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100 Anniversary of the Great October Revolution in Russia - HUMANITY NEEDS NEW OCTOBERS!

BP (NK-T) Bolşevik Parti (Kuzey Kürdistan-Türkiye) (Bolshevik Party (North Kurdistan-Turkey)), 4 February 2016

 

EITHER NEW OCTOBERS AND SOCIALISM OR DECAY WITH IN IMPERIALIST BARBARISM!

 

On 7th November (*) 1917 artillery fires from the battleship Aurora into the Tsarist Winter Place governed by the bourgeois government were heralding the beginning of a new age in the world history: Age of revolutions under the leadership of proletariat against imperialism!

These artillery fires together with the attacks of workers-peasants against bourgeois government were an assault against the very grounds of feudal imperialist Russian empire. For the first time in the world history, central state power of bourgeoisie was destroyed through an armed insurrection initiated under the Bolshevik/communist leadership. In Russia, a dictatorship of the proletariat was established. After the October Revolution, Socialist Republics of the Soviet Union was created under the ruins of the old society during which a violent civil-war against counter-revolutionary forces backed directly by so many imperialist states took place. One sixth of the world was disconnected from the imperialist exploitation system, one sixth of the world was liberated from the sovereignty of the capital and one sixth of the world became red! Red Star shining above Kremlin since 7 November 1917 has been lighting the path of the people who are mistreated, oppressed and seek the proletarian world revolution.

This red star has nevertheless faded away through revisionists' total grip on power. The dictatorship of the proletariat was replaced by a new bureaucrat-technocrat dictatorship of state bourgeoisie. However, this fact cannot be ignored:

7 November 1917 marks a historical milestone which casts light upon the future of the humanity and which brings honor into the humanity.

Bourgeoisie of the all countries have tried and still try to do their best to make people forget and to mock the memory of the glorious victory of the Russian proletariat.

On the centenary of the Great October Revolution, class conscious workers of all countries’, all labors who disagree the current situation will commemorate the epoch-making action of the Russian proletariat by intensifying their current struggle against imperialist barbarism. They will continue to complete the task of the October Revolution which was suspended by revisionist counter-revolution by reclaiming and internalizing the guiding principles of the Great October Revolution.

 

October Revolution: A Call To Rebellion Against Hegemonic Situations

 

How was the hegemonic situation in Russia before the October Revolution? Imperialist world was facing the First World War which was one of the deadliest wars in the history of humanity. The peoples were told that this war was waged on behalf of ''Motherland'', ''Honour'', ''Independence'', ''Democracy'' and indeed ''God-Allah''. However in reality the war was nothing more than to make people against each other clash on the way to the redistribution of the world by imperialist powers. Poverty, starving, death, forced migration and genocide against the peoples were everywhere.

Over the tough years of the war, nationalist-patriotic atmosphere which was initially created by bourgeois propaganda and through which workers were made loyal to the bourgeoisie faded away. Workers and peasants who were forced to wear military uniforms started to realize this bare truth day by day: they were just an instrument used for the interest of their own bourgeoisie in a war of bourgeoisies. This truth which was from the beginning defended by the Bolsheviks became more and more formative in the minds of workers and labors: this war was an imperialist war against the peoples. In each imperialist country, the archenemy was inside the country. It was our own bourgeoisie. Anybody who demands peace should first of all struggle against his own bourgeoisie, should point the guns towards them and should destroy bourgeois power through an armed revolution of the proletariat. The only way for a genuine and permanent peace is a revolution. The rest is a revisionist non-sense.

The October Revolution demolished the 8 months old bourgeois Kerensky government which was established right after the 1917 February Revolution that abolished the Tsardom and insisted on the continuation of the war with the so-called intention of protecting the revolution. One of the first executive orders of the Soviet power was to introduce peace declaration. This executive order was declaring that Russia would no more a part of the war and would abandon it. Workers and labours from all nations who fought in the war were immediately called on armistice and solidarity in the trenches. All the secret agreements introduced by Tsardom and bourgeois government were made public as the bourgeois countries who participated the war were called on to attend talks for ceasefire and peace without annaxation. The October Revolution in Russia demonstrated this practical wisdom to the soldiers of the all countries: Peace is possible only when we destroy our own bourgeoisie through revolutions. The October Revolution was a call on peace, a call to eradicate hegemonic situations through an armed revolution.

