PCE (M-L) Hamma Hammami Interview

PCOT headquarters

March 5, 2011. Tunisia

HAMM: About the events in my country we say we are half way to the revolution, that is, the revolution continues. On January 14 the people overthrew the dictator after a month of heroic struggle, we got rid of the dictator, but not the dictatorship that remains in reconstitution in the judicial bodies in the puppet parliament and the Senate, the state apparatus and all police, in short, all the bureaucratic apparatus. The Tunisian people have not been spared the social and economic suffocation exercised by a minority of comprador. That is, after the removal of Ben Ali, the government continued composed of elements of the apparatus and the party of the dictator, the government was extended with some reformist and liberal members of the opposition essentially two games, the former party revisionist had become a reformist party and came to work with Ben Ali and the other a pseudo-liberal party called the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).

Members of the two parties involved in the self-styled government of “National Union.” That government tried to sabotage the revolution and reduced to a mere liberalization of the regime, by patching of some reforms. Faced with this situation, the town continued with the revolution, the fight continued with slogans like “do not want just to” large ” [2] Ben Ali, but is also awarded the dictatorship, we want to change the political system, build a new democratic regime … “

So the struggle continued against the government of “National Union” led by former Prime Minister Ben Ali, Gannouchi. But the government could not resist the pull of popular struggle and fell about two weeks after the escape of Ben Ali.

The prime minister himself, Gannouchi, formed a new government, which were not part of some members of the old regime, and were replaced by other secondary. It was essentially a reactionary government tried to cover up with some reforms. A level of popular struggles, it made some areas of freedom of expression, assembly and demonstration. It was possible to bring down several officers, both national and local and regional, and across the country are succeeding in establishing people’s power centers, the “Assembly to safeguard the revolution.” These new powers are popular organizing more and more, and managed to impose some demands to the government. But real power remained in the hands of the reaction, responsible for Ben Ali regime. But, as Lenin said, in the revolution the key issue is power. Therefore, while the power is not in the hands of people can not say that this phase of the revolution is over.

And indeed, as you have seen, the continuous struggle against reaction that seeks to preserve the old regime “liberalizing.” In this maneuver, it must be said loud and clear, involving U.S. government, France, the European Union itself, trying to stop the movement, so that, as Sarkozy’s government, this movement does not exceed the bourgeois framework.

Moreover, the revolutionary movement, popular, radical and wants a democratic republic, in this context, the confrontation between popular movements and the provisional Government was accentuated, and launched the slogan “dégage, government, dégage” shouted slogan until the last corner of the country. The objectives of this phase of the struggle, were threefold: To overthrow the interim government, convening a constituent assembly, and move the democratic republic, parliament. These concentrations were multiplied slogans and rallies. The government was forced to make concessions, but managed to stay. It should be stressed that the reaction has tried to exploit weaknesses. If the revolution has not yet completed, has been due to lack of awareness and decision, which left us half way, with a weak government and a popular movement that drags weaknesses. We are in a more or less influenced by power. It’s a situation as you have pointed out, Comrade Marco, reminds us a bit 1917.

There is a political unit within the popular movement, they shout the same slogans, which can be summarized as “freedom and national dignity.” Unit slogans are left Tunisia, unity among our party, the TCO, and other leftist forces. It should be emphasized that the actions undertaken, there has been no sectarian slogans, religious, for example, or of a partisan nature. Always seek unitary political slogans, socio-economic and anti-imperialist.

I must say that the efforts of our Party and other opposition parties, for more than six years, have created a Committee for Freedom and Rights. Is a group in which there are liberals, Islamists, independents, and of course our party. Until late 2005, when the left was proposing something, Islamists boycotted it, and when the proposals came from the Islamists, it was the left that boycotted. That is, there was a clear division. After 2005, we achieved a common work around the axis of freedom for the political forces work together to reflect on the differences with the Islamists, women’s rights, freedom of conscience, on the design of a system democratic, or a regime based on popular sovereignty.

With the Islamists came to a very important result with commonalities that led to a democratic platform on the right of women, freedom of conscience, and created an intellectual and political climate favorable.

Since 2008, with the demonstrations in the mining area of ​​Gafza, ideological tensions subsided within Tunisian political opposition, to make way for agreements on political and socio-economic problems, in the revolt in the mining, all left opposition, all, including Islamists, supported the motion. From then on all issues of the Tunisian political scene, were reached with the Islamists, the liberal reformers, and so on., Which helped create a favorable climate.

