Among the issues evaded in the RCIT narrative is the question of Ukraine's armament, a key point of differentiation with the pro-Putin campists. The European and international solidarity movement defends Ukraine's demand for weapons from capitalist states as part of its armed response to Russia's aggression. The Ukraine socialists and anarchists include the armed response in their defensive program while politically opposing the Zelensky capitalist government and its reactionary program, which undermines the popular resistance to Russia's imperialist assault. The RCIT correctly denies that this war can be accurately characterized as a "proxy war" between Russia and NATO. But does the RCIT support Ukraine's demand that NATO powers supply it with the weapons it needs to defend Putin's forces? The pro-Putin campists, prominent in recent international conferences in Porto Alegre and London, oppose Ukraine's armament (even though some think the invasion was a mistake) and oppose the popular national resistance movement. The capitalist arms race has given rise to debates within the Ukraine solidarity movement, some comrades suggesting support for conscription as a means of introducing the working class to military training and countering the professional officer caste that dominates the military in every capitalist state. That is the context in which the old debate over the Proletarian Military Policy arises.
I don't know the RCIT position on this, but Michael's simplistic response to my question about the Soviet assault on Poland in 1920 — that as an "orthodox Trotskyist" he would defend it (notwithstanding Trotsky's opposition!) — does not inspire confidence. The Zimmerwald left opposed invasion, occupation and annexation. To this we might add since 1917 efforts to export revolution, or regime change, and not just by workers' states. Richard -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#42238): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/42238 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/119987077/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