Today in 2017 how is the hegemonic situations facing workers and labours of all the countries? Wars are waged everywhere in the name of freedom, democracy, western type of life, independence, counter-terrorism and Allah. The weapons used in today's wars are hundreds times more destructive than the ones used in the last century. Millions of people have been migrating because of the wars. Material wealth produced by the labour of the workers has excessively increased compared to the last century. Yet billions of people are still in poverty and moreover they are made to believe that it is a ''fate''. In spite of that, a small portion of the world population which equals to even less than 1 percent owns more than half of the entire wealth in the world. In addition to that, capitalist mode of production which knows no bounds to exploit damages the natural environment in a way that destroys life-sustaining basis of the humanity. That is to say, even today there are enough reasons for all the oppressed and exploited people to do what is necessary and to respond to that permanent call of the Great October Revolution: Revolt against the hegemonic situations! It is really possible to change them only through revolutions under the leadership of the proletariat!

 

The October Revolution: All the Rights to Workers and Labours

 

''The Soviet system provides the maximum of democracy for the workers and peasants; at the same time, it marks a break with bourgeois democracy and the rise of a new, epoch-makingtype of democracy, namely, proletarian democracy, or the dictatorship of the proletariat.

Let the curs and swine of the moribund bourgeoisie and of the petty-bourgeois democrats who trail behind them heap imprecations, abuse and derision upon our heads for our reverses and mistakes in the work of building up our Soviet system. We do not forget for a moment that we have committed and are committing numerous mistakes and are suffering numerous reverses. How can reverses and mistakes be avoided in a matter so new in the history of the world as the building of an unprecedented type of state edifice! We shall work steadfastly to set our reverses and mistakes right and to improve our practical application of Soviet principles, which is still very, very far from being perfect. But we have a right to be and are proud that to us has fallen the good fortune to begin the building of a Soviet state, and thereby to usher in a new era in world history, the era of the rule of a new class, a class which is oppressed in every capitalist country, but which everywhere is marching forward towards a new life, towards victory over the bourgeoisie, towards the dictatorship of the proletariat, towards the emancipation of mankind from the yoke of capital and from imperialist wars''. (Lenin, Fourth Anniversary of the October Revolution, Lenin's Collected Works, 2nd English Edition, Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1965, Volume 33, pages 51-59)

Big bourgeoisie and big landlords were dispossessed by means of the first executive orders of the Soviet power. Their properties were confiscated without compensation on behalf of the state. The dictatorship of the proletariat gives back to the society what belongs to the society. The dictatorship of the proletariat takes social production directly on itself. A dictatorship is imposed on the former exploiters of the capitalist society. All attempts by them to recapture the power are crushed with relentless force. However, the most inclusive democracy for the workers is secured by the dictatorship of the proletariat. Organized in the soviets of the Worker-Peasant and Soldier which are the organizational apparatus of a direct democracy, the mass of the workers take the duty of socialist construction of the country in their own hands under the conditions of civil war and imperialist intervention. Democratic collective organizing of the workers in all areas of life, equality of genders and the struggle against the patriarchy, right to work, 6 hours workday, work safety, enough holiday leave for all, workers' right to rest and vacation, a legal order for the benefit of the people, a free public access to cultural activities, child rights, socialization of child education and domestic labor, medical care for all, a public discussion for all the social problems...Even in 1930's, Soviet Unions were already in a better position than the most advanced capitalist countries in terms of the improvements in workers' daily life. Unlike the profit princple in the capitalist countries, Soviet Unions provided the growing material and moral needs of the working masses as much as possible. It is nevertheless quite clear that was impossible to eliminate the backwardness of Tsarist Russia

at the very time. For instance, in 1930's housing problem could not still be solved completely. Despite all, huge progress, great construction projects and the workers' growing life standards were all proving the superiority of socialism every single day.

