Revolution #008, July 17, 2005, posted at revcom.us
On Thursday, July 7, a series of bombings in London killed at least 49 people and injured many more. The bombings targeted people on their way to work during rush hour, on subways and busses. The bombings coincided with a summit meeting (the so-called G-8) of the leaders of the main imperialist powers in the world, then being held in Scotland.
At this time it is unclear who was behind these acts and what they were aiming to do, and no one should accept the explanations of the news media and government leaders at face value. But some things ARE very clear.
One: whoever was behind this and whatever their intent, their acts, besides causing the suffering of innocent people, actually benefited the imperialists. These bombings will be seized on by the likes of Bush, Blair, et al. as a pretext to further their program of war and repression.
Two: the imperialist system is the cause of massive suffering in the world and ultimately holds responsibility for creating the conditions that give rise even to very wrong-headed actions in opposition to it. But things like the attack in London are most definitely NOT in the interests of the masses of people, all over the world.
Three: What is urgently needed, right now—as opposed to this kind of harmful stuff—is, in countries like the U.S. (and England), and indeed globally, the building of truly massive political resistance and opposition to what these imperialists, led by the U.S. imperialists, are doing—the many crimes they have committed and are continuing to commit—and to the way in which they will seize on this incident to seek to justify and to carry further these crimes and their overall juggernaut of war and repression.
Finally: a genuinely emancipating revolution—a communist revolution—is a struggle involving millions and millions of people, who are determined to bring about a radical change in society and the world. This communist revolution aims to overturn the grotesque and horrific systems and relations in the world that cause such untold and unnecessary suffering for literally billions throughout the globe, and which themselves also give rise to and are ultimately responsible for grotesque forms of opposition to this. The nature and aim of this revolutionary struggle is nothing less than the conscious and determined struggle of millions and ultimately billions, throughout the globe, to bring into being a whole new world without exploitation, oppression, and social inequalities. It is a serious thing and it must be approached in a serious way—soberly, with science, commitment, and maturity.