The Arab Revolution - Manifesto of the International Marxist Tendency¶
Core Argument¶
The Arab Revolution represents a decisive turning point in human history, marking the early stages of the world socialist revolution. Beginning with Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation in Tunisia, the working class launched rolling regional strikes that culminated in a national strike, forcing Ben Ali to flee. Revolutionary committees took power locally, while in Egypt, the occupation of Tahrir Square and the army's fraternisation with the masses—its rank and file being workers and peasants—provoked a crisis in the state. The working class's entry through strikes and factory occupations transformed demonstrations into national insurrection.
The movement was not purely spontaneous; a decisive minority initiated it, though the scale of support caught organisers off guard. While spontaneity offered protection from the state, the lack of adequate leadership is a serious weakness. The Marxist position is not that revolution is impossible without a party, but that when objective conditions are ripe, leadership is decisive for victory. The Egyptian Revolution nearly faced defeat when Mubarak outmanoeuvred the movement; only working-class intervention prevented it. The ruling class holds immense advantages—state apparatus, media, bureaucracy—so the working class must develop its own organisations.
Democratic demands are not merely bourgeois reforms but a revolutionary lever. The fight for democracy, pursued to its end, leads directly to socialist demands and workers' power. The immediate task is to overthrow the entire old regime and confiscate the wealth of the ruling clique and imperialists. The slogan of a Constituent Assembly depends on concrete conditions; in Egypt, after decades of dictatorship, it is a progressive demand for a genuinely democratic constitution.
The revolution is not an imperialist conspiracy; the bourgeoisie was taken by surprise. US imperialism was paralysed, unable to intervene despite the strategic importance of the Suez Canal. The revolution has caused panic in Israel, shattering assumptions that Palestinian occupation can continue indefinitely. The Arab nation states were artificially created by imperialism; the revolution can only succeed through a Socialist Federation of the Arab world.
Twenty years after the bourgeoisie celebrated the overthrow of "communism", that rejoicing is shown premature. The fall of Stalinism was merely the prelude to the revolutionary overthrow of capitalism. The masses have shown determination, but victory requires a clear programme and leadership. Only Marxist ideas can provide this. The future belongs to the workers.