Most world leaders are right-wing

You may not think of it, but most world leaders are right-wing authoritarian. We revolutionary socialists know this, but most ordinary people do not. But it is true, when we look at the way politicians rule their nations, we learn that world leaders have a right-wing, pro-capitalist and authoritarian agenda. Very few leaders are genuine leftist. Those who are, are either authoritarian collectivists like Robert Mugabe or libertarian collectivists like Nelson Mandela. But the majority of world leaders are not leftist. They are right-wing liberal or conservative. Even social democrats like Ed Millibrand are not genuine leftist!

Because most world nations are capitalist, it is no surprise that most world leaders have a right-wing political agenda. This is the case for most European nations, who are either led by liberals, conservatives or ( traitorous ) social democrats. Social democracy used to be a leftist moderate socialist ideology. But after World War 2, most social democrats abandoned socialism for capitalism. By 1990, all social democratic parties had converted to the dogma's of the market dictatorship. We showed you this in a previous socialist document, about the true position of social democracy on the political spectrum!

The political spectrum also shows the true nature of the Chinese ''Communist'' Party. Former Chinese president: Ho Jintao stands on equal terms with Bashar Al-Assad of Syria. On the political spectrum these two leaders are more authoritarian then Mitt Romney and Benjamin Netanyahu, but just as right-wing capitalist. Ironic, because both the parties of Ho Jintao and Bashar Al-Assad, claim to be progressive and socialist. The Chinese ''Communist'' Party and the Arab-Socialist Ba'ath Party in Syria, are historic leftist parties. But reality shows us a different picture. Both the CCP and the Syrian Ba'ath Party have turned massive to the right-wing on the economic axis of the political spectrum. The Chinese ''Communist'' Party has adopted state-capitalism in the 1980's. By 2014, the party has created a state-capitalist economy. In Syria, the Ba'ath Party too carried out massive capitalist reforms since 2000. Both China and Syria moved away from their collectivist ideologies and into the right-wing capitalist side of the most world nations!

Liberal conservative world leaders like Barack Obama and Angela Merkel, are less authoritarian then Mitt Romney and Benjamin Netanyahu, but not less right-wing capitalist. Like Ho Jintao and Bashar Al-Assad, Barack Obama and Angela Merkel support a right-wing capitalist ideology of less regulations and more markets. This is shared by many other leaders like Mario Monti ( Italy ), Jacob Zuma ( South Africa ), Julia Gillard ( New Zealand ) and David Cameron ( UK )!

Although most world leaders are right-wing authoritarian and capitalist, few are leftist authoritarian. These leaders oppose the right-wing nature of the others and tend to oppose capitalism. A famous leader who is authoritarian left-wing is Robert Mugabe. Because of his anti-colonialism and support for collectivist ideals, Mugabe is positioned on the left-wing of the political spectrum. Yet he is also very authoritarian and shows little tolerance for those who oppose him. Therefore he stands on equal terms with Ho Jintao and Bashar Al-Assad, when it comes to authoritarianism!

Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Abbas are also positioned on the political left-wing. Like Robert Mugabe they are authoritarian too. Chavez was more to the left then Abbas, but then Abbas is less authoritarian then Chavez. When it comes to comparing, Mahmoud Abbas stands on equal terms with Mario Monti on authoritarianism. Both leaders are less authoritarian then Chavez and Obama, but more then Francois Hollande and Alexis Tsipras!

The current president of France is the only major European leader, who is not authoritarian right-wing. Francois Hollande is a true centre-leftist social democrat, a rarity among European leaders. Greek opposition leader Alexis Tsipras is more to the left. But we would not call him radical or far left. Both Hollande and Tsipras are libertarian left and stand below the authoritarian-libertarian axis on the political spectrum. Only the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela are more libertarian!

In total we have 13 leaders who are right-wing authoritarian, four leaders who are left-wing authoritarian and another four who are left-wing libertarian. We have no world leader who is right-wing libertarian, this maybe because most right-wingers love to enforce authoritarian principals. It may surprise you that so many world leaders are right-wing authoritarian, but their politics speak for themselves. The Syrian and Chinese governments are very dictatorial, so they stand on the top of the authoritarian-libertarian axis!

When a leader rejects individualism and embraces collectivism, he/she ends up on the political left-wing. But it he/she enforces strict rules and limits personal freedoms his/her position on the authoritarian-libertarian axis is higher. A leader who supports capitalism and personal freedoms can be a liberal or a libertarian. Some leaders may call themselves socialist or liberal, but the political spectrum shows that only Francois Hollande comes close to this position. He may move more to the right-wing as former president; François Mitterrand also started as a centre-leftist, before the capitalists forced him to abandon his ''socialism in 100 days'' program!

World leaders according to the Political Compass!

Hypocrisy of Irish Govt & EU on Ukraine

Joe Higgins, a member of the Irish Parliament for the Socialist Party, speaks on the hypocrisy of the Irish government and the European Union, regarding their support for the nationalist Kiev government. Since the overthrow of the corrupt Yanukovych regime, a coalition of right-wing liberal conservatives, far-right nationalists and corrupt oligarchs, rule Ukraine. The Socialist Party in Ireland opposes the Russian chauvinist intervention in Crimea, but at the same time does not support the nationalist government, who's far-right militia's are vandalizing and terrorizing those who reject Ukrainian nationalism!    

