Neither Washinton, Moscow, Beijing or Tel Aviv – but International Socialism

De-colonisation of Israel

Lasting peace and justice will only be possible when all remnants of colonialism in Palestine-Israel have been abandoned. A big majority of the populations in the region would vote for one state, but only if antisemitism and anti-Muslem discrimination were explicitly banned in the constitution and on the ground. Jewish and Muslim communities coexist harmoniously in other social-democratic countries. Two thousand years of antisemitism and the Nazi Holocaust amount to the worst crime in human history. But these atrocities do not justify the falsification of history and genocide of Muslims by US, UK and Israeli Zionists.

The US-Russian War in Ukraine

Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine should have been no surprise. In the 1990s, Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev attempted to turn Russia into a typical capitalist social democratic country. But since then, western leaders have done exactly what they promised they would not do: accept the East-European countries of the Warsaw Pact as normal members of the EU and NATO.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is utterly unacceptable, but almost inevitable. Just as during the build-up to the First World War, imperialism on all sides is ultimately responsible for Ukraine conflict.

New Global Cold War

During the 20th century, many national elites used Fascist violence to suppress popular demands. The historical function of Nazism, Fascism and military juntas is to preserve private capitalism in a political crisis.

Likewise, tiny elites also run Russia and China. They can be categorised as state-capitalist countries in that big capital is controlled by the state. Both types of authoritarian regime are versions of capitalism.

In the misnamed ‘free’ West, big capital controls the state albeit indirectly via financial markets and party funding. Capitalist social democracy allows people to vote. But alternative political or economic systems could never get coverage in the capitalist mass media. A vote on system change would never be allowed.

There is a good reason why social-democracy is generally the first choice of the capitalist class. It is the cleverest and most effective way to maintain rule by the super rich.

Capitalist polycrisis

From its essential institutions to uts national borders, capitalism is facing global opposition. Yet it is we who suffer imperialist invasion, forced migration, climate catastrophe, pandemic, austerity, inequality, unpayable debt and so on. The sheer number, severity and intractability of capitalist crises is unprecedented.

But protest and resistance are also global. As the polycrisis intensifies, so too will opportunities for an international order based on trust, cooperation and real democracy throughout its essential institutions.

Marxism and the science of social change

Marx, Engels, Lenin and others founded a political science to inform and encourage working class revolution. But what constitutes a science has evolved since the 19th century. Social change can never be like physics. But it can be evidence-based, peer reviewed and freely available for all. It would draw on the best of current academic history, philosophy, economics and science.

For example, it is not difficult to demonstrate that workplace constituencies (rather than geographical) would be radically more democratic and less alienating. Less dictatorial workplace regimes are also more efficient by any criteria. UK productivity and economic growth is currently the worst of the G7 countries. It is no coincidence that industrial action by trade unions has been extremely low for many decades. There is abundant evidence that upward pressure on wages and working conditions is the main driver of labour saving initiatives.

Capitaist Climate Catastrophe