• The colonial wars, both direct and indirect ones, are further increasing in number and intensity across the southern hemisphere; which acts as a stark reminder of the era between the end of the nineteenth century and up to the Second World War in the middle of the twentieth century: This grim period in the history of humanity was characterized by efforts to carve up markets and countries; and to control raw materials and energy resources on the earth and beneath it.
• The crisis and its repercussions are manifesting themselves particularly across the Arab region, from Lebanon and Palestine through Yemen and Iraq and into Sudan.
This report provides a summary of the main developments since the last report regarding the global economic crisis, the Arab-Israeli struggle and the current situation in Arab countries, the internal Lebanese political situation including the socio economic situation and finally recent and forthcoming activities of the Lebanese Communist Party.
Firstly, The global crisis
a. The United States
Reports and analysis issued in the beginning of this year agree that the result of the first year of the Obama administration has been disappointing, on all levels, especially to those who supported his campaign and who were enthusiastic regarding the possibilities of real change. The differences between the campaign promises given by Candidate Obama and the actual policies being put in place by President Obama is becoming more and more clear; especially as far as continuing in the footsteps of his predecessor George W. Bush in more than one field. This fact acts as a reminder that the interests of great super powers is neither set nor determined by its presidents alone.
• On the first level, economic reports issued by both public and private bodies reveal that the end of 2009 witnessed critical changes in two important indicators:
1. The first indictor is the number of repossessed homes, where repossessions until the end of 2009 reached around 3 million homes; with the states of Nevada, California, Florida and Arizona having the highest numbers of repossessed homes. In addition, these reports indicate that in excess of one million young people, who either bought a home in the second half of last year or who are currently in need of a home, will either have to give up their homes or will prove unable to find a home due to the intensification of the crisis and its possible negative social implications.
2. The second indicator is related to the job crisis. Unemployment is showing worrying increases, where according to the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics the level of unemployment, both direct and indirect, has reached 16.9% of the total workforce of the unites states. This unemployment may be divided as follows: 14.7 million unemployed completely (i.e. around 9.8% of the total workforce), 9 million working as involuntary part-time workers with half-day shifts and 2.3 million ‘marginally attached to the labour force’ (i.e. working less than half-day shift and receiving an income which is considered insufficient to account for food and clothing).
• On a second level, in addition to the social and economic indicators, two important issues must be pointed out:
1. The ongoing financial support offered by the Obama administration to the banks; including the new decision to transfer to the banking sector 90 billion dollars.
2. The ongoing expansion of U.S. military spending, beginning with the new military bases in Latin America, through waging new wars on Yemeni soil; and to increasing the number of American and NATO force in Afghanistan and increasing financial support for C.I.A. covert operations – in particular assassinations through UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).
All the above issues combined indicate that the American administration is continuing the neoliberal policies of previous administrations. Indeed, it is expected that the current administration will attempt to impose new economic and military trends on its allies beginning with asking for ‘help’ from the petro-dollar countries, through manipulating the exchange rate of the dollar and associated interest rates to waging new wars - all of which help the US to achieve two objectives: first to exert further control on new natural resources and new markets and second to increase the workload of the military industrial complex; which in turn gives more edge for its multi-national companies in exerting further control on the resources of our world.
b. Europe and the European Union
As for Europe, and particularly the Euro zone, the situation is not much better, especially since the leadership of the European Union has immersed itself more and more in the military plans of the U.S., specifically in Afghanistan, Yemen and Iran. Simultaneously this leadership is not paying due attention to the economic situation of the countries in the European Union and not directing sufficient efforts for improving living conditions and creating jobs for the millions who remain unemployed.
With increasing talk on looming economic and financial problems which may lead to catastrophic collapses in Spain, Greece and Portugal, and even Italy, recent reports indicate that unemployment figures has increased to reach approximately 10% (9.89) of the total workforce, where the number of unemployed people towards the end of last year increased to reach 23.510 million people. These reports indicate that the unemployment rate is the highest in the last ten years and that it has been increasing over the last few months at a rate of 0.1% per month. Furthermore the Spanish central bank indicates that the unemployment rate in Spain has exceeded 17% and predicts that this percentage may increase to 19.4% in 2010. In addition, women were amongst the worst hit in the crisis, where women constitute the highest percentage of the unemployed followed by youth and by those newly entering the labour market. This implies that this crisis will also have an impact on the various national social security funds, whether those related to medical assistance, to social welfare or to retirement.