IMF wants austerity in Ukraine

The International Monetary Fund has agreed to give Ukraine between 10 en 13 billion euros. But in order to get this money, the nationalist government in Kiev, must enforce cruel austerity programs. Gas subsidies are to be lowered, prices for Gas must be raised. Also the economy of Ukraine must be rebuild to create a capitalist ''heaven'' ( hell for workers ) for foreign investors. These austerity programs will proof that the nationalist government does not represent the people. It also shows how hypocrite the far-right nationalists are. Five ministers of Ukraine are members of the far-right: All-Ukrainian Union "Svoboda". This party used to be the Social-National Party of Ukraine, a neo-nazi party who glorified the Waffen SS. Svoboda claims to oppose fascism, but they remain anti-Semitic, anticommunist and dogmatic anti-Russian!

Ukraine is in turmoil. The Crimea has separated itself from Ukraine and has joined the Russian Federation. Kiev has rejected the separation, but can do nothing against the Kremlin bureaucracy led by Vladimir Putin, who took Crimea. While the Republic of Crimea joined Russia, Ukraine has moved towards Europe and the western world. The nationalist government has agreed to the IMF deal, which gives Ukraine billions of euros. But like in Greece, the price is high. The IMF wants brutal austerity, so that the Ukrainian economy can serve the needs of global capitalism! 

Russia and Ukraine are in a struggle over Crimea. Formerly a part of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic until 1954, when Nikita Khrushchev ( an ethnic Ukrainian ) gave it to the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic. Crimea was always ethnic Russian, today 58% of its population speaks Russian. Ethnic Ukrainians and Tartars are a minority, they feel threatened by the chauvinist Russians who have taken control of the Crimea. There are reports about intimidations and violence against those who support the nationalist Kiev government. During the public referendum, almost all Ukrainians and Tartars stayed home. The outcome of the referendum proofed what many feared, it was manipulated to give the Russian invasion legitimacy. Revolutionary socialists therefore say that under the current conditions in the Crimea, the referendum was not free and not fair!

The Russian oligarchy claims that the rulers in Kiev are all fascists. This is not true, "Svoboda" is nationalist, anticommunist and deeply anti-Russian. But they have to share power with liberal conservatives, ''Euromaiden'' activists and none-partisans. Although the nationalists have five ministers, the prime minister of Ukraine is a member of the: All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" ("Batkivshchyna"). "Batkivshchyna" is the party of former prime minister; Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko. Her party took power after the pro-Russian government of Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych was removed from power!

"Batkivshchyna" and "Svoboda" also share power with ''Euromaiden'' activists. These people are not members of a political party, but participated in the demonstrations against Yanukovych. Three ministers are ''Euromaiden'' activists and eight are non-partisan. Still because "Svoboda" is a radical nationalist party, the Kremlin has denounced the whole government as ''fascist'' which is not true. "Batkivshchyna" is a liberal conservative party, pro-European and anti-Russian. To call the whole government ''fascist'' is a tactic used to scare the Russian people and it worked. Many Russians now believe that Kiev is under ''fascist'' control!

But we revolutionary socialists reject the Kiev government. Not because we call it pure ''fascist'' but because it is right-wing nationalist and pro-capitalist. The Yanukovych regime is gone, but because there was no genuine workers party to lead the masses, right-wing liberals and nationalist forces were able to take power. Also because the Communist Party of Ukraine supported Yanukovych, Marxist ideals are equalled with Russia. Many Lenin statues and Soviet memorials have been vandalized, because the official communist party supports Russian chauvinism!

Ukraine is now deeply divided. Most Ukrainians support the Kiev government and hate the Russians. This is the result of 70 years of Stalinist oppression. When Ukraine joined the USSR it was equal to the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. But this changed after Stalin took power. He started to enforce Russian language and dominance over the other Soviet republics. By the time of his death, the culture and traditions of Russia were enforced throughout the Soviet-Union. Ukrainians saw how Russians were giving special privileges and they hated this. After Gorbachev became general secretary of the communist party, he gave more freedoms to the Soviet republics. By 1990, Ukrainian nationalism was very strong as many young Ukrainians wanted an independent state. The collapse of the USSR gave birth to a new Ukraine, a corrupt capitalist Ukraine!

Now the IMF and the Kiev government have made a deal. This deal is good for the oligarchs who still have a lot to say. Many super rich support the European Union and would love to see Ukraine, become a member state. Opening Ukraine to European capitalism would be good for capitalists, but bad for workers. Because Ukraine ( like most nations ) lack a party for workers, the ruling class can use the proletariat to advance their cause. Workers can be manipulated into supporting people, who do not care about them. A lack of class-concious is the reason, as most workers do not understand how they can change their own lives. Capitalist propaganda has weakened the workers movement and the official communist party is not helping. They have been stuck in Stalinist nostalgia since 1991!

