From Roter Morgen
October, 1989

Poland, Hungary, GDR, Soviet Union, Etc., Bankrupt

Tensions in Europe Grow

In the last weeks and months the bankruptcy of the states of East Europe has become evident. Citizens of the GDR are leaving in droves. Poland is broke and now lives only on western aid. Hungary and Poland are going openly on the road to capitalism. In the Soviet Union, nationalist and even fascist groups and currents are flourishing. The Baltic states want to separate themselves from the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan has declared itself in favor of autonomy.

The western states are triumphant. They say, this is the bankruptcy of socialism. But socialism has been scrapped in these states for more than 30 years already. For more than 30 years, profit and a small clique of exploiters who have appropriated to themselves the riches of society, rule in the East European states under the control of the Soviet Union. They have given up and betrayed Marxism. They are revisionists. Formally, they called themselves "socialists", but the SPD also calls itself "socialist" and Helmut Kohl calls himself "Christian" - that is demagogy and a swindle with labels.

The western states are utilizing the bankruptcy of revisionism. Not only for anti-socialist demagogy but also for more concrete interests. With money and political pressure they are trying to expand their influence. Under the banner of "freedom" and "democracy," "detente" and "peace," billions of dollars and marks are rolling, markets will be conquered, and political parties and groups are sponsored.

West German imperialism is playing a special role in this. It sees the real chance of getting rid of the consequences of its defeat in World War II. West German politicians are openly putting into question the boundaries of the GDR and Poland. They interfere in the affairs of the GDR, give advice for "reforms" - which should naturally be in their sense. And they are dreaming of reunification. All of a sudden, they are discovering "Germans" in all of East Europe, whom they must protect. So they have a cheap means to intervene there at any time. While they are inciting all the time against political refugees who must risk their lives and who are stamped as asylum-seekers, they greet every "German settler". In a propaganda brochure of the Federal Republic "German settlers" are simply defined as all "Germans" who, "regardless of their knowledge of the German language" hold to the creed of German heritage! While they argue regarding the political refugees that our land is too densely populated, that there is a lack of apartments, jobs, etc.; in the propaganda pamphlet, the argument is reversed: we can create enough jobs and apartments in such a rich land.

We have nothing against the settlers. We can understand that they cannot bear the inhuman conditions in their homelands. But flight into the arms of West German imperialism is no solution! Capitalism is not the alternative to bankrupt revisionism; only true socialism is. The bankrupt cliques, whether of Gorbachev, Honnecker, etc., must be removed and the working class must again seize power. Imperialism uses the people who today are leaving East Europe only as chess pieces in their game.

These days it is reported that a new disarmament agreement is ready to be signed. The peace songs are growing louder. But actually, the tensions are increasing. Already in the last issue of Roter Morgan we quoted Valentin Falin, a member of the Central Committee of the CPSU, who said: "When efforts are continuing to divide, it will be the worst and also the last catastrophe that can be conjured up" - that means: war! So it also no wonder that only a couple of days after the reports of the new disarmament agreement, the NATO Commander in Chief for Europe announced and proposed, on the basis of this arrangement that only the oldest weapons should be scrapped. He openly said, "I think the other side will do this anyway." Their disarmament is a fraud!

How could it be otherwise? Does anyone believe that the Soviet Union will passively watch as Western imperialism breaks their empire to pieces? And does anybody believe that the Western imperialists, first of all the German Federal Republic, would miss out on such a chance to win new markets, spheres of influence and power? What is happening today before our eyes, the putting into question of the European boundaries, the collapse of the revisionist states, the talks of peace and the simultaneous uncurbed rearmament are the first signs of a warlike re-division! The importance of individual imperialist groupings in Europe and in the world has drastically changed. West German imperialism with its concept of a "united Europe" has especially grown in the last years. Such changes in power and influence of imperialist states was always the prelude to war!

The people of Europe must pay attention to these warning signs. They should not put any trust in the demagogues and must see reality clearly. Flight is no solution. Struggle is necessary. Against imperialism, revisionism and the danger of war! Only when the working class and the peoples of Europe separately and independently lead the struggle is there a chance for peace. Not only is revisionism bankrupt, but Western capitalism is also: millions of unemployed, dismantling of social services, rationalizing production, cultural decadence such as drugs, sex and mounting criminality, doubled exploitation and oppression of the poorer lands, rearmament, etc. - should this be our "future"?

No! Socialism as today is being realized and built up in socialist Albania now as before is the only alternative to the bankrupt systems in East and West. For this it is worth while to struggle.!

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