A convulsed world: "socialism" is the only way out
By Hassan Jan |
As the end of the second decade of the 21st century approaches, we are witnessing a world plunged into an unprecedented crisis at all levels., from economic calamities, apparently caused by Covid -19, to social explosions on all continents and wars in the Middle East and other parts of the world. Crisis has become a permanent feature of this era in which not a single capitalist state can be found that is not reeling from some level of economic and political disasters.. Covid-19 has simply uncovered the thin layer of apparent stability that enveloped the deep contradictions and turmoil that rages in the depths of society.. The ensuing lockdowns around the world have plunged all major economies into the deepest recessions in modern times.. Although economies are recovering from initial shocks, many of the scars inflicted as a result of COVID on socioeconomic conditions will be permanent in nature and will shape the coming social upheavals around the world.
This year began with the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by a US drone in Iraq, that put the region on the brink of war, at least it seemed that way. So fragile and contradictory is the current situation that world leaders boast of annihilating each other, but the organic crisis of capitalism has weakened them so economically that they cannot venture into a full-scale war because it would wipe out the last vestiges of any form of economic recovery in the system.. But the contradictions between the different imperialist powers are manifested through their satellites around the world., resulting in an endless series of civil wars, from Africa to the Middle East.
On the other hand, The scale of the catastrophes and economic miseries is so enormous and the resulting death toll is so great that it can only be compared with the destruction and economic calamities of a full-scale war.. Every year, 9 millions of people die of hunger. That's more than the death toll from the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen added in the last twenty years. At a time when modern technology is capable of working miracles and creating such abundance of the basic necessities of life that poverty and misery could disappear forever, Nevertheless, Millions of people are dying because they don't have enough food to eat or, put more simply, because they don't have money to buy food. Millions are dying on the altar of capital and profits. Capitalism has condemned a large majority of humanity to extreme poverty, the misery, chronic unemployment and destitution.
The great recession of 2008 It was a turning point in global economics and politics that established a new normal for global capitalism., that is to say, permanent austerity regimes everywhere. The neoliberal market economy or the Thatcherite or Reaganomics model that was adopted worldwide after the economic crisis of the 1990s 1970 triggered a period of free markets and the abandonment of state intervention in the economy. All key sectors of the economy were privatized and handed over to private companies. The mantra of the “trickle-down” economy was presented as the definitive solution to all the sufferings and miseries of humanity.. Subsidies and bonuses were gradually reduced. Health and education were also privatized and people were at the mercy of big companies.. Growth rates soared, but in their rush to make more and more profits, They inflated the market and created bubbles that defied the laws of gravity. This house of cards collapsed in 2008, resulting in an endless series of bank and company bankruptcies around the world.
The collapse of the neoliberal economic model forced states around the world to intervene to save the economy from total collapse. Hundreds of billions of dollars were invested in the rescue of large banks and companies, while the common people were left at their mercy. Bankrupt companies were virtually nationalized. This comic theater was ironically called "Socialism for the rich.", capitalism for the poor. Although the crisis was temporarily averted, The state coffers were left with enormous debts and a new sovereign debt crisis arose. Countries around the world, especially America and Europe, They are reeling with an astronomical level of debt that is a constant brake on the economy. In the eurozone, The debt crisis took on a more severe dimension, with Greece and other weak European economies that came very close to defaulting on their liabilities, thus endangering the very existence of the European Union.
