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EVENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

A. MAYEVSKY | 10.03.2011 10:41 | Repression | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | World

We all watched with great interest the developments in Tunisia, then in Egypt and other countries of North Africa and the Mediterranean.

First, the people rebelled in Tunisia. Mass thousands of demonstrations, which lasted almost a month, have shaken the country. Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali on January 14 had fled to Saudi Arabia. The people celebrated their victory.

January 25 started mass protests of the people in Egypt. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered on the central Tahrir Square (Liberation) in Cairo, the streets and squares of other cities. The people's protest lasted 18 days and, finally, the protesters had their way – on February 11, Egyptian President Hosni Mubark renounced his post. The people rejoiced and exulted their victory.

The social cause of these protests are poverty, unemployment, hopelessness and despair of the masses.

Tunisia. December 17 Mohamed Bouaziz, the young merchant from the small town of Sidi Bou Said tried to end his life by self-immolation. Having a university education, he spent 5 years looking, but could not find work, except street trading vegetables. On the eve of the police took away his goods because of the lack of a license, depriving him of a livelihood. On January 4, Mohammed Bouaziz died. On December 22 another unemployed 22-year-old Hussein Nagi Felhi committed suicide by climbing on the power line and holding the high-voltage cable. Before his death, he cried out: "No to poverty! No to unemployment!”
In solidarity, thousands of young people took to the streets.

Tunisia is a young country, with more than half its population under the age of 30. Youth unemployment stands at 50%.Without work there is no future, so the first thing demanded of the authorities from protesting youth is work. The authorities responded to the demands of young people first, with police batons and tear gas, then bullets. But when people have nothing to lose, violence and repression cause the opposite effect. The protest began in the provinces, but the more people became victims and wounded, the more they covered the country, and reached the capital. To the slogans of social nature were added and political ones: against the corrupt regime of Ben Ali and the Trabelsi clan, for political freedom.

Ben Ali ruled the country since November 1987, declaring its aim "to build in Tunis a prosperous, open and peaceful society based on justice and tolerance." But it was the usual promise of bourgeois politics, a promise that is given to the people, when a politician eager for power, and which they immediately forget after they get into power.

The family of the president and his wife Leila Trabelsi privatized the economy and politics. Leila Trabelsi was called the Empress by Tunisians. She and her family control over all key enterprise: from the land and banks to telephone companies and Internet providers. Belhassen, the elder brother of the wife of President, is one of the richest people in the country, owns the airline and is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Tunisia, the most profitable bank in the country. Mohammed Sahr, the 30-year-old son in law of the ousted President is involved in trading of motor vehicles and real estate, agriculture, finance, media and owns a travel agency.

The global financial crisis has only accelerated the process of polarization of Tunisian society. Tunisia's economy is totally dependent on external market conditions and foreign investment. And when as a result of the crisis there was nothing to patch up the social holes, the situation exploded.
After news of the departure of Ben Ali of Tunisia, the country began rejoicing. Thousands of people greeted each other with victory. "That's our message all over the world: Do not be afraid of dictators!", said one of the participants of protest actions. But there is a more restrained assessment: "Do not rush to congratulate us! It has not ended, the most important thing lies ahead."
After Ben Ali's resignation, Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi in a speech on television said that the government was temporarily transferred to him. But the next day, the Constitutional Council of Tunisia said that under the Constitution of the Speaker of Parliament Fuad Mbazaa shall become the Acting President. On January 15, he took the oath. But both represent the same ruling party that overthrew Ben Ali.

