Discussion Club „September 23“-Bulgaria, An interview for “Jarava” newspaper, organ of the Bulgarian Anti-fascist Union

When was movement "September 23" created?

The Resistance Movement "September 23" was created in 2002. The first events in which it participated were the protests against the US aggression in Iraq in the spring of 2003 and against the Bulgarian participation in this aggression. Over the next 10 years we participated and organized a number of anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist and anti-war protests, discussions, video projections, subscriptions. Also we created a Marxist website - "www.septemvri23.com". In it we have written, translated and distributed a number of Marxist books and brochures.

In 2012, based on the experience in the recent years we, the members of the "Resistance Movement September 23," decided that the main task before us now was the carrying out of wide discussions on the increasingly deepening problems of the contemporary society. Such discussions are a necessary condition and a means to clarify the causes that provoke the obstacles and the difficulties in the development of social life. These discussions are necessary also to clarify the possibilities and the ways to overcome the obstacles.

Based on this assessment, from "Resistance Movement September 23" is expected to become the initiator and organizer of such discussions and to contribute to the search and finding of solutions of theoretical and practical issues of the most urgent problems. Therefore we decided that it would be appropriate to change the name of our organization from "Resistance Movement September 23" to "Discussion club September 23". Thus we simultaneously emphasize the continuity in our positions, and the change in the focus of our particular actions. We believe that this reorientation of efforts, which at first glance would seem to be a "step back", in fact is going to allow us in the near future to achieve "two steps forward" in the creating of resistance movement against capitalist restoration.

What is your political platform?

We are convinced that today:

• The social exploiting system day after day increases the suffering of the working people and turns to be a threat for the existence of life on the planet.
• The abolishment of private property relations is the key to overcome today’s social evil: social inequality and oppression, poverty, moral degradation, unemployment, prostitution, crime and etc.
• The goods which are being produced by the workers and who within the existing social system are being “appropriated” by the privileged class – bourgeoisie, are enough for the satisfaction of the basic needs of every human being on the earth, for the abolishment of poverty and the suffering of hundreds of million of our brothers and sisters if the resources and technologies are being used not for the sake of private interests but for human development.
• The only alternative of capitalism is the creation of society without exploitation of man by man, where:

– The resources of production will be common property, i.e. they will be owned by the whole society;
– The balances and proportions between the different branches of production will be regulated by social planning;
– The immediate aim of the production will be satisfaction of the material and cultural requirements of society (not obtaining private profits)
– The distribution of goods will be implemented according to the labor during the first phase of the development of the new society and according to the needs during the second phase.

• The construction of new classless society is only possible through the growing of a nationwide resistance against the dictatorship of the large owners and their overseas patrons;
• At this moment, the most important task is the establishment of a revolutionary organization in Bulgaria which will play a vanguard role in the struggle for liberation, by coordinating and uniting the workers from the different firms, branches and regions regardless their ethnic or religious belonging in behalf for their common vital interests.

Do you have structures in the country?

We are not a political organization and therefore we do not have structures in the country. Over the years we have made connections with a large number of supporters, both in Bulgaria and abroad. With many of them we maintain regular contacts. Our followers assert the ideas which we are fighting for and they participate in various mass protest initiatives in different places.

Recently the neo-fascism grows stronger and stronger throughout Europe and the world. How do you see this revival?

The fascism is an instrument for self-preservation of the capitalism. While there is a financial capital and imperialism, there will be a threat of fascism. The struggle against fascism is a part of the struggle against the capitalism. However, the danger of an open terrorist dictatorship of the most reactionary elements of finance capital creates an objective opportunity for the widest possible alliance of all democratic (incl. Bourgeois-democratic) forces. We have to make every effort this opportunity to become a reality in case of fascist threat. We have always held an active anti-fascist stance. We have participated in various anti-fascist initiatives and events, most of us are members of the Bulgarian Anti-Fascist Union. Many of our comrades over the years have been threatened, attacked and severely beaten by the fascists. This terror committed against us, is to intimidate us, but also to isolates us from our society. Also they are creating obstacles in finding common ground with the existing popular discontent and our ideas for transformation of society. The same trend can be observed in many other near and distant countries, where our comrades were subjected to fascist terrorist attacks. This is a logical trend in the decaying phase of capitalism and we must find a way to cope with it, the same way as our ancestors from the "Bulgarian communist party" and the "Fatherland Front" 70 years ago.

Is the Golden Calf in the second decade of the 21st century going to push the world into a new form of existence of capitalism or it is going to collapse?

Surely capitalism won't collapse alone. There has to be created such a force which with active and purposeful actions to "help" it to collapse. If the people do not create such power, capitalism would certainly be preserved, though probably in some modified form, which is very likely to bring the destruction of all mankind. The threat is real and we need to help people to realize it as soon as possible.

How do you assess the current political situation in Bulgaria?

More than two decades we are living in conditions of restored capitalism. Our country lost its national independence, became a neo-colony of the West. Our nation was brutally robbed and brought to beggary. For all of this the main responsibility rests with the leading political parties, all of which are servants of the imperialism. But we, the opponents of this system, also bear responsibility, because for 25 years we have failed to create the revolutionary organization, which the Bulgarian working people need.

Is there a way for the Bulgarian people? And how it will be implemented?

The road toward a significant change in the social relations goes through realizing of the real vital interests of the common workers and the exploited masses. Therefore, all efforts of the "September 23" are directed towards this goal, and at the present moment, of ideological and theoretical confusion, the most important task is to make contributions to the ideological growing of revolutionary cadres, who would work in perspective for uniting the wage workers, the unemployed, the students and the other disadvantaged layers of society in defense of their common interests.