Labour Party of Iran (Toufan): Imperialism. Enemy of the Peoples and States!

a) Independence and National Sovereignty

Freedom in its basic sense is nothing but the liberation of human beings from the constraints of
nature and society. Freedom is achievable only when human beings are capable of gaining
knowledge about nature and society and about the objective laws governing them and are willing
to change them; in other words, to have the desire to gain freedom.

In the social scene, the achieving of freedom, as in nature, always requires constant and
continuous struggle. But, unlike in nature, it accompanies the denial or limiting freedom of one
section of society that has gained its freedom through the oppression of others. For example, the
freedom of women weakens the sovereignty of men and all forces that are involved in the
oppression of women, and the struggle of nations for independence makes the sphere of
influence and power of the colonists smaller and weaker. In other words, human societies are the
battleground of various classes and forces which have different and even conflicting interests and
goals and are constantly struggling to achieve these interests and gain “freedom”. The struggle
for freedom and the denial of freedom constitutes the broadest and most fundamental part of
human activity in existing social issues as well as in nature.

Independence is basically a sort of freedom, one that guarantees the possibility of non-
compliance as well as obedience. This independence for a country is nothing but the liberation
from subordination to the influence and dictate of others. Sovereignty is the result and effect of
national independence and the guarantee of its preservation. Sovereignty means the complete
independence of a state to solve its internal and external problems. Any interference, assigning
order, pressure, and exerting force – let alone military intervention – against a state threatens its
sovereignty, independence, and freedom. Sovereignty and independence is the tower within
which the peoples and nations of the world will be able to create their own state, society, culture,
and future without being imposed on by another state or power. Any restriction and denial of one
country’s sovereignty and independence by others means suppressing the freedom of the country
for the benefit of others. Violating the right to sovereignty of others under various deceptive
excuses such as defending human rights, democracy, etc., means the others are deemed to be
incapable of determining their own destiny.

The view that recognizes national independence and sovereignty for some and void for others, is
an integral part of the ideology of the bourgeoisie and imperialism. The more expansion there is
of the capitalist economies, of capitalist-driven politics, of the spheres of influence of
imperialism, and the gaining of special military-political-economic privileges, the more the other
countries’ freedom and independence will be seriously threatened. Imperialism is by nature
oppressive and invasive. Its power lies in the perceived or relative weakness of others.
Imperialism does not recognize or accept equality and justice. The rule of capital, and
particularly of imperialist capital, threatens equality and social justice. The colorful U.S. and
European imperialism’s claim of the necessity of a war against Yugoslavia for the sake of
defending the people of Kosovo was no more than an old lie.This was not the first time that
world imperialism has violated the sovereignty and independence of a weaker state by its
aggressive military invasion. What distinguishes the imperialist NATO attack on Yugoslavia
from other imperialist aggressions is not that it undermines and discredits the rights, sovereignty,


and independence of others at the global level, but that it explicitly declares these issues to be
“obsolete” in order to start up a new era of imperialist wars to crush the resistance of so-called
“rogue” nations and states in order to maintain the “New World Order.” And all these are done
under the banner of “defending democracy and human rights”!
In other words, imperialism, and in particular U.S. imperialism, seems to have become so
distressed and uneasy and has suffered so much from the absence of democracy and the violation
of human rights in many other countries that it has ultimately sacrificed the rights of nations and
their sovereignty and invaded and destroyed other countries in order to bring them the “gift” of
human and democratic rights!

b) The aggressive war and the defensive war of independence

It can be said that the first victim of any aggression is the truth. In fact due to reaching a dead
end in their policies, all aggressors and warlords are forced to pursue war as the last weapon in
order to develop and achieve their economic and strategic interests. But these wars have always
used an excuse to mobilize and attract people. In other words, they simply lie to the people in
order to win the war. Europe’s savage slaughter of the indigenous people following the
discovery of the American continent and the killing of the “savage Indians”; and the annihilation
of the indigenous peoples of Australia and New Zealand are some of the examples. Most of the
time, the lies are accompanied by justifications such as “responding to enemy attacks” as in the
case of the Gulf of Tonkin in August 1964 at the start of Vietnam war. The Bush war against
Iraq was launched under the banner of an “attack on United States of America” in the wake of
the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The attack on Yugoslavia was justified under the
pretense of “preventing the killing of the nation’s people.” Aggressive wars in Libya, Syria and
Yemen were carried out under the banner of humanity and saving civilian lives. Predatory and
aggressive wars always require a “humanitarian” cover to deceive public opinion.
The very nature of war is determined by policies that have ultimately made war historically
necessary. The imperialists’ invasion of Yugoslavia in 1999 was in fact a continuation of the
policy of disintegration and weakening of the united Yugoslavia. The fragmentation of
Yugoslavia was possible only in the face of a war. The war began with the “goal” of creating a
“peaceful region”without “violence and tyranny of the Serbs.” Using these lies, the imperialists
attacked the national sovereignty and independence of Yugoslavia.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, with the goal of colonial domination of the continents of Asia and
Africa, the new European bourgeoisie introduced the theory of “cosmopolitanism,” which Kant,
Schiller, and Goethe worked on with good intentions against the prevailing chauvinism at the
time. They made it their motto to discredit the borders of the countries of these regions. In the
early 1990s, on the basis of the globalization of capital and production and under the new
conditions of the collapse of the social-imperialist system, the U.S. became an undisputed power,
the borders of countries were declared invalid again under the cover of “historical necessity” and
“creating a world market”. And interestingly, those borders lost the necessity of their
preservation where general imperialist interest wee concerned. The “New World Order” meant
the unipolar imperialist world, the successor to the former capitalist and socialist bipolar world
(or Eastern bloc).


