France in Revolt: The Struggle Against Austerity Politics

i.                     The politics of austerity and the continuing crisis of capital

France is once again at the center stage of class struggle in Europe. Sarkozy is implementing a “reform” to the pension system, which would allow retired workers to collect their pension at 62, as opposed to 60, and collect full benefits at 67, as opposed to 65. This is a direct attack on the living standards of French workers and is part of a strategy to strengthen neoliberalism all across Europe, and in the world really. Talk of “fiscal consolidation”, “debt reconsolidation” and of “shared sacrifices” has surfaced in Europe, in particular in recent months in Britain and in Greece. The same could be said here in the U.S. as politicians are beginning to start an offensive on the Social Security System and candidate for N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo has promised to slash wages and state jobs. The ideas behind these attacks are to make working class people pay for the Great Recession caused by the bankers and the rich. These aggressive attacks are a neoliberal solution to the crisis, i.e. privatization, cuts on social spending, and a general attack on workers living standards.  Throughout the world, the talk has been between a double dip recession and the quagmire of the first. IMF reports that in the U.S. 7.5 million people since 2007 have been added to the unemployment roll. Furthermore, they report, “over 210 million people across the globe are estimated to be unemployed at the moment, an increase of more than 30 million since 2007. Three quarters of the increase in the number of unemployed people has occurred in the advanced economies and the remainder among emerging market economies.” Capitalism stills finds itself in a crisis of overproduction and has no sign of emerging out of its slump unless it is in the back of workers.

ii.                     Sarkozy vs French workers & the left

It’s in this context that we can understand the struggle unfolding in France. Sarkozy’s stubborn attempt to reform the pension system is part of France trying to reshape and to make more competitive its working class for an ever increasing globalized economy. In 2005, former PM Chirac signed a law which would make it easier for bosses to hire and fire workers under 26, effectively creating a two-tier system of workers in France. This was met with the same ferocity as today’s protesters, and was ultimately defeated. Today’s struggle in France partially comes out of the struggles to defeat Chirac’s attempt at “reform”. But more importantly, France has a strong tradition of militant unionism and has a strong left wing tradition. With the activism of large parties like the Socialist Party, Communist Party, and the more revolutionary New Anti-Capitalist Party (NPE), a leftwing alternative to politics of austerity can be provided.

The struggle in France has reached every sector of the population, over 70% of  France support the striking workers and student. The struggle has spread across major cities like Paris and Marseilles into smaller towns across the country. And the waves of strikes haven’t been just through unionized and public sector workers, but through the privatized sector workers, non-unionized workers, and millions of youth. Also true Sarkozy’s popularity level is at its lowest, at around 25%. This is important, considering that just several months ago Sarkozy’s government was going after Roma immigrants and the rights of Arabs and Muslims but yet still had broad public support. This isn’t to say that over night French society reached left-wing conclusions, but it goes to show when workers struggle and are forced to unite, class consciousness rises and backward ideas meet reality. No longer are immigrants or Arabs seen as the enemy, but the enemy is the government that is going after your pensions and living standards. It also goes to show what happens when a clear left-wing alternative to austerity measures are articulated. French workers could have taken this “reform” lying down, but a clear strategy of class struggle unionism and street democracy presented by the revolutionary left and by rank-file union leaders were able to sway French society.

iii.                   Looking Forward

Our solution to the crisis is by not paying national debts, nationalizing the banks, introducing capital controls, programs of public investment and in the long-term, replacing the profit system, with a system based on workers democracy and workers needs. Sarkozy’s pension bill has already passed the senate and will soon arrive on his desk for signing. The ruling class of France has learned their lesson with the Chirac fiasco back in 2005, never give an inch to street democracy. However, if the pressure continues from oil workers, transportation workers, dock workers, nurses, teachers and students, Sarkozy will most likely be pressured to save France’s business image in the world market. However, the main unions of France C.F.D.T and the C.G.T have been dialoguing with the president and there already have been promises of discussing the pension bill on a later date once it has been in effect. This would be an obvious defeat. We should reject dialogue with Sarkozy, and continue the pressure from below, on the streets, in the factories, in the universities, and in the docks of France. Sarkozy has already lost his aspiration of running for presidency in the next year, the popular struggle needs to continue to put the pressure, and also link arms with their brothers and sisters across Europe facing similar attacks. Sarkozy can be forced to drop the bill but workers need to keep the pressure up.

