A proletarian note: Charlie Hebdo - Hamid Moradei

A proletarian note : Imperialism, Islamism and Barbarism

Islamism

When the modern barbarism is posing its dreadful nature in the heart of Parisian daily life that lasted approximately 5 minutes, the result is terrifying massacre or execution of the editorial staff of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in January 7. Tragically, the heinous terrorist bloodbath in Paris by Islamists gives a glimpse of daily life in the Islamic the periphery of capital, such as, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syrian, Iraq, Libyan, Yemen... . Islamism as an ideological, military and social phenomenon is a direct descendant of imperialist advance and chronic and the eternal socio-political waves of capitalistic crisis in the Islamic periphery of capitalist world since the WWI.

The imperialist/capitalist relationships formed are the only way to fully distil the power of Islamist barbarism in the shape of Al-Quade, IS savagery and bloodbath as a part of its main manifestations: "Seven armed men dressed in military camouflage entered an army-run school in Peshawar, went from class to class, telling kids to say their prayers before shooting them at point-blank range, beheading some, and burning a teacher alive. The massacre left 148 people dead, including 132 children." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2875729/Up-20-dead-500-children-teachers-taken-hostage-Taliban-gunmen-storm-military-run-school-Pakistan.html

The size and scope of the Islamic barbarism for millions of people in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan... need to be understood in the capitalist/imperialist framework of a world that has given birth to this monstrous savagery with its doctrine rooted in man's violent break with its savage past; from a historical point of view humanity was moving from its prehistory to the class society of civilization with the religion as one of its breaking point with itself. The self introduction of imperialistic mode of capitalist system to the pre-capitalist and decaying Islamic areas brought along historically socio-economic changes to the region. However the capitalist system was never able to revolutionise the entire socio-political status of “nation-state” created in the course of imperialist configuration of the old world, because of its inherent and historical limitations: Imperialistic operation of capital was a clear signal on its historically objective limitation as a general mode of production, i.e., capital had already entered into its declining period when it was installing itself in the old world; pre Ottoman area.

Contrary to the dominant ideological vision of the ruling capitalist class and its political elite, historic change in the sphere of production and social reproduction system did not mean an objective/subjective break with pre-capitalist social system for this Islamic periphery. On the contrary, the complete foundation of “national-states” in this periphery of the capitalist world rests on the coexistence of modern and ancient set of social reproduction and the semi-compulsory ideologization of traditional religions (Islam) has been the hallmark for this part of the world.

Thus, the ideological Islam, e.g., Islamism, it has functioned unconditionally as a dominant tool in the hands of the ruling classes of the existing centre-periphery relation of the world capitalist system, for controlling and concurring the heart and mind of the proletarian masses in implementing their geopolitical, regional and national class interests. Despite the fact that the Islamism was forged as a double edge sword for the imperialist powers, the dominant imperialist powers have with no exception utilized every opportunity opened up by Islamism, to defeat the masses, for persuasion of their own interest.

The entire Islamic periphery, as a sort of imperialist “nation-state/s” reshaping of the region, has never been free from destructiveness and misery of wars or conflicts since the imperialistic presence of capitalism in the region after the end of the World War I. Even the short period of the re-construction period, which followed the WWII, was not protected from the bloodbath and destruction of regional or local wars and conflicts; Moreover, the re-emerging economic crisis of the capitalist world in the early 1970s which highlighted the difficulties of the capitalist system in maintaining the cycle of capital accumulation in accordance with the worldwide socio-economic performance of capital as a whole: A performance that is driven form the valorisation of capital circulation; how to counteract the downward-sloping the rate of profit curve. The impact and repercussion of economic crises combined with the devastating consequences of imperialist intervention during and after the Cold War era in the Islamic periphery galvanized the Islamization process of the whole Islamic periphery.

In this context, capitalism managed to create a monster, Islamism, which is adjusted to its imperialist needs and demands that are in turn connected to how and where to access, control and exploit oil/gas reserves and raw/cheap materials in this region. Ironically it seems that the fictive characters of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein finally found horrific and real depiction in an Imperialistic capitalist world, in the shape of objective existence of the capitalism and Islamic reality.

In contrast to the variety of trivial peace theories such as of Thomas Friedman's Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention (The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century), the entire Islamic periphery has been exposed to wars and conflicts for more than almost century. This has been the result of the imperialistic presence of capitalist powers’ real politic in the region, since the early 1900s: The basis for the ceaseless socio-political crisis in the region is related to 1) the re-emerging economic crisis of the capitalist world in the early 1970s and 2) a century long of imperialist/capitalist exploitation and intervention in the Islamic periphery; this lead simultaneously to the establishment of Islamism as an ideologically political solution for the management of crisis and war-affected region.

