Origins and Meaning of May Day

DSP May Day Dinner – May 1, 1999
By John Percy

[The following talk was given at the Canberra DSP May Day Dinner on May 1, 1999.]

May Day, the day commemorated for more than a century as the international workers’ day, began as the fight for the 8-hour day in the USA in 1886.

But our socialist celebration of May Day is more than just an assertion of economic and social rights for the working class within the framework of capitalism. It’s a challenge to the rotten profit system itself. It’s an affirmation that history will not end with this racist, brutal society and that a better world is indeed in birth.

A better world! A world where work and the riches it produces are shared equitably. A world where progress in technology and science brings progress in solving social and environmental problems. Where work ceases to be a daily grind and becomes a contribution, a passion, a chance to grow and excel. A world where privilege is but a relic of a dim, barbaric past. A world where coercion as social policy is unnecessary because everyone understands their interests are served by cooperation; where dog-eat-dog attitudes have faded along with becoming rich at another’s expense.

Such a future is not only possible but essential. Everything points to it, most of all the fact that capitalism is leading nowhere but to the grave and the madhouse, as this May Day, slaughter escalates in two ends of the Earth, in East Timor and Yugoslavia.

Capitalist crises and contradictions

Capitalist crises and contradictions are glaringly apparent.

  • We see abundance, and poverty, side by side;
  • There’s overcapacity, and obscene waste, alongside starvation and misery;
  • The capitalist media even admits, there’s a widening gap between rich and poor;
    • Between imperialism and the Third World. It’s just a few hours’ flight and a world of difference from the capitals of Europe – with fur coats, and luxury cars abounding – to the slums and streets of Delhi and Lahore;
    • Within the Third World. A market for MNCs in India, millions are well off, with servants.
    • Within imperialist countries. Streets of London and Glasgow.
  • The “Asian” economic crisis, growing into a world economic crisis, thrust further millions into destitution. The good side is that it removed some illusions and myths about capitalist solutions to underdevelopment and poverty.
  • The capitalist triumphalism, the crowing about the “End of History”, the “End of Communism” after the collapse of the Soviet Union, has slowed down. It’s meant untold misery for the people of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Illusions are fast disappearing, capitalism’s not the paradise they were promised.
  • There’s a growing contradiction between the increasingly social division of labour, an increasingly international division of labour, and the system of private appropriation for the profit of the few.
  • Capitalism is a system that threatens environmental catastrophes: global warming; the still present threat of nuclear annihilation and deadly contamination; the dangerous elimination of bio-diversity; the mad genetic tinkering in the hands of the profit merchants.
  • It’s a system of imperialist aggressions, military and economic. A system that uses economic warfare and sanctions as weapons of foreign policy, against Iraq, Libya, Cuba, Iran… The Cato Institute reported recently – “Since 1993 the US has imposed more than 40 trade sanctions against about three dozen countries..” But their real problem, being a capitalist think tank, was that these were doing “more harm than good”, to the US that is, “costing American exporters $15 to $19 billion loss in annual sales overseas”.
  • It’s a system that spends so much more on armies and police than it does on health, learning and arts. There’s been no “peace dividend” since the end of the Cold War.
  • The continuation of capitalism means continuation of slaughter and war: continuing aggression against Iraq; arrogant bombing in Sudan; and in Kosova, a new escalation of Washington’s arrogance and grab for power.

Hypocrisy, Clinton and world media

The Trench Coat Mafia in the White House, the Pentagon, and the boardrooms of Wall Street are plotting how to use their huge arsenal of sophisticated weaponry.

The utter hypocrisy of Clinton. You heard what he said after two teen-age white supremacists massacred 13 students in Colorado on Hitler’s birthday and then took their own lives?

“We also have to take this moment once again to hammer home to all the children of America that violence is wrong – to show our children by the power of our own example how to resolve conflicts peacefully.” And again, “We must do more to reach out to our children and teach them to express their anger and to resolve their conflicts with words, not weapons.”

The hypocrisy of the capitalist media. Why on Earth should they express surprise and lamentations at two students shooting up a school in Denver, when their leaders are doing it wholesale on the world stage!

As the century comes to an end, capitalist crimes and contradictions become more scandalous, more brazen. Even Soros feels compelled to protest.

It’s a system long past its use-by date.

May Day, our victories this century

Celebrating the last May Day of this century, it’s a time to take a long view.

The 20th Century has been a century of both tremendous victories and terrible defeats for the working-class movement.

Our victories have been numerous, but foremost, is:

  • The Russian Revolution of October 1917. It’s still the model and inspiration for us, in spite of all the subsequent retreats and betrayals. The 20th Century is dominated by this first great experiment.
  • There’s also the defeat of fascism in WWII. This war was many wars in one, but the working-class victory over fascism was the most significant. It meant the survival of the Soviet workers’ state – degenerated though it was – for a further 40-50 years, and the extension of the revolution to Eastern Europe and the victory of the Yugoslav Revolution.
  • Then there’s the victory of the Chinese Revolution in 1949, when the people of the world’s most populous nation stood up. Even with inadequate leadership, it was a tremendous victory for humanity.
  • There’ve been the many colonial revolutions, in Asia, Africa and Latin America, which won formal independence from the colonial masters, if not the socialist victory that opened the possibility of economic and full political independence.
  • Then in 1959 came the Cuban Revolution, a socialist revolution in America’s backyard. Despite invasion, military attacks, and blockade by imperialism, it’s still going.
  • There’s the heroic Vietnamese Revolution, which defeated first the French, and then US imperialism’s massive invasion.
  • And the whole antiwar movement, from the ‘60s on, was a victory, giving rise to social movements, of women, for the environment, against racism.

