CONTRIBUTION TO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF COMMUNIST AND WORKERS' PARTIES HELD IN ATHENS, MAY 21-23, 1999.

COMMUNIST PARTY OF AUSTRALIA.

Comrades,

Firstly I wish to congratulate and thank the KKE forinitiating this very timely international conference onglobalisation and related matters. Our thoughts are todaywith our Yugoslavian comrades and the Yugoslavian peoplewho are in the frontline of the struggle againstimperialism.

Although the conference agenda could not have anticipatedthe illegal NATO aggression it remains very much a part ofwhat globalisation is all about, that is, globalisation inthe hands of the transnational corporations and the rulingclasses in theimperialist countries.

What is happening in the Balkans is a defining moment inthe continuing struggle against imperialism and we shouldacknowledge and acclaim the courageous stand of theYugoslavian people and government against imperialism.

We see globalisation as colonialism by another name. It isthe domination of the economies of all countries by thetransnational corporations. Globalisation as dictated bythe TNCs, means the destruction of even bourgeoisdemocratic practices in nationstates. And now, we can see that TNC globalisation meansaggression and war. It spells TNC dictatorship through theIMF, the WTO and the World Bank in particular, while theOECD acts as the General Staff of the TNC's doing thebidding of the International Chamber of Commerce and theInstitute of International Finance representing the largestcorporations and financial institutions.

The rapid pace of the monopolisation of capital underliesthese developments with the emergence of finance capital asits dominant form. Finance capital is the ultimate form ofcapitalist speculation, profiteering and manipulation. Itis the most predatory, parasitical and immoral form ofcapital.

The process of monopolisation is facilitated by the rapidtechnological developments which are speeding upinternational communications, trade and the circulation ofmoney. Enormous wealth can be transferred by a mere strikeof a computer keyboard. Technology enables the differentcomponent parts, of a product being manufactured in severalcountries. It also facilitates the transfer ofmanufacturing facilities with relative ease from onecountry to another. It increases the rate of theexploitation of the labour many times over.

Technology should bring many benefits to every society butin the hands of the big corporations it brings tears,longer hours, mass unemployment, impoverishment andwidespread environmental destruction.

Marx, more than a century ago, noted the insatiable demandof capital to conquer new markets. But in a finite worldthat has already been occupied by capital, a process ofre-division among the capitalist giants continually takesplace. The drive to redivide world markets was already themotive force which led to WWI and WWII.

The emergence of socialist economies in one third of theworld, seriously restricted the power and profits ofimperialism but the break-up of the socialist Soviet Unionand the victory of counter-revolution in eastern Europecreates new possibilities for capitalism which they areseizing with great haste and determination. This is thereal motivation for the imperialist war against Yugoslavia.Should the imperialists be successful in Yugoslavia, theiraim is to move against the Russian Federation, the formerRepublics of the Soviet Union and eventually against thePeople's Republic of China.

Where redistribution cannot be achieved by economic andpolitical pressure the military arm of NATO is to be used.That is the meaning of NATO's decision to extend itsinterventions to anywhere in the world.

Another aspect of NATO's aggression is its attempts to pushaside and relegate the UNO which, despite its weaknesses,none-the-less represents the aspirations of the people fora unified and peaceful world. The UN Charter reflects thepeaceful and democratic principles created after the defeatof the Nazi stormtroopers of German and Japanese capital.However, the UN is also being corporatised and, ifsuccessful, will destroy it as a representative, democraticorganisation.

Because independent national governments with their diverselaws and regulations, stand in the way of the TNC drive fordomination and control a process which relegatesgovernments is proceeding. The functions of government arebeing taken over by capital through privatisation, thecorporatisation of governments, by deregulation andself-regulation. Even the language is being changed. Forexample, a doctor's patient becomes a "client" while auniversity student becomes a "customer".

The privatisation of formerly publicly owned enterprisesand institutions also means that capital is seizing yetanother are for its control and exploitation. Its greed isnot limited to publicly owned manufacturing and financialenterprises but is extended to schools , universities,public hospitals, scientific institutions and even wholegovernment departments -- a process already underway inAustralia. The struggle against privatisation is a majorform of the struggle against capital.

We have seen many examples of the IMF and the World Bankimposing their policies on sovereign governments which, byaccepting IMF dictatorship, effectively give up a majorpart of their sovereignty and independence.

As yet the TNCs have not worked out what form the politicalorganisations under their dictatorship are to take but thisis under active consideration. We have the statement of arepresentative of Bankers Trust who wrote as far back as1995:

"We are unclear about the prospects for democracy in theglobal village. We have no idea how to reproduceparliamentary institutions at the supranational level.Europe does have its own parliament of elected members butit is an ineffective body and the real power lies withbureaucrats in Brussels." (Rob Ferguson, "Globalisation"Bankers Trust Annual Review '95)

There are already examples of elected representatives beingjoined by representatives appointed by local businessinterests. The boards of publicly-owned banks, radio and TVnetworks, telecommunications, universities and otherinstitutions are already dominated by representatives ofbig business with all of these institutions being forced toadopt a corporate structure. The concept of "commercial inconfidence" is introduced to make secret the deals beingmade between governments and commercial interests. Lack ofaccountability is becoming the norm.

