Questions of Freedom and People’s Emancipation, by Kobad Ghandy in Tihar Jail

 

Mainstream, VOL L, No 35, August 18, 2012

[Kobad Ghandy from Tihar Jail now writes on the concept of freedom vis-à-vis present-day society as also in relation to a future just order, bringing out some causes for the failure of the erstwhile socialist states. It will comprise a series of five to six articles. —Editor]

PART I — THE CONTEXT

Communism is the return of man himself as a social, i.e. really human being, a complete and conscious return which assimilates all the wealth of previous development. Communism, as a fully developed naturalism, is humanism, and, as a fully developed humanism, is naturalism. It is the DEFINITIVE resolution of the antagonism between man and nature, and between man and man. It is the true solution of the conflict between existence and essence, between objectification and self-affirmation, between freedom and necessity, between individual and species. It is the solution of the riddle of history and knows itself to be this solution. —Karl Marx

Utopian? Maybe. Yet, it sounds like the ultimate in freedom, something toward which one could move towards, step by step. The rose of freedom in the above-mentioned garden, called by any other name, would, no doubt, smell as sweet. It may seem ironical to dream of freedom locked up in a jail within jail (the high-risk ward), with lathi-wielding cops breathing down one’s neck 24 hours a day, denied access to even the normal jail facilities. But dream one must to maintain one’s sanity under such conditions.

Yet FREEDOM… that much abused word. Freedom—around which hundreds of myths have been woven into beautiful-looking intricate webs waiting to entrap us. US, as the ultimate in freedom: free speech; free trade; free association; free thought; et al. And, if perchance we are unable to find freedom here, there is always the escape to religious illusion—moksha, to be acquired in splendid isolation. In all this are we not losing the essence of freedom?

Coming back to this jailed existence, we find some bright spots within the darkness—like the compound attached to our ward covered by a canopy of trees. I sit in silence watching the squirrels prancing around in gay abandon, and listen to the chirping of birds in the tree. Looking at them, they seem so free. But, are they really? I begin to think what really is the meaning of freedom?

My thoughts drift to the time I developed an interest in communism. It was a time in the late 1960s and early seventies when lakhs, nay millions, of youth came to a similar conclusion in their search for freedom and justice. After all, at that time one-third of the world was socialist, and, in addition, Left national liberation movements raged throughout the backward countries. One can safely say that about half the world was under the sway of communism. But today, just forty years later, when the world is going through one of its worst crisis, when the gap between the rich and the poor has never been so wide, the communist existence is insignificant. Though all the conditions exist for it, yet it is unable to captivate the minds of the youth, workers and students. The socialist countries have collapsed, the national liberation movements have been replaced, in many places, by Islamic resistance, and of the millions who have come onto the streets in the West, one can see only a sprinkling of Communists. There continue to be a few communist resistance movements, but even of these, many have collapsed, while a few continue with enormous difficulties, fighting with their backs to the wall. Sitting here in the quietude of the compound, I begin to contemplate the serious implications of what has happened.

Why such a devastating reversal? What happened to our hopes and dreams of a better future? Was it to witness a mafia-type rule in the first ever socialist country, or the billionaire princelings of China, not to mention the tin-pot dictators of earlier East Europe!! Forget the autocratic rulers, why did the masses so easily choose a free market over freedom from want? If there are no clear-cut answers and also solutions, the Communists of today may continue to live ostrich-like in their make-believe worlds; but the people will go their own way.

The reasons given by many an academic for the failures—lack of democracy and development of productive forces—are in no way convincing; so these have little impact on the people.

 If the sensitive amongst the people are unable to find answers in real life, they will once again seek solace in religion and spiritualism.

As Marx put it, “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of an unspiritual world. It is the opium of the people.”

Yes, people are seeking spiritual solace from a crass-materialist consumerist opium, far more potent than earlier religions. Do we not see such a turn not only amongst the deeply alienated middle classes, but even amongst the organised working class? Communism seems no longer an attraction for the youth, as it was for us in the 1960s and 1970s.

Tracing my way back to the cell, through two locked iron gates, I feel that I am returning from the garden of paradise to the real cruel world. My musty cell brings me back to reality—recollections of my past experiences.

Images float before my eyes, some clear, some hazy. Quite naturally the first image to come is of the person with whom I had the longest and deepest relationship—my late wife Anuradha. So lively and chirpy, like the little squirrels, she was straightforward, simple, with few complexes, and her reactions were so spontaneous and child-like (not calculated and cunning). My impression was that probably her inner feelings were very much in tune with her outward reactions; as a result she was closest to what we may call a free person.

