MIM Notes 211                   June 1, 2000

Oppose Imperialist Parasitism! MIM report from "Shut down the 
IMF/WB" rally 

Over 10,000 people protested the annual meeting of the 
International Monetary Fund(IMF) and World Bank(WB) in April, in 
Washington D.C. MIM attended the demonstrations to protest 
imperialism and radicalize broader circles toward revolutionary 
anti-imperialism and internationalism. The rallies demonstrated a 
growing consciousness concerning world inequality, but at the same 
time showed the ever-present need for scientific analysis and 
proletarian leadership. Mobilization for Global Justice organized 
the rally and many related events during the week. Mobilization 
for Global Justice includes reformist, revisionist, anarchist, 
environmentalist, labor aristocrat, anti-imperialist and single 
issue groups. The Mobilization for Global Justice organizes as a 
loose coalition of these groups with scattered unity on political 
ideology, strategy and tactics. Many compare the development of 
this coalition to the Zapatistas and their support networks. While 
MIM sees potential for unity with some goals of the progressive 
sections of the protesters, we see it as our responsibility to 
push beyond unity on slogans calling for the cancellation of so-
called debt (which was the focus of one of MIM's 1999 
campaigns).(1) Our point of unity with many of the protesters is 
that exploitation must be fought; our point of departure is that 
we must do it with the most direct and effective path possible. 
The police came out in full brutal force to stop the protests. And 
the city bureaucrats used their powers to thwart organizing. These 
are quite small examples of what revolutionaries face when waging 
the war against imperialism. Our goal is to end imperialist 
exploitation quickly. Maoism has scientifically proven more 
effective than any other ideology or movement in combating 
imperialist plunder and in building more equitable societies. 

What are the IMF and WB? The International Monetary Fund and World 
Bank are global financial institutions run by the imperialist 
countries in the interests of imperialist finance capitalists and 
imperialist nation populations. The World Bank gives out long-term 
loans, while the IMF focuses on short-term, project oriented 
loans. The loan provisions and the projects themselves serve 
imperialism in a variety of ways. It is important to note for 
those seeking to shut down these two institutions, that they are 
only two of many. The exploitative conditions resulting from loan 
stipulations are similar to strings attached from other lending 
agencies, e.g. the African Development Bank or the U.$. Import-
Export Bank. The loan agreements are typically forged with 
comprador governments selling out the toiling masses within their 
countries. The comprador governments receive kickbacks from 
imperialists in exchange for opening up the gates for increased 
imperialist surplus value extraction as well as product dumping. 
Structural Adjustment Policies typify the methods used by the IMF 
and WB to increase the rate of exploitation in Third World 
nations. Structural Adjustment includes reducing state funding for 
education, health-care, basic national infrastructure, and other 
social needs. The country accepting the IMF or WB (or other 
financial agency) loan generally agrees to lower (or erase) 
tariffs for imperialists countries and corporations to product 
dump. The country also agrees to minimize or abolish organizing 
"rights" and diverts funds from social needs into the military to 
protect imperialists from the exploited and organized masses. 
These are some of the structural changes countries receiving loans 
must accept. The terms of some loans are for specific projects. 
Usually, the specific project facilitates surplus value extraction 
for imperialists. For instance, the loan can be specified for a 
road that helps imperialist country mining corporations to ship 
the stolen goods back to the empire's nest. Or, as we reported in 
MIM Notes #199, the loan is for a specific project that is 
assigned to imperialist nation contractors. In sum, the 
imperialist contractors get the money from the loan, but the Third 
World masses must pay back the loan plus interest. As in the case 
we reported, often times it is for shoddy construction that does 
not benefit the people. Financial institutions like the IMF and WB 
also facilitate imperialist exploitation by charging usurious 
interest rates, which fall on the backs of the toiling masses and 
their children for generations to come. As of 1998, the total so-
called debt in the Third World was $2.5 trillion dollars; $370 
billion of which was "owed" by the 52 poorest countries. Sub-
Saharan Africa "debt" is over $130 billion, or 83% of the total 
GNP of the region. In countries like Indonesia, the power of debt 
enslavement forces the masses into jobs paying 26 cents/hour. 
Because of high interest rates, many countries will never be able 
to pay back these loans.(2). The IMF and WB loan out money that 
rightfully belongs to the Third World people to begin with. Third 
World countries are in poverty because of past colonialism and 
present day imperialism. The super-exploitation of Third World 
peoples by First World multinational corporations is reinforced by 
imperialist institutions like the IMF and WB. MIM agrees with 
protesters who call for the cancellation of these so-called debts. 
We also organize for anti-imperialist revolution within the 
imperialist nations to establish socialist governments that 
recognize that the affluence of First World populations has come 
at the cost of Third World lives. Such socialist governments are 
necessary to stop Third World exploitation and to pay reparations 
to nations raped by the First World. 