The social consequences of IMF policies, which are nothingless than the historical attempt of capital to increase theexploitation and subjugation of labour, are to be seen inone country after another -- mass unemployment, slashingsocial welfare programs, lowering wages and workingconditions, lengthening hours of work, all leading to massimpoverishment.

"The gap in incomes between the 20 per cent of the world'spopulation in the richest and poorest countries has grownfrom 30 to 1 in 1960 to 82 to 1 in 1995. Per capita incomeshave fallen in more than 70 countries over the past 20years. Some 3 billion people half the world's population,live on under two dollars a day. 800 million suffer frommalnutrition." (Human Development Report 1998)

A political aspect of the present situation is the rolebeing played in a number of countries by social democracy.Such governments have embraced the policies ofneo-liberalism and are enthusiastically implementing thedemands of the TNCs. This course is being followed by thesocial democratic governments of Britain, Germany, France,Portugal, the Czech Republic and other governments. These governments are as bellicose as the mostardent imperialist in implementing the war policy of NATO.Some governments made up of former communists who claimedto be committed to a "better socialism", also findthemselves in the camp of imperialism and are implementingall the anti-worker policies demanded by the bigcorporations.

Social democracy as an ideology is not Marxist, it is notrevolutionary or socialist but bourgeois in essence. Whilemaking a realistic assessment of the policies and ideologyof social democracy, this does not justify a sectarianattitude to individual social democrats or even socialdemocratic governments.

Despite today's apparent power of capitalism andimperialism we should properly assess the historical periodas one in which the transition from capitalism to socialismstill predominates despite the setbacks.

Around the world there are rising struggles by the workingclass which is now numbered in the hundreds of millions.They are joined by millions more of the peasantry,intellectual circles and even some sections of the businesscommunity. The possibility of a broad front of struggleagainst TNC exploitation and imperialist aggression havenever been more favourable.

The huge numerical size of the working class, the existenceof militant and revolutionary trade union organisations andthe influence of communist parties are assisting to fulfilthe revolutionary slogan of Marx and Engels in the"Communist Manifest" -- "Workers of all countries, Unite!".Working class organisations are strengthening theirinternational links and are actively looking for ways totake solidarity action. The possibility that internationaltrade union bodies will find ways to cooperate isincreasing.

There are also many NGOs which pursue progressive and anti-imperialist policies. One of these is the Third WorldNetwork. Many similar organisations took part in thestruggle against the Multilateral Agreement on Investmentwhich has forced the promoters of this Agreement to changetheir tactics. The same objectives are, however, beingpursued in the World Trade Organisation where attempts arebeing made to put finance, the environment and labourstandards on the agenda in terms acceptable to the TNCs andto be used against Third World countries.

A major task of Communist Parties is to help coalesce thispotential, to help give it direction and understanding. Although globalisation is also an objective process andwill continue we have to see to it that the working classand its allies take control of this process and not leaveit in the hands of the TNCs. It is a question of whichclass rules.

The defence of the sovereignty and independence of states,democratic rights, economic and social progress, theexpansion of public ownership, control over the flow ofinvestments, opposition to racism and narrow nationalism, the promotion of internationalism, protection of theenvironment, opposition to imperialism and war, rejectionof the policies of the IMF, support for the struggles ofthe indigenous peoples of the world, are all issues uponwhich widespread agreement can be reached.

But each policy and campaign needs to be specific and inthis respect the international campaign by a number oftrade unions against one of the TNCs -- Rio Tinto -- is anexcellent example.

The class and people's struggles are sharpening in everycountry. Imperialist aggression is clearing many minds ofillusions as to the intentions and real nature ofcapitalism and imperialism.

Comrades,

The whole history of imperialism is one of barbarity, war,domination, colonialism, exploitation, and racism.Capitalism is devoid of culture or morality. It is rootedin ignorance but at the same time predatory andexpansionary. It has no use for human life or theenvironment unless it can be turned to profit.

However, one can be optimistic that the people's struggleswill eventually put the imperialist criminals in astraight-jacket. But much depends on our communist parties.

For several decades our movement has spoken with differentvoices in a number of countries, including Australia, andinternationally. It was stronger, more authoritative andmuch more worthy of support when it had a commonperspective and a unified voice.

Our responsibility to history demands that we work towardsa common position and urgently restore real communist unityso that the people of the world see that communists canlive up to their responsibilities.

Thank you.