands, in a wider range with anyone who values the role of the KKE in the movement.

In the Theses that have been published by the CC of the KKE and constitute the basis of the discussion, stands out the sharpening of the inter-imperialist antagonisms, the increase of local and regional conflicts and the dangers of a more generalized imperialist war.

By Studying the developments of the recent years the following issues are noted:

 The international capitalist economy shows signs of slowdown, capitalist recovery struggles to gain high level of growth rate. None of the powerful capitalist centres can play the role of the steam engine of capitalism.

 In these years tendencies of in the correlation of forces amongst the powerful capitalist centres with a basic feature the strengthening of China in relation to the US, which however remains the most powerful economic and military capitalist force.

 On this basis the contradictions and antagonisms are sharpening amongst the USA, Russia, China, the EU, while more intense problems of cohesion can be seen inside the EU and the Eurozone.

 With these facts, the possibility of a sudden sharpening of the contradictions is reinforced, the possibility of more generalized imperialist conflicts in the region of Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East (Syria - Iraq, the Aegean, North Africa, the Black Sea, etc), in Europe (Ukraine - Baltic), in Asia (S/E China Sea), the Arctic.

Especially concerning Greece the following are noted:

 The possibility of entering the next period to a weak capitalist recovery that will be supported on crushing the workers'- people's rights. A recovery that will not bring a retrieval of the losses that the working-popular strata suffered during the period of the crisis, it will not bring a drastic decrease of unemployment, while the terms of entering labour for the next generation will keep deteriorating, by widening the flexible labour relations, the work with no rights, with a very small income. We also stress out that this course of recovery will be precarious because of the general international economic and political developments.

 The pursue of the Greek bourgeois class of a geostrategic upgrade of the country as an energy and trade hub, as well as the restoration of its status in the wider region of the South-Eastern Mediterranean Sea which has suffered during the period of crisis.


The sharpening of the contradictions between the bourgeois class of Greece and Turkey in the font of the wider imperialist antagonisms and contradictions in the region and the danger of a military engagement between the two states.

Our Party facing these developments and the probability of an imperialist war with the direct involvement of Greece in it, it has stated a position that in our opinion has an international importance and deserves to be studied by communists of other countries. This position studies the experience of preceded imperialist wars, and of course the experience of the Bolsheviks' Party on the stance against war, the excruciating work of preparation for the revolution, the utilization of the inter-imperialist antagonisms in its favour. Especially this year, marking the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution, it is worth studying once more this experience. We remind that Lenin and the Bolshevik party intensely conflicted with the section of social-democracy, which, violating the decisions of the 2nd International, supported the bourgeois class of their countries, by sometimes voting the war credits in the parliaments, or participating in the governments that conducted the wars, supposedly for a “peaceful development”, defending the “imperialist peace” holding the gun to the peoples’ head. A line that inevitably pushed them deeper inside the imperialist war, the sharpening of the contradictions and antagonisms of the imperialist states and their alliances.

Lenin with the strategic line that he followed, specified that, from the standpoint of the revolutionary movement of the working class aiming at revolution and the conquest of the workers' power, the issue is not a simple “pacifist” opposition to war, but mostly the utilization of the rifts that will be objectively created in this conditions inside the imperialist camp, the utilization of the weakening of the bourgeois class of each country with the purpose of transforming the imperialist war of each country to a struggle for the complete overthrow of the power of the bourgeois class that brings killings and poverty for the children of the working class, the peoples of each country.

In the Theses of the CC of the KKE for the 20th Congress is noted that:

"A decisive issue for the implementation of the revolutionary strategy is the relationship between the imperialist war and the destabilization of the bourgeois power in all its forms. The deepening of the economic crisis and the possible escalation of the inter-imperialist contradictions in military conflicts or even in a generalized imperialist war can create such destabilization conditions for the bourgeois power, both in Greece as well as in other countries in the region.

In the case of Greece's military engagement in an imperialist war and in imperialist interventions, the Party – defending the interests of the working class and the Greek people- must lead the organisation of the working-peoples struggle in order to disengage Greece from the imperialist war. That requires not only the defeat of the any possible imperialist invader- whether it is a temporary “ally” or a temporary “rival” of the country's bourgeoisie- but the total defeat of the local bourgeois class itself. This is the only way for the passage of power to the working class and the exit from capitalist barbarity which, as long as it prevails and decays, will bring either war or imperialist “peace” with the gun held to the peoples' head.

In case of such a war, the Central Committee, with the corresponding readiness, must evaluate step by step the course of the imperialist war in order to intervene promptly and accurately, thus preparing the working class-people's forces. There may be a long period of the country's participation in an imperialist war, without the outbreak of a revolutionary situation, especially in case of invasion-occupation. Special effort is certainly needed in a non-revolutionary situation for the successful creation of the conditions which are required for the defeat of the domestic and foreign bourgeoisie. It is a job which has specific difficulties that cannot be solved simply with some general slogans about the condemnation or exit from the imperialist war, but includes multifaceted issues which the political vanguard must continuously study.

Overall, the maturity of the subjective factor in revolutionary conditions is also determined by today's work: By the ideological-political maturation, the assimilation of the Party's Programme, the ability to act in all kinds of circumstances, but also by the education of working class-popular masses in the framework of the activity in an anticapitalist-antimonopoly direction in today's conditions. "

The main issue that we are going to encounter ideologically, but also as a life stance, especially the young communists, is the revolutionary work in non-revolutionary conditions, the non-integration to the relatively “legal”, “peaceful” period, something that the International Communist Movement has paid a lot of times and still does. The maturity of the subjective factor in revolutionary conditions depends also on our work today, on our capability to educate workers’- popular masses in action in an anti-capitalist – anti-monopoly direction. This is applicable even more in conditions when everything seems still, or moving very slowly towards the aim of the workers’ - people’s counter-attack or even when they retreat.

From this point of view, it is very important to reinforce the discussion on the causes of the imperialist wars through acts, interventions, articles on a daily basis is very important. And also, to reinforce the struggle against the presence of NATO bases located in our county, as well as of the EU Commands, by claiming their closure. The demand for the return of all Greek troops that are abroad, not having even a single soldier outside the borders. To reinforce the struggle in order for the NATO naval force to leave from the Aegean Sea.

We, communists oppose to the various warmonger and nationalist cries, to the creation of any climate of hostility between one people and another. Our peoples do not have any interest in their alignment behind the aim of capitalist development, independently of the means of its achievement. We also oppose to the trap of bourgeois cosmopolitanism of capital. We lay out a line of struggle that does not detach the defense of the borders and the sovereignty rights from the struggle for the overthrow of the power of capital in each country.

Dear comrades,

We seek all of the above to constitute an integral part of the daily work of KNE, which gives important fights in the workplaces, in the vocational training places, in universities and schools in order to win the section of the youth that has an objective interest against the system of exploitation with the political proposal of the KKE. November and December were months of great militant mobilizations and rallies of young workers, unemployed, university and school students all around Greece, with literally tenths of thousands of young people participating in them. The highest peak was the great worker’s strike on December 8th, thus giving an answer to the bourgeois class of the country, the government and its international “partners”. Just 3 days ago, rallies took place in cities of Greece against the new anti-people’s measures of the government.

The forces of KNE led the organization of the fight, against the anti-popular policy, authoritarianism and the propaganda of the coalition government of SYRIZA (opportunist party that transformed rapidly into a social-democratic party) with ANEL (a bourgeois nationalist party). And also against the terrorism of school directors and employers at workplaces. It is a typical example that at the same period the government put pupils on trial for their participation in previous mobilizations, with the most distinctive being the arrest of a university student, member of KNE, who was talking to pupils outside a school and her prosecution according to an article that was embodied in the Penal Code the years that followed the civil war and relates to political repression.

Against the dissolution and degeneration of the university students’ movement that the groupings of the bourgeois and opportunist parties conserve and reproduce, us communists give the fight daily for the revival, the functioning and action- first of all the militant orientation- of the students’ unions. The Students’ Militant Front (MAS), the militant pole of rally of students, councils, unions, which was created on the initiative of KNE has a stable and recognizable action of nationwide range. The grouping of KNE in the universities emerged as a second force with a percentage a little higher than 20%.

We give all our powers so that the steps that were counted in the worker’s movement are stabilized, in order to augment the part of the youth that firmly stands militantly by the side of its natural ally, the working class.

In light of the strike of last December we collided in the workplaces with the employers. We confronted decisively the employers’ threats and the fear cultivated by the repression mechanisms, we fought inside the organizations of the movement, in order to organize general assemblies, tours and discussions with hundreds of people in the workplaces in big sectors. Many young people took the step to come for the first time to the general assembly of their trade union, to participate to a trade union committee in their workplace, to be recruited in their union. There were thousands of young people who went on strike and took part in the rallies of the class-oriented trade-union movement in our country, which is expressed through the All-workers Militant Front (PAME). The initiative of trade-union organizations to submit their own Draft Law for the Collective Labour Agreements according to the criteria of the contemporary needs of the working class had preceded. This initiative was supported by more than 500 trade-union organizations all around Greece.

For a few days now, the small farmers have formed roadblocks in central road interchanges all over Greece protesting against the unbearable taxation, the cost of production, the sale prices of their products, the disasters, damages from the bad weather. Us communists, we give the fight to win over the farmers with the small – medium holdings in the anti-monopoly direction of struggle, to separate themselves from the capitalist farmers.

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After two years of the SYRIZA- ANEL governing, we could say that the KKE has been proven right for its main estimations of the anti-popular character of any government in capitalism. Instead of hope which it promised, SYRIZA brought the 3rd memorandum of anti-people measures and is preparing a 4th one, it approves with fast track processes in the parliament one anti-people measure after another, it drags tenths of school students, trade-unionists and strikers in court, it forbids demonstrations and rallies, it represses the pensioners with SWAT police and chemicals, its cadres make joint visits to the Aegean islands alongside the cadres on trial of the Nazi criminal Golden Dawn, in order for it to become a reputable bourgeois parliamentary party and to be used more effectively in harming the movement and in anti-communism.

The government, whose basic body is SYRIZA, had proven right the option of the bourgeois class of Greece for having supported it. It has proven the EU, the IMF, Obama, Hollande and other imperialists right, for the faith they have shown to it. And this is, not only because it managed to pass all the agreed anti-people measures, necessary for the capitalist recovery, but also because it managed to usurp militant traditions and slogans in order to deceive the people, as no pure bourgeois party could. It managed with a great success to stop the radicalization of an important part of the youth, which wanted to collide, .However , also because of its political inexperience, they believed that the conflict with the “partmerss” promised by the government would benefit the workers.

The KKE and KNE, we thank from the bottom of our hearts the communists, the workers and the young people all over the world that supported us over these last years in our struggle in Greece.

We are proud fof the stance that we held these last years, for the fact that we remained loyal to our principled positions about the non-participation of a revolutionary party in a bourgeois government, despite the election costs, despite the fact that there were even a few CPs in other countries that openly or secretly supported SYRIZA, and they have great responsibilities firstly towards the working class of their country, because they tried to lure it into supporting a force serving capitalism, NATO and the EU. We strongly believe that our stance is a consignment for our people, for our Party itself, for the International Communist Movement. We utilize the struggle and the high esteem for the KKE, the fact that more people now recognize that our Party was right, and we give a complex fight for the organization and the radical, anti-capitalist orientation of the workers’ struggle, the struggle of the youth.

The KNE gave and still gives a battle for the exposure of the class character of these measures, the fact that the capitalist growth is supported by the exploitation of the working class and will take place upon the ashes of the labour rights and consequently it cannot be a common “national goal”. We struggle against disappointment and fatalism, the rationale that says that nothing can change, that fights have no results, enlightening the only way out for the peoples of the whole world, namely the fight for the overthrow of capitalism and the construction of the socialist - communist society, the abolition of exploitation of man by man

Dear comrades,

We bring the warm and comrade greetings on behalf of the CC of the KNE to all of you. Allow us, however, to give special greetings to the comrades of the Communist Youth of Turkey for this very reason: the relations between our organizations are exemplary and in our opinion they deserve to be studied by other CYOs as well, mainly for the base on which they are built. We follow the very close and comrade relations of our parties, KKE and TKP, relations that are built in very complex conditions with leading light the class interests, the class unity of the working class of the two countries, the struggle for the overthrow of capitalism, the construction of socialism - communism. They are confirmed through tenths of common actions that we have developed especially in the last period, such as the recent visit of a delegation of the CC of the KNE in Istanbul after the invitation of the Communist Youth of Turkey.

Our deep comrade relations also derive from the fraternal relations between the peoples and the youths of our countries, since we have nothing to divide, and we declare that being loyal to the principles of proletarian internationalism we will fight alongside to put an end to the capitalist barbarity, to the causes resulting in imperialist wars, to put an end to the bloodshed of the peoples that happens for the interests of the exploiters. With these thoughts we wish every success to our works!

Long-live the common struggle of the Communist Youths of Europe!
Long live the 100 years of the October Revolution!

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/03/the-intervention-of-kne-at-13th-meeting.html

'Youth', huh? There is more here than in all of the communist of North America.

Demonstrations organized by the KKE all over the country
A call for the people to rise up against the anti-people offensive

"Another agreement, another round of looting. Enough is enough! Together with the KKE for our just cause, for our contemporary needs." With this slogan, thousands of the people responded to the call of the Party Organizations of the KKE all over the country and demonstrated (20/3) against the old and new anti-worker measures, when the Eurogroup meeting was still under way which aimed to finalize the anti-people agreement between the government and the imperialist unions of the EU and IMF.
The hundreds of actions of the KKE (rallies, protests, mass leafletings, visits to workplaces etc.) were the climax of a nationwide political activity and highlighted the need for an escalation of the militancy and for the people to join forces with the KKE against the anti-people offensive and the atmosphere of toleration and passivity being fostered by the government-EU-IMF.

Louiza Razou, member of the PB of the CC of the KKE and Secretary of the Attica Party Organization of the KKE. L. Razou stressed that the people, the working class had the ability to put a spanner in the works of the Eurogroup meetings that are frequently taking place in this period and are discussing the conditions of the offensive against the rights of the people. The people will achieve this through their militant interventions and struggles. "Just development" and "productive reconstruction" is SYRIZA's way of saying what SEV (the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises) also says and she noted and explained that the notorious "counter-measures" advertized by the government are in reality measures and reforms in favour of the business groups. She also made reference to the increasing sharpening of the antagonisms amongst the imperialists and stressed:"The political line that demands the smashing of labour rights and a cheap labour force behind the factory gates is also the political line that turns our children into cannon in the conditions of imperialist war."

After the rally there was a dynamic march to the parliament. _

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http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Demonstrations-organized-by-the-KKE-all-over-the-country/

KKE: Statement on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued the following statement:

"Fifty-one years after the proclamation by the UN, with the decisive contribution of the Soviet Union, of the 21st of March as the International Day against Racial Discrimination, the capitalist world, in the USA, the EU, in Greece, is showing more and more clearly its inhuman character against refugees and immigrants, to the victims of imperialist wars and capitalist exploitation.

In Greece, one year has been completed since the implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement which was emerged from the villainous bazaar of the EU with Turkey's ruling class. The SYRIZA-ANEL government, which celebrated the agreement, is trying with claws and teeth to implement it, being indifferent to the miserable conditions in the refugee structures of the islands as well as for the consequences for the inhabitants from the double entrapment that has been formed in the Aegean islands. The government, with the support of all bourgeois parties, actively participates in all the imperialist plans and interventions which are responsible for the large refugee and immigration waves. The government brought NATO's ships in the Aegean, supposedly for the limitation of refugee and immigrants. It has created conditions for long or permanent entrapment in the country, in camps and infrastructures given to various mechanisms and NGOs. It agrees with the reinstatement of the Dublin Regulation which will mean a new wave of “refugees return”, this time from EU countries.

With its policy, but also with the handling of issues such as the integration of refugee children to the education system, it “fed” the Nazi criminals of Golden Dawn and other reactionary forces to organise bully attacks against refugees and economic migrants, to turn against children, to poison the minds and the consciences of people. With the participation of the nazi and racist Golden Dawn's MPs in the governmental fiestas in Kastelorizo, with the statements of SYRIZA cadres, they actually “launder” the criminal Golden Dawn thus preparing her to play a more “serious” role as the system's long arm against the labor and popular movement, against local and foreign workers.

The increase in the number of refugees and immigrants is exploited by the racist, nationalist parties which aim to disorient the workers regarding the causes of their lives' deterioration. At the same time, the increase of these parties' influence is exploited for the formation of new fraudulent dilemmas, to hide the fact that racism and fascism come out from the same capitalist “womb” like all the other bourgeois parties, the parties of cosmopolitanism. Thus, the Netherlands of the liberal, pro-European bourgeois politician Mr.Rutte, within a year, accepted just 939 refugees- less than the ¼ of the minimum number of refugees it had committed to accept within the EU migration process. The EU switches racism with cosmopolitanism, opens and closes the borders depending on her geopolitical interests and the needs of the capitalists.

The communists, through their action in the trade unions, the bodies of the popular movement, will steadfastly continue to fight, in practice, against racism and xenophobia. For:

The unlocking of the refugees and immigrants from Greece and the islands.
Human living conditions in the refugee camps and infrastructures.
Inclusion of all children of refugees and immigrants in the public structures of education.
Equal labour and social rights for the working refugees and immigrants.
Isolation of fascists and racists.

Organizing of people's struggle against the imperialist war and capitalist exploitation."

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

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/03/kke-statement-on-international-day-for.html

Vile anticommunism from SYRIZA's daily "Avgi"

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The true face of social democracy's anticommunism is expressed through the pages of SYRIZA's daily newspaper, known as "I Avgi" (The Dawn). In a recent article, under the title "A tragic page of european history", the newspaper actually adopts the vile anticommunist-antisoviet imperialist propaganda regarding the so-called "Katyn massacre".

Regarding this unhistorical and provocative article, KKE's daily "Rizospastis" points out that:

"The whole goebbelist propaganda about the murder of thousands of Polish officers by the Nazis at Katyn forest in 1941 (which was attributed to the USSR by the crumbling Nazi Germany in 1943) is, once again, adopted by "Avgi" and her known anticommunist "stalinologist" article writer Vlasis Agtzidis. The article reproduces one of the most characteristic products of History's counterfeiting during the counter-revolution period of Gorbachev and Yeltsin in the USSR, in 1991-92, when the notorious document of the 5th March 1940 appeared, according to which Stalin supposedly gave his permission for the slaughtering of the Polish officials.

That specific case is highlighted on several occasions by the anticommunists-forgers of History, who deliberately hide its basic aspects. Like, for example, that Goebbels himself characteristically writes in his "memoirs": "Unfortunately, German ammunition has been found in the graves at Katyn… It is essential that this incident remains top secret. If it were to come to the knowledge of the enemy the whole Katyn affair would have to be dropped."

Also, the hands of the executed were tied with rope produced in Germany, while documents and letters dated after the German invasion were found on the victims. It seems that all these are meaningless details for "historians" like Agtzidis and newspapers like "Avgi" which pleasantly diffuses the anticommunist poison through her pages".

IN DEFENSE OF COMMUNISM ©.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/03/vile-anticommunism-from-syrizas-daily.html

Dimitris Koutsoumbas: Who has benefited from the EU, the people or the monopolies?

In his article published in the Greek newspaper "Naftemporiki", the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas writes on the 60 years since the foundation of the EEC/EU (Treaty of Rome):

"The anniversary of the 60 years since the foundation of the EEC and later of the EU is celebrated by her founders, the capitalist member-states, the monopolies of the european states. Because the EU is their own creation for their own interests. It is not celebrated by the people of her member-states, because the EU has never been, is not nor can become people's EU.

On the question who has benefited, the people or the monopolies, the answer is given by the millions of unemployed, poor, homeless, uprooted, the people who must live with less than one euro per day. The answer comes also from the people of Yugoslavia, the Middle East, northern Africa against which the EU unleashed wars and interventions alongside the USA and NATO.

And in our country the great beneficiary was the capital, which fortified its political power, found new markets, especially in the Balkan countries. This fact is not altered by the crisis which worsened the position of the Greek capitalist economy within the framework Eurozone and the EU.

Our assessment that the cohesion of the EU and the Eurozone will be tested even more in the next period, that it may take different forms, not only in terms of states' dismissal but also of an EU-Eurozone of different speeds, is confirmed.

Since Greece's accession to the EU, the KKE revealed to the people her aims and aspirations, warned about the Maastrict, the EMU, fought against the antipeople-antiworker policies, against the myths of convergence and solidarity, the one-way, the "bogeyman" of isolation that PASOK and New Democracy were then raising. But also (the KKE fought) against the illusions of SYRIZA that the EU can become a pro-people union. Today, the position of these- failed in the eyes of the people- myths has been taken by new, variant ones, such as the one that argues for the "EU's return to its roots from which she- supposedly- has "gone astray". The leading role in this new deception belongs to the SYRIZA-ANEL government.

The KKE highlights the only pro-people way of the disengagement from the EU, for a development in favor of the people, with the working class in power. The political proposal of the KKE expresses, gives way to the popular discontent which is strengthening against the EU. (The KKE proposal) incapacitates the traps that parts of the capital are setting by calling the people to fight under its own flags."

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/03/dimitris-koutsoumbas-who-has-benefited.html

Belogiannis lives, because the movement that raised him lives and develops

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On the 30th of March, 65 years will have passed since the execution of Nikos Belogiannis, heroic cadre of the KKE and his comrades. On the 27th of March, the "Nikos Belogiannis" Museum was opened in Amaliada, his place of birth, so that it can become "a place of living and creative memory", as the GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, noted in his speech at the opening ceremony. The ceremony was also addressed by the Mayor of Ilidas, C. Christodopoulos, the Speaker of the Parliament, N. Voutsis and the Prime Minister, A. Tsipras.
The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, in his speech at the ceremony, noted amongst other things that "Belogiannis lives, because the movement that raised and educated him lives and develops. (...) Belogiannnis did his duty. He honoured the dead of the labour struggles from the interwar period, of EAM-ELAS, DSE, of the struggles for social rights. He was their worthy successor and served social progress and the people as a whole. This is why we do not consider him to be a hero just for the KKE. His heroism, his example, in a period of the labour-people's movement's defeat, demonstrates that the path is kept open and the flame alive in even the darkest periods (...)The KKE learns from the history of N.Belogiannis and thousands of other heroes. It understands its own responsibilities in a more demanding way in the conditions today of the retreat of the labour-people's movement at a global level. As regards the task of politically awakening the working class-popular forces so that they take matters into their own hands.

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The communist leader wrote in his final letter that "Instead of choosing the life of a career-and I could have easily created such a life-I preferred a life full of persecution, deprivations, pain and tears». (...)
In periods of defeat, difficulties, those that deserted the communist and workers' movement provided valuable services to the enemy. Those that cursed socialist construction in the 20th Century, disavowed the socialist perspective, surrendered to capitalism and sow defeatism and fatalism amongst the people, in the name of realism, submission and the negative correlation of forces, in this way justifying the disappointment of promises, the cheapening of expectations. They reach the point of decorating their compromise, talking of "revolutions" and "overthrows", presenting themselves as the followers of the EAM tradition, the revolutionary traditions, of the major class and liberation struggles. They make desperate attempts to present themselves as the followers of the struggle of the heroic EAM, ELAS, EPON, DSE, EDA in the 1950s and 1960s, attempting to hijack the struggles of our people and of course always detaching these struggles from their real, radical content.
However, what the EAM National Resistance and militants like Belogiannis teach us is the uncompromising and unwavering struggle. They teach us not to submit to the negative correlation of forces, to an enemy who may seem invincible. We have deep confidence in the strength of the just causes of the working class, of our people. (...) As Belogiannis wrote:"You draw endless and inexhaustible strength from your trust in the party and victory".(...)
Let this museum, this exhibition about the life and works of Nikos Belogiannis, here in Amaliada, be a place to honour him, for living and creative memory, for our children and grandchildren, the future generations that will pick up the baton. Because historical knowledge and memory lend us strength."
Information on Nikos Belogiannis, Hero of the People, member of the Central Committee of the KKE

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http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Belogiannis-lives-because-the-movement-that-raised-him-lives-and-develops/

The 20th Congress of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) kicks off on Thursday in Athens

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(Info from 'Rizospastis' / In Defense of Communism ©).

The 20th Congress of the KKE, which has as a major slogan "We strengthen the KKE. For powerful labour movement and social alliance. For the power, For Socialism", begins on Thursday 30th March at the Party's headquarters in Athens. Hundreds of representatives from Party organisations from all over Greece will gather at the KKE headquarters to participate in the works of the Congress which is held between 30th of March and 2nd of April 2017.

The Congress' works will begin tomorrow at 10 am (local hour) with the presentation of the Central Committee's proposal by the Party's General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas. The opening of the Congress and Koutsoumbas' introductory speech will be transmitted live by the 902.gr portal, the 902.gr webradio as well as from Party's radio station 90,4 FM in Thessaloniki.

The KKE's Central Committee continues to receive messages of greetings and solidarity from numerous communist and workers parties from all over the world. More than 80 communist and workers parties have already extended their greetings to the KKE's 20th Congress thus recognizing the significant contribution of the Communist Party of Greece to the reconstruction of the International Communist Movement.

The decisions of the Congress will consist the valuable tool for the strengthening of the Party, most significantly for the working class, in the industries and factories, in the sectors of strategic importance. The resolution of the Congress is going to contribute critically in the task for the reconstruction of the labour-trade unionist movement and the development of Social Alliance.

