unity and the The East German bureaucrats, like Humpty Dumply, sat on the Wall: but will the workers let Kohl rebuild capitalism? new European order SUPPLEMENT
Red Army like the GDR, problems in simply transferring it to the deformed workers' states where a socialised economy had been created simply by the occupation of the Page 17 Stalin. Even if Stalin's decisions theless the GDR remained half a On the orber hand it was also a country. It centred on the creation of problems in simply transferring it to state where historically the hopes for the Left had always been highest whole of this century has been the A major problem with the schema fitted a degenerated workers" state stage the moves towards statisation country. effectively under occupa- The dream of revolutionaries for the establishment of socialism in an ad- nature of the politival forces present inside the bureaucrcy. But much more importintly it would be deter- muted by the level of working class consciousness, and the ability of tre working class to construct an edu- cated and organised political force to like the USSR. thoro were major the deformed workers' states like the GDR, where a socialised economy had heen created simply by the oc- cupation of the Red Army. At every were decreed by were forced by imperialism, none- provide a democratic socialist alter- has always heen that while it easily industrialised, of the economy vanced native. cither the restoration of capitalism. The outcome of these alternatives possibilities facing the Soviet Union and the other post-capitalist states - or the revolutionary overthrow of the bureaucracy by the working class, followed by the extablistiment of In the first scenario, significant sections of the hureaucracy would grasp the opportunities to enrich themselves and hecome part of the now capitalis class. As a matter of necessity they would struggle for the destruction of the bureaucracy as the would be determined partly by the socialists is whether this will all end up in pro-capitalist potential of the destruction of the Stalinist dictatorships. THE CURRENT UPHEAVALS in Eastern Europe have posed socialists with difficult questions. It is often said that there has never been a better time to be a Trotskyist - indeed even the 'Guardian' recently admitted that much of what is happening confirms Trotsky's theory of the However a nagging question on the minds of many counterrevolution. Here PETER THOMPSON argues strongly against defeatist interpretations of the unification of Germany, and explores the progressive From bureaucrats to capitalists? democrabic socialism. SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 29, December/January 1990/91 ruling stratin. and degenerated worker's states requires Marxists to re-examine We have to ask whether there is anything worth defending in Easter Europc, and this means we must un- tween progressive and regressive aspects of the Fartem European As an example of this it is useful to look at the fate of the GDR and the unification of Germany While cach country is different, the GDR embodies many "classical' aspects of Trotskyists have always main- tained that there were two historical THE DEMISE of the deformed ravel the dialectical relationship be- counterrevolution. Here some of our basic conceptions. the deformed workers states. political revolution! акрост
tion of the reforms from above and the consequent revolutions Marxists is how this process develop in the direction we from below. The question for will develop and, more impor tant, how can we make it SUPPLEMENT revolutionary German regime which would come of the beleagured Soviet Union and lorm the basis of 3 world socialist order. Lenin and Trotsky argued from the rescue
the developments in Eastern regressive often follows the as the The fact is that Gorhachev, al- though trying to force through objectively anti-working-class policies, has had to introduce inth- pears that the capitalist restora- tion scenario is the only one which can win. I argue strongly that the developments in cast- om Europe could lum out to he The debate about whether At a superficial level it ap entirely positive, despite ap are progressive on Gorbachev. have same sterile course which pearances, measures Europe debates culminated in the Scoond tury the objective conditions of the productive forces and world. It was this danger to for socialism have existed in Germany. The development port for Hitler and which socialism in the Soviet In inter-war Germany the cally most advanced in the the interational bourgeoisie day one of the Russian Oc- tober revolution that if Ger- many did not join them then working class grew to be- which prompted their sup Throughout the 20t) cen- come the largest and politi Union would he doomed. World War.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 29, December/January 1990/91 underdeveloped perialism, but the existence of could integrate sectors of the work- the advanced countries into welfare countrics. This war compounded by solutely no interest in promoting socialist revolution, and doing every- Most socialists should not need reminding that the list of defeats in- working class by Stalinist machinations is long and in- repression in Eastern Europe has also and Western Europe. There is one fact which should always he home in mind when examining the collapse of one party rule in the Sovict Union and Easter Europe: that the single major obstacle to world socialist revolution was not the Western media or the success of US im- Stalinism and its objectively and Imperialism could only be so suc- cessful hecause it was measured against the tyranny of an apparently "socialist" system. Because of that, it ing