Trying to condemn the progress made in Soviet Unions, Bourgeois propaganda has been ignoring and disreagarding all the achievements during that period. In this case, they have nothing to say. It is today the duty of the communists to reaffirm the realities and enormous success made in the struggle for creating a new society in Soviet Union concretely. In today's world, workers and labours are not satisfied with the existing order and their lives. However, bourgeois propaganda is casting a dark shadow over the consciousness and heart of the workers through constant media bombardment on the discussions over the alternatives. It is extremely important today that the lessons of revolution in Russia should come to our mind when we discuss over alternatives, that is to say we should learn from Russian revolution.

The October Revolution: Full Equality for All Nations

The October Revolution took significant steps regarding the emancipation of the oppressed nations in the Tcharist Russia which was dubbed a ''prison of the peoples''. Instead of Bourgeois nationalism and chauvinism, a proletarian internationalism prevailed in practice. The October Revolution of 1917 was also a historic moment with respect to the national question. From the very first day of the revolution, it was declared that all the nations are allowed to decide over self-determination that can lead to an independent state and have full equality. Soviet Unions was the first multinational state in which nations with equal rights are organized in equal republics and autonom regions based on a voluntary union. When Finland decided to secede after a referendum, the Bolshevik state respected this decision without any protest. In daily life, every nation could speak its native language and could freely enjoy and develop its own culture. There was an agonising struggle against racism, chauvinism and anti-semitism. In practice, the October Revolution proved that socialism is the only genuine alternative to the racist chauvinistic barbarism of the imperialism. The revolution showed that only a proletarian revolution can really solve the national question

The October Revolution unveiled this truth: ''...under the rule of capital, with private ownership of the means of production and the existence of classes, equal rights for nations cannot be guaranteed; that as long as the power of capital exists, as long as the struggle for the possession of the means of production goes on, there can be no equal rights for nations, just as there can be no co-operation between the labouring masses of the different nations.'' (Stalin, Report of Tenth Congress of the R.C.P. (B.), Works, Vol.5, 1921-1923)

One of the most important lessons of the October Revolution is that national independence can only be achieved when this struggle is carried out under the leadership of the working class. If there is not any such condition, achievements of national independence struggle can gradually be lost. Political developments in a number of post-colonial African states demonstrated this truth in a very precise way. This lesson is of vital importance for the today's national liberation movements.

The October Revolution-Enlightenment Instead of Religious Bigotry:

Religion which is ''the sigh of the oppressed creature'', ''the heart of a heartless world... the soul of soulless conditions...the opium of the people'' (Marx, A contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosohpy of Right-Introduction) has always subtly been used against the workers and peoples by the bourgeoisie.

In the name of religion and religious sects people are incited and can kill each other. Today fanatical islamist shariat organizations such as Islamic State, Taliban, Al Qaeda and Al Shabaab are dubbed as archenemy of mankind and western core values by various imperialist. Imperialists are waging wars that aim redistribution of the world under the banner of fighting inhuman islamist terrorists. In fact, these so-called ''inhuman'' shariat organizations are the natural outcome of imperialist politics of oppressing and subjugating the peoples. In their struggle for a worldwide hegemony, imperialist powers are creating and supporting religious-national ''liberation organizations'' which fight their rivals. For instance, Al Qaeda appeared as a religious-national liberation movement backed by CIA against the Afghanistan invasion of the Russian Social Imperialism. Islamic State (Daesh) which is called the archenemy of mankind is an organizations which was established during the struggle against Iraqi invasion of western imperialists. Terror of these organizations is differentiated by imperialist terror only through their instruments they use. Religious identities function as a unifying element, a manifestation of the hatred against a heartless world and a sigh of the oppressed creature against the invasion and enslavement. This kind of religious organizations can get out of the imperialists' direct control even though they emerged initially by the support of imperialists. However, even if this is the case, they are instrumentalized by the imperialist powers in the balance of power and are used as an excuse for their barbarian wars against the peoples in order to redistribute the world between them. This is what happens now in Syria, Iraq, Mali and Kenya. That is to say, imperialists' war against religious fanaticism is a total fabrication.

