3rd pole anti-imperialism against war and reaction

The following article ( Imperialism, local reaction and the duty of communists) and subsequent discussion was let known to us by an anonymous poster from redFlags, specifically how the piece and discussion raises concepts of Iranian resistance to both imperialist efforts by the US as well to the reactionary IRI (Islamic Republic of Iran).

The piece by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Iran (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist) looks at this resistance in the context of a possible attack by the US on Iran, a possibility that is on many lips here in belly of the beast as well as internationally.

Not willing to play fortune teller, I wouldnt make claims with assurance that the US will strike at Iran, but given some of the neo-cons positions (neo-con and far-right Zionist, D. Pipes, who previously stated,”The eruption of civil war in Iraq would have many implications for the West. It would likely: Invite Syrian and Iranian participation, hastening the possibility of an American confrontation with those two states, with which tensions are already high“) and the Bush faction of the ruling class, well, why not think that such a possibility isn’t on the horizon. Shoot, even Martin Walker said on the Aug 17^th edition of the McLaughlin Group, Bush “will bomb before he leaves office”.

I think the importance here lays in two issues, 1) given the pitiful track record of the anti-war “movement”, what response from the radical and revolutionary forces is necessary in the face of current saber rattling and/or possible attack, 2) what is our analysis of the different forces at play, specifically, the forces that get lumped into the generic anti-imperialist category. With regards to the later question, as revolutionary antifascists and libertarian socialists (from social rev anarchist to left communist to beyond), what constitutes an “anti-imperialist” praxis.

The article and following debate, while suffering from the typical cultish communist version of “What would Jesus do?” (but instead substitute Mao or Lenin or Stalin or Avakian for Jesus) raises insights into the situation that may aid us in developing our own critical perspectives on the war and power plays among the capitalist players.

Below are excerpts from the initial CCCPI document,

“With the intensification of the contradictions between the US and the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), the possibility of a military attack on Iran has become the main question in Iran and the world political scene…

Today the political confrontation between the IRI and the US plays a powerful role in shaping the political stance and tendencies of the various strata and classes in Iran…

Obviously, it is not easy to predict how the people would react in the case of a military assault. If and when a war actually breaks out, with everything that would cause, different spontaneous tendencies could emerge. The reality is that the majority of the people, in particular the people in the cities, would not defend the IRI and would remain indifferent in relation to a war between the IRI and the US. But the experience of class struggle shows that such sentiments would not last long. If the advanced and revolutionary forces do not play an active role, the main danger would be that the people will fall victim to the interests of one or another reactionary group. This makes the formation of a revolutionary pole an urgent necessity…

Only an anti-imperialist and anti-reactionary pole could mobilise the people and keep them active. Only by an active policy and putting forward the alternative of the third pole can we create hope and motivation for the masses to participate in deciding their own destiny…

Among Western antiwar forces, we are facing a trend that pays little attention to the class character and the social programme of the reactionary forces resisting the imperialists. They should distinguish between the different forces resisting the imperialists, and take a position in a way that would help the forming of a revolutionary resistance (not a reactionary resistance) against the imperialists.“