Secondly, The Situation within the Arab Region
The Arab region, and the extended Middle East Region, is currently considered the theatre of operations for implementing the American plans in both the economic and the military fields. In its attempt to further solidify its control on the Arab region, the United States relies upon a policy of ‘carrot ands stick’ according to policies and priorities determined by its short term interests. In this manner we can understand the progressive escalation in Yemen, the African Horn and Sudan; vis-à-vis the gradual decrease in tensions with Syria and Lebanon. This latter development was preceded and was based upon the Saudi-Syrian détente and the overlap in the Saudi and Turkish roles as well as the position announced by George Mitchell, the Special American envoy to the region, when he reiterated that Syria has an important role in the American efforts aiming at normalization of relationships between Israel and neighboring Arab countries.
a. The Palestinian Situation
The situation is characterized by the return of George Mitchell to the region, with a program originally developed and supported by Obama and which consists of eliminating the Palestinian cause by giving new impetus for Syrian-Israeli negotiations and by forcing the Palestinians to abandon their resistance and start negotiations without any preconditions. This coincides with talk of a new American plan being promoted by the CIA (details published in Al-Quds-Al-Arabi Newspaper) consisting of the formation of a ‘Confederation of Holy Lands’ between three countries in the region: Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian state (should it eventually be formed). This plan is based on earlier ideas promoted by Shimon Perez in 1982; and tries to address the main obstacles against a solution to the Arab-Israeli struggle namely the issue of the city of Jerusalem and the right of return of Palestinian refugees, two issues which the plan believes can only be solved through a confederate association which transforms Jerusalem into an open city and which accurately specifies the issue of the right of return- thereby ignoring UN resolution 194 which was passed in 1948 and which called for the return of Palestinian refugees; and which is yet to be implemented and respected by Israel and the United States.
Based on this plan, which if adopted will lead to the elimination of the Palestinian cause, a new aggression is taking place against the people of Gaza where attempts to suffocate its people are increasing (through the iron wall being erected by the Egyptian authorities in liaison with Israel and also through the sea embargo). Furthermore, the threatening Israeli tone against the Palestinians still living in the lands occupied in 1948 is escalating, and the attempts to transform eastern Jerusalem to a purely Jewish city are also increasing. Simultaneously, internal divisions are intensifying within and between the various Palestinian factions which in turn is leading to a weakening of these forces and a general weakening of the stance of the Palestinian side, and with it a weakening of the tools at the disposal of the Palestinian people to face and resist the new American-Israeli plans.
In this context, it is useful to re-emphasize the decisions adopted by the exceptional congress for working class and communist parties, which took place in Damascus late September 2009; primarily the declaration of an independent Palestinian state by the Palestinian people; ; the intensification of efforts to break the embargo being imposed on Gaza; and greater lobbying for the implementation of the content of UN resolution 194.
b Regarding the Yemen and Sudan Issues
It should be recognized that the direct Saudi military intervention in Yemen is the first time that Saudi Arabia has participated directly (through its army) in a military conflict or war. This should be seen as an indication that the American decision and plans for this region of the Arabian Gulf is to try to exert full control over the area since it is seen as a strategic point towards Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti) in addition to its effect and interdependence on Saudi Arabia and the influence of Iran on the Shiite regions within this area. Therefore, after the fiasco of the Saudi intervention which was not very successful , the United States and Britain have now escalated their efforts by using the ‘attempt to blow up the American plane’ as an excuse for direct US raids on Yemeni Soil in order to protect it ‘against the threat of terrorism’. A stark reminder of how the September 11 attacks were used by the previous administration to justify and to build momentum for the invasion of Iraq. All this at a time when the president of the US was ‘promising’ to make the world a safer place and while the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was alerting against the increased threat in Yemen and Sudan and the importance that this threat be added to the agenda of the public affairs Bureau of the European Union.
Current events in both the North and the South of Yemen show that the Unites States, together with Britain, are trying to divide and weaken the country exactly as they did in Iraq. In a similar manner the US is trying to fragment Sudan into three states which would make it much easier for the US to exert full control over Darfur and the South of Sudan and the natural resources in these regions consisting of oil, gas war and other previous minerals.
Thirdly, the situation in Lebanon
As discussed, Lebanon currently lies in a zone where the peace is being maintained to suit the immediate interests and priorities of the US. However this peace is a very fragile one and can easily be violated if and when Israel or the US find it necessary to apply pressure on Iran, for example, or on Syria to force it to expedite some aspects of the ‘solution’ being prepared for Palestine. In this context, it is possible to interpret the continuous threats issued by Netanyahu and the military maneuvers by Israel on the border with Lebanon.
The Lebanese government is benefiting from this period of truce and reconciliation between the various sectarian leaders and sectarian parties in order to strengthen its hold on the social and economic fronts. In this manner all sides of the ruling sectarian-classist elite try to improve their share of the spoils whether through a return of the talk of privatization projects which was proposed in the Paris III conference or through new privatization projects. The first of these is the so called ‘project for social welfare’; which basically is an attempt to eliminate the current social security fund. In addition there are new plans regarding the liberalisation of old rent contracts in an attempt to allow landlords to increase rent exponentially which in turn would allow landlords to easily expel tenants without any compensation.
