Joint Statement: FIGHT THE MILITARIZATION OF THE NORDIC IMPERIALIST STATES!
Proletarians of all countries, unite!
JOINT STATEMENT
FIGHT THE MILITARIZATION OF THE NORDIC IMPERIALIST STATES!
The imperialists in the Nordic countries had barely recovered from the so-called “global financial crisis”, when in 2019 new crisis of over-production was already on its way, then aggravated by the so-called “corona crisis” and now by the war in Ukraine. The latest hits Finnish imperialism especially hard because of its strong economic relations with Russia. Norwegian imperialism, on the other hand, while is being hit by the Yankeeimposed sanctions, is also benefiting from them thanks to its oil industry. On the basis of the more and more acute crisis, these imperialisms are striving to not only maintain their positions in the oppressed nations, but also to advance in order to “solve” their crises.
One important context are the oppressed nations of the so-called “Eastern Europe”, that is semi-colonies formerly dominated by Russian social-imperialism and then usurped under the hegemony of Yankee imperialism since the 90s. Of special interest to the Nordic imperialisms are the Baltic states and Poland, where they have a firm economical grip, as illustrated by statistics concerning trade, capital exports and migration. Moreover, these oppressed nations in the Baltic Sea are incorporated in the Yankee-NATO’s “enhanced Forward Presence” (eFP) program and also, together with the Nordic countries and the Netherlands, in the British-led military co-operation called JEF (Joint Expeditionary Force). In addition, there is also some bilateral agreements on military issues among the Nordic and Baltic states, for example between Finland and Estonia.
However, the small imperialisms of the Nordic countries are not the only ones seeking to exploit these nations. Of course there are the superpower Yankee imperialism through NATO and other arrangements, and nuclear superpower Russian imperialism even more directly. Then there is also Germany, who wants to become a superpower, but is being restrained by Yankee imperialism. German imperialism has a strong economic position in large parts of the “Eastern Europe”, including in Poland, whereas in the Baltic states it is weaker in comparison to the Nordic imperialisms, especially Swedish, which has a monopoly on banking in the Baltics.
While in itself the Baltic Sea region is not the number one priority in the inter-imperialist struggle even in Europe, it has important military implications in connection to both the Arctic Ocean and the Continental Europe. The region is essential for Russian and German imperialisms, and thus, to undermine competition, also for Yankee imperialism. It is used in the projection of force, and to undermine each other in order to advance own position on a wider scale. In this sense, it is a lever.
That being said, seeking to contain the rise of Germany, for Yankee imperialism it is beneficial to support more collusion of the Nordic imperialisms in this area. This has also military implications, as Sweden and Finland, even as non-NATO states, have had important role to play in the North-European “security structure”, that is Pax Americana. It has been in this context that the Nordic imperialisms have deepened their military cooperation over the past years, known as NORDEFCO since 2019. They even have decided on a common “Nordic Combat Uniform System”! Also, Sweden and Finland signed the so-called “host-nation agreements” in 2015 with NATO. Now, the war in Ukraine is being used to step up the militarization of the reaction in all countries and to generate public opinion for NATO membership in Sweden and Finland, which before have tried to portray themselves as “neutral” or “non-aligned”.
The most imperialist and chauvinistic expression of this tendency to “Nordic co-operation” has been the nazifascist so-called “Nordic Resistance Movement”, which has openly advocated for a “United Nordic States”, maximally including a so-called Greater Finland (annexation of the Republic of Karelia). They are not the only reactionaries speaking against NATO, but there are others too. In Finland, where the reaction has generated a quite strong public opinion for NATO membership, there is exceptions, like the retired Commander of the Finnish Armed Forces has publicly stated his opposition to Finnish NATO membership, saying it is not good for the so-called “national security”. At the same time, and irregardless of any future applications for NATO membership, all the Nordic imperialist states, without exception, are militarizing and increasing their collusion to advance their common interests, serving the Yankee objectives of destroying Russian imperialism as a nuclear superpower and of containing German imperialism from becoming a superpower. This way “our” imperialisms in the Nordic countries hope to gain something for themselves, as scavengers on what the Yankees prey. At the same time, we must not forget that the Nordic countries have inter-imperialist contradictions among themselves, contending on who gets to be the leading force among them. Moreover, being countries of the Second World they also have contradictions with Yankee imperialism, the sole hegemonic superpower in the world, which belongs to the First World, that of the super powers. Thus there is no real unity among thieves, only collusion based on common interests and contention inside it. The collusion is relative, the competition is absolute. On this basis their plans are condemned to fail.
We, the Communists-in-formation in our countries, oppose the plans of “our own” imperialisms. We are against the NATO membership, whether current or future, of our countries, and on the very same grounds we are against the Nordic military co-operation, which is proposed as a false “alternative” to NATO membership by the various opportunists in our countries. Moreover, we demand the end of all imperialist military co-operations in the region and elsewhere, including the withdrawal of “our” troops, which are now operation in several Third World countries, and we oppose the spending of fortunes on more imperialist militarization.
Instead we struggle for World Proletarian Revolution, for a United Socialist States of the World. Particularly we struggle for socialist revolutions in our countries and to support democratic revolutions in the Baltic countries, as part of and in service for the World Revolution. For these ends we struggle for the reconstitution of Communist Parties and for the unification under Maoism of the International Communist Movement. To support this, we are in favor of an international anti-fascist and anti-imperialist united front. We want to, have to and are going to merge the two mighty currents: international proletarian movement, which is the command, and the national liberation movement, which is the basis. We recall and hold high the slogans put forward by Chairman Mao:
“Marxist-Leninists [today, Marxist-Leninist-Maoists] of all countries, unite! Revolutionary peoples of the whole world, unite; overthrow imperialism, contemporary revisionism and all the reactionaries of the different countries!”
We proclaim:
Down with NATO and Nordic military co-operation!
Proletarians of all countries and peoples of the world, unite!
For the unification of the International Communist Movement!
April 21st, 2022
Signatories:
Red Front (Norway)
Maoist Committee (Finland)