class and its reformust leaders in capitalim, while mercilessly ex- the Soviet bureaucracy having ab- capacity and readiness of the revolutionary activity in both Eastern anti-revolutionary thing it could to stifle it worldwide. workers to fight for their interests. Stalinist betrayals new possibilities New possibilities The throwing off the socialisation of labour Housing will be an immediate problem for Germany revolutionary period in which all of the certainties of the post-war world This culminated in 1953 with the workers' uprising. The ship. After the arrest of Beria in the USSR the leadership of the SED (Fast German CP) was porged in favour of hard-line Stalinists who would end talk of reunification and mination of the workers was subor- dinated to the self-preservation of the We are now living through a new play ball over cupied zone was the completion of unification of the two workers parties and moves towards establishment of Soviet power in the would he in complete command; and b) when it war clear that the West reparation. At every stage it was the West which determined the state of play and it was the German working class who paid the price for geo- workers quickly raised the demand for German reunification and all- German clections. This could not be allowed by the new Soviet leader- consolidate the GDR. Self-deter- have been cast aside by the combina the bourgeois revolution of 1848' Stalinists could be sure that they 1953 uprising political manipulation. the rank and file of the SPD and the the end of the war were hrken up hy Stalin's KPD stooges under the prevented. Stalin's policy of peaceful carve the world up most any other country. However, generalised slump of the capitalist cial and political upheaval in Ger- many it was the Nazis who were hest able to profit from it. Socialism was discredited by the perfomance of the Social Democrats (who in 1918-19 putt down the revolution led by the Spartacists and the UPD): and hy the horrors of Stalinism in the Soviet that, the Social Democrats (SPD) and Communists (KPD) emerged as the strongest political forces in post-wur Germany: In 1945 a great desire existed within KPD to merge and create a socialist leadership of Ulbricht. The unifica- coexistence and agreements with in meant that Soviet policy in their oc the subjective element, the unity and revolutionary consciousness of the working class, has been fatally hampered by those traditional twin enemies, reformist social democracy world in the 1930s brought about so- Socialism discredited which sprung up spontancously two parties Germany as soon as possible. has been greater than in al- tion of the anti-revolutionary major obstacle to Stalinism and its imperialism, but the existence of not the Western objectively and world socialist revolution was success of US media or the *The single subjectively policies" Page 18
SUPPLEMENT scale. It sceks to switch its attention away from the Soviet threat" lo upheaval in the third world, and the instability caured by rocossion in the where it is necessary to give the cooperation and integration. Ir has global strategic mles. This project is US but also from those forces in The US has recognised the im- In order to switch attention else- green light for increased European reduced the importance of the Atlan- tic Alliance in relation to other US meeting with some resistance, not only within hardline circles in the portance of perestroika away from the tionary obstacle and robs the West of its "favourite enemy'. It also breaks famous. The collapse of Stalinism up the hine syatem which has been order is not arbitrary, but organically round of inter-imperialist rivalry is- not only removes a counter-revolu- central to the stabilization of im: perialist hegemony in the post-war The collapse of the old world linked to the long world oconomic crisis and the reappearance of serious suing from gencralised oconomic crisis will make the upheavals of the first balf of this century look like a inter-imperialist rivalry This new
Marxists have always maintained that the division of the world and the dual hegemony of the US and the econone collapse and crisis would peniod of turmoil. And this in tum depends to sume extent on the way USSR was not immutable - and that at some stage overtake it. We have always said thar this collapse was a precondition for real social change: Crisis key to change. which socialists act, and on It's the free market, not paradise! analysis which they have It is for this reason that Thatcher commitment to the maintenance of troops in Western Europe. IL was hardly imagine that her objection to Western Europe which see the Atlan- tic connection as the fundamental political and economic comerstone opposed so vehemently any reduc- tions in defence spending or US why she gave such a grudging wel come to German unification (one can unification is on the basis that it might produce a right wing govern- ment!) Her rcalism enabled her to see through the short-term cuphoria to the dangers for capital which le ahead if Wenter Europe drifts out of of capitalist hegemony. enormous economic, social and The post-war settlement was built garden party. It will bring with it an political upheaval - the breeding upon the cosy relationship between the Soviet burcaucracy and US im-: dination of various areas of the have broken this world order. Thur the revolutions of 1989-90 are far more fundamental and wide reaching perialism - and the attempted subor- The upnsings in Eastern Europe than the 1968 events; they are likely to have far more damaging conse- quences for the world system of ex- ploitation. This is bocause the East world to this dual hegemony- ground of revolution.