The arrival of COVID-19 has magnified the internal contradictions of a broken system. It has accelerated the organic crisis of capitalism throughout the world, while blatantly exposing what neoliberal economic policies have done to national health systems globally. National health systems around the world practically collapsed in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic. The greatest economic and military power on earth, American imperialism, collapsed in the face of Covid-19 with the highest number of deaths in the world. The madness for profit, global surveillance, the ocupation, Wars and military adventures around the world have left the world's greatest power defenseless against a virus. Renowned Marxist economist Michael Roberts wrote on his blog: “According to the American Hospital Association, the number of inpatient beds fell by an extraordinary 39 percent between 1981 Y 1999. The purpose was to increase profits by increasing the 'census' (the number of occupied beds). But the administration's objective of having an occupancy level of 90 percent meant that hospitals no longer had the capacity to absorb the influx of patients during epidemics and medical emergencies”.
further, Explain: “Local and state health departments have a 25 percent fewer staff today than before Black Monday, does 12 years. further, during the last decade, CDC's budget has fallen by 10% in real terms. Con Trump, fiscal deficits have only been exacerbated. The New York Times recently reported that "the 21 percent of local health departments reported budget reductions for fiscal year 2017”. Trump also closed the White House pandemic office, a direction set by Obama after the Ebola outbreak in 2014 to ensure a rapid and well-coordinated national response to new epidemics”. In the same article, exposed how health privatization and for-profit research created obstacles in vaccine development.“Then there are big pharma.. Big pharmaceutical companies do little research and development of new antibiotics and antivirals. Of the 18 largest pharmaceutical companies in the United States, 15 They have completely abandoned the field. Heart medications, addictive tranquilizers and male impotence treatments lead in profits, not defenses against hospital infections, emerging diseases and traditional tropical killer diseases. A universal flu vaccine, that is to say, a vaccine that targets the immutable parts of the virus's surface proteins, has been a possibility for decades, but it was never considered profitable enough to be a priority”.
It's not just the health sector that is shattered, but that all sectors of the United States are in a state of disintegration. American infrastructure is in a state of disarray with roads, bridges, trains, aging airports and dams. Most of the major infrastructure projects in the United States were built in the 1990s. 1960. Since then, the population has more than doubled. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that more than 2 trillions of dollars to upgrade decaying and aging infrastructure.
With the deepening of the crisis of capitalism, The "American dream" has become a nightmare. Chronic unemployment has become a permanent phenomenon. In the absence of a radical left alternative based on the masses, right-wing neofascist elements, that is to say, Donald Trump and company, They are using immigrants and Muslims as scapegoats for unemployment in the country. Trump's rise means the end of the old normal in which the ruling classes used to govern the country with traditional methods at a time when the economy was still functioning and moving society forward.. Trump represents an America going down a slide into a quagmire of socioeconomic crisis.. His entire personality is the embodiment of a system doomed to failure that, if not replaced by a socialist alternative, will end all human civilization.
Also in the international arena, The organic crisis of American capitalism has forced the American imperialists to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan after a humiliating defeat. Washington's rulers cannot afford greater military commitment given the dire conditions of the economy.. Despite all Donald Trump's belligerence, They cannot go to a conventional war with Iran. A war with Iran would ignite a whole chain reaction of events that would drown everyone.
The emergence of a mass movement against racism in the United States that immediately spread like wildfire throughout the world is of utmost importance.. Mass protests took place in all major European countries. One of the key features of these protests was tearing down statues of all those who were slave traders or white supremacists or advocates of racism.. Racism is one of the cornerstones of the capitalist colonization of America, Africa, Australia and Asia. The overthrow of racist symbols is a manifestation of a high level of mass consciousness that challenges the very foundations of a socioeconomic system.
Before the Coronavirus pandemic, massive resentment was brewing in Europe against austerity regimes. France was involved for more than a year by the yellow vest movement against Emmanuel Macron's neoliberal recipes.. Protests and strikes were the order of the day, but the pandemic temporarily stopped the movement, to Macron's delight. As COVID restrictions ease, the masses raise their heads again. This time it will be more robust and forceful. The euro zone was already reeling from the sovereign debt crisis. The EU and the ECB, together with the IMF, They rescued Greece in exchange for the harshest austerity measures, but the pandemic ended the "gains" of recent years that had brought little stability to the country. The measures that governments are taking in the wake of the pandemic to keep the economy afloat may have adverse effects. Peter Hooper, economist at Deutsche Bank, explained: the consent for the strike must be granted by half of the labor collective and only economic demands can be presentedThe massive fiscal and monetary policy stimulus that came together to prop up the economy has caused debt to skyrocket and stocks to potentially become overvalued., which raises "the serious risk of a looming global financial crisis as central banks begin to step back from politics." (monetary) relaxed at some point in the next few years”.
