REVOLUTION 77

Genocidal Mass Murderers Cannot Be Enlightened “Liberators”

Genocidal Mass Murderers Cannot Be Enlightened “Liberators.”

This is Bob Avakian—REVOLUTION—number Seventy-Seven.

The fact that Kamala Harris, together with Joe Biden and the Democrats as a whole—as well as the Republicans—are fully backing and enabling the genocidal slaughter of the Palestinian people by Israel says something very basic about the nature of these politicians—and, even more fundamentally, it says something important about the nature of the system of capitalism-imperialism that these politicians serve and work to enforce.

That nature does not change when it comes to something like the war in Ukraine.

Yes, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was an act of imperialist aggression. But the rulers of this country are no less imperialist because they are fighting their imperialist rival Russia indirectly, using Ukraine as a “proxy” to fight Russia. It is a fact, which should never be ignored or overlooked, that the “international order,” which the U.S. sits atop, and which Russia is seeking to challenge, has been established and maintained with the most horrific violence, above all by the U.S.—beginning with its atomic bombing of two Japanese cities at the end of World War 2, and continuing with the slaughter of millions of civilians in Vietnam, and Korea before that, as well as other invasions, coups and other violent actions. In the time since the end of World War 2, in establishing and enforcing this “international order,” the U.S. by far holds the record for invading and otherwise violently interfering in other countries. This, too, should never be forgotten, or overlooked: This whole “international order” rests on ruthless exploitation of people around the world, including super-exploitation of masses of people, in slave-like conditions, in the Third World: Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

In determining the essential nature of any war, the crucial and decisive question is not “who fired the first shot?” or “who initiated the conflict?” No, the essential factor is: what is the nature of the opposing sides in that war?

For example, in an uprising of slaves, who would deny that the fight of the slaves is just, and the attempts of the slave-masters to suppress this uprising is unjust? On the other hand, in a fight between Mafia “families,” or drug cartels, both sides are unjust, because of their nature—regardless of “who started” the fight.

And so it is with the war in Ukraine: Both sides—both Russia and the U.S., with its use of Ukraine as a “proxy”—are imperialist. And, therefore, both sides are waging an unjust war.

As I have pointed out before, the reasons why Biden is arming and backing Israel are the same fundamental reasons for what he is doing in sending massive aid, and providing intelligence and overall strategic direction, to Ukraine in fighting against Russia. It is not that Biden is a genocidal mass murderer over here, in Palestine, and a “liberator” of people over there, in Ukraine.

Biden is fully backing Israel because Israel plays a “special role” as a heavily armed bastion of support for U.S. imperialism in a strategically important part of the world (the “Middle East”).

And Israel has been a key force in the commission of atrocities which have helped to maintain the oppressive rule of U.S. imperialism in many other parts of the world.

This—maintaining and enforcing the murderously oppressive domination of U.S. imperialism—is the same motivation for why Biden is pushing to further escalate the proxy war the U.S. is waging against Russia in Ukraine, as well as further preparation for war with China, even at the cost of risking the very existence of humanity.

To repeat this all-important point (from my message number Seven):

It’s the system! The system of capitalism-imperialism that Biden serves. The system he has to serve—the system that anybody and everybody has to serve if they want to hold office, and especially “high office,” like president, within this system. That is why Biden is doing what he’s doing—what all these politicians are doing—above and beyond their more narrow personal interests.

It’s the system! This system of capitalism-imperialism that embodies and enforces white supremacy, patriarchal male supremacy and other brutal oppression— this system resting on ruthless life-stealing exploitation of masses of people in this country and literally billions of people worldwide, including more than 150 million children—all enforced with massive violence and destruction, of people and the environment, posing a very real threat to the future and the existence of humanity.

All this emphasizes the profound importance of my statement:

We, the people of the world, can no longer afford to allow these imperialists to continue to dominate the world and determine the destiny of humanity. They need to be overthrown as quickly as possible. And it is a scientific fact that we do not have to live this way.