On the occasion of the 20th Congress, the KKE published the following web video with the message: "There is an actual solution for the people in today's deadlocks. We can live according to our contemporary needs, without crises, unemployment, wars, exploitation. We are strengthening the KKE. For a powerful labour movement and social alliance. For the power, for Socialism":



http://youtu.be/WxmVEsDtbyw


The list of parties which have sent greeting messages to the 20th KKE Congress until today are (in alphabetical order):


Albania
Communist Party of Albania
Australia
Communist Party of Australia
Austria
Party of Labour of Austria
Azerbaijan
Communist Party of Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Communist Party of Bangladesh
Belarus
Belarusian Communist Party of Workers-Section of the CPSU
Communist Party of Belarus
Belgium
Workers' Party of Belgium
Communist Party of Belgium (Wallonia-Brussels)
Brazil
Brazilian Communist Party
Communist Party of Brazil
Britain
Communist Party of Britain
New Communist Party of Britain
Bulgaria
Party of the Bulgarian Communists
Union of Communists in Bulgaria
Communist Party of Bulgaria
Chile
Communist Party of Chile
Colombia
Marcha Patriotica (Colombia)
Costa Rica
People's Vanguard Party (Costa Rica)
Croatia
Socialist Workers' Party of Croatia
Cuba
Communist Party of Cuba
Czech Republic
Communist Party of Bohemia & Moravia
Denmark
Communist Party in Denmark
Danish Communist Party
Egypt
Egyptian Communist Party
Finland
Communist Workers' Party - for Peace and Socialism, Finland
France
Revolutionary Party - Communistes
Pole of Communist Revival in France
Communist Revolutionary Party of France
FYROM
Communist Party of Macedonia (FYROM)
Georgia
Unified Communist Party of Georgia
German
German Communist Party
Hungary
Hungarian Workers' Party
India
Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Iran
Tudeh Party of Iran
Ireland
Workers' Party of Ireland
Italy
Communist Party (Italy)
Japan
Sisho Undo (Japan)
Jordan
Jordanian Communist Party
Kazakhstan
Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan
Laos
Lao People Revolutionary Party
Lebanon
Lebanese Communist Party
Luxembourg
Communist Party of Luxembourg
Malta
Communist Party of Malta
Mexico
Communist Party of Mexico
Moldova
People's Resistance
Myanmar
Communist Party of Burma
Netherlands
New Communist Party of the Netherlands
Norway
Communist Party of Norway
Pakistan
Communist Party of Pakistan
Palestine
Palestinian Communist Party
Palestinian People's Party
Paraguay
Paraguayan Communist Party
Peru
Peruvian Communist Party
Philippines
Philippine Communist Party [PKP-1930]
Poland
Communist Party of Poland
Portugal
Portuguese Communist Party
Puerto Rico
Communist Party of Puerto Rico
Reunion
Communist Party of Reunion
Romania
Community Party of Romania
Romanian Communist Party - XXI century
Romanian Socialist Party
Russia
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Russian Communist Workers' Party - CPSU
Communist Party of the Russian Federation
Serbia
Communists of Serbia (KS)
New Communist Party of Yugoslavia
Slovakia
Communist Party of Slovakia
South Africa
South African Communist Party
Spain
Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain
Sri Lanka
Communist Party of Sri Lanka
People's Liberation Front - JVP, Sri Lanka
Sudan
Sudanese Communist Party
Swaziland
Communist Party of Swaziland
Sweden
Communist Party of Sweden
Switzerland
Communist Party (Switzerland)
Party of Labour
Syria
Syrian Communist Party
Turkey
Communist Party of Turkey
Ukraine
Communist Party of Ukraine
USA
Party of Communists USA
Network of Communist Clubs
Vietnam
Communist Party of Vietnam

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/03/the-20th-congress-of-communist-party-of.html

"Network of Communist Clubs" - What is this?

NIKOS BELOYANNIS: Always alive in the people's hearts and consciousness


It was in the dawn of Sunday 30th March 1952 when his heart stopped beating. The bullets of the firing squad gave an end to the lifes of the KKE Central Committee member Nikos Beloyannis and three of his comrades- Dimitris Batsis, Elias Argyriadis and Nikos Kaloumenos. The execution- murder- of Beloyannis was a crime of the then bourgeois Greek government of Nikolaos Plastiras and the U.S. imperialists.

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Beloyannis, who is known as "the man with the carnation", was a cadre of the - then illegal- Communist Party of Greece (KKE). He and his comrades had waged an unwavering struggle against foreign imperialism and its local allies. For his political activity and ideological beliefs he was arrested, tried and executed.
“We believe in the most correct theory which has been conceived by the most progressive minds of humanity. And our effort, our struggle, is that this theory becomes a reality in Greece and the entire world (…) We love Greece and its people more than our accusers (…) Precisely because we struggle so that our country will see better days, without hunger and war (…) and when it is necessary, we sacrifice our lives.” (Nikos Belogiannis, abstract of his defense speech at the military tribunal).
In his highly publicized and controversial trials, Beloyannis fought with unparalleled courage against his prosecutors. The first trial began in Athens on October 19th, 1951, with a lawsuit against Beloyannis and 92 more members of the Communist Party (KKE). The accusation was that they had violated the law 509 of 1947 about "communist propaganda", taking into account that KKE had been declared as "illegal" by the state. The verdict of the first trial sentenced Beloyannis and 11 comrades to death. Nonetheless, after an international outcry - and as it was clear that the trial process was nothing but a political conspiracy- the sentence was not executed.
"If I had renounced the KKE most likely I would have been declared innocent with great honours... But my life is connected with the history of the KKE and its activity... Dozens of times I faced the following dilemma: “to live and betray my beliefs, my ideology or to die and remain faithful to them. I have always chosen the second and today I am doing this again”. (Nikos Beloyannis, defense speech at the military tribunal).
On March 1, 1952 Nikos Beloyannis and 7 comrades were sentenced to death. Within a week the Greek government received from all over the world hundreds of thousands telegrams against the death sentense, while an international campaign - with the participation of personalities like Pablo Picasso, Charlie Chaplin, Jean Paul Sartre, Paul Éluard, Nazim Hikmet and others- asked for the cancellation of the military tribune's verdict. On the contrary, the US demanded that the Plastiras' government and the King carry out the execution of the sentense. In the late evening of Saturday, March 29, 1952, King Pavlos rejected a request for clemency for Beloyannis and his comrades.

The execution of Beloyannis and his three comrades on the dawn of the 30th of April 1952 took place under the lights of the military trucks and jeeps, as it was still dark and everything had to be carried out quickly, before the news spread to Athens. However, the news of Beloyannis murder were spread across the world and the crime was denounced, not only by the working people in every country, but also by famous personalities: Pablo Picasso, Ilya Erhenburg, Paul Eluard, Nazim Hikmet, Howard Fast and others condemned the execution of Beloyannis and mentioned the heroism of the Greek communist who remained completely loyal to his beliefs until the end.
"Belogiannis lives, because the movement that raised and educated him lives and develops. (...) Belogiannnis did his duty. He honoured the dead of the labour struggles from the interwar period, of EAM-ELAS, DSE, of the struggles for social rights. He was their worthy successor and served social progress and the people as a whole. This is why we do not consider him to be a hero just for the KKE. His heroism, his example, in a period of the labour-people's movement's defeat, demonstrates that the path is kept open and the flame alive in even the darkest periods (...)The KKE learns from the history of N.Belogiannis and thousands of other heroes. It understands its own responsibilities in a more demanding way in the conditions today of the retreat of the labour-people's movement at a global level. As regards the task of politically awakening the working class-popular forces so that they take matters into their own hands." - Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the KKE, Speech at the opening of "Nikos Beloyannis" Museum in Amaliada, Greece, 27 March 2017).

WHO WAS NIKOS BELOYANNIS - A SHORT BIOGRAPHY.

Nikos Beloyannis was born in Amaliada, Peloponnese in 1915. He was the son of of a poor craftsman. He was involved in the youth progressive movement from an early age, as a high school student and, later, as a University of Athens' student. He joined the Organization of the Communist Youth of Greece (OKNE) and in 1934 he became a member of the Communist Party (KKE). For his revolutionary activities, Beloyannis was expelled from the Law School of the University of Athens. In mid-1930s he became an organizer and leader of various party organizations in Peloponnese and in 1936 was arrested for his activities. Later he escaped from prison and re-arrested in 1938 when he was sentenced to five years in prison and two years in exile.

In the first years of 1940s Beloyannis remained in prison as the fascist government of Metaxas handed over thousands of communist prisoners to the italian and german occupation forces. He escaped in 1943 and joined the resistance struggle against the Nazis. In 1943-44 Beloyannis was involved in party and partisan work in the area of ​​Patras being political commissar of the 3rd Division of the People's Liberation Army of Greece (ELAS). After Greece's liberation, he became head of the ideological work department of KKE organization in Peloponnese. He edited the magazine "Free Morias" and on the same time wrote two books: "Foreign capital in Greece" and "History of Modern Greek literature".

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Nikos Beloyannis during his service at the
Democratic Army of Greece (DSE).

During the Greek Civil War (1946-1949) Beloyannis conducted political work in the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE). In 1947 he became head of the Propaganda Department of the DSE and in 1948-49 he served as political commissar of the 10th Division of the DSE. He was wounded in battle in 1948.

After the defeat of DSE on September 1949, Beloyannis and thousands of armed comrades went to the socialist countries of central and eastern Europe. After the end of the Civil War, an anti-democratic, anti-communist and completely depended on US and Britain regime was installed in Greece.

In 1950, Nikos Beloyannis was elected as a member of the Central Committee of the- then exiled- Communist Party of Greece (KKE). In June 1950, after the decision of the Central Committee of KKE, Beloyannis arrived in Greece secretely, using false documents and passport. His duty was to inform the party forces in Greece about the new party line as well as to reorganize the underground network of party organizations in the country. With the aid of the newly founded US intelligence service (CIA), the Greek authorities arrested Beloyannis on December 1950.

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"The execution of Beloyannis". By Peter Francia.
* * *

I have on my table the photograph of the man
with the white carnation–
whom they shot
in the half darkness
before the dawn,
beneath the light of the searchlights.
In his right handhe holds a carnation
which is like a handful of light
from the Greek sea.
His eyes which are brave,childlike,
look out, guilelessly,
beneath their heavy black eyebrows. Thus guilelessly–
like the song which rises
when they make their vow
the communists.
His teeth are bright white–
Beloyiannis laughs.
And the carnation in his hand
is like the speech he spoke to the people
on the day of bravery–
the day of shame.

- NAZIM HIKMET,
"The Man With The Carnation".
Poem for Nikos Beloyannis.
(From the magazine “Soviet Woman,” April 1952).

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/03/nikos-beloyannis-always-alive-in.html

My eyes well-up every time I read about Beloyannis...

20th KKE Congress: The international communist movement praises the contribution of the KKE

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By Nikos Mottas.

More than 100 are the communist and workers' parties which have sent letters of solidarity and greetings to the Cenral Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) on the occasion of the Party's 20th Congress.

From Latin America to the Far East, communists highlight the significant contribution of the KKE in the efforts for the reconstruction and strengthening of the international communist and workers movement, as well as for the Party's internationalist solidarity. Here are some characteristic examples:

In its greeting message towards the KKE's 20th Congress, the Communist Party of Venezuela (Partido Comunista de Venezuela) writes among other things:

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1SD6zSIqlz4/WN6hp5GpqFI/AAAAAAAACeI/khnw97Ozr68N6vTHT7fqs6ZGWbQEsAjPwCLcB/s1600/Partido_Comunista_de_V.png "The Communist Party of Venezuela evaluates as very important the contribution of the Communist Party of Greece in its nearly 100 years of history, in the class struggle against our common enemy, capitalism, which today is in its highest state, the imperialist one. We accompany you in your efforts for the domination of socialism-communism internationally.

The Communist Party of Venezuela also recognizes the effort and the actions of your party for the consolidation and strengthening of the international communist movement. The invitation of the KKE to the communist and workers' parties in all over the world, in 1998, to participate in the International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP)- as a discussion platform and solidarity- was decisive for the global class struggle of the proletariat. It is a meeting which must more and more assume its responsiblities during times of the international rights' counterattack, which includes the social democratic reformist section as well as expressions of the neo-fascist far-right.

The Communist Party of Venezuela shares the revolutionary class vision of the KKE, the formation of the marxist-leninist proletarian vanguard and the militant international solidarity".


https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ftCfSELAhbk/WN6io60JODI/AAAAAAAACeU/FhlWGf2HEo4DQyKBuM7l3YTYp5GukL-4ACLcB/s1600/TKP%2Blogo%2BTurkish%2BCommu.png The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) refers to the long-standing fraternal relations between the the KKE and TKP and points out in its letter to the CC of the KKE that [especially after the 1990] "...the intervention of the KKE in the International Communist Movement towards the marxist-leninist principles, as well as its will to rally the Communist Parties were of critical importance. [...] We evaluate as an issue of big importance the theoretical wealth which is included in the Theses for the KKE's 20th Congress and we will make a serious effort to convey it to the cadres of TKP".

In its message to the 20th Congress of the KKE, the Brazilian Communist Party (Partido Comunista Brasileiro) refers to the KKE as "an example of discipline and organisation of its Party members and mass struggle" and continues: "We also recognize the good work of the KKE in the international level, where it has a crucial role in the building of better relations among the Communist and Workers Parties for the exchange of information and for the proposal of common actions against capitalism and imperialism".

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"Also the KKE", write the comrades of the Communist Party of Mexico in its letter, "fulfills, without equivocations, the tasks arising from its consistency to the marxist-leninist principle of proletarian internationalism and internationalist solidarity thus contributing to the preservation of the communist characteristics of the International Meetings of Communist and Workers' Parties, fighting tirelessly for the ideological and organisational reconstruction of the international communist movement. We are witnesses of its [the KKE's] dedication to the theoretical equipment of the marxist-leninist worldview of the communist parties and the practical solidarity to overcome the difficulties. The various initiatives of the KKE fuel the resurgence of communism, inspire other parties, organisations and working people to raise the red flag of marxism-leninism".

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4RZJZcYlKt4/WN6kWi5IV4I/AAAAAAAACek/MT-U6HJmqqUcDFSqIvlOKyXnNtHfyCiUACLcB/s200/New%2BCommunist%2BParty%2Bof%2BYugoslavia.png The New Communist Party of Yugoslavia (Nova komunistička partija Jugoslavije- NKPJ) describes the KKE as "an example for the entire communist movement" praising it for the accuracy in the analysis, the indicative purity of the goals, the effective political pratice within the working masses, the political coherence and the dedication to marxism-leninism and scientific socialism.

From the United States, the Party of Communists USA points out that the decision of the KKE to deny any participation in the SYRIZA government was totally correct and praises the KKE because "it stood upright through principled and consistent struggle against the compromised ones and consists a beacon for all the Communist Parties which face similar situations in the countries".

The crucial contribution of the KKE in the reconstruction of the international communist movement is also praised by the Communist Party of the Philippines -1930 (Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas-1930) which writes in its letter: "The PKP-1930 does not forget the important role of the KKE in the reconstruction of the International Communist Movement after the tragic collapse of the socialist society (which collapse was caused by the special agents of imperialism who penetrated in the higher echelons of the USSR and certain other socialist countries towards the end of 1980s). The role that the KKE played from the beginning in the organisation of the annual International Meetings of Communist and Workers' Parties, as well as the continuous hospitality of SOLIDNET, have highly contributed to the rise of the International Communist Movement".

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The Communist Party of India (Marxist) writes: "The KKE plays an important role not only in Greece, but also in the international communist movement. The decisions that you will take in this Congress will bear a great significance [...] The struggles of the KKE continue to inspire us. Also we congratulate the important work done by the KKE and its members in the refugees [issue]". The same perception is shared by the Communist Party of India (CPI) which expresses its deep admiration for the special role and contribution of the KKE in the creation of a meeting place for all the Communist and Workers Parties of the world, something that confirms its faith in Marxism-Leninism as a source of inspiration for the struggling people everywhere.

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From its side, the German Communist Party (Deutsche Kommunistische Partei-DKP) points out the following: "The German Communist Party admires the heroic and the more and more harder struggle of the KKE against the increasing impoverishment of large parts of the Greek people and agrees with your clear marxist-leninist analysis regarding the conditions of the class struggle and the international and national level".

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"The contribution of the KKE in the reconstruction of the international communist movement after the counterrevolution in the USSR is priceless" stresses the Party of Labour of Austria (Partei der Arbeit Österreichs, PdA). Furthermore, the PdA writes: "The struggles, the organisation and the elaborations of the KKE are source of inspiration and power for thousands of communists in the world. The KKE remains a shining example as a strong militant working class party, consistent with marxism-leninism, the revolutionary strategy and class struggle. The members of the Party of Labour are proud for the fraternal relations between our parties. All these years the KKE has actively supporterd our efforts to build a strong revolutionary party of the working class in Austria and to gain a place in the international communist movement".
* * *

The above consist an example of how numerous communist and workers parties across the world evaluate the work, the role and the contribution of the KKE in the effort for the reconstruction and re-organisation of the international communist movement. The KKE, having sense of its internationalist responsibility, plays a truly significant role at the International Meetings of Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP) and opposes every position that aims to open these Meetings to social-democratic formations which are hiding under the labels of "anti-imperialism", "progressive", "left" etc. The KKE has contributed thoroughly to the organisation of the substantial exchange of views within the IMCWP, the ideological and political discussion on crucial issues on strategy and tactics, as well as the perspectives for common activities and collaborations between the communist and workers parties which can be developed for the interests of the working class.

Below you can read the full list of the communist and workers parties that sent messages of greetings to the KKE's 20th Congress (as they are published in 902.gr portal):

Albania
Communist Party of Albania
Australia
Communist Party of Australia
Austria
Party of Labour of Austria
Azerbaijan
Communist Party of Azerbaijan
Bahrein
Democratic Progressive Tribune
Bangladesh
Communist Party of Bangladesh
Belarus
Belarusian Communist Party of Workers-Section of the CPSU
Communist Party of Belarus
Belgium
Workers' Party of Belgium
Communist Party of Belgium (Wallonia-Brussels)
Brazil
Brazilian Communist Party
Communist Party of Brazil
Communist Pole Luis Carlos Prestes
Britain
Communist Party of Britain
New Communist Party of Britain
Bulgaria
Party of the Bulgarian Communists
Union of Communists in Bulgaria
Communist Party of Bulgaria
Chile
Communist Party of Chile
Colombia
Marcha Patriotica
Costa Rica
People's Vanguard Party (Costa Rica)
Croatia
Socialist Workers' Party of Croatia
Cuba
Communist Party of Cuba
Czech Republic
Communist Party of Bohemia & Moravia
Denmark
Communist Party in Denmark
Danish Communist Party
Ecuador
Communist Party Ecuador
Egypt
Egyptian Communist Party
Finland
Communist Workers' Party - for Peace and Socialism, Finland
France
Revolutionary Party - Communistes
Pole of Communist Revival in France
Communist Revolutionary Party of France
FYROM
Communist Party of Macedonia (FYROM)
Georgia
Unified Communist Party of Georgia
German
German Communist Party
Hungary
Hungarian Workers' Party
India
Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Indonesia
Communist Party of Indonesia
Iran
Tudeh Party of Iran
Ireland
Workers' Party of Ireland
Communist Party of Ireland
Italy
Communist Party (Italy)
Japan
Sisho Undo (Japan)
Jordan
Jordanian Communist Party
Kazakhstan
Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan
Laos
Lao People Revolutionary Party
Latvia
Socialist Party of Latvia
Lebanon
Lebanese Communist Party
Luxembourg
Communist Party of Luxembourg
Malta
Communist Party of Malta
Mexico
Communist Party of Mexico
Moldova
People's Resistance
Myanmar
Communist Party of Burma
Netherlands
New Communist Party of the Netherlands
Norway
Communist Party of Norway
Pakistan
Communist Party of Pakistan
Palestine
Palestinian Communist Party
Palestinian People's Party
Paraguay
Paraguayan Communist Party
Peru
Peruvian Communist Party
Philippines
Philippine Communist Party [PKP-1930]
Poland
Communist Party of Poland
Portugal
Portuguese Communist Party
Puerto Rico
Communist Party of Puerto Rico
Reunion
Communist Party of Reunion
Romania
Community Party of Romania
Romanian Communist Party - XXI century
Romanian Socialist Party
Russia
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Russian Communist Workers' Party - CPSU
Communist Party of the Russian Federation
Serbia
Communists of Serbia (KS)
New Communist Party of Yugoslavia
Slovakia
Communist Party of Slovakia
South Africa
South African Communist Party
Spain
Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain
Gallizan People's Union

Sri Lanka
Communist Party of Sri Lanka
People's Liberation Front - JVP, Sri Lanka
Sudan
Sudanese Communist Party
Swaziland
Communist Party of Swaziland
Sweden
Communist Party of Sweden
Switzerland
Communist Party (Switzerland)
Party of Labour
Syria
Syrian Communist Party
Turkey
Communist Party of Turkey
Ukraine
Communist Party of Ukraine
USA
Party of Communists USA
Network of Communist Clubs
Venezuela
Communist Party of Venezuela
Vietnam
Communist Party of Vietnam.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/03/20th-kke-congress-international.html

The Top 10 biggest lies of Alexis Tsipras
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Opportunism is based on lies and deception. The case of SYRIZA, an opportunistic party of the radical left which during the past five years rapidly turned into a social-democratic party (replacing PASOK), is a characteristic example. SYRIZA's leader and current Prime Minister of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, has been the embodiment of political opportunism. Below, you can read 10 of his biggest blatant lies, in his own words:

1. "The first thing Syriza will do in power is tear up the controversial "memorandum of understanding" Greece signed up to with creditors" - Interview with the "Guardian" (18/5/2012).

2. "The only realistic and saving alternative proposal is the abolition, with one law and in one article, of all the austerity measures" - Tsipras on Twitter (11/11/2012).

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"The only realistic and saving alternative proposal is the abolition,
with one law and in one article, of all the austerity measures" - Alexis Tsipras.
3. "The government of the Left will denounce the memorandum [...] Today, it is now clear that the memorandum is not a solution but the problem itself. Therefore, it's abolition is the first step of a different policy which will effectively confront the crisis"- Interview in "I Ellada Avrio" newspaper (19/1/2013).

What happened: The government of Mr.Tsipras - contrary to peoples' will and despite the 61% majority of the "NO" vote in July 2015 referendum- signed in August 2015 an even worse third memorandum of austerity with the creditors. The third memorandum and it's accompanying laws include the implementation of all the previous anti-people laws of the two previous memorandums. Read here the then announcement of KKE.

4. "The port (of Piraeus) which has become a 'port of distress' because they decided to auction it off. But this won't pass. The people of Piraeus will have the last word"- Tsipras' speech in Piraeus, May 2014.

What happened: A few weeks ago the government of Mr.Tsipras signed the Port's privatization deal (368.5 million Euros) with chinese shipping giant COSCO. In fact, the SYRIZA-ANEL government did exactly what they were previously fiercely denouncing.

5. "From 2015 onwards we abolish ENFIA (Single Property Tax) and replace him with a large property tax [...] In 2015, ENFIA will not exist and that is a commitment" - Tsipras, 8/2/2015.

What happened: It is April 2016 and ENFIA- an unfair and extremely aggravating tax for the lower income families- still exists.

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"AVGI" newspaper front pages: "Memorandum? Forget it" / "Not a single step backwards" /
"This government and parliament will not vote for a new memorandum".

6. "We will remain loyal to our commitment for the increase of the minimum wage to 751 euros", Tsipras' speech in the Parliament, February 2015.

What happened: The SYRIZA-ANEL government never kept the promise.

7. "The first step will be the implementation of the 'Thessaloniki Programme' against the humanitarian crisis. This is not negotiable", Article in "Avgi" (SYRIZA's official party newspaper), 27/12/2014.

What happened: The so-called "Thessaloniki programme" was a set of policies and measures presented by SYRIZA's leader Alexis Tsipras during the International Trade Fair of Thessaloniki on September 2014. The programme had as an aim to confront the extreme poverty ("humanitarian crisis") created by the economic crisis. The "Thessaloniki programme" was never implemented by Tsipras' government and was soon replaced by a- supposed- "parallel economic program" which haven't been implemented as well.

8. "Not a single increase of retirement age limits, not a single decrease of major and subsidiary pensions"- Tsipras' speech in the Parliament, February 2015.

What happened: The SYRIZA-ANEL government is preparing to bring to the Parliament a monstrous, anti-people law which demolishes social security rights.

9. "We will support the public status (state-owned) of the regional airports. Because the clearance sale of every infrastructure is neither progress nor development. The sale of infrastructures consists return to feudalism"- Tsipras' speach in Rhodes, 15/1/2015.

What happened: On December 2015, the SYRIZA-ANEL government signed a privatization deal with the German airport operator Fraport. The deal included the 14 major regional airports of Greece.

10. "This government and this Parliament will not vote in favor of a new memorandum", Tsipras' speech in the Parliament, 26/6/2015.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/04/the-top-10-biggest-lies-of-alexis.html

Leningrad's Metro explosion: Solidarity with the working class and people of Russia

An explosion in the Leningrad (St. Petersburg) Metro has left at least 14 people dead and 51 injured. Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a terrorist probe into the incident. Another explosive device has also been found and defused. The explosion happened as the train was travelling between the stations Tekhnologichesky Institut and Sennaya Ploshchad of the Leningrad Metro, the National Antiterrorism Committee confirmed.

In its statement, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), noted the following as regards the explosion on the Leningrad (St Petersburg) Metro:

"The KKE denounces in the most categorical way the criminal act that took place in the Metro of the city of Leningrad (St. Petersburg) and led to the death and serious injury of the dozens of people.

These acts are not unrelated to the contradictions and antagonisms that are manifesting themselves and being utilized by various forces, with the workers as the victims.

The KKE expresses its support for the working class and people of Russia, who have already paid a similarly high price in blood, and who are once again faced with one of the consequences of capitalist restoration.”

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/04/leningrads-metro-explosion-solidarity.html

Some Greek communists take issue with this message, finding it a bit cold and ideological. It goes back to their disagreement with the party on imperialism, they feel that communists should align with the lesser imperialist against the hegemon. That's how I read Imperialism and perhaps KKE is a little off in this. Analysis is complicated by ever increasing evidence that Russia is not behaving like a competing imperial but often like a craven comprador. Seems like KKE is right for the wrong reason.

Some Greek communists take issue with this message, finding it a bit cold and ideological. It goes back to their disagreement with the party on imperialism, they feel that communists should align with the lesser imperialist against the hegemon. That's how I read Imperialism and perhaps KKE is a little off in this. Analysis is complicated by ever increasing evidence that Russia is not behaving like a competing imperial but often like a craven comprador. Seems like KKE is right for the wrong reason.

I don't think they are "off on this". We have to be able to "walk and chew gum at the same time." We can oppose the imperial hegemon at every turn, while not white-washing the motivations and realities behind the "lesser" imperialists who currently oppose it. Putin's Russia wants to be an imperialist on the same scale as the US, that is why Russia behaves so much like a colonial comprador. We mustn't fall prey to lesser-evilism in these issues. We are in the mist of imperialist aggression that hasn't been equaled in a hundred years. These are dangerous times, I am glad KKE is there to keep the materialist lid clamped down.

I don't think they are "off on this". We have to be able to "walk and chew gum at the same time." We can oppose the imperial hegemon at every turn, while not white-washing the motivations and realities behind the "lesser" imperialists who currently oppose it. Putin's Russia wants to be an imperialist on the same scale as the US, that is why Russia behaves so much like a colonial comprador. We mustn't fall prey to lesser-evilism in these issues. We are in the mist of imperialist aggression that hasn't been equaled in a hundred years. These are dangerous times, I am glad KKE is there to keep the materialist lid clamped down.

