No to US military base in Central Europe!

It has been two years since informations about plans to build US military base, part of the US missile defence system, in Czech republic first appeared in public. Of course, right from the beginning majority of people – young people, workers and students in particular – have opposed that plan. Incredible 80% people against the base eventually forced US government to shift plans on the anti-missile base itself to what they considered as more reliable ally – Poland. For Czech republic they left radar base – something that could be, as they thought, more easy to get through.

In the two years of debate about the base people from former Stalinist states were once again shown how capitalist democracy looks like. From the side of government they met with concealment of informations, direct lies, mocking on the opinion of majority of citizens and constant denying of democratic right to referendum in such important question. Recently, on 8th of July, Condoleeza Rice went to Prague and despite of protests of thousands of people signed the treaty on US radar base with Czech government.

Supporters of radar are using arguments that are typical for apologists of US imperialism. They are talking about the „threat of terrorism“ and „rogue states“ and about the need to defend ourselves against that threat. But these arguments have been disproved many times and on many occasions. If we look on it only a bit closer, true reasons why USA want to have another military bases in Europe, more precisely in Central Europe, will appear.

In last years, position of USA as leading imperialist country has weakened. Their have been unable to pacify Iraq and Afganistan. They have been hit by economic crisis recently. And other powers would like to get to their place. New miliary base in Central Europe is an attempt of USA to consolidate their position against two rivals at once. In the first place it is Russia, that in last years have made significant gains to re-establish its imperialist position. For purpose of USA showing Russia where is its place are new military bases in Central Europe almost ideal. This fact is from time to time even openly said by supporters of radar and repeatedly proven by reactions of Russia to events around the base. Lastly, after the treaty on radar was signed, it was sharp reduction of oil supplies to Czech Republic.

To lesser extent are bases also directed against other rival of USA. They would be both in new member states of EU, so it could be one of means how US are trying to hinder creation and consolidation of this imperialist block under the leadership of France and Germany. And in the beginning we indeed saw opposition of these two states to the project.

The anti-bases movement is the biggest social movement we have seen in recent times in the Czech Republic – bigger than even the anti-war movement in 2003. It shows the potential to organise around anti-imperialist politics and the anger that many Czech people feel towards US imperialism and the government’s close ties with it. But the movement must become stronger if it is to be really successful. This means doing something that up until now we have not been able to do: bring the power of the organised working class, the trade unions, into the movement. Plus we must also turn to the youth – a great potential source of militancy and radicalism – and organise school, college and university students, plus young workers too.

Even if the treaty on radar was signed, we should not resign. The outcome of the struggle is not yet decided. The fact that it is not sure whether the treaty will be agreed by parliament is the least reason. We cannot rely on parliamentary opposition in our struggle against the base. Social Democracy are maybe now in opposition trying to get public opinion on their side and are opposed to the base. But when in government, they were always good servants of USA, and they still hope that next term they may enter the office again. Being the force that stoped plans to build US radar would not pay off to them. Moreover, we've seen recently how current right wing gavernment is able to buy off or gain by threatening votes of opposition MPs.

The only thing that is able to force Czech and US government to give up their plans is trully mass movement against the base. Movement that will not limit itself to collecting signatures for the petition and from time to time organising demonstration, but that will start to use methods that will affect those in whose interests is to butild the base in their most painful place – their profits. We need to draw workers in the struggle against the base and start with strikes against the base. After the holidays we must organise students at schools and universities to resist against plans to build the base. As the possiblity of building of the radar drew closer, we have to start mobilisation for mass blockade of the place where it is planned to be built. Only with such methods we can defeat the radar!

If we stand up to USA and succeed in stopping them from building radar, it will be further stroke to their policy of conquest hated by workers, youth and oppressed all over the world!