Compared to the appearance and rise of Fascism/racism in the centre of the capital, Islamism is dedicated means and aims for the (local) ruling classes, who are ruined or shattered by the negativity of the capitalist class society; the total absence of perspective on resolving the social-economical crisis locally or regionally. In the final analysis, the super structural gallery, which is at the disposal of capitalistic classes, i.e., Fascism, Islamism or class divided Democratism, are ideological-political set ups for keeping running the exploitative wheel of the class based civilization, i.e., the obsolete capitalist system of social reproduction.

Of course, in a quest for how to run the existing class society, the ruling classes get into conflict with each other over their lion’s share or managerial issues. And of course, the ruling classes use/abuse each faction’s shortcomings or political method to maximize its own strategy of predomination of humanity/global society, i.e., the roots of inter class power struggles and wars that are initiated within the ruling elites. How, where and who has to process the petrodollars that are generated within the Islamic periphery and the geostrategic importance of oil/gas reserves play a key role for contradictions within the centre-Islamic periphery relation. Of course, Islamism is also utilized on/off as an effective destabilization force against rival imperialist set ups or states: Khomeinism in Iran against an eventual pro Russian regime replacement in 1979, Mujahidin against the Russian imperialist block in 1980s, Al-Qaede in Libya in 2011, the IS and Al-Qaede in Syria-2013…

Imperialism

The barbaric terrorist attacks of September 11, and how the incident was maximally used/abused by the US imperialism to justify an opening of a new imperialist phase after the end of the cold war, through military invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. As well documented history of the Al-Qaeda/IS proves, how these Islamist organizational structures were built, become operational and supported in main by the national states of Saudi Arabia, Qatari, Turkish…, which are, in turn, permanent member of the imperialist network of the West. Regardless of how and when Islamism in the form ideological-political output such as Al-Qaeda, IS or Khomeinism essentially can seduce, hypnotized and intoxicate self alienated proletarian masses by the rabid Islamist toxicity to challenge the rival imperialist powers, the confrontation is an inter class issue: It is a dead end path for the working class both in the center and periphery to be concerned about.

It seems that the ruling classes in the EU with France in the lead are planning to grab the golden opportunity, Charlie Hebdo massacre, which was delivered by Al-Qaeda at its doorsteps, to utilize for strengthening the sate machineries and consequently their imperialistic ambitions; It is evident that the implementation of law enforcement improvements and strengthening the mass monitoring of the population should start or pick up on them already running both on the national and the EU context. And internationally, French imperialism will continue to persuade its militaristic intervention/war in Libya, Mali, Niger and the Middle East. As the US did with the lunching war in Afghanistan and “Operation Iraqi Freedom” after September 11 led to havoc in the region and destabilization of the Middle East as a whole.

Thus it is not strange, when French President Francois Hollande declares: “Nothing can divide us, nothing should separate us.” (http://www.ibtimes.com/charlie-hebdo-paris-shooting-france-marks-national-day-mourning-photos-1777410) Relying on our cash memory, gained from the US and September 11 attack, suggests that:

• National unity means to collect the entire population to support the state terror and the means of repression that are going to be unlashed both internationally and nationally upon us; to support or defend the democratic capitalistic-state on the name of mythical national unity.

• We shall observe more open imperialist reconfiguration of the world from the geostrategic point of interest, i.e., imperialist rivalry. The EU and France will establish imperialist dimensions in addressing threats coming from the rival Russian-China imperialist network.

The proletariat

Tragedy is upon the working class, the proletariat as a whole: The inter class war or retaliation among the different factions or gangers of ruling classes, normally take its victims from the proletarian masses: In this case the clash between Islamism/Al-Qaeda and French democratic-state/imperialism has taken as usual its victims from the proletariat in the centre of the capitalist order. Thus, the agents and victims of this unspeakable massacre are coming from the same social class with the only difference that agents belonging perhaps to the lumpenproletariat.

However, this horrible disaster must not in any way create an illusion or temptation to allow the ruling class to seduce us with so-called national unity, i.e., subjugation to the ruling class interests. For the proletariat the only unity, which is feasible and applicable, is its own class identity and revolutionary perspective on local and international arena. Once we unconsciously exchange our class identity, unity and perspective with the national unity imposed on us by the ruling class, then the bloodbath, massacre and modern barbarism will be undoubtedly upon us.

Hamid Moradei
Stockholm, January 2015
http://aproletariannote.com/charlie-hebdo/