by Raymond Lotta
Since the start of the war in Ukraine in late February, environmental writer and activist Bill McKibben has, in op-ed pieces, blog posts, and media appearances, been pumping out rationales in support of U.S. imperialism in its confrontation with Russian imperialism. As Russia escalated its brutal invasion of Ukraine—and as the U.S. and its West European allies ramped up military assistance to the government of Ukraine and stepped up economic warfare against Russia—McKibben has repeated the mantra of the U.S. ruling class that this is a battle between “democracy” (represented by the U.S. and the government of Ukraine) and “autocracy” (Putin and Russia). But Bill McKibben goes further. He gives his embrace of U.S. sanctions against Russia and bullets for Ukraine a particular environmental twist.
Bob Avakian, Revolutionary Leader and Author of the New Communism
by Bob Avakian
In recent years, there has been lot of talk, and a lot written, about the growing danger of “authoritarianism” in the U.S., as represented by Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Now, in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and U.S. moves in response to this, there is the spectacle of a number of supposed “experts” on “authoritarianism” rallying around the flag of U.S. imperialism in the face of the challenge to its dominance posed by Russia, with China lurking as perhaps an even more serious challenge. (Russia and China have not been “communist” for a long time—and instead have, for decades, been capitalist-imperialist countries and, as such, represent a significant challenge to the imperialist interests of the U.S.)
by Bob Avakian
In the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there has been a not-so-remarkable but thoroughly revealing, and disgusting, display of American liberals and progressives mindlessly mouthing condemnation of Russian aggression in a way that is thoroughly in line with the position and aims of the imperialist ruling class of this country (the “good old USA”), which by far holds the record for invasions and other acts of violent interference in other countries.
Tuesday, February 22, U.S. news media are reporting that Russia plans to send troops into breakaway regions of Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian forces. However things unfold, a war between U.S.-backed forces and Russia over Ukraine would be a humanitarian nightmare, a slaughter of innocent civilians. It would be fundamentally driven not by a triggering incident (real or fake) but by the insatiable compulsion for imperialist powers to grab more or be pushed off the table of global bloodsuckers. For people here in the belly of the beast, our interests lie not in getting behind our oppressors in any form, but in welcoming their defeats as part of building a movement to overthrow this system.