A weak point has been the lack of a nationally unique address. It has been much speculation about the spontaneous nature of the revolution, but it was really something spontaneous in the sense of a lack of awareness or a total lack of organization. This revolution took a very broad popular character, and in each region and locality were political activists, trade unionists, human rights fighters … who have led and participated in the fighting, as did our party. There was a degree of awareness, organization, which has enabled the movement to resist repression, which has enabled the movement to find each time the appropriate instructions and forms needed. But again, at the national level that has been on the lack of a firmly established political force, and this applies to us and the other forces, as we are concerned by the severe repression suffered in recent years that we were hit hard.

Despite the efforts that our party has done to bring together the democratic opposition, there was a lack of will to achieve a common work in the country, a gap that has remained almost until the fall of Ben Ali. They were people of liberal and reformist forces, which relied more on measures to reform the Ben Ali regime in the revolutionary movement. The two most representative of the reformist parties continued until the last day without reporting to Ben Ali and continued to refuse to reform the penal code, which led to the democratic opposition forces not to sign the petition.

At the same time the revolution began to overcome their own weaknesses, for example, on the initiative of our party to launch from the first day the slogan of “constitution of a National Assembly,” for all local and regional parts of the system were escaped, the police fled, the National Guard as well. So we have launched the slogan be everywhere Popular Committee, and these assemblies, committees, etc. They took the security in their hands to deal with criminals and bandits, and the forces of counterrevolution.

In another area, the revolutionary movement has forced in practice left to join. With the collapse of Ben Ali, the revolutionary forces of the nationalist left and join in the “Front January 14.” Front brings together the forces that confront the Government, in varying degrees, political parties, nationalists, trade unions, then join us for the creation of the National Council for the Preservation of the Revolution. Since then, despite many problems, concessions had to be done, discussions, etc.., Discouraging the common work, it was possible to combine the forces of revolution and progress was made together and brought down the second provisional government. The government first called itself the “national unity” and it was not, was a government of Ben Ali a, so to speak. The 2 nd government, provisional, was an attempt to preserve, through reforms, essential aspects of former Prime Minister of that government, Mohamed Gannouchi, was against the creation of the Constituent Assembly, to the claim of the Constitution, but just about moments before he resigned, Gannouchi said: “This country needs a constitutional assembly” … He resigned after making a reaction save time to regroup, which they have done in the last month, those active forces of the counterrevolution, consist essentially of old party members Ben Ali, the political police and militia in the pay of the oligarchy, who have committed terrorist acts against civilians, acts of vandalism to terrorize the people and let them know that “or us or anarchy.”

This provisional government showed tolerance towards those counterrevolutionary groups, and when he had the arrests of some of his men, did the police let them go. They wanted to terrorize the population, suggested that there was a danger of military intervention, even from abroad, or beaten by Islamist or leftist forces … all with the purpose of terrorizing the people. That government had the clear support of the United States, whose representatives have come to Tunisia several times, also was supported by the European Union promised a large aid material, and particularly the government of Sarkozy, in addition to the governments of Spain, Zapatero, and Italy with Berlusconi. All of them supported Ben Ali to the last day.

The United States, perhaps more intelligent, they began to express some reluctance when captured that government could not maintain that his time was short. As I said, that government did allow time to reorganize counter-revolutionary forces again, despite this, the popular forces we get rid of the 2 nd interim government.

We are now in a new phase in which the forces of revolution we eliminate all vestiges of the dictatorship. This new phase has just begun with the appointment of another Prime Minister Beji Kaied Sebsi, who has promised to submit to the will of the Tunisian people, to elect a Constituent Assembly elections to be held on 26 July this year.

Ben Ali’s party has been legally dissolved, which is also a victory of the people. The Constitution no longer applies, have been recognized, authenticated, legalized political parties and organizations, and hopefully it is the TCO [3] in the coming days. Many of the former officials will be judged. The government is forced to make concessions, but remain elements of the dictatorship are still there, as the political police, administration, judiciary, which must be radically changed.

The  Sebsi Government is rushing to prepare for the elections to the Constituent Assembly, but not in a democratic setting, away from people without the direct involvement of the forces of revolution. The fight now, then, will deliver in this area. The revolutionary forces must prepare for the elections to the Constituent Assembly in a truly democratic environment, for which there is to dissolve the political police [4] , to repeal the existing laws, and when provisionally, pending a new structure for the country, determined the Constituent Assembly to take concrete action on the administration of justice, also on the media apparatus, to ensure democratize the process to the Constituent Assembly.