The demands of the International Monetary Fund are clear. Privatisations, deregulations and major cuts in state subsidies. Workers must reject these demands and fight this capitalist-nationalist government. Ukrainian workers and Russian workers must not become pawns in this game. Both the Kiev nationalist government and the Kremlin bureaucracy do not support workers and their families. Only a workers party on a socialist program can end the corruption and exploitation. It is therefore vital that Ukrainians build a party for themselves. They cannot trust the All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" or the All-Ukrainian Union "Svoboda". Right-wing nationalists spread hate and violence. Against their terror we must unite, but not by joining up with the Kremlin or those Russian chauvinists who wave with Czarist flags!

Socialism is the only alternative. Workers must build a republic for the working class, a socialist republic on the bases of the original Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic. This will be difficult in a world were the USSR is both demonized and glorified. Anticommunists spread lies about the nature of the Soviet-Union, they claim that Lenin and Stalin were equal and that communism is a ''totalitarian'' ideology. Stalinists on the other hand glorify the USSR. The leadership of the the Communist Party of Ukraine has started to use Stalin's face again on propaganda material. This is ironic because after 1956, his cult of personality was denounced and removed by the Kremlin. However the elderly who support the official communist parties in Russia and Ukraine, have never rejected the legacy of Joseph Stalin. As children and teenagers, they were told that Stalin was a true messiah. Since the communist parties lack support among workers and young people, their only electorate is made up of elderly people. This is why Stalin's face is back on communist party propaganda material!

D66 and Dutch austerity

The Dutch municipality council elections were won by D66. This progressive liberal party was able to take many seats from the social democrats, who lost many voters in this election. D66 or Democrats 66 are a social liberal party and based themselves on social liberalism. Unlike historic social democrats, the social liberals support more classic free market principals. Democrats 66 is founded in 1966 by Hans van Mierlo, who favoured an American style presidential system in the Netherlands. Hans van Mierlo was a social liberal or progressive liberal. He supported a strong social security system, but unlike the social democrats he did not supported state ownership of key enterprises. Like most political parties, D66 has moved to the right-wing. Together with the Party of Labour ( PvdA ) the ''progressive'' liberals called for deregulations, privatisations and limited government in the 1990's. Today D66 offers no alternatives, they only won the elections because many PvdA voters abandoned the old labour party!

The Netherlands are ruled by a coalition government led by the conservative liberals of the VVD and the social democrats of the PvdA ( Labour Party ). Mark Rutte ( VVD ) is the prime minister and Lodewijk Asscher ( PvdA ) is deputy prime minister. The coalition government plans to enforce austerity plans on the Dutch working class. VVD and PvdA say this is ''necessary'' but revolutionary socialists reject this. Since 2012, the government wants to cut more then 18 billion euros. Last year they said that another 6 billion euros were needed to balance the budget. Yet these cuts are not necessary. They are purely political, intended to serve the ruling class and the EU bureaucracy in Brussels. The government has lowered income taxes for the super rich with almost -20% since 1990. Also the Netherlands are a tax heaven for big business!

While Mark Rutte says that the Dutch people must live with less, he and his PvdA partners have bought 37 Joint Strike Fighters from Lockheed for 4,5 billion euros. Cutting social security while buying 37 war planes, this proofs how hypocrite the VVD and PvdA are. Another plan is to transfer social security to the municipalities with 70% of the budget. This forces municipality councils to make disastrous choices on who is getting healthcare and who not. Elderly people are forced to stay at home and if they cannot take care of themselves, family must do it. Out of 2000 elderly homes, more then 800 to are to be closed!

Workers who lost their jobs and become unemployed for a long time, are now forced to work for financial support. The municipality councils force unemployed people to do meaningless work for 20 up to 30 hours a week. If they refuse they get cut in their financial support ( up to 100% ). Also if the municipality councils thinks an unemployed worker is not working good enough, he/she can be forced to attend discipline classes. Even clothing can play a role in keeping or loosing your financial support, unemployed workers are a social stigma. They are called ''lazy'' because the capitalist media has portrayed them as ''parasites of society''. Because living with financial support is such a social stigma, many workers fear the ''Bijstand'' as it is called in Dutch. Refusing to do the work ordered by your municipality council as an unemployed, can result in cuts to your financial support. Unemployed workers receive about 800 euros from the government, but only if they are single. Also if you have savings, you are force to spend it all before you receive financial support. Working to keep this financial support means you do not build up pensions, you have no collective rights and not even help to find real work!

Democrats 66 do not oppose austerity. They call themselves progressive and social liberal. But in reality they act like most liberals in the world. Like the Democratic Party of Barack Obama, D66 supports capitalism and western imperialism. In the Netherlands they are the biggest supporters of a federal Europe. D66 wants to unite all European nations to counter the USA, Russia and China on the world markets. But we revolutionary socialists say that unification under capitalism will not work. The European Union may have created a common market, but politically the ruling classes are still thinking nationally. Dutch workers also hate the idea of surrendering more political power to the bureaucracy in Brussels. D66 however does not care about the lower classes, they were never the party of the working class. The social liberals are more the party of higher educated students, bourgeois idealists and individualists!

