We are seeing, yet again, the emerging trends of resistance among the masses of people around the world. From Niger, Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso, in Palestine, Nepal, Yemen, from France, Greece, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, to even here on Turtle Island, people are forming organizations, developing mass movements, putting forward slogans and engaging in political action.
But what is the quality of these actions?
We hear a discussion of "Multipolarity" amongst all of this, coming mainly from China, but also other organizations around the globe, Socialist, Communist, and otherwise.
But what does this imply?
Is there really one "unipolar" power? Can the US, or others, truly rule on its own?
Was not globalization a historic trend of Feudalism, Capitalism and Imperialism, as well?
Isn't Capitalism "multipolar" until it becomes Imperialism, and monopolistic?
What is the material difference between "multipolarity" and globalization, Capitalist multipolarity, and Socialist multipolarity?
Can multipolarity be assumed to be necessarily a positive thing, or can it also be a negative thing?
We see that the struggles around the world are growing, some explicitly Socialist in character, others more nationalistic, but all are real manifestations of the call of oppressed people for liberation. The main question is, whose interests will win out?
An example mentioned above of such struggles are the popular uprisings, led by the military in West Africa, that have been supported by their populace, in general, far more than any neo-colonial or Imperialist-led administration. We can see that they have a genuine anti-imperialist tendency among them, and that they, like others, have decidedly stoop up against Imperialism by taking even these such steps. Sadly, however, we've seen such things before, had hope before, believed before, and many are afraid to believe again. Folks feel they know how this story goes: Isolated, alone, and without support, these nations are left to fend for themselves in an ever-advancing Imperialist world. But does this necessarily need to be true? We know that nations such as Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, China, Vietnam, Laos, Zimbabwe, and others face unilateral economic threats by the US + Europe, known as "sanctions" that cripple their ability to produce and sell anything; we also know that these sanctions aren't the only form of threats that these and other nations face. We know that Haiti faces another occupation, and the world is facing another nuclear war - but is this simply a death sentence for all of the above?
What we are witnessing is yet another outgrowth of what we call the Class Struggle.
Class Struggle, like all things, is not always (or rarely) straight forward, it comes in zigs and zags, and in many cases, what sometimes looks like a revolution is a US-backed coup, and sometimes what looks like just another military coup is really a popular uprising led by military forces, or even, a Socialist Revolution. Some struggles remain stagnant, unended, some led by the military, others by so-called "Parties" of a Liberal, Social Democratic, or even Socialist sort, and are taken advantage of, overthrown, manipulated, or kept tied down for some time.
But the situation in West Africa, and all of Africa, is one which has yet to come to a full resolution, and I doubt African people will allow themselves to sit idly by while they continue to face threats from all around them. Though, in the past, Africa, Asia and Latin America have been repackaged a Capitalist enterprise known as Neo-Liberalism, supposedly to save them; they've been overthrown, manipulated, or segregated and isolated, we cannot say for certain that this is what will happen today.
The US, France, and ECOWAS have said they will take "necessary actions" some willing to invade, with Nigeria and others putting forward support, and others like Chad standing against such actions. 3 African nations - Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger - have said an attack against one, likely Niger, will be considered an attack against all, and that they will stand resolute against any threats, invasions, or occupations. Many of us stand watch, but is this "revolutionary enough" for some of us Westerners? OF COURSE NOT!
So, let's ask ourselves: What is the main problem facing oppressed people?
The lack of political power.
Now I'm not saying that these uprisings NECESSARILY have or will lead to popular control of the economy, political structure, military, education, healthcare, etc. by the masses...but, one thing is certainly clear, by bringing these contradictions and questions to the fore once again these leaders (intentionally or not) are, in a way, opening up the door for both Counter-Revolution and Socialist Revolution. Neither is a given, and it's looked like this before, but with the invocation of Che Guevara to the Red Beret of Thomas Sankara donned on the new leader of Burkina Faso; to the demands of Mali and Niger to remove the French; discussion to end uranium transfers to France and Europe; the formation of Defense of the Nation committees; the strong stand against the failure of foreign forces to rid the African continent of the problems that Europe and the US brought to them, all create a situation where the masses of people can be conscientized, organized further, and brought into more militant struggles for political power.
But they can also be overthrown as Libya was, or as the Soviet Union was, or like Burkina Faso after the assassination of Thomas Sankara by Blaze Compare and his co-conspirators.
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Multipolarity already exists. Globalization already happened, has happened, many times over.
The world already operates on an international framework, but one that is Imperialist in nature and dominated by a few.
The natural tendency of people internationally to relate and trade, war or build with one another cannot be stopped by any Imperialist, or Socialist, except by finishing what has yet to be concluded: ending the exploitation and oppression of the majority by a tiny, insignificant yet vastly wealthy and powerful minority of Capitalists and Imperialists.
We know what geopolitics, globalization, and multipolarity looks like as China, Russia, the US, Europe, and others battle it out in different spaces, economically, politically, or militarily, but we don't know what a truly Socialist and Revolutionary world looks like...yet!
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In this period of Imperialism, neo-Fascism and neo-Colonialism, it is important to investigate all contradictions, to avoid any lapse in judgement, to ignore presupposed ideas from ourselves or others, and to work diligently and tirelessly to understand the world around us concretely.
In Africa, the masses must not be held back by anyone.
In Asia, the masses must not be held back by anyone.
In Latin America, the masses must not be held back by anyone.
Around the globe, the masses must not be held back by anyone.
We must not be held back by anyone, anything, any idea, or any confusion, disorganization, division, or anything else - we have a responsibility to the masses of children and oppressed people of all ages to fight for an end to this system, once and for all. This fight will be determined not by the strength of our ideas, alone, but by the means by which the Imperialists chose to fight, and how we chose to respond.
All Power to the People!
Vive la Revolucion! A bas France
A bas United States! Down with Imperialism! El Pueblo, unido, jamas sera vencido!