The relationship of imperialist countries with weak countries (read: “New Order”;) is the
essence of all politics that has been implemented the world over since the 1990s. This is a policy
of aggression and colonial dominance, all under the cover of modern globalized imperialism.
Imperialism has become the most savage and anti-civilization force in human history today. The
U.S., driven by capital and with the world’s largest military force at its disposal, considers its
borders so sacred – unlike the borders of Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, etc. – that
they feel compelled to undertake a brutal and endless war in the Middle East in the name of
“fighting terrorism”. And now the same policy of aggression is being implemented in Syria and

The reality is that globalization is not a denial of national independence. The political fate of a
country should be determined by its people in accordance with international law. A state that
makes decisions, not on the basis of imperialist interests but on the basis of national interests,
guarantees the preservation of that country’s political independence. If the outcome is not favored
by the imperialists (as in all former socialist countries, and even now in North Korea, Cuba, and
Venezuela, etc.) or if it causes dissatisfaction among its people through oppressive policies and
the use of force and authoritarianism, it is up to its people to change the situation. It is up to the
people to determine the scope of the non-antagonistic contradictions during an imperialist
invasion. It is up to the people to determine how to conduct their struggle. It is up to the people
to determine how best to confront authoritarian tyranny after the elimination of imperialist
aggression and sanctions and the change of reconcilable conflicts to antagonistic conflicts. It is
up to the people alone to overthrow tyranny and replace the old rule with a new one.
Invasive wars of imperialism and the occupation of countries ruled by tyrannical governments
(such as Iraq and Libya) cause disorder and chaotic situations for the people. Such wars create
discord and social and political tensions, intensify the conflicts within the societies, and generate
crisis. Replacing Assad or Gaddafi or the Islamic Republic of Iran with a regime that implements
imperialist programs and policies, though under the pretense of democracy, is not a forward
development; instead, it represents multiple steps backward accompanied by inextricable
entanglement in a web of dependency.

The forward development of a society means replacing its tyrannical and corrupt government
with an independent and popular government. Positive development means the rejection of
Gaddafi’s despotism and authoritarianism in Libya, the rejection of the Islamic Republic in Iran,
and the preservation of the positive factor of independence in both of them.
c) “Sanctions and economic boycott”: the 21st century language of colonial aggression
The economic sanction and blockade of a country is a direct violation of the UN Charter, and it
means the violation of the rights of that nation. One cannot oppose the violation of the rights of
the Iranian nation but support the reactionary policy of economic sanctions as “positive”, as
“revolutionary” or as a “harbinger of socialism” for Iran.
The nations of the world, regardless of their sizes and religions such as Muslim, Christian,
Hindu, Buddhist, etc., regardless of their economic power, political influence, and military
power, all have equal rights and should enjoy mutual respect. Through the use of threats and
defamation, the aggressive powers attack the weaker nations of the world, humiliate them, and
create a special status for themselves. To respect the rights of the nations is to believe in the
principle of democracy. To reject those rights is to accept and embrace the most vile and
inhumane elements of colonial tyranny.


The tragic fate of the Iraqi national chauvinist Kurds contains many lessons from which we can
learn. The national chauvinist Kurds were in favor of the economic siege of Iraq that killed
700,000 Iraqi Arab children. The Kurds supported the invasion of Iraq by the U.S. imperialists
and their allies with the vain hope that they might benefit from the bloody aftermath. Today, they
have become a base of the Zionist presence in the region. The fact that the invasion was a
violation of human rights and of the rights of Iraq was of little importance to them. Kurdish
national chauvinists naively hoped for freedom and “independence” under the U.S. occupation of
Iraq. And now they are witnessing the Turkish government’s invasion of Syria with the aim of
violating the rights of the Kurdish people and consequently punishing the Kurdish chauvinists
who are in opposition to the pan-Ottoman and pan-Turkish policies of Recep Erdogan. Today,
they are forced to condemn Turkish aggression against Syria. Taking an opportunistic stand
instead of a principled one will lead to disaster. Every democratic country condemns such
aggression, regardless of who the perpetrator is.