As to the disposition of forces, we can say that the revolutionary are mobilized, it is very important. The revolutionary forces are united, but we fear, though still unclear, a split within the National Committee for the Safeguarding of the Revolution, between the revolutionary forces and democratic and reformist forces that seek a compromise with the current government . Anyway, we will continue with our tactics to conserve and advocacy, to strengthen the structures that emerged from the revolution, both nationally and in the face January 14 and in the towns and regions with the revolutionary Assemblies, to strengthen them while popular, and prepare for elections to the Constituent Assembly.

“Why is it that people in North-Korea are starving but at the same time magnificent buildings are being built?” Against the lies about “famine” in the DPRK

Please note this blog does not necessarily endorse all of the viewpoints of this article.

– Espresso Stalinist

“Why is it that people in North-Korea are starving but at the same time magnificent buildings are being built?”

Against the lies about “famine” in the DPRK

The bourgeois media insist on reporting on the one hand about the so-called “famine” in the DPRK, on the other hand they confront the “suffering and misery of the North-Korean population” with so-called “magnificent buildings” and with “the good life of the communist dictator Kim Jong Il”.

What does it look like in reality with “famine” in the DPRK?

The DPRK produces sufficient food and is self-sufficient. 80 % of the country is mountainous country and only up to a point appropriate for agriculture. 14.1 % of land area is used as agricultural area under cultivation, 12.1 % is irrigated. Yet: each square metre of usable area is being planted.

The agriculture of the DPRK is still burdened with the after effects of the US war 1950 – 1953 against the young socialist country. During their aggression the US employed bombs and especially napalm to an extent which led to destruction and drastic reduction ot the stock of trees in the mountains. During the 3 years of war the US carried out more than 115 000 air raids only on the DPRK. 85 % of the bombing was directed against civilian targets. 600 000 tons of napalm and other bombs were dropped. The US employed a great number of napalm bombs, chemical and biological weapons as well to cause fatal epidemics among the population or simply to make them die in agony.

On wide areas irreparable environmental damages were caused. As a result of the destruction of millennium old stock of trees in the North-Korean massifs entailed through the first war of environmental destruction in the history of man carried out by the US Air Force it has not been possible till today to stop the danger of flooding of the mountain slopes and valleys or plains. Though greatest efforts were undertaken by party leadership, government and the people of the DPRK to reafforest and further effective precaution measures against flooding were taken again and again big agricultural problems arose.

Heavy rainfall in the years 1995, 1996 and 1997 led in spite of the increased afforestation of the mountain slopes to flooding of the rice-fields with masses of mud which destroyed the rice harvest in those years. Rice is the staple food. Because of harvest-losses caused by natural effects the government of the DPRK felt compelled on one hand to carry out rationing of rice-sale, on the other hand to raise enormous sums of financial means for rice imports because of the still existing embargo-politics of the USA and their imperialist allies. Per day dan per grown-up person 750 gr dried rice was distributed. Children received according to their age from 350 up to 500 gr. There was no discrimination at the rice rationing.

Each person got the same daily ration regardless of whether they were workers, farmers, employees in the administration, university professors, officials of the Party of Labour of Korea or member of the government of the DPRK. Yet – and this is not concealed as well by the official side of the DPRK – there were considerable problems in supplying the population in the initial state of the rice-rationing, when rice import was just starting. Elderly and ill people were süecially affected and quite a number of them died. But never was there any question of a “famine” or “mass deaths”. However rice rationing for children was constantly maintained up to the termination of the rationin measure in October 2000.

Under the guidance of the Party of Labour of Korea the people of the DPRK mad supreme efforts up to October 2000, not only to stabilise rice cultivation, but also to increase it. Besides the cultivation of potatoes was considerably increased. The production of other agricultural products was not affected by the three natural disasters. Fruit and vegetables were always available in sufficient amounts for nutrition for the people of the DPRK. During my visit to the DPRK a year ago I was also in my capacity as guest of the society of social sciences of the Party of Labour of Korea, affected by the rice rationing. But I did not have to go hungry.

Those are the realities the bourgeois media conceal. If they reported about it they would have to accept the superiority of the socialist society over the capitalist world. In this capitalist world aren’t there 40000 children dying of hunger daily, aren’t there millions of children marked by malnutrition?

Answering the matter concerning “famine” one should then get a completely different view concerning the so-called “magnificent buildings” in the DPRK.

There are certainly super-modern magnificent buildings in so many countries on earth and there are not a few countries where those buildings have been erected right near the slums. So this makes clear the huge contrast between wealth on the one and poverty on the other hand!

