By
Rick Nagin
The
resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in late December represents a
qualitatively new stage in the split in the U.S. monopoly capitalist ruling
class. There now are two distinct groups, differing in fundamental ways in
their foreign and domestic policies.
First,
there are the Trumpites. Their foreign policy is isolationist. They seek to
withdraw U.S. imperialism from NATO, the wars in Syria, Afghanistan, and
Ukraine, and possibly even the unresolved war in Korea. On the other hand, Trump’s domestic policy is
thoroughly anti-democratic, racist, steeped in corruption, and leaning towards
fascism. It is tied to the fossil fuel industry and reckless towards the
environment.
The
anti-Trump group, including the leadership of the Democratic Party and
traditional Republicans like Mattis, the late Sen. John McCain, and Robert
Mueller, have opposite views. Their foreign policy is interventionist and aimed
at preserving and, if possible, extending world dominance by U.S. imperialism
and its Cold War alliances. Their domestic policy is to preserve capitalist
democracy.
The
outcome of this conflict is uncertain. Trump has unqualified support from
pro-fascist elements in big business, many Republicans in the House, and to a
lesser degree in the Senate. He also has the support of a significant section
of GOP base voters, including the religious right. The anti-Trump coalition has
a broader base of support but does not control the White House.
More
to the point, however, is the question of what should be the attitude of
ordinary working people and the growing mass progressive, grassroots movements,
including Communists, to this split in the ruling class. It is clear that we
must stand for both democracy AND peace. In other words, we must be independent
of both contending groups of monopoly capitalism. We must oppose the domestic
fascist-leaning policies of Trump AND the interventionist, regime-change
policies of the anti-Trump coalition.
The
US Communist Party must have an even more far-reaching position. Communists are
not just for the defense and maximum expansion of democracy under capitalism;
we are for socialist democracy, that is, democracy under the control of working
people, not billionaires. We are not just for peace among the nations of the
world; we are for working-class internationalism. We stand in solidarity with
people and nations struggling to build socialism and are for ending the hostile
policies of U.S. imperialism towards those efforts.
In
this regard, Trump’s policies of withdrawal from foreign intervention should be
welcomed. They reflect the deep, growing crisis of imperialism and the reality
that it can no longer control the world. There are opposing players, both
capitalist and socialist, armed with ICBMs.
This
withdrawal and the decline of U.S. imperialism is not yet complete. The Trump
regime has not fully broken with dreams of U.S. world domination. His
administration continues to support the war in Yemen and the “pivot towards
Asia,” both begun under President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton.
With
Mattis as Secretary of Defense, the U.S. engaged in provocative military
confrontation with China and resisted moves to end the Korean War. Trump’s trade policies are aimed at blocking
China’s development and emergence as the world’s largest and fastest-growing
major economy. People like National Security Advisor John Bolton cling to the
insane Cold War fantasy that it is possible to wage and “win” a nuclear war,
even though scientists demonstrated by the mid 1980s that such a war, even if
launched unilaterally and without retaliation, would generate enough smoke in
the upper atmosphere to block the sun and extinguish all human and other major
life on earth.
The
US political situation is in a perilous moment, but there are ample grounds for
optimism. Mass movements of resistance are growing among the people, the real
makers of history. We must do everything possible to build the forces of
progress and guarantee that peace, democracy, protection of the environment,
and socialism will prevail. (IPA Service)
The writer is
a senior leader of Communist Party of USA
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