It has already been stated, that within two months in the country will be held early presidential elections.
Egypt. Jan. 25 start of mass protests in Egypt, which took place in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez, Asyut and other cities. The organizers of the protests made up of opposition groups of leftist, social-democratic orientation, called these actions a "day of rage" - "day of protest against torture, poverty, corruption and unemployment." People went onto the streets, using the appeals in social networks. Egyptian authorities took immediate action by blocking the Internet and mobile communications. And on the streets of Cairo were put 30,000 police officers. For the crackdown police used tear gas and water cannons. Protesters threw stones and debris of destroyed fences at police.
The general demands of the protesters - the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled the country since October 1981, the fair Elections and the social orientation of the economy. In the hands of the protesters could be seen the posters with slogans such as "Today, Tunisia - Egypt tomorrow," "We want bread, peace and respect!
Like in Tunisia, Egypt, workers live in poverty, and the ruling elite enjoy the luxury and wealth. According to the Human Development Index, Egypt occupies 101-s place out of 169 countries. At the same time, the family of Hosni Mubarak is one of the richest in the Middle East, with wealth, according to various estimates, amounting from 4 to 70 billion dollars, earned through the ruthless exploitation of the working people.
With increasing protests, the daily outpouring onto the squares and the streets of major cities in Egypt from the hundreds of thousands to a million or more protesters, this forced the police to abandon measures of violence against their own people. Egypt's armed forces occupied a position of neutrality and seeks to prevent the collision of warring parties, as onto the streets began to come out "supporters" of President Mubarak. Since the time of President Anwar Sadat, Egypt became openly pro-American, went on to conclude a peace treaty with Israel that led to its isolation in the Arab world. After the assassination of Sadat by Islamists in October 1981, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak began his rule, and pledged to adhere to the old foreign policy, i.e. steer a course towards further normalization of relations with Israel and its rapprochement with the West and to seek peace in the Middle East within the framework of the Camp David accords. Mubarak succeeded to a certain degree to restore Egypt's prestige and raise its international prestige, especially in the eyes of U.S. and the West. Egypt became second after Israel in the Middle East recipient of American aid, much of which is sent to the Armed Forces of Egypt. Israel is concerned with what's happening in Egypt, because Israelis fear the possibility of the Islamist organization the Muslim Brotherhood coming to power in Egypt, openly anti-Israel-anti-American.
Despite all the re-shuffles at the top leadership of the country and trying to hold on to power, the protesters forced Mubarak to step down. And here, during mass protests of the people, many fell victim. More than 300 people were killed and more than 5,000 wounded.
Power in the country passed into the hands of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces of Egypt, whose representative immediately stated that the Supreme Military Council will comply with all agreements and commitments and to adopt democratic, that is, Western, principles and values. Currently, the Supreme Military Council dissolved Parliament, suspended the constitution, offering 10 days to re-write it and, within two months submit to a referendum, and banned public demonstrations.