Given their vacillating, sometimes even grovelling behavior in both Donbass and Syria I gotta question how this Russia thinks it can achieve imperial parity through beggery and capitulation. Seems to me that they're more interested in selling Russia rubles on the dollar, just trying to get a better deal and any appearance of national will for mass consumption.

Had Russia 'played it straight in Donbass & Syria I'd be in agreement with those Greek comrades as it would be a foil to the hegemon with the full understanding this is a temporary situation that changes with the balance of power. As it is if they're a foil it's as flimsy as that stuff in the kitchen and do not stymie the the US, rather they seem to advance it's agenda by a twisted road. I think we're walking & chewing gum, it seems like KKE is denying that we can do both. They're as good as it gets but ain't none of us infallible.

Given their vacillating, sometimes even grovelling behavior in both Donbass and Syria I gotta question how this Russia thinks it can achieve imperial parity through beggery and capitulation. Seems to me that they're more interested in selling Russia rubles on the dollar, just trying to get a better deal and any appearance of national will for mass consumption.

Had Russia 'played it straight in Donbass & Syria I'd be in agreement with those Greek comrades as it would be a foil to the hegemon with the full understanding this is a temporary situation that changes with the balance of power. As it is if they're a foil it's as flimsy as that stuff in the kitchen and do not stymie the the US, rather they seem to advance it's agenda by a twisted road. I think we're walking & chewing gum, it seems like KKE is denying that we can do both. They're as good as it gets but ain't none of us infallible.

Agree with all this.

PAME calls for demonstrations on April 7 against Greek government's antiworkers measures

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The All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) calls the unions to continue and escalate their fight against the unified attack of the Government – the Capital – the European Union, with massive participation of the workers in the demonstrations of PAME all over Greece in April 7.
In Athens the demonstration is going to take place at Omonia Square at 6.30 pm, in Thessaloniki at Venizelos statue at 6.30 and in Piraeus at Karaiskaki Sq. same time.
The General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas is going to participate in the demonstration at Athens' Omonia sq.

PAME calls the trade unions, the federations, the Regional Labour Centres and workers’ committees, who are daily on the streets, in factories, offices and all the workplaces. Those who are the vanguard for informing the workers, in the organization of workers’ response to the brutal attack of the Industrialists, the Greek Government and the European Union.
The thousands of workers, who took part in PAME’s demonstrations declared:
NO CONCESSION TO THE BRUTAL ANTIWORKERS’ MEASURES
NO CONCESSION TO THE SYRIZA GOVERNMENT’S LIES
Against the fatalism and the defeatism, against the disappointment and the compromise, the rich and multiform action of the class trade unions, the discussion, the information, their militant example in workplaces give hope and courage. They make workers more militant and mobilize them.
PAME calls the unions, the federations and the labour centres to address to the working class with decisiveness and militant spirit.
To reveal the lies of the SYRIZA Government, about the “Fair Growth” and the “Counterbalanced Measures”, in front of the workers. It seems like a “déjà vu” all over again. The working class doesn’t have to expect anything positive from the New Agreement.
With all of our forces and militant initiatives, we create the conditions to give Response against the brutal antiworkers’ measures with a General Strike.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/04/pame-calls-for-demonstrations-on-april.html

Tsipras justifies the U.S. imperialist attack on Syria

Europe's social democracy has showed once again its real face as an accomplice of imperialism. This time by justifying the recent barbaric airstrike of the United States against Syria.

Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras- alongside France's President Francois Hollande, Portugal's PM Antonio Costa and Italy's PM Paolo Gentiloni- participated in the southern EU leaders summit held in Madrid.

The Associated Press reports:

MADRID — Leaders from seven southern European countries condemned the Syrian regime Monday for its alleged use of chemical weapons and defended the retaliatory U.S. airstrikes.

In a statement that ended a half-day summit near Madrid, the leaders of Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus and Malta said they “condemned in the strongest terms” the April 4 chemical attack that is alleged to have come from President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

They went on to say the U.S. airstrike days later on Syria’s Shayrat air base “had the understandable intention to prevent and deter the spread and use of chemical weapons and was limited and focused on this objective.”

The meeting’s host, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, said the leaders also “vigorously condemned” recent deadly terror attacks in Sweden, Russia and Egypt, and called for a strengthening in anti-terrorism cooperation.



French President Francois Hollande said the EU’s duty was to strengthen its defense, protect its frontiers and fight against terrorism.

The informal meeting was the third to be held by the southern nations and follows gatherings in Athens last September and in Lisbon in January.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/04/tsipras-justifies-us-imperialist-attack.html

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KKE: Close down the Souda U.S. Naval Base; Greece out of the imperialist plans and wars

In a statement regarding the recent air strikes of the USA in Syria, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) points out the following:

"The KKE denounces the attack of the USA against Syria with the use of missiles from american warships in the Mediterranean and expresses its solidarity to the much afflicted Syrian people.

The people know that the USA and their allies, which created criminal organisations like "Al Qaeda" and the "Islamic State", highlight and utilize pretenses in order to justify the interventions and the imperialist wars in Syria, Iraq, in the broader region of the Middle East and Northern Africa, which consists field of fierce antagonisms, with the people being the victims. They did the same in the past too.

The developments prove the dangerous policy of the SYRIZA-ANEL government, which involves the country deeper in the imperialist plans, providing among others the military base of Souda and other military bases and infrastructure for military actions of the USA, NATO and the EU in the region.

The KKE demands the immediate closure of the Souda (base) and the other military bases. Greece must be disengaged from the imperialist plans and wars."

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/04/kke-close-down-souda-us-naval-base.html

"NATO Killers Go Home!"
'Nough said.

The position of the KKE for Greece's disengagement from the E.U.

THE POSITION OF THE KKE FOR GREECE'S DISENGAGEMENT FROM THE E.U.

Abstract from the
20th Congress Political Resolution.
Translation: In Defense of Communism ©.

The Greek people can and must choose themselves- with their will and action- the exit from the EU, to put this objective on the forefront of their slogans, by organizing their struggle in such a way to simultaneously assert the "keys" of the economy, the wealth that they produce, with the transition of power to their hands. That consists an actual alternative for the benefit of the people and worths every sacrifice.

Capitalist Greece with a "national currency" does not consist rupture for the people's benefit. The adoption of a more undervalued currency cannot be a link of improvement for the life of the working class and the popular strata through any possible inpulse that will be given to the competitiveness and growth due also to the cheaper labor force, as a consequence of the devaluation. Any eventual recovery of the capitalist production, whenever it may occur, will not be accompanied by a substantial recovery of wages, pensions, rights; it will not benefit the people.

The political forces which highlight such an objective as a "solution" or as an intermediate aim for radical changes, objectively, at least, serve the special needs of sections of the capital and more broadly the variations of bourgeois policy as a result of the intensification of her contradictions. Besides, policies of attack against working-popular achievements are being applied both in countries of the eurozone as well as in capitalist countries with national currencies.

If the EU and the bourgeois class choose Greece's secession from the Eurozone and currency change, the KKE will fight, like it does now, with a specific line, which will promote within the movement and the Greek people. It will militantly intervene in order to organize a more decisive struggle for the people's survival, for solidarity, so that not any popular family, no worker, no unemployed person will be alone in the more sharp impacts of currency changeover (black market, sharp, large inflation rise), in the nails of banks and speculators. The workers-popular movement must connect this fight with the struggle for actual rupture with the capitalist system.

The workers-popular movement in Greece and across Europe, with coordinated strikes and a comprehensive counterattack, must utilize any contradictions in the eurozone and the EU that create cracks, in order to strengthen the struggle for the overthrow of the capital's power, the conquest of workers power in every country which will promote and organize social ownership, the central scientific planning of economy and services, the production development for the people's benefit.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/04/the-position-of-kke-for-greeces.html

Communist Party of Greece: Criticism of certain contemporary opportunist views on the state

POSITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SECTION OF THE CC OF THE KKE AT THE 11th ANNUAL CONFERENCE "V.I.LENIN, THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION AND THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD".

Source: inter.kke.gr.
The importance and timeliness of Lenin's work on the state.
100 years ago, a few months before the Great October Socialist Revolution and in particularly difficult and complex political conditions, V.I. Lenin wrote a fundamentally important work, "The State and Revolution", which, of course, was published for the first time after the October Revolution in 1918.
In this work, Lenin highlighted the essence and analyzed the class nature of the state: “The state is a product and a manifestation of the irreconcilability of class antagonisms. The state arises where, when and insofar as class antagonisms objectively cannot be reconciled. And, conversely, the existence of the state proves that the class antagonisms are irreconcilable.”[1]

Lenin in this work also establishes the need and timeliness of the socialist revolution and workers' state.
It was based on the views of K. Marx and F. Engels regarding the issue of the state, which were formulated in several works, such as the "Communist Manifesto", "the 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte", "the Civil War in France", the "Critique of the Gotha Programme", Engels' letter to Bebel on 18-18 of March 1875, Engels' introduction to the third editions of the Marx' "Civil war in France" etc in relation to the dictatorship of the proletariat. The conclusions Marx and Engels drew from the study and generalization of the experience and lessons of the revolutions was that the working class can acquire political power and establish the dictatorship of the proletariat only through socialist revolution, which destroys the bourgeois state apparatus and creates a new state apparatus. So, we can characteristically refer to the fact that Marx in his work "Critique of the Gotha Programme" stressed that: "Between capitalist and communist society there lies the period of the revolutionary transformation of the one into the other. Corresponding to this is also a political transition period in which the state can be nothing but the revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat."[2]
Lenin highlighted the fundamental importance of this issue for those that understand the existence and determining role of the class struggle in social progress, noting that "particular attention should be paid to Marx's extremely profound remark that the destruction of the bureaucratic-military state machine is "the precondition for every real people's revolution""[3] and stressing that "Only he is a Marxist who extends the recognition of the class struggle to the recognition of the dictatorship of the proletariat."[4]
In addition, Lenin sought to describe the characteristics of the communist social-political formation, basic aspects of the socialist state, while severely criticizing right opportunist and anarchist views in relation to the state.
Of course, this specific work of Lenin, and this is true for the rest of the entire titanic collection of his works, cannot be detached from his other works, such as, for example, "The Proletarian Revolution and the Renegade Kautsky", and always must be approached in a dialectical relationship with the historical developments. In any case, however, the Leninist approach to the state is an enormous legacy for the international communist movement, which must be utilized in a suitable way in order to repel social-democratic and opportunist views about the state, which have penetrated and continue to penetrate the international communist movement. Consequently, the goal of this intervention is not to present the Leninist positions or appropriate quotations from Lenin, but to provide a response based on the Marxist-Leninist understanding of the state to contemporary opportunist views. This is even more relevant today, when many views that Lenin fought against in his era are re-emerging in old and new forms.

The "neutral" non-class understanding of the state.
The forces of European opportunism constitute the basic tool for the further watering down of the communist characteristics of the communist and workers' parties. These are forces that are vehicles for bourgeois ideology inside the labour movement. In Europe, they have established their own ideological-political and organizational centre; the Party of the European Left (PEL), which some CPs that in the past were deeply influenced by eurocommunism have joined, such as the CPs of France and Spain. SYRIZA participates in it from Greece. This is a party that is contains forces influenced by the eurocommunist current that split from the KKE in 1968, and also forces that split from the KKE in 1991, under the influence of Gorbachev's "New Thinking". This party later merged with forces that came from social-democratic PASOK.
This party argues that:"The state, however, is not a fortress but a network, relationship and strategic arena for political struggle. It does not change from one day to the next, but on the contrary its necessary transformation presupposes constant and continuous battles, the involvement of the people, continuous democratization."[5]
As is apparent from the above, the bourgeois state is not considered by them to constitute by its very nature an organ for the domination of the bourgeois class, but a collection of institutions that can be transformed in a pro-people direction. On the basis of this view, it is argued that the character of the institutions of the bourgeois state, the bourgeois state as a whole, can be suitable shaped as long as "leftwing governments" hold sway.
This is clearly a misleading view, because in practice it detaches the state from its economic base, from the dominant economic relations. It creates illusions amongst the workers that the role of the bourgeois state and its institutions (e.g. parliament, government, army, police) depends on which political force ("left" or "right") is dominant in them.
Similarly dangerous views are being cultivated today in a number of Latin American countries, through the concept of "progressivism", through the various "progressive" and "left" governments, which after their electoral victories attempt to sow illusions among the people that the system can change via bourgeois elections and referenda.
In reality, however, there is no class "neutrality" on the part of the bourgeois state and its institutions. The state, as Marxism-Leninism has demonstrated, has a clear class content, which cannot be used via electoral processes and bourgeois governmental solutions in favour of the working class and social change.

On the view concerning the "Deep State".
The emergence of SYRIZA as a governing party in Greece led to the celebrations of many opportunist forces all over the world. Indeed, its cooperation with the nationalist ANEL party in government was interpreted by some as an attempt to control the deep state of Greece via this political governmental alliance.[6] Similarly, some presented the statements of made by A. Tsipras even before the elections, when he directly stated that Greece "belongs to the West" and that Greece's withdrawal from NATO was not on the agenda, as being a smart move.[7]
What is the aim of this view that separates the functions of the bourgeois state from each other like “salami slices”? Of course, inside the state apparatus of the bourgeois state, there are structures with different functions and tasks. However this does not support the view that separates the state into «hard" and "soft" sections. So, for example, the municipalities, the local services are an integral part of bourgeois administration, as local government is also tasked with implementing the reactionary, anti-people legal framework that is approved by each bourgeois government and parliamentary majority. The communists in our country are active in local government, seek to win the majority in the municipalities and today have achieved this in 5 of the country's municipalities, which include the 3rd largest city in Greece, Patras. However they do not foster illusions amongst the workers about the character of this section of the bourgeois state. They seek as an opposition or as majority in the administration of the municipalities to utilize their position to develop the class struggle and not to "cleanse" capitalism which is what SYRIZA and other opportunist forces argue for.
These opportunist forces find the separation of the bourgeois state into sections convenient. First of all, because this can conceal that the entire state apparatus, regardless of the different functions of its sections, is in the service of the bourgeois class. Secondly, because in this way they sow the illusion amongst the workers that gradually, beginning from the "periphery" of the bourgeois state and marching to the "centre", to its "depths", they can "cleanse" it, transform it into a state that will be pro-people.
Opportunist forces foster similarly utopian views even about the inter-state capitalist unions, such as the imperialist EU. Indeed, they propagandize that via referenda or the emergence of left, social-democratic governments, allegedly a "democratic structure for the continent" can be created with "respect for the democratic, sovereign rights of the peoples»[8]. In reality, these claims deliberately bypass the class character of this inter-state union, which arises from the class character of the bourgeois states that constitute it, and which from its birth, as the "European Community for Coal and Steel" in 1952, had been created for the interests of capital.

The expansion of democracy in the bourgeois state as a "step" to socialism.
Lenin came into sharp conflict with those, like Bernstein, who argued that the reform of capitalism and the gradual reformist transformation of society are possible.
Later, the views of Eurocommunism gained a lot of ground, views which argued that communists can transform the state in a pro-people direction via the parliamentary road and the expansion of democracy.
The KKE, which fought and continues today to fight against these views, has estimated that the similar assessments made by the CPSU did a great deal of damage to the international communist movement. These views came to hold sway in the international communist movement mainly after the 20th Congress of the CPSU and spoke of a “parliamentary transition”[9]. Consequently, we consider views that developed on this basis and argue for the violation of basic principles of socialist revolution and construction to be problematic, e.g. the talk about "a variety of forms of transition to socialism" or the so-called "non-capitalist development path."
The KKE has drawn conclusions and has rejected the "stages to socialism", which tormented and continue today to torment the communist movement, as due to these "stages" they on the one hand negate the role of the CP as a force to overthrow capitalism in the name of the "current" tasks in the framework of the system (e.g. the aim of restoring bourgeois democracy in the conditions of dictatorship) and on the other hand they sow illusions about the "parliamentary transition" to socialism.
The KKE studies its history, draws valuable conclusions from the heroic struggles of the communists in the past decades. The CC of the KKE noted amongst other things in its recent statement on the 50th anniversary of the Junta in Greece:"The KKE and the labour-people's movement seek and struggle to be able to function in the best possible conditions, which will facilitate their struggle and more generally expand their interventions against capital and its power. They struggle for freedoms and rights, in order to remove obstacles to their activity, in order to restrict-as far as possible-state repression.”[10] Nevertheless our party, studying its history, assesses that:"The dictatorship provided new experience that demonstrates the baseless character of the assessment that held sway in the International Communist Movement and the KKE, that the path of struggle for an advanced bourgeois democracy is fertile terrain for the concentration of forces and for approaching the revolutionary process, that the struggle for democracy is dialectically connected to the struggle for socialism. This assessment impeded the party from highlighting the military dictatorship as a form of the dictatorship of capital, impeded the orientation of the people's struggle as a whole against the enemy-the dictatorship of the bourgeois class and its imperialist alliances, like NATO."[11]
Today, similar mistaken views are being fostered within the ranks of the communist movement. These are views that either talk of "stages" on the road to socialism or of communists "penetrating" power, with the aim in both cases of expanding democracy, as a first stage to socialism.
In practice, such views postpone the struggle to overthrow of capitalist exploitation to the distant future, trap and restrict the labour movement inside the framework of only struggling for better conditions for the sale of labour power, negating the orientation of the struggle to radicalize the labour movement, to regroup it, to concentrate social forces, which have an interest in confronting the monopolies and can struggle for the overthrow of capitalism and the construction of the new socialist-communist society.


The nationalization of capitalist businesses as a step to change the nature of the state.
Similar confusion exists regarding issues related to the economy. For many years, the international communist movement, which was and to a great extent continues to be trapped in the rationale of stages to socialism, saw the reinforcement of the state sector of the bourgeois state as a step to socialism.
Indeed, today some misunderstand the Leninist position that "state-monopoly capitalism is a complete material preparation for socialism, the threshold of socialism, a rung on the ladder of history between which and the rung called socialism there are no intermediate rungs,"[12] in order to justify the active support and participation of communists in bourgeois management with an expanded state sector of the economy. But in this way they mistakenly understand state-monopoly capitalism as being the existence of a strong state sector in the economy and not as imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism, as described by Lenin.
Life has demonstrated that capitalism, in line with its needs, can aim for a large section of a country's economy to be state-managed. So, for example, in the 1970s and 1980s the largest part of the Greek economy was in the hands of the state, however this did not at all change the character of the bourgeois state. Nor, of course, does it mean that a policy of gradually nationalizing private businesses, which usually means capitalists simply passing on their debts to the state, can lead to a change of its character. As long as power is in the hands of the bourgeois class, the state (with a stronger or weaker state sector) will be bourgeois, and the ruling class will act as the "collective capitalist" of state ownership.


The name of the state as a reflection on how its nature is viewed.
Lenin described the basic aspects of the workers' state. We cannot close our eyes to Lenin's analysis and just orient ourselves to the adjectives that accompany the name of a state. Today, for example, the "People's Republic of Lugansk" and the "People's Republic of Donetsk" have emerged. What is the character of these self-proclaimed "People's Republics"? And as an aside to this discussion, we could bear in mind the existence, for example, of the so-called "People's Republic of Congo", where small children work in the mines in terrible conditions so that the foreign monopolies can acquire valuable minerals like cobalt and copper.
We assess that we cannot judge a state and our stance towards it exclusively on the basis of how it defines itself and its proclamations. A basic criterion must be which class owns the means production and holds power in the specific state, what kinds of relations of production are predominant in the specific country. And this is because the state for Marxist-Leninists is a "repressive machine", which in our era objectively, in the 21st century, in the era of the passage from capitalism to socialism, ushered in by the October Revolution, will either be in the hands of the bourgeois class or the working class. There is no middle way!
We must not forget that as always, and today is no exception, the bourgeois classes seek to conceal their goals, to conceal the class character of their state. So, for example, a classic method that the bourgeois class uses to camouflage the state is the projection of its "national" character, presenting its state as a "weapon" to defend the entire nation. Today the bourgeois do not hesitate to also utilize other propaganda "weapons" in order to subordinate the labour movement "under their banners». The communists, the labour movement as a whole, must demonstrate a high level of vigilance when bourgeois politicians, who contributed to capitalist restoration in the former USSR, today utilize the anti-fascist "card".
Today, when the bourgeois class is also reinforcing fascist forces, some of which even seek to play a role in government, such as, for example, in Ukraine, the appeals for new "anti-fascist fronts" and for alliances even with bourgeois political forces, and even bourgeois states that appear with an anti-fascist mantle, are intensifying. However, as the KKE assessed in the Declaration of the CC of the KKE on the 70 years since the end of the 2nd World Imperialist War and the great anti-fascist victory of the peoples:"The reactionary bourgeois state is neither willing nor able to tackle Nazism root and branch; neither can the so called “antifascist fronts”, an alliance of the labour-people’s movement in cooperation with bourgeois political forces. Only the people’s alliance, the development of the class struggle with the aim of overthrowing the monopolies’ power, the capitalist system can deal with Nazism."[13]
In addition, the KKE assesses that today the goal of workers' power must not be pushed aside by another governmental goal on the terrain of capitalism, in the name of the deterioration of the situation of the working class and popular strata, due to the deep and prolonged economic crisis, imperialist war, open terror against the CP and the labour movement by Nazi-fascist organizations, provocations, the intensification of state violence.[14]


Socialist construction and the state under socialism.
For decades, social-democrats and opportunists have been carrying out, amongst other things, a systematic effort to negate every scientific approach to socialism and its state. We read, for example, in the material of the opportunist centre of Europe, the PEL, that it defends the "perspective of a democratic socialism». And this "socialist perspective" is defined by the PEL as "a society of justice founded on the pooling of wealth and the means of production, and on the sovereignty of democratic choice, in harmony with the planet’s limited resources."Similar confusion and anti-Marxist approaches of the socialist society have multiplied in recent years with the various "socialisms" of Latin America. From the "Socialism of the 21st Century" of Chavez to the "socialism of buen vivir" in Ecuador, where the US dollar is used as the national currency.
They aim for us to ignore the fact that at the base of every socio-economic formation is a specific mode of production, which is the dialectical unity of the forces of production and the relations of production. The relations of production as whole in every phase of the process of reproduction-production, distribution, exchange, consumption- constitute the economic base of society. Approaching this issue scientifically, Lenin underscored that:"In the social production of their life, men enter into definite relations that are indispensable and independent of their will, relations of production which correspond to a definite stage of development of their material productive forces. The sum total of these relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society, the real foundation, on which rises a legal and political superstructure and to which correspond definite forms of social consciousness."[15]
J.V. Stalin noted: "There are two types of production: the capitalist, including the state-capitalist, type, where there are two classes, where production is carried on for the profit of the capitalist; and there is the other type, the socialist type of production, where there is no exploitation, where the means of production belong to the working class, and where the enterprises are run not for the profit of an alien class, but for the expansion of industry in the interests of the workers as a whole."[16]
This is why the KKE rejects various interpretations of socialism, which have nothing to do with the Marxist-Leninist view, and as it has often stressed in relation to the views of the PEL, or the various "socialisms" of Latin America, that what we have in essence is the promotion of opportunist positions about the "humanization" of capitalism, “ the utopia about the democratization of the bourgeois state, while the "mixed" capitalist economy is being presented as being a new model of socialism. “The logic of national specificities constituted the instrument of “eurocommunism” in order to deny the scientific laws of socialist revolution and construction and today the problem manifests itself with the same or similar arguments.(...) in order to substantiate the substitution of the revolutionary path with parliamentarianism, the relegation of socialism into governmental changes which will manage bourgeois society, as, for example, the Sao Paolo Forum and other forces do. The construction of socialism is a unified process, which begins with the conquest of power by the working class in order to form the new mode of production, which will prevail with the complete abolition of capitalist relations, the capital-wage labour relations. The socialization of the means of production and central planning are laws of socialist construction, necessary conditions for the satisfaction of the people’s needs."[17]
The KKE, studying the experience of socialist construction assessed the 1965 economic reforms in the USSR as being mistaken. These were reforms that gave priority to "market reforms" and brought back the role of profit to the socialist economy. As a result vested interests emerged in the enterprises, which were not always in harmony with the interests of society. The mistaken reforms in the economy were combined with similar mistaken directions in the political superstructure (e.g. the All-people's state) and in the strategy of the international communist movement (e.g. policy of "peaceful coexistence”).Of course, our party disagrees with the assessments of CPs, which were pulled into the damaging current of "Maoism" and which considered that from one moment to the next, immediately after the 20th Congress, the workers' state ceased to exist or indeed that it was allegedly transformed into "social-imperialism" and in this way they participated in the anti-soviet propaganda. In contrast, our party, which defends the contribution of the USSR as the international communist and workers' movement did, considers that socialism was constructed in the USSR. However, it also considers that the 20th Congress of the CPSU was a turning point, because a number of opportunist positions were adopted on issues related to the economy, the strategy of the communist movement and international relations.
Today, we evaluate that 30 years after the counterrevolution in the USSR, Central and Eastern Europe, the capitalization of China has advanced. Capitalist relations of production hold sway there. At the same time we observe the continuing reinforcement of capitalist relations in countries that sought socialist construction, such as Vietnam and Cuba.[18]
Some comrades from other CPs argue that the developments in these countries are reminiscent of the NEP in Lenin's era. In other texts[19], we have highlighted the differences between the NEP and the changes taking place in these countries and the results of which our party is concerned about, based in its long study of the experience of the USSR. And this is because the socialization of the concentrated means of production, central planning in the distribution of labour power and the means of production, the eradication of the exploitation of man by man for the majority of workers are basic and necessary conditions, not only for the beginning of socialist construction, but also for its continuation.
In addition, as Lenin had noted that:"the dictatorship of the proletariat is not only the use of force against the exploiters, and not even mainly the use of force. The economic foundation of this use of revolutionary force, the guarantee of its effectiveness and success is the fact that the proletariat represents and creates a higher type of social organization of labour compared with capitalism. This is what is important, this is the source of the strength and the guarantee that the final triumph of communism is inevitable."[20] It is clear that this "higher type of social organization" can have nothing to do with nepotism. As was noted in the Report of the CC of the KKE to the 20th Congress of the party "North Korea has proceeded to reinforcing the so-called "free economic zones", the "market». The Workers' Party of Korea has for some years relinquished Marxism-Leninism and promotes the idealist "Juche" theory, speaks of "Kimilsungism-Kimjongunism", violating every concept of socialist democracy, workers'-people's control, in a regime of nepotism."[21]


Instead of an epilogue: We must close the "loopholes" of the 2nd International.
The KKE carried out a deep study of the causes that led to the overthrow of socialism in the USSR, following the path of many years of inner-party study and discussion and devoting its 18th Congress (in 2009) in order to provide comprehensive answers on this issue, drawing valuable conclusions for the future. On the basis of this effort, grounded in Marxism-Leninism, our party enriched its programmatic understanding of socialism, something that is reflected in the new Programme adopted at the 19th Congress (2013).