The municipality council elections turned out to be a nightmare for the social democrats of the PvdA. They lost their majority in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. Since 1945, the social democrats ruled the municipality of Amsterdam, thanks to the vote of workers and immigrants. But since the party moved to the right-wing and started supporting anti-immigration laws, many immigrants have have turned against the PvdA. Democrats 66 were able to win many votes from previous PvdA voters. Revolutionary socialists think that people voted on D66 because of its simple message. The democrats are able to spread easy propaganda, but are still faced with the demands of capitalism. D66 stands in opposition to the cabinet of Mark Rute, but has not rejected it completely. Their leader; Alexander Pechtold has said he is willing to work with the government to carry out austerity!

Another winner of the municipality council elections was the ''Socialist'' Party. The SP is led by Emile Roemer and has profited from the turn to the right-wing by the PvdA. But Roemer and his SP are offering only moderate changes. Their alternatives are based on classic social democracy. More regulations, more government oversight and less markets. The SP does not favour a socialist republic nor a democratic planned economy. Because of its Stalinist/Maoist past, the SP is still limited to solving problems in their own nation. Although the SP is no longer Stalinist, its does favour classic social democracy in one nation. The party also opposes the European Union!

After the municipality elections, the Party for ''Freedom'' ( PVV ) caused a scandal. Their leader Geert Wilders, ask his voters if they wanted more or less Moroccans in the Netherlands. Many workers from Morocco were imported in the 60's, to work in Dutch factories. These workers were never integrated into Dutch society and were kept separated. Few elderly Moroccans speak Dutch and have kept their Moroccan life style. Now 50 years later, the Dutch complain about these people. White Dutch reject the Moroccan culture, their religion and their presence in the Netherlands. This is also a result of confrontations between Dutch-Moroccan youth and ethnic Dutch. Because many Dutch-Moroccans are raised in a different environment, they are split between two worlds. The conservative world of their parents and the very liberal world of Dutch society. Also because of racial discrimination on the labour market, few Dutch-Moroccans find a long-term job. Unemployment, frustration and poverty has driving many youth into petty crimes. These crimes are then exploited by the sensation media, to portray the Dutch-Moroccan youth as ''criminal'' ''anti-secular'' and ''anti-Dutch''!

The democrats of D66 are among the biggest opponents of the PVV. Alexander Pechtold has rejected the racism of Wilders, but also opposes the PVV for supporting a welfare state. The right-wing populists may hate immigrants and Islam, but Geert Wilders is a strong supporter of keeping the social security system affordable for people. D66 rejects the current Dutch healthcare system and wants to build a fully private owned healthcare system. D66 says that the free market economy will create jobs, the Dutch economy must be competitive and pure market based. In other words, we must dance at the feet of international capitalism according to these ''progressives''!

Although the Netherlands are called a ''high income'' economy. This is only partly true. Some Dutch are very rich, yet the average wage before taxes is 2.300 euros ( 3.170 dollars ) a month. After all taxes, most Dutch keep 1.800 euros ( 2.485 dollars ) for themselves. Very few earn wages that are higher then 60.000 euros a year. Only business executives, politicians and top bureaucrats are paid wages that exceed 60.000 euros. The government has ruled that all public executives are not paid more then 185.000 euros a year. In reality many are paid higher wages. The government does not seem to enforce their limit on wages for public executives. Revolutionary socialists call for a minimum wage of 1.500 euro after taxes and a maximum wage of 5.000 euros a month. We also call for politicians to earn a average working class salary, so that they can feel the results of their austerity plans. The members of the SP are the only Dutch politicians who are paid a average salary, but this is because their party rejects the high wages for politicians!

We must also recall the fact that taxes are high in the Netherlands. 1/3 of each salary is spend on renting or mortgage loan. Workers with minimum wage see 50% of their income go to house rent or mortgage. The Netherlands has a high taxing system for all products. 21% tax is what you pay on none-food products, on food there is a tax of 6%. Only two years ago the highest tax rate for none-food products was 19%, this was raised to 21% because of austerity. Workers with minimum to average wages are now facing higher prices in shops as the government raised taxes. Another austerity measure was raising the lowest income tax rate to 37%. So all workers with a salary up to 19.000 euros a year, are now forced to pay 4% more income tax. Workers with an average salary ( 27.600 euros ) pay an income tax of 42%, the highest income tax is now 52%. It used to be 70% in 1990 and 60% in 2001!

D66 remains the centre party of the Netherlands. Although progressive on many social issues like gay rights and euthanasia, the social liberals are supporting austerity like all capitalist political parties. They also favour a privatized healthcare system. D66 along with PvdA and VVD introduced neoliberalism in the 1990's during the cabinet of Wim Kok. Revolutionary socialist reject D66 and their capitalist logic. Their ideals are not progressive nor leftist. They are a bourgeois democratic party that favour the rule of capitalism over socialism. Like the American; Democratic Party, D66 is no way forward for workers and young people. Alexander Pechtold will show his true face when his party will enter a capitalist government. Then workers will see that the progressive democrats offer the same austerity logic, as the conservative liberals and social democrats!

Democrats 66 are led by Alexander Pechtold!