All these were great victories. And we have to continually remind ourselves of them, to reap inspiration from our past struggles. These are our heritage, our proud history. And most importantly, we have to learn the lessons of these past victories.

And defeats, two main betrayals

But we also have to soberly recognise all our defeats as well.

There are the daily defeats dealt out to the working class by the bosses of course – their arrogant acts of thieving, repression. We get beaten down through overt acts of cruelty; smothered with the thousand covert acts of deceit.

These we learn to expect as we learn about their system. They nevertheless constantly try to hammer us into submission, into acceptance of our lot. They’re defeats, because we can’t yet put an end to them, by overthrowing capitalism.

But the real defeats are those inflicted on us by our supposed leaders. The two main defeats this century have been the betrayals of social democracy and Stalinism.

Social democratic and labour parties from their historic betrayal in 1914 became the parties of war and conscription. They became the parties of social contracts with the bosses, of Accords, the parties of crisis [management] for the bourgeoisie.

They’re totally tamed. In Europe today, 13 of the 15 EU governments have social democratic involvement, involvement in directing the offensives against workers and NATO’s bombing, involvement in the capitalist neoliberal offensive to roll back working-class gains and social concessions won in previous decades.

Stalinism likewise has dealt a heavy blow to the international working class following the bureaucratisation of the Russian Revolution and Lenin’s Bolshevik party. It destroyed parties and cadres around the world; the crimes of Stalin dirtied the very name of socialism among many workers.

The final defeats, the collapses in 1989-1990 in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, were the result of that earlier degeneration. In China the process of capitalist restoration has gone more gradually.

The war in Kosova today is a consequence of that earlier degeneration and defeat.

The need for a revolutionary socialist party, with a mass base among workers and other oppressed, is all the more urgent, to overcome these historic retreats and betrayals. To learn from them, here, and around the world.

These past decades of defeats of the workers’ movement, and the decline of the left, has left us weak. Capitalist crises and social turmoil escalate, but the subjective factor is missing.

A Turn?

But is there a turn? There are some signs of movement in the last few years, signs of hope.

From the Zapatista uprising in 1994, the French strikes in 1995, the South Korean strike and protest wave in 1996-97, to the overthrow of Suharto [in Indonesia] in 1998.

We saw massive high-school strikes in France and Greece in 1998, and here too, on a smaller scale, and now this year in Mexico.

In many countries we see a new generation, of young workers and students, willing to struggle, to go onto the streets, to be open to socialist ideas.

In recent months we’ve seen some encouraging, exciting developments in Europe. Eva and I just returned from a visit to Europe and Asia, and were able to observe at first hand, to speak to many comrades, many parties.

  • In France, the LCR [Revolutionary Communist League] and LO [Lutte Ouvrière or Workers’ Struggle] are running a joint election campaign for the European elections in June. They’re getting 6-8% in the opinion polls; overflow meetings; This has the potential to set a new framework for the left in Europe.
  • In Italy, the PRC, the Party of Communist Refoundation, split last October, but it’s led to a resurgence. Ten days afterwards, 200,000 demonstrated their support in Rome. 7000 have joined since, mostly young people. The polls still give them 8.3%; nature of split; Unified leadership.[John planned to expand verbally on the last two points in his talk when time permits. But the related content is not available.]
  • In Scotland, since the Scottish Socialist Party was formed late last year, it’s doubled in size. Congress; 20% poll; Registration; recruitment, branches; Ostracisation by CWI [i.e., the international organisation of the British organisation, Militant][another six points which John expanded on verbally for which the written text is no available]. Some polls predict they’ll get as many as eight seats in the elections next week for the new Scottish parliament. It could have a very positive impact on politics in England and Europe.
  • In the Basque Country, since the signing of the Lazara Agreement cease-fire in September last year, there’s been a very exciting turn in the political situation. On January 19, 200,000 supporters of Basque independence demonstrated in Bilbao. A new organisation has been formed, Euskal Heral Turuk, that unites two of the main revolutionary forces, Herri Batasuna and Zutik.
  • And there’ve been other new steps at left unity, or non-sectarian developments, in Denmark, Greece, Norway, Finland, Portugal.
  • There have also been some encouraging election results for the left in Germany, Holland, Sweden.
  • Latin America has experienced defeats and retreats by left parties in recent years. But terrible conditions for the masses remain, leading to continuing social explosions and unrest, and the potential for left renewal.

We received an email last week from [British] Comrade Phil Hearse in Mexico:

“Today hundreds of thousands of students at UNAM, the main university complex, went on strike – supported by many more at the pre-university high schools – against student fees.”

