Socialism Or Barbarism – The Masses Of Sri Lanka Are On The March

As humanity grapples with the spectre of Nuclear War in the context of the US-NATO provoked proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, with the decimation of the lives of thousands of workers in Eastern Europe, it is compelling that we express our empathy for brothers and sisters in our league who have nothing to gain but a life to lose in the heat of an unceasing barbaric and nauseating attacks orchestrated by imperial powers. Without a doubt, we oppose the war but not as the imperialist forces and their media mouthpieces want the poor masses in the global south to oppose it. This is an intra-imperialist war that would not have happened had NATO not expanded eastward, had Ukraine committed to neutrality or decline its interest in NATO membership, had Ukraine not violated the Minsk Agreements, had the US and its allies not armed Ukraine to the teeth to decimate the Donbass region and situate itself as a stooge of western imperialism

As Historical Materialism posits, historical events occur at every stage of the human evolution. As is the case with the twenty-first century. Since the dawn of this era, we have witnessed the occurrence of historical events. A few are listed here to refresh our memories: The 9/11 attack 2001, the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, the Arab Spring 2010/2011, and the COVID 19 Pandemic. Finally, a few examples of the twentieth-century: The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, The Great Depression of the 1930s, the collapsed of the Soviet Union in 1991, World War I and II, and the catastrophes of the world capitalism system of that century including the brutalities of colonialism in Africa, all preceded the socio-economic and political crises of today.

For students of Marx and Engels, these events are not unusual as Leon Trotsky told all workers and youth to arm themselves with theories that call into question the ideas of the ruling class and prepare the working class for the overthrow of capitalism and the building of a democratic workers’ state. For theory is the sophistication of foresight over astonishment. What is however strange is the promptness of occurrences of these events which further indicate that the capitalist system is in a senile state and thus is just a giant with a feet made of clay. The capitalist system upon its birth, promised to create a system of production where it would produce enormous goods and services to serve the needs of society. Thus creating the condition that negates a situation in which a man would get on his kneels what he could get standing.

Today’s reality is diametrically opposed to these assertions. Capitalism’s logic subverts these promises on their head as production geared toward profit as opposed to providing the basic necessity of life to suffering humanity. Such a phenomenon has concentrated wealth in the hands of a few fat cats who own the global means of production and distribution and thrown billions of workers, peasants and youth into poverty and misery. This exploitative system has now exhausted its potential and has become a fetter on the development of society, further threatening to drag the whole of humanity down with it. In resistance to this threat, stands socialism.

Global hunger, illiteracy, homelessness, preventable diseases, war, and poverty are wreaking havoc on humanity today, thus becoming the basic impetus for revolutionary actions. Paramount of recent is the expression of popular revolt and rage by the masses in the hubbub of Sri Lanka. However, we haven’t heard much of this because the western-controlled mainstream media are entirely busy justifying their remunerations through massive propagandas against Russia.

The class conscious workers in the Island Country of Southern Asia - Sri Lanka - are acutely aware that Marxism teaches that “Force is the midwife of an old society which is pregnant with a new society”. Thus, they are on the verge of once again proving the power of Marx’s ideas. They are determined to storm heaven and fight fie an alternative society that dignifies them. Events there have shown that the people are resolved to negate the doctored ideology that posits the neutrality of the state, that organ which originates from society, places itself above society and alienates itself from society. The masses in Sri Lanka have come to terms with the stubborn reality that the state is not a neutral body. Instead, it is an organ for the suppression of one class for another, as well as the economic model that accompanies it, capitalism. As the Island Republic faces its most egregious Economic quagmire since its 1948 independence from British domination, the masses are accelerating the eviction notice of the state and its bureaucratic organs through a revolutionary and dialectical means. The judiciary is powerless to intervene, for it too is an organ of the exploitative system.

The workers en mass thronged in Colombo, remonstrating their discords in the failed Gotabaya Rajapaksas’ regime; the masses, with unadulterated courage in lieu of a union leadership are taking matters into their own hands. The masses have accepted John Peterson declaration in his co-authored work with Alan Woods (The Four Classes of Marxism) “There are certain circumstances in which strikes and mass demonstrations can force the ruling class to make concessions”. The Gota’s regime has made frantic efforts to pacify and extinguish the gusto of the masses, reorganizing his cabinet, dismissing his brother from his lucrative post - Prime Minister, but all have proved abortive in his failed bid to cling unto power in an economically challenged dystopia bruised by IMF austerity and cuts.