The October Revolution indicated us in practice how to struggle against religious reaction. After the October Revolution, the proletarian state declared that religion is a matter of private sphere, introduced campaigns that exposed the real function of the religion, carried out active struggles against religious institutions, destroyed the dominance of religious organizations and stopped the struggle for power between religious groups or sects. In this way, the proletarian state prevented that religious or denominational differences may become an obstacle to living together in peace.

The October Revolution proved that the only solution to the national question is a revolution under the leadership of the proletariat. Moreover, it succeeded at separating state and religion affairs in a genuine way and turning religion into a matter of personal sphere, which was never achieved by any bourgeois state before.

''Take religion, or the denial of rights to women, or the oppression and inequality of the non-Russian nationalities. These are all problems of the bourgeois-democratic revolution. The vulgar petty-bourgeois democrats talked about them for eight months. In not a single one of the most advanced countries in the world have these questions been completely settled on bourgeois-democratic lines. In our country they have been settled completely by the legislation of the October Revolution. We have fought and are fighting religion in earnest.'' (Lenin, Fourth Anniversary of the October Revolution, Lenin's Collected Works, 2nd English Edition, Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1965, Volume 33, pages 51-59)

The October Revolution: The Determining Role of The Bolshevik Party

In order to defeat imperialist barbarism, to realize the proletarian revolution and to build socialism, today's most urgent task is to create true Marxist-Leninist and Bolshevik parties that can unite the workers and labourers under their leadership.

''Only a party like the Bolshevik Party, courageous enough to lead the people in decisive attack, and cautious enough to keep clear of all the submerged rocks in its path to the goal—only such a party could so skilfully merge into one common revolutionary torrent such diverse revolutionary movements as the general democratic movement for peace, the peasant democratic movement for the seizure of the landed estates, the movement of the oppressed nationalities for national liberation and national equality, and the Socialist movement of the proletariat for the overthrow of the bourgeoisie and the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat.'' (Stalin, History of the CPSU (B) Short Course)

No doubt, such a party did not emerge out of nowhere in October of 1917. It was created as an advance-guard of the working class in the course of a bitter ideological struggle against the reformist legalist tradition of the Second International. This party developped out of the struggle of the working class before the revolution in Russia. It was the result of conscious political activities of the Marxists who from the beginning aspired to unite the working class movement with socialism. It was initially established in such places where there was an organized working class: in production, in factories! The premise of its organizational structure was based on the cells in factory/enterprise. Thus, it was the genuine class party of the working class. The Bolshevik party oriented the millions of people into the revolutionary positions by providing them a revolutionary theory of Marxist science in the course of a revolutionary struggle against the enemies of the working class and labourers. It had a clear political line and during the construction of socialism under the dictatorship of the proletariat it could manage to take the masses' pulse, to unite with them and to conduct them in a right way.

Today, in 100th anniversary of the October Revolution, before anything else, absence of such Bolshevik parties which can forge strong ties with the working class movement is a real challenge for a victory of global proletarian revolution. First of all, the cause of a proletarian liberation leads us to conclude that creating new parties like the Bolshevik Party of Lenin-Stalin's period wherever there is no such parties is an urgent task for all Marxists-Leninists. We need communist parties that can create new Octobers in order to regain the working and labourer masses who are made believed that socialism and communism are ''finished'' and ''expired'' through imperialist ideological bombardment. Today, so many young people who wish ''another world'' and believe that it is possible to achieve that cling to bourgeois national movements because of the current weakness of the Marxist-Leninist movement. Some of these national movements which are openly related to religious motivations are even seen ''21.st century's socialism''. Some of them who gave up their hopes for a destruction of capitalism have been stalking ''their'' ''democrat'' imperialists and claiming that they promote democracy, human rights and western civilization.

