The SDAJ Göttingen wants to hold a discussion regarding the situation in Greece and the struggle against the austerity measures imposed by the EU and implemented by PASOK. To this effect, they had no better idea than to invite a member of the Greek Communist Party (by its Greek initials KKE).
Not necessarily surprising, as SDAJ/DKP are basically the German equivalent to KNE/KKE in Greece (KNE is the youth branch of KKE). However, having lived and „struggled“ several years of my life in Athens, I feel the uncontrollable urge to yell and scream and complain, to not say go and hurl insults as well as stones, about the KKE being invited to discuss anything regarding struggle, „heisse herbst,“ uprising, etc.
Normally we are partisans of a relatively broad and non-sectarian relationship between the different groups and tendencies of the left (and I include radical left, anarchist, and so forth under that umbrella term), but the KKE is simply a monster of a whole different kind of family.
For those who dont know, the KKE is one of Europes last remaining (relevant) Stalinist Communist parties. They do indeed wield considerable influence among Greek workers and trade unions but, much as the French Communist Party did in 1968, this influence is almost entirely used to act as a brake to social movements and moments of uprising and upheaval in Greece. Their presence as opposition is probably certainly better than what the situation might be without them, but still I must vent….
Socially, they are about as conservative as the CDU.
Politically, they appeal to an anti-americanism that is so crude and nationalistic that it makes even me (latin american anarchist and anti-imperialist) uncomfortable.
As far as „on the streets“ is concerned they can only be viewed as enemies of the extra-parliamentary and anarchist movement. And this is not a matter of personal or political interpretation, but pretty much formally articulated politic and praxis of KKE/KNE. Pretty much every demonstration where we had to deal with them the „interaction“ took the form of at least insults to the regards of us being at best adventurist fools, at worst provocateurs and agents of foreign interests. This often culminated in them trying to throw anarchists to the cops, and anarchists engaging in physical confrontations with the KKE/KNE blocs security.
Even when postering at night, we used to go with helmets and all kinds of self-defense preparations, not only because of cops and the occasional Nazi…but in election times because of confrontations with KKE/KNE members.
The culmination of this was during the uprising following the murder of Alexis Grigoropoulos. The KKE denounced the movement as, unsurprisingly, the work of provocateurs and foreign interests. The KNE systematically opposed the universtity occupations and tried to vote them down at assemblies. And of course, the KKE dominated trade unions cancelled their demonstration related to a one day strike in favor of a stationary rally…to calm the situation.
It is not without good reason that the offices of these Stalinists are viewed as legitimate targets by anarchists in Greece. Apparently, in February of 2009 „the Party,“ under pressure from the KNE, resolved to take a less sectarian stance in regards to trying to work with other progressive social sectors. This is probably and hopefully the result of KNE members having developed a sympathy with other currents during the uprising of 2008. But still…well believe it when we see it.
Ugh….
„http://fireandflames.blogsport.de/2010/09/10/assorted-nr-26-mongolian-nazis/“
What the fuck? Why is the address of this article „mongolian nazis“???
@indy: Thats pretty funny! There is no secret message there. There is another not yet finished article about, quite literally, Mongolian Nazis (as in Nazis in the country of Mongolia), and this article was written in the one originally with that title and accidentally published so. The „Mongolian Nazis“ text will be coming soon.
@Rotfront:
Ja, und ich glaube hier ist es wichtig was klar zu stellen…ich habe nicht gemeint dass die SDAJ irgendwie der teufel ist und mensch gar nichts mit denen machen kann/darf. Überhaupt nicht, und diese tendenz aus jeder differenz gleich eine „super rivarly“ zu machen is a big problem in ze german left (überall so, aber hier hab ich das gefühl besonders).
Und dazu gibt es, einfach aus meine vergangenheit in Griechenland, eine gewisse bauchreflex gegen alles was mit KKE zu tun hat zu schimpfen. Wenn ich es ein bisschen weniger emotional betrachte…ja, ich finde die politisch, emmmm „nicht gut“, aber eigentlich bin ich froh dass es sowas gibt was leute ansprechen kann die „wir“ eher nicht so gut erreichen, und immerhin ein „pole of resistance“ zu den status quo darstellt. Der eigentliche arbeit wäre es zu schaffen dass KKE/KNE mitglieder deren partei mal von links überholen und deren kraft tatsächlich effektiver einsetzen. Und selche bilder sind einfach schÖn:
http://sdajgoettingen.blogsport.de/2010/05/22/solidaritaet-mit-der-griechischen-arbeiterklasse/
Und I hate writing in deutsch…
Das ist ja völlig absurd. Gegen die KKE schießen und im Beitrag davor „breite Bündnisse“ mit bürgerlichen Parteien, Pfaffen und was halt sonst so neben Antifas für Abschaum in Bündnissen gegen Rechts zusammenkommt, anmahnen.
As I myself know the political practice of the KKE very well, I can assure that this comment consists of plain lies and stupidities.
The KKE works as a brake to social uprisings? What the fuck? The KKE and its All-Workers‘ Militant Front (PAME) are the main forces that today organize anticapitalist and antiimperialist resistance as well as opposition to the bourgeois governments and the imperialist EU.
The KKE are „conservative as the CDU“? This is an infamous lie, given the fact that the KKE actively promotes women’s emancipation, solidarity with immigrant workers, international solidarity with class struggles in other countries and social revolution.