On 31^st March 2022, 100,000 workers from the postal service, hospitals, banks, universities, schools, railways, tea plantations, and many, many other sectors came out and swamped the streets. In this national attempt, union leaderships have proven worthless. This complicit passive tendency on the part of union leaderships in the face of the dire economic condition of the workers has provided additional reasons to study Leon Trotsky’s Transitional Program in an incisive attempt to educate ourselves as we organize and fight for a socialist ordering of society. In his literary work, Leon taught us that “The greatest crisis of humanity in the end will be the organization of the Labor Leadership”. Lenin further advised us in one of his masterpieces “Imperialism and the Split in Socialism” on how we are to manage with the organization of the Labor Leadership and the question of the opportunist within our ranks and files.

Engels long ago explained that in any society in which art, science and government is the monopoly of a minority, the latter will use and abuse its position to further its own interests. If the state is the tool in the hands of the ruling class which consists of the minority, as Engels referred here, which is no doubt the reality, then it’s the task of the leadership of all Labor Unions to ensure and guarantee by all means necessary that the interest of the working class isn’t trampled upon during this process of “use and abuse of position” on the part of the minority – state.

Sri Lankan workers’ determination to hand an unfamiliar red notice to the Gotabaya Rajapaksas’ dictatorship is as the outcome of a succession of issues afflicting the erstwhile Ceylon Republic: the revolutionary masses of Sri Lanka wrath against 12-hour power cuts , and an extreme scarcity of food, fuel and other essential basic things such as medication are the fulcrums igniting the rage in the Sri Lankan revolutionary masses. This catastrophe did not materializes out of thin air. Its root is traceable as far back as 1977, at which time President Jenius Richard Jayewardene successfully converted the economy from a socialist model to the free market model. The decision of president Jayewardene occasioned the massive privatisation, deregulation, and the promotion of private enterprise in Ceylon. The Island Republic, Sri Lanka’s Economy is now dominated by the private sector accounting for 85 percent of economic activities. The capitalist system has dragged the once peaceful republic into the abyss of poverty, debauchery and servitude. Inflation is at an all-time high of 17.5%, with prices of food items such as a kilogram of rice soaring to 500 Sri Lankan rupees (A$2.10) when it would normally cost around 80 rupees (A$0.34). Amid shortages, one 400g packet of milk powder is reported to cost over 250 rupees (A$1.05), when it usually costs around 60 rupees (A$0.25).

Gota’s administration has now approached the IMF for bailout, when this is accomplished, under the heinous preconditions. It plunges the working class into the agony of economic paralysis. In all probability, Sri Lanka will now obtain a 17th IMF loan to tide over the present crisis with an expected four-billion-dollars foreign debt payment due this year. This further tells that the prospect of the cessation of the crisis in Sri Lanka remains bleak. And that the masses would ultimately triumph as indicated by the evacuation of cabinet ministers and the exit of 42 parliament members in the first week of the crisis.

At first glance, the Sri Lanka’s capitalist elites believed the stampede on Colombo was a charade on 31^st March 2022. The masses, who have been reporting in mass to protest sites in Colombo and other parts of the capitalist-torn country for approximately four weeks, include between 40,000 and 50,000 Sri Lankan workers to include professional nurses, doctors, accountants, lawyers, etc., are reporting each week on protest grounds in Colombo and other parts of the capitalist-torn country. This refreshes our minds to Dr. Fahnbulleh, when he posited that “History has a cruel way of punishing unscrupulous rascals”. Today, the capitalist class which has exploited, humiliated, and degraded the masses to the point of worthless as cannon folder are at the judgment seat of history. Whether the masses will be lenient or cruel in the words of Dr. Fahhnbulleh, the end will justify.

As we narrow down our thoughts on the subject-at-bar, we would like to enlighten ourselves and those in our league from afar with this famous characterization of capitalism by John Peterson:

“Unlike in the 1950s and 1960s, the capitalist system is not in a position to give any broad and long lasting reforms. History shows that even modest reforms are the byproduct of militant struggle” workers of the world, socialism cannot be achieved without a daily demur for an advance in the living conditions of the have-nots, “the reason we agitate is to save future generation from the scourge of political blunders” in the words of Dr. H. Boima Fahnbulleh. In the final analysis, to save future generation, there should be consistency and persistency in our demeanor for the attainment of an egalitarian society.

With our left fist high, we doff our hat, to the proximity of our chest, in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Sir Lanka for their heroic struggle and the stoicism with which they confront the moribund capitalist system in Southern Asia. We climax this text with the words of Marx as he rested his pen in the book (Communist Manifesto) that started this whole struggle.

“The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.

Working Men of All Countries, Unite!”