Dear comrades, dear friends,
We address our deep gratitude to Anti-Imperialist Action for organizing so successfully this commemoration of the great 1916 Easter Rising. We are very proud to be among the many guests from many countries that have been gathered here on such an occasion.
We are in a period of intensifying imperialist contradictions. This raises the question: what can the weak and dispersed revolutionary movement in Europe do against the war plans of the imperialist bourgeoisie? We humbly and shortly want to address this question from a practical standpoint.
As the imperialists and compradors strengthen their reactionary alliances with each other, we must not remain isolated within our borders. Strong and reliable relationships between revolutionary parties and organizations cannot be built overnight, when we decisively need them. Communication networks, and above all, trust, are not things we can improvise out of nowhere when it’s already too late. With the creation of an international network of revolutionaries, many things become possible: strengths can be shared, weaknesses can be overcome. We want to insist on the fact that a concrete and practical internationalism can make many things possible, but that it is never granted; it takes many years and a lot of effort to develop, and there are no shortcuts. The tactical investments we may make right now to develop revolutionary solidarity across Europe and beyond are a strategic necessity for the future. Let’s not be caught dispersed by the rise of militarism and imperialist wars, but in line.
Practical unity cannot exist without theoretical and ideological unity. Only on the firm ground of shared principles and understandings can parties and organizations be ready to make sacrifices for one another. We cannot expect shallow slogannering or the smallest common denominator to be enough. The communist debate is often seen as more of a waste of time than anything else — it is sometimes the case, when dogmatism replaces the scientific method. However, there are no good excuses not to take this work into our own hands, to build the basis of an ever-higher unity. Of course, this process is not possible if not linked to concrete experiences in every country. Questions can be answered only when they arise in the reality of the struggle, not on blog sites. This being said, we must never remain satisfied with a degree of unity that is not the highest possible. It will not arise out of nowhere, it is a work to be done as seriously as any other work. Each imperialist war creates new debates and draws new demarcation lines between the opportunists and the revolutionaries. We must not flee those debates or blur those demarcation lines. This struggle is the condition of any successful practical unity.
Overcoming practical and theoretical dispersion, confusion and disorganization among revolutionaries from different countries is our main duty in front of the new period of imperialist wars and people’s struggle. For this struggle, as well as for every other, we want to stress the necessity to build cadre parties in every country where the Revolutionary Party does not already exist. To heighten our practical and theoretical work, we do not see any other path than the patient construction of a cadre party within class struggle. It is never too soon to make it the priority, especially in our new period. The work that remains to be done on the international level is impossible if it’s not already done by every organization on the national level.
Let us remind ourselves that there can be no communist leadership without a communist cadre vanguard to be this leadership, neither in the spontaneous mass struggle nor in a broad front of many organizations; and, there can be no cadre vanguard able to conquer communist leadership without cadre training in a disciplined and centralized cadre organization.