Large protests also took place and are held in other Arab and Muslim countries: Yemen, Algeria, Jordan, Libya, Syria ... On 14 February, there was a mass protest in Iran with the same slogan: "Down with the dictator!" This refers to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a leading anti-American leader.
All this shows to where and against whom the present "revolutions" are aimed.
And although the Americans have been trying to distance itself from some of its influence on the ongoing mass protests of the people, reality tells a different story.
Thus, The Daily Telegraph wrote that the U.S. government secretly supported the main actors, who were behind the protests in Egypt and were planning a revolt over the last three years (Herald, 01/29/2011). In particular, the U.S. embassy in Cairo has helped a young dissident activists to attend a summit in New York, which was organized by the U.S. government. Simultaneously, the U.S. did everything to hide his real name from Egypt's secret service. Upon his return to Cairo in December 2008, the activist told U.S. diplomats that the opposition leaders developed a plan to overthrow Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and the subsequent creation of a government based on democratic principles. Egypt's security services managed to arrest him during these protests.
On January 20, during a teleconference with journalists, staff member of the New York Council on Foreign Relations, Stephen Cook said that he was going to Cairo and expects that the National Police Day, celebrated in Egypt on January 25 will result in mass protests. I.e. this employee was already aware of emerging actions and travelled to Cairo not in vain (Svobodanews.ru, 11.02.2011).
Many analysts and commentators of the events indicate that, for these protests to be carried out, there was no necessity for long-term training of young protest cadres of pro-American orientation, such as during the "colour revolutions" in Georgia and Ukraine, where large sums of money, time were to spend on them.
Now, the mobile communications and the Internet replaced the training for these protests. The youth communicate on the Internet, social networks, where they are quietly inculcated with the principles of Western democracy and bourgeois freedom and with these slogans, with demands for change over to a western model, and it was involved in these mass protests.
In this sense, is an interesting article by Roger Cohen, "The Arab Internet Revolution", published in the International Herald Tribune (USA) on January 28. The American journalist criticizes the book by Evgeny Morozov “Network illusions. The Dark Side of the Internet ", which appeared in stores at a time when the youth of Tunisia - noted the author of the paper - demonstrates the liberating power of social networking."
But from the article by Roger Cohen, we learn that Morozov, a 26-year-old Californian internet explorer (a native of Belarus), gives to the Internet a completely correct assessment. The cyber-utopians, and not the least of them, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have created a dangerous illusion, as if the world can come to democracy and freedom through blogs and services such as Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Google – such is the basic conclusion of the book by Morozov. In an era when "the most intelligent and talented geeks", the so-called "Google doctrine” has become, in the opinion of the author, a seductive trap. "They want - said Evgeny Morozov – so that people are interested in dating, pornography and celebrity gossip" - exactly what has most saturated the internet. And he himself, Roger Cohen does not deny the connection between Twitter and the U.S. government, more so, for example, during the demonstrations in Iran in 2009, when the U.S. State Department officials had openly been in contact with the leadership of this company.
"These lines I write, - said Roger Cohen, - after returning from Tunisia, where Facebook has given the young demonstrators strength, which enabled them to throw the dictator. Now before my eyes is footage from Youtube, in which courageous young Egyptians oppose President Hosni Mubarak's thugs with their batons and water cannons." "The organization, network activity, the discovery of banned ideas and information, debating skills and independence...are just some of the gifts of social networks to the predominantly young population of the Arab world." And Roger Cohen concludes: "No, the Tunisian revolution was made by the pro-Western middle class, and during it, Islamic slogans did not sound out. Onto the streets of Cairo came young pragmatic people, alien ideologies .... "
In my opinion, this article by Roger Cohen openly demonstrates that the popular unrest in Tunisia, Egypt and other countries was controlled and directed into the track needed by U.S. imperialism. In the same article is quoted Hillary Clinton, saying that the U.S. priority is "the mobilization of communication technologies and their use in our diplomatic purposes." Candid enough.
Just like in Georgia and Ukraine "colour revolutions" occurred according to the western scenario, and with American money, just as is the massive popular unrest in the Arab world.
The overthrown Tunisian and Egyptian rulers were loyal servants of U.S. imperialism, the conductors of American influence, US-Israeli policy in the Arab world and the Middle East. But when the throne underneath them began swaying due to anti-national social policy, mass unemployment, poverty and misery of the people, the American puppet masters began to direct the righteous anger of the people in the direction towards them, but with the use of the latest developments of information industry, mobile communications and the Internet. That, among other things, allows them to remain as it were, behind the scenes.
The arrival to power in Egypt of th eSupreme Council of the Armed Forces is completely under American influence, because Egypt's armed forces receive the second largest, after Israel's multibillion-dollar aid to equip the army with weapons and military equipment, of course, American-made. It is clear that the Supreme Military Council and would continue to pursue pro-American policy, a policy of cooperation with Egypt, Israel and the betrayal of the interests of Arab peoples.
But on the other hand, this does not mean that the Marxist revolutionary forces must stand apart from the actions and outpouring of the people onto the streets. After all, we also have here a classic revolutionary situation, according to Lenin, when the lower classes do not want to live in the old, and the top can no longer operate under the old, where hatred of the people of the ruling regime is so great that people are willing to face death, which was place in Tunisia and Egypt, than to remain in the powerless, hopeless situation. But in order for mass popular action to really take on a revolutionary proletarian character, when one group of the bourgeoisie at the top of the power are not replaced by another group of such oppressors of the people, but when working people really come to power, the working class comes to power, the presence of the subjective factor in the people's revolution - a proletarian Revolutionary Party, which is closely related to the masses.
The establishment of close ties with Marxist revolutionary organizations in the Arab world, as well as the whole world, is the most important task of our Party – the AUCPB - in the international arena.

