Dear LookLeft,
The positions adopted by Greek party SYRIZA and the European Left Party represent a major threat to the interests of workers throughout Europe by presenting workers with the false perspective that there is some middle way between capitalism and socialism.
This is a position which has been put forward by social democrats for a century. SYRIZA has itself absorbed entire sections of the discredited PASOK party into its ranks. It has fallen into the trap of identifying “bad” capitalism as the source of the crisis and extols the “good” capitalism of Barack Obama. SYRIZA ignores the real nature of capitalism and the capitalist crisis.
The present Irish Government has, without protest, accepted the overarching political and economic framework forced protect the rich; defend the banks; penalise workers for the failure of capitalism; on Ireland by the EU/ECB/IMF troika.
The struggle against anti-people measures across Europe is of vital importance for all workers, including Irish workers.
Rather than identifying the EU as an inter-state capitalist union, social democrats, despite all the evidence to the contrary, sees the EU as a potential “force for stability and peace”.
The EU has at is heart the interests of capital. The driving force of modern history is the struggle between classes and the conflict of their interests. Fundamentally, the present crisis is not simply a banking crisis, or a credit crisis, or a financial crisis. It is a fundamental crisis of capitalism.
The present strategy of European governments, as dictated by the EU/ECB/IMF troika and the decisions of the G20, is to and use international military superiority, in collaboration with the US and NATO, through intervention and war in pursuit of the interest of capitalist monopolies.
It is clear both from historical experience of the social democrats in power and their words and actions that they are unprepared to take any step which threatens to change the economic system under which we live. No social democratic party is prepared to take a single step to abolish the dominant position of capital.
Only socialism provides the mechanism for the rational social organisation of society for the benefit of the people.
Yours sincerely,
The International Department
The Workers’ Party
