Address to the World Anti-imperialist Platform

26/11/2023
Pre-written speech Athens 2023
Wilhelm Langthaler
Written speech of Wilhelm Langthaler on behalf of the Anti-imperialist Camp at the conference of the World Anti-imperialist Platform (WAP) in Athens, November 18, 2023. The actually delivered speech was different in order to refer to the contributions.
World Anti-imperialist Platform Athens November 2023

A broad alliance against the descent into the 3rd world war waged by the US empire

The last two decades have ben characterised by a gradual loss of consensus by the Washington. They proved unable to win wars, the are crippled by a structural economic crisis and resistance movements and state powers striving for escape their rule across the globe are gaining traction. The once so powerful and all-encompassing neo-liberal globalisation is drawing to a close.

In order to keep their supremacy embodied in the monopolar world order Washington embarked on war drive, a kind of revival of aborted neo-con attempts. They pre-emptively unleash war against forces showing signs of insubordination also to teach the others and to avoid a chain reaction.

Therefore they have been encircling Russia as the second military power in the world since decades. NATO moved step by step closer towards Russia also threatening it with a nuclear first strike capability to force Moscow on its knees. The escalation of the war in Ukraine has a long pre-history even before the decisive turning point of the Banderite coup d’etat in 2014 trying to take control over the entire Ukraine. But a popular anti-Nazi uprising partially foiled that.

The aim of the current war is nothing less than to substantially defeat of weaken Russia and even to split it in pieces in order to force it into submission. If NATO succeeds it would be a major blow the resistance and liberation movements around the world including the socialist one amounting in another catastrophic defeat like expressed in the demise of the Soviet Union.

But apparently NATO plans to not work out. Russia could not be defeated to far and is standing its ground in a war of attrition which could turn into a setback for the West or even come close to a defeat.

Then also the Palestinian issue re-erupted with the powerful military action of the Palestinian resistance in Gaza making clear to the world that Israel is not invincible. The Zionist aggressor it hitting back on the civil population inflicting genocide. But they will not be able to defeat let alone eradicate the armed resistance let by Hamas. They also know that if they go to far the entire region can be set on fire where the US has been steadily losing their grip on their allies which are coming increasingly also in conflict among each others. Washington knows well from experience that unleashing war in the regions threatens the loyal partner regimes by civil war and popular uprising.

The third neuralgic area is the far east with China and Korea. The US came to they conclusion that they need to stop China’s ascent in order to preserve their power. So they are imposing sanctions tending towards outright economic warfare which is one of the driving reasons for the end of globalization. But economic war can easily turn also into military conflict and war.

Also in Africa and the Americas the tendency towards a multipolar word is being felt and acted upon.

In a certain point in history all those fault line might come together transforming it into an outright global war. In any case this momentum is not only there, it is also widely felt and feared.

Our task it to stop this war and fight for peace with the broadest possible coalition. The US empire needs to be defeated as precondition for self-determination, development, as well as social equality and basic democratic rights. Only this defeat can open the gate for a more just world in order to allow for the restart of the struggle for socialism.

In the Rome International Conference for Peace and to Stop the 3rd Word War we have started to compose an international coordination, an alliance of forces from all five continents to take common action and elaborate the programmatic basis.

We also came here not only to present our efforts but also to propose to you common action and co-operation up to the point of staging activities together.

 

Here the final declaration adopted in Athens signed also by the Anti-imperialist Camp.