Libya, three years later

Three years have passed since the intervention by NATO forces in the Libyan Civil War. In March 2011, the NATO nations decided to bomb the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya of Muammar Gaddafi, who led Libya since 1969. Thanks to NATO air and ground support, Libyan rebels of the National Transitional Council were able to capture Tripoli in September 2011. The final battle was fought in the town of Sirte, Gaddafi place of birth and the last bastion of his Jamahiriya. On 20 October after days of fighting, the leader of the ''1969 Revolution'' was captured by NTC rebels after a NATO attack destroyed his convoy. Muammar Gaddafi was bleeding and beaten by angry rebels. Finally somebody took a shot at the dictator and killed him. Until this day it is still unclear who murdered Gaddafi, but we know that he died after being captured and tortured! The new State of Libya entered a period of chaos. Sectarian tribal conflicts started again and poverty rose sharp. Although freed from the Gaddafi tyranny, the State of Libya is plagued with corruption, ineffective government and above all capitalist exploitation as the new government plans on turning Libya into a capitalist nation!

After the death of Muammar Gaddafi and the birth of the State of Libya, many Libyans belived that a new era of liberty began. They were very wrong, the new leaders of Libya were not able to govern. This is because under Gaddafi, no Libyan bureaucrat dared to think independent. All political decisions were made by a centralized leadership. In Libya's case the Gaddafi family were the true leaders. Gaddafi's sons were powerful and enjoyed wealth, status and power. His only daughter Ayesha was dubbed in the Arab press as the "Claudia Schiffer of North Africa," because of her dyed hair. Together with loyal army officers, the Gaddafi family ruled the Jamahiriya. No bureaucrat could do anything win-out permission. After the Gaddafi clan were disposed, chaos erupted as nobody knew who was running the country!

The NTC leadership were a mixture of state bureaucrats, military officers and exiles who have not been in Libya for years. The nation does not have a history of democratic rule. Under King Idris the country was an absolute monarchy. Political parties were banned in 1951, only the Royal Family was allowed to rule. Gaddafi and his officers took power in 1969 and kept all political power in the hands of their Revolutionary Command Council. By 1977 the Command Council was abolished and replaced by the General People's Congress. Although the GPC was to be the highest ''democratic'' body of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, it served only as a rubber-stamp parliament for the decisions made by the ''Dear Leader'' 

With the collapse of the Jamahiriya, the General People's Congress collapsed too. The new government had no idea how to govern a nation held together by fear and terror. Both King Idris and Muammar Gaddafi used their secret police forces to capture and arrest their opponents. The new State of Libya used their militia's to establish order. But these militia's wanted revenge and did not cared about justice. Supporters of the murdered dictator were hunted down and arrested. Many are still in improvised prisons, still waiting to be trialed even after three years. Gaddafi's son; Saif Al-Islam was captured in November 2011 and is still waiting to be judged for his actions during the civil war!

Then there are the ethical minorities and local separatists. Although Libya is an Arab nation, its has a Berber speaking minority. These people were forced by Gaddafi to speak Arab and were not allowed to call themselves Berbers. As an Arab-nationalist, Gaddafi forced the Arab language and culture on the Berber minority. Then you also had the sectarian conflicts between cities. People of the city of Benghazi never liked the people of Tripoli who were more pro-Gaddafi. Some Libyans in the eastern provinces wanted to create a federal republic, which the new government rejected. Angry separatists started to use violence against the government who was in no way to stop them!

Although the National Army of Libya was created, the government was still not in full control. Many towns and small cities remain govern by local militia's. Many are based on tribal identity and because of sectarian conflicts, we see many conflicts. Since the end of the Libyan Civil War in October 2011, more then 1000 members of militia groups have been killed. 500 Libyan civilians have died as a result of sectarian violence between the militia groups!

The National Transitional Council created the General National Congress as the new parliament. This body was created in August 2012. Although democratic elected, most members of this new congress are none-partisan and do not follow a political party. Political parties in Libya are now legal, but because they were never free to operate, few have build any connections to the Libyan people. The General National Congress proofed to be a powerless body. The true powers in Libya remain the local militia's and the councils who run towns and cities independent of the government. Some militia's have raided the General National Congress buildings and use intimidation's to get what they want from the government. The prime minister of Libya was even kidnapped by a militia group. Ali Zeidan was prime minister since 2012. But after failing to capture the rouge oil tanker; MV Morning Glory, Zeidan fled Libya on 11 March 2014! 

If ethnic tensions and militia's are not enough, Libya has also a problem with its oil. Under Gaddafi, the oil was used to boost the economy. But the eastern parts of the nation always felt they were left with less money then the western provinces. Most Libyan oil comes from the eastern provinces and now these provinces demand more money from oil profits. Yet the inefficient government has not been able to make a deal with the eastern provinces. Now eastern militia groups have blocked the pipelines to the west and are causing another political conflict with the Libyan government. Because the eastern militia's are planning to sell Libyan oil for themselves on the world market. The Tripoli based government would never allow this, so there we have another huge problem!