The Chinese economy also suffered a sharp contraction. 6,8 percent in the first quarter of the year due to the pandemic. Nevertheless, due to universal healthcare and the increasing role of the Chinese state in the economy, They quickly contained the pandemic better than the United States and other stalwarts of free market economies. The economy recovered quickly in the second quarter with a 3,2 percent growth. Despite this seemingly optimistic outlook, The Chinese government announced in May 2020 which would not set any growth target for the year 2020 due to"the Covid-19 pandemic and the global economic and commercial environment."It is a very significant announcement. China is now more connected to the global economy than it used to be before 1978, That's why the reference to “global economic and trade environment”It means Beijing is feeling the effects of the global recession and tariff war with the United States.. China's rise as the world's second largest economy has ushered in its growing geopolitical influence and has come into conflict with US imperialism around the world.. The fundamental objective of the trade war with China for Washington is to contain Chinese influence, but this war will have dangerous repercussions for the world economy, since China is no longer Mao's isolated and "self-sufficient" economy.
The large state sector of the Chinese economy has allowed the Communist Party to keep its social base intact and prevent any social explosion.. In 2019, he 63 percent of jobs were created by its public sector. According to IMF estimates, China has a public capital stock of 160 percent of its GDP, allowing it to play a dominant role in the economy. Nevertheless, is decreasing rapidly. China has an official unemployment rate of 5,5 percent, but many doubt its authenticity and place the figure between 15 and the 17 percent. It remains to be seen how long the Chinese bureaucracy will avoid massive upheaval through state intervention in the economy given the dire state of the global economy and the bleak prospects for a significant recovery., but this contradiction cannot last long. A recession in the Chinese economy will have gigantic social repercussions given the enormous size of the Chinese proletariat.
Last year, The Middle East saw the largest mass movements since the Arab Spring of 2011. The masses in Iraq were fed up with unemployment, the shortage of elements to cover basic needs, the rampant corruption and systemic sectarianism of the government installed by US imperialism after the invasion. of the country in 2003. The US invasion destroyed Iraq's infrastructure and turned the country into a hotbed for all types of sectarian and fundamentalist groups.. There was also massive resentment against Iranian meddling in the country. Iranian-sponsored Shiite militias actually went hand in hand with the Iraqi government to crush and repress mass protests. The colossal movement overthrew the government, but the new government is simply a continuation of the previous one and misery continues for the masses.
Iran's oppressive theocratic regime was rocked by mass protests in November last year sparked by a rise in the price of gasoline.. Protests broke out in all major Iranian cities and people demanded the fall of the mullah regime. Iranian mullahs are bearing the brunt of global oil price slump. Adding to this dilemma are the harsh sanctions imposed by the United States on the regime., that have made any commercial transaction with other countries practically impossible. The oppressive state machinery used the most gruesome methods, that they have perfected over the years, to crush the movement. According to some estimates, 1500 people died during these protests. The assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and the warmongering with the United States temporarily stopped the movement. The subsequent coronavirus quarantine strangled him even more, but the dire situation of the Iranian economy and the devastation caused by Covid-19 may once again cause mass unrest.
In the same way, Lebanon has been in the midst of massive protest movements for the past year. The country is mired in a complex war between satellites of regional states in which Iran is a major player.. A disintegrating infrastructure and massive unemployment with rising prices have added insult to suffering. After the huge protests, Saad Hariri's government resigned in October 2019. Despite this, the movement continued to demand a total transformation of the system. Recently, A catastrophic explosion apparently caused by ammonium nitrate stored in Beirut port sparked widespread resentment against the government. Subsequent protests toppled a second government in less than a year..