If in our “modern” capitalist Germany a good many “people on the left” are taken in by the bourgeois lies about a “famine” in the same connection with the erection of “magnificent buildings” in the DPRK and believe it, it only shows how much these “people on the left” are tainted by the bourgeois ideology. They forget that the “magnificent buildings” in the capitalist industry monopolies and in many countries of the “3.rd world”, too are a product of exploitation of man by man. They forget that especially the working population in our Germany (like in the other capitalist industry nations) take advantage of the exploitation of the people in the “3.rd world” and consequently enjoy that relatively high standard of living. Only the people on the left – you needn’t be communist! – who accepts and realises that, will see socialism with other eyes.

In Korean society where the exploitation of man by man has been abolished, where the means of production belong to all of the working-class, where the human being is the focus of all social development, there is another relation between the Marxist-Leninist Party of Labour and the working population of the DPRK.

When in 1945 the Korean people had shaken off Japanese colonialism after more than 30 years millions of Koreans were confronted with the awful legacies of the colonial exploitation of the Japanese. Korea had no industry, no universities, a few 4-year schools, an underdeveloped system of communications and of transport. But the Korean people realized that with their victory over the Japanese colonial masters they had gained their freedom and their national independence.

This freedom has nothing to do with the bourgeois description of the concept of “freedom”. The Korean people had been fighting a 20 years lasting liberation fight for a freedom which had freed them from exploitation of man by man.

Guided by the party of work of Korea after liberation they instantly began with the rebuilding of their country. Industry was set up, schools, children’s- and cultural establishments, apartments were built by the people. A whole nation realized how their country and their life changed through their work.

5 years after the liberation of the Japanese yoke the South Korean rulers started their war against the Korean Democratic People’s Republic. After the attack of the South Korean aggressors had been beaten off by the Korean People’s Army and 90 % of South Korea had been liberated, the US entered the war under the cloak of UN. 3 years later the US was forced to sign the armistice treaty.

Three years of US war meant US-American application of “scorched earth” tactics. The capital Pyongyang was practically “razed to the ground”, the country was “bombed back into the to Stone Age”.

But for the Korean people, guided by the Marxist-Leninist Party of Labour of Korea and their great leader comrade Kim Il Sung, the signing of the armistice treaty meant a triumph in defending their freedom.

The working population of the DPRK instantly began to rebuild their country. Supported by the solidarity and aid of all socialist countries, also the GDR, a modern socialist state came into being. What had been created within 40 years until the victory of the counter-revolution , was the works of working people of the DPRK and it was for their benefit. Yet they had realized that their work could only bear fruits if the results of the socialist structure were defended.

When in 1989/1991 the counter-revolution triumphed in the socialist countries hard times began for the DPRK. 50 % of the foreign trade had been transacted with the Soviet Union. The GDR and the Czechoslovakia were also important foreign trade partners of the socialist DPRK.

Imperialism that time speculated that in the DPRK the “reformers” would win and that there would follow a change of the socialist conditions back into capitalist ones. But they made a mistake because they didn’t realize that the consistent application of Marxism-Leninism with its constituents Marxist Philosophy, Political Economy and Scientific Communism (Juche-Ideology) sets the human being in the focus of social development. They didn´t realize that it is exactly this item which determines the relation between the Marxist-Leninist party of work of Korea and the working population. This relation gave rise to the strength to continue the successful building of socialism also in spite of the hard times in the DPRK after the victory of the counter-revolution in the socialist countries of Europe.

The working population of the DPRK managed to compensate with great efforts the break-down of the socialist world system and the embargo imposed on them by the USA. Today the working population of the DPRK are able to produce everything within their own economy that is needed to successfully going on to shape the building of socialism.

Certainly you can’t compare the standard in the socialist political economy with the economic level of the western industry nations. But you shouldn’t forget that the setting up of the socialism in the DPRK isn’t older than 50 years and isn’t based on exploitation of the “3.rd world”.

“Pompous” buildings in the DPRK? When there was practical loss of the rice harvest for 3 years and the country had to import great quantities of rice the government of the DPRK decided to cut investments in favour of securing the feeding of the population. So that time no “pompous buildings” were set up whereas the housing scheme, social establishments included, went on unchanged.

Maybe one should define the term “pompous buildings”. Are they 5-stars-hotels? Are the government palaces? Are they cultural- and sport-palaces? Or are they memorial places of the revolutionary fight of the Korean people?