The Programme of the KKE notes amongst other things:"The socialist power is the revolutionary power of the working class, the dictatorship of the proletariat. The working class power will replace all the bourgeois institutions, which will be smashed by the revolutionary activity, with new institutions that will be created by the people."[22]
In addition, the Programme of the KKE describes in detail:
The material basis of the necessity of socialism in Greece
The duties of the KKE for the socialist revolution
Its duties more specifically on the revolutionary situation
The leading role of the Party in the revolution
Socialism as the first, lowest phase of communism
The issue of the satisfaction of the social needs
Fundamental principles of the formation of the socialist power
The 20th Congress of the KKE, which was held this year, on the 30th of March-2nd April 2017, posed the task of the comprehensive ideological-political-organizational steeling of the party and its youth as a party for the revolutionary overthrow.
100 years ago, at the end of his work "State of Revolution", V. I. Lenin noted that the 2nd International had spiraled into opportunism, that the experience of the Commune was forgotten and distorted and he added that:" Far from inculcating in the workers’ minds the idea that the time is nearing when they must act to smash the old state machine, replace it by a new one, and in this way make their political rule the foundation for the socialist reorganization of society, they have actually preached to the masses the very opposite and have depicted the “conquest of power” in a way that has left thousands of loopholes for opportunism."[23]
Today, 100 years after the Great October Revolution and a year before the 100th anniversary of the founding of our party, the KKE seeks with its positions and activity to bar the "doors and windows" to opportunism. This is a precondition for the realization of the ideals of a society without the exploitation of man by man.

[1] “State and Revolution”, V.I. Lenin, Collected Works, V. 25
[2] “Critique of the Gotha Programme”, K. Marx
[3] “State and Revolution”, V.I. Lenin, Collected Works, V.25
[4] “State and Revolution”, V.I. Lenin, Collected Works, V.25
[5]From SYRIZA's governmental programme.
[6] The Real News Network, Interview (28/1/2015) with Leo Panitch, Professor of Political Science at York University, Toronto, Canada. http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=13071&updaterx=2015-01-28+01%3A16%3A04
[7] Article of Paul Mason (1/9/2015), former BBC journalist and former economics editor for Channel 4 News.http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/paul-mason-what-unites-the-new-movements-of-the-left-1.2335322
[8] 5th Congress of the PEL. Political Document: "Refound Europe, create new progressive convergence"
[9] 18th Congress of the KKE, Resolution on Socialism. February 2009
[10] “Statement of the CC of the KKE on the Military Coup of the 21st of April 1967. “Rizospastis”, 5 March 2017.
[11] Ibid
[12] “The impending catastrophe and how to combat it”, V.I. Lenin, Collected Works, V.25
[13] Declaration of the CC of the KKE on the 70 years since the end of the 2nd World Imperialist War and the great anti-fascist victory of the peoples. April 2015
[14] ibid
[15] “Karl Marx”, V. I. Lenin, Collected Works, V.21
[16]J.V. Stalin, Works, V. 7
[17] Speech of the KKE at the 16th International Meeting of the Communist and Workers’ Parties in Ecuador.
[18] Theses of the CC of the KKE for the 20th Congress.
[19] “The international Role of China”, Komep 6/2010
[20] “A great beginning”, V.I. Lenin, Collected Works, V. 29
[21]Report of the CC of the KKE to the 20th Congress of the party, March 2017.
[22] Programme of the KKE, 2013
[23] «State and Revolution”, V.I. Lenin, Collected Works, V. 25.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/04/communist-party-of-greece-criticism-of.html

Man, these guys are so solid, so strong, it is intimidating - and heartening. We have to up our game. No excuses.

PAME expresses solidarity with the General Strike of the workers of Brazil on April 28

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The All Workers Militant Front (PAME) that represents the class trade union movement of Greece, expresses its solidarity with the working class and the unions of Brazil, the CTB and the friends and affiliates of WFTU in Brazil, for the General Strike of April 28
The workers of Brazil are going on General Strike on April 28 against the antiworkers’ reforms planned by the Temer Government on Social Security and labour legislation. The General Strike of April 28, which has been prepared systematically by the class trade unions of Brazil for weeks, aims to be the biggest strike action since the great General Strike of 1917.
PAME expresses its class solidarity with the General Strike of the workers of Brazil, in their fight for workers’ rights against the antiworkers’ policies that serve the capital.
* * *
Nationwide General Strike slated for April 28 in Brazil.
Source: fightbacknews.org.
Sao Paulo, Brazil - Labor unions, progressive political parties and social movements across Brazil have called for a general strike of all workers to protest the neoliberal anti-worker policies being imposed by right-wing politicians including the new president Michel Temer. Temer was put in office only after the illegal removal of progressive President Dilma Rousseff of the Workers Party.
“Teachers in Brazil face many of the same challenges that we do in Chicago. They face closings of neighborhood schools, cuts in teachers’ pension benefits as well as cuts to students in need. But a general strike to protest. Wow!” said CTU Executive Board Member Natasha Carlsen. “We are not there yet, but by organizing students, teachers and parents and applying class struggle methods we will get there.”
The call for a general strike follows protests and strikes by more than a million people on March 15. In Sao Paulo, the CTB president, Adilson Araujo, was one of those who used the microphone on the crowded Paulista Avenue saying, “Brazil woke up earlier today, willing to give a response to this illegitimate government which tries to impose at all costs an extreme neoliberal agenda.”
“All the unions are organizing for the General Strike. We had a meeting with every union in every sector. We are all united. We are striking to win back workers’ rights, win back our pensions and stop outsourcing,” said Campinas General Secretary for the CTB Paulo Jose Nobre, “Brazilian President Michel Temer is making an unprecedented attack on us. He wants us to work more hours and get paid less. He wants us to work more years for our pension and have less rights as workers.”

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/04/pame-expresses-solidarity-with-general.html

MESSAGE OF TRADE UNIONS AGAINST THE IMPERIALIST WAR

MESSAGE OF TRADE UNIONS AND TRADE UNIONISTS.
AGAINST THE IMPERIALIST WAR.
With the workers of all countries, for a world without exploitation, wars, and refugees.
This 1st of May we are in the eye of the imperialist storm. The outbreaks of armed conflicts are spreading through from Ukraine to the Black Sea, the Balkans, the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa.

Powerful forces are involved in the competitions, such as the United States, the EU, Russia with the active participations of the governments of our countries in for the control of oil, natural gas, the roads of energy transfer, markets, in the interest of the monopoly groups.

The war in Syria, which has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and turned millions of others into refugees, is the result of intra-imperialist competitions, a multiform imperialist intervention. It shows how capitalism, which increases the wealth for a "handful" of exploiters, at the same time, it creates crisis, social problems, war, refugees, with devastating consequences for millions of workers.
The imperialists divide the world with the blood of the people; they create nationalist rivalries among the peoples.
The Balkans have experienced the bloody and destructive dissolution of countries by imperialist war, the change of borders.
NATO army and fleet spread over from the Baltic to the Balkans, the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean, defending the interests of this “alliance of wolves”, the interests of its monopolies in the area against their competitors.
The all-out attack which condemns the working classes in every country in unemployment, poverty and misery, is the one side of the coin of class policy.
The other side is the unfair imperialist war, which they wage in the interests of large monopoly groups.
Faced with the possibility of a widespread military conflict in our region, we build a wall of protection for the working class of our countries, for our people, in joint action and solidarity between the peoples and with the Trade Unions in the first line of this fight.
We fight for all of our rights, demanding the satisfaction of the contemporary needs of working-class families. We are fighting against exploitation and against our exploiters.
This fight is inextricably connected with the fight against any participation of our countries in the war prepared by our exploiters with their power, their governments and their alliances with USA - NATO - EU, against the workers in other countries.
The bourgeoisie promotes their class interest for profits as "national interest” both in times of "peace" and war.
We will not bleed for their profits; we will not become meat in their cannons.
There is nothing to divide among the working classes of other countries, among other people. On the contrary, we are united by the common interest of fighting for a life without riches and poverty, without bosses, this is the life that belongs to us.
That is why we are fighting for:
No involvement in the imperialist interventions and wars outside the borders. No involvement in the slaughterhouses of NATO and the EU.
Closure of all foreign military bases. NATO Out from the Aegean Sea and the Balkans.
No involvement in any capitalist political-military alliance.
Against the change of borders and the change of treaties that guarantee them.
Against the abolition of trade unions rights and other freedoms.
We say no to war expenditure for military action outside the borders, we demand funding to satisfy the needs of the working class, of workers’ families.
Against nationalism, racism, chauvinism.
Solidarity with refugees, migrants, solidarity to all people.
We Do Not Stand Behind The Foreign And Hostile To Us Flag Of The Capitalists And Their Allies. We Raise The Flag Of The Interests Of The Working Class.
We Are Fighting Against The Unjust Wars, To Eliminate What Causes Them.
Solidarity Is The Weapon Of Peoples.
Currently signed by:
PAME- Greece
Nakliyat Is – Turkey
Sosyal Is – Turkey
Birlesik Metal Is - Turkey
Autonomous Trade Union of Employees in Agriculture, Food, Tobacco Industry - Serbia
SLOGA - Serbia
GFTU –Syria
WUCP – Palestine
Left Bloc – Austria
Cyprus – KTOEOS
USB – Italy
SGB - Italy

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/04/message-of-trade-unions-against.html

MESSAGE OF TRADE UNIONS AGAINST THE IMPERIALIST WAR

MESSAGE OF TRADE UNIONS AND TRADE UNIONISTS.
AGAINST THE IMPERIALIST WAR.
With the workers of all countries, for a world without exploitation, wars, and refugees.
This 1st of May we are in the eye of the imperialist storm. The outbreaks of armed conflicts are spreading through from Ukraine to the Black Sea, the Balkans, the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa.

Powerful forces are involved in the competitions, such as the United States, the EU, Russia with the active participations of the governments of our countries in for the control of oil, natural gas, the roads of energy transfer, markets, in the interest of the monopoly groups.

The war in Syria, which has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and turned millions of others into refugees, is the result of intra-imperialist competitions, a multiform imperialist intervention. It shows how capitalism, which increases the wealth for a "handful" of exploiters, at the same time, it creates crisis, social problems, war, refugees, with devastating consequences for millions of workers.
The imperialists divide the world with the blood of the people; they create nationalist rivalries among the peoples.
The Balkans have experienced the bloody and destructive dissolution of countries by imperialist war, the change of borders.
NATO army and fleet spread over from the Baltic to the Balkans, the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean, defending the interests of this “alliance of wolves”, the interests of its monopolies in the area against their competitors.
The all-out attack which condemns the working classes in every country in unemployment, poverty and misery, is the one side of the coin of class policy.
The other side is the unfair imperialist war, which they wage in the interests of large monopoly groups.
Faced with the possibility of a widespread military conflict in our region, we build a wall of protection for the working class of our countries, for our people, in joint action and solidarity between the peoples and with the Trade Unions in the first line of this fight.
We fight for all of our rights, demanding the satisfaction of the contemporary needs of working-class families. We are fighting against exploitation and against our exploiters.
This fight is inextricably connected with the fight against any participation of our countries in the war prepared by our exploiters with their power, their governments and their alliances with USA - NATO - EU, against the workers in other countries.
The bourgeoisie promotes their class interest for profits as "national interest” both in times of "peace" and war.
We will not bleed for their profits; we will not become meat in their cannons.
There is nothing to divide among the working classes of other countries, among other people. On the contrary, we are united by the common interest of fighting for a life without riches and poverty, without bosses, this is the life that belongs to us.
That is why we are fighting for:
No involvement in the imperialist interventions and wars outside the borders. No involvement in the slaughterhouses of NATO and the EU.
Closure of all foreign military bases. NATO Out from the Aegean Sea and the Balkans.
No involvement in any capitalist political-military alliance.
Against the change of borders and the change of treaties that guarantee them.
Against the abolition of trade unions rights and other freedoms.
We say no to war expenditure for military action outside the borders, we demand funding to satisfy the needs of the working class, of workers’ families.
Against nationalism, racism, chauvinism.
Solidarity with refugees, migrants, solidarity to all people.
We Do Not Stand Behind The Foreign And Hostile To Us Flag Of The Capitalists And Their Allies. We Raise The Flag Of The Interests Of The Working Class.
We Are Fighting Against The Unjust Wars, To Eliminate What Causes Them.
Solidarity Is The Weapon Of Peoples.
Currently signed by:
PAME- Greece
Nakliyat Is – Turkey
Sosyal Is – Turkey
Birlesik Metal Is - Turkey
Autonomous Trade Union of Employees in Agriculture, Food, Tobacco Industry - Serbia
SLOGA - Serbia
GFTU –Syria
WUCP – Palestine
Left Bloc – Austria
Cyprus – KTOEOS
USB – Italy
SGB - Italy

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/04/message-of-trade-unions-against.html

I was going to just use a partial quotation, but I couldn't find one! The whole thing is just so dead-on. We should be pushing this same message. Being down in the colon of beast we just have to shout louder...

May Day 2017: Mass participation in PAME's militant rallies in Athens and Thessaloniki (Photos & Videos)

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

With a massive gathering at Syntagma square and a march towards the U.S. Embassy, thousands of people participated in PAME's May Day rally in Athens. Under the slogan "With the Workers of all Countries for a World without exploitation, wars, refugees", the protesters expressed their commitment to continue the class struggle against the new antipeople measures of the SYRIZA coalition government and the EU.

The 1st of May rallies by PAME consist a step towards the escalation of struggle against the policy of government-EU-capital which will be expressed with a nationwide strike on May 17th.

Attending the May Day rally in Syntagma square, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas made the following statement:

"The 2017 May Day must consist a real beginning of new big dynamic working-popular struggles for the movement's regroupment, in order to take back everything they stole from us during the crisis period, to cancel all the antiworker antipeople laws, to unilaterally disengage our country from the EU and NATO wolves-alliances, to unilaterally delete this debt and of course to pave the way for the socialization of the mode of production, of the services, of the whole economy with a centrally elaborated plan. So that our people's prosperity really exists, against wars, with peace, with the working class, the people in power. This way can- and must- open from today on, every day, every hour. This is the invitation of the KKE to the people".

The major speech at the PAME May Day rally in Athens was delivered by Giorgos Perros, member of the PAME executive committee, while greeting messages were read by the Ambassador of Palestine Marwan Emile Toubassi and the representative of the striking workers at "Coca-Cola Thessaloniki" Anestis Metaxas.


Photo credit: 902.gr.
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Photo credit: 902.gr.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_51lvYqqhy8/WQdhakzvdTI/AAAAAAAACoM/EtkYFq3kQn8pKMJAvaQ0aKVpYVZESO6hQCLcB/s640/Athens%2BGreece%2BMay%2BDay%2B2017%2B2.jpg

* * *



http://youtu.be/3ihoodS7kmM

In Thessaloniki, a militant rally took place at the city center where thousands of workers, women and students participated in PAME's May Day gathering. The rally concluded with the laying of carnation wreaths at the place where workers were murdered during the May 1936 uprising in the city.

Photo credit: 902.gr.

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In Piraeus:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/2G0nTwv2tjaYs2n1VrzohBF4PYCXLahRyYcOqVN_ieNBl0aEQuZ6qgysczb6RNQExS__0nOSkPNN00dPDeBgtaLodY-0yRvlkUE5i9k0lSWfemzsRmi_sU09LBWaBuNOwRwCybMYwZT_uIGQfg7W0y3JWN5ROPrb9ypxIn8cwlNU=s0-d
Photo credit: 902.gr.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/05/may-day-2017-mass-participation-in.html

KKE strongly condemns EU parliament's reactionary resolution on Venezuela

KKE MEPs K.Papadakis and
S.Zarianopoulos.
Info: Rizospastis / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

On the occasion of the joint resolution adopted by the EU Parliament with the votes of the MEPs from the European People's Party, the Socialists & Democrats, Conservatives-Reformists and Liberals (ALDE) regarding the situation in Venezuela, the Europarliament Group of the KKE (Communist Party of Greece) issued the following statement:

"The Europarliament Group of the KKE voted against the resolution which was filed at the EU Parliament by the EU People's Party, the Social Democrats, the Liberals and the Conservatives-Reformists about the situation in Venezuela. The resolution, which supports the opposition parties, calls, among others, the high representative of the Union for foreign affairs "to actively explore with international and regional organisations other measures that would enable the EU to restore full democracy to Venezuela". That is in fact another resolution of the Europarliament, like the previous ones regarding Syria, Libya, Ukraine etc, that consists a precursor and preparation for imperialist interventions of the EU, alongside the USA and other imperialist organisations, such as NATO.

The EU- this inter-state union of capital and her institutions- are not legitimized to proclaim themselves as supposed supporters of peoples freedoms and enforcement instruments of EU's "democratic values" and "principles". The interest of all the bourgeois powers, of the EU and the USA, for the dead protesters and people's freedoms in Venezuela is hypocritical. What they care about is only that their own corporation businesses will dominate over their rivals and to take share of Venezuela's energy wealth, the top oil-producing country in the world.

By hiding this reality, the government (Syriza) and New Democracy are engaged in a fight for impressions about the situation in Venezuela, in order to disguise their strategic compilation in promoting the antiworkers policy. The stance of SYRIZA MEPs, who in the beginning had voted against (the resolution) but now they appear as... abstained from the voting, is revealing.

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ig06mkBvpOs/WQhqvFiV8HI/AAAAAAAACo4/U6mW7Nq68-IiuGEThNb7GxnXPm_rVCkFACLcB/s640/Venezuela%2Band%2BEuropean%2BUnion.jpg


The KKE has on time analysed the economic, political and social developments in Venezuela, stressing that the management of capitalism, whatever form it has, either liberal or socialdemocratic, is contrary to the people's interests and needs. The KKE had, documented and on time, warned that since the government of the last years in Venezuela choosed, instead of the clash with the capital, the compromise and co-operation with a part of it, the people of Venezuela will pay the price of the antipeople policy, the antagonisms between sections of the bourgeois class which are sharpening today.

The KKE had condemned and condemns every foreign imperialist intervention. It steadily expresses its solidarity to the people of Venezuela who, like every people, have the exclusive right to overthrow the antipeople policies, to free themselves from the shackles of capital's exploitation with their power and struggle, to take the power in their hands and become the owners of their own producing wealth.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/05/kke-strongly-condemns-eu-parliaments.html

KKE GS D. Koutsoumbas: "The SYRIZA government does the 'dirty job' on behalf of the capitalists"
Regarding the recent agreement of the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government with the creditors on new harsh antipeople-antiworkers measures, the Secretary General of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas made the following statement:

"The new agreement of the SYRIZA-ANEL government with the Quartet, which typically and in fact consists a new memorandum, with new harsh measures against employees, pensioners, self-employed people, confirms once more that the government does the "dirty job" on behalf of the capital.

The new agreement consists a new attack on the people's income, new large cuts in pensions and benefits, new structural measures for the benefit of the monopolies, such as the substantial abolition of the Sunday holiday and the expansion of privatizations.

It is a provocation that the government projects the new measures as a "discharge" from the memorandums and the crisis, while in fact they consist a "death certificate" for the working-popular rights. Even if there is, some time, an exit from the EU and IMF "programs", the hundreds of antiworker-antipeople laws that the current and the previous governments voted for will be in power.

The agreement also confirms the "grotesque" issue of "counter-measures". The so-called "counter-measures" not only do not counterbalance the new big loses for the popular strata and the aggravation of "extreme poverty", but to a large extend they are supporting measures for the capital, like for example the decrease of business group's taxation.

The KKE calls the people to decisively repel the new attack, to organise their struggle against these measures without end. To turn their backs to the mockery of the SYRIZA-ANEL government, to the rest parties which support the same strategy. The Workers' May Day mass and militant rallies, in which the forces of KKE and PAME had a leading role, consisted a first response to the arguments about "peoples tolerance" to the governmental policy and sent an optimistic message for the best preparation of the nationwide strike".

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/05/kke-gs-d-koutsoumbas-syriza-government.html

People Rise Up: Greece's Labour movement prepares for national General Strike on May 17
A nationwide General Strike is scheduled to take place on May 17, 2017 with rallies and demonstrations in Athens-Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Patras and all major cities of the country.

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tU1sybonnrw/WRmUxFk2YII/AAAAAAAACt4/VuyeLgP3dm0F2h0xiuduUzfdv4bW5yclgCLcB/s320/PAME%2BGreece%2BStr.jpg

On the occasion of the General Strike, the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) calls the people to rise up against the new harsh measures imposed by the bailout agreement of the SYRIZA coalition government and the creditors (EU-IMF). More specifically, the PAME statement writes:

All together, workers, Unemployed, self-employed, scientists, small farmers, young workers, we must stop the continuous destruction of our lives.
We must demand the recovery of all our losses
We must fight for new demands, based on our contemporary needs
The new Agreement-4th Memorandum of the SYRIZA Government-Capital-EU is:
Further destruction of the branch level Collective Contracts. Further attack on the already cut National Minimum Wage and the division between young and older workers. They destroy our wages
Liberalization of massive layoffs and legalization of Lock Out
New brutal taxation to the people which will cost additional 1.5 salaries every year in taxes.
New pension cuts! They steal from the pensioners up to 2 pensions every year.
They abolish Sunday as a day off from work. They turn the workers into slaves of the multinationals, who will work 7 days a week. They take us back into the dark ages.
They cut whatever rights and benefits were left, as the unemployment benefit. With more than 1.000.000 unemployed and less than 1/10 of them receiving any financial support from the unemployment agency, they cut further €1.5 million a year from unemployment funding.
More cuts are imposed to a series of benefits that existed to support the most vulnerable and poor workers.
New privatizations are imposed in state companies in Electricity, Gas, Water, Oil. This will also lead to higher costs for the workers.
They open the door for auctioning off and foreclosures of people’s homes etc
Under the demand of the “big investors”, they want to block trade union action. To block the foundation and activity of unions, to stop the organization of struggles.
We must stop the new attack against our lives
The new measures are the 4th Memorandum, which will burden the working class. It includes new privileges and funding to the big business groups, new misery for the workers.

We can see clearly what is the meaning of the so called “fair development”. It is growth and development for the benefit of the capitalists, that is built over the destruction of the workers’-people’s rights. Development based on extreme exploitation. Growth which means huge profits for the few, poverty for the many.
For these profits the SYRIZA Government, also, promotes the participation of Greece to the geopolitical bloodbath that we witness in our region. Their goal of “geostrategic upgrade” of Greece is why they participate in the imperialist interventions and wars.
We demand no participation in the imperialist plans
The workers, the unemployed, the young workers, we demand the recovery of our losses, our contemporary needs.
We condemn the unified line of the political parties (social democratic, liberal, centrist, etc) that supported the 3rd Memorandum., who support the policy of the monopolies and the exploitative system. They are responsible for our situation.
We take the responsibility for the organizations and success of the General Strike in our hands.
We overcome the obstacles and the undermining of the forces of class collaboration, the trade union forces controlled by the Government and the employers. We overcome the ETUC members in Greece (GSEE-ADEDY), who are the most stable ally of the capitalists.
We have the right on our side!
We have the power!
May 17 - National General Strike
May 18 Demonstrations and Rallies in All Greek Cities.
ATHENS, Kotzia square at 10.00 am.
THESSALONIKI, Venizelos' statue at 10.30 am.
PIRAEUS, Karaiskaki square at 10.00 am.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/05/people-rise-up-greeces-labour-movement.html

“We will not become the slaves of the 21st century": The KKE calls for people's counterattack

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GrcRE9XAeuQ/WRs3Xcgh-SI/AAAAAAAACuw/h-49PWiT_ccCtN_pyyscM_ifnW5Evc_QwCLcB/s320/Workers%2BDemo%2BGr.jpg

Source: inter.kke.gr.

A 24hr general strike will be held in Greece on 17 May 2017, as well as the strike rallies and demonstrations of the All-worker’s Militant Front (PAME) in dozens of cities, against the measures which the coalition government of the “Left” party of SYRIZA and the nationalist party of ANEL is bringing for discussion on that day in Parliament.
Protest demonstrations will be organized by PAME all over the country on 18th of May, the day the measures will be voted on.
The SYRIZA-ANEL government is bringing these measures after the negotiations with the imperialist unions of the EU and IMF for the 2nd evaluation of the 3rd Memorandum. It is clear from the results that the government negotiated with the lenders on behalf of the interests of the domestic monopoly groups and not the people, with the aim of accelerating the process of an exit from the capitalist crisis that favours capital.

The new raft of anti-people measures further escalates the assault, thrusts new burdens onto the already struggling popular households, at the same time when better conditions are being formed for the activity of the business groups (such as the new measures to liberalize the market and accelerate privatizations).
In brief, the measures provide for:
New reductions in pensions, with the result that the pensioners will lose a sum equivalent to two months’ pensions a year
ncrease of direct taxation even for those who have a low income, through the reduction of the tax threshold. So, for example, a salaried employee who earns 615 euros a month and who does not pay any direct taxes today, will be called onto to pay up to 300 euros of tax a year, i.e. almost half a month’s salary.
New reductions in public funds for healthcare spending.
New cuts to various benefits (unemployment, heating).
There are other measures to support capital in the new agreement, such as the increase of privatizations, the complete liberalization of mass dismissals for big capitalist businesses, the legislation of new obstacles to the calling of strikes, the consolidation of all the anti-workers laws on collective labour agreements passed since 2011, the creation of new obstacles for the signing of collective labour agreements, the legalization of “lock outs” organized by the employers, the abolition of the Sunday holiday with painful consequences for retail workers and small shopkeepers, with aim of accelerating the concentration of the retail sector into department stores and supermarket chains etc.
These new measures will have a cumulative impact in a period when the situation of most employees and self-employed has already deteriorated dramatically due to the policies both of the previous ND-PASOK governments and the current SYRIZA-ANEL government.
In 2016, 45% of the population had an income under the fixed poverty line.
The KKE calls on the people to protest against the new agreement in a combative way, on the basis of their needs, which are constantly being sacrificed at the altar of the recovery of the profits of the monopolies. It calls on the people, beginning with the strike of the 17thof May to organize their counterattack decisively, to demand the immediate recovery of the great losses they suffered during the period of the crisis, against the new offensive of the ruling class, EU, IMF, which is being unleashed by the SYRIZA-ANEL government.
The workers with their mass participation in the strike of the 17th of May, in the other mobilizations, with their organization in the workplaces, must declare that: “We will not become the slaves of the 21st century.”

