Why Trotskyists are for the defeat of Imperialism within Libya?

WHY TROTSKYISTS OPPOSE IMPERIALIST MILTIARY INTERVENTION INTO LIBYA; VICTORY TO THOSE MILTIARY RESISTING IMPERIALISM!; RECOMPOSITION AMONG CENTRIST AND REVOLUTIONARY GROUPS; AND ON WHAT BASIS TO BUILD MASS CAMPAIGN AGAINST BRITISH IMPERIALIST INTERVENTION INTO LIBYA! BY ANTHONY BRAIN


Now British and French Imperialism have managed to achieve the UN Security Council vote authorising military action those two Imperialist powers could be bombing Libya within hours or several days. Leninists-Trotskyists analyse from our theories of Imperialism that British; French; and American Imperialism are trying to protect their oil dominance and super-profits from dominating the Middle East.

Imperialism wants to remove the Gaddafi regime because he represents an autumous Bourgeois Nationalist regime which is blocking total Imperialist control of Libyan oil. Those on the left justified supporting counter-revolutionary forces with a rationale that Gaddafi had make a historic compromise with Imperialism in 2004. It is true Gaddafi made major concessions to Imperialism. The ex-Trotskyists forget what Trotsky argued correctly that Bourgeois Nationalists in the last analysis serve Imperialism because they fear the workers rather than mobilize the masses against Imperialism.

These ex-Trotskyists make the major methodological error of not being able to distinguish between major concessions to Imperialism by the Gaddafi regime and a completion of Imperialist counter-revolution by Gaddafi being removed. This leads to having no correct strategy and tactics to defeat Imperialism. Trotskyists utilize the conflict between Imperialism and the autumous Bourgeois Nationalist Gaddafi regime by mobilizing Libyan workers against Imperialism in a military united front with pro-Gaddafi forces and participate in mass protests called to oppose Imperialist intervention within Libya even if it is led by reactionary political Bourgeois Nationalists or semi-Feudal elements. We at the same time keep our political independence from Bourgeois Nationalists or semi-feudal elements and strengthen workers out of this anti-Imperialist struggle so they can at the first opportunity attempt to overthrow Capitalism which is the only way Imperialist dominance can be ended.

Bourgeois nationalists also at the same time have their own autumous interests. Trotsky argued in “Not a workers’ and not a Bourgeois state?”” that Bourgeois Nationalists are exploited by Imperialism but exploit their own workers. He wrote:

“The internal regime in the colonial and semicolonial countries has a predominantly bourgeois character. But the pressure of foreign imperialism so alters and distorts the economic and political structure of these countries that the national bourgeoisie (even in the politically independent countries of South America) only partly reaches the height of a ruling class. The pressure imperialism on backward countries does not, it is true, change their basic social character since the oppressor and oppressed represent only different levels of development in one and the same bourgeois society. Nevertheless the difference between England and India, Japan and China, the United States and Mexico is so big that we strictly differentiate between oppressor and oppressed bourgeois countries and we consider it our duty to support the latter against the former. The bourgeoisie of colonial and semi-colonial countries is a semi-ruling, semi-oppressed class”.


Trotsky’s analysis on the limitation of real Bourgeois Nationalist control of the semi-colonies still has still had quite a lot of validity. Bourgeois Nationalists managed to gain more autonomy from Imperialism by utilizing the anti-Imperialist revolts which broke out in Africa and Asia after the end of World War 2; and by the Soviet and Chinese bureaucracies assisting them. Imperialism since 1989 is attempting to re-Colonise the semi-colonies and overthrow the workers’ states. If Imperialism wins out in Libya they will attempt to weaken the Chinese workers’ state by attempting to drive them out of Africa where they are threatening the Imperialist super-profits. Due to this Imperialist offensive Trotskyists should have opposed Kosovon and southern Sudan independence.

Autumous Bourgeois Nationalist and semi-Feudal layers will defend their interests against Imperialism by their own methods. Any bombing of Libya by Imperialism could provoke a regional war between different blocks emerging within the Middle East. It is reported that four Arab countries including the UAE and Qatar will join the bombing of Libya. This is on top of Saudi Arabia with other 5 states (including the UAE and Qatar) invading and occupying Bahrain. The Fourth International Bureau in a March 3rd 2011 statement made a fundamental mistake in not seeing the pro-Imperialist Arab dictators wanted Gaddafi overthrown so they could crash the revolutionary threat of Arab Nationalism and Pan-Africainism in their own countries which Gaddafi as a Bourgeois nationalist reflects in a distorted way.

