Libya: make the revolution permanent!

By Michi, Vienna

The revolution in Libya took down the Gaddafi regime, killing it’s figurehead tyrant leader, bringing the National Transitional Council to power. Meanwhile in Egypt, protests have been flaming up against the ruling military which has made clear it does not want any kind of 'transition' to democratic rule, and is repressing protests. This demonstrates that the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya are not yet over, and highlights the question of who is in power now, in whose interests, and what will come next.

From capitalist crisis to civil war

The arab revolutions have taken place in the context of a world characterised by a huge crisis of the capitalist system, which has led to inflation and rising food prices, unemployment and poverty. The suicide of Mohammed Buazizis, who set himself on fire in desperation and who started the revolution in Tunisia, is a cruel expression of these developments.

The uprising in Libya that shook the Gaddafi regime began in January 2011. The repressed opposition organised a delegation for talks with the “revolutionary leader“ and demanded better housing conditions, better education, and working condition, as well as freedom of press and freedom of speech.

Their demands were refused and after the days of rage on the 17th of February it came to clashes with the regime massacring protesters throughout the whole country. In the beginning Gaddafi claimed the protests to be an Islamist conspiracy to court Nato support.

But the uprising was carried by the masses of impoverished workers, unemployed and youth, and unified different political, religious, and ethnic groups against the regime. This lead to an armed uprising by oppositional forces, religious groups and minorities like the Berber, Tuaregs, and the Tubu, as well as the youth. These protests were clearly inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, but fastly developed into a brutal civil war because of the regime's bloody repression. Gaddafi was determined to cling to power whatever the cost.

After the rebels took over Benghazi, which became the center of the revolution, they had to suffer some throwbacks but managed to stabilise their poistions after some time. Through coordinated actions with tribal leaders, urban brigades, and Nato air support they fought their way to Tripoli.

NATO intervention

In fact it's questionable what the outcome of the conflict would had been without the role of Nato. Above all it was the working class and the youth who rose up and even forced military commanders on their side. Gaddafi's rule is over. The Their NATO bombers played a big part in the civil war, they stopped Gaddafi's air force, bombed out enemy positions and weapon stashes, but also residential areas, schools or hospitals. They claimed to fight to protect civilians, against the cruel dictatorship and for democracy. But there's only one thing they really want to fight for: profit. The imperialist countries have always backed evil dictators or even helped them into power if it was for the interest of their national capitalist class, they don't care about democracy and human rights if it is seen as against their interests.

British, French, and US imperialism wanted to stabilise the region and gain the favour of the rebels to secure their contracts in oil production and exploit the region. That's why they tried to work as closely as possible with the National Transitional Council (NTC) which sells the licences to produce oil, and maintains those contracts signed before the revolution. The british corporation Heritage Oil bought a 51% controlling stake in Sahara Oil Services at the beginning of October. Keitel, the president of the Federation of German Industry makes it clear: “The freedom, which millions of people win in that moment, also offers economic possibilities – also for German enterprises.“ In truth, Nato forces intervened to try to control the revolution and they will turn against it as soon as they sense a conflict of interests between themselves and the Libyan people.

But if the NTC and the NATO are not the friends of the Libyen working class, peasants, and youth, who is it? Gaddafi? Some left forces hold that view, especially the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez that he was an anti-imperialist fighter who should be defended against the NATO and against the revolution.

Stalinist groups like the Communist Party of Malta sided with the old regime until the end. But that’s as wrong as thinking that imperialism forces could ever play a progressive role in the region. Gaddafi was a friend of the western powers, and even after he came into power he let US companies draw their profits from the Libyan oil. At the same time he used the profits to repress opposition and he fought strikes, demonstrations, and uprisings by the force of arms. Is this a progressive combatant?

Perspectives

The Libyan revolution isn't a socialist revolution in it’s current stage. As it stands at the moment, it is a fight for democracy, in which the property owners and rich hope that it can obtain higher profits for them. That also means that the forces which control the National Transitional Council don't have any interests in creating equality and justice but to continue capitalist and imperialist exploitation, a situation likely to show its self in the same way in Libya as it has in Egypt.

For now it’s mainly important that the revolution doesn’t stay still. The uprising until now had the character of a democratic revolution where working class and capitalists fight together – but the capitalists and NATO imperialists must not hold the power. The regime they are building is again the regime of capital, just in an other facade and there has been too much won in that revolution to let that happen. Right now the NTC is trying to build a new Libyan army and to disarm the rebel militias. Workers, peasants, the youth, and all the other oppressed should go on fighting and make turn the democratic revolution to a socialist revolution – the theory of ’permenet revolution‘ as described by Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky.
The democratic tasks of the revolution can only be fulfilled with a revolution for socialism. We say:

- No support for the bourgeois National Transitional Council. The people should organise in democratic revolutionary councils in their hometowns and districts
- Organise a constituent assembly with delegates from the peoples‘ councils
- Keep the weapons, don’t disband. Build up independent self defence militias controlled by workers, peasants, youth and the poor
- No to imperialist exploitation. Nationalise the oil industry, the banks, and the main economic sectors under control of the employees
- No to imperialist military intervention, even if they are claimed to be humanitarian or for peace
- Equal rights for all people! Full democratic rights for minorities and immigrants. Full rights for women. Equal wage for equal labour
- For independent trade unions and inclusion of the migrant workers
- Build a revolutionary party and a revolutionary youth organisation which can lead the working class, peasants, the youth and the oppressed to victory
- For a socialist federation in North Africa and the Middle East