Even under the pretext of “progressive” intentions, one cannot violate the democratic rights of a
sovereign nation. The grand teacher of Marxism condemns pushing socialist revolution onto
other countries because this “good intention” has not come out of the very heart of society or
from its need for growth. It is, instead, a provocative and mechanical act. Invasion of nations and
violations of the rights of nations cannot be justified by the nature of the heads of state. Those
who advocate the invasion of a given country by using the argument that a tyrannical
government is at work and is violating human rights have always wound up siding with the self-
serving cruelty of imperialism and colonialism.

d) Dominance of the Dollar: another tool of suppression

Current developments tell us that U.S. imperialism tries to preserve the dominance of the U.S.
dollar as the default form of currency exchange in the world. As the most powerful economic
and military country after the Second World War, the United States of America replaced the
British Pound with the U.S. dollar as a means of cementing its hold over global exchange. The
U.S. dollar was originally guaranteed to be backed by gold. The U.S. government voided this
guarantee as a consequence of waging costly wars in Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos,
covering the expense of these wars with the printing of extra dollars that no longer had gold
backing. To save the central bank that had gold reserves, Nixon separated the dollar from gold
and let supply and demand in the competitive market determine its value. The exchange of oil
and other commodities in terms of dollars and the emphasis on the U.S. dollar as the only valid
and stable medium of exchange of global trade gave the United States of America the power to
seize control over the global banking and financial systems.

The Euro, emerging as a competitor to the dollar, lacks the leverage the U.S. holds to maintain
its economic dominance. When Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein decided to sell their oil
in Euros, the U.S. imperialists prepared to invade their countries. Eventually, Iraq and Libya
were destroyed by wars of aggression. The occupation of these countries actually preserved the
dominance of the dollar in the world. The Islamic Republic of Iran also decided to sell Iranian oil
in both dollars and Euros. This incensed the U.S. as the dual-currency policy not only increased
the credibility of the Euro, it also shook the dominance of the dollar, the world’s most powerful
currency. Along with this Iranian move on the dollar, global resistance by China, in cooperation
with the Russian Federation, India, South Africa, Brazil, and other countries in the world
including Latin America, emerged to end the dominance of the dollar, which had been
systematically destroying the foreign exchange reserves of many countries. Conducting barter

transactions, exchanging Chinese currency that has become a member of the global currency
basket, establishing the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization, establishing a free trade zone between the Eurasian Economic Union and
establishing a BRICS group of emerging economic powers (Brazil, Russia, India, China and
South Africa) are among the tools the Chinese government has set up to counter the power of the
dollar. This move has been backed by many countries.

U.S. imperialism, which has lagged behind in many economic arenas and is trying to boost its
economy by violating the “respectable rules” of the World Trade Organization and abolishing
the “respected and sanctified” neoliberal economic policies for its own country, has to draw a
wall around itself and support its domestic production. In such circumstances, it is imperative for
the United States of America to rely on both military aggression and sanctions that are,
themselves, the basis for military aggression in order to maintain the domination of the dollar.
Aggressive U.S. policy toward the Middle East and Iran is part of this vital, general, and strategic
policy and should be politically evaluated in the context of this dominance. The United States is
witnessing that China’s Silk Road bypasses all U.S. dominance of the seas and straits, and
Chinese and East Asian goods arrive at European markets about ten days earlier than they do
through the U.S.-controlled seas. The U.S is a staunch enemy of the Silk Road and does not
tolerate its extension towards Europe. Since Iran is a country that is adjacent to fifteen other
countries and because it connects the Caspian Sea with the Persian Gulf, it contains more than
2,000 kilometers of the Silk Road, and monitors Middle East oil and gas, it threatens the
hegemony of the dollar by announcing its readiness to trade in Euros. The U.S. hostility towards
the Iranian people is strategic and has nothing to do with the polite or impolite conduct of this or
that Iranian government agent. The United States of America seeks only a puppet Iran that
dances to its tune.

In the present world, an important front has been formed. In order to maintain their
independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty, and in order to prevent their destruction and
to preserve their prosperity, nations must unite to end the global dominance of the dollar.
The United States of America has established military bases everywhere it could to protect the
empire of the dollar and has deployed troops in oil-rich areas of the world that it does not intend
to leave. Their wishful presence in Iran also comes with the intention of maintaining the
domination of the dollar and destroying our country. The Iraqi people today are demanding that
the occupiers leave Iraq, but the United States is saying that it will not leave Iraq. The reality is
that the United States is in critical need of Iran as a springboard to preserve its empire of the
dollar, to monitor the Strait of Hormuz and protect Saudi Arabia, to restrict the activities of
China and Russia, and to enslave the countries of the region.

Those sellouts that ally themselves with the U.S. in imposing sanctions on the Iranian people and
in overthrowing the Islamic Republic ignore the role of the masses in the struggle against the
capitalist regime of the Islamic Republic. They know that when the struggle rises in Iran, the
people will tie the struggle against the Islamic regime with the struggle against imperialism and
Zionism in the region and will stand with Arab and Turkish nations to expel those imperialists
and Zionists from the region.

Categories: Iran

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