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Yet, the Maoist NPA and CPP program of two staged revolution, a hold-over of Menshevism resurrected by Stalin and adopted by Mao, teaches the NPA and CPP to create illusions in some non-existent progressive nationalist wing of the Filipino bourgeoisie. In fact, the CPP has repeatedly channeled plebeian anger into support for these supposed progressive wings of the bourgeoisie, directing support to deadly class enemies of the working class and poor peasantry.
Those illusions have included CPP support for Corazon Aquino, the leader of the misnamed 1986 “People’s Power Movement” which, with the support of the U.S. government, big business, and the Catholic Church brought Corozan Aquino to power. The imperialists needed a face change from the brutal puppet dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, first placed in power in 1965. Like Marcos, “Cory” Aquino in power was a staunch anti-communist, continued capitalist policies that impoverished the Filipino masses, and was a strong advocate of keeping U.S. military bases in the Philippines.
Far from being an ally of the poor masses of the Philippines, Corazon Aquino carried out brutal counter-insurgency warfare, complete with death squads that targeted leftists, workers, poor peasants, and the CPP. Aquino’s rural death squads, the Alsa Masa, carried out total war against poor peasants and the CPP. Under her command, the Filipino military carried out the murder of peasants in the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Lupao. In addition, her police and Marines opened fire on peasant protesters directly outside of the presidential palace, killing 18 people and wounding almost 100. At first the CPP correctly denounced Cory Aquino for this attack, but then they back slid, absurdly arguing that Aquino was not responsible for the actions of her cops and military. The back bending apologetics of Maoists in their search for a progressive wing of the nationalist bourgeoisie are sometimes enough to snap spines.
In short, Corazon Aquino was an ally of U.S. imperialism and a deadly enemy of the plebian masses of the Philippines. Yet, instead of telling the truth, the CPP sowed illusions in Corazon Aqino, just as the Stalinist Communist Party (USA) sows illusions in the imperial presidency of Barrack Obama.
In contrast to the program of the Stalinists, including the Maoists, both Lenin and Trotsky correctly saw that the age of the "progressive" and revolutionary bourgeoisie died out after the bourgeois revolutions of Western Europe. Far from having a "progressive" or revolutionary character in Russia, the bourgeoisie sided with tsarism against the working class and peasantry. Had Lenin and Trotsky promoted the Stalinist two stage theory of revolution, the October 1917 Russian Revolution would have never happened. Likewise, the CPP’s and CP-USA’s supposed “antifascist” alliance with capitalist politicians of the likes of Corazon Aquino and Barrack Obama are obstacles to revolution today.
The Communist Party of India (Maoist) [CPI(Maoist)] are also part of an armed uprising similar to that of the CPP and NPA in the Philippines. Like the NPA led uprising in the Philippines, the CPI(Maoist) and the impoverished adivasi people involved in the armed uprising should be defended from the brutal repression of the Indian government.
Yet, the political strategy of the CPI (Maoist) provides no long term solution for India’s oppressed masses. Like the CPP of the Philippines and other Stalinist parties in India, the Maoists seek an alliance with a mythical “progressive” wing of the capitalist class in the first supposed stage of a "two-stage" revolution. Party general secretary Ganapathy doesn't hide this flawed program, stating:
“We have a clear-cut understanding to unify all revolutionary, democratic, progressive, patriotic forces and all oppressed social communities including oppressed nationalities against imperialism, feudalism and comprador bureaucratic capitalism. Our New Democratic United Front (UF) consists of four democratic classes, i.e. workers, peasants, urban petty-bourgeoisie and national bourgeoisie.” —Sanhati, January 2010
Yet, as all of history has shown, and as the program of Lenin and Trotsky points out, that national bourgeoisie is a deadly enemy of proletarian liberation. Far from being allies, the “national bourgeoisie” is in league with imperialism. Far from being a class to bring into the revolutionary government, the bourgeoisie are the primary class that needs to be overthrown.
This same Maoist perspective in Nepal recently led to the betrayal of that revolution. Through great sacrifice of Nepal's fighting peasants, the Nepalese Maoists had seized 80% of the country, seized land and factories, legalized the languages of oppressed nationalities, and made great strides towards women's liberation. Yet, in 2006, the Nepalese Maoists gave all of that back as the price of admission into the capitalist government of Nepal, giving back seized land and factories and dismantling the People’s Liberation Army, dismantling the "people’s courts”, and dismantling the “people’s committees”.
The Maoist program’s support for a capitalist stage in the revolution and support for a supposed progressive wing of the national bourgeoisie is part of a fundamentally reformist program that does not offer the road to the liberation of the oppressed Filipino, Nepalese,
and Indian workers and peasants. That road forward can only be forged on the program of Lenin and Trotsky, written by Trotsky in "Results and Prospects" and adopted by Lenin in the "April Thesis". This is a program that recognizes that the era of a "progressive" bourgeoisie is over and is opposed all two stage theories of revolution, calling for the immediate overthrow of the capitalist class, capitalist state, and of the capitalism system itself. To carry out this Leninist Trotskyist program requires the building of revolutionary Trotskyist parties throughout the super-exploited under-developed world as well as in the imperialist centers, like the United States, to smash U.S. imperialism through socialist revolution.
and Indian workers and peasants. That road forward can only be forged on the program of Lenin and Trotsky, written by Trotsky in "Results and Prospects" and adopted by Lenin in the "April Thesis". This is a program that recognizes that the era of a "progressive" bourgeoisie is over and is opposed all two stage theories of revolution, calling for the immediate overthrow of the capitalist class, capitalist state, and of the capitalism system itself. To carry out this Leninist Trotskyist program requires the building of revolutionary Trotskyist parties throughout the super-exploited under-developed world as well as in the imperialist centers, like the United States, to smash U.S. imperialism through socialist revolution.
U.S. Troops Out of the Philippines Now!
End U.S. Military Aid to the Repressive Capitalist Government of the Philippines!
For the Building of Revolutionary Trotskyist Parties in the Philippines and the United States!
For an End to U.S. Imperialism through Socialist Revolution in the United States!
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