Anti-imperialist Camp to support his attack on the de facto concentration government
Oskar Lafontaine, the candidate of the German Left Party in the forthcoming national elections, is not only attacking the thorough embracing of ultra-liberalism by the German political class, but also its subordination to the US´ global imperial agenda based on the “law of the jungle”.
Against US domination……
Recently he stated that he would immediately withdraw the German contingent from Afghanistan those presence had nothing to do with “peace keeping” let alone carpet bombing of civilians. According to Lafontaine already the war against Afghanistan was a breach of international law. Even more he had been attacking the US aggression on Iraq and had been demanding the German establishment to condemn it within the UN as a violation of international law. Regarding Palestine he criticised the US to apply double standards when accepting the Israeli defiance of UN resolutions.
With reference to the pretended Iranian nuclear armament he said that nobody could object to an Iranian atomic bomb as also Israel is in possession of nuclear weapons of mass destruction. Facing these clear words the German political class went berserk accusing Lafontaine of “anti-Semitism”.
Lafontaine is indirectly admitting that the US crusade “on terror” is in the last instance the war rich against poor, a global class war in form of the clash of civilisations. For him this war is provoking attacks on the soil of the war-leading countries – a link the Anglo-Saxon propaganda machine is systematically denying. For the sake of the security of the population Germany should completely refrain from military interventions outside her territory as actually the constitution stipulates.
Already during the aggression on Yugoslavia Lafontaine was participating in the small anti-war movement which went completely against the mainstream. He criticised the dismantling of Yugoslavia as a multi-national state instigated by Germany. He held that also the Serbs were victims of forced displacements and he opposed the hypocritical “humanitarian bombs” on Belgrade as a violation of international law.
Despite the fact that Lafontaine for too long had been part of the very establishment which bears the responsibility for all these crimes on the side of the US he is with his current positions actually putting in question the very geo-strategic fundament of German capitalism after WWII namely the untouchable subordination to the US making Germany the main pillar of US dominance over Europe.
…… and against ultra-liberalism……
The second element of break with the German and European bi-polar system consisting of a left and a right wing variant of liberalism is his steadfast defence of the welfare state. His candidacy was born in the popular movement against Schroeder´s notorious “Hartz IV” reform which is nothing less then the eradication of big parts of the social gains which the popular masses acquired throughout decades. This welfare state was constitutive for the German capitalist model. Eventually it was the functionary base of the industrial unions to provide the organisational base to the new party politically reflecting the fading out of the model of institutionalised class collaboration.
It was consequent that Lafontaine joined the campaign to refuse the ultra-liberalist and pro-American EU constitution which was promoted by the entire political class of Germany. He even went to France supporting the NO in the referendum.
……incurred the “red-brown” accusation
After the 11 September the anti-imperialist forces were the target of the campaign accusing us of Anti-Semitism and an alliance with the fascists. At that time those attacking us still claimed to be “left” or even “Marxist”. They invoked an “anti-fascism” which they had transformed into the state ideology of liberalist imperialism led by the US. They invented new Hitlers in Yugoslavia, in Iraq, in Iran – wherever the US geo-strategy intend to intervene. The Western bombs followed suite covered with the humanitarian apology.
We answered that on the ideological level it was the latest version of the totalitarianism theory equalising fascism with communism as the Western bourgeoisies did not need any more the pro-fascist network to keep communist movement in check. Politically it was the ticket of the old left into the imperialist system of the US bi-polar brand.
Today with the letter of the 44 US congressmen against the Anti-imperialist Camp as the tip of an iceberg everybody can see in whose interest the campaign has been waged. Now the very same pattern is being applied against Lafontaine as he dared to step out of the bi-polar regime´s mainstream which is sacrosanct. To oppose ultra-liberalism and the US predominance equals what happens to be “Nazi-Islamo-Communism”.
Consequent reformism too much for the US empire
Lafontaine is in difference to the Anti-imperialist Camp neither anti-capitalist nor revolutionary. He reclaims the tradition of Willy Brandt as a true social democrat both in the domestic as well as in the international field. But what 30 years ago used to be mainstream today is a frontal attack against the regimes within the global architecture being redrawn by the Washington neo-con hawks.
A consequent political project in defence of the welfare state and international balancing of the social rift to mitigate the clash of civilisations today is not possible within the imperialist regime. The movement Lafontaine started certainly wishes to be re-integrated. They announced to be ready to join a coalition government but only the next but one legislation period. But the dynamic of the stepping out of the regime might escape the intentions of the authors. The social and political malcontent in the lower classes with the ultra-liberalist bi-polar is huge which got no representation. So a radicalisation is possible.
The German affiliates of the Anti-imperialist Camp will give support to Lafontaine´s movement hoping to deal a decisive blow against Schroder´s Clinton-Blair-type SPD. Those who warm up the worn-out argument that this will bring the even more pro-US CDU/CSU in office we reply that this is completely secondary given the fundamental accordance between them and the CDU which is being confirmed by the rumours about a “big coalition”. Contrary to the “anti-fascist” phrases it is this bi-polar regime which produces a new form of fascism in a double sense. On one hand they destroy the political rights of the labouring masses to amour capitalism on the other they push the masses towards fascism if we are not able to build a popular anti-imperial anti-capitalist force filling the political vacuum.
Therefore the break-away from the German regime of a significant part of the social-democrat establishment is of utmost importance as it can prepare the ground for that popular movement. The Anti-imperialist Camp will participate pushing to deepen the break with the system in a revolutionary direction.
Anti-imperialist Camp
August 18, 2005
