We have difficulty to understand your criticism, according to which we don’t denounce Ukrainian imperialism. If it is to say that we don’t explicitly mention it, it is formally right. But we don’t think the two statements we’ve produced, the leaflet of February 20th previous to the war and the Theses we sent you, present any confusion about the imperialist character of the war, the imperialist character of the imperialist rivalries, thus the imperialist character of the Ukrainian state, and the absolute need for the proletariat in Russia and Ukraine to not accept any national unity with their own bourgeoisie, nor to defend any Ukrainian nation on behalf of any national liberation or freedom slogan or pretext.
The theses claims that “the degree reached by the crisis and the resulting impasse for capital, makes the dynamics of the generalized imperialist war, which was until then only a perspective playing an indirect role – if one can say so –in the course of events, a direct, immediate factor today of the policies, decisions, reflections of the governments andcapitalist classes of each nation and imperialist powers. The war in Ukraine is its first clear and obvious illustration forall. It is also at the center of the concerns and policies of all governments. It becomes thus a direct factor of the policiesled by each bourgeoisie against the proletariat, therefore a concern for all proletarians and an additional factor,become direct, of the class struggle.” (we underline)
In regards with the proletariat, we too believe there is not any confusion about what position it has to adapt: “the slogans for the proletariat in Ukraine remain the same as those for the rest of the international proletariat,knowing that they can only be against the current and not very audible for the moment. The slogans of rejection ofnational unity and rejection of defense of the Ukrainian nation are at least, and already, milestones for the awakeningof the proletariat in Ukraine.” Or that “the European proletariat will pay for this war, its consequences andimplications, and therefore for those to come and to be prepared. The proletariat of Ukraine and Russia already pay it,including with their flesh.”
The same is true with our February 20th 2022 leaflet. On the imperialist character of the war: “The spiral ofimperialist rivalries, exacerbated by the crisis and economic competition, is growing inexorably. It forces eachbourgeoisie, primarily in the main imperialist powers, whether they like it or not, to take the road to war.”The slogans and orientation for the proletariat : “It would still be necessary for the proletariat of one or the other country, or even both, to engage in a resolute dynamic of mass strike, advancing their class interests – low wages,inflation, poverty, misery affect both sides of the border – against the additional sacrifices they will be called on tomake in order to defend the «motherland».” Or, in conclusion and slogans: This is the watchword today, in Russia and Ukraine, as well as in the whole of Europe and elsewhere, facing the sounds of jackboots and the first exchanges ofshells on the front line. No to sacrifices for capital and its wars! No to national unity, long live the proletarian classstruggle!” (underlines in the leaflet)
So, dear comrade, may be we did not understand your criticism or we don’t see the point you want to raise.Please, don’t hesitate to develop your critical comment and argue it. It’ll be welcome. We’re very interestedin looking at any political weakness or confusion that any of our statement may present.
Internationalist Greetings, the IGCL
Что ж, я ответил:
Dear comrades,
Thank you very much for clarifying your position. It is exhaustive, and the phrase «about the imperialist character of the war, the imperialist character of the imperialist rivalries, thus the imperialist character of the Ukrainian state, and the absolute need for theproletariat in Russia and Ukraine to not accept any national unity with their own bourgeoisie, nor to defend any Ukrainian nation on behalf of any national liberation or freedom slogan or pretext» completely removes all ambiguities.
It follows from your explanation that there are no fundamental contradictions between your position and the position of the «Class War» group. So, your position is my position.
. . . Продолжаю читать попытки разных организаций сформулировать интернационалистическую позицию по войне Украины против России, ДНР и ЛНР. Вот, например, тезисы ИКТ в переводе КРАС на русский:
Хорошо выступили не только против России, но и против Украины, что ценно. Однако и здесь ничего не говорится о том, что ЛНР и ДНР хотя и являются буржуазными государствами, но возникли в результате восстания пролетариев и мелких буржуа против нациократического, расистского режима — восстания, участники которого в большинстве своем были движимы стихийным, «бытовым» интернационализмом. А такие вещи никак нельзя упускать, анализируя генезис империалистической войны: мало просто призывать пролетариев в солдатских шинелях разворачиваться против своих начальников — надо понимать, КАК ИМЕННО разворачиваться и КАК ИМЕННО призывать, для чего надо понимать мотивацию тех людей, к которым обращаешься. А она с обеих сторон заметно различается: украинские буржуи давят только на рычаг расизма и национальной исключительности, а вот российские и пророссийские буржуи умело играют на антирасизме многих своих солдат, на их неприязни к идее национальной исключительности и белого превосходства Запада.
В начале марта Интернациональная группа коммунистической левицы ( http://igcl.org ) разослала следующий текст:
https://igcl.org/Theses-on-the-significance-and (вариант на русском — https://igcl.org/Tezisy-o-znachenii-i-posledstviyah)
В ответ я написал:
Dear comrades,
Sorry, but in that text you say nothing on UKRAINIAN imperialism, UKRAINIAN aggression against Donbass rebellers from 2014 until February 2022.