The working class of  Libya are the ones who suffer the most. Although it has been three years, many cities and towns are still in ruins. Sirte, the birthplace of Muammar Gaddafi and last town to fall, remains a ruined place. Also rebels from Misrata have also destroyed the town of Tawergha. This place was home to many black workers, who were hired to work in Libya. In 2006, more then 24.000 people mostly black workers, were living in Tawergha. However the Armed Forces of the Jamahiriya used the town as a base of operation against the rebels in Misrata in March 2011. The rebels believed that the black population were supportive of Gaddafi. So rebels from the city of Misrata entered Tawergha in August 2011 and deported its 24.000 population with force. They burned houses and turned Tawergha into a ghost town!

Now in 2014, the State of Libya is offering no alternative to the old Jamahiriya state. Although called ''free'' and ''democratic'' by western nations, Libya is as chaotic as Iraq and Afghanistan. Another victim of western imperialist intervention into foreign conflicts. Supporters of Gaddafi in Libya are now called the  ''Green Resistance'' and their political party is called the Libyan Popular National Movement. Banned by the General National Congress, the political wing of the ''Green Resistance'' keeps defending the social gains of the Jamahiriya, which many Libyans supported. This is why a workers party must be build, the current Libyan government is ineffective and not able to represent the working class. Therefore workers councils must be established that can lead the base for a genuine socialist republic in Libya. Gaddafi may have used socialist rhetoric, but revolutionary socialists always rejected his regime. 

The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya was no state of the masses, but a pseudo-revolutionary state with a planned economy. Thanks to this planned economy, Libya became one of the more wealthier nations in the Arab world. Because Gaddafi shared the oil wealth with the Libyans. It is true he enriched himself and his family, but unlike Tunisia, Egypt and Syria, the Libyans also benefited. It was not until after 1999 when Gaddafi started to abolish the planned economy in favor of a limited market economy. By 2007 a stock market was opened and private enterprises were becoming more legal. At the time of the Libyan Civil War little remained of the planned economy, although not all sectors were controlled by market forces. Revolutionary socialists fear that capitalism will be able to finish its conquest of Libya, which it started under Gaddafi. Therefore a workers party on a socialist program must be build. A party that rejects capitalism and fights for a workers government and a democratic socialist Libya!

Tawergha in November 2011. Once a town of 24.000 people, now abandoned!

Joining Russia no alternative for the Crimea

The former Autonomous Republic of the Crimea has held a public referendum today on its future. Crimea is still part of Ukraine, but has a Russian speaking majority. These Russians do not support the new government in Kiev, who took power after the ''Euromaiden'' government forced president Victor Yanukovych out of office. Although ethnic Ukrainians support the new government, the Russian speaking population does not. They fear the right-wing nationalists who want to enforce Ukrainian culture and have already destroyed many monuments from the Soviet period. Now the Crimea has rebelled against Kiev and with support from Russian troops declared itself independent of Ukraine. Western imperialism and the Kremlin oligarchy are facing each other in a classic Cold War game, with the Crimea as main price!

Today the people of Crimea can vote on their future. The referendum is not supported by Ukraine, the European Union and the USA. But Russia has declared it will respect the outcome of this referendum. Voters can choose on of the two options:

Choice 1: Are you in favor of the reunification of Crimea with Russia as a part of the Russian Federation?

Choice 2: Are you in favor of restoring the 1992 Constitution and the status of Crimea as a part of Ukraine?

Since 60% of all people who live in the Crimea are ethnic Russian, it is very likely that most will vote YES on Choice 1. It remains to be seen what the nationalist government in Kiev will do once the Republic of Crimea has joined the Russian Federation. Many Crimean Russians think that their lives would improve by joining up with Russia. But we revolutionary socialists think this is not true. Russia and Ukraine are both govern not by the people, but by a small minority ( oligarchs ) who control the media, the means of production and most wealth. After the collapse of the Soviet-Union, anticommunist forces won the first elections in Ukraine. The new independent republic enforced brutal privatization programs to turn the nation into a ''modern'' nation. In 2004 there was a popular revolt against the ruling oligarchs called the ''Orange Revolution''. But the leaders of this ''Orange Revolution'' offered no alternatives to the dictatorship of the markets. By 2010 the pro-European government was replaced by a pro-Russian government led by Victor Yanukovych!

Socialists knew that Yanukovych was no alternative, the people got angry again. This led to the formation of the ''Euromaiden'' movement led by pro-European political parties and right-wing nationalists. Because the opposition to Yanukovych was supported by the European Union, many anti-imperialists choose to support the pro-Russian government. Very counter-productive, since Yanukovych was a member of the Ukrainian oligarchy. His luxurious mansion proofs he had more money, then he should have as president. Yanukovych was supported by the pseudo ''Communist'' Party of Ukraine, who joined his capitalist government in 2010. Because the stalinists supported Yanukovych, the right-wing nationalists choose to attack many monuments of Vladimir Lenin. After the president fled to Russia, the right-wing nationalists destroyed more then 90 statues and memorials to Lenin. Because of this the Kremlin oligarchy has denounced the Kiev government as ''fascist''!

