Letter from Mark Langabeer, Hastings and Rye Labour member
I watched two reports which showed a Russian tank (or more than one) with a red flag waving from the turret. I think this report was to demonstrate just how evil the Russian Army are. The hammer and sickle flag is equated by many with Stalinist rule, prior to the collapse of the USSR in the early 90s.
It’s possible, (only a theory) that some tank crews have bought into the idea that they are fighting fascism and are following the footsteps of their grandparents. However, the invasion of Ukraine will only strengthen the position of the fascists and other right-wing groups in Ukraine and Russia. Only the labour movement in Ukraine can offer a programme that can solve the economic problems of working class people, and halt support for fascist gangs.
It has been reported that Putin has built a vast financial war chest. If Putin was a socialist, he could have used this to improve the lives of both the Russian and Ukraine workers.
Many big companies have pulled the plug on Russia, or at least suspended operations. This has sparked a fear that Putin’s regime will nationalise them. A reporter said that this would not just take Russia back thirty years, but over 100 years, to 1917 and the Bolsheviks! I watched Lavrov (Russian Foreign Minister) press conference report who was indignant about confiscating wealthy Russians’ assets. He described it as an illegal act to take private citizens property. Have the western, so-called civilised nations become infected by Bolshevism too!
The truth is that neither bomber Putin or the bombers of NATO offer a peaceful and prosperous future for working people in Ukraine or anywhere else for that matter. The Bolsheviks, who included both Russians and Ukrainians, attempted to establish a classless society that would end the extremes of rich and poor. The isolation of that revolution in the most economically backward country of Europe led to the rise of Stalinism and ultimately, to its collapse. The conflict in Ukraine is a reminder that humanity has two choices, socialism or barbarism.