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/05/we-will-not-become-slaves-of-21st.html

The SYRIZA government serves capitalist barbarity: KKE MPs denounce the new austerity measures

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Dimitris Koutsoumbas (Left) and Thanasis
Pafilis during their Parliament speeches.

Report by In Defense of Communism, info by 902.gr & Rizospastis.

As the Parliament prepares to vote upon the new austerity package (a 4th memorandum agreed by the government, the EU and the creditors), the MPs of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) unleashed an attack against the government's new antipeople measures.

Speaking at the Parliament, the Secretary General of the CC of the KKE Dimitris Koutsoumbas denounced the coalition SYRIZA-ANEL government as the one responsible for the shrinkage of people's standards of living and labour rights. "The new antipeople agreement" said D.Koutsoumbas, "consists a new a 4th memorandum" and pointed out that the new measures "both directly and indirectly support the profitability of business corporations". He also stressed that the policy followed by the government is based on directions which increase the exploitation of the working people and strengthen the concentration of the capital.


The KKE's Secretary General said that responsible for this policy are Greece's ruling class, the Greek industrialists, the Quartet as well as the SYRIZA government, the major opposition party of New Democracy and the rest bourgeois parties. Dimitris Koutsoumbas called the Greek people, the working class, to rise up against the new austerity measures, to give a militant response to the governmental policy, the monopolies and their imperialist alliances, such as the EU and NATO.

From his side, the parliamentary respresentative of the KKE Thanasis Pafilis said that the SYRIZA coalition government serves capitalist barbarity and tries to satisfy the demands of the capital. He attacked both the government and the major opposition of New Democracy for being engaged in a "false confrontation" which isn't about the popular interests but about who is a better servant of capitalist development within the EU.

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Taking to Flash Radio on Thursday evening, the KKE MP Nikos Karathanasopoulos said that "the measures included in the law consist a ticket to the labyrinth of capitalist development". As he said, the current law proposed by the government is the continuation of the previous austerity memorandums and brings new burdens on the people in order to serve the needs of business corporations. Karathanasopoulos stressed out that the actual implementation of the new measures will be judged in the streets as long as the people are the ones who will have the final word.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/05/the-syriza-government-serves-capitalist.html

'Captain-Yiotis' remembered: Charilaos Florakis, 1914-2005

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Nikos Mottas writes about the legendary Greek Communist leader, partisan-fighter in WW2 and Greece's Civil War, long-time (1972-1991) General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece, CHARILAOS FLORAKIS.

By Nikos Mottas.

It was the 22nd of May 2005 when the tireless communist, the militant guerrilla captain, the popular leader, comrade Charilaos Florakis passed away. At 91 years of age, he was completing a life full of struggles; a life given to the ideals of a better world, for the perspective of Socialism and Communism. His life was given to KKE, to the Party he loved and gave everything.

The life and activity of Charilaos Florakis has been core part of KKE's history, of the most glorious- but also difficult- peoples struggles in Greece during WW2 occupation, during the Civil War as well as the country's modern history. Comrade Florakis, with his firm faith in the ideas of Marxism-Leninism, was never absent from Greek working class struggles.

Charilaos Florakis' political activity began in the pre-war decade of 1930s, as a member of the Communist Party's youth wing (OKNE) and later as a student and vigorous worker at the so-called “TTT” (Posts, Telegraphs, Telephone Offices). At an early age, as a teenager, he understood the signs of the ongoing class-struggle in the Greek countryside of '30s:

“...the hopes that the course of the soviets was giving towards the workers and the poor ones, were oxygen for the people who used to participate in organised mobilisations. On the same time, however, the bourgeois State, which in the beginning was looking numb and awkward, started moving towards counter-attacking and anticommunism. The Police was observing everyone and everything and the workers' leadership was taking numerous precautions for its activity” (Ch.Theocharatos, Charilaos Florakis and Popular Movement, Typoekdotiki 2001, p.60).

Florakis was present in the workers, labor union struggles, as a working telegrapher, member of the “TTT” struggle committee, acting under especially difficult circmstances in the midst of Metaxas dictatorship's anti-communist frenzy. For his union activity he was transferred many times from town to town. Wherever he was, however, young Charilaos was trying to create contact with clandestine groups of communists.

Florakis participated actively in the resistance struggle against the Nazi occupation. He was one of the major organisers of the first large strike in Nazi-occupied Europe (April 1942) while he started participating in EAM (National Liberation Movement) activities and also became a member of the Communist Party (KKE).

As a member of the anti-fascist liberation movement, Charilaos Florakisparticipated actively in the great popular struggles of EAM-ELAS [1] being a guerrilla officer. From 1943 to 1945 he was promoted to the ranks of Captain and, later, of Major in the ELAS army, while he took part in the bloody events of December 1944 against British imperialists and their local servants. He was arrested on October 1945.

The fight of the Democratic Army [2] in the Civil War was the most significant

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'Captain-Yiotis' in 1940s.

moment of class-struggle in 20th century's Greece. Charilaos Florakis participated actively in the 1946-1949 war, being a military officer of the Democratic Army- from Lieutenant Colonel he reached the rank of Major General in 1948. 'Captain Yiotis'- as he was known in the guerrilla war- never submitted to “political correctness”. On the contrary, he was known for never mincing his words, calling a spade as a spade. Years after the Greek Civil War he was telling to journalist Christos Theocharatos:

“Yes, the Civil War was unavoidable. Because, the domestic and foreign reaction had decided to subjugate and exterminate every patriotic and democratic resistance. Only if we were waiting to arrest us, to torture us, to humiliate and kill us, then we wouldn't have a civil war. But, even this, without armed resistance, extermination of us wouldn't be a unilateral civil war? […] The Civil War was a patriotic and democratic struggle, like the Resistance (in WW2) was, and not a fight for a regime. It was the continuation of the Resistance” (Ch.Theocharatos, Charilaos Florakis and Popular Movement, p.324).

For his political ideas and for his activity as a member of EAM-ELAS and the Democratic Army, Florakis was persecuted by the Greek bourgeois state. He passed through trials and prisons. But he would always manage to find the courage and transform his defense speeches in courts into fierce tirades against his prosecutors. In a testimony to the court in the city of Larisa, on April 1955, Florakis said:

“Communists aren't those who have no fatherland. Communists are simple people, hard-working people, having ties with the land they were born in. […] Those who don't believe in fatherlands and who have no country are the plutocrats. The wealth gives them the ability to live in any place and every country they want. The Occupation proved, as well as the present situation does, who has a fatherland, who loves her and who sacrifices himself for her freedom and prosperity”.

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Defending his ideas in the court.

The accusations against him, the persecutions, the threats against his life wouldn't be able to uproot from his mind the strong belief in communist ideals, in the Communist Party (KKE), in the great values for which he fought. Speaking to his prosecutors at the end of a trial he said:

“Personally- as I told you in the beginning- I am filled by the great ideals of communism. There is no power in the world that can oblige me to denounce them. For the realization of the Party's policy, for the service of our People's interests, for Greece, I gladly offer all my powers and, without doubt, even the most valuable possession for a human being- my own life...”.

Charilaos passed 18 years in the prisons of Greece's post-Civil War bourgeois state. He was imprisoned at the age of 40, he was released under conditions at 52 and then he was re-arrested and sent into exile at 53. He remained imprisoned for 216 months and 6,570 days. But he fought and, finally, came out victorious. In 1972, in the midst of the anti-dictatorship struggle in Greece, he was elected First Secretary of the- then illegal- Communist Party and later General Secretary of the CC of the Party.

He remained Secretary of KKE from 1972 until 1991. Florakis fought with all his power for a Communist Party dedicated to the ideals of Marxism-Leninism, against any kind of opportunism and revisionism. His role was undoubtely significant in the 1980s, in a period when the petty-bourgeois 'socialism' of PASOK was alluring people with populist promises.

Florakis remained solid in his beliefs during the counter-revolutionary 'storm' of 1989-1991 in the USSR and Eastern Europe. Aleka Papariga, who succeeded him as KKE's General Secretary, described his role: “Lively, in front of us, is the decisive contribution of Charilaos Florakis, in 1990, in the wide plenary of the Central Committee, in the 13th Congress in 1991. In defense of the socialist system. His courageously stance to defy the mountains of lies against socialism and socialist ideology. He had- especially in the then extremely difficult and dark times- the solid belief that the world will change, that socialism will win. It isn't always easy to go 'against the flow'. It isn't always easy to remain firm when others are falling. And, even more, to open new ways” (Farewell of the CC, 24 May 2005).

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With Fidel Castro in Havana.

Charilaos Florakis remained a consistent supporter of what historical Socialism had achieved. When in the dawn of the 1990s, various 'eurocommunists' and 'revisionists' were abandoning the class-struggle ideals, the historic leader of KKE was remaining firm in the ideological heritage of Marx, Engels and Lenin.

“So, therefore, the overthrow in Eastern Europe consist a 'thriumph of Democracy'! (Translator note: ironically speaking). But, what powers were strengthened by this 'triumph'? The real democratic powers or those powers which, in the name of democracy, have literally came out against socialism? 'Thriumph of Democracy' with the Communist Party outlawed! 'Thriumph of Democracy' with new capabilities for Imperialism's intervention! 'Thriumph of Democracy' with unemployment, misery, hunger and crime!” (Chr.Theocharatos, Charilaos Florakis: The popular leader, Typoekdotiki, 2001).

Florakis had the perception that the so-called “End of History”- as Fukuyama and the bourgeois propaganda were predicting after the counterrevolutionary events in the USSR- was an illusion. Charilaos was saying:

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Florakis' grave in Paliozoglopi.
(Photo: Nikos Mottas)

“Despite it's metaphysical (paranormal) content, (the 'end of ideologies' argument) can't change reality. And the reality states that the contradictions existing in Capitalism, now that the USSR has dissolved, aren't weakened but getting stronger […] Neither Capitalism is eternal nor the end of Communism has come, for the simple reason that the people will not renounce the vision for a just society and won't abandon the struggles for socialism”.

Charilaos Florakis died on May 22, 2005 at the age of 91 in Athens. His funeral was attended by thousands of people, communists and non-communists, ordinary working-people, young and old ones. According to his own wish, he was entombed at Ayios Ilias, a quiet mountainous place surrounded by forrest, a few kilometres away from his birthplace, Paliozoglopi, in Karditsa, Thessaly.

Florakis was a real, authentic communist. In a speech, given at the age of 75, he was assuring the audience: “If, like Faust, I had to restart by life, what would I do? I would become a communist once again and I would fight for a better world and, again, I would struggle- with less or more mistakes, doesn't matter- for the fatherland, for democracy, for social justice, for Socialism”.

Memory eternal, comrade Charilaos Florakis.

* [1]: EAM: Ethniko Apeleftherotiko Metopo, National Liberation Front was the major movement of Greek resistance during the Axis occupation of the country during World War 2. The main driving force behind EAM was the Communist Party of Greece / ELAS: Ellinikós Laïkós Apeleftherotikós Stratós, Greek People's Liberation Army was the military wing of EAM during the resistance period, until 1945.
* [2]: Democratic Army of Greece (DSE) was a guerrilla army founded by the Communist Party of Greece during the Civil War of 1946-1949. DSE fought against the conventional Army of the Kingdom of Greece and it's allies, US and Britain.

In Defense of Communism ©.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/05/captain-yiotis-remembered-charilaos.html

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.
The counterrevolutionary overthrows do not change the character of the era. The 21st century will be the century of a new upsurge of the global revolutionary movement and a new series of socialist revolutions.
The daily struggles for partial and more general gains are undeniably necessary, but they cannot provide substantial, long-term and permanent solutions. Socialism remains the only way out.
The necessity of socialism is highlighted by the sharpening of the contradictions in the contemporary capitalist world, the international imperialist system. The material preconditions for socialism, i.e. labour power and the means of production, have matured within capitalism itself.
Capitalism has socialized labour and production to unprecedented levels. The working class, the main productive force, constitutes the majority of the economically active population. However, the means of production, the products of social labour are privately owned by the capitalists.
This contradiction is the root cause of all the crisis phenomena of contemporary capitalist societies, such as economic crises, the destruction of the environment, the drug problem, the long working day despite the great increase of labour productivity, and which of course coexists with unemployment, under-employment and semi-employment, the intensification of the exploitation of labour power etc.
At the same time, however, this reality signals the need to abolish private ownership of the concentrated means of production, to socialize them and use them in a planned way in social production, the planning of the economy by workers' power so that the relations of production correspond to the level of development of the forces of production.

***
The impact of the Great October Socialist Revolution, the first victorious battle in history for the emancipation of the working class, remains undiminished to this day. Socialism was transformed from a prediction into a specific reality.
The victory of the revolution provided the possibility of condensing its lessons into a complete theory for socialist revolution and the party. The lessons from it provided the ideological and political basis for the establishment of the Communist International, for a new impetus for the international communist movement.
The theoretical legacy of October, enriched by the experience of the socialist revolutions that then followed, is priceless.
It confirmed in practice the correctness of the Marxist-Leninist theory of the revolution, which flows from the complete systematic analysis of imperialism i.e. that the revolution matures over the course of historical developments and breaks out in a period determined by a combination of objective and subjective causes.
The imperialists and all kinds of renegades distort or conceal the importance of the October Revolution because they obviously understand full well that through its victory the theory and ideas of Marxism became a material force, that millions of workers all over the world mobilized and continue to mobilize against capital's power, were victorious and organized their own state, the dictatorship of the proletariat, which is founded on the direct producers, the working majority, and is the highest form of democracy that humanity has ever seen.

The Paris Communards in the 19th century took and held power for just 70 days; the new charge to heaven lasted 70 years, constructed socialism, and made an enormous contribution all over the world, surpassing the confines of one country.
The nihilistic stance towards the socialism we knew, the adoption of views that say it was a total failure-because its course was interrupted-is an unscientific stance and an ahistorical one and leads to impasses.
Socialism was constructed, developed, and began to solve the major economic and social problems. It was not possible for a number of reasons for it to highlight and most of all liberate, over the entire course of its construction, the inherent potential for the constant development and perfecting of production, to consolidate itself in its struggle against the capitalist system.
However, this does not negate the contribution and role of the socialist system, as it was formed in the 20th century, irrespective of deficiencies, weaknesses and mistakes that appeared during this difficult course.
What the October Revolution objectively signaled is the undeniable fact that socialism is the future of humanity. It is the system that through the historical development of society will create new social relations, socialist-communist ones, focusing on the people and the satisfaction of all their needs.

***
The October Revolution in practice confirmed the Leninist analysis concerning the weakest link in the imperialist chain. Up until that point what was missing in the international movement was the theoretical foundation for the possibility of the socialist revolution being victorious in one country or a group of countries, which would emerge as weak links, as a result of the sharpening of the internal contradictions under the influence of international developments.
Of course due to uneven economic and political development, such characteristics can manifest themselves in countries of a medium and lower level of development, where the revolutionary process of course can begin more easily but where it is exceptionally difficult for socialist construction to continue victoriously. Lenin’s analyses contributed to the development of Marxism and to the strategic thinking of the Bolsheviks as a whole.
The contribution of Lenin and the Bolshevik party was decisive in the confrontation against the section of social-democracy which, violating the decisions of the 2nd International, supported the bourgeois classes of their countries, sometimes by voting for war credits in Parliament, other times by participating in governments that waged wars, supposedly so that there could be a "peaceful development", defending the "imperialist peace" with a gun to the people's heads. A political line which inevitably entangled them even more deeply in the imperialist war, in the sharpening of the contradictions and antagonisms of the imperialist states and their alliances.
Lenin with the strategic line that he followed determined that from the standpoint of the revolutionary movement of the working class that aims to take power via a revolution, the issue is not a simple "pacifist" opposition to war, but chiefly the utilization of ruptures, which objectively in such conditions, are created in the imperialist camp, the utilization of the weakening of the bourgeoisie in each country with the aim of transforming this imperialist war in each country, whether the country is an "aggressive" or "defensive" stance, into a struggle to overthrow bourgeois power that brings death and poverty for the children of the working class and people.
The October Revolution confirmed the Leninist position that the modern era, the era of monopoly capitalism, i.e. the imperialist stage of capitalism, is the era of the transition from capitalism to socialism-the era of socialist revolutions.
The Great October Socialist Revolution also confirmed the role of opportunism as the ideological-political expression of bought off sections of the working class, as the impact of bourgeois and petty bourgeois ideology on the labour movement.
Lenin, on the basis of the experience of the October revolution, engaged in particular with issues of the power of the new workers' state, the dictatorship of the proletariat. He studied the experience of the Paris commune in detail, the experience of the Soviets of the 1905 revolution in Russia, the role of the state on the basis of the conclusions of Marx and Engels.
He made a particular contribution to identifying the seeds of the organs of the new power, the character of the dictatorship of the proletariat, as a higher form of state organization of class power for the transition from the early imperfect socialist society to the fully communist society, in both form and content.
These are lessons and experiences that have timeless value for today as regards the organization of the workers'-people's struggle, when the class struggle is sharpening in conditions of a revolutionary crisis, a revolutionary situation, as regards the organization and expression of the alliance of the working class with the poor popular strata, its natural allies, the poor farmers and self-employed, with the working class in the vanguard, their transformation into a revolutionary forces capable of leading the decisive confrontation against bourgeois power and forming new worker's-people's institutions of the new power.

***
The KKE, studying the valuable experience of the October Revolution, Lenin's legacy, the experience of the International Communist Movement itself expressed the conclusions from this research in a number of analyses and documents (Reflections on the causes of the overthrows in 1995, the 18th Congress' decision in 2009 on the experience of the USSR and socialist construction and the causes of the overthrows, the National Conference on the History of the Party in 2011, the elaboration of the new Programme and Statutes of the Party at the 19th Congress in 2013).
We came to the crucial conclusion that the definition of the political goal, worker's power, must be carried out on the basis of the objective definition of the character of the era, something that determines the class that is objectively in the foreground of social development.
This defines the character of the revolution and not the correlation of forces which other Communist Parties focus on.
Of course, the correlation between the two basic rival classes, the bourgeois class and the working class, as well as the stance of the intermediate strata, is a decisive factor for the timing of the socialist revolution. In this sense, a CP must take the correlation of class forces into account, in Leninist terms, i.e. in terms of the relations of the classes with power.
The CP must at the same time take into account and calculate the correlation of forces inside the labour movement, the movements of its social allies, as an necessary element for suitable maneuvers, slogans so that the masses can be drawn to the struggle for power on the basis of their own experience.
However this can in no instance become an alibi for the submission of the labour and communist movement to any form of bourgeois governance, for its participation in or toleration of this in the framework of capitalism.
All the flowers of bourgeois and opportunist ideological constructs bloomed in Greece in recent years. There was and still is a lot of discussion in relation to the need to create "left", "progressive", "democratic", "anti-right", "anti-memorandum", "patriotic", "national", "ecumenical" government (All these names have been used to describe such governments) as an immediate proposal for a way out of the economic crisis and anti-people political line.
These proposals are being made both by the traditional and the newly formed bourgeois parties, as well as by parties on the "left" wing of the political spectrum. The labour movement must reject all those traps that aim to manipulate the workers'-people's struggle and to co-opt the movement.
Of course, the unrepentant "Mensheviks" are also present today along with other tardy "communists" who, apart from anything else, follow the development of revolutionary thinking in a delayed way. They ahistorically promote Leninist analysis dating from before the bourgeois-democratic revolution in Russia in February 1917, regarding the possibility of a temporary government of workers and peasants, in conditions when Tsarist power had not yet been overthrown. What has this got to do with the situation today?
It is undeniable that the conditions of that period were entirely different, as we are talking about a revolutionary situation, with the people organized in the Soviets, armed. We are talking about a bourgeois state that had not had time to establish all its mechanisms.
In the current conditions of a non-revolutionary situation, of bourgeois power well established for many decades with a fully organized bourgeois state, such a goal of a transitional-temporary government in essence means cooperation with bourgeois forces in order to provide capitalism with breathing space, so that the system can overcome temporary or more general difficulties.
And what is even more important. Why should the revolutionary movement elevate a thought concerning a possible scenario, which was never realized in the end, into a general theoretical principle and not generalize the strategy of Lenin and the Bolsheviks that actually led to victory?
Of course, all these well-wishers today say nothing about the positions and political actions of Lenin, beginning in April, after the fall of Tsarism, proclaiming the victorious social revolution in Russia and leading the proletariat for the first time in history to storm heaven and carry out the revolution, breaking the ice, opening up and forging the path for socialism-communism.
Historical experience has taught us that first "workers'" and "left" governments emerged from social-democratic parties or as coalition governments of social-democratic parties with other bourgeois parties. There has been no instance in the history of the international labour movement and in the period immediately after World War I in particular, when such governments did not arise as a result of the maneuvering of the bourgeoisie in order to deal with a revolutionary upsurge, in order to assimilate the workers'-people's discontent in conditions of a very deep economic crisis before or after a war.
The goal of such a "left", "workers'" government in the framework of capitalist power, without a revolutionary overthrow, via parliamentary processes, was later adopted by CPs as an intermediate goal with transitional measures. The aim of this, as they believed, was to facilitate the struggle for socialism and solve some pressing popular demands.
However, experience demonstrates that, despite the good intentions of CPs, they were not able to open a window even and certainly not a path to socialism anywhere, and were also not able to stabilize some gains of the people's movement. This includes the experience before and after World War II and up to the present day. Communist Parties found themselves in the end organizationally, ideologically and politically disarmed.
The historical experience and significance of the Great October Revolution is incomparable. It confirms that the salvation of the working class and the other popular strata, in conditions of an economic and political crisis, in conditions of imperialist war, is only possible by overthrowing capitalist power and ownership, which of course presupposes the weakening and complete bankruptcy of its various "left" forms, represented by the dangerous trends of reformism-opportunism and the governmental left, as is expressed in Greece by SYRIZA, as well as by its occasional satellites, such as Popular Unity, ANTARSYA and other marginal groups-both in quality and quantity-which give them the pretext of a false broadness.

***
The experience and theoretical analysis of the Bolsheviks together with their revolutionary activity in the period from the 1905 revolution to the October Revolution of 1917 has major timeless importance for communists all over the world. It is related to every aspect of the activity of a revolutionary party, which has not lost the goal of workers' power.
It provides valuable experience for the work of communists amongst broad working class masses, inexperienced working class masses and poor popular strata. It demonstrates the constant and at the same time contradictory features of the development of the working class's alliance with other allied popular strata.
It teaches us that heightened militant and even revolutionary attitudes coexist with confused and disorienting standpoints and views. Of course the most robust attitudes develop amongst the industrial workers, the working class.
Consequently, it is very important for the ideological and political vanguard, the communist party, to elaborate and stick closely to the political line, to intervene substantially and specifically so that the movement of insurgent masses, the militant protests, planned confrontation and subversive activity take on a revolutionary orientation. Indeed, it must take into account that within the ranks of the movement there are forces active which are influenced by bourgeois ideology, a plethora of wavering petty bourgeois forces that bring these views into the ranks of the vanguard.
The ability of the Bolshevik Party, headed by Lenin, to constantly adapt did not lead it into following the mistaken path of erasing the essence of its goal for the revolutionary overthrow of the system and workers' power. The ability to fulfill each task through correct adjustments should not lead to the gradual change of the strategic goal in the name of being adaptable. This is a crucial question for every CP.
Otherwise, there is a real danger of being dispersed amongst the masses, of being co-opted to positions inside the system, of transforming your strategy into one continuous set of maneuvers and tactics. Of course, one must always be aware that you can also be led onto a path that is equally painful for the working class and of course painless for the bourgeois class i.e. the path of isolation, retrenchment and dogmatism.
The communist parties today must constantly seek to creatively use the method and experience of the Bolsheviks, of that party's leadership and Lenin, in their daily activity and the way in which they combined theoretical work with the study of domestic and international developments and the experience of the class struggle itself.
Through this process, a clear Marxist-Leninist answer can be provided to the following question, why was the victorious strategy of the Bolsheviks not at the centre of the analyses of the International Communist Movement, why did the CPs operate mainly on the basis of the previous analyses, in essence depriving the Leninist line of its revolutionary workers' content and leading many CPs into sliding into social-democratic positions and opportunism?

***
The fact that the revolutionary content and gains which came as a result of the October Revolution over the course of decades were weakened due to the impact of trying to solve existent problems of socialist construction in a mistaken direction, by following capitalist recipes, as we often say, a course that chronologically coincided with the decisions of the 20th Congress of the CPSU in 1956, does not change or alter the internal dynamism of socialist construction or of course the decisive importance of the Great October Revolution of 1917.
Socialism did not endure in its first great attempt, in the struggle against the old, against reaction both domestically and internationally, something that resulted in its degeneration and in the end its overthrow, which entered its final phase in the 1980s through the notorious Perestroika and was completed through the counterrevolution and capitalist restoration in the USSR and the other socialist countries of Europe and Asia at the beginning of the 1990s.
Of course, the imperialist encirclement of the socialist system was a powerful fact that fed the internal problems and contradictions. It led to decisions that made socialist construction more difficult. One aspect, which is very rarely highlighted, is the objective fact that the arms race that the socialist countries were driven into participating in, above all the USSR, in confrontation with imperialist barbarity absorbed a large section of the economic and other resources of the Soviet Union and the other countries.
At the same time, the line of "peaceful coexistence" that mainly developed at the 20th Congress of the CPSU and afterwards, allowed for the fostering of many utopian views that it is possible for imperialism to give up on war and military methods.
The developments in the International Communist Movement, the split in the ICM, issues to do with its strategy also played a serious role in the formation of the global correlation of forces.
The dissolution of the Communist International in 1943, under specific historical political conditions, signaled in any case the absence of a centre for the elaboration of a revolutionary workers' strategy against the international bourgeoisie, the international capitalist system.
Despite the fact that the conditions for the sharpening of the class contradictions during the 2nd World War sharpened, the anti-fascist struggle of the peoples led to the overthrow of bourgeois power only in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, with the decisive contribution of the Red Army.
The Communist Parties in the capitalist West were not able to elaborate a strategy to transform the imperialist war or liberation struggle into struggle to conquer state power.
After the end of World War II, the lack of organizational connection between the CPs to form an independent strategy against the unified strategy of international imperialism became apparent. The International Conferences that took place later were not able to contribute to the ideological unity and the formation of a revolutionary strategy.
Our party has learned from its weaknesses and mistakes during the past, such as the lack of theoretical and political readiness to understand the development of the counterrevolution in the USSR in a timely fashion.