The KKE spreads „crude“ and „nationalistic“ antiimperialism? That is not true. Their position to the US is not directed against the US population, but against the state and its capital, based on a marxist analysis of imperialism. The KKE always stresses that antiimperialist struggle must be directed against the EU und NATO and the „own“ bourgeois class at least as much as against the USA.
Additionally, the KKE did not denounce the „movement“. They denounced the blind, counterrevolutionary (and certainly to a large extent fabricated by agents) attacks of certain cloaked persons against workers‘ cars and simple family-run shops. „Anarchists“ and police provocators destroyed the whole downtown of Athens and the living conditions of hundreds or thousands of petty shop owners. Instead, the KKE condemned the murder of Grigoropoulos and organized their own (militant but not blindly destroying) mobilizations against police violence and state repression.
As for the relationship of KKE and the anarchists: It is true that this is not exactly friendly. In my opinion the KKE is right to fight anarchist influence in the youth, because anarchism is basically bourgeois ideology and effectively does nothing but to support the state and capitalism, providing for the necessary pretexts to repress the people’s movement.
I cannot imagine that you don‘t know better than that. So, then why do you spread lies about the KKE? Is it really so important for you to combat communism that you cannot stick to the truth?
I would like an answer to this.
Well I know for a fact that the KKE is a classic Marxist-Leninist ( Stalinist ) party. That means they work on bureaucratic ( in opposition to democratic ) centralism and they glorify the Soviet-Union, and former Stalinist states.
The Communist Party of Greece is a Stalinist party. That is for sure since they just rehabilitated Stalin. Like many stalinists they are dogmatic and they view themselves are ‚‘leaders'‘ of the revolution. Factions are not allowed and communists who become too critical are removed from the party. This is how stalinists since 1928 work.
Some Greece workers may believe the KKE. But for a genuine workers party, the KKE must stop their Stalinist dogma. Workers don‘t need a party who glorify Stalin.
It is amazing ! In every corner of the www, in every aspect of real and internet world, the paid subservients of this monstrous party are doing their propaganda.
Check out the above’s servant comment approach : Direct opposition to the columnist, usage of sharp worlds against the „other side“, and always the tricky comment about „anticommunism“.
Really mate?
Everyone who is criticizing KKE is anticommunist ?
Goebbels and Stalin taught you well.
This political party is something more than a religion and is polluting Greek society and it’s potential of making the breakthrough in these difficult situations.
I encourage all civilized people who’s is interested in observing this Sectarian party to read other correspondingly comment propaganda.
Reviewing the allegations one-by-one:
1. >
---The PCF held 21% of the vote in 1968 and its influence contributed to a situation in which wealth and power were being gradually redistributed. May 68 helped destroy that. Its leaders have become pro-Eurocrat pro-banker libertarians (e.g., Cohn-Bendit) or have descended into advocating extreme ecologism or cultural libertinism. Now no party to the Left of the PS consistently has 5% support. I would rather live in the France of De Gaulle-Thorez/Marchais than of Sarko-Hollande.
2. >
---It is not the same as the CDU, obviously it is more feminist with an outspoken feminist writer as gen-sec for the last 21 years. However, I might read this line as „KKE and CDU have about the same view of gay rights or the nuclear family“. That might be true. So what? The proletarian revolution is not achieved by irrational lifestyles or communitarianism, in fact, these phenomena are most advanced in the most bourgeois-imperialist societies.
3. >
---I have never had a problem with Communists as an American. It is the European centre-left that is the most arrogant, as they make fun of Americans in a snobbish manner, while supporting different versions of the same imperialism.
4. >
---Stop physically attacking them or irresponsibly attacking the police, provoking mass violence, and maybe you will get along better. That is why successful revolutions are DISCIPLINED.
5. >
---Oh, okay! So you are against sectarianism in general, but it is okay to PHSYICALLY attack groups you disagree with not because they phsyically attack you but because you resent their power and influence and don‘t agree with the way they use it?
But if you threaten such things in person and are phsyically attacked or removed first, then it is the work of „Stalinist thugs“, right?
So Stalin is bad for supposedly killing 10 million, but you would have killed everyone against the revolution or leading the revolution in a wrong direction (100 million?)??
Nuff read. Lol.
Wow…the thread that refuses to die. Quickly…
Mr. Hirschfeld: Admittedly not having done the possibly expected homework to cross check the political programmes of both organizations, I guided myself by the fact that the DKP/SDAJ regularly invite speakers from the KKE over here to talk about events in Greece. Considering the sectarianism of the KKE (no participation in common demonstrations or rallies, no participation in assemblies, demanding that all struggles be organized along their „fronts of struggles,“ and now the new highlight of even refusing to *meet* with Syriza), I found it a fair assumption that they have platforms similar enough as to allow for friendly relations.
Good enough?
Thomas…I was going to answer the points one by one, but after re-reading them, Im pretty sure there isnt much common ground for a debate with somebody who thinks the uprising of May 68 was a counter-revolutionary turn of events. Just a quick little history lesson here…the country was paralyzed by a strike, and it was the PC dominated unions which were crucial in preventing the development of a truly revolutionary scenario.
Finally…you all need to stop your panicked attempts to paint our criticism of the KKE as just some sort of cheap anti-communism. A quick look at our literature, the symbolism we use, the struggles we are in solidarity with, and even the groups and organizations we collaborate with (the SDAJ are even among them!) will quickly show that this is an absurd accusation. If you want to argue, bring content, not strawmen.