“The impossible will become possible. The unlikely, likely. And all the old assumptions do not correspond to the new world era being born” – The summer school of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI) has kicked off in Berlin.
Our week started with a discussion about what’s taking place around the world. Our first session was ‘A new era of capitalist turmoil – the struggle between revolution & counterrevolution’. CWI Secretary Tony Saunois opening our week, including, saying the above.
Then, socialist activists – from the CWI’s sections and supporters on every continent – spoke in that discussion. Fifteen countries are represented at the event, from Europe, North and Latin America, Asia, Central Asia and Africa.
We are living through the long protracted ‘death agony of capitalism’. It is a system that faces a crisis on every side – economic, political, social disintegration, conflict and war, and class struggle.
And another crisis can be added to the list – climate change. Capitalism’s pursuit of short-term profit and competition between different nation-states – inherent to capitalism – prevent this system from implementing the policies needed to stop climate change.
There’s another unique feature of this new era of capitalist turmoil; the unprecedented chasm between the depth of the crisis for capitalism, and the absence of a working-class leadership offering an alternative.
This is seen most clearly in the protest movement in Israel. One in four Israelis have protested against the government’s judicial reforms. Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government, includes the far right. He is trying to curtail the power of the Supreme Court, to concentrate power in his own hands.
The state is split. 10,000 reservists are refusing to be called up to military service to protest the law.
The ruling capitalist class is split too. A majority are against the reforms. Even big employers welcomed the trade unions calling a general strike.
But with 25% of the population protesting, it is working and middle class people that are filling the streets. There’s no movement without them.
While it is the capitalists class that is opposed to Netanyahu’s reforms that is trying to control the movement.
The workers’ movement and trade unions in Israel – under their own democratic leadership – must organise their own independent action to beat the reforms.
And what is happening in Israel is not unique. Capitalism is in a record $305 trillion debt globally. And the capitalist ruling class are trying to make the working class pay for this crisis.
One person dies every four seconds because of inequality. The poorest 50% only own 8% of the world’s wealth. And, under capitalism, this is going to only get worse, and not better.
The fate of humankind now rests on a socialist revolution. The upturn in the class struggle show the possible support for these ideas. And there has been a series of mass revolts and uprisings over the last few years, in Sudan, Chile, Sri Lanka, for example. But despite the heroic efforts of the masses, the leadership of these mass movements are found badly wanting.
The working class has an historic challenge – to take the wealth it creates out of the hands of the capitalists. And, instead, democratically use those resources to plan society to solve the problems that capitalism can’t.
To achieve this, the working class needs its own mass parties, with clear socialist policies. This entails an analysis and critique of the various left and former left parties that have failed to deliver for working people when in power.
These are just some of the questions that the CWI summer school attendees are discussing this week in Berlin, in plenary meetings and a series of commissions.
More CWI school reports will be posted on socialistworld.net