So, though the Czech group «Class war» is not in the tradition of the Italian Left Communism, their position on this war is more close to me:
https://www.autistici.org/tridnivalka/proletarians-in-russia-and-in-the-ukraine-on-production-front-and-military-front-comrades/
They are definitely & clearly against BOTH states — Russian & Ukrainian.
(Вариант текста чешской группы на русском — https://bugerave.wordpress.com/2022/02/22/заметки-о-быстротекущих-событиях/#comments )
Товарищи из ИГКЛ ответили так:
March 21st 2022
The IGCL to comrade Vlad Bugera,
Dear comrade,
We have difficulty to understand your criticism, according to which we don’t denounce Ukrainian imperialism. If it is to say that we don’t explicitly mention it, it is formally right. But we don’t think the two statements we’ve produced, the leaflet of February 20th previous to the war and the Theses we sent you, present any confusion about the imperialist character of the war, the imperialist character of the imperialist rivalries, thus the imperialist character of the Ukrainian state, and the absolute need for the proletariat in Russia and Ukraine to not accept any national unity with their own bourgeoisie, nor to defend any Ukrainian nation on behalf of any national liberation or freedom slogan or pretext.
The theses claims that “the degree reached by the crisis and the resulting impasse for capital, makes the dynamics of the generalized imperialist war, which was until then only a perspective playing an indirect role – if one can say so –in the course of events, a direct, immediate factor today of the policies, decisions, reflections of the governments andcapitalist classes of each nation and imperialist powers. The war in Ukraine is its first clear and obvious illustration forall. It is also at the center of the concerns and policies of all governments. It becomes thus a direct factor of the policiesled by each bourgeoisie against the proletariat, therefore a concern for all proletarians and an additional factor,become direct, of the class struggle.” (we underline)
In regards with the proletariat, we too believe there is not any confusion about what position it has to adapt: “the slogans for the proletariat in Ukraine remain the same as those for the rest of the international proletariat,knowing that they can only be against the current and not very audible for the moment. The slogans of rejection ofnational unity and rejection of defense of the Ukrainian nation are at least, and already, milestones for the awakeningof the proletariat in Ukraine.” Or that “the European proletariat will pay for this war, its consequences andimplications, and therefore for those to come and to be prepared. The proletariat of Ukraine and Russia already pay it,including with their flesh.”
The same is true with our February 20th 2022 leaflet. On the imperialist character of the war: “The spiral ofimperialist rivalries, exacerbated by the crisis and economic competition, is growing inexorably. It forces eachbourgeoisie, primarily in the main imperialist powers, whether they like it or not, to take the road to war.”The slogans and orientation for the proletariat : “It would still be necessary for the proletariat of one or the other country, or even both, to engage in a resolute dynamic of mass strike, advancing their class interests – low wages,inflation, poverty, misery affect both sides of the border – against the additional sacrifices they will be called on tomake in order to defend the «motherland».” Or, in conclusion and slogans: This is the watchword today, in Russia and Ukraine, as well as in the whole of Europe and elsewhere, facing the sounds of jackboots and the first exchanges ofshells on the front line. No to sacrifices for capital and its wars! No to national unity, long live the proletarian classstruggle!” (underlines in the leaflet)
So, dear comrade, may be we did not understand your criticism or we don’t see the point you want to raise.Please, don’t hesitate to develop your critical comment and argue it. It’ll be welcome. We’re very interestedin looking at any political weakness or confusion that any of our statement may present.
Internationalist Greetings, the IGCL
Что ж, я ответил:
Dear comrades,
Thank you very much for clarifying your position. It is exhaustive, and the phrase «about the imperialist character of the war, the imperialist character of the imperialist rivalries, thus the imperialist character of the Ukrainian state, and the absolute need for theproletariat in Russia and Ukraine to not accept any national unity with their own bourgeoisie, nor to defend any Ukrainian nation on behalf of any national liberation or freedom slogan or pretext» completely removes all ambiguities.
It follows from your explanation that there are no fundamental contradictions between your position and the position of the «Class War» group. So, your position is my position.
. . . Продолжаю читать попытки разных организаций сформулировать интернационалистическую позицию по войне Украины против России, ДНР и ЛНР. Вот, например, тезисы ИКТ в переводе КРАС на русский:
https://aitrus.info/node/5949
Хорошо выступили не только против России, но и против Украины, что ценно. Однако и здесь ничего не говорится о том, что ЛНР и ДНР хотя и являются буржуазными государствами, но возникли в результате восстания пролетариев и мелких буржуа против нациократического, расистского режима — восстания, участники которого в большинстве своем были движимы стихийным, «бытовым» интернационализмом. А такие вещи никак нельзя упускать, анализируя генезис империалистической войны: мало просто призывать пролетариев в солдатских шинелях разворачиваться против своих начальников — надо понимать, КАК ИМЕННО разворачиваться и КАК ИМЕННО призывать, для чего надо понимать мотивацию тех людей, к которым обращаешься. А она с обеих сторон заметно различается: украинские буржуи давят только на рычаг расизма и национальной исключительности, а вот российские и пророссийские буржуи умело играют на антирасизме многих своих солдат, на их неприязни к идее национальной исключительности и белого превосходства Запада.