the revolutions of "The uprisings in Eastern Europe have broken this world order. Thus 1989-90 are far more fundamental and wide reaching than the 1968 Where we perhaps made a mistake was often tacitly assuming that the crisis in the West would come first. The assumption was often made that we could then expon "real socialism" to the East by encouraging political It was correct in say that the na- ture of revolution in Fast and West will be different. in other words, sp- cial revolution in the West, political in the Fast. But political revolution in the East always had to come before there was any hope of social The Marxist analysis of the dual crisis of the imperialist centres and revolution in the West. desire to shut out the possibility of It is clear that the major obstacle to German unification since 1945 has not been the Soviet Union's desire lo hold onto the GDR, but the West's Soviet-West European cooperation: This could have led to the switching of European economic dependence Irom the dollar arca to the Soviet derpinned the Cocom agreements ogy to the USSR) and has been the political motivation for all switches in strategic military relations within (which prevent the export of technol- Union. It is this fear which has un derpinned the East also means that its restraining bureaucracy's material ability to im- European uphcavals come at a time of serious economic crisis for world capitalism, and indeed are related to the effect of that crisis on the deformed workers' states. The col- lapse of Stalinist hegemony in the Perestroika represents a deepening of peaceful co-existence and betrayal of revolution. But on the other hand it influence aver the world working- class will be diminished accordingly. Thus a very profound and sig nificant contridiction has emerged. Peaceful coexistence
likely to have far consequences for events; they are more damaging the world system of exploitation" Page 19 the post-capitalist boreaucracies has Far from being the 'end of history" Fukuyama has recently contended, the present collapse in the respective hegemonics of East and West repre- sents an unfreezing of the locked" system which came out of the post- The post-war period has been characterised by a division not only now been proved completely correct. and the final victory of capitalism", Class struggle When the British government says that in order for Nato to remain ercise the political role which it has which emerges from this present relevant in the post-wall er" it must emphasise its political role, they are rcally saying that it must openly ex- always operated coverlly of main- The unification of Germany and Europe represent potentially entirely depends on the nature of the Europe laining 115 hegemony over Europe. developments. SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 29, December/January 1990/91 desires and orders emanating from Moscow. From Yugoslavia to China, to Vietnam, Cuba and Nicaragua - on their own rosources and be able fo All of the successful revolution- ary transformations since 1945 have taken place against the express those revolutions have succeeded pose that hetrayal. EKevolutionary movements will now he thrown hack act more independently of Moscow against the instructions coming from
'Lebensraom" (living space) in reunification of Germany bring all of * hegemonic US, but i retum to post-war period actually marks the tober last year and the invitable 1925, when the struggle berween The real danger is that the end of the The events in Germany since De- not to 1945 and a new "Marshall In this sense 1990 marks a return Plan " for Eastern Europe provided by Eastem Europe ended in the bar barism of the Second World War. A new pre-war period? beginning of a pre-war period. imperialism cheap labour. centres of the working class, East and and the prospects for furthering socialist revolution must al- ways come before questions of self-determination. But equally we must recognise bacon but as a warning light The collapse of Stalinism tunities to revolutionaries, not because we have some ahstract tional unification but because it provides the basis for the unity For us the social question and idealistic attachment to na reat oppor- SUPPLEMENT therefore ollers 1 of "socialism'.
