SiTUsTIok
(The following in the text of a resolutior adopted by tha International
Zrocutiva Qeamttics of the Fourth International
ee
The objoct of this resolution ia-not to examine the world situation
fa 8 whola, thia having already been dons in tho political resolution pass-
ed at tho last World Congress, but rather to bring thet resolution up to
date, in tha light of the ecrents that hove taken place since tha World QGangrasa
and on this basis to sad whether we have to modify our conclusions and our tasks,
The main question facing ue srisas from the present ascaletion of the
Vietnam war by American imperialism, The aaonlatian points dangerously townrda
an extension of thia wir in tha direction of a war acoinst the People's
Rapublio of China, Taking into account the sotbacks sufferad by the colonial
revolution in this iast poriod, the most fundamentel chance in the world s1t-
uition has taken fhe in camparison with the preceding pareees More precisaly
the quistion posed ie vhether the colonial revolution which started arter World
War It, which saaseia an enormous impulse throuch the vistory of ths Chinosss
revolution and which has beon the miin sector of the socialist rovoluticn in the
course of the past twonty yours hag exhausted ita anergy and entered a pericd of
ebb sand decline,
is
Tha Solomial Rovolution.,
Ths almost cgontinueis development of the colonial revolution during « per=
ied of several yoors waa the expression of the will of the colonial msassea who
wanted to pitt en ond to foreign danination ef their countries and to thelr poverty,
All of which otem fram the sconontie .
and social underdevelopment of tha ¢o6lonial and seal-tolonial countries, Ths
weotoning of the colonial powera during and after World War IL, as woll as tho
grenter weicht of the workersatates in the vorld mato possible almost arorywhore
tha conquest of political independence, as imporiftlism retreated either inmeadiat-
ly or after bloody coloniel wara, te indirect forna of deminstion enabling 1t to
malnteain tha casential part of ita économie position,
On the other hend, sho netive ruling clesses thon axercisine political
Powar werd unablo to stimulate an ovarall “oeonamd.a fovolooment of their conntrias,
which in the end stimulated the process of parmanent revoluti On, Sringing to
powor, after the conquest of formal independance, bourgeoia and potty bourgols
nationalist leaders who used tha aroused miss mevanont and the pressure 1+ gener-
ated to obtain more or less important consosgsiona from imperialian,
SS ee
wea
eo0 Intornntionol Seoialist Heviow, Boring [966,
During the whole of thie soried tha majer confretetion took place betwoon tho old ¢olonial powers and tha colowinl revolution, With tho exception of some Latin-ssoorican comtrioa the sreat owoop of colonial revolt did not come wo dir ectly against tho power of tmricon imporialism, On tha contrary dmorican policy &t the time woo dosimnod to achleyo on alliances with tho colonial hourgsoisic, it intervened in several of tha colonial wars to pressure tho old colonial powora to mike concosaions to the revolution: it did not hesitate to side openly with Haseor acainat tho British-Fronch arcression during the Suez eriass, Ite fund= amentel orientation was that of trying to canalivye tho colonial revelution in favor of “preeressive" layers and sovernments which would maintain thog-sclycs within the framowork of the world capitalist market with the help of tmarican csap= ital, Even the “*neutrelist* courao adopted ot Bandung did not cause « fundamental clfage in Washington's course,
The chance that has oceurred followed in consequonce of two. cxperionctcs, On onc hand the dovelopmont of tho Cuban revolution into a soolalist revolution — somothing unforesoeon by “ashingten <= has tau jt it the -logie of permanent revolution, the denger of allowing the development of 2 revolution oven under ths leadcrahip of liberal ond petty-bourgcois forees running the risk of being overthrowm by the massoa, Tho “Johnson dectrino’, proclaimed at the tire of tho intorvention in Santo Domingo, clearly moons that ‘moricen imperialism will intervene militarily not only in tho cass where tho misses led by Gomamiat forces are advencing. to-words powor (¢hia deeigicn has boen theirs since the bécimning of the cold war) but also where these massos ore still undor the leadership of non-caommmist "liberals",
(no the other hand tho inoepacity of troditionel nstionsilst Leatcerships that have como to power to resolve the oronomic and social taake of tho colonial revolution led to ® progrissivo loes of support by the misses snd therefore o Loss of their usofulnese in the eyea of imporialiam, The latter prefer tie substitution of open noocolonialist agents who claim less congossions for thoir ASTTLCod,
