Revolutionary socialist greetings for 2012 from John Percy of RSP in Australia
31.12.2011
LALIT has pleasure in publishing the new year message from John Percy of the Revolutionary Socialist Party in Australia, which we received last week:
2011 has been a tumultuous year, with many crises and challenges for the world capitalist system, but also defeats, retreats, and difficulties for working class forces.
The awakening in the Arab World has certainly brought millions into political activity, and dispatched quite a few dictators. Support for the Palestinian people grows, while the crimes of the Zionist occupiers get more brazen. But in all countries the struggle has not been completed, and in some, such as Libya, imperialism worked out how to intervene and reassert its control.
The Occupy Wall Street movement has brought thousands into activity and consciousness in the belly of the beast. It’s spread to hundreds of cities in the US, and to cities around the world, popularising the slogans of the 99%, exposing the greed and rapaciousness of the ruling elite.
Capitalism’s ongoing financial crisis has demonstrated yet again that their economic system is quite fragile, and in no way permanent. The European crisis is driving widening layers of workers into poverty – austerity for the masses, profits and handouts for the bankers. The result could be the collapse of the Euro, and increasing inter-imperialist competition. Social democratic parties have been exposed yet again, but so far genuine socialist parties haven’t grown, with some even facing problems of their own. There have even been signs of growth of far-right groups.
The hastening catastrophe being brought on by man-made climate change is not yet being taken seriously by the world. The Durban conference was yet another rejected opportunity. The Fukushima meltdown should have been a final warning about the idiocy of nuclear power, but the Gillard Labor government in Australia decides to sell more uranium!
The Australian government also welcomed a new US base in Darwin, with 2500 marines looking north – continuing its role as deputy sheriff to Uncle Sam from Korea, to Vietnam, to Afghanistan and Iraq. Australian governments also refuse to face up to the consequences of imperialist wars – the desperate refugees that the racist ruling class wants to fend off; the 50-year crime of Agent Orange in Vietnam that they refuse to take responsibility for.
It’s been a contradictory year. There have been encouraging mobilisations and multiple struggles across the developed and underdeveloped world in response to imperialist crises and attacks, but frankly the left response has been inadequate. Internationally and in Australia, we haven’t built the organised movement or the socialist parties that are needed, to respond, lead and fight.
So the resolve of all of us should be to turn this around in 2012, to respond effectively to the multiple capitalist crises and contradictions, and build a broader fightback and stronger, more united, revolutionary socialist parties to replace this rotten system and all its injustices.
With international solidarity and revolutionary New Year greetings to your party and comrades,
John Percy
National Secretary
Revolutionary Socialist Party
Australia