Rally demands and material interest The rally, just like the 
coalition that formed it, was composed of several parts. When 
evaluating rallies, movements, demands or organizations, MIM looks 
at the interests being served. Here we break down some of the 
components of the protests. Reformists composed the largest 
section of the protest. But there are varied reformists as well -- 
the better ones and the First World chauvinists. Reformists called 
for basic liberal changes within the IMF and WB. They carried 
signs saying: "End WTO Democratically Before WTO Ends Democracy"; 
"Build Rails Not Roads: Make IMF Support Public Transit"; 
"Necessary Medication for Every Nation"; and "IMF, World Bank, 
WTO, Who Elected These Guys?". Some reformists demanding further 
oversight and public scrutiny of the IMF and WB are allies who can 
work with internationalists exposing the exploitation of Third 
World nations. But taking their demands to fruition falls far 
short of serving the interests of the world's majority. Reformist 
demands ignore the basic imperialist nature of the institutions 
and would only provide a band-aid. Some of the better reformists 
join revolutionary movements after seeing that band-aids are not 
enough. Other reformists will always vehemently oppose the goals 
of revolutionaries because they only want to change the ugliest 
parts of the world, but do not want to pay the price of ending 
parasitism. Amerikan unions are in the latter category. They call 
for reforms of financial institutions or the World Trade 
Organization for their own material interests. Sometimes they 
claim they want to make the lives of Third World workers better. 
But the reasons Amerikan so-called working class unions seek 
reform is to increase the amount of money that they are "earning". 
What's wrong with that? The amount of money (and pensions, and 
profit sharing, and stocks and bonuses) that the imperialist 
nation labor aristocracy currently receives depends on the 
extraction of surplus value from exploited Third World workers. 
Some argue that imperialist nation workers genuinely care about 
the material conditions of Third World workers. If that is the 
case, then they can demonstrate it by stopping the flow of 
superprofits to the First World. Another prominent grouping at the 
demonstrations were the revisionists. That is, those who call 
themselves socialist or communist but fundamentally revise the 
principles of Marxism. These groups have thrown Marxist political 
economy out of the window and tail after the so-called workers in 
the imperialist nations. They vie for support from the labor 
aristocracy of imperialist nations and vow to support their 
material interests. But worse than the unionists themselves, they 
demand more Third World exploitation and call it Marxism. That 
leaves a lot of cleaning up for us internationalists to do. The 
biggest shortcoming of the rally was revisionists' pretensions of 
worker solidarity. Revisionists claim that if an individual does 
not own Ford, but is on the payroll, then that individual must be 
exploited. They then say that these allegedly exploited workers 
share the same struggle as workers and peasants in the Third 
World. However, the interests of First World so-called workers 
contradict the interests of oppressed peoples. The struggle for 
Third World liberation is in fact taking a stab at imperialism, 
the gravy train for the majority of the First World. Aside from 
these reformists and revisionists, many unaffiliated youth and 
anarchists attended the rally. These protesters showed the most 
promise in terms of taking an anti-imperialist stance. They 
carried signs saying "United States of Exploitation"; "Human Needs 
not Corporate Greed"; "Third World: Unite, Default, Refuse to pay 
them!"; "Global Village not Pillage"; "Life before debt"; and 
"Cancel Debts Pay Reparations". 

Pigs arrive in riot gear Peaceful protestors were met with massive 
violence by D.C. pigs decked out in full riot gear. Determined to 
"control the people better then in Seattle," the pigs arrested 
more than one thousand protestors including some reporters and 
passers-by, for "protesting without a permit". Pigs also stepped 
on protesters with their horses, beat them and sprayed pepper 
spray. Those arrested were cuffed by the wrists and ankles and 
corralled onto buses. The pigs locked them inside, with the 85 
degree sun blaring on them, for 12-14 hours with no food, water or 
bathroom facilities. Later, they were locked in cells without 
food, medical care or access to