Tha dircct confrontation between tho colonial revolution and imporisliaa which wes during the fiftios a confrontation botwoon the old colonial. powers anc this revolution has, sinco the oxporiensa of both tho Cuban revolution tnd, tho Alcorlan conquest of independance, bocoma mora and mora a global confront= ation batwoon jmerican imperialism end revolution, Ths closonsss of vievory of tho Netional Literstion Front in South Vietuem (brincing tho risk of 4 loss of all of Southoast fais fer imperisliam); tho tactical weakoning of the position of the workers states in consequence of trensferrin; tho Sino-Goviat conflict into atete Tolationa:r tho shamefully weak reaponses of tha workers stitos! bumedu= ereeica bofore tho oecalstion of the imperialist aggression againat Victnam haa led to @ more resolutely offoncive ond segrossive policy on tho part. of Washington, a poliey of support to tho imiigonous reactionary fore>s in the ataieolonial countries, Tha succossicn of sotbacka undorsons by tho colonial revolution can he fundamentally oxpleined by this passiny oyar to a-conoral. coumtororfensive eceinet the colonial rovolution on tho part of American imporiciism in the face of masa movemonts without any intornationcl coordination, without an offocélyva losfaruhip or correct pokitical ortantation, without a Loadership proparad to sisp im and roplnes the traditional nationolist lendership of tho esrlior stage which 1a now openly benicupt,
The initiative during this last poriod boa entirely forored American imporinlian, Wheat objectives has it sitaimod? Whet reactions hare. those aotbsoks produced in the masa movements? Inno singlo ssotor of the colonial revolution whieh sufferod. a eetbeack has the renction beon thle. té astablish'a stable power not oven whore tho mnasote reeciycd tho severest blows. Morecvor nowhers ‘in the colonial or somlcooloniel eomtrics: havo tho objoctire causts deociving th: sa to ection timo end acsin been re covetiod
In Latin Amorten 1t is in Brazil whore tho roslatanes and the revival of the mise movomont. ia, more difficult. Here the militery junta paeses From one eriscs to another and can rely mly on fecblo support from the people, In Bolivia tho attempt of the military junta to destrey tho mase movement hes area in failure, In Ghile tho Ghristisn Domosratia oxporiment of Frei els igheaa wit the combativity. ¢f important Bhasiiiia of tho mnassces {ininore atriko),. If the Porurien cucrrillas seomed to hove. recoived grievous tblowa and sufforsd serious loasos, and if also in Venesucle tho movoment hae suffersd serious losaos, the guerrillas in Golombin and Gubtomnle continuo thelr struggle with inoviioble hazards, bit without “tha poverbnia-of those-coutrica boing able to roadie considorobly thoir capacity of action,
In Latin dmories tho “roformist® policy of tho Allisnece for Prograse has bGan Gtposod sa bankrupt for 4 lon: tinea, Tho policy of fore: which has, saan esd | greatest succoss in Brazil hes not atabiliaed anything, Tho masa moveronie continua to anako the unstable socinl:agullibriunm thera, Thus der= ican ioporialism has boon umsble toa gain a Geeisive tictory, Signa of rogreupine end mo roacovery of the mass movements in saver*l countries sara beginning to apposr,
It is in ffrice that dmporialian sooma to havo gained the moot spoctacular rovarenla of tha situstion. First of nll we boys to underline tho ovorthrow of Fon Bolla and then of Nixrumsh and the temporary suppression of tha left wing in MoFoeceo, Thi ga sragntioniss © rocimes of Smtth in Rhodosia ond Yerwoord in South Tirica ars consolideting themsolyce, Im tho bis acetion of Efries important political ehanses orc now pozsible bocnuse of the oxtrem fragility of tho old form of rule and the stendy decomposition of tha old structures without onything now tokine thoir place, To this must bo edded: the bie weskness of the lesderabipay esires and political movermnta. In gener] tha evelution has boon to the right. Howover, the sovents in Nigeria, tho nest importont country in bfrica, wore first of fll sn attempt by the military to provent ao mass moverent by attacking the foudnl forves, After its initial euecess tho now power woo quickly challonged by the popular forces that. continuo: to prose their de sip In ands i: aim lar attempt wna modo to oliminste tho fsudal forecs, In Gongo Brazzaville tho attest fo oliminate the Lofteorlcntatad: reacties folbod, Mécoover the fact that tho rev olutionary fToreaa nore far from being crushed ia ssow in Aleoria whoro Bounsdiannea's Govermmnt was forced, loss then one yoar after tho coup d'etet that brougnt it te power, tO proceed toward inpertent nationaligaticna, The regime continues to te submitted to the prosaurd of tha magacs principally oxpreesed by the With inion Gfonerile doa Treerall bares hlaorianay 5
Tho developments in the Near Nasty show a meturlm; townrda dociaive testa in this part of tio world, Tho ebruccio botween tho somrtionery forced and tha pro= erusaive forcos meas on in Yormn, Tho strugele ia gaining in invanalty in hers
. SE ond in a number of ami rates of South Arabiog Iraq is svill mstoble and the
Btrupelo of tho Kurdish people oontinnes, Finnlly ond nbove ell in Spria tha revolutionary moveme:t lod by tho Syrian Booth purty, aftor purging ite right Wing, has adyanood 9 procrom of strugtlc aciingt inpotlalien thet in to a gortain axtant enticapltcaliat, onrkod howevor by vacillations ond conciliationa booring aoms aimilerity to tho oxporianse in Alsorin at the time of tho docrcas af Werch [963,