Minqi Li on China and Neo Liberalism interviewed in Wall Street Journal

            


Mr. Bo's takedown indicates consensus among Chinese leaders to push ahead with economic liberalization despite growing social problems, said Minqi Li, an economics professor at the University of Utah, who's takedown is aligned with new leftists in calling for more-egalitarian wealth distribution in China.

"The basic message for every layer of government official is that they try to please higher-ups and forget trying to create anything that is positive in the sense of contributing to the livelihood of local people,"

said Mr. Li who helps run redchinacn.net, a popular Maoist website that has been outspoken about Mr. Bo's case.

"In the next few years we could see an acceleration of the various contradictions and the problems and the economic-social crisis," he said.

Political analysts say scenes of blue-collar workers and students embracing Maoist imagery and slogans during officially tolerated anti-Japanese protests in a number of Chinese cities last month underscored leaders' fears that support for the new left could spread.

Many protesters said in interviews the demonstrations were also a way to express dissatisfaction with what they see as weak party leadership and Beijing's inability to protect China's interests.

During the protests in Beijing, one of China's leading new-left thinkers, Han Deqiang, scuffled with an elderly man who Mr. Han said derided Mao. Photos of the incident and a heated discussion spread rapidly online, laying bare deep-seated public divisions over both Mao's legacy and the state's role in the economy.

..............................................................................................................................

In the past three decades, China's economic reforms were little questioned amid double-digit growth and dramatically rising living standards. But during the global economic crisis the new leftists gained a growing voice, according to analysts who have studied the movement.

The new leftists have called attention to a widening wealth gap, government corruption and what they see as exploitation of cheap Chinese labor, raising questions about the effectiveness of current leaders and whether the party has drifted too far from its founding principles. Such questions come as the party prepares for a once-a-decade leadership transition beginning Nov. 8.

As a charismatic politician and onetime candidate for top office, Mr. Bo served as the new left's most powerful champion. From the southwestern city of Chongqing where he served as party chief from 2007 until March 2012, he launched popular social programs to help the city's poor, promoted an aggressive anticorruption campaign and restored Mao-era traditions like the singing of red songs.

Mr. Bo was removed in March from his Chongqing post and subsequently expelled from the Communist Party on Sept. 28. He is likely to face trial on charges of corruption as well as abusing his power during a murder investigation against his wife, Gu Kailai. Ms. Gu in August was convicted of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood at a hotel in Chongqing in November.

State media have worked to sully Mr. Bo's image, painting him as a leader who lived decadently and flouted party guidelines governing officials' behavior.

But his advocates maintain sway online, where many use Sina Corp.'s popular Twitter-like Weibo microblogging service. New-left activist Sima Nan, who has more than a half-million followers, uses the forum to regularly discuss Mr. Bo's case.

It is unclear how extensively popular Maoist websites have been targeted by China's censors as a result of the Bo case. The University of Utah's Mr. Li said the site he works with, redchinacn.net, was first targeted by hackers beginning in mid-March. After Mr. Bo was dismissed from the Politburo in April, leftist websites including his were shut down completely, he said. Mr. Li's site quickly relaunched overseas. Government officials haven't commented publicly about closing any websites.

On Sept. 29, a day after Mr. Bo was expelled from the party, the party-run Guangming Daily newspaper published a commentary on its website saying Mr. Bo's fall ensured the country would never experience another Cultural Revolution, a period of political and social chaos lasting from 1966 to 1976.

Mr. Han, the new-left advocate who slapped the elderly man in September, published an online essay in response a few days later. The essay—widely republished on leftist websites and apparently left alone by China's online censors—argued that the Chongqing model under Mr. Bo simply set out to fight corruption and to better entwine the party with common people. Top leaders' and state media's praise for Chongqing in the years before Mr. Bo was fired was proof that Chongqing's programs hadn't previously run afoul of the party, he wrote.

Mr. Han became the subject of national debate after his scuffle with the old man on Sept. 18 outside Japan's Embassy in Beijing where thousands had massed over the course of days to pelt the fortress-like building with eggs and plastic water bottles.

According to a statement by Mr. Han posted online, he was chatting with young protesters who carried a sheet with characters proclaiming they missed Chairman Mao. He said an old man approached and began cursing the former chairman. Mr. Han retorted the old man was a traitor, and slapped him across the face, the statement said.

Mr. Han declined to be interviewed, and the old man's identity wasn't known. Mr. Han's actions toward the old man were widely criticized in China, though Mr. Han has responded defiantly. Hearing someone bad-mouth the country's founder was more than he could bear, his statement said.

