Published: The Vanguard, Vol. 13, No. 48, December 16, 1976.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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(Contributed)
People all over the world sense the threat of war. They see the fierce contention and struggle of two superpowers in their bid to divide and rule over the peoples of the world. It is a fact of life. Also a fact of life is the gathering and growing storm of struggle for independence against these superpowers. The two grow side by side, each giving rise to the other.
The more fierce the contention between the U.S. and U.S.S.R., the more ruthless is the oppression of the Australian people by the U.S. imperialists in their desperate attempts to maintain a hold over Australia (and all the countries they dominate). But the tightening pull of the U.S. fascist noose is bringing forth a more powerful, all-embracing struggle for a genuinely independent Australia.
On the other hand, the stronger the movement to free Australia from imperialist domination grows, the greater is the contention between the superpowers over Australia (and the world). Whichever way the two superpowers look, they are doomed to be crushed at the hands of the people.
The working class is gathering large sections of patriots around itself. The struggle for independence is growing in depth and strength across Australia. The demand for an independent and non-aligned Australia has been embraced and put to action by many independence-conscious people. The Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) has played a leading role in helping to pave the way for the struggle to take that direction. The understanding of the role of Soviet social-imperialism is becoming deeper and broader. Its imperialist intentions are being grasped in a mass way. This is becoming dangerous to the plans the U.S.S.R. has for Australia. Of course, Soviet social-imperialism will sing songs of praise and support for the independence movement but they are based solely on its struggle with U.S. imperialism. It makes their schemes of domination so much easier and simpler. That the Soviet social-imperialists and their lackeys in Australia fear the people’s movement against them is clearly demonstrated by their all-out political offensive now under way.
The Soviet social-imperialists are fascists. They will use every trick in their fascist book to get a grip over a country and its people. This includes trying to influence the direction of the independence movement to their own imperialist advantage.
It must be stated over and over again that the U.S.S.R. is a ruthless imperialist power. Because of its nature it will consider using every means, open and concealed, to attain its superpower aims. If it feels that the direction of events is not moving in accordance with its own schemes it will try to interfere with and change their direction. It will use its paid agents, apologists and appeasers in trade union, parliamentary parties, movements and trying to take control of them, trying to manipulate and use sincere individuals, bribery, setting up of stooge organisations, offers of material and financial aid, and if some of these do not work, it will try to sow discord and divisions into united people’s movements.
Of course, all these attempts will fail. People’s struggle will sweep them away. People are not fools. But it would be a great error on the part of revolutionaries not to foresee these and start combatting them NOW! This requires alertness and vigilance, but most of all, no illusions about the fascist nature of Soviet social-imperialism. The people of Angola have offered us a lesson. Naturally there could be some delays and temporary setbacks in people’s struggles for independence and socialism. It is part of the struggle itself. But history and other peoples have taught us much and if certain setbacks and pitfalls can be avoided, the less suffering the victory of the Australian people will involve, and the quicker it will be.