Egypt Discussion: Statement of the FLTI

The revolutionary process in Egypt faces the counter-revolutionary reaction of the SCAF  (which has been and remains the main enemy and conduit of US imperialist program of attacks) against  the toiling masses the ‘exploited ones’ whose liberation demands  an  independent course through which the working class takes leadership of the revolution,  only then can the nation conquer bread, justice and democracy. Independence from both imperialist blocs, the national bourgeoisie, the Islamists and the SCAF is essential for the masses to make the ‘revolution in permanence’.

We have yet to see any of the self-proclaimed revolutionary currents develop a theoretical analysis of how rivalry between the US and Chinese blocs is behind the counter-revolution within the wider Arab Revolution. For example, while we are largely in agreement with the FLTI’s postion on the Arab Revolution what is missing is their refusal to recognize China as an imperialist power competing together with Russia against the US/NATO/Zionist interests in MENA.  Nor does the RCIT, with whom we are in agreement on China and have considerable agreement on the Arab Revolution, recognize the extent to which the revolutions in MENA are also proxy wars between the US and China.

In Libya the US bloc prevailed in removing Gaddafi who maneuvered between imperialisms before aligning with the China bloc.  But the US was not able to disarm the popular armed revolution and cannot transform its ‘democratic counter revolution’  into a military dictatorship. In Syria the revolution against Assad, who is backed by the China bloc, is held back by the US/NATO/Israel bloc’s fear of arming the revolution and ending up with a Libyan outcome.  In Egypt, the US was able to collaborate with the SCAF to re-impose a military dictatorship when the ‘democratic’ counter-revolution failed to contain the masses upsurge. As we wrote in our earlier analysis of the impact of the inter-imperialist rivalry on the Arab revolution, Libya and Syria show the way to the Egyptian masses.  Not until it breaks from the sham bourgeois democracy manipulated by the SCAF and opens up an armed struggle against the state can the revolution survive and succeed in overthrowing the national bourgeoisie and the bloody intervention of both imperialist blocs.

LCC 8/25/13

We republish and offer qualified endorsement to the following statement of the FLTI  on Egypt issued on the  August 17^th.  (Below is the FLTI’s English language text)

EGYPT – Statement of the FLTI Collective for the 4^th International