Martin Greenfield, Sydney
Communist Unity as an organisation seems to have adopted the slogan “Defend Iran” as its central mobilising slogan to combat Trump’s war on Iran and Australia’s support for it. This is an error.
The main aim of communists in Australia is to mobilise the working class to cripple Australia’s support for and involvement in the war. “Defend Iran” does not do this.
In fact, it confuses the issue. Defend Iran – how? Send blankets, missiles, troops? Defend the Iranian regime? This seems to come out of some ortho-Trot tablet of stone rather than thought-through consistent anti-imperialism.
“Stop the war on Iran. Defeat for US-Israeli aggression. No Australian support for Trump’s wars. Bring the troops home” are all much more concrete slogans aimed at defeating “our” side, mobilising workers against the war, and bringing a political cost to the Australian government.
Albanese’s quick-fire support for the war is now looking pretty stupid as the cost of warflation is biting.
Our main slogans are aimed at mobilisation against our state, and aimed at leading workers in this country to contest what that state is doing. Our approach should be to empower the working class here to become a political class against the Australian state.
Secondary mobilising slogans could be to support the people of Iran under imperialist bombardment.
The other big problem with “Defend Iran” is it has “campist” connotations. Yes, the defeat of US-Israel aggression at the hands of Iran would weaken imperialism, but that would not simply be a positive victory for the global working class. It would also strengthen the Islamist reactionaries in Tehran.
As the slogan can be interpreted as “campist” (my enemy’s enemy is my friend), workers without a clear anti-imperialist position (ie: most) could see this as calling for victory to the Iranian regime as your first priority, which it clearly is not (I hope). Our priority is crippling Australian support for the war.
In Iran itself, a revolutionary defencist position is correct, mobilising to defend the country, while pointing out the regime cannot adequately protect the people, will not consistently oppose imperialism.
But in Australia, in the US, Israel, NATO countries, the call must be for the war to stop, for defeat to US-Israel aggression and solidarity with the people of Iran.
Stop the war on Iran, defeat for US-Israel aggression.
No Australian support – bring the troops home.
Solidarity with the peoples of Iran.
All seem to be a much better way to mobilise workers to take on the Australian state and its political operatives.
The quicker you drop “Defend Iran” as your main slogan, the better.
PARTISAN! 