European Communist Meeting EU Parliament Brussels January 23rd 2017.

One Hundred Years from the events of 7^th November 1919.                                                 Communist Party Malta.                                             

2017 is the 100 year anniversary of the Great October Revolution This Revolution took place in Russia on November 7^th of 1917. This was the greatest event of the 20^th Century; it was a step forward that shook the world from its foundation, it brought about great changes where Marxist theory was put to practice, and also left an indelible mark in the history of mankind.

The salvation of humanity lies only in the transformation of the society into a Socialist Society.

Over 100 years ago Roza Luxemburg said “either Socialism or Barbarism” and since the counter revolutions that took place in the Soviet Union and the Socialist Community in Eastern Europe, this statement rings true, as exactly towards barbarism capitalism has led us. The Great October Revolution inspires and shows us the way forward in our struggles.

The Socialist road embarked upon by Vladimir Lenin and his Bolshevik Party after years of ceaseless struggle, at last had led to the Great October Revolution of 1917. The call by Lenin “All Power to the Soviets” led the then oppressed Russian workers and peasantry into open revolt against the “Provisional Government   that had replaced the Tsarist regime. This workers and farmers Revolution shaped the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics from the 15 countries that formed the previous Tsarist Empire. The USSR was to become a state governed by the workers.

 The USSR from a backward country under the Tsarist regime was to become a leading country competing in all respects with the United States of America which in the twentieth Century was the leading power in the western world. The Soviet Union achieved for its citizens full literacy and a first class free health service in the years preceding World War. This was again restored in a short period after the Second World War

Through its 73 year history proved that not only the working class could lead society but that is was also the bastion of the working classes in the Western Capitalist Countries. Through its people’s efforts and their leaders namely Joseph Stalin, with great personal sacrifices the Soviet people built up a mighty land that eventually was put to test during the Great Patriotic war, much greater sacrifices were required to ward off the German invasion of 22 June 1941. These Sacrifices included loss of 24 million soviet citizens, and the complete destruction of soviet cities and villages. However through its great contribution the Soviet Union was the leading force that assured the victory over Fascism in the Second World War.

The achievements of the Soviet Union were evident needless to say the scientific accomplishments, speak for themselves. The Soviet Union was to become the champion of all countries that were oppressed by colonialism and was a catalyst in the liberation of all colonized countries It was the Soviet Union that supported Malta’s and other countries that demanded independence in the UN.

The Second War was barely over new war clouds arose on the horizon, not satisfied with the Yalta Treaty,  Imperialism with the aid of new weapons felt safe to challenge  the Soviet Union. The Nuclear Armaments this time were the threat not only to the Soviet Union but to the whole of mankind. This threat was neutralised by the Soviet Scientists who also were able to develop nuclear armaments in a very short time. A stalemate position then ensued. This came to be known as the Cold War. This period ended in the late 1980’s with a supposedly disarmament treaty which also ended the Yalta treaty.

Through the revisionism which had started during the Khrushchev period, and the weak leadership that ensued, plus the final internal betrayals of Gorbachev and Yeltsin, the counter revolution triumphed after 73 years, and the Soviet Union came to a sad end.  Imperialism had triumphed and went on to break every treaty that it had made with the now defunct Soviet Union. Today we are living in a unipolar world the U.S. dictating its demands which are always in tune with its own interests, which happens to be everywhere.

Capitalism today is in decay. The predictions, made by Karl Marx about its final collapse, have at last arrived.  Fascist forces are arising out of capitalism’s foul decomposition. Fascism is the tool that the bourgeoisie uses when its position is threatened, and exactly this is what has resulting from the collapse of the capitalist system. The virus that infected this system started long before the short lived triumph brought about by the counter revolution of 1989 that led to the fall of the Soviet Union and Socialist Community in Eastern Europe.  It was believed then that the disappearance of the Eastern Europe Socialist community and the Soviet Union will open new markets and give capitalism a new impetus thus ensuring its survival.

The opposite of what was expected ensued as the banking system started to collapse first in U.S then in tandem, the rest of the capitalist countries in Western Europe this brought about the capitalist crises that now has been an ongoing feature in the daily life of the European working classes. Workers especially in the southern European Countries are facing austerity measures imposed on them by the “Troika.” (the European Commission (EC), the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).)

These measures have resulted in high unemployment, precarious jobs, reduced wage packets, reduced pensions and other social assistance. This has brought about misery on all the strata of workers from white collars to blue collars.  Furthermore, a rise in poverty amongst low the wage workers. A new term is being used to define those earning a low wages, they are being known as “the working poor” because they cannot cope with the rising prices of commodities  

Wars of aggression by the Empire and its NATO allies are being waged against third world countries in an effort to emerge from these crises by exhorting from them their natural resources. This however is not something new as in the 19^th Century it was the old imperialist powers France and Britain committed such acts. However today this is a paradox, as these wars continues to deepen the crises by putting more demands upon the already empty coffers, and thus creating more hardships on the workers in western world who are expected to pocket the bill and on the workers of the third world who are expected to be the victims.

This year all Communists and progressives around the world are celebrating the 100 years anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. Today, though Soviet Union is no longer with us, through the internal betrayals by its last leaders.  This should not hinder us. Our tasks and struggles today are to give Capitalism its “coup de grâce” and to reach the masses everywhere to build socialism on a global scale thus ridding the world of miseries, suffering, and wars.

  Victor Degiovanni.