Crimea has been the center of media attention since Russian forces invaded it. Russia said it was ''protecting'' its naval base and population. The Kiev government calls it an imperialist invasion. By using nationalist propaganda and the deep mistrust between Ukrainians and Russians, already 40.000 young Ukrainians have joined the new Ukrainian National Guard. Western nations have rallied to support the government of Ukraine against Russia. The European Union and the USA, need a pro-European government in Ukraine to limit Russian influence in Eastern Europe. Revolutionary socialists reject both the Kiev government and the Kremlin. The Crimea conflict is a tool of two imperialist powers fighting over who is boss. Both Ukrainians and Russians are mislead in this conflict. Ukrainians think that Europe is the alternative, a result of massive European propaganda spread by the anti-Russian political parties. Also the European Union has donated money to strengthen the ''Euromaiden'' movement against the pro-Russian political groups in Ukraine!

Europe and Russia are not the way forward. Russia is ruled by oligarchs since 1992. After Boris Yeltsin banned the Communist Party of the Soviet-Union, he privatized the Soviet economy. This became known as ''Shock Therapy'' and it caused 59 million Russians to end up in poverty by 1999. Yeltsin's popularity reached zero and the oligarchs removed him from power. They installed his vice president as new leader of Russia. Vladimir Putin was Boris Yeltsin's right-hand man and a former KGB agent. He restored the power of the state, but never reestablished the social security of the former USSR. This is why many elderly in Russia and in former Soviet republics, are nostalgic about the days when the state took care of them. Ethnic Russians in the Crimea think that by joining Russia, their lives will improve. No doubt this is what the pro-Russian propaganda has told them. But life under Vladimir Putin is no improvement. This the people of the Crimea will have to find out the hard way. By then it will be too late, because Putin will never let go what he took!

We revolutionary socialists support the creation of a socialist republic in Crimea. But this must be linked to a socialist revolution in both Ukraine and Russia. A socialist Crimea can become a beacon, a spark that can light the fire of revolution in Eastern Europe. The European Union and the Russian Federation would then be challenged by a genuine socialist alternative to their imperialist greed. It would show the workers of the world that socialism can be build. Unfortunate ethnic nationalism is very strong. In a way it reminds us of the Yugoslavian breakup in 1991. Ethnic nationalism was also the reason why the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was destroyed!

The people of Crimea will probably vote to rejoin the Russian Federation. Crimea was always Russian until 1954, when Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev gave it to Soviet Ukraine. Since Ukraine was part of the USSR, it was purely a bureaucratic move. After 1990, the Crimea became part of the independent Republic of Ukraine and many ethnic Russians never liked this. The conservatives of the Party of Region's and the stalinists of the pseudo ''Communist'' Party of Ukraine, are very strong in the Crimea because they support the Russian population. The right-wing nationalists in Kiev hate the political parties of the Russians and have banned them in three western Ukrainian provinces. By banning the conservative party and the communist party, the nationalists have strengthen the anti-Ukrainian mood among Russian speaking people in the Crimea!

Socialism is the only alternative to this chauvinist conflict. Unfortunate the call for a socialist alternative has been poisoned by revolutionary leftists who have uncritically joined the pro-Russian side. Supporters of the Communist Party of Ukraine and most communist parties worldwide have denounced the Kiev government as ''fascist'' and gave support to the imperialist invasion of the Crimea by Russia. By doing this, Marxist socialism has been discredited and turned into a ''Russian'' ideology. Revolutionary socialists must not join the Russian side, only because we oppose western imperialism. We cannot take sides, our alternative is democratic socialism and the establishment of a Crimean Socialist Workers Republic. In opposition to Ukrainian nationalism, Russian chauvinism and western imperialism!

A Lenin statue with a Russian Czarist flag! 

The Czarist and Soviet flags are used by ethnic Russian Ukrainians

Lenin would turn in his grave, seeing how his banner
is used for Russian chauvinism!

True position of social democracy

Although a centre-left ideology, social democratic parties are today mostly centre-right to right-wing when we look at the political spectrum. Thanks to the Political Compass we know today the true face of social democracy. After 24 years of turning to the right-wing, the former workers parties are now pro-capitalist and stand fully on the right side of the political spectrum. Unfortunate few people understand this. The social democrats are still able to manipulate the working class with their pseudo-leftist rhetoric. But when we look at the way they rule, we see a movement that is pro-capitalist and centre-right. The most right-wing social democratic party in Europe is the Labour Party in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This party has shifted so far to the right, you can call them almost conservative right-wing! 

Social democracy, once the name for revolutionary socialists and reformist socialists. Both the supporters of Karl Marx and Eduard Bernstein used to call themselves social democrats. But in the 1930's the social democrats had become anti-Marxist and opposed revolutionary socialism. Carlo Rosselli ( Italian reformist socialist ) was a leading social democrat who rejected the socialist planned-economy and favoured a social market economy. A system of both public and private ownership. Because revolutionary socialism became associated with totalitarianism thanks to Stalin, social democracy turned away from Marxist ideals and joined the side of the anticommunists!

The workers parties choose to abandon many socialist principals in order to appeal to the parties of capitalism. One of the first things social democrats surrendered was their opposition to war. In 1914 the social democrats of Germany, France and Great Britain supported their imperialist governments. The leader of the Social-democratic Party of Germany ( SPD ) would be the person who ensured the survival of the German ruling class in 1918. When the workers rose up against the Kaiser and the German Empire, it was the SPD who took over and ordered the army and right-wing militia's to crush the workers councils, who took power in Bavaria and Berlin. Thanks to Friedrich Ebert ( SPD leader ), the capitalists of Germany were saved and Soviet Russia stood isolated and alone in their struggle against imperialism! 

