The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Week commencing 22nd September 2017
The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Week commencing 22nd September 2017
The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Week commencing 22nd September 2017
Donald Trump took to the world stage at the United Nations this week with a 40 minute rant against Democratic Korea (DPRK), Iran and Venezuela that earned the applause of his most craven lackeys but embarrassed some of his European allies, who flinched at the vulgar abuse and moronic jokes that are the chief American warlord’s trade-mark these days.
World leaders, with the exception of Israeli premier Benyamin Netanyahu, who was full of praise, agreed with Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom who described Trump’s address as “the wrong speech, at the wrong time, to the wrong audience.”
Trump used the rostrum of the world forum to threaten to “totally destroy” Democratic Korea, childishly calling the DPRK leader Kim Jong Un “Rocket Man”, and saying that “the Iranian government masks a corrupt dictatorship behind the false guise of a democracy.”
Trump claimed that Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro had brought “a once thriving nation to the brink of total collapse” and that “The problem with Venezuela, is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented. From the Soviet Union to Cuba to Venezuela, wherever true socialism or communism has been adopted, it has delivered anguish and devastation and failure.”
An equally angry response from Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro did not take long coming, calling his remarks “shameless”, “ignorant” and “aggressive.” The Venezuelan leader dismissed Trump as the “new Hitler,” and the Iranian foreign minister denounced the Americans for supporting “tyrannical regimes” and “the criminal Zionist state” in the Middle East.
Whilst some of US imperialism’s lackeys in south America and Asia rush to expel DPRK ambassadors to prove their slavish loyalty to their master in the White House, others are appalled at the crude tactics of the man who claims to possess unique bargaining skills honed from his life as a property speculator and long-term presenter of a trashy American TV reality game-show.
Some believe that Trump is simply bluffing to improve his bargaining position. Others say that the vague ‘guarantees’ to the DPRK contained in speech by Trump’s foreign minister a few weeks ago were enough for the north Koreans to halt their missile programme.
We’ve all seen what happened to those who trusted the words of the Americans in Serbia, Iraq and Libya. We all know that the Syrians and the people of the Donbas have only preserved their freedom by taking up the gun to defend their independence. Upping the ante, false promises, and fire and brimstone threats only work against those who are foolish, weak and gullible. Unfortunately for Trump this does not apply to Iran, Venezuela or Democratic Korea.
Although the British government has not gone down the road of expelling ambassadors, it has supported every provocative act of the Trump administration to the extent of pledging military support to US imperialism if a new war breaks out on the Korean peninsula.
As the political and economic crisis deepens around the world the struggle for markets and spheres of influence becomes acute, so much so that the aggressor countries, in their need to win the battle for markets and minerals, turn to war and crude methods replace diplomacy and negotiations. The United States is the major imperialist power and it is keeping to its aims of provoking war and building up its military machine.
The USA has military bases in some 97 countries. These all contain weapons of mass destruction. United States imperialism instigated all the wars in the Middle East. The USA is the master behind the puppet terrorist organisations, which they train, arm and fund.
British imperialism has a shameful record of servility towards US imperialism. Blatant lies by Blair and his cohorts got us embroiled in the diabolical war strategy of the USA in Iraq and Afghanistan that has continued under subsequent Tory-led governments.
But the Achilles Heel of Anglo-American imperialism lies in the working class of those countries, who are suffering unemployment and economic stagnation. They demand major cuts in military expenditure, and the closure of all foreign bases and garrisons. The resources should be switched from war to use for peaceful and civil purposes and creating jobs, which will be more fruitful for the British people.
The labour and peace movement has a crucial role to play in opposing any British involvement in another Korean war. We must ensure that they do.