Tunis Declaration

On July 26, 2011, a meeting of the Communist Party of Benin (PCB), the Communist Party of the Workers of Tunisia (PCOT), the Revolutionary Communist Party of the Ivory Coast (PCRCI), the Revolutionary Communist Party of Volta (PCRV) and “The Democratic Road” Organization of Morocco was held in Tunis. The parties exchanged their views on the international situation, the tasks that it induces for the proletariat, the revolutionaries and the peoples of Africa and propose signing the Declaration whose content follows:

1) The crisis of the capitalist and imperialist system, which arose in 2007-2008, is a structural crisis that has called neoliberalism into question and put the thought of Karl Marx on the agenda. This crisis is deepening, striking with full force the economies of the countries of the world, including the economies of developed countries such as Greece, Spain etc.

2) With the appearance in strength of emerging countries and the capitalist crisis, there is the exacerbation of inter-imperialist contradictions on the one hand and that between the imperialist powers and the emerging countries on the other hand, tending towards a multi-polarity in the leadership of world affairs, in contrast to the hegemonic unipolarity of the United States of America that existed since 1990-1992. This exacerbation of contradictions is leading to a redivision of the world with consequences of wars having their fields of operations in the neo-colonial and dependent countries. The recent intervention of the French army and that of other imperialist forces in the Ivory Coast to install one of their pawns (Ouattara) in place of another (Gbagbo), the current aggression by the forces of NATO, France, England and the United States in Libya under the false pretext of establishing a so-called democratic regime, thus undermining the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people for freedom and democracy, are acts that confirm what has been said above.

The signatory Parties condemn these imperialist aggressions against the peoples of these countries and call for their immediate cessation.

3) Africa, which is the epicenter of the world inter-imperialist contradictions because of the huge mineral resources that it abounds with, is thus suffering full force not only from the effect of these inter-imperialist rivalries with the consequences such as wars, but also all the ills of humanity such as hunger, illiteracy, disease and backwardness of all kinds. Africa is the most enslaved of all the continents and its liberation from the imperialist yoke will be a decisive milestone in the liberation of all humanity. This liberation is looming on all parts of the continent.

4) The signatories Parties state that the major urgent challenge for the emancipation of the proletariat and the peoples of Africa is the formation of vanguard parties, particularly communist parties and the strengthening of their union based on Marxist-Leninist principles, which must be remembered.

5) The Tunisian revolution underway, which began with the flight of the dictator Ben Ali on January 14, 2011, has inaugurated a new era of the revolution in the world, and particularly in Africa. Its impact, which can be seen up to now in the world and in Africa (in Egypt, Morocco, Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal etc.), show the proletariat and the peoples of the world and Africa in particular that by rising up, the people can get rid of all the powers including the dictatorial powers no matter how powerful they are.

The signatory Parties salute this great victory of the Tunisian people and encourage them to continue the fight until the completion of the revolution.

The PCB, PCRCI, PCRV, “The Democratic Road” Organization of Morocco and the other signatory Parties salute the PCOT for its important contribution to the movement that led to the overthrow of the dictator Ben Ali; they encourage it to continue along this road until the overthrow of the regime put in place by the latter and they assure it of their unwavering support for the achievement of this objective. They understand that the greatest support for the Tunisian revolution is for each Party to lead and carry out the revolution in their own country.

The PCB, PCOT, PCRCI and PCRV salute the struggle begun in Morocco by the February 20 movement to demand a democratic constitution chosen by the people. They denounce the repression by the Makhzen [royal elite – translator’s note] against the movement and express their full solidarity with the comrades of the Democratic Road and the February 20 movement.

The PCB, PCOT, PCRCI, PCRV, “The Democratic Road” Organization of Morocco and the other signatory Parties to this Declaration, call on the African communists, revolutionaries and patriots throughout the African continent to form themselves into real vanguard Parties particularly Communists Parties to lead the current and future struggles for the emancipation of the African proletariat and peoples so that they free themselves from the yoke of the imperialists and from capitalist exploitation.

Tunis, July 26, 2011

Communist Party of Benin (PCB)

Communist Party of the Workers of Tunisia (PCOT)

Revolutionary Communist Party of the Ivory Coast (PCRCI)

Revolutionary Communist Party of Volta (PCRV, Burkina Faso)

The Democratic Road (Morocco)

PCMLE: Police State

The threat and punishment against those who express their disagreement with government policy is on the agenda in this government. There is no organized social sector, which has expressed its opposition to the anti-people policies of the government that it is saved. This time, again, the darts are directed against high school students that express their rejection to the application of a bachelorship that, where it is seen, is fraught with problems and inconsistencies.

From United States, Correa announced the expulsion of students who go on demonstrations, criminal trials if they are older and cancellations to the, according to him, incite to young people to protest. The Minister of Education, Gloria Vidal, has issued the 324 Agreement to pressure the authorities and teachers to play the role of police in theinstitutions and suppress any attempt of public expression of students. If they do not do that they carry with the consequences.

On the complaint of the student leaders are known that the participants in the demostration are filmed and photographed to identify and punish them. It is not the only sector in which a control and monitoring system of this nature is established , which shows that we are on the threshold of establishing a police state. That strap looks a lot like colombian ex President Alvaro Uribe, who puts cameras in different parts of cities to control and repress the demonstrations.

The correísmo uses violence to control the social discontent. Repression is not only the things that look when the police attacked, gassed and beat the students, it is also applied in an almost hidden in order the population do not see or perceive. This is made on behalf of institutions and law. As more the government talks further violence must be exercised, therefore, in the capitalist system it legitimizes the use of violence against the working classes.

PCMLE

“The Father of Hate Radio”: Charles Edward Coughlin (1891-1971) – Facing the Corporate Roots of Fascism

By Richard Sanders, Editor, Press for Conversion!

Father Coughlin, “the Father of Hate Radio,” was born in Hamilton, Ontario. This rabidly right-wing, Catholic priest started with a weekly broadcast on WJR, Detroit’s “Good Will” station. CBS broadcast it nationwide in 1930 and 1931. He started his own radio network that grew to 30 stations. John Spivak, estimated that Coughlin’s broadcasts reached 40 million, said: “Only the President…had a bigger audience… The President spoke only on special occasions, the priest every Sunday…. To me, he was the most dangerous divisive influence in the country” (A Man in His Time, 1967).

Coughlin originally supported FDR, but turned against him in 1934 and created a political party, the National Union of Social Justice. Former Louisiana Governor, Huey Long was supposed to be their candidate, but he was assassinated in 1935. Journalist George Seldes said Long was America’s “first notable Fascist leader,…a very smart demagogue, [who] once said, ‘Sure we’ll have Fascism here, but it will come as an anti-Fascism movement.’” In the late 1930s, Coughlin called for FDR’s impeachment because he was “leaning toward international socialism or sovietism.”

Coughlin’s radio sermons praised Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. The Nazi press praised Coughlin as “America’s most powerful radio commentator.” He ranted against Jews, the “Christ-killers and Christ-rejecters.” When a Boston Globe reporter asked him for proof that communists were influencing FDR, Father Coughlin belted the journalist in the face.

Coughlin’s weekly paper, Social Justice, reached one million. It was sold in 2,000 churches. In 1938, it reprinted the anti-Semitic forgery “Protocols of the Elders of Zion.”