Democracy and Class Struggle says these extracts from an article in Wall Street Journal confirms our view that the ascent of Xi Jinping will accelerate contradictions in China and not solve them.


Visit : redchinacn.net 

See also :http://democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/land-grabs-in-china-threat-to-food.html

http://democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/xi-jinping-rise-of-yet-another.html

http://democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/bo-zilai-fall-of-princeling-now-he-his.html

Communist Party of Philippines denounces docking of another US nuclear submarine in Zambales

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today denounced as an outright violation of Philippine national sovereignty the docking of another US nuclear attack submarine at the former US naval base in Subic, Zambales.

The USS Olympia (SSN-717), described as a Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine, docked yesterday at Subic. It is the fourth American naval vessel to have have docked in Manila and Subic over the past two months. The USS North Carolina and USS Hawaii, both nuclear submarines, and the naval warship USS Milius and submarine tender USS Frank Cable have successively docked in Philippine ports since August.

"The increasingly frequent dockings of American naval warships in the Philippines mark heightened US military presence and intervention in the Asia-Pacific region," said the CPP. "In collaboration with the Aquino government, the US has been using the Philippines as one of its military outposts in launching interventionist operations, and for refuelling, resupply and the rest and recreation of its military personnel."

The CPP also denounced the ongoing PHIBLEX military exercises being held in various parts of Luzon involving 2,600 US and 1,200 Armed Forces of the Philippines soldiers. "The US military has been using these joint military exercises and so-called 'humanitarian assistance and disaster response' operations in order to continuously deploy thousands of American soldiers in various parts of the country."

American troops have been arriving in the Philippines since the first week of September and are scheduled to stay until October 18. American soldiers have maintained their presence in Zambales, Palawan and Cavite over the past few weeks.

"At any given time, the US military has thousands of military personnel in the Philippines, most of which are permanently stationed in the Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF-Philippines) headquarters inside Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City," said the CPP.

Kenyan Land and Freedom Movement - Mau Mau case to go to full trial

Three Kenyans who were tortured by British colonial authorities can proceed with their legal claims against the UK government, a court has ruled.

London's High Court ruled the case, relating to the 1950s Mau Mau uprising, could proceed despite the time elapsed. The ruling means the case will now go to a full trial. Lawyers for the three hailed it as a "historic" judgement.

While the government accepts UK forces tortured detainees it denies liability and will appeal against the decision.

The government had initially argued that all liabilities were transferred to the Kenyan Republic upon independence in 1963 and that it could not be held liable now.

But in 2011, the High Court ruled the claimants - Paulo Muoka Nzili, Wambuga Wa Nyingi and Jane Muthoni Mara - did have "arguable cases in law".

Their lawyers allege that Mr Nzili was castrated, Mr Nyingi was severely beaten and Mrs Mara was subjected to appalling sexual abuse in detention camps during the rebellion. A fourth claimant, Ndiku Mutwiwa Mutua, died earlier this year.

After the 2011 ruling, the case went back to the High Court in July to consider a claim by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) that the actions had been brought outside the legal time limit.

The FCO said it faced "irredeemable difficulties" in relation to the availability of witnesses and documents.

But on Friday, Mr Justice McCombe ruled the victims had established a proper case for the court to exercise its discretion and allowed their claims to proceed to trial.

A lawyer for the three said that the judgement meant the government would now face potentially thousands of claims from Kenyans who suffered similar torture.

Martyn Day said: "This is a historic judgement which will reverberate around the world and will have repercussions for years to come. "The British government has admitted that these three Kenyans were brutally tortured by the British colony and yet they have been hiding behind technical legal defences for three years in order to avoid any legal responsibility.

This was always morally repugnant and today the judge has also rejected these arguments." He added: "Following this judgement we can but hope that our government will at last do the honourable thing and sit down and resolve these claims.

There will undoubtedly be victims of colonial torture from Malaya to the Yemen, from Cyprus to Palestine, who will be reading this judgement with great care."

The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, says there is jubilation among about 50 Mau Mau veterans gathered outside the Kenyan Human Rights Commission. They see the judgement as a significant victory, he says.

When the news came through from London there were immediate cheers and people started dancing, ululating and shouting, our correspondent says.

A spokesman for the FCO said the judgement had "potentially significant and far-reaching legal implications". "

The normal time limit for bringing a civil action is three to six years.

In this case that period has been extended to over 50 years despite the fact that the key decision-makers are dead and unable to give their account of what happened," the spokesman said. "Since this is an important legal issue, we have taken the decision to appeal.

In light of the legal proceedings it would not be appropriate for the government to comment any further on the detail of the case."

The spokesman reiterated that the government did not dispute that each of the claimants suffered torture at the hands of colonial forces.

"We have always said that we understand the pain and grievance felt by those, on all sides, who were involved in the divisive and bloody events of the emergency period in Kenya, and it is right that those who feel they have a case are free to take it to the courts," he said.

Source: BBC NEWS

See Also :

http://democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/castration-and-conspiracy-how-british.html

http://democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/the-british-government-accepts-that.html

Glyndwr Day Protest against Wind Turbines

Film of Glyndŵr Day protest in Pontardawe against the Windmilling of Mynydd y Betws, Carmarthenshire.

This mountain is steeped in Welsh history, it has a neolithic stone row (which has been partly destroyed by the heavy machinary involved. It is a burial ground and the gigantic windmills are to be planted in concrete bases on peat beds.

PAW (Patriots Against Windmills) intends to fight against this windmilling and similar windmillings of our sacred Cymric mountains.

Film also shows gigantic blades being taken onto Mynydd y Betws via the Gwaun Cae Gurwen entrance and protests which took place there on Glyndwr Day and on the following day. It also shows more windmill components being transported through Pontardawe on the 17th Sept 2012.


See Also :  http://democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/the-myth-of-glas-cymru-green-market.html

Important Document : http://democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/a-gwerin-owain-manifesto-from-embassy.html

Gadaffi's real killer was French Secret Agent

This insightful essay-style documentary by Frenchman Antoine Vitkine puts current events into perspective by examining the motivations behind the actions of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, a man whose peculiar appearance belies savvy negotiation skills.

Hardliners and Weapons makers real winners in China - Japan conflict

The Japanese central government formally annexed the islands from China on 14 January 1895.

It should be remembered that the Treaty of Shimonoseki following the Sino/Japanese War was imposed on China on April 17th 1895 one of the most unequal and humiliating treaties ever imposed on China.

 Article 1: China recognizes definitively the full and complete independence and autonomy of Korea, and, in consequence, the payment of tribute and the performance of ceremonies and formalities by Korea to China, that are in derogation of such independence and autonomy, shall wholly cease for the future.

 Articles 2 ; 3: China cedes to Japan in perpetuity and full sovereignty of the Penghu group, Taiwan and the eastern portion of the bay of Liaodong Peninsula together with all fortifications, arsenals and public property
.
 Article 4: China agrees to pay to Japan as a war indemnity the sum of 200,000,000 Kuping taels

 Article 5: China opens Shashih, Chungking, Soochow and Hangchow to Japan.

Moreover,China to grant Japan most favoured nation status

Democracy and Class Struggle says for  Japan to cite this annexation and the Treaty of Shimonoseki as legal basis of ownership of the islands is quite frankly insulting to People of China.




See Also : http://democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/xi-jinping-rise-of-yet-another.html

Demonstration on 4th October at Lonmin PLC London in support of South Afrikan Miners.

The Protest is at  LONMIN Plc, 4 Grosvenor Sq. LondonSW1X 7YL it will be from 4pm to 6.30pm

 (nearest tube Station: marble Arch or Bond St on the central line Westbound)

 

At 7 pm a meeting of solidarity at Queen Mother Moore School, Nelson Row, Clapham Common SW

(nearest Tube is Clapham Common on Northern line).

Are Venezuelan Communal Councils an extension of central power or an explosion of popular power?

There are an estimated 30,000 community councils, which date to a law passed in 2006: they hire skilled and unskilled workers, all of whom generally live in the community, and select the beneficiaries.

The signature programme builds new houses in place of dilapidated ones. To avoid the previous misuse of funds, there are new mechanisms – paying workers only after jobs are satisfactorily completed, with cheques drawn on state-run banks rather than cash handled via community councils.

 Steps have been taken to avoid speculation through the resale of public houses.

 “There's a learning curve in which mistakes made at an earlier stage due to the lack of effective controls are being corrected,” says Leandro Rodríguez of the National Congress's Committee on Citizen Participation.

SPANISH VERSION HERE:

Economic Rebound in Iceland - Jailing the Bankers Works !

Outlining the economic "rebound", the IMF said: "Following a deep and protracted recession, the economy grew by 2.6 per cent in 2011, a performance that looks set to be broadly repeated in 2012 and sustained over the medium term. The output gap is closing, unemployment has decreased, and inflation - though still high - is expected to converge toward the central bank's target of 2.5 per cent in the medium term; if monetary tightening resumes. Public and external debt ratios are on a downward path and financial sector conditions are improving. The fiscal consolidation is broadly on track."

Source: http://democracyandclassstruggle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/icelands-economic-rebound-continues.html