Ukraine: Fascist Massacre at Trade Union House in Odessa Brings Civil War Closer

No to US and Russian Imperialism---For Working Class Unity

By Facts For Working People

The massacre of Russian speaking protesters in Odessa over the weekend has pushed the situation in the Ukraine closer to civil war. Thugs from the Neo-fascist Right Sector backed by the Obama administration, set fire to the Trade Union building in Odessa that resulted in the deaths of 38 protesters.

We should make no mistake that it is US imperialism, its Kiev backed government and its fascist supporters that are behind this massacre and increasing destabilization of Ukraine. The Kiev government backed by the Obama Administration is pushing an offensive against the pro Russian held cities and areas in the East.

John Brennan, the head of the CIA, made an open and deliberately provocative visit to Kiev to support the Kiev government recently and the German daily, “Bild” reports that the CIA and FBI are advising the government in Kiev on how to deal with the ‘fight against organized crime’ that is apparently a reference to the growing protests in the East. Sections of German capitalism while being dragged behind this reckless offensive of us imperialism, are concerned about the situation as it is the strongest economy in Europe and a break up of the Ukraine could derail the German economy and lead to similar events in other Eastern European states.

Hans-Werner Sinn, the President of the IFO Institute for Economic Research a German capitalist think tank, shared these concerns of this wing of German capitalism in a recent article in the wall street journal on may 3rd; he wrote: "It must be borne in mind that the present crisis was triggered by the West. The overtures made by NATO to Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine effectively threatened to encircle Russia's Black Sea Fleet in the only ice-free port at its disposal."

The seizing of cities and areas in the East most likely has the support of the Russian government which acts in the interests of the Russian oligarchs for whom we must give no support. But as each day goes by and as each massacre like the one in Odessa takes place, it will give more impetus to the rise of a genuine popular uprising of the Russian speaking people in the east of the country. And why would we be surprised at this? Fascist elements in the Ukrainian protest movement and now the government destroyed monuments to heroes that fought the Nazis during World War 2. The Russians/Soviets  lost 13 million people or more in that war, the battle of Stalingrad alone cost one million lives, both Russian and German. Hollywood and John Wayne are not the best chronicler of the events of 1939-45.

So despite the bias and downright lies in the US media it appears now that there is more of a popular uprising in the East.

The US is playing a dangerous game in Eastern Europe, pushing Putin and Russia in to a corner. It is not ruled out that the Ukraine could break up as a nation state but there is no way out of this by aligning with either Russian or US imperialism. This would mean civil war in this huge nation. The only solution is the unity of the working class both Russian and Ukrainian. There are trade unions and a potentially powerful working class in Ukraine, especially in the east of the country which is more industrialized. The call must be for a workers defense force throughout all of the Ukraine linking up the different working class forces and community organizations that exist. This also would have an affect on the Kiev controlled troops who are showing signs of wavering as they are appealed to by people in the East.

Unless a mass movement from below brings down the Kiev government and halts its military offensive against Russian speakers in the East, there will be a civil war with the likely intervention of Russia. And conflicts will very possibly spread to other countries as Stephen Morgan has pointed out in a previous blog.

Here in the US we have the usual situation where the mass media simply publishes US State Department dispatches. The NYT has played a disgraceful role in this affair lying to the American public about events in Ukraine. It had to retract one story when it was discovered that photos of Russians in the Ukraine it published were actually taken in Russia and came from the US State Dept.

As for the trade union leaders we have the usual deafening silence. It is appropriate as today is Karl Marx’ birthday to remind the reader of his statement on the role of trade unions. He wrote:

"Apart from their original purposes, they must now learn to act deliberately as organising centres of the working class in the broad interest of its complete emancipation. They must aid every social and political movement tending in that direction. Considering themselves and acting as the champions and representatives of the whole working class, they cannot fail to enlist the non-society [people] into their ranks. They must look carefully after the interests of the worst paid trades, such as the agricultural labourers, rendered powerless [French text has: 'incapable of organised resistance'] by exceptional circumstances. They must convince the world at large [French and German texts read: 'convince the broad masses of workers'] that their efforts, far from being narrow and selfish, aim at the emancipation of the downtrodden millions."