Medellin: Poverty, Blame the victims

On a recent personal trip to Medellin, Colombia's second most populous city, I encountered this sign in one of the city's biggest slums, Las Comunas. It's translation is this: "Bro, I'm pregnant." With two advices following: "To get pregnant you need two, A pregnant girl or adolescent is poverty for sure". I have many problems with this sign. First, the sign lays the responsibility on poor Colombians to get out of poverty, leaving the criminal government of Colombia off the hook.
It's your classic, focus on the victim argument. Study after study has shown that when women are giving access to higher education and have a higher level of living standards their more inclined to have children later in life. The argument that poor people of Las Comunas just need to have planned pregnancy or not produce children at all won't do anything to help them out of their misery. It's concrete government projects, employment opportunities, access to free public education, free healthcare. This is where the center of attention should be, what is the government of Medellin doing to fight poverty? Not on public ads focusing on the non-existing choices poor people of Las Comunas have.
This is very reminiscent to Barack Obama's fathers day speech when he had the audacity to lay the blame the reason for why Blacks continue to be left behind in society on absent black fathers. As if black fathers have control over the incarceration rates of the black population. As if black fathers have control of the unemployment levels in their communities. As if black fathers have control on who gets access to higher education. We need to systematically reject the blame the victims argument, and lay the blame where it should be, on those who run our society.

Correa Under Attack: Ecuador's Political Crisis

Ecuador's political climate reached a boiling point yesterday. President Rafeal Correa was punched, tear gassed and put on a stretcher, after he sought to have a personal dialogue with striking policemen in a barracks in Quito. The police force was responding to an attempt by the government to hold off on paying bonuses and increases in salaries. What followed took on the character of coup, but really was a coordinated national general strike by a large section of the police force, primarily in the capital and in the coastal city of Guayaquil. The military seemed to be by the side of the president at all times, an indeed rescued him at a hospital where he was being held hostage by striking policemen. Across major cities and towns of Ecuador thousands poured out in the streets against the attack on Correa and democracy. Workers marched to the presidential palace and key government buildings to make sure it remained out of the hands of malicious forces. The government and Correa's Partido Alianza Paz (AP) responded swiftly by encouraging people to come out in the streets peacefully and by shutting down the airwaves. The latter, a key tool the oligarchy of Ecuador has used to spread misinformation and to slander the president.

The backdrop of the current crisis, stems from the right-wings paranoia of Correa's leftward shift and his broad public support which caused his reelection last year. Correa has recently joined the Bolivarian Alliance For The People of Our America (ALBA) and his presidency was key in ratifying a new constitution. The world economic recession has also forced the hand of Correa, which has led to austerity measures being implemented.

The attack on Correa, however, will have the effect of increasing his stature as a leader for change and will continue to marginalize the Ecuadorian ruling class and the already much hated police force. International support for Correa also came pouring in, with calls to defend the institutions of democracy.
The events that occurred yesterday and the actions that the masses took will serve as a key rehearsal for a future coup that is always lingering in Latin America. In Ecuador alone there has been three presidents overthrown in the last 15 years, however, these were rebellions from below. The threat today in Ecuador is a coup fabricated by the U.S. and possibly the Colombian military and the rich of Ecuador.
Although many in the mainstream media called the attack on Correa an attempted coup, it did not look like the police force had an actual plan for the conquest of political power and /or a plan to rule the country.
Yesterday's attack on Correa demonstrates the necessity for working class revolutionary politics and organization. Ecuador will be in a state of emergency for a week, but the threat of U.S. imperialism, which is trying hard to regain control of it's "backyard", and the threat of the bourgeoisie of Ecuador and Colombia still remains.