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We consider that it is the responsibility and right of every CP to study the theoretical issues of socialism, to evaluate the course of socialist construction, to draw conclusions for the battle against opportunism at an international level, to prepare the party and class forces in general in order to explain the class struggle at an international level, to provide a scientific class explanation of the setbacks to social progress and development. In this internationalist and communist spirit, we try to follow the developments today in countries like China, Vietnam, Cuba and other countries.
The scientific explanation and defense of socialism's contribution in the 20th century is an element that strengthens the revolutionary strategy of the communist movement.
The study of the contradictions, of the subjective mistakes of the historical progress as a whole is a process that develops the theory of socialism-communism, which will revive the communist movement ideologically and politically and will provide it with overwhelming strength in its new offensive and final victory.

We are convinced that the final victory will be emerge from the repeated defeats. The "defeat" of the October revolution by the counterrevolution of 1989-1991 can become a school for the next revolution. As a great intellectual wrote (the Hungarian, Laszlo Gurko): "The revolution is the greatest elation of humanity. Whoever has tasted it once never forgets its taste."
Amongst our most important tasks today is to restore the workers' knowledge about the truth of socialism in the 20th century, without idealizations, objectively and free of the slanders of the bourgeoisie, which are based on the catastrophes brought about by the counterrevolution.
Capitalism may still be strong today, but it is not invincible. The people are powerful when they struggle with the correct strategy. We look upon the 21st century with optimism.
The 20th century began with the greatest offensive launched by the proletariat in any era and ended with its temporary defeat. The 21st century will bring new offensives and revolutionary victories, the final and this time irreversible overthrow of capitalism and the construction of socialism-communism.
The spectre of socialism-communism is today haunting the bloody dreams of the bourgeois the world over. We must take the decision to become their permanent nightmare.

* General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE).
Αναρτήθηκε από In Defense of Communism

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/05/dimitris-koutsoumbas-significance-of.html

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

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Report by In Defense of Communism, Info by 902.gr.

“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.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/05/communist-backed-panspoudastiki-ks.html

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

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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:

- The acceleration, completion of the implementation of the Warsaw resolutions and the strengthening of the systematic presence of NATO forces in Eastern and Central European, Baltic and Black Sea countries in conjunction with the deployment of the missile shield system in the region, within the framework of the competition with Russia, by gathering dangerous military forces at its borders.

- The strengthening of NATO's involvement on the war in Syria with participation in the imperialist coalition of states in which the USA have a leading role, for the promotion of their interests in this country and the wider region of Middle East-Northern Africa.

- The presence of NATO forces in Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea, the continuation of the intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The multifaceted pretext about "combating terrorism" and "control of migratory flows" do not convince anyone, when it is known that NATO, the USA, the EU firmly supported the so-called islamist terrorism for the destabilization and partitioning of countries, for the promotion of their war plans. These are the causes of the exacerbation of migratory and refugee flows.

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The SYRIZA-ANEL government and the Prime Minister are becoming the "best students" of NATO. They overbid the role of Greece in the framework of the Alliance, as it is proved by the expansion of the Souda base and the coverage, from the Greek side, of the enormous NATO's expenditures. The goal of the "geostrategic upgrade" has to do with the Greek capital's participation in the "prey" of the wars, while for the people it means huge dangers.

The developments require the intensification of the struggle for our country's disengagement from NATO and the other imperialist organisations. No involvement in the war plans and interventions. Closure of the foreign military bases in Greece and return of the Greek soldiers who serve outside of the borders. Common struggle and people's solidarity against the imperialist wars, the bourgeois classes and their warmongering policy for their own profits."

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/05/kke-pm-tsipras-and-his-government-are.html

Just a few, shallow comments.

Wonder who staged the photo? Erdogan is on the front row with US and Britain? While France and Germany are in the second row - along side Greece? Merkel looks like someone just killed her dog. And Tzipras is such a smug little punk.

Also, the quality of thought and expression displayed by KKE commentaries are so far beyond anything the CPUSA can muster that it tends to make one call for the official dissolving of the latter.

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

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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 slogan "Neither land nor water to the murderers of the people" has been diachronically expressed by our people. They shouted it in the war of USA, NATO,EU against Yugoslavia in 1999 and in the later wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya. Our people shout it in demonstrations throughout the country, denouncing the governmental decisions for the participation of Greek military forces in NATO's exercises, for the disposal of the base of Souda and other military bases and headquarters to the broader imperialist plans.

These days, the working people, the youth, with mass demonstrations in Chania demanded the closure of the US-NATO base in Souda, while in Alexandroupolis and other cities in Thrace, they demand that no Greek territory will be used for the transition of foreign military forces which will participate in NATO's "Noble Jump" exercise in Romania.

According to published reports 4,000 military officers from Albania, Bulgaria, Britain, USA, Spain, Latvia, Romania, Norwar, Holland and Poland will participate in NATO's exercise in Romania. Greece participates in the exercise by providing "Host Nation" support, during the transition of British, Spanish and Albanian military units from the axis Alexandroupolis-Ormenio and Krystallopigi-Promachonas in northern Greece.

According to official statements, the Greek government is committed for "providing facilitation at the airport and the seaport of Alexandroupolis during the deployment and redeployment of personnel and vehicles. Accommodation for the personnel. Services for their safety during the reception, transition and exit from the country. Operation and staffing of local coordination center in Alexandroupolis. Facilitation for logistics and medical treatment services. Access to ground and satellite communications."

It is a fact that this NATO exercise too prepares the soil for new wars and interventions, for the formation of an inter-state military power capable to be used against the people, wherever needed.

The SYRIZA-ANEL government, following the way of the previous governments and in the name of the so-called geostrategic upgrade dogma, bears big responsiblities because it offers Greek territory, military camps of our country and multiform facilitations to the murderous mechanism of NATO.

Within these circumstances, the positions and the struggle of the KKE and the labor-popular movement gain especial significance: "Neither land nor water to the murderers of the people", immediate disangegament of the country from imperialist interventions and wars, closure of the Souda base and other US-NATO bases and headquarters, return of the Greek military forces from missions abroad, definite disengagement of our country from NATO and the other imperialist organisations.

Messrs. Ministers are asked: what is the position of the government in the popular demand for the non-engagement of the country in the imperialist plans and the non-use of Greek territory, camps and sections of the Greek Armed Forces in NATO's "Noble Jump" other similar military exercises?

What is the position of the government in the popular demand for the non-renewal of the agreement with the USA for the Souda base, the closure of this base and other US-NATO bases which are directed against our people and other people?"

* This is an unofficial translation of the original Greek text.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/05/kke-slams-tsipras-government-greece.html

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

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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.
Such arguments the Greek workers have been hearing them for years. Based on this “just growth” the Government of SYRIZA imposed a new Memorandum, while the ITUC members, the GSEE-ADEDY agreed with the wages cuts of more than 30% the last years.
It is not by accident that during the last strike, on May 17, the rally of GSEE-ADEDY numbered no more than 500 people….

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/05/all-workers-militant-front-pame-ituc.html

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

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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.
Such arguments the Greek workers have been hearing them for years. Based on this “just growth” the Government of SYRIZA imposed a new Memorandum, while the ITUC members, the GSEE-ADEDY agreed with the wages cuts of more than 30% the last years.
It is not by accident that during the last strike, on May 17, the rally of GSEE-ADEDY numbered no more than 500 people….

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/05/all-workers-militant-front-pame-ituc.html

Well-needed bitchslap...

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

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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.

"The KKE calls the people to fight for the country's disengagement from NATO, to disengage from imperialist interventions, to close all the NATO bases, for the return of the Greek army from missions abroad. They (the people) must demand "neither soil nor water to the murders of the people" said, among other things, Zarianopoulos in a statement.

It must be noted that the NATO convoy was coming from Albania in order to participate to the military exercise "Noble Jump" which takes place in Balkans.

The persistence of the protesters led to the retreat of the NATO vehicles, while the Greek government responded by lining up riot police in a small distance from the KKE members.

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

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https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/06/you-shall-not-pass-kke-protesters.html

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.

The 20th Congress of the KKE approved the Political Resolution, which determines the tasks of the Party until the 21st Congress, underscoring the need to strengthen the KKE in its activity for the regroupment of the labour movement, the reinforcement of the Social Alliance, the struggle against imperialist war, for workers' power. Specific tasks were set for party building in the working class, amongst productive age groups, the youth, women, for supporting KNE's work, for improving the functioning of the leading organs, for the promotion of new cadres.

The documents of the 20th Congress further equip the KKE in order for it to meet the contemporary demands of the class struggle and decisively deal with the difficulties, confirming its role as the vanguard of the working class, as an all-weather communist party.

THE CURRENT INTERNATIONAL REALITY
Capitalism is permeated by very sharp contradictions. The basic contradiction between capital and labour is sharpening, the trend for the absolute and relative destitution of the working class is being reinforced, the percentage of permanent long-term unemployment is increasing, the rate of exploitation of the working class is intensifying, all the social contradictions are sharpening.
The implacable antagonisms are being expressed between the capitalist states, their military-political and economic-political alliances, antagonisms that have led to imperialist wars and realignments.
The trends that were formed in the previous years are as follows:
Most of the older powerful capitalist states-amongst them the still leading capitalist power, the USA-continue to lose ground in the global capitalist market to China mainly.
Very few capitalist economies achieved levels of growth greater than those that existed before the synchronized international economic crisis (2008-2009).
The trends of protectionism of domestic production and the domestic economy are being strengthened.
The cohesion of the Eurozone is developing in a contradictory way. The sharpening of the contradictions in the EU and the Eurozone is reinforcing the secessionist tendencies, which in turn feed into bourgeois "euroscepticism".This is an equally reactionary-antipeople current, which is supported by sections of capital, by far-right and fascist forces and other bourgeois parties.
New capitalist international inter-state unions are being formed and old ones are being recomposed (e.g. BRICS, G20 etc.), as well as regional ones (e.g. Shanghai Cooperation Organization, ALBA in Latin America etc.)in the framework of the international imperialist system.

The national arena of the class struggle remains the primary one, at the same time its coordination at a regional and international level is of great importance. The main problem is that no upsurge of the communist movement is observed at an international level, which would constitute a real beacon of hope. On the contrary, many of the parties that define themselves as communist have been co-opted in capitalist management and choose a camp amongst the imperialist alliances.
In these conditions, the inter-imperialist contradictions are strengthening. All the capitalist states, with the USA in the first place, are modernizing their military equipment, while the most powerful seek an advantage in terms of the most modern military hardware.
THE TASKS OF THE PARTY IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST IMPERIALIST WAR
The 20th Congress of the KKE assessed that the local and regional conflicts will continue as an expression and result of the sharpening of inter-imperialist antagonisms and contradictions, with possible military flash-points in the Middle East, Aegean, the Balkans, North Africa, the Black Sea, Ukraine, the Baltic, the Arctic and the South and East China Sea.
Particularly in our region, the sharpening of the situation between Greece and Turkey with the involvement of other countries as well is possible. The questioning of the borders and sovereign rights of Greece on the part of the Turkish bourgeois class is integrated in the framework of its competitive relations with the Greek bourgeois class in the region.
The Programme of the Party has determined our position concerning the imperialist war and the line of our activity. It is the task of the vanguard of the working class, the KKE, to constantly adjust, specialize, escalate its struggle slogans, without losing sight of the basic aspect which is the character of the war that is imperialist on both sides, regardless of who attacked first. We are projecting this position in the working class and popular strata and on this basis we are struggling today in the following directions:The Greek bourgeois class actively participates in the imperialist plans, interventions, competition and wars, guided by its aim to strategically enhance its position in the wider region. It bears responsibilities for the possible entanglement of the country in a war.
The education of the people about the imperialist character of the war, about the dangers, about who is responsible, about the need for their political denunciation and the struggle to overturn any attempt to change the borders.
Highlighting that the political line of the bourgeois government in the case of its involvement in a war is a continuation of its more general policies against the working class and popular strata whether in conditions of capitalist recovery or in conditions of the outbreak of an economic crisis. Highlighting the necessity for the people to have no trust in the bourgeois government, that there cannot be-and never could be- "national unity" between the bourgeois class and the working class in any state.
The need to oppose every imperialist alliance, to struggle for the closure of all the foreign bases of death in Greece, for disengagement from NATO and the EU, for all the NATO military forces to be removed from the Aegean.
Highlighting the need to organize the struggle, the resistance and counterattack of the other popular strata, their Social Alliance, in order to put an end to the changes of borders, against a possible invasion-occupation and also against the participation in wars outside our borders. To intensify the struggle against the governments of the bourgeois class, which prepared the terrain with the bourgeois classes of other states in the framework of NATO and led the children of the people to the slaughter. To coordinate the struggle with the labour-people's movements of other countries, linked with the goal of overthrowing capitalist power in Greece and neighbouring countries, so that their peoples can live peacefully with workers' power.
The developments require the intensification of activity against the imperialist wars and interventions, with broad political work of the party and KNE organizations, as well as of the trade unions, the labour-people's movement more generally, the development of the activity of EEDYE (Greek Committee for International Detente and Peace), especially in areas with military bases and command centres in the service of NATO and the "Common Security and Defense Policy" of the EU.
THE POSITION OF THE KKE FOR THE DISENGAGEMENT OF GREECE FROM THE EU
The Greek people can and must choose themselves- with their will and their activity- to exit the EU, to put this objective at the forefront of their slogans, by organizing their struggle in such a way as to simultaneously fight for the "keys" of the economy, the wealth that they produce, taking the power into their own hands. This is what constitutes the real alternative to the benefit of the people and is worth every sacrifice.
Capitalist Greece with a "national currency" does not constitute a rupture for the people's benefit. The adoption of a more undervalued currency cannot be a step for the improvement for the life of the working class and the popular strata via any possible impetus that will be given to competitiveness and growth because of the cheaper labor force, as a consequence of the devaluation. Any eventual recovery of capitalist production, whenever it may occur, will not be accompanied by a substantial recovery of wages, pensions, rights; it will not benefit the people.
The political forces which highlight such an objective as a "solution" or as an intermediate aim for radical changes, objectively, at least, serve the specific needs of sections of the capital and more broadly the different trends in bourgeois politics that exist as a result of the intensification of its contradictions. Besides, policies that attack the workers’-people’s gains are being implemented both in countries of the eurozone as well as in capitalist countries with national currencies.
If the EU and the bourgeois class choose Greece's departure from the Eurozone and a currency change, the KKE will fight, as it does now, with a specific line, which it will promote within the movement and the Greek people. It will militantly intervene in order to organize a more decisive struggle for the people's survival, for solidarity, so that no popular family, no worker, no unemployed person will be alone in the framework of sharper consequences of a currency changeover (black market, sudden major increases of inflation), in the clutches of the banks and speculators. The labour-people’s movement must connect this fight with the struggle for actual rupture with the capitalist system.
The labour-popular movement in Greece and across Europe as a whole, with coordinated strikes and a comprehensive counterattack, must utilize any contradictions in the eurozone and the EU that create fissures, in order to strengthen the struggle for the overthrow of the capital's power, the conquest of workers power in every country which will promote and organize social ownership, the central scientific planning of economy and services, the development of production for the people's benefit.

THE TASKS OF THE KKE CONCERNING THE IDEOLOGICAL-POLITICAL CONFRONTATION
The 20th Congress of the KKE assessed that during the entire previous period our party fiercely resisted the pressure exerted on it to support or tolerate the political line of bourgeois management, initially implemented by the ND-PASOK government and then afterwards by the SYRIZA-ANEL government. It warned, it exposed the real character of SYRIZA, its relationship with local and foreign capitalists, with various imperialist centres. Life has clearly vindicated the assessments and positions of the KKE, the line of struggle against capital, the imperialist unions, the bourgeois parties, both liberal and social-democratic, old and new. The KKE fought against the entire current of opportunism, against the forces-inside and outside of SYRIZA- that exerted pressure on the party to transform it into a part of the political management of the system. Over the entire 4-year period, the KKE successfully met the challenges of the ideological-political struggle.
The intervention of the party, in confrontation with the various plans to reform the bourgeois political system, must focus on the following issues:
To promote the necessity and timeliness of socialism, against historically obsolete views that a transitional government on the terrain of government can pave the way for the revolutionary overthrow, as well as against the illusions that a transitional intermediate form of power, which will stand between capitalism and socialism, intensifying the struggle against the political organizations that express these views. To fight against anti-communism, which is being promoted by various bourgeois forces and mechanisms.
There needs to be a stable front against the anti-people strategic goals of the bourgeois class (capitalist recovery, geo-strategic enhancement, promotion of Greece as an energy-trade hub, an active role in the framework of NATO and the EU etc.)The highlighting of the fact that the basic forces of the bourgeois political system converge on these strategic goals. The different views and contradictions that exist over management issues are related to contradictions inside the bourgeois class, to the priorities and methods of the capitalist recovery, priorities in relation to the inter-state alliances of capital.
The party must confront the continuing efforts of SYRIZA to appear with a "left" profile and use "ideological differences" with ND in order to mislead and repeatedly deceive the working class and popular strata. There is a particularly dangerous attempt being carried out by the government to hijack in a crude way the history and the struggles of the KKE and the labour-people's movement, to present itself almost as a communist force.
There needs to be a stable front against the efforts to revive "new" and "old" social-democracy. This includes SYRIZA's efforts, utilizing its cooperation with European Social-Democracy, as well as the efforts of PASOK and the Democratic Alliance.
The party must strengthen the struggle against ND's attempts to utilize the climate of discontent against the government in order to appear as an alternative governmental solution, as the force which, implementing the goals of capital in a stable way, will "lead the country out of the crisis".
There needs to be a stable front against "Euroscepticism", especially against opportunist forces that seek to play a role as a new obstacle to the radicalization of the people's consciousness, camouflaging the bourgeois character of their political proposal with anti-capitalist sloganeering.
There needs to be a confrontation against nationalism and racism, as well as against primitive anticommunism, which is being promoted by various forces that are found in the so-called "right" and "far-right" political space and particular the Nazis of criminal Golden Dawn. To highlight their character as forces that support the system, their suspicious and multifaceted connections with centres inside and outside the country, with sections of capital and the big employers.
To confront illusions regarding the reformation of the bourgeois political system, the fear amongst working class-popular forces about the possibility of political instability.
To expose the attempts to mislead the people via the hypocritical discussion about dealing with corruption and vested interests that aims to conceal the real causes of the crisis and its consequences for the working class-popular strata and create illusions that the phenomenon of bribery and corruption can be dealt with by "investigation committees", by reinforcing the monitoring mechanisms of the bourgeois state, by alleged changes to the Judiciary. To highlight that corruption is inherent in capitalism. At the same time, the promotion of specific repeated proposals of the KKE- which have been rejected by the government and other opposition parties-as basic measures to restrict corruption.

Against the illusions regarding the institutional reforms and revision of the constitution must be confronted, which the SYRIZA-ANEL government is pushing forwards, i.e. they claim that they will transform the bourgeois state into a pro-people one, that these are measures to "extend democracy".To highlight the character of the state today as a mechanism to defend and promote the interests of capital, of the monopolies. This character does not change, cannot be altered in a pro-people pro-worker direction.There must be a particular front against the attempt to co-opt working class and popular masses through the functioning of institutions and structures of he bourgeois state:
To highlight the role of Local and Regional government as apparatuses of the bourgeois state for the implementation of the anti-people political line and at the same time to fight against its function to assimilate working class-popular masses in programmes and structures for the management of poverty and unemployment, via EU programmes, NGO structures and volunteering. To promote the example of the 5 municpalities where the communists have the responsibility for the administration (Patras, Haidari, Petroupoli, Kaisariani, Ikaria), which, in the framework of the very restrictive institutions and financial resources, organize the people's mobilization and activity in favour of the downtrodden popular strata in their cities, keeping their pre-election promises they gave to the people of their municipalities that they will maintain a clear oppositional stance towards the central organs of capitalist power.
In particular, the party must expose the role of the so-called "Social and Solidarity Economy" to broader working class-popular strata and especially the unemployed. Through the various types of cooperatives and the so-called Social Cooperative Enterprises, the wide use of "volunteers", the generalization of flexible employment relations and the deception of the unemployed is being promoted, while at the same time it facilitates the efforts of the bourgeois state to unburden itself of its responsibilities in terms of health and welfare policy issues, which results in the downgrading of the provisions and services for the workers. In reality, it functions as an additional tool for the deterioration of labour relations and the increase of the rate of exploitation via voluntary labour, the lengthening of work shifts, low salaries, the reduction of social provisions that previously were free, as well as an apparatus for manipulation and assimilation.

THE TASKS OF THE KKE FOR THE REGROUPMENT OF THE LABOUR MOVEMENT AND THE POLITICAL WORK OF THE COMMUNISTS IN THE TRADE UNIONS
The implementation of this task presupposes the intensification of the ideological-political struggle in the trade union movement. The bourgeois political forces intervene in the trade unions in an organized way, as well as the employers, the various state mechanisms, opportunism. The politicization of the activity of the trade unions in anti-capitalist direction above all is related to their general orientation, in the sense that they do not restrict themselves to a struggle framework of immediate demands. We aim for the trade unions to take positions in favour of the class struggle and the abolition of exploitation, against class collaboration, against the "common national interest", against the submission to the capitalists. The labour movement paid a high price for the illusions that an allegedly "broader" line, which will only or chiefly focus on the specific problem in each workplace, can widen the framework of rallying and facilitate the main goal. Any short-terms results of such a line in other conditions quickly dissipated and led to the disillusionment and demobilization of even consistent forces.The 20th Congress of the KKE, on the basis of the programmatic documents as well as the experience from the activity of the party in the previous period, defined the tasks of the party in relation with the work for the regroupment of the labour movement. The basic content of the regrouping of the labour movement is defined as the preparation and development of its abilty to confront decisively and effectively, in alliance with the popular strata of the self-employed and farmers, the single elaborated strategy of capital and capitalist power.
Politicization occurs in the framework of the movement, through the participation of workers and taking into account that not all the members of trade unions have acquired political class consciousness. The work for politicization, to overcome sectional phenomena and attitudes must be developed on a daily basis with the creative concern and care of the communists in order to form the correct relationship between the party and the trade unions, so that the impression is not created unintentionally of transforming trade unions into "party organizations" sometimes, by mechanistically transmitting overly general positions, slogans and methods of party work.
What is mainly needed is a better specialization and elaboration of demands and the content of each struggle, of the positions and slogans in each trade union, in each sector, in every workplace. This is the only way to overcome over-generalizations, the repetition of non-specific overly general strategic slogans. The communists act openly, do not hide their views, do not retreat from the positions and programme of the party, however their ability to form a framework of struggle and demands that facilitates the mobilization of workers and impedes their easier manipulation and co-option by the system is judged on a daily basis.
We need to acquire a stable orientation but also greater ability to strengthen from below- beginning from the workplace itself, the trade union- the line of struggle which sets in focus the contemporary needs of the workers’-people's forces. We must acquire the ability to project the fact that the obstacle to the satisfaction of contemporary needs and the demands which express them is capitalist ownership and capitalist profit. We must also have the capability to convincingly expose- through the ideological confrontation that will be developing in the small or bigger struggles- the mechanisms of exploitation and especially the conditions for their abolition. The party and every communist must have the ability to work on the basis of a plan and with continuity inside working class-popular forces, to promote their organization, mobilization and education, with the aim of radicalizing their consciousness, raising the level of demands and the the combativeness of the activity to satisfy all their contemporary demands.
Despite the fact that today these things must be at the focus of the demands, the satisfaction of the contemporary needs is not possible inside capitalism, but presupposes the socialization of the concentrated means of production and their integration into scientific central planning.
The promotion of the demands for the recovery of the losses does not idealize the pre-2009 period, but highlights the worsening of the exploitation in relation to the previous generations, in obvious contradiction with the real contemporary needs and capabilities. The false arguments that the reduction of rights today is due to the previous existence of some irrational privileges must be answered.
The regroupment of the labour movement is based on the activity to organize the working class. This effort is expressed with specific goals:
The trade unions acquiring mass characteristics. The influx of new workers in their unions must be a permanent concern and criterion for the regroupment efforts, insisting on the significance of the organized collective struggle and the concentration of forces against the class enemy. Greater focus on organizing women, young people and immigrants.
Coverage of all workplaces by sectoral trade unions, with their branches, and also by workplace trade unions, creating new ones where it is considered necessary, on the basis of the criterion of the organization and unity of the workers, irrespective of their employment relations. Development of an integrated network of such trade unions across the country.
The stable functioning of the trade unions as a basic criterion of regroupment, safeguarding the functioning of the executive committees, highlighting the importance of and consolidating the General Assemblies of the unions. Continuous updates for the workers by the trade unions, as well as the discovery of new ways and forms of activity that facilitate the participation of the working people (e.g. in the educational, cultural, sports sectors)
Systematic monitoring of the process of the elections, the changing of the correlation of forces in favor of the class forces. The utilization of the positive experience related to the more systematic and close control by the party organs, the early preparation, the effort to concentrate new forces, to promote new trade union cadres.
Strengthening of the solidarity, the mutual aid and class support for the workers’-people’s families and each worker. It must be realized that, essentially, this is not a means to attract workers, but chiefly a means to create a militant orientation, criteria, stance. On that point, the special work with unemployed and immigrants who are permanently settled in our country is of special importance.
The trade unions must be linked to the place of residence, to acquire access in organizational terms to the neighbourhoods, where a large section of workers not organized in trade unions live and work.
PAME- as the class-oriented rally of the working class in the trade union movement, in whose ranks dozens of federations and labour centres and hundreds of trade unions, struggle committees and trade unionists participate, has a line of mobilization and struggle in an anti-capitalist anti-monopoly direction and this is a great advantage for the movement. The initiative of communists and others who work together with the communists to establish it, as well as its constant activity over all these years serves-as the work of the communists in the trade unions in general does-the goal of developing militant bonds with the masses in order to mobilize them in the direction of overthrowing the capitalist system.
Its recent nationwide conference contributed, with its preparation and final decisions, to expanding it influence and the rallying of forces around it.
THE TASKS OF THE KKE CONCERNING THE SOCIAL ALLIANCE
There is detailed reference in the Programme of the KKE to the importance of forming the Social Alliance in order for the working class to play its leading role in the revolutionary overthrow. The 20th Congress of the KKE, examining the experience from the party's work to form the Social Alliance, noted the following:
Firstly:The working class due to its position in capitalist production is objectively the only revolutionary class, the builder of the socialist-communist society and therefore is the leading force in relation to the other popular forces. Only the labour movement can take on complete revolutionary characteristics and develop into a consistent class revolutionary movement. It is an issue of constant struggle and efforts for the popular sections of the middle strata, as potential allies of the working class and for their respective movements to be drawn to a greater or lesser extent actively into the revolutionary struggle and other sections must at least be rendered neutral. The overthrow of capitalism, which will be led by the working class, is also in the interests of the popular strata, provides solutions to the right to work, to all the social rights of the self-employed, the individual commodity producer, to the prospect of integrating them into direct social labour.
The KKE is in practice responsible for the realization of the Social Alliance, as it is the organized ideological-political vanguard of the working class in Greece. It is realized through the political activity of the KKE concerning the problems of the popular strata, through the corresponding activity of the members of the party, KNE, the friends of the party inside the labour and trade union movement.
Second:The Social Alliance in an anticapitalist-antimonopoly direction is comprised of social forces, which are determined on the basis of their position in relation to the prevailing mode of production, without gender of age discrimination. Women and youth belong to specific social forces, while the social position of those sections of them that do not participate in production is determined by their family background.
Third:The Social Alliance must not be treated in a schematic way and identified with joint activity of the existing antimonopoly-anticapitalist forms of rallying like PAME, PASEVE, PASY, OGE, MAS. Particular care is needed because OGE, as the radical movement of women of a working class-popular social position or background and MAS as the rally of students cannot be considered as organizations that express distinct social forces. The certain form acquired through the joint struggle framework, which was formed in the previous years, does not remain static. It will develop according to the specific phase of the movement and the correlation of forces. It will emerge in other forms; it will be strengthened; it will be rearranged in movement terms, in relation to the real mobilization of the masses, strengthening and deepening the anticapitalist-antimonopoly goals of the alliance, constantly expanding its influence.
Fourth:In particular, the issue of developing the movement of allies of the working class, i.e. of the popular strata, must be studied. There needs to be a better understanding of our view as to how the work of the Social Alliance is served by our activity in the farmers' movement, PASY and the Nationwide Committee of Farmers' Roadblocks that is a new form of coordination, which was formed in 2014 and has developed into a Nationwide Coordinating Committee of Federations, Associations, Farmers' Committees. The main orientation today is to organize the farmers into Associations, Federations etc. Similarly, we must examine the situation in the Associations of the self-employed, through the anti-monopoly rally of PASEVE.
The radical rallies in an anticapitalist-antimonopoly direction must not be treated statically, but as apart of the dynamic of the class straggle which is not one-sided or linear. The depth of the anticapitalist-antimonopoly content of the struggle is not the same in every phase, something that is reflected in the forms that will be taken by the alliance, which will develop
The 20th Congress of the party decided that the CC should organize a Nationwide Body in order to discuss comprehensively and in detail the issues of the Social Alliance, the updating of the framework of struggle and demands that are related to the farmers' movement (the forms of organization, the alliance, the anticapitalist-antimonopoly rally etc.)
Fifth:The People's Committees as forms of expression of the Social Alliance at a territorial-local level need to be more solidly established. We must overcome the phenomena of some of them resembling "citizens' initiatives", where some members of various organizations participate, mainly members and friends of the party, without expressing existing trade unions, struggle committees, people's movement organizations at the level of the city and neighbourhood where the working class-popular forces are mobilized. They must be forms of rallying where the trade unions or their local branches play the leading role, with the participation of forms of organization and mobilization of the self-employed and farmers, the participation of the associations of OGE or MAS, student's committees, school students' committees, at the level of the neighbourhood, the place of residence.
Sixth:The Social Alliance-due to its character as an alliance of social movements-is not a form of cooperation between parties nor a form of cooperation of the KKE with mass organizations. To the extent that other political forces of a petty bourgeois political character are active with their members in the forms of rallying of the Social Alliance, they will meet together with the communists in common struggle at the level of the movement and an ideological-political struggle will be conducted inside the movement. Any common activity and ideological struggle will be expressed within the ranks and the organs of struggle of the Social Alliance, which is rooted in the workplaces, the General Assemblies of the trade unions and associations, in the struggle committees in the neighbourhoods etc.
The KKE- with its activity, both independently as a party and via the activity of its members in the ranks of the organizations of the Social Alliance and the forms of rallying that are created for its more effective advancement-understands its responsibility to act more effectively, with the aim of approaching and mobilizing workers'-people’s masses. In the framework of these efforts, the following question arises: which political line provides a real answer to the problems of the people, the line in favour the monopolies or the one against their domination? The line supporting the power of the monopolies and capital or the line supporting the power of the working people, who are the creators of all of society's wealth?
The rallying of the majority of the working class with the KKE and the attraction of leading sections of the popular strata will pass through various phases. The labour movement, the movements of the urban self-employed and farmers and the form that their alliance takes on with anti-monopoly and anti-capitalist goals, with the vanguard activity of the KKE's forces, in non-revolutionary conditions, constitute the first form for the creation of the revolutionary workers' and people's front in revolutionary conditions.
The working class and popular masses, through the experience of their participation in the organization of the struggle in a direction of confrontation with capital's strategy, will be persuaded of the need for their organization and confrontation to take on the character of a full and multi-faceted confrontation against the economic and political dominance of capital.