will be determined hy the course of seen, the course of those revalutions will be determined by the quality of The main danger for humenity is in Central and the issues 1 have mentioned above tention that history has now ended, Easter Europe show that it is just The course that history will take those revolutions and, as we have tinction to Fukuyama's recent con- back on to the agenda. In contradis getting going again after the long in leadership of To imagine, as most bourgeois that the mufication will simply be a tionary action and bring shout workers tend to lum to other, non- socialist, "Libration' movements and many, therefore, national unification was be the tactic hut working-class analysts and commentators now do: simple and smooth matter of incor- creases greatly. In the case of Ger- that the denial of national self- greatest hindrance to revolu the danger of national chauvinism in determination can be general disillusionment. It is in this situation unity must be the strategy. How long will it work? Kohl pursues the voters of power in a post- capitalist state is the weight of the bureaucracy and its That the hureaucracy resisted for so long and with such repression, relative to the imperialist centres of the West, is to he explained by the fact that to lose control of the levers hetween states and socielies but also within the working class. In the East ment of worker's democracy and communism has been held back by the political struggle for the develop- clinging onto its privileged position.
"socialism or barbarism", the latter having just as great if not greater potentiality than the former. The that the lessons of the last period of some form of trol and hold down a reinvigorated movement. If the left were to enter this new period as divided and unprepared as it was in 1925 only way to avend that fade is to militaristic, authoritarian or even have not been learnt and that the in- semi-fascist means to reimpose con- inter-imperialist temational bourgepisie that danger again reach for lapsed preciscly hecause the process of unification is not as simple and unilincar as bourgeois commentators knew all along that it would cost an happy capitalist German Tamily is to fail to understand nature of the economic crisis facing the Western economies. Such a view also fails to grasp the limits the crisis places on "recapitalisation"; and the resistance which will inevitahly come from the majority of the working class in the The first GDR government col would have had us believe. They marcisation resulting in onc this in the name of Marcism, rhetorical justification, basing itself socialism and helped hold back the hold onto administrative control of socicty. Because the hureaucracy has post-capitalist societies, it has been forced to do munism. It is prociscly this empty in socialist phrascology. that has. access to material bureaucracy is not a property owning class, but a parasitic layer, it must its roots in the nationalised property class struggle in Wester Burope. Leninism, socialism and relations of the smooth matter of privatisation and "To imagine that resulting in one will simply be a incorporation, the unification marketisation simple and big happy
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 29, December/January 1990/91 This is not the time for socialists new realism we should recognise is the realism of materialist analysis • Peler Thompson writes Jor deepen the fight for socialism - at a time when the death of Stalinism and the crisis of imperialist capitalism to back down from the struggle in the name of "new realism'. The only opens up new revolutionary oppor Labour Focus on Eastern Europe and revolutionary action. stagnation' under Brezhnevite and Keynesian social contracts means a retur to inter-imperialist rivalry and The end of the bipolar world and the relative stability of the "ycars of the struggle for scarce resources and extraordinary amount but are only now beginning to admit it. The workers of the GDR have now received their firit taste of the reality Those who predict only demoralisa- lion and defeat are giving up the of promises made in the 'free West". struggle in advance: Nowhere has this been more so the case than in West Germany. ganised working class in Europe was reduced to relative passivity and ac- ceptance of the capitalist status quo by the presence of the GDR, not as a At every attempt to introduce socialism in Western Europe (and there were procious few of thosc) or even criticise Wester policy, the response has often been "hugger off where the most powerful and hest or- Warning light to the Soviet Union'. capitalist German family is to fail to economic crisis nature of the economies" understand facing the Western Page 20
Beijing on August 30 that for the first half of the amount of deficit increased 4.6% over 1980; in 1988, the increase was 26.6%. The 1989 statistical communique quite extraor- The China News Agency reported from 1990, 33% of all enterprises Were running at a deficit. Wen Hui Bao, on August 28. reported dinarily bypassed the situation.