85 years ago today, on September 1, 1939, the Nazi regime began its
attack on Poland. It marked the beginning of the Second World War, themost murderous and destructive war the world has ever seen. After the
military victory over German fascism, the workers' movement in this
country created September 1 as Anti-War Day to annually demand a world
of peace and to warn of the danger of new wars.
Wars are systematic
This was also desperately needed. After the Second World War, new war
zones soon flared up all over the world. This is no coincidence, because
there can be no capitalism without war. The reason for this is the
system of imperialist state competition.
Every state tries to offer its national capitals the best possible
development opportunities. To do this, it uses diplomatic methods such
as trade agreements or lobbying. If it cannot achieve its goals in this
way, it is always ready to try to use armed force - provided it has the
military capabilities to do so. This is why the most powerful states in
particular determine the competition between states, subjugate weaker
states and try to exploit them and their resources and sales markets.
The period after the Second World War was marked on the one hand by
dozens of anti-colonial uprisings in the countries of Latin America,
Africa and Asia, which the western imperialist states tried to suppress
by force of arms. On the other hand, it was marked by the system
competition between the NATO states and the real socialist states of the
Soviet Union and China, which were also increasingly acting
imperialistically. Their struggle for global hegemony finally ended with
the collapse of the Soviet Union and its satellite states, China's
return to capitalism and a comprehensive triumph of the western states.
Wars and the threat of war are increasing
There were also numerous wars in the 1990s and 2000s. But since 2010
their number has been increasing rapidly worldwide. There are so many
that we can only pick out a few examples here.
In Kurdistan, the neighboring states are trying to use war to prevent
the development of a revolutionary alternative to capitalism, the state
and patriarchy. In Sudan, reactionary military leaders are waging a war
for control of the country and against the revolutionary movement. In
Palestine, the Israeli state, with the support of its Western allies, is
trying to maintain and intensify the oppression of the Palestinian
population through war. In Eastern Europe, the Russian state and the
NATO states are wrangling over whether Ukraine should remain or be added
to their respective spheres of influence.
The global context against which the war in Ukraine in particular is
taking place is that of an escalation of the confrontation between the
Western imperialist states and their future main imperialist competitor
China, which currently still maintains an alliance with the Russian
state. The NATO states and China are wrangling for global supremacy and
for spheres of influence in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The South
China Sea is becoming a particular focal point, where China and the USA
and their allies are increasingly heading for confrontation.
Both the competition with China and the war with Russia increase the
risk of an even greater, global military escalation. Given the states'
huge nuclear arsenals, such a war would endanger the existence of our
entire species.
German rearmament and militarization
Because the Federal Republic of Germany is part of NATO, the effects of
global developments are also felt here.
The war in Ukraine serves as a justification for those in power to make
Germany "ready for war." On the one hand, they are trying to do this
with material rearmament by massively increasing the budget and
personnel of the Bundeswehr, making preparations for a new conscription
and cutting back on the welfare state. On the other hand,
militarization, i.e. ideological rearmament through war propaganda in
the media, schools and public spaces, is taking place. It is intended to
make the idea of massacring their own class brothers and sisters on the
other side of the front palatable to young wage earners in particular.
Fight for a world of peace!
Even if our world threatens to sink into war: We are convinced that a
world of peace is possible. A world in which people reach out to one
another across the former borders of their states and together build a
society of freedom, equality and solidarity.
But to do this we must eliminate the causes of war. We must overthrow
the state and capital.
We must work through and correct the effects of centuries of colonial
exploitation and oppression. We must stop the further scarcity of
resources in the course of capitalist destruction of the environment.
All of this will only be possible with an internationally organized
movement from below. We can and must start building it today. In
Germany, this means disrupting our own state's material and ideological
preparations for war at all levels.
In schools, by actively contradicting the Bundeswehr's youth officers
and protesting against their visits. In universities, by raising our
voices against research into new murder weapons. In neighborhoods, by
opposing poster campaigns, information stands and Bundeswehr bases. In
companies, by trying to win over our colleagues to blockade military
production and logistics. And in the political movement with which we go
to the gates of the weapons manufacturers and war profiteers, just as
"Disarm Rheinmetall" is already doing with its actions in Kiel these days.
Only if we wage earners all over the world unite and stab our own
imperialism in the back will we be able to stop the wars and war
preparations of the ruling class. Our only weapons remain the class
struggle and international solidarity!
Down with rearmament and militarization!
Stop wars, fight for peace!
Out for Anti-War Day!
https://www.dieplattform.org/2024/09/01/heraus-zum-antikriegstag-system-der-kriege-zerschlagen-weltweiten-frieden-erkaempfen/
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