Communique on the Russia-Georgia Conflict : A New Step towards World War

"Capitalism in an open crisis doesn't content itself with entailing the whole proletariat in misery and starvation. It also entails the whole planet in warlike barbarism. The imperialist rivalries and the local wars didn't begin with this new episode of the economic crisis. On the other hand, this last one, because it worsens the competition between capitals, and in particular between national capitals, comes to intensify, to sharpen, to aggravate even more these rivalries and these imperialist tensions. Capitalism is inexorably pushed forward to the flight towards generalized imperialist confrontation, that is to say towards a 3rd World war which, already, and even if we don't know its term, is in preparation, notably on behalf of the main capitalist powers" (Presentation of our Communist Bulletin 43, May 2008).

Only three months after our statement, Russia-Georgia imperialist war, unleashed last August 8^th, has come - so strikingly - to remind the barbaric reality of capitalism and has confirmed the dreadful perspective towards which this system inescapably brings humanity to if it's not fought and destroyed. One of the main seats of imperialist tensions which presently divide and polarize the great capitalist powers - and behind them all the world bourgeoisies - has come out in an open war in the Caucasus : immediately after Georgia has unleashed a military attack against the autonomist region of South-Ossetia, supposedly to "re-establish constitutional order", Russia fought back with a great scale counter-attack against Georgia, supposedly to defend this tiny pro-Russia region. The outcome is that the South-Ossetia population has been completely crushed under the "constitutional" bombardements of Georgia and Russia's "humanitarian" ones. In the wake, the later has attacked strategic places of Georgia (geographical enclaves, ports, airports, cities) and has taken control of the country in a few days. Indeed, this new imperialist war doesn't come from nowhere as a flash of lightning in an azure sky.

This new warlike episode doesn't but confirm and strengthen the logic of imperialist confrontations which manifests since the end of the "Cold War" in the late 1980's (which saw the collapse of the former Soviet bloc followed by the progressive dilution of the former US block). This process has particularly accelerated after September 11^th 2001.

In this period of time, the conflicts and the tensions between the different imperialist powers increased and became clearer - from the wars in the former Yugoslavia up to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, through the episodes of extreme tensions between India and Pakistan, in various African regions, etc. The interests of the different national bourgeoisies (the greatest to the smallest) don't stop to clash.

What ever are the speeches and the "explanations" the medias at the service of the bourgeoise and its States give us, the fundamental cause of the present situation is linked to the historical dead-end in which the bourgeois class is in ; to its inability to present a solution to the crisis of its economy, to the bankruptcy of its system. The logic of the crisis of its system can't but always push the bourgeoisie to its tragic "solution", generalized imperialist war. If the historical bankruptcy that capitalism suffers at the economical level is, in the final analysis, the reason of this dynamic towards generalized war, the present acceleration of the economical crisis (the world recession) becomes today, now, a direct factor of the exacerbation of the rivalries and the aggravation of the conflicts and the imperialist wars. In particular, the control over the energy ressources, over their production, over their supply routes, over their financial incomes too - which notably appears in the struggle without mercy which is under way to maintain the dollar hegemony, against the euro, on the hydrocarbon trade - as well as the one over the raw materials in general, become even more essential for each imperialism since the crisis strikes brutally all the national economies today in desperate straits.

And precisely, the Russia-Georgia conflict shows the degree reached today by the imperialist tensions : we again see the army of one of the important powers of capitalist world - Russia - get into action directly and in a provocative manner by invading a country which is a new allied of the first world power - the United-States - which has directly armed the Georgian troops, urgently repatriated troops from Iraq and even participated on the ground to the attack against Ossetia (US military advisers are present in the Georgian army). It means that Russia and the United-States did not only confront at the diplomatic level, but also at the military one even though it still remained at a limited scale.

If Russia today takes advantage by attacking a small country (ex-USSR republic), it's firstly because it has no choice, and secondly because the moment is favourable. Russia has no choice because, since several years, it has to suffer the advances of the USA in an area which, a few years ago, was essentially part of the ex-USSR and which is today its "natural" zone of imperialist expansion. The withdrawal of Ukraine, of Georgia and of several other countries from its zone of influence, the move of these countries to the US sphere of influence, their entry (Baltic countries, Poland) or their candidacy (Ukraine, Georgia) to NATO, the fact that now many of these countries provide military structures to the US "anti-missile shield", without letting aside the building of pipelines for gaz and oil of the Caspian Sea passing through a pro-US Georgia and avoiding thus the Russian territory aiming at exclude it from any control of these ressources, all this puts Russia in a very risky and dangerous situation. Finally, the strike brought against Serbia (an important traditional allied of Russia) with the creation of an independant Kosovo, couldn't but oblige Moscow to fight back as soon as the possibility would present.