In Asia imporialien seeurcd its. grootest suesoss in tho rietorious countorrovolution in Indonosin, Wo havo givon tho rengona for thia setback in the deeuments adopted at tha last World concross and the doeleration made by the United Secrotarict, The subsequent slnauchtor of hundroda of thonsnmda’ of comm nists opanod up now political possibilities for the now lordora, Thay cane to Qgrocment with tho noocoloninlists of Mhlaysin and thon turnod to bogging of aid from Americnn, Jnpaess end ‘leat German impertalism, But deepite the aig~ nifiesnes of tha now overtures, the agreement with Malaysia remaina sccondary in face of tho gigentic ceonomle probl-ms of monmploymont, inflation ond widesprond fisory oxisting in Indonocsin,
On the other hand the atability of tho Indinn subcontinent Wea beon shekon, Tho divisions within tho ruling Congress perty hovo imereasod steadily sinco Kchru's death, reflooting tho prossurca orising from tho failure to solve any of the great orobjcgs toring Iniict, np well as the prossurs now coming from the poor poctsantry Taisin: thoir deoends, 966 sow tho erentost mobilisation of eoasos (Bonsald movement esfinsS fomine) that Indian haa known eaines the straerle for indopondcnss.,,
Finelly in Shot part of the world tho strugslo ef the Vistnamesa poople agoinst Amoriean imporialiant ia a tcotimeny above all to tim power of revolution despite the-materiel woight of tho forces thrown agninst it, Thenke to-ita intorvention inporinliam avoided the dofont-theat socood immincnt cightoon motths B20e It has no Foal prospects of victory ond thot is why the prospect of on sacelotion driven as for ago wor neninst Chine hae bocome on metunl dongor,
Ils
Th Workers Stats
Tho twenty-third Conereass of tho CPSU and tha congrosacs of the other OP's dn tho Eastern Europonn workers atetea confirmed and (2lustrased sovernl pointe made ia-the rosolution of the lyst World Gensresa of the Fourth Internotionals
“= Tho poneral slowiown in ceonomie rowth in the past fow yocrs,
~ Tho riline bureauoreclas scoking solutions in reforms of the Liberman typo; i.9., reforms thet imply besides admiriatrotive ndiustaonte, mossures favemiblo to the bursaneresy at tha manazcorinl loyok of the onterpriscs,
a-£¢ tho anms timo tendencios have Govoloped in sevorel stetes for indop= endont oetion soparte from the other workers stetoa both with regnrd to the enpltalist world ond to Chine (fennnia},
— Hot only heve we not soen mny further progress in "Liberalization,®
but the twenty-third congress donfimmed the lin of the ruling cite les.of
reprossing even the most timid positions of the intolloctuals asd the wii-
yorslty atudenta in faror of democratic Libertios.
The ond of the Khrusitehoy period corresponded to tho ond of 4 period
in wiich “de-Stalinization® raised new roformist hopes conoorming both —
antorial wolfare nmi the democratization «ef Sevict society. Khrusheher'a
sugetssors sro attempting to adjust the situction on the otenemia level, but
et the same tim thoy attcmpt te tichtan contre] politioally snd socially.
Thoy collida sad will continuo to eoklids even mere with the demands of the
workers ond with the ‘more politicalized oppositional currants of intcLlectuais
end studente.
The Sino-Soriot oottroversy haa not been teking spcotacular forma durins
the past poriod, but hae boon developing to tha sdvartase of the Soviot loader-
ship (Castro's atteck agsinat the Chinese: tio oriais within the Gkincea leader-
ship). But in this dispute the aspect of an “idsolosgienl conflict between
partics® (which favered the decomposition of Stalinism) hea tondod to reecda
and givo way to a full-blown “confliet betwion stotoe® welch brings ~reve con
soguoncos on tho intarnetioal lovel. It wosimns tho dcfonse of the Viotnaaoso
revolution and ¢ncouraccs Amcrican imperialism to adopt e mors agercasivTs S$anen
townrd Chine.
eo Cuba sano serious cocnomie probloms os woll ss difforeneos within tho
Loading 5 tonm have piven rise to a Gerteain burcaueratic devolopment, of which
he Guaveara’ a losving and Gastre'sa violent attack againet the Fourth Teterna-
tional ot the Tricontinental Cenferonse bays boon pe rtially at loast tho
ob jootiv= exprossion, Howrer both-in- this conforcnes's dseleions and in tho
subscquont bthaviour of the Widéelista icaders (Armando Hart's spocoh ot the
twonty-third Congress of the CPSU, Castro's speech againet Frei and hie epcocn
on May 1) it hns oloarly appcared that tho Fidclista current moiintaina its
positions in fayor of the revolutionary road end or the aocic seuphdel natura of the
Lotin-imorican revolution. In practigqa, in eleost nll Letin-imeriscan countrisa
the followers of this current difforcontieta themsclyca from the Eoeereeae
official opts.
In China « serious proesas of puree and auopression of difforanecs
apponped and hes struck suaittiteaelt foly ot-the eniros of tho gmmy, the litcrary
ond sciontifie circles, the youth orgupizations and tho party; of the preasnt
time it has culminated in ths clinton Loa of a core of londore groupod aroma
Pong Chon, o monber of th: Folitianl,Burcam, ‘From all cvidonec thie ia an
interburcaucrotic etruggls, but lile 411 conflicts within the burcaucracy in