Korea: What to do

For those who are internationalists, especially those who believe that Lenin made a vital contribution to understanding the nature of imperialism, there is no escaping the seriousness of the threats against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the danger of a new war against the DRPK. The very existence of one of the remaining socialist states is at risk. Our comrades are under attack. The question, then, is what to do about it.

The first step is to prepare those organizations and individuals who already are aware of the oppressive role of the U.S. imperialist government—prepare them ideologically, politically and, if possible, organizationally—to expose and confront Washington’s lies and threats. An important part of this process is to publicly express solidarity with the people and the government of the DPRK, who are under enormous economic, diplomatic and military pressure from imperialism.

Bear in mind that the current goal of U.S. diplomacy is to isolate the DPRK. Statements, public meetings and public protests against the aggressive U.S. policy and in solidarity with the DPRK are on the order of the day.

The second step is to prepare the working-class movement, the anti-war movement and, as much as possible, the population for the possibility that this new crisis can give Japan the excuse to further militarize, and even to the possibility of imperialist military aggression against the DPRK. Some may argue that the great sacrifices of the Iraqi resistance fighters have complicated the war plans of the Bush administration and made any new military adventures extremely risky. True. But these increased risks have not changed the nature of imperialism as an aggressive and unstable system that drives the imperialist states to war.

Even if some consider war unlikely, it cannot be ignored by those who want to prepare the forces that will combat aggression. They should be very clear that the imperialists are causing the war and that the workers and oppressed should be on the side of the DPRK.

Such steps, outlined above, are the responsibility of the workers’ and communist movement worldwide and should be supported by all those wanting to avert new aggressive moves from Washington and its allies against North Korea. That movement is encouraged by seeing the strong statements of solidarity from the Communist Party of the Philippines, the Socialist Unity Center of India, Workers World Party in the U.S., and other communist and workers’ parties as well as anti-imperialist groups that are in solidarity with the DPRK’s attempt to defend its sovereignty and its socialist system.