The fact that European countries, in particular Germany and France, has done all they could at the NATO summit of Bucarest (April 2008) to impede Ukraine and Georgia integrations to NATO, has expressed a clear signal for Russian imperialism. It clearly indicated that several countries of Europe - and not the least - didn't see positively the US advance - through NATO and other linked structures - in the Caucasus, a region of first strategical importance which is at the core of the imperialist rivalries between the great powers, a region which is also very crucial for the imperialist interests of theses European countries.

On the other hand, the military difficulties of the USA in Afghanistan and in Iraq, the uncertainties about their imperialist policy provoked by the "adjustments" which will necessarily come after the presidential elections in this country next Fall and, finally, the destabilizing effects which the first capitalist power suffers with the deepening of the crisis these last months, all this offers Russia the possibility for pointing out its imperialist interests, even by the use of arms forces if necessary.

We can note that, if the USA can't intervene directly, it means militarily, to "save" Georgia, the European countries (first Germany and France) content themselves with offering their service to "freeze" the situation... to the benefit of Russia. Moreover, when the French bourgeoisie pretends to question Russia's behaviour, Germany makes alter this and the French bourgeoisie submits to this logic.

A few days after, Germany and France's cynical behaviour of "laissez-faire" in front of the Russian attack has provoked sour protests by Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic countries which, now and quite rightly, feel threatened by the Russian initiative. All this comes to point out that the situation accelerates in the sense our Fraction put forwards since several years : the bourgeoisie goes towards generalized war. The present new warlike episode reinforces and amplifies this process. If the American bourgeoisie can't militarily intervene in Georgia, in the other hand its "containment" policy of Russia establishes itself even stronger, in a course which speeds up, which sees Europe becoming the military target and thus, concretely and directly, the center of the imperialist stakes : Poland has just agreed the deployment of the US anti-missile shield on its territory, which was presented at the origin as "anti-Iranian", but which is clearly a direct threat to Russia, while Ukraine has just proposed to NATO to utilize its radar system... against Russia. In reaction, the latter claims to point its missiles at... the anti-missile shield located in Poland. It is clear that Germany and France, just to name these two central powers in Europe (but the imperialist linings up of countries like Italy, Spain, Belgium, etc., tend to establishes in the same sense, while Great-Britain and part of the ex-East Bloc countries incline towards American side) don't see favourably the widening of NATO and the deployment of a whole American arsenal on the Old continent.

This acceleration of the military preparations and the geo-strategical initiatives by the main imperialisms directly ones against the others can't but strengthen even more the imperialist polarization in two great axis : one, no doubt, will constitute around the United-States and the other tends, certainly with more difficulties, to establish around Germany. If powers like France or Russia only have most likely the perspective of allying with Germany despite the reality of their respective oppositions and rivalries, the war in Georgia and its implications clearly shows that the dividing line between the two future poles already splits Europe. It clearly shows that the epicentre of the imperialist antagonisms and of the future world war is in Europe.

The proletariat can't, nor must, remain indifferent in front of this situation. Today, we see how, while the bourgeois medias bombard us with hypocritical and false talks about "peace in the world" under the motive of the celebration of the Olympic games, simultaneously an entire city in Europe is wiped off the map under the air raids. A similar destiny is waiting the entire world if the proletariat is not able to oppose its own revolutionary solution to the bourgeoisie's warlike "solution".

Of course, for the working class, the rule remain the same and there is no question for the proletarians, whether they are Russians, Georgians or of any other region of the world, to take part for one side or the other. The working class of Georgia, the one of Russia, of Germany, France, or any other country of the planet has only one response to give to these threats and warlike advances : proletarian internationalism ; struggle against its own bourgeoisie ; international solidarity of the working class.

The communist organizations have the huge responsibility to put clear to the eyes of their class the imperialist nature of the conflicts which develop today in this world submitted to the capitalist dictatorship as well as the macabre perspective which lies behind these conflicts ; they have the essential task to make conscious for the proletariat the fact it is the unique social force which is able to put an end to this barbaric logic through its uncompromising struggle for the defence of its immediate and historical interests.

Against the bourgeoisie of all countries !

Merciless struggle for the defence of our class interests ; for the end of a world of misery, of war and barbary !

August 20^th 2008

Internal Fraction of the ICC