THE ROLE OF THE KKE IN THE LABOUR-PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT
The KKE as the vanguard of the working class has the responsibility of guiding the movement, not only in terms of its general programmatic direction or through the content of its statement, but also in organizational terms, i.e. through its leading organs, the Party Base Organizations, the Party groups that work directly in the movement, the comrades elected to trade union bodies.
The leading role of the party is secured through the activity of communists in the ranks of the trade unions, the mass organizations of the self-employed, the farmers, the radical forms of rallying, working to safeguard their anticapitalist-antimonopoly orientation.
The trade union groups, the election lists, and initiatives that exist or are being created cannot have this leading-vanguard role, nor the forms of rallying in the movement, even those that have a clear anticapitalist-antimonopoly line. Their basic role is the concentration of forces, the rallying of trade unions, federations, struggle committees, workers' groups in an anticapitalist-antimonopoly direction, to coordinate their joint activity, to promote the anticapitalist-antimonopoly struggle, strengthening and enriching this direction.
The Communist Party also acts independently inside the movement. It ensures the connection of the daily struggles with the revolutionary overthrow, with the strategic proposal of the party for socialist power and construction. The discussion and ideological struggle inside the movement, the content of the struggle itself must pose the issue and goal of power without becoming detached from the specific, everyday, temporary and immediate demands. The struggle we are waging today must acquire anticapitalist-antimonopoly characteristics and be a struggle for workers' power. And this must permeate the movement as a focus for discussion and ideological struggle.
This is a basic task for the communists, which they must simultaneously work on, understanding the need for persuasion and an escalation of their line of argumentation. It is their task to acquire the ability to pose this issue in a popular, persuasive way, understanding that in non-revolutionary conditions it is a slogan that determines the direction of the struggle and is not an immediate goal for action.
ON PARTY BUILDING AND THE CONSTANT RENEWAL OF THE RANKS OF THE PARTY
A basic factor that determines the role and effectiveness of the party in the labour movement, in the class struggle,in its work for the regroupment of the labour movement is party building in industry, in strategically important sectors, in new dynamic sectors of the economy, in combination with the increase of its strength and influence in the great mass of the working class and especially in its younger sections. It is of more general strategic importance.
Consequently, the construction of strong party organizations oriented to the masses in the monopoly groups, the factories, major financial, industrial, retail centres emerges as a basic task. The leading organs and party organizations must focus on this task. We underscore the following basic issues:
The deployment of forces and cadres focusing on the workplaces is what lends forward impetus to all party work. There must be no retreat from this. The adjustment requires time, a steady rudder, so that we are not pulled off course by the developments. The mobility in the structuring of the economic sectors as result of centralization, competition between businesses and new technological advances in production must be taken into account so that our intervention can be adjusted correspondingly. The political guidance work must improve; it must assist in the accumulation and generalization of experience, in the development of the ability of the party members, in the formation of young labour movement cadres.
The "buttressing", consolidation and strengthening of the party's intervention in the sectors is a necessary precondition for the reinforcement of our party's vitally important characteristics. The positive steps in the coordination and unified orientation of work between sectoral and area-based party organizations must be utilized. Work in the sectors and places of residence must not be treated as being in confrontation with each other. There must be a common orientation for all organizations:political work in the working class, in the sectors, in the large workplaces. The phenomena of workers that are employed in important economic sectors and businesses remaining organizationally in neighbourhood organizations, i.e. meaning that the orientation towards redeployment is not proceeding, must be overcome.
We must focus on the central problem of party building, which is the delay in developing the party in large industries and strategically important sectors, prioritizing the following:Ports and airports (transport as a whole), energy, telecommunications, metal, chemical industry, pharmaceutical industry, food industry, construction-major projects, large retail centres etc.
The precondition for steps to be taken in expanding the influence and organizational strength of the party is the formation of a periphery around the party through mass ideological-political work, through the stable and systematic dissemination of its positions and political line, with the dissemination of "Rizospastis" being the main feature. This intervention must be at the epicentre of the activity of every PBO (Party Base Organization), every communist, as a basic precondition for party building. The methods for educational/propaganda work must be expanded and must not be restricted to short-term campaigning forms of activity. The dissemination and study of "Rizospastis", "Kommounistiki Epitheorisi", the ideological-political, historical and even literary publications of "Synchroni Epohi" must be intensified by each PBO, as well as the wide promotion and discussion of the positions and assessments of the party on the basis of current developments. The goal is to expand the party's influence in every workplace, neighbourhood, sector, to draw in more and more forces into the class struggle.
The major efforts of the previous period brought certain results, which are expressed by the replenishing of certain forces, the building of party organizations, the formation of a periphery and the mainly through the improvement of the social composition of the party. This experience must be utilized in the further improvement of the plans to recruit and build the party in the workplaces by the Party Organizations.
We persist in the goal of achieving a leap forwards in terms of party building and the political strengthening of the KKE in the working class in the run up to the party's 100th anniversary. This task can be summarized by the following codified goals for party building, which must be the object of friendly competition between the party organizations:
Improvement of the percentage of industrial workers and the number of PBOs in major businesses of strategic importance.
Improvement of the social composition of the party in terms of the percentage of workers.
Improvement of the age composition through an increase of recruits from KNE and from the 18-40 age group.
An increase of the recruitment of women and improvement of the their overall percentage in the party and in the leading organs.

A PARTY CAPABLE OF GUIDING KNE IN ORDER TO FOR IT TO ENTER A PHASE OF THE SIGNIFICANT GROWTH OF ITS FORCES
KNE is the basic source of recruits for the party. For KNE to enter a phase of significantly developing its forces and its ability to carry out communist education is undeniably an integral element for the revolutionary continuity of the KKE and party building and must be treated as such by the party organs. The party organs must treat the specific task as a precondition for the strengthening of the party quantitatively and qualitatively.
Party work amongst younger age groups, before they enter production, in the places of education and training, especially in the technical schools (EPAL, TEI, IEK), the vocational schools, the Merchant Maritime Academy, the junior and senior high schools, is crucial for work in the next generation of the working class.
The content of the work of the party must be stably focused in this direction, with a unified plan and programme of work, from the organs of the party and KNE to the level of the PBOs and BOs (Base Organizations of KNE), armed with ideological-political resources and communist education to carry out vanguard propaganda work and activity. This plan must relate well to the sharpening problems, as they are expressed in these specific age groups. There needs to be solid activity in the fields of culture and sports, militantly confronting social problems in an ideological and political way, such as the increase of drug use.
The positive steps that have been taken in the work with younger age groups through the cooperation of the party and KNE must be stabilized and reinforced.
The party is responsible for facilitating KNE in fulfilling the reason for its existence and activity. This plan must have an orientation towards the communication, activity and transmission of the values and revolutionary goals of the party and KNE to school students from working class-popular families, to students in vocational-technical education, to university students with a working class-popular background, to drawing them into the labour movement. In particular, immediate and specific measures must be taken to enhance our work in vocational education in cooperation with the party groups in the federations and sectoral trade unions and with the contribution of our forces amongst the educators in these institutions.
The party undertakes the responsibility for the ideological-political preparation of the members of the KNE, Marxist education, the assimilation of the Programme and elaborations of the party, the conclusions from the study of the history of the communist and labour movement, the transmission of the lived experience of the party, the assistance for active participation in the internal life of KNE, the preparation and support for all the members of KNE so that they can later become party members.
SPECIALIZATION OF THE PARTY'S WORK AMONGST WOMEN.
The inequality and discrimination against women at every level ( in the family, at work, in the struggle, in the political struggle) have deep class roots and affects the labour movement. Only the Communist Party can consistently express the identification of the struggle for emancipation and equality with the struggle for the complete liberation of men and women from exploitation. However, this presupposes the leading activity of the party organizations, of communist women workers, employees, trade unionists and intellectuals, who through their activity in the ranks of the women's movement can radicalize it in an antimonopoly, anticapitalist direction.
Confusion concerning the necessity and content of the specialized work amongst women and the activity of communist women in the radical women's movement, under the responsibility of the leading organs, must be overcome. This issue particularly concerns the women cadres that generalize their own life stance, underestimating the additional objective difficulties which limit the political and social activity of women, even of some that took the step to become members of the party and KNE.
The understanding of the essence of the women's issue is a prerequisite for the realization of the necessity to develop the movement for the equality and emancipation of women of a working class and popular social position and background. In addition, it is necessary for the increase of the ability of the party members-men and women-to approach women workers, employees, unemployed, self-employed or farmers, young workers, mothers students, pensioners, we well as women outside the workplace, like housewives.
The goal remains the improvement of the participation of women in the ranks of the party, which today does not correspond to the percentage of women in the general population of the country and the economically active female population. This goal must in particular engage specific Regional Party organizations, particularly in the countryside, whose composition in terms of women members is very low, well below the national average.
ON THE WORK OF THE LEADING ORGANS AND CADRES OF THE PARTY.
The task of strengthening the party is inextricably linked to the enhancement of the work and abilities of the leading organs. The Sectoral Committees (SC) are a particularly important link in the chain that we must focus on. The SCs must acquire characteristics of real fighting bodies. The substantial improvement of the work of these leading organs, from the Central Committee to the Regional Committees, is a precondition for the enhancement of the work of the SCs.
The leading organs must acquire the ability to specialize their work. When we say specialize, we mean assistance from the CC, the Regional Committees to the Sectoral Organs so that:
Firstly:The SCs must acquire the ability to adapt the general directions to the specificities of their area of responsibility, taking into account a number of factors, such as the social composition, the real living standards, the prevailing views etc. I.e. they must not just repeat general directions, as usually happens, and in this way ending up carrying out a general discussion or a formalistic control and a sterile recitation of some organizational tasks.
Second:They must proceed to generalize their own experience, feeding the formation of central elaborations, positions and directions with new material, assessments, thoughts,conclusions.
Third:Specialization also means the prioritization of the goals of the SCs based on the central-general goals. I.e how the goal for the regroupment of the labour movement will be expressed in the the area of responsibility of each SC. How the Social Alliance will be advanced in every field. How the ideological and political struggle will be conducted, both independently by the party as well as inside the movement, in the specific field of activity.
The solid ideological level of the organs is a necessary precondition so that they work and function as real command centres. There needs to be a constant effort of the SCs, all the leading organs, in order to reinforce our capability in the ideological-political struggle that is under way in every area of work.
For the sectoral organs to draw sufficient and useful experience, the PBOs must be encouraged and seek in their area of responsibility to discuss wider issues in an organized way, in combination with the issues that engage the workers'-people's families on a daily basis.
A goal is the promotion in the next period of many cadres from the working class, with a working class-popular background, who will be assisted in order to acquire multifaceted capabilities, specialization in areas of work, a good ideological-political level, the ability to communicate with and lead masses, the ability to orient their work in the direction of regrouping the movement, promoting the regroupment of the movement, the promotion of the Social Alliance, the rallying around the party and the organization of new forces.
In order to implement this important task, there needs to be planning, research, timely and special preparation for KNE's forces. There needs to be particular support for cadres that are deployed in work in the working class, while at the same time there needs to be a systematic utilization of scientists and artists who are party members, who will place their work at the service of the working class and the goals of the socialist prospect. We must persist in taking measures to assist cadres who are responsible for politically guiding PBOs and BOs. All the cadres, regardless of their deployment in specific sectors (organizational, mass, ideological), must acquire direct personal experience from discussions and communication with workers inside the movement, the trade unions, the mass organizations, the struggles so that the tasks are specialized in the movement in a specific and lively way, so that they directly engage with demands of the ideological-political struggle.
The overall improvement our work is directly related to the improvement of the performance and contribution of the Sections of the CC, its mechanisms. Despite the relatively adequate staffing of certain sections, it still continues to be absolutely necessary to further reinforce and staff all the basic mechanisms of the Sections of the CC with new comrades who will be educated at the side of the older comrades. The new CC must contribute to the elaborations of the Sections of the CC with the collective discussion and to guide the corresponding work at the level of Regional Committees and Sectoral Committees, and the respective organs of KNE.
The conditions of the class struggle will become increasingly complex, increasingly difficult. We must be prepared for this. A basic criterion for the CC as a whole, the cadres, all the leading organs, is the level of readiness to immediately respond to the most difficult tasks, as well as the ability to predict even in terms of issues of daily work and the political developments.
In particular, because today a new cadre force is a emerging with relatively less experience, there needs to be a reinforcement of certain issues concerning the functioning of the leading organs that are not self-evident. The statutory principles governing the party’s functioning must be unwaveringly observed, the discussion of different thoughts and opinions, which is something objective and natural, must be open, sincere, must not contribute to unjust suspicion, must not negatively affect the cohesion of the organs, without criteria based on personal likes and dislikes .The older and more experienced cadres must play a particular role in this direction.

THE TASKS OF THE KKE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIST MOVEMENT

The 20th Congress confirmed that the regroupment and development of the international communist movement is a permanent, consistent task for our a party. It flows from the global character of the class struggle.
The International Communist Movement is in retreat, finds it difficult to react against the offensive of the class enemy, which is taking place not only with repressive measures, but also with ideological-political means, with the impact of opportunism.
The Party of the European Left (PEL), as a centre for the coordination of opportunist forces at the level of Europe, plays a particular role in supporting opportunism inside the International Communist Movement. The CPs that participate in the PEL act as a "battering ram" for de-communisation, i.e. the further loss of the communist characteristics of other CPs as well.
The 20th Congress of the KKE approved the initiatives taken in the previous period in order to gather together communists forces from all over the world, to develop joint activity and decided to continue to orient our work in this direction:Specifically:
In the effort to form condition that will lend impetus to the issue of the common strategy of the Communist Parties through the work of the "International Communist Review", its circulation, and also through other forms in the future.
In the intervention that has begun in Europe with the formation of the "European Communist Initiative", as a form of regional cooperation of 29 Communist Parties.
There must be a continuation of the Regional Meetings of Communist and Workers Parties. These are the European Communist Meetings, the meetings of the CPs of the Eastern Mediterranean, Red Sea and Persian Gulf and the meetings of the Balkan CPs.
In the effort to maintain the communist characteristics of the International Meetings of the 120 Communist and Workers Parties that participate in them.
The process of the revolutionary regroupment is slow, difficult, vulnerable, will be based on the ability of the communist parties to comprehensively strengthen themselves ideologically, politically and organizationally in their countries. Overcoming mistaken positions that prevailed in the International Communist Movement in the previous decades and are being reproduced in different forms today. Building solid bases in the working class, in strategic sectors of the economy, reinforcing their intervention in the labour-people's movement.
Our party still has the goal of forming a Marxist-Leninist pole in the international communist movement. The further specific forms that its formation may take depends on the steps made by other Communist parties as well. Our party will contribute in every way possible at a bilateral and multilateral level to this effort, also developing its independent ideological-political intervention.
The KKE maintains relations, discusses, exchanges views and seeks common activity with dozens of communist and workers parties and will intensify this effort in the next period, irrespective of the level of agreement or disagreement on partial or more all-encompassing issues.
The KKE expresses and will continue to express its solidarity with the just demands and the struggles of all the peoples. In particular, it expresses its solidarity with the people of Palestine that are suffering due to the Israeli occupation and military aggression.
The KKE consistently expresses its solidarity with the Cypriot people against the Turkish invasion-occupation and every kind of dichotomous "solution".Our party fights for a united Cyprus, for one and not two states, with one sovereignty, one citizenship, one international personality, a common homeland for Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots, without occupation and other foreign armies, without foreign bases, without guarantors and "protectors", with the Cypriot people masters in their own land.
As a whole, the KKE defends the struggle of every people against the imperialist interventions and wars, for the friendship and solidarity of the peoples. It contributes as best it can in the framework of the international mass movement for the leading activity of the WFTU, WPC, WIDF, WFDY.
ON THE PARTY’S FINANCES.
The party, emerging from a period when it was compelled to take difficult decisions as regards its finances (e.g. closure of the television and radio station of "902", the ending of the functioning of "Typoekdotiki" print works, the reduction of the spending of the Party Organizations etc.) so that it could cover its basic needs of its propaganda work, its work to project its positions. The contribution of the communist men and women, the members of KNE and the many friends of the party was the decisive factor for the party to achieve this.
It feels real pride concerning the hundreds of thousands of workers all over the country, as well as those that are immigrants in other countries, that supported the KKE from their meagre earnings- both during the fund-raising campaign and also throughout the whole year-as well as concerning the thousands of members and cadres of the party and KNE who struggle daily to help the party financially so that it can respond to its high objectives in service of the interests of the workers and all the popular strata.
The party was and continues to find itself in a particularly difficult period for the working class, the Greek people as a whole. The consequences of the crisis continue to torment the popular families. The close, comradely, militant, political relationship of the workers with the party, for 100 years, in even the most difficult moments of the struggle, is also expressed through their financial support, through the further development of the bonds of the party and KNE with their friends and supporters.
The increase of income from fund-raising work and the support of the organizations, the increase of the circulation of "Rizospastis", of "Kommounistiki Epitheorisi", of "Odigitis", of the publications of "Synchroni Epohi", apart from the more general importance they have for the ideological-political intervention, can significantly contribute to reinforcing the party's finances.
In the context of the offensive being escalated by the class enemy and its parties, via its mechanisms and its governments, the party must have greater readiness, competence, financial self-sufficiency for serious political, ideological, publishing activity, so that the political line of the party reaches the Greek people in a mass, more decisive, broad and comprehensive way.
ACTIVITIES UNTIL THE 21st CONGRESS.
Nationwide Conference to monitor the Decision regarding the regroupment of the labour and trade union movement, the promotion of the Social Alliance, the updating of the joint action framework of the rallies in which the party is active, party building (especially inside the working class and strategically important sectors).
Extended Plenum of the CC or Nationwide Conference to study the issues of the urban self-employed (especially those in the major urban centres) and their movement.
Extended Plenum of the CC or Nationwide Conference to study the issue of agriculture, the movement, the rallies and activity of the party amongst the small-medium farmers.
Completion of the study on the class structure of Greek society.
Continuation of broad work to shed light on our proposal for a unified 12-year school, as well as the completion of a number of elaborations related to the position of the party on pre-school education, Vocational and Unified Higher Education.
Updating of positions on issues of health-social insurance-welfare.
Nationwide Conference for the final approval of the redrafted first volume of the History of the Party, which deals with the period from before the party's establishment up until 1949. To proceed with the completion of the study of the period of the dictatorship. At the same time, there must be a continuation of the efforts to complete the historical research for the writing of the period 1974-1991.
The Central Committee undertakes the task for the continuous and systematic monitoring of the course of the events, publications and other cultural and political activities, the final steps for the important 100th anniversary of the party in 2018, with the basic task being the approval of the Declaration of the CC on the 100th anniversary. The issue will be discussed at an Extended Plenum of the CC.
Suitable staffing of the Sections of the CC so that the study of socialist construction during the 20th century can proceed, as well as the study of the strategy of the International Communist Movement and in particular of the Communist International.
Decisive promotion and completion of the schools of Marxist education at the level of Sectoral Organizations and mainly the cycle of lessons on the Programme at the level of the PBOs and BOs.
Organization of a discussion in the CC on propaganda and its forms, on the Internet media of the party and the enhancement of our intervention in social media networks. Special discussion on the development of the work and circulation of "Rizospastis".
Athens, 30 March-2 April 2017.
20th Congress of the KKE.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/06/political-resolution-of-20th-congress_3.html

IMPORTANT INTERVENTION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY GROUP OF THE KKE AGAINST THE TRANSFORMATION OF GREECE INTO A NATO OPERATIONS HUB

The entire 15-member Parliamentary Group of the KKE tabled a question in parliament to the Foreign and Defense ministers on the question of the country's disentanglement from the imperialist interventions and wars.
«Question
To the Defense and Foreign ministers
Theme: On the disentanglement of the country from the imperialist interventions and wars.
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 placed and continue to place our country, our people in great hazards and dangers.
The slogan "No land, no water for the murderers of the people" has been historically expressed by our people. They shouted it during the war unleashed by the USA, NATO,EU against Yugoslavia in 1999 and in the later wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya. Our people shout it in demonstrations throughout the country, denouncing the governmental decisions for the participation of Greek military forces in NATO's exercises, the provision of the base of Suda and other military bases and headquarters to the more general imperialist plans.
These days, the working people, the youth, with mass demonstrations in Hania demanded the closure of the US-NATO base in Suda, while in Alexandroupoli and other cities in Thraki, they demand that no Greek territory be used for the transit of foreign military forces which will participate in NATO's "Noble Jump" exercise in Romania.
According to published reports 4,000 military officers from Albania, Bulgaria, Britain, USA, Spain, Latvia, Romania, Norway, Holland and Poland will participate in NATO's exercise in Romania. Greece participates in the exercise by providing "Host Nation" support, during the transit of British, Spanish and Albanian military units through Northern Greece via the axis Alexandroupoli-Ormenio and Krystallopigi-Promachonas.
According to official statements, the Greek government is committed to "providing facilitation at the airport and the seaport of Alexandroupoli during the deployment and redeployment of personnel and vehicles. Accommodation for personnel. Services for their escort and security during the reception, transit and departure from the country. Operation and staffing of the local coordination center in Alexandroupoli. Facilitation for logistics and medical treatment services. Access to ground and satellite communications."
It is a fact that this NATO exercise also prepares the ground for new wars and interventions, for the formation of an inter-state military force capable of being used against the peoples, wherever needed.
The SYRIZA-ANEL government, following the path of the previous governments and in the name of the so-called geostrategic enhancement doctrine, bears serious responsibilities because it provides Greek territory, the military bases of our country and multifaceted assistance to the murderous apparatus of NATO.
Within these circumstances, the positions and the struggle of the KKE and the labour-people's movement acquire special significance: "No land, no water for the murderers of the people", immediate disengagement of the country from imperialist interventions and wars, closure of the Suda base and other US-NATO bases and headquarters, return of the Greek military forces from missions abroad, the complete disengagement of our country from NATO and the other imperialist organizations.
The Ministers are asked: what is the position of the government regarding the people's demand for the country not to be involved in the imperialist plans and for Greek territory, camps and sections of the Greek Armed Forces not to be used in NATO's "Noble Jump"exercise and other similar military exercises?
What is the position of the government regarding the people's demand for the non-renewal of the agreement with the USA concerning the Suda base, the closure of this base and other US-NATO bases which are directed against our people and other peoples?"