The Iranian government has strongly condemned that move in Bahrain. It is rumoured that sections of the Algerian and Syrian Bourgeoisie are arming pro-Gaddafi forces. If Imperialism uses massive force against Libya will it draw the Iranian Bourgeoisie into the war? fearing they be next. The revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia was against Imperialism dominating their countries. Mass protests in Yemen are against a government which has allowed American Imperialism bomb their rebels. In Bahrain even those who have illusions in Obama are openly saying American Imperialism is behind the Saudi Arabia-led invasion.

The Russian and Chinese Bureaucracies have carried out one of their biggest betrayals since the 1930s in allowing Obama to have a legal cover to start a war which could escalate out of control. Those two bureaucracies with their methods of peaceful co-existence increase dangers of a third world war because Imperialism becomes emboldened to do things which has unexpected results. What is the Russian bureaucracy going to react if Imperialism fights Iran and a number of countries? Michael Portillo a leading British Tory Party politician argued that Russia has weakened its global influence by allowing the bombing of Libya. This could really enrage those hard-line Russian Stalinists who want to use anti-Imperialist struggles so they can bargain to stop Imperialist encirclement of that workers’ state.

There are sections of the Russian Bureaucracy who know Imperialism is organizing to eventually overthrow them and think if they allow Imperialist aggression against the semi-colonies Imperialism may make quicker moves against them. Medvedev could be removed as President by that wing of the bureaucracy fearing Imperialist encirclement. If the Russian Bureaucracy do not move quickly to remove Medvedev Imperialism may mis-calculate what they can get away with which could increase dangers of World War 3.

The Achilles heel in the Imperialist countries of Imperialism bombing Libya is the high oil price which could skyrocket to 200 Dollars a barrel. This could cause pre-revolutionary crisis as millions of workers and elements of the middle classes are already suffering rapid fall in living standards. If the oil prices go up any much higher it could be the final straw which provokes such upheavals. Obama is manoeuvring by claiming American Imperialism will not start the initial air strikes. Is he doing this so British and French Imperialism gets the flack if the adventure turns into a disaster?: is he trying to stop the American naval vessels not being attacked by weakening Libya’s defences?; or is it to see with 60% of Americans wanting a withdraw of U.S. armed forces from Afghanistan is he seeing how the American masses react?

There needs to be a mass movement built up in Britain to oppose Western intervention into Libya within Britain and America. Trotskyists should argue to link the fight to stop western intervention into 4 to 5 countries to campaign against profiteering by the oil companies in the prices they charge at petrol stations. Revolutionary upheavals against the Imperialist intervention in Libya within the Middle East; wars with other countries; if dangers of the war escalating into World War 3 becomes obvious to the masses; on top of the oil price increasing could cause mass rebellions within the Imperialist countries. War is the mother of revolution.

Large elements of the middle class intelligentsia within the Imperialist countries have been under the Imperialist Bourgeoisies pressure. This had an impact on the Centrist groups. The right-centrist AWL is supporting Imperialist no-fly zones. That could bring them into a collision course with the Arab revolt against Imperialism and could lose some of their middle class base among the students and intellectuals when their social milieu come to really oppose the Imperialist adventure which will have a disastrous impact on their lives. It is interesting to note the AWL opposes Saudi Arabian occupation of Bahrain. Is this the pressure of this middle class layer who are radicalizing around struggles for democracy? If NATO had not stopped the war on Serbia there could have been a major split within the AWL as a major opposition was building up opposing NATO airstrikes on Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). If Imperialism loses out in a big way in Libya and the wider Middle East with its revolutionary implications for the Imperialist countries, the AWL leadership could pay a very high price.

The 4th International Bureau has the next worse position when they call for ending of economic contracts with Libya (which means sanctions) and withdrawing arms from the Gaddafi regime. Trotskyists are for the military defeat of Imperialism. How can they can without getting arms? Within the Imperialist countries Trotskyists try to stop the Libyan war escalating out of control with other countries being drawn in by mobilizing the workers and middle class elements to stop the Imperialist adventure. At the same time if other semi-colonies and workers’ states fight Imperialism we support them unconditionally.

A lot of the left have been wrong to support counter-revolutionaries in Libya. We do not know fully all the forces involved with the early stages of the anti-Gaddafi revolt. Counter-revolutionaries calling for Imperialist intervention soon predominated. Tonight I saw on British TV the counter-revolutionaries celebrating in Benghazi with the UN vote. Sian Ruddick in this week British Socialist Worker found it hard to argue with the middle class intelligentsia supporting Imperialist intervention. She utilized petty-bourgeois arguments about how anti-Gaddafi prisoners will be killed in air strikes. Workers Power was to the right of Peter Taffe who pointed how the Bourgeois elements in Benghazi were suppressing workers. This is not surprising because if the pro-Imperialists win will require a more brutal regime to defend Imperialist ownership of the oil.