Across the European Union since the counter-revolution in the USSR, we have seen numerous attempts by states to criminalise communist ideology, justified through slanders equating communism to fascism. This has most recently been attempted in the Czech Republic, where president Petr Pavel signed a bill from parliament which introduces prison sentences for up to five years for anyone who:
“establishes, supports or promotes Nazi, communist, or other movements which demonstrably aim to suppress human rights and freedoms or incite racial, ethnic, national, religious or class-based hatred.”
The Communist Party of Bohemia and Morovia (KSČM) has condemned the bill saying “This is yet another failed attempt to push KSČM outside the law and intimidate critics of the current regime,”. This law is a clear indication that as the crises of capitalism exacerbate, the ruling class will make every attempt to discredit those that question the system.
The tactic of equating communist ideology with fascism is one of the greatest falsifications of history in our time. This blatant falsehood is consistently pushed by the anti-communist leaders of the European Union. Let us not forget who it was that liberated the Czech people and Europe from the grip of fascism. It was the Soviet Union which led the anti-fascist resistance and crushed fascist power, not only due to the sheer determination of the people in their struggle, but also to the superiority of the planned economy and socialist system.
As the class struggle intensifies and the horrors of imperialism become apparent to every worker, the ruling class will continue to intensify their attacks on the communist and workers organisations of the world. A unified and organised working class represents a direct threat to bourgeois rule and their ill-gotten-gains, there is nothing which they fear more than the consciousness of our class.
In Ireland, as with everywhere else, it is essential that we defend the legacy of Marxism-Leninism and continue to demonstrate its relevance today by intensifying the class struggle. Let us not be slowed down by the slander and lies of the European Union or imperialists alike. In the words of James Connolly:
“If you strike at, imprison, or kill us, out of our prisons or graves we will still evoke a spirit that will thwart you, and perhaps, raise a force that will destroy you.”
We send our solidarity to the communists and working class of the Czech Republic, along with all those around the world facing repression from reactionary governments, and affirm our dedication to struggling in tandem with each other for an end to the system of exploitation of the working class.