The government is also continuing to offer half-hearted solution to the problems within the electricity sector as electricity shortages and rationing continue. Furthermore, the indirect taxes on fuel products has increased twenty fold between the beginning of 2009 and 2010 (the total revenue from fuel products was 44.8 billion Lebanese pound in 2008 and increased to 925.4 billion Lebanese pound in 2009. In addition the deficit and the public debt, and associated repayments of this debt, are increasing due to the high interest rates which directly benefit the large banks within the country.
Furthermore, the unemployment amongst the youth and new entries to the labour market is increasing and is coupled with an increase in the phenomena of handouts in Lebanon (and in previous countries which once acted as a destiny for Lebanese immigrating in search of better work opportunities). Also, remote urban regions within Lebanon, and even not very remote regions, are becoming more impoverished while development is limited to an area of Lebanon not more than 200km2 consisting of parts of Beirut and some of its close rich suburbs.
Regarding the new appointments in the public sector to fulfill vacant positions estimated at 20,000 the various sectarian leaders disagree on their share and the share of their respective sects, while simultaneously appointments are being carried out through non-direct means by appointing personnel to councils and private institutions which have the jurisdiction to carry out work on behalf and together with some of the ministries.
Finally, within the political sphere, significant efforts are underway to avoid implementing what was previously agreed upon regarding reducing the legal age of voting in the forthcoming municipal elections from 21 to 18. Attempts are also underway to try to postpone these municipal elections under the pretext of ‘technical problems’. Other controversial proposed laws also remain unresolved such as the proposal for the jurisdiction of the ministry of interior over its various councils. In addition, the ministry of the economy continues to exert control over the funds for the local municipality councils. Finally heated debate is taking place on the proposal for the formation of the committee for the elimination of political sectarianism (i.e. eliminating the politically sectarian system) with the sectarian leaders divided between those calling for the formation of the committee and those against its formation. Those sectarian leaders calling for the formation of the committee propose that the committee should be equally divided between Muslims and Christians who will be appointed by the sectarian leaders and their sectarian parties on a sectarian basis! As if the sectarian leaders and their sectarian parties who are directly reaping the benefits of the politically sectarian system, and enjoying the privileges afforded to them by such a system, would genuinely struggle in order to eliminate it.
Fourthly, the Stance of the Lebanese Communist Party and its forthcoming activities
The Lebanese Communist Party has recognized the importance of resisting the government attempt to take advantage of various factors (the Syrian-Saudi détente, the calm situation along the border between Lebanon and Israel and particularly the weak state of the trade union movement as a direct result of the successful attempt of the ruling elite to subdivide it according to sectarian lines and divisions) in order to pass plans and projects which the Lebanese people have already rejected in previous years..
Therefore the communist trade union activists, communist teachers and youth have laid down a program of demands for discussion within the various relevant sectors as a prelude to reorganizing trade union committees and other committees concerned with the defense of the rights of tenants. This is in addition to various meetings taking place in the regions, with the aim that these efforts should culminate in a mass demonstration and corresponding media campaign.
The Lebanese Communist Party has also decided to continue its effort to rally progressive and leftist forces and movements to provide further momentum to the political confrontation with the sectarian bourgeoisie and to give further support to the activities which is being carried out by trade unions amongst others.
The party is also continuing what it started, in the wake of the exceptional congress for working class and communist parties, regarding the social and civil rights of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and regarding intensifying its protest activities against the silence of the Arab regimes regarding the embargo imposed on the people of Gaza and against the Egyptian role in this embargo.
Finally, the party will focus in the forthcoming period, together with the working group, on the internal preparation for the decisions adopted in the eleventh congress for working class and communist parties in New Delhi, namely:
• Organize activities against the increasing aggressive nature of NATO, in addition to activities against the military imperialist bases.
• Consider the 29th of November of very year a day of solidarity with the Palestinian people in accordance with the decision taken during the exceptional congress in Damascus.
• Ensuring that widespread celebrations will take place to commemorate the 60th anniversary for the victory against fascism in 2010.
• Organize wide spread campaigns, in liaison with trade unions, for the protection of the rights of the working class and the workers. Also lobby the government, in liaison with youth organizations, to put in place policies that respect the right to work.
Issued by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the
Lebanese Communist Party
25 January 2010
The year 2010 starts with several events that have impacted negatively on the livelihoods, security and economic conditions of most ordinary people of our planet earth:
