The Party of Labour declared its stance on the issue of the war in Ukraine, taking up the position of proletarian internationalism. However, the outbreak of the war has more clearly outlined the roles of various currents in the movement. The ideological line in the international workers’ movement can be categorised into three main trends;
- Social Chauvinism – The main characteristic of this opportunistic trend is the support of its bourgeoisie and its imperialist camp against other nations. Socialism in words and national chauvinism in practice.
- Reformism – It ignores the essence of the current inter-imperialist conflict and represents obedience to bourgeois legality in the labour movement. It defends the “sovereignty of states” while invoking international law.
- Proletarian-Internationalism – Understanding how imperialism has entered a continuing crisis, with a fundamental tendency to redistribute the world. It calls for using the deepening contradictions among imperialists in the interests of proletarian class struggle.
The first two listed trends are the same political basis; bourgeois legalism, disbelief in the proletarian, class collaboration, rejection of revolutionary action, capitulation.
It is clear to all class-conscious workers that social-chauvinism and reformism have the same economic essence – an alliance between the bourgeoisie and the “leaders” of the labour movement, who play the role of bourgeois lackeys, directed against the mass of proletarians who have nothing to gain from this war. Masses of proletarians of Russia, Ukraine, Europe, and the whole world will pay not only with blood but also with increased exploitation, unemployment, and even greater hunger. The social-chauvinists of Western European states vary in attitudes from the simple “support of the Ukrainian people in defending their homeland” to a much more sincere stance that NATO plays an “anti-imperialist” role in this war. While in Russia itself and many other countries, social-chauvinists have taken a stand in support of Russian imperialism, arguing that Russia is not an imperialist country and is entitled to defend itself against aggressive Western imperialism.
Our party, in its published position, comes out against these stances and states;
“Regardless of the excuses used by the imperialists to justify their crimes, the military conflict in Ukraine results from intensifying competition between the two conflicting sides, which can no longer resolve itself by diplomatic means and empty compromises. Competition for the market, raw materials, transport routes, and spheres of influence.”
On the other hand, the reformists’ who surrender themselves to bourgeois legalism fall into democratic illusions and appeal for peace. Our party opposed this stance, saying;
“Appeals for peace do not stop imperialist wars, but the creation of a force that fights global colonisers and villains changes the character of the war, aggravates their position of plunder, and opens the perspective of peace and unity among nations.”
The Party of Labour believes that the majority of sincere and genuinely revolutionary workers’ organisations worldwide have taken the position of proletarian-internationalism. With the correct view that this is an inter-imperialist conflict between Western and Russian imperialism, it has a reactionary character. This conflict is not in the proletariat’s interest in Ukraine, Russia, or other countries. We do not know how this war will proceed further. However, we know well that the ideal consequences will be the defeat of social-chauvinism and reformism in the movement, primarily in Russia and Europe.
NO TO WAR FOR THE BOURGEOISIE!
PEACE BETWEEN THE PEOPLE, WAR BETWEEN THE CLASSES!