The entire Middle East is in turmoil.. The imperialist intervention and satellite wars of Tehran's regional powers, Riad, Ankara, etc. They have devastated countries like Syria, Iraq and Yemen. But recent movements in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon have proven beyond a doubt that mass movements transcend artificial borders. Only a region-wide revolutionary movement of the poor masses can bring peace and stability by overthrowing the region's rotten capitalist states..
South Asia's largest economy, India, is in a deep recession following the COVID quarantine. In the quarter from April to June, the economy contracted by a staggering 24 percent. Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, the economy had slowed down 4 percent of annual growth since 8 percent of previous years when the country's rulers spoke of a "shining India". Unemployment is at its highest level in recent years. 40 years.
In the last seven years of his government, The Hindu fundamentalist party BJP has completely failed to fulfill its promises ofVikas (development). Its social base is rapidly declining. The same is also true for the Indian National Congress Party, with its motto of secularism transformed into an empty discourse devoid of any material development for the masses. The various currents of leftist parties have also failed to bring any real socioeconomic change., but they have opted for the same mantra of secularism and democracy within the confines of capitalism. The rise of Narendra Modi's neo-fascist BJP is actually the failure of all those secular and "leftist" parties.
The Indian bourgeoisie has finally opted for the BJP (Indian People's Party) as its new traditional party because in the current crisis of global capitalism, society cannot be governed through traditional methods. Actually, It is the manifestation of the frustration of the ruling classes of India in the face of increasing poverty, the inequality and misery of the masses and the fact that their system is historically obsolete. Incidents of lynching of Muslims and lower caste Hindus by mobs have increased rapidly in recent years. India's rulers are consciously promoting the division between Muslims and Hindus to keep their system intact. The new citizenship laws, that is to say, NRC (National Registry of Citizens) and CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), are a deliberate provocation to incite religious violence. Despite this, The masses fought against this discriminatory law and protests broke out across India with Hindus and Muslims jointly agitating and rejecting the divisive politics of the BJP.. The student movement that broke out in JNU (Universidad Jawaharlal Nehru) last year in Delhi coincided with the anti-CAA movement that inspired the entire Indian subcontinent transcending the Radcliff Line[1] with leftist students and activists in Pakistan showing solidarity with their comrades in India. further, The massive Indian working class has been holding general strikes every year against Modi's neoliberal economic recipes..
Pakistani ruling classes are no different from their Indian brothers. The Pakistani state is in the deepest crisis in its history. For the first time, The economy has registered negative growth in the last quarter. This economic crisis is reflected in the disputes between different factions of the ruling classes and state institutions.. The masses are reeling from the draconian neoliberal policies of the Imran Khan government. All political parties on the horizon have been discredited in the eyes of the masses. The state of society is so fragile that any incident can become the starting point of a social explosion..
The entire world is going through the deepest crisis of capitalism in its entire history.. The world had barely “recovered” from the devastation of the accident. 2008 when another hit them, on a much deeper and more catastrophic scale. The system is not only wreaking havoc on the lives of millions of people, but it has also jeopardized all of humanity's achievements for thousands of years. The mad race for profits is destroying the ecosystem causing devastating climate changes. Covid-19 is actually the result of a capitalist model of profit-oriented development, that destroys nature with deforestation, unchecked carbon emission and calamitous industrial waste. Only the overthrow of capitalism can end this madness. It is the task of Marxists around the world to increase their numerical strength, develop a clear perspective on the overthrow of global capitalism and fight for a socialist alternative. In the last decade, numerous mass movements broke out in many parts of the world, from America to Europe, Middle East and Asia. Unfortunately, due to lack of Marxist leadership, Those movements dissipated and capitalism remained intact. A socialist victory in any major country can unleash the floodgates of revolutions around the world., thus putting socialism on the order of the day.
[1] N. of the T: The Radcliffe Line is the partition line between India and Pakistan (y actual Bangladesh) which was implemented with the independence of these two countries in 1947.