Russia: a climate of insecurity and fear dominates

On January 24, the day before the mass demonstrations in Egypt, in Moscow's Domodedovo airport, a bomb attack occurred. In the centre of a hall room, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device. The explosion killed 36 people. More than a hundred were wounded.
As noted by observers, this is the 26 th terrorist attack in Moscow over the past 15 years, during which more than 600 people have been killed.
The authorities immediately began to take measures to restore order to the security of citizens. But the number of attacks speaks for itself. Moreover, explosions rattle and terror attacks are carried out in other regions of Russia, especially in the North Caucasus. The Russian authorities cannot ensure security to its citizens.
The question arises: who benefits from, and who is behind these terrorist attacks?
The answer is obvious. This is beneficial to itself the ruling regime in Russia, the Medvedev-Putin regime of large oligarchic capital. Enormous accumulation of wealth at one pole and misery and poverty on the other inevitably leads to the aggravation of social tensions, and sooner or later, lead to social upheaval.
To avoid this, the government is trying to take away responsibility for the situation in society, from itself and point out the "enemies" - those same underprivileged people, only of other nationalities, and aims to incite hatred of Russians towards inhabitants of the Caucasus, Orthodox Muslims, etc. This is a common tactic of the bourgeoisie: divide and conquer.
Under the guise of fighting terrorism and extremism in a charged with fear community, in an atmosphere of insecurity and fear, the regime would be able to "tighten the screws" bring about repression in the first place, against revolutionary forces, class conscious representatives of the working class, fighting for the revival of our great Soviet Socialist homeland.
Of course, "friends" of Russia - the U.S. imperialists and the West pour oil on fire, and nurture, fund and provide everything necessary for the terrorist activities of various extremist groups and elements. And here is used the same imperialist tactic - divide and conquer! To incite the people of Russia against each other, to create a society in an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear that inevitably weakens Russia, and then give her "assistance" under the guise of combating terrorism, interfering in internal affairs and enslaving Russia.

Ukraine: the bourgeoisie oppress, the people tolerate

Recently, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a decision to hold the next parliamentary elections in October 2012 and presidential elections - in March 2015. The bourgeois power group has secured a quiet comfortable life for almost two years. Hence, they had no need to make any promises to the people, and with vengeance to take advantage in power and build up their capital.
That is what the bourgeoisie does. As we have said before, all laws are being prepared for adoption or have already been adopted: Tax, Labor, Housing, Pension Reform, Land Reform, the Parliament has adopted the laws and decisions of the government and so the burden of overcoming the crisis lays firmly on the shoulders of the working people.
Prime Minister Azarov declared a total collapse of the housing and communal system of the country, noting that 80% of the networks, water pipes, sewers are in disrepair. And he stated the inevitability of "difficult reforms." What this means is clear to everyone. The reform of public utilities, as well as all other reforms will be implemented at the expense of working people, by the further increase of tariffs for housing services. But they both growing. Goskomstat recorded 14% increase in utility rates in 2010 and announced that this year's rates will rise at least another 30%. But this is the official data. The reality is much worse. From February 1, increased electricity charges, from 1 April last year, a scheduled 50% rise in price of gas for domestic use.
On the rapid rise in food prices and one say nothing. That one, each of us sees going to the store and the market.
In one of his speeches, President Yanukovich set a "ambitious" goal - to reach by 2020, a population growth of Ukraine up to ... 50 million people. But now the population of Ukraine is less than 46 million and last year alone it fell by another 170,000 (official data). At what expense is the president is going to achieve such growth. An increase in payments for extra child births will not achieve it. Mass unemployment, the total lack of prospects for young people, the rapid growth of prices and rates with extremely low salaries and student grants, there are no opportunities for young people to purchase housing (except for the youth elite, because they live in a completely different world), etc. All this speaks of the unreality of presidential plans. The trend seen is quite different - a further decrease in population.
But even if the president's plans are suddenly realized.
In 1992, at the beginning of the bourgeois reforms and independence, Ukraine had a population of 52 million 250 thousand people. (And annually in Soviet Ukraine, the population grew). And after 30 years - 50 million?!
***
During the mass uprisings in Egypt, hundreds of thousands of tourists were forced to interrupt their vacation on the azure shores of the Mediterranean and quickly return home, wondering and indignant at what was happening.
In Moscow, citizens scared to death ask a rhetorical question: what is happening in Russia, why innocent people are killed.
In Ukraine, however, workers are still silent. But this silence is increasingly developing into a dull murmur of discontent.
But all of this is phenomena of the same order.
Before our eyes, world imperialism and the world of the omnipotence of capital and money-bags is collapsing. And to delay its inevitable collapse, there will continue to be terrorist attacks in Russia, no matter how often President Medvedev visits railway stations and airports, there will continue to be the uprising of the masses against tyranny and poverty, which the modern puppeteers, using new technology will deviate to one side, placing around the neck of the people one set of rulers, exploiters by another set, that pleases the West, the cash cow.
Putting an end to war, terror and poverty can only be done by destroying imperialism, the source. Already no one can sit in the close nook of the family, comfortable little world, where personal interests and personal welfare are above all.
Only by a united struggle of the vast masses of people under the revolutionary banner of Marxism-Leninism can we win and wipe out the hated system of the power of capital, the system of exploitation, war, violence and robbery.

A. MAYEVSKY

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