Meanwhile, internationalization of the imperialist capital has increased in an unprecedented scale, imperialist capitalism has invaded even the smallest parts of the world, nature of finance capital remains parasitic to an ever-increasing degree, international character of the production has become ever more apparent and bourgeoisie has been waging a total war against the rights of the workers and labourers all over the world. Objective conditions for the working class and labourer masses to join a common proletarian revolutionary front with their class brothers beyond national and state borders are ripe more than ever. In terms of material conditions of socialism and communism, the current situation is also ripe. Today objectively it is possible to create a world economy in which ''each contributes according to his ability'' and ''each receives according to his needs'', and a widespread affluence is achieved. There is only one thing to be done: dispossession of the possessed! Socialization of all the basic means of production, elimination of exploitation. Giving back what belongs to the society! In short, there is one thing to do: the exploited and the oppressed should again follow the path opened by the October.

Even though objective conditions are present for a revolution, a greater part of the worker and labourer masses has been acting contrary to their interests.

For this reason, the task of the communists is to move up the subjective element into the level of objective conditions. We have to work fearlessly and tirelessly all around the world to build communist parties and organizations that will unite the working class and labourer masses under their own red flag through communist agitation-propaganda. We have to make an effort for a reunification of Marxist-Leninist forces based upon a Marxist-Leninist platform that can be created by joint efforts. This is the basic task of today that waits Marxist-Leninists.

It is also necessary to establish a practical unity of action of revolutionary and ML organizations. ICOR is an association through which ML and revolutionary organizations work together in practice.

New Octobers will leave imperialist barbarism on the ash heap of history!

Let's learn from the October!

The alternative remains the same: Either Socialism or Barbarism!

Many things have changed since the victory of the October Revolution.

Imperialism did not collapse despite its defeat during the Red October Revolution and victories of the peoples after the Second World War. Imperialism regained ground especially with the help of revisionists, assimilated bourgeois technocrats and bureaucrats within Soviet Union which was once socialist and the states of people's democracy which also included China. Today there is not any state in which socialism or people's democracy under the leadership the proletariat prevails. Imperialism now rules over the entire world as it used to before the First World War. Imperialism proved that it is more resolute than we can imagine. Last century since the October Revolution showed us that it is a reformist illusion to transform or to transcend imperialism through reforms. Moreover it showed us that bourgeoisie can resort to fascism when its power is in jeopardy.

During this last century, size and internationalization of the capital has tremendously increased. Meanwhile monopolization has developed remarkably.

However, the nature of imperialism has remained unchanged.

Nation states are still the basic political organizations of the capitalist societies.

There is still not any sole global monopole that decides everything in industry, agriculture and service sector.

More than one monopole in every sector still compete with their rivals in order to occupy imperialist world market.

Individual imperialist states still struggle for the interests of ''their own bourgeoisie'' against the others through changing coalitions.

Imperialist big powers still fight for the world hegemony.

We still live in the age of imperialism and a genuine alternative to it is a proletarian world revolution, socialism.

Imperialism is racism, chauvinism, fascism, reaction, patriarchy, furious exploitation and pillage of nature. Imperialism amounts to the destruction of the future of labourer youths. In short, imperialism is barbarism. It is so barbarian that it has moved our world up to the level of climate change which first of all implies a total catastrophe for the poorest populations. Imperialism will drag the entire world into a total collapse if it is not stopped by the revolutions under the leadership of the proletariat.

The October Revolution which contended with imperialist system as a whole and destroyed its weakest link showed that the only alternative to the imperialist barbarism was the revolutions under the leadership of the proletariat. Building of socialism and revolutions under the leadership of the proletariat are the conclusions that we have drawn from the October! In the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution we have to lay emphasize on this truth and we have to struggle for this. Our campaign of 100th anniversary is based on this idea.

Yes, we all have to struggle...more resolutely, more consciously, more organized and stronger!

 

LET'S ORGANIZE BOLSHEVIK COMMUNIST PARTIES!

FORWARD TO THE NEW OCTOBERS!

FORWARD TO A PROLETARIAN WORLD REVOLUTION!

EITHER THE OCTOBERS AND SOCIALISM OR IMPERIALIST BARBARIAN COLLAPSE!

THE WORLD WILL BECOME RED!

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