There is a difference if in Germany with its almost 10 million unemployed, 3 million people living on social welfare and 1 million homeless persons you build the government quarter and the large-scale-project “Lehrter Bahnhof” in Berlin with the tax yield of the working population for a small socio-economic group we call bourgeoisie or if you build in the DPRK a cultural palace the entering and using of which the working population has not to pay a penny for. Who will deprive the working population of the right to set up memorial places and monuments of the revolutionary fight against the Japanese oppression and of the Great Patriotic War 1950 – 1953 because they honor their heroes there?

In the DPRK people needn’t pay for the rent of their flat – no matter whether they are 2-storey dwelling houses from the 50ties or 30-storey tower blocks of the 90ties . Attending cultural houses and sports-places, national education, medical care, children’s care in crèches and kindergardens is free of charge. There is no unemployment and homelessness, there is barely any criminality, no prostitution and drugs. The low infant mortality is of world standard.

I would think that the enclosed photographs convey an impressive illustration of the real life of the people in the socialist DPRK.

Achim Churs

En Marcha on Libya

Gaddafi’s murder puts an end to its contradictory policy

After the siege of Sirte by rebel forces and the continuous support of the NATO bombing, dropped the last bastion of resistance to Gaddafi and with it came his lynching and death.

At the closing chapter of this macabre American imperialist intervention and its European allies, which began in Tunisia, Yemen and Egypt, the brunt of the savagery of NATO, which fell to Libya UN resolution 1973 gave the green light for murder of thousands of children, youth, women and elderly innocent and the destruction of hospitals, schools and homes of poor people by planes from the U.S., France, England, Italy, Canada, Qatar and Spain 14 000 attacks carried out under the cynical pretext to protect civilians.

War of aggression that took advantage of the discontent of the masses secular and Islamist Libyan mobilized to demand the resignation of Gaddafi for his corrupt and repressive dictatorial policy in 42 years of dictatorship submitted to the people and their political opponents, the miserable conditions of life, prison and exile.

This does not justify the genocidal actions of the U.S. and its followers against the Libyan people, other than by oil, gas and water, for their benefit; impede the flow of oil to China and strategic control of northern Africa and the Near East.

Muammar Gaddafi was characterized by contradictory political and ideological position and winding with democratic reforms undertaken as dictator from 1969 to overthrow the King Idrissi, presented as experiences and examples of the third way (or socialism or capitalism), but history of the transformation of Libyan economy popular capitalism, privatization of public enterprises and foreign oil producers and distributors, such as Italy’s ENI, Austria’s OMV, Repsol of Spain, Total of France, BP of the UK, Petrobras of Brazil, more the U.S. Marathon Oil, Amerada Hess, Conoco-PHLLIPS, OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM, EXXON-MOBIL and the China National Petroleum, and the opening up and encouraging foreign investment.

The open door policy to the highest bidder and its weight would encourage authoritarian dictatorial corrupt economic ambition that would lead to rapid personal enrichment and family, with the acquisition of a fortune as gold reserves, foreign exchange and investment exceeding 200 billion dollars (Los Angeles Times), which doubles annual industrial production over Libya before the U.S. intervention.

In this position fro the imperialist governments of England and Italy and of Spain fought to curry favor with Gaddafi for their investments and oil business. He was invited to the treat-as did Berlusconi, or were “official visit” with the list of prayers and investment proposals.

All under the supervision and consent of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) neoliberal recipes applied against the economy of poor households and workers, that paid for the first turns of the Libyan people.

Muammar Gaddafi humble home in the Bedouin, formed by the English with an anti-political conception, governed, enriched and betrayed his people and from 1986 he was a partner of Fiat, the Italian companies and Infinvest, Swiss and French and strut NATO in the region.

The story of betrayal does not forget that most computers, weapons and equipment of repression that Gaddafi had at his disposal were supplied by the U.S., Britain, France and Spain, whose members, with his murder, was charged dearly for his politics and ideology contradiction in which he embarked and which he died.

Libya, imposed arbitrary arrests and torture

In Libya, things have not changed at all, at present there are cases of torture to extract confessions or simply as a punitive measure, risking that the practices of the past be repeated in the present, when the arbitrary arrest and torture was marked the whole Gaddafi.

Amnesty International (AI) accused the interim government of Libya, coordinated by the National Transitional Council (CNT), making arbitrary arrests and practices of torture and abuse against soldiers and followers of Muammar Qaddafi.

The organization claims that the majority of detainees are imprisoned without the respective orders of the prosecutor and executed by military authorities or non-competitive.

Sub-Saharan African suspected mercenaries constitute between one third and half of those arrested are also vulnerable Libyan Tawargha region, which was the basis of gadafistas troops. On the other hand a number of children are detained together with adults and women arrested in this process and put under surveillance of men who play the role of guards.