ICMLPO Coordination Committee
To all the workers, oppressed nations, sisters and brothers.
May Day is approaching, the international day of unity, struggle and solidarity of the working class, the day when we raise our demands in the streets against capitalist exploitation and imperialist aggression.
Sadly, we cannot talk about many positive changes in our lives since last May Day. We work more in factories, workplaces and fields, but neither have our wages increased nor have our working and living conditions improved. Many of us struggle to make ends meet. Many of us are out of work for longer periods. Our retirement age is rising, but not our pensions. We do not have much time for leisure or vacations. Women workers do not have the same rights as men under this capitalist system that has made use of the patriarchal hegemony of previous systems of exploitation. They cannot easily find jobs in all sectors, nor do they receive equal pay.
The violence against women, the repression and economic and political discrimination are on the rise. The saying: "the future belongs to the youth", which seems to be accepted by the bourgeoisie, is nothing more than empty words in practice. Young people, who must start working from an early age instead of going to school, fear their future.
In many countries, including the "democratic" ones, political reaction and the tendency to fascism are on the rise; so are racism, chauvinism and the far-right parties.
Freedom of expression, assembly and demonstration, of political and trade union organization, freedom of the press, etc. are being restricted. The corruption of the governments in Latin America, Turkey, Iran and many other countries can no longer be hidden. Bourgeois democracies are being restricted, especially in Europe, with stricter political rights.
In the countries of the East, which historically have a strong material and cultural basis for authoritarianism, the democratic rights and freedoms are already limited. Cosmetic changes in countries like Saudi Arabia do not change this trend. If one of the reasons why political reaction is on the rise is the fact that it is increasingly difficult to govern and they feel a greater need for extraordinary measures, the other is that the working class and working masses are disorganized all over the world and with a low level of struggle for their own independent demands.
The competition among the capitalist monopolies and the capitalist-imperialist countries that exploit the workers in other countries as well as their own and plunder the natural resources of the oppressed peoples, is intensifying. This rivalry manifests itself in trade wars that were sparked by Trump's tendency to protectionism by raising customs duties; Europe and China responded in the same way, as well as in military confrontations. The tension between the US, on the one hand, and Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, on the other, fuels the concerns of a major war. The world is no longer unipolar and the United States has lost its unparalleled hegemony, but it remains the most powerful imperialist country in terms of its economic, political and military presence in many parts of the world and in terms of its expenditure on weapons. However, a unified rival against the US has not yet emerged, although there are signs of the formation of some polarized blocs. By having the UK as an ally, the US is trying to impose itself on the rest of Europe. But the European countries are insisting on their own interests and no longer agree to be unified under the umbrella of the United States through institutions such as NATO.
Russia has been against the US for some time. China is trying to bolster its economic and military power, while at the same time avoiding open confrontation. Germany has a similar position. The "West" responded to Russia's bitter rivalry in Syria and Ukraine with the expulsion of Russian diplomats following suspicion of poisoning in the UK, and with the bombardment of Syria with missiles following the alleged use of chemical weapons in [the town of] Duma. The United States, the United Kingdom, and France joined forces against Russia, while Germany remained on the sidelines of this coalition. Russia took a step back and did not respond. China was content to condemn this attack. These developments show that the blocs have not yet been put in place and are still loose, but the weapons are used quite easily.
In recent years, Syria has been the main stage of the struggle for hegemony over the Middle East and its oil fields. First, it was the proxies that were the opposing forces, but now the main actors are taking part. The struggle was between various groupings such as ISIS or FSA [Free Syrian Army], with the backing of the big imperialist countries and the reactionary regional governments. But now the United States, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia (in Yemen), the United Kingdom, France and Germany are showing their presence in the region with their own military forces and are fighting fiercely.
The capitalist-imperialist world, the so-called "international community," does not care about the countless number of deaths and the displacements of Syrians. They are only concerned about preventing refugees from entering their own countries.
However, this is not an easy job. Due to poverty and war, the mass migration from the Middle East, Africa and West Asia cannot be stopped. Every day refugees drown in the Mediterranean.
Capitalism is showing its inhuman face on every occasion, and evidence of this can be found in the deterioration of living and working conditions and in the intensification of exploitation, as well as in its preference for war rather than peace. It is also present in the destruction of the environment for more profit, as is Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.
May Day is the day to take to the streets to proclaim our demands against the exploitation and aggression of the international bourgeoisie and imperialism, and our aspiration for a world without classes and without exploitation.
May Day is the day to raise our demands to end wars and the plundering of the resources of the oppressed peoples.
May Day is the day to shout loudest our demands for social rights, a shorter workweek and equal pay for equal work.
May Day is the day to show our power as a united force of billions of workers against the capitalists in all parts of the world.
May Day is the day of unity, struggle and international solidarity of the working class.
Let us take to the streets on May Day to claim our rights, as a united force!
Let us unite to put an end to the hegemony of the bourgeoisie!
Long live May Day!
Long live the unity and international struggle of the working class!
Down with capitalism and imperialism!
International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations (ICMLPO)
Coordination
Committee
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