We are concerned about the implications of continuing the conflict in Ukraine. Recent events early this month, as well as escalating steps throughout the conflict, have shown how fragile of a situation this is and if broken could cause irreversible devastation throughout the world. Even in its current stage, the conflict has caused significant suffering for the working class of all countries.
Sanctions against Russia by the United States and members of the European Union have been used as economic warfare against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine but the unforeseen consequences of these sanctions have been devastating for the working-class all over the world. As a result, countries in Europe have been forced to find new sources for vital imports. For instance, Germany, who has imported 55% of its gas from Russia, has decided to replace Russian imported gas altogether by 2024.This is great for the US oil tycoons as they have the ability to take a larger share in the European market but has resulted in increased prices for both international and domestic consumers, that includes the working-class of the United States, especially when we go to pump gas in our cars or to heat our homes.
Coupling sanctions, the United States has also supported the war with 19.3 billion dollars worth of aid coming from taxpayers. This blank check to fund a war halfway around the world while our schools barely have enough funding to fully staff classrooms, our roads and bridges are being ignored and neglected, and our newest generation of workers are burdened with the largest medical and education debt in our country’s history. The same people who write this blank check endlessly debate scraps and wishbones, and often settle on even less, when it comes to the issues that directly affect working class Americans.
As we pivot towards the war in Ukraine, we are turning our backs on an already-neglected and ever-growing environmental crisis. As the war rages, so does the fossil fuel industry that is used to feed the tanks and jets that rain hell over working class people. Only 12% of countries met their climate commitments to the United Nations ahead of COP27. Any attempts to curb the use of fossil fuels have been forgotten as countries scramble to reopen coal burning plants and develop a bigger oil industry. Thoughts and prayers will do nothing for countries in the global south as they currently suffer from drought and famines created from climate change. Nor will they help the United States and European countries as we start to experience droughts and famines within the next decade. What will we say to future generations as they suffer the consequences of our neglect?
In addition to the crisis of climate change, the working class is facing a more immediate threat to our society. On November 15th, we were two decisions away from being at the brink of another world war. After missiles had struck the NATO country of Poland, the first decision of invoking Article Four of the North Atlantic Treaty was on the table. This opens the door for the second decision, the ability to invoke Article Five, that would lead all 30 countries of NATO to direct military conflict with Russia and their allies. With the nuclear arsenal of Russia and the US totaling over 11,000 warheads, the question has to be asked. Is there a way to win a nuclear world war?
And who will be the citizens chosen to be the next great American export? It will not be Joe Biden or Donald Trump, Mitch McConnel or Nancy Pelosi. It will not be Elon Musk, Bill Gates,or Mark Cuban. It will be the fathers and mothers, children and grandchildren, friends and neighbors of the working class. It will be the bank teller you see every Friday when you cash your check, the barista that makes your morning coffee, your trusted auto mechanic who fixes your car right the first time. To quote a former US presidential candidate, “The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and all to lose – especially their lives.” This was said in 1918 and was proven correct then, proven correct in 1941, proven correct in 1964, proven correct in 2001, and will be proven correct again at greater consequence, unless we do something.
In solidarity,
The Peoria CPUSA