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/IMPORTANT-INTERVENTION-OF-THE-PARLIAMENTARY-GROUP-OF-THE-KKE-AGAINST-THE-TRANSFORMATION-OF-GREECE-INTO-A-NATO-OPERATIONS-HUB/

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

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1yUFBi5ZPw/WTslke_nwVI/AAAAAAAAC2Q/O8MrguoAGkoimtsF2fjevt3391rzQ5MMQCLcB/s320/Tsipras%2BTsakalotos.jpg
"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.

"The (political) degradation of the government has surpassed any limits" commented the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) the MPs of which- in a symbolic gesture - left the Parliament Hall after voting down the measures. During his intervention, the KKE MP Nikos Karathanasopoulos denouned the governmental measures and called the "workers to uprise, to counterattack, to condemn the policy of the government which consists a continuation of the previous governments' policy, not only in its content but also in the way of its legislation".

The SYRIZA-ANEL government, through its Finance and Labour Ministers Euclid Tsakalotos and Efi Achtsioglou, invoked the debt issue (and the supposed facilitation of the Greek public debt) in order to justify the new harsh antipeople legislation. However, as KKE's Karathanasopoulos mentioned, its the popular family that pays for the debt facilitation, adding that "the people are bleeding for a debt that they didn't create and for which they are not responsible".

MP Karathanasopoulos also warned that the upcoming agreement between the SYRIZA-ANEL government and the creditors in the Eurogroup meeting of June 15th will be towards an antipeople-antiworkers direction.

In the meantime, hundreds of protesters responded to the call by PAME (All-Workers Militant Front) and gathered outside the Parliament's entrance on Friday evening, demonstrating against the new slaughter of their rights.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/06/political-knavery-syriza-government.html

Honoring Greek guerrilla leader and communist revolutionary Aris Velouchiotis

Today is the 71st anniversary of the death of the First Captain of the People's Army (ELAS) Aris Velouchiotis (1905-1945). Velouchiotis was a partisan, member of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and guerrilla leader during the Axis occupation in WW2. Aris, who was born in Lamia, central Greece in 1905, was a cadre of the Communist Party of Greece and at the decision of the party he undertook the formation of the People’s Army (ELAS) during the fascist occupation, the armed wing of the National Liberation Front (EAM).

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Aris opposed the Varkiza Agreement, which disarmed ELAS, and returned to the mountains. In June 1945, his small armed group was surrounded in Mesounda (Arta) and killed by the bourgeois army, which desecrated their corpses, cutting off the heads of Aris and his comrades, which were hung in the central square in the town of Trikala. The then leadership of the party disowned him.

However, after 1957, the KKE in essence gradually rehabilitated him, something that was confirmed by the decision to politically rehabilitate him during the discussion on the 2nd Volume of the History of the Party, 1949-1968, at the Nationwide Conference in 2011. On 9 October 2011, an event was held by the CC of the KKE for the presentation of the Decision of the Nationwide Conference concerning the official political rehabilitation of the first captain of ELAS, Aris Velouchiotis. A large delegation of the CC of the KKE headed by the then GS of the CC, Aleka Papariga, was present. Speaking at the rally, Telemachus Dimoulas, member of the PB of the CC of the KKE, made extensive reference to the essay on the history of the KKE approved by the National Conference of the KKE and the special decision concerning Aris Velouchiotis. "In the consciousness of the people, Aris Velouchiotis is identified with the heroic history of the KKE, the struggle for the overthrow of imperialist barbarity”.

"The KKE did not and has never signed a statement of repentance to the domestic and international bourgeois class. The heroism and sacrifices of communists embrace yesterday and today, constitute and important legacy for the next generations. The CC of the party, all its members and KNE honour the indomitable of the class struggle (…) Aris Velouchiotis became a legend and a leading personality of the people’s movement through the specific collective and ideological structures of the KKE. The KKE from early had ascertained the need for armed resistance against the occupier and correctly supported the armed struggle on a very broad organized political popular basis, through the formation of EAM. The contribution of Aris Velouchiotis in the creation of the first ELAS units, as well as in the formation of the headquarters of ELAS was important.

[img]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XGuesqnbLV0/V2Ktwy8x8oI/AAAAAAAAA-A/0dVIYJby6dQ-5_d7sRQx_FhcSMQdCcUogCLcB/s320/Aris%2BVelouchiotis%2Bspeaking%2Bin%2BLamia.jpg[/img
Aris Velouchiotis addressing the public in Lamia.

Aris was in favour of the continuation of the armed struggle after the end of the occupation and the Battle of Athens, something which the KKE realized in the period 1946-1949. All those sworn enemies of the armed class struggle suffer fits at the mention of the Democratic Army of Greece.
Aris was against the Varkiza Agreement and the surrendering of the weapons. The KKE later assessed that these acts were mistakes. All these people praise Varkiza, the disarming of the people’s army, but they attack the essence of the viewpoint of the KKE as if it were the plague.
The opinion of Aris Velouchiotis was not condemned by the KKE, but his persistence in acts which were not in accordance with organizational and operational principles of the party. Aris Velouchiotis did not express another strategic viewpoint from that of the KKE and EAM in this specific historical period. He chose the armed struggle and condemned the Varkiza Agreement. In this he was vindicated and today is not the first time we say this.
The party itself later adopted this position concerning Varkiza and anyone can understand how valuable the contribution of Aris Velouchiotis would have been to the armed popular struggle in the following years 1946-49 if he had held his discipline and not been led to his tragic death (Note: Aris Velouchiotis committed suicide encircled by the bourgeois army).
Aris had the vision and goal of the KKE, the overthrow of capitalism and the construction of socialism. All these people are on the other side. They fought and fight ferociously against the struggle which leads to socialism-communism. All the things for which thousands of heroic men and women of the KKE gave their lives."

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2016/06/honoring-guerrilla-leader-and-communist.html

Greek soldiers declare NATO forces “unwelcome”
https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/06/

THEY ARE NOT WELCOME!

With an open letter, soldiers from military camps in Evros and Thrace in Greece express their protest against the facilitations that Greece’s Armed Forces provide to NATO’s exercise “Noble Jump”.
More speficially, the soldiers denounce the SYRIZA-ANEL government for providing Greek “territory and waters” to NATO’s forces and underline that the governmental policy consists “a provocation for the soldiers, who are children of the Greek people, especially after the reactions of soldiers and the popular movement which, for at least 20 days, with statements, demonstrations, reports and letters from Greece and Cyprus, have expressed their opposition to NATO”.
In their letter, the soldiers write: “We are not assistant staff to NATO forces”.

“We express our opposition to the use of ports, airports, roads, camps and other infrastructure of our country by NATO’s military forces. They must not set their foot in our country’s soil. They are not welcome”, the Greek soldiers conclude in their open letter.
The above letter of soldiers consists part of an escalation of anti-imperialist mobilizations and actions within the working-people’s movement against Greece’s participation in NATO’s dangerous plans. A few weeks ago, members of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) had created a human chain in Egnatia motorway, close to the city of Kozani, thus blocking the way to a NATO convoy which was passing through northern Greece in order to participate to the “Noble Jump” military exercise in Romania.
Numerous anti-NATO demonstrations took place this month in Alexandroupolis and other cities, while a large anti-imperialist rally, organised by the All-Militant Workers Front (PAME), will be held in Thessaloniki on Saturday 24th June.
Source: Rizospastis / Translation: In Defense of Communism.
Αναρτήθηκε από In Defense of Communism

In their letter, the soldiers write: “We are not assistant staff to NATO forces”.

“We express our opposition to the use of ports, airports, roads, camps and other infrastructure of our country by NATO’s military forces. They must not set their foot in our country’s soil. They are not welcome”, the Greek soldiers conclude in their open letter.

Pretty powerful stuff. These soldiers may not be a majority of the military (have no idea), but their voices make a difference.

SYRIZA: The "left" servants of NATO

By Nikos Mottas*.

In the name of the so-called “geostrategic enhancement” doctrine of the country and following the path of the previous governments of New Democracy and PASOK, the SYRIZA-ANEL government has been proved NATO's "best student". Since its formation on January 2015, the governmental alliance between the social democratic SYRIZA and the nationalist ANEL party has aligned itself with the dangerous plans and goals of the imperialists.

The criminal decisions made in the recent NATO Summits in Brussels, as well as in the one in Warsaw a year ago, bear the signature of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. In an effort to serve the interests of the Greek capital, the SYRIZA-ANEL government works towards a more intense involvement of Greece in the interventions and imperialist wars in the Middle East and North Africa. That includes the expansion of the activities of the NATO-US forces in the Souda naval base (with the Greek side covering the enormous NATO's expenditures) and the more planned utilization of other military bases and command centres in order to promote the euro-atlantic plans, within the framework of the US-EU competition with Russia over natural gas and oil, energy pipelines, the control of markets and strategically significant regions.

It is characteristic that just a few months after it rise to power, the government of Mr.Tsipras signed a 500 million dollar deal with the US company Lockheed for the maintenance of old airplanes for the needs of NATO. While it crushes the people, the working class with more and more austerity measures, the government of SYRIZA finds both money and time in order to correspond to the demands of the NATO imperialists.

We must remind that, among other things, the SYRIZA-ANEL government under Prime Minister Tsipras:
Has provided- and provides- military bases (Souda, Aktion) for the facilitation of the USA and NATO forces in the wars in Syria, Libya and Iraq.
Maintains Greek military forces in imperialist missions abroad (from Afghanistan to Bosnia and from Libya to Mali), thus engaging Greece deeper into the dangerous inter-imperialist plans in the broader region.
Under the pretext of the refugee issue, the government agreed to the enhancement of NATO's naval presence in the Aegean Sea. Such an action is connected to the sharpening competition in the wider region of the Middle East. The SYRIZA-ANEL government, like the previous bourgeois Greek governments, argue that NATO consists a force of “peace” and “stability” in the Aegean Sea and the Greek-Turkish relations. However, it is the opposite that happens: NATO not only does not recognize any borders between its member-states but, furthermore, it reinforces the aggressive plans of the Turkish bourgeoisie for the "greying" of the Aegean and the promotion of “disputes” over islands, sea borders etc. What does NATO, or the EU, say about the systematic violations of Greece's airspace by Turkish fighters?
Actively participates in joined military exercises of NATO, as well as other bilateral and trilateral exercises with the USA and Israel, while it provides any facilitation (ports, airports, camps, military and other infrastructure) for multiple NATO military training in the Balkans (e.g. the recent “Noble Jump” military exercise in Romania). Within this framework, the government uses Greek soldiers as “assistant staff” to NATO's forces.
Following the policy of its predecessors (New Democracy, PASOK), the government spends 2.4% of the GDP in military expenditures. At the same time, their policy has increased youth unemployment up to 50%! The “left” government of Mr. Tsipras cuts wages and pensions but when it comes to military expenditures, demanded by NATO, it shows remarkable obedience.

Defense Minister P. Kammenos- the nationalist
governmental partner of Tsipras- with NATO's Gen.
Secretary Jens Stoltenberg.
For its policy, the SYRIZA-ANEL government has received multiple “congratulations” and praises from the NATO, the USA and the EU. The intention of the Greek government to support and facilitate the imperialist plans of NATO in the region of Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans was confirmed, once again, during a meeting between Greek and US officials in Athens on June 8th. Praising the government for its willingness to serve the aims of the imperialists, the deputy commander of the EUCOM (US European Command) Lt. General Timothy Ray said: “Souda (base) served us during the Cold War and today continues to support our missions in the Middle East, the Mediterranean, in Northern Africa. Greece is a factor of stability in times of insecurity and instability […] today, more than ever, we ask from Greece to continue playing her leading role in ensuring security in Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans”.

The U.S. ambassador in Athens Geoff Pyatt also expressed his pleasure for the policy of the SYRIZA-ANEL government and underlined: “With her unique geostrategic position and her Armed Forces, Greece supports our missions, especially throught Souda, which gives us a strategic advantage and the capability to confront challenges with flexibility and efficiency in the broader region”.

Lies, deception and illusions.

For those who have followed the rapid political transformation of SYRIZA, from a small opportunist leftist coalition into Greece's major social democratic party, the above stance consists no surprise. After all, during the last seven years, SYRIZA has been proved an extraordinary case of political deception and ideological manipulation. Foreign policy is another field where SYRIZA and its leadership has turned black into white.

The supposed “radical anti-imperialism” of SYRIZA as an opposition party has been fully transformed, thus proving the real illusionary political character of social democracy. More specifically:

On May 2012, in its electoral program, the party of Alexis Tripras was stating among other things:

“Our policy includes...The closure of all the foreign military bases in Greece. Immediate abolition of the bases of Souda and Aktio. We want neither Greece is NATO, nor NATO in Greece and we are fighting for its (NATO's) dissolution”.

After its electoral victory on January 2015, SYRIZA did exactly the opposite from what it had promised: Not only the US and NATO military bases remained, but the SYRIZA-ANEL government (through Defence Minister P.Kammenos) proposed the opening of a new NATO military airbase in the island of Karpathos (21/5/2015)!

On July 2013, the “Political Declaration” of SYRIZA's congress was stating: “...the disengagement from NATO, the abolition of the foreign military bases, the prevention of the military collaboration with Israel and the application of the doctrine “no Greek soldier in war-zones abroad” consist the axes of our Foreign Policy”.

The convenience and rapidity with which SYRIZA changed its positions would be a a ridiculously entertaining issue, if it wasn't so seriously dangerous for the country's people. After its electoral victory SYRIZA “forgot” all the above statements and became an obedient ally of the imperialists. Under Alexis Tsipras, Greece becomes more and more involved in NATO's dangerous imperialist plans, the Greek-Israeli military co-operation has been strengthened and the government is determined to participate actively in future NATO missions.

The supposed “radical leftist” Mr.Tsipras – the one who has signed NATO Summit's decisions in Warsaw and Brussels and who emerges as the “best student” of the murderous alliance – is the same person who, during a nationwide televised press conference in Thessaloniki on September 2014, was stating: “Our assessment was and still remains that in the new international balances of a multipolar world, this military formation (NATO) which reflects the Cold War era has no reason of existence”.

The KKE had exposed the “multidimensional foreign policy” of SYRIZA as an instrument of serving the bourgeois interests a long time ago, when Tsipras' party was rising as Greece's “radical” opposition. Here is a characteristic part of an article published in 'Rizospastis' daily on December 18th, 2012 under the title “What SYRIZA says about foreign policy”:

“When SYRIZA talks about a “multidimensional foreign policy” it means friendships with imperialist powers, according to their contradictions and what interests the domestic bourgeoisie or some powerful portions of her. SYRIZA also says that the aim of its foreign policy is to “politically enchance both Greece's participation in the european institutions as well as her geopolitical value”. Even if we skip the unevenness in capitalist development, which makes impossible the equal participation of capitalist states in inter-state Unions, who is benefited by Greece's strengthening in european institutions? And on behalf of whom (the government) will be negotiating a supposedly “more powerful” Greece in the bodies of the imperialist Union? Apparently, not on behalf of the people […] Therefore, SYRIZA's agony is for the interests of the domestic bourgeois class and on behalf of her it promises a stronger Greece, like the previous governments did, either “liberal” or social democratic ones”.

What has been demonstrated in practice is that the SYRIZA-ANEL government is another anti-people government, which under “left” slogans served in an equally faithful way the bourgeoisie, the imperialist unions of EU and NATO as the previous governments had done. Foreign policy consists another field where SYRIZA has been totally and irreversibly exposed as the “left” servant of the bourgeois interests.

The working class, the popular strata of Greece, shall not forget nor tolerate the policy of the SYRIZA-ANEL government. Together with the workers of all countries, Greece's workers-people's movement must organise its counterattack and intensify the common struggle against the wolf-pack alliances of NATO and EU, the imperialist wars, the bourgeois classes and their warmongering policies for their own profits.

* Nikos Mottas is the Editor-in-Chief of 'In Defense of Communism', a PhD candidate in Political Science, International Relations and Political History.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/06/syriza-left-servants-of-nato.html

Incredible video from today's anti-imperialist protest in #Thessaloniki, taken by drone


http://youtu.be/2LnfS8A-Css

"Neither soil, nor water to the murderers of the people": Huge rally against NATO in Thessaloniki

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"Neither soil, nor water to the murderers of the people" and "with the workers of all countries, for a world without exploitation, wars and refugees" were the major slogan of the massive anti-imperialist demonstration organised by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) in Thessaloniki. Thousands of protesters of all ages, from all over Greece but also from abroad, joined their voices against imperialism, its wars and interventions.

The demonstration began at Aristotelous Square, with a greeting message by Zeljko Veselinovic, president of the Serbian Trade Union SLOGA, on behalf of all the attending foreign Trade Unions. Veselinovic recalled the solidarity that PAME and Greece's working class had offered to the people of Yugoslavia during the 1999 NATO bombings: "We, the workers, are brothers regardless race, religion or skin colour and that will be forever. Nobody is going to subdue us. We are stronger and they will never beat us", he said among other things.

Greeting messages were also delivered by the General Secretary of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) Giorgos Mavrikos and Nikos Papanastasis, Lieutenant-Colonel (retired). General Secretary Mavrikos pointed out that the WFTU, which represents 92 million members in 126 countries, takes action in every corner of the world towards the support of workers' rights. Within the framework, Mavrikos refered to a series of initiatives that the WFTU will take in the near future, as well as to the task of strengthening the class-based perception in international trade-union movement.


http://youtu.be/xcD_lnSX2y8

From his side, Lieutenant-Colonel Papanastasis, member of the "Movement for National Defense", underlined among other things: "We, the military officers, have passed the largest part of our life in the camps and have a first-hand knowledge of what 'NATO' means. We know the dimension of the dramatic consequences for the people, resulted by our country's participation on that. We know what blood-stained operational plans it has. Everyone knows the slaughtering of the people of Yugoslavia, as well as of other people" [...] "Wherever they go", Papanastasis said, "NATO, the EU and the imperialists seed wars and misfortunes for the people".

The major speech, on behalf of PAME's Executive Committee, was delivered by its member Giorgos Perros. Among other things, cde Perros pointed out: "Today's correspondence to the initiative of the hundreds of Trade Unions, Labour Centers, Workers Federations which rallied in PAME against imperialist war, interventions and incidents which are developing in our neighbourhood and throughout the world, is the road of hope, of perspective, of peaceful co-existence of the people. Our enemies are not the neighboring people, but NATO and the bases".

A huge "river" of protesters marched through Thessaloniki's seafront avenue and gathered outside the NATO "Rapid Deployable Corps" headquarters. In front of riot police forces, which had blocked the main entrance, thousands of demonstrators shouted anti-imperialist slogans and denounced the murderous policy of the USA, EU and NATO. "Murderers, thiefs and hypocrites are the European imperialists" and "Crisis, wars, uprooting, this is Capitalism" were some of the slogans shouted by the protesters.

The Two-Day Anti-imperialist activities of PAME in Thessaloniki ends tomorrow, Sunday 25/6, with an international meeting of Trade Unions. Yesterday, the representatives of foreign Trade Unions- among others from Syria, Turkey, Italy, Palestine, Egypt, Serbia- had the opportunity to visit and learn the historical background of two significant places of the city; the Yedi Kule prison where numerous communists were incarcerated as political prisoners during the 20th century and the memorial of the victims of the 1944 Chortiatis massacre, one of the most heinous atrocities committed by the Nazis in Greece during WWII occupation.

Nikos Mottas, with info from 902.gr.
24/6/2017.
Αναρτήθηκε από In Defense of Communism

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/06/neither-soil-nor-water-to-murderers-of.html

On the dangerous and provocative remarks by New Democracy's Kyriakos Mitsotakis

Adopting the "arguments" of Golden Dawn's neo-Nazis, the president of the centre-right New Democracy (ND) party Kyriakos Mitsotakis made some dangerous and provocative remarks blaming the "Left" as the one responsible for "terrorism" in Greece.

In an article published on 'politico.eu' under the title "Greece fears revival of far-left violence", Mitsotakis fully adopts the rhetoric of Golden Dawn's fascist thugs: “We are the only country [in Europe] that has domestic terrorism of the extreme left” said Mitsotakis who tried to downgrade the criminal activity of the Nazi Golden Dawn.

More specifically, 'Politico' points out: "However, Mitsotakis played down the impact of Golden Dawn on Greek society, saying it was “so extreme and so vulgar” that it was marginalized. “It’s as if they don’t exist” he said. “The violence has been almost exclusively from the left in recent years”.

With the above statements, Kyriakos Mitsotakis shamelessly "exonerates" the criminal role of Golden Dawn, a Nazi-fascist organization which is responsible for numerous murderous attacks on immigrants and workers.

Apparently, Mitsotakis' interview and his anti-left remarks consist another episode in the bourgeois bipartite "dogfight" between SYRIZA and New Democracy. However, it becomes clear that his effort to blame the "Left" as the womb of terrorism goes far beyond than the SYRIZA-New Democracy political rivalry: In fact, with his hideous and unacceptable remarks, Mitsotakis puts in target the workers-people's movement, equating it with the activity of provocative groups (e.g. November 17).

Of course, Mitsotakis' remarks on 'Politico' were hailed by the Golden Dawn Nazis who congratulated him for his statements: "Here is the big truth Mitsotakis said- well done to him" the neo-Nazis wrote in their website.


Comment by the KKE regarding Mitsotakis' remarks:

Commenting on Kyriakos Mitsotakis' interview and his remarks on "terrorism", the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) pointed out:

"The effort of Kyriakos Mitsotakis to create dangerous associations, by actually connecting the activity of provocative groups with the workers-people's movement, on the one hand strengthens the environment of repression and on the other hand adopts the arguments of Golden Dawn, the criminal activity of which he totally silences".

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/06/on-dangerous-and-provocative-remarks-by.html

Tsipras' government dismisses 10,000 workers, promotes privatization in garbage collection

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Sanitary workers protesting near the Acropolis in Athens.

Why there are tones of garbage in the streets of Athens and other Greek major cities these days? The answer is because the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government- within the framework of its anti-people, anti-workers policy and following the demands of the EU strategy- moves towards the dismissal of 10,000 sanitary workers, while it promotes the privatization of the garbage collection sector in municipalities.
Greece's local authority staff union federation POE-OTA launched a protest last week, after a court ruled against the new extension to late 2017 of the short- term contracts of more than 10,000 people working in trash collection in municipalities throughout Greece.
POE-OTA responded with work stoppages, strikes, and sit-in protests at landfills, rightfully demanding permanent employment of workers to replace the fixed-term contracts, which put workers in risk of being fired in a country suffering chronic unemployment of about 25% of the working force.
In a communication trick, Interior Minister Panos Skourletis submitted to the parliament on Monday a proposal for hiring 2,500 permanent municipal sanitation workers. The proposal was immediately rejected by POE-OTA as insufficient. The government's mockery towards the sanitary workers is more than clear: It proposes the hiring of 2,500 municipal sanitation workers, while it prepares the dismissal of more than 6,500 of them!
"Given that sanitation services are a daily operation in urban centers, we request permanent personnel earning salaries allowing them to make a living with dignity. There is no need for short-term workers which are recycled by governments and mayors under the formula 'You leave, you are hired'. As a result, each time people are offered fewer workers' rights and smaller wages," Christos Panagiotopoulos, a protesting worker was quoted by the Chinese news network Xinhua on Monday.
In this anti-workers strategy, the SYRIZA-ANEL government is actually supported by the opposition party of New Democracy and all the bourgeois political forces, including many of the municipal authorities. In Thessaloniki, mayor Yannis Boutaris- known for his hostility towards the labor movement- unleashed a fierce attack against the striking workers and threatened them by signing an emergency tender awaiting a relevant short-term contract to the private sector. Such a move by Boutaris would cost to the city's taxpayers approximately 192,000 euros for three days! The All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) slammed the anti-worker delirium of mayor Boutaris thus accusing him of promoting the governmental strategy and the interests of private contractors.

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"Fraud- hostage- dismissal- unemployment... This is the course of the government's policy in the case of the municipal sanitation workers, the policy followed by the SYRIZA-ANEL government during the last 2.5 years" writes the Sunday edition of "Rizospastis" on 25th June.

"In particular, the sector of sanitation and waste management consists a very promising "investment" sector for monopoly groups" points out the article of "Rizospastis" and continues: "Many are those who are lurking to strench their hands, since in this case "garbage is treasure". What nowadays appears to be a "gordian knot" in the labor relation of the contract workers, consists a first-class opportunity to promote privatization projects. It is also no coincidence that many media, according to their favorite method, rushed to zoom at the "piles of garbage" in Athens, in order to connect the issue with the tourist season and pass the "message" about the need for privatization. After all, specific mayors are already moving towards this direction openly".

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KKE: "The people must support the struggle of the sanitation workers - The waste collection and management is state's responsibility."



In a statement, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) expressed its support to the struggle of the workers and denounced the policy of the SYRIZA-ANEL government, as well as the role of New Democracy and part of the mayors who promote the privatization plans. The KKE states that the waste collection and management is state's responsibility and must be financed from the government's budget. "Today", the KKE statement points out, "the SYRIZA-ANEL government dismisses thousands of contract workers, hiding behild the constitution's provisions. Instead of ensuring the right to stable and permanent labor of all these workers, (the government) is mocking them, promising supposed solutions which perpetuate labor insecurity and lead to dismissals".

Full support to the struggle of the sanitation workers was expressed by the five communist mayors - of the cities of Patras, Chaidari, Petroupolis, Kesariani and Ikaria - who denounced the governmental mockery. The five mayors asked from the government to transform the temporary contracts of the municipal sanitation workers into permanent ones.
And a 24-hour strike and a new rally in Athens was called for Thursday.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/06/tsipras-government-dismisses-10000.html