In 1936 the social democrats took power in Franc and Spain together with communist parties. These coalitions became known as the people's fronts. Although two self-described socialist parties led these fronts, both France and Spain remained capitalist. Neither the social democrats nor the Stalinist; ''communists'' 'wished to destroy capitalism. In Spain the workers choose to rise up against the republican government led by the Spanish Socialist Workers Party and Spanish Communist Party. In Barcelona, workers councils took power led by anarchists and anti-Stalinist revolutionary socialists. The Spanish republican army and the Stalinist NKVD ( Stalin's secret police ) were ordered to crush the Spanish revolution. A civil war soon broke out between anticommunist nationalists in the army, who never liked the People's Front government. Under leadership of general Franco, the nationalists started the civil war which they won in 1939. The Spanish republican government collapsed, partly because the nationalists were armed with German weapons and even got German soldiers to fight for them. Also the republican government was weakened by their conflicts with the anarchists and revolutionary socialists, who were hunted and killed by Stalin's NKVD!

After world war 2, the social democrats became coalition-partners in many West-European governments. Thanks to their opposition to the USSR and Marxist socialism, the parties of capitalism realized that social democrats could be used to keep the working class in line with the capitalist system. Social democratic leaders proofed to be very loyal to western imperialism, they supported the creation of the NATO, the Korean War and most supported their governments who struggled against ( Marxist ) anti-colonialists. During the 60's a new left-wing was on the rise. This New Left was not dogmatic anticommunist and wanted to work with the communist parties. Yet the leadership of most social democratic parties opposed this. They were guided by dogmatic anticommunism!

Social democracy was not ready for the massive neoliberal wave that started in 1979. New-liberalism became the dogma of the right-wing. The market is to be God, competition is to be King. Neoliberals demand that the government does not intervene in the economy. State enterprises are to be privatized and markets deregulated, this would create a ''healthy'' economy as they claim. Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan became the faces of neoliberal capitalism. When we speak about neoliberalism we speak about economic liberalism. Because neoliberalism can be used by all political parties. The Chinese ''Communist'' Party is a neoliberal party too. They have privatized a lot of state enterprises and the last party congress has called for more deregulations!

Today in the year 2014, social democratic parties not leftist. The old workers parties who used to be Marxist around 1914, have now become the thing they opposed 100 years ago. This is the result of their betrayal of Marxist principals. They choose compromises and coalitions with the right-wing. Now workers see little difference between a social democratic party, a liberal party and a conservative party. Fewer people choose to vote and we see this in the turnout. In Great Britain 1/3 of all people refused to vote. In Germany the turnout was higher, but still 29% all Germans did not vote in the 2013 federal elections!

We revolutionary socialists can understand why people refuse to vote. They see no difference between social democrats, liberals and conservatives. The propaganda of the social democrats is leftist, progressive and all about social justice. But when in power, social democrats do not behave leftist. 100 years ago, a social democrat said he was a socialist and fought for the establishment of a socialist world. 50 years ago this changed from fighting for socialism, into fighting for a democratic and fair world. Now the propaganda is all about fairness and justice, but the people who claim to support this are not longer trusted. Their neoliberal actions of the last 24 years have proven this. Social democrats have allied themselves with the reactionary forces and carry out massive austerity plans. In Greece, the Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement support massive tax cuts and privatisations, because the neoliberal European Union demanded this. Greek workers have punished them for this. But because social democrats still have a monopoly on the political left-wing in most nations, many workers keep voting for them in the hope of voting for the lesser evil!

Some social democratic parties are challenged by new leftist formations. In Greece you have the Coalition of the Radical Left called Syriza. In the Netherlands you have the Socialist Party and Germany has The Left. But these formation lack a genuine socialist program and are guided by classic social democratic demands like government regulations and progressive politics. Very few leftists parties struggle for socialism in today's world. Even the old communist parties call for fairness and social justice instead of a socialist workers state. Some are still fighting for Marxist socialism, yet these communist parties are limited by Stalinist dogmatism. Like the Communist Party of Greece ( KKE ) who refuses to work with Syriza to establish a socialist republic in Greece. The Greek KKE thinks they are the only true leftist party and because of their sectarianism, they limit the changes of building socialism!

On the political spectrum we see the true face of social democracy. If the working class would realize this, then they might not vote for social democrats today. Because most social democratic parties have betrayed their leftist ideals. Just look at these nations and see were social democratic parties are positioned, all of them are on the right-wing side of the spectrum!

Social democratic parties in Ireland, Germany, Great Britain 

and New Zealand. They are not left-wing!!

Radio "Socialist summit"

Socialism is the mantra for new political organizations emerging in South Africa. Chris hosts the first on-air socialist summit with the Economic Freedom Fighters, NUMSA, WASP and the Democratic Socialist Movement to find out why socialism is spreading, and whether they intend to work together — or separately — to challenge the ANC. And, of course, whether socialism could work in South Africa.

SA’s first on-air Socialist Summit