Presentation of the bulletin 29 (1)

This bulletin n°29 ends the year 2004 which was rich in events for the whole society, for the working class, for the proletarian camp and, specifically, for our fraction.

We will not make, in this short presentation, a general survey of the evolution of the international situation, we'll just underline the outstanding facts which show more and more evident the orientation that the bourgeois society is taking. A warlike orientation marked by imperialist tensions and a worsening of the economic crisis ; this one inducing savage attacks against a working class which, in numerous countries, has began to hold its head up again.

The war in Iraq cannot hide the fact that, in numerous areas of the world, the tensions between imperialist powers, of first, second or third order, result in more and more direct conflicts, that each one of these powers endeavour to keep its own zones of influence and, as far as possible, to develop them.

The Middle East, of course, with the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, comes to mind and the never-ending series of slaughters between those two peoples doesn’t stop to put the area to fire and the sword.

The whole Gulf area is under tension and the haggling, the shady and nauseating interplay of influence between the main imperialist powers makes terrible threats against the local populations.

Caucasus, South Russia and the ex-USSR republics are also committed in a whirl of instability and, here too, the tensions and contradictory interests of the great and small imperialist powers provoke conflicts and wars in which populations are the first victims.

The tensions between India and China, if they are for the moment a little on the quiet, could open, at a moment or another, onto a more or less declared conflict.

And Africa, stake of a frantic competition between several powers, among which France at the first place, suffers endless conflicts whose the last one, in Ivory Coast, showed the French imperialism giving its ruffianly soldiers have their heads and carry slaughters in the name of the defence of the human rights, of democracy and of all the finer feelings.

All these conflicts, all these wars obey a logic that our fraction brought to the fore nearly three years ago (see bulletin n°14).

At the level of the economic crisis, the spectacular evolution of oil prices and of the whole raw materials, the change of the dollar in relation to the euro, the hugeness of the budget, economical and trade deficits of the whole the countries, and specifically of the main ones (USA and European countries in the front), all of this does nothing but express a very concrete reality : the bankruptcy of the capitalist system.

And what to say, at this level, about the third world countries, about Africa, South America, etc. ? Where misery was already the standard, where the conflicts between great and second powers bring an increase of barbarism and distress, where even the survival of tens of millions of people are at stake !

In the rich “countries”, the working class suffers the consequences of this situation through attacks to its wages, to its work and life conditions, unemployment, the setting in question of the slim guaranties concerning health, pensions of retirement.

After the year 2003 which saw the struggles in France, in Italy, in Great Britain, etc., 2004 was marked by the continuation and development of working class reactions in front of these attacks. The recent struggles in Italy (FIAT, for instance) come after important movements in the most important country of Europe, the centre of capitalism – and thus, of the working class – in this continent : Germany.

One can see it, the renewal of the class struggle, initiated in 2001 in Argentina, carries on and increases. After a long period of withdrawal, the class re-engage itself back in the struggle and, if it knows difficulties and weaknesses, this movement is running.

At all these levels, there is no doubt that the coming year will do nothing but confirm this logic ; worsening of the economic crisis, intensification of the imperialist tensions, renewed attacks against the working class and reactions of this one. The months to come promise to the revolutionary minorities a growing field of action and intervention.

Then, this ending year was also marked by evolutions particularly positive amongst the proletarian camp, amongst the communist groups and the elements in search of political coherence.

At the first rank of these positive evolutions, we underline the more and more clearly affirmed role of the IBRP : this group is really the main pole of regrouping for the revolutionary energies and the work undertaken in Germany, France (with the beginning of public meetings held in Paris, notably), in Argentina, is of good omen for the development of the presence and for the expression of a communist voice within the working class.

Argentina, precisely, that we evoked above, is also a sign that the historical situation, its course, and specifically the working class struggles, produce, sooner or later, a need of clarification within the militant minorities of the class. The emergence of the Nucleo, then of the Circulo, in Argentina is an expression of this need of clarification and of bringing closer to the communist positions which express itself in the class2.

Concerning our fraction, if some had promise us a grievous fate (not contenting them with promising, they wish it and try to contribute to it !), one can notice that with its 29 bulletins on 3 years, with its texts of analysis of the situation, its intervention in the working class struggles each time it is necessary and possible, its participation in the work of regrouping initiated by the IBRP, our fraction is here, quite here. And it will continue to be present in the coming year (and the next ones) as to carry on this essential work.

December 26th, 2004

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