Imperialism, war, and Palestine: Capitalism’s horror without end

The catastrophic events unfolding in Gaza reflect the horrors of capitalism in a region ravaged by imperialism.

The responsibility for the bloodbath in the Middle East lies with the Israeli ruling class and the imperialists. They have turned Gaza into a prison camp, where two million people exist in the most barbarous conditions. The Palestinians have been ruthlessly oppressed for decades. There can never be any peace under such conditions. The slaves will never submit.

The hypocrisy coming from the imperialists and their mouthpieces is nauseating. They decry Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on so-called humanitarian grounds. Yet when the Palestinian masses are crushed and murdered by the Israeli state, they scream about Palestinian ‘terrorism’.

Scandalously, ‘Labour’ leader Sir Keir Starmer completely supports the Tories in their attacks on the oppressed Palestinians. This knight of the realm is firmly in the camp of imperialism.

Ukrainian President Zelensky similarly supports the Zionist Israeli state, falsely equating Gaza to Putin’s Russia. This speaks volumes about this puppet of western imperialism.

As for the communists, there must be no confusion. We stand firmly with the oppressed Palestinian masses in their struggle against the monstrous military might of the Zionist state and its imperialist backers in the West.

Storm and stress

“Capitalism is horror without end,” explained Lenin.

This latest conflict in the Middle East is a reflection of the chronic instability on a world scale, where one crisis is followed by another in quick succession.

The strategists of capital are growing increasingly alarmed at this rising turmoil. But they have no answers. This storm and stress arises from the impasse of their system.

“The list of possible flashpoints is long,” remarked Guardian economics editor Larry Elliott, commenting on the fears haunting delegates at a recent IMF gathering. “A recession as the sharp increase in interest rates over the past two years bites; a financial crash as investor confidence is punctured; a developing-country debt crisis; a catastrophic climate event; an escalation of the war.”

The conflict in Ukraine – a proxy war between US imperialism and Russia – has only served to destabilise the global situation even further.

War on workers

The imperialist warmongers are determined to push up military spending everywhere.

In Britain, ‘defence’ spending last year was £45.9 billion – an increase of £3.6 billion on the previous year, equivalent to 2.1% of GDP. Rishi Sunak wants to boost this military expenditure even further, to 2.5% of UK annual economic output, while Liz Truss wants to raise it to 3%.

More than £200 billion is being spent on re-equipping Trident with nuclear weapons, which will never be used.

All this money is being used to create weapons of mass destruction and aid imperialist adventures abroad.

The arms industry is laughing all the way to the bank. The Tory government, meanwhile, is slashing spending on schools and hospitals, which are being cut to the bone.

The NHS is on its knees. Wages in Britain are being suppressed. Living standards everywhere are under assault. The Tories are waging war on the working class.

The enemy at home

We oppose imperialist wars, conducted for the capitalists’ plunder and profits, whether this be the seizure of markets and raw materials, or for spheres of influence and prestige.

Not one penny should be spent on the imperialists’ wars. Instead of an armaments programme, we demand a programme of useful public works. We demand money for education, healthcare, housing, and amenities for working people.

We give unconditional support to the oppressed peoples of the world – those who are fighting against the stranglehold of imperialism.

At the same time, above all, we campaign to overthrow our own rotten ruling class – those who uphold and defend capitalism, this system of exploitation and wage slavery. Our main enemy is at home.

Reform or revolution?

We want to get rid of this Tory government, who are the direct representatives of capitalism.

But we also believe that Starmer will act no differently in power. He has shown his loyalty to big business and the imperialist establishment. As night follows day, he will carry out policies in the interests of the bosses and bankers.

We don’t want half measures that merely tinker with the system. We don’t call for ‘taxing the rich’, but for expropriating the billionaire class.

Those who call for reforming capitalism – or who believe that they can create a ‘nicer’, ‘kinder’, ‘gentle’ form of capitalism – are deluding us.

Capitalism is in a deep crisis. It can no longer afford the reforms of the past – gains won by the struggle of the working class. It can only offer a future of misery, poverty, oppression, and war.

The only way forward is to put an end to capitalism and its ills. The system cannot be reformed. It must be overthrown.

Events are pushing in this direction. The growing crisis is changing consciousness. Anger is mounting over the conditions and attacks facing ordinary people. Meanwhile, the billionaires are living a life of luxury.

We say: Enough is enough! Down with imperialism! Down with capitalism!