Integration of Countries and Peoples as an Objective Natural Phenomenon

Vladimir Herasymchuk

Bourgeois media today persistently impose on laymen the idea of the so-called globalism. As the newspaper Pravda has reported (Sept. 1, 2006), on the 30th of August in the media-centre of "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" ("Russian Newspaper") was held a round table discussion on the subject of Sovereign State under the Conditions of Globalization: Democracy and National Identity. During the discussion of the subject First Vice-Chairman of the CC CPRF, State Duma deputy and Professor of Moscow University Ivan Melnikov stated the position of the Communist Party of Russian Federation on this subject. In Professor Melnikov's presentation there was a number of interesting thoughts, which raise a positive level of interest and are worthy of support. However, many of them are quite doubtful. Given this, we offer our readers our opinion about Professor Melnikov's ideas presented in the form of theses.

1. Professor Melnikov states that the process of globalization is objective and natural. The world has always been developing along this way.

Along which "way" exactly has the world "always been moving"? We need a clarification here. Indeed, in science, in politics and in the contemporary revolutionary movement there is no unity on the interpretation of the globalization process. Doesn't "the dynamic wholesomeness of the world, mutual enrichment through experiences and technological achievements, widening of the circle of communication between nations", which the CPRF representative is talking about, reflect the notion of integration, which has been formulated a long time ago? We must emphasize here that the particular features of moving along the way to dynamic wholesomeness of the world under the conditions of socialism and capitalism are determined not by similar, but on the contrary, by opposite laws of development.

In particular, in scientific communism there is a concept of socialist economic integration which means conscious and planned regulated process of international socialist division of labour. It implies bringing closer together national economies and the formation of modern, highly effective structures of national economies. This becomes a precondition of the gradual equalization of the levels of economic development of the socialist states. Deep and stable economic, scientific and technological contacts between them are being formed.

2. Clearly, globalization can also be viewed as one of the variations of integration. However, under the conditions of imperialist plunder, which we observe in the modern world, this process is accompanied by violence of some states against the others. This process, as bourgeois society itself, reflecting naturally determined paths of the historical development, has no future. For this reason, another path for economic and political unity for the labourers of all countries and continents exists.

3. Without a doubt, the demise of the Soviet Union made the process of consolidation of democratic forces and the international communist movement more difficult. This is a different aspect of the problem. Why, then, the representative of one of the largest communist parties of the world lacks a class approach to this problem? Or, does he mean by globalization the integration of capitalism and socialism? Then what does Marxism-Leninism, which is the ideological foundation of communist and workers' parties, have to do with any of this?

4. We should agree with professor Melnikov who speaks against our country being governed from outside. "For Russia," he writes, "this would mean no country". We are also in solidarity with Professor Melnikov when he denies "globalization the American way" and calls for the creation of an alternative union consisting of countries such as China, India, Belarus, Kazakhstan and countries of Latin America. However, what lies at the core of such unification? What must we understand by "globalization not the American way"?

5. The author of the presentation, while highlighting the importance of defending the sovereignty of .the country in the conditions of globalization, points out the importance of strengthening the state as a "mighty economic player". Which state does he have in mind? "Under capitalism equal growth of economic development of separate economies and states is impossible" (V. I. Lenin, Collected Works, Vol. 26, page 353).

6. Speaking against the concept of the so-called "sovereign democracy', Melnikov highlights the meaning of "natural political, ideological and economic competition". He points out the importance of creating conditions "for stimulation of the natural competitive environment".

Who is supposed to compete with whom? Will the bourgeoisie entrenched in power allow his worker, or even more so, an unemployed, to compete with him in his struggle for power? "Under capitalism any foundation or principle of distribution other than force is not possible" (V. I. Lenin). It seems like the Professor in his presentation is talking about ordinary bourgeois democracy, which has nothing in common with socialism. Only the dictatorship of Labour over Capital can guarantee true democracy. Only this dictatorship opens the way to unity of all countries and peoples in the interests of the labourers.

7. The experience of the development of the countries and peoples in the second half of the 20th century testifies that under the availability of mighty socialist states many ideas of socialist integration can be successfully implemented in the relationships with the developing countries. Unity of the so-called Third World limits the ability of imperialist states to plunder without punishment less developed regions.

Especially relevant is the approximation of the democratic countries and peoples in this period of historical development. Only by uniting its economic, scientific and technological potential can humanity prevent the new most horrific Armageddon which is conceived by imperialism headed by the USA and NATO.

This was confirmed by the Congress of Non-Aligned Counties last September in Havana. A crucial role in its organization was played by Cuba, Belarus, Venezuela and other countries. We believe that with time democratic forces of socialist orientation will play a more significant role in the integration processes.

8. Coming from the realities of today, we see globalization as the fight of imperialist states for the so-called "living space" i.e. for establishment of world hegemony. A long time ago they started talking about 'World government". For the achievement of this goal WWI and WWII were started. According to the plans of the modern "globalists" the Soviet Union has been dismembered, Yugoslavia has been destroyed, Iraq and Afghanistan have been occupied. More and more persistently is being built the circle of American-NATO bases around Russia, including the territory of the former USSR. The so-called "orange revolutions" are being organized.

9. To summarize, we agree with the Moscow Professor that globalism is an objectively conditioned, natural process. However, we are talking here about the process, conditioned by bourgeois society. Globalism, like Imperialism itself, is not legitimate. Its defeat is unavoidable.

10. Coming from the relatedness of the categories of globalism and capitalism, by paraphrasing the words of the CPRF's leader Gennady Zvuqanov (Pravda, Sept. 5, 2006), we would like to highlight some key characteristics of this concept.

The essence of globalism is:

• The path to global ecological catastrophe;

• The path to global and local wars;

• Determination of the leaders of imperialist states, speaking on behalf of the so-called "golden billion", to legitimize neo-colonialism and plunder of other peoples with the purpose of prolonging their well-being;

• Ethical and psychological degradation of bourgeois society on a global scale, break-up of the family, rejection of human morals, increase of violence, cult of sins and perverted actions;

• Self-exhaustion of capitalism, imposed on humanity's path to massive catastrophe and death of human civilization.

As an alternative to capitalist globalization there can be only integration of equal democratic and independent countries and peoples.

An analysis of the events happening in the modern world gives us reason to state that we observe on the planet a gradual strengthening of the consolidation of movements oriented towards socialism. These movements are the ones which in the future will be determining the character of the integration processes. Globalism, as imperialism altogether, has no future.

The future of the planet is socialism and communism. It is unification of peoples with equal rights into a united, truly democratic family creating the World of Free Labour.