“It seems this year there will be a united left effort on May Day. My guess is the UNT-Primero de Mayo, supported by the electricity workers and students will have 3-400,000. If you want to win some young people to socialism forever, send them here for May Day!”

In Asia, there’s been a resurgence and renewal of the left after many years of defeats, massacres, and decline. We’ve been in contact with many encouraging developments.

It led us to initiate the Asia-Pacific Solidarity Conference last April, which was successful beyond our expectations. It attracted most of the developing left forces in the region, and was a step forward in collaboration among them.

  • In Indonesia, The Peoples’ Democratic Party [PRD], led by new, rapidly developing youthful militants, was the key force in leading the mobilisations in 1998 that overthrew Suharto. They’ve grown 10 times in the last few weeks. They’re skilfully using their election campaign. The new video produced by Jill Hickson for ASIET [Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor, a DSP-sponsored solidarity group]. Captures the elan and development of the PRD.
  • In the Philippines, thousands of cadres broke with the Stalinist CPP in 1993, in the Manila Rizal region, Mindanao and the Visayas. They’ve been going through a process of renewal and recomposition.
    • The Socialist Party of Labour has been formed from the Liga Socialista uniting with a section of the old CP. They’ll have their founding congress in June.
    • The Revolutionary Workers Party, based in the Visayas and Mindanao, had its founding congress last year.
    • Recently further breaks from the CPP have taken place in Central Luzon, and further unity discussions of these groups are happening.
  • In India, the CPI-ML (Liberation), the strongest and healthiest party coming from the Naxalite tradition, has retained its revolutionary heritage and perspective, and is creatively responding to the actual political situation, without dogmas and permanent tactics. It’s growing, and reaching out to parties coming from different traditions, in South Asia, and around the world.
  • In Pakistan, the Labour Party Pakistan has experienced rapid growth in the last few years. After suffering from the factionalising of the London leadership of the international organisation they belonged to, the CWI, they were finally expelled last year. Now they’re building new international links, and are rapidly expanding their base among workers and peasants in Pakistan. They’re regrouping activists from the old CPs, and winning leadership of trade unions. They’ve expanded strongly in Sind Province – their general secretary Farooq Tariq, whom some comrades would have met at our conference in January, has just completed a tour of the area, speaking to 12,000 at four public meetings, and dozens of other meetings.

A new network…

And there are increasing connections and international perspectives, from many other left parties in Asia and the Pacific – Nepal, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan… The APSC made a big contribution, and a network is growing in practice.

It’s a network that promotes collaboration and exchange visits, dissemination of information, news services, via email lists and web pages as well as publications, discusses joint publishing ventures, and engages in healthy discussion and debate.

International solidarity plays a special role in this growing network, particularly for us, solidarity with Indonesian and East Timor. Our task is to raise consciousness among workers and young people, give concrete assistance – moral and material support – to those in struggle, and help stay the hands of our own ruling class.

So we plan to follow up the APSC with a Marxism 2000 Solidarity and Education Conference in Sydney, January 5-9 next year. We’ll certainly invite the comrades from Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, and invite, entice, many other international delegates. We’ll build it as the main event on the calendar for us and others in the region, and in Australia. This will bring together our work to build the DSP and Resistance in Australia, and our task of helping to rebuild the international socialist movement.

In practice we’re giving some political leadership through Green Left Weekly, not just in Australia. It’s held in incredible respect, other parties marvel, how we do it. For some it’s their main source of international news, for many it’s a model.

Similarly with Links magazine, it’s respected, and increasingly influential. Number 12 is now out, so buy, subscribe! And treasure your back issues, because in future years on the left, you’ll be envied if you have the full set.

From the time of Marx, recognising that the struggle for socialism is an international struggle, and our goal is a socialist world, there have been attempts to link up the workers’ parties in an international organisation.

That’s a future goal, building an international, based on many large parties, and based on a major upsurge in the class struggle.

For now, we need a network, networks at several levels:

  • Broad, varied, open, non-sectarian connections, and
  • Close collaborators developing more links and discussions.

Now more than ever, a party

Now, more than ever, we need a party, we need to build the Democratic Socialist Party.

  • To play our part in the international regroupment and renewal
  • To provide leadership for the struggles here, to rebuild working-class consciousness and organisation

We need more members, more ranks, to lead, to recruit others. So join!

Once you open your eyes, see beyond the bourgeois propaganda and crap;
Once you get that consciousness of class politics;
Once you have an understanding of what’s happening in the world, how it works;
And as you continue to see US bombs raining down; the massacres in East Timor and Indonesia; the misleadership of workers’ struggles here:
What other choices do you have?
Do you close your eyes? Close your mind? Sit on your hands?

Be part of the solution, otherwise you’re part of the problem, in the rich, imperialist West.

The worldwide struggle for socialism has inspired billions of people this century. The way forward may be difficult and require hard work and sacrifice, but it is clear: to build a revolutionary movement of the masses to liberate society from the class of capitalist parasites. That’s the spirit of May Day, and our international pledge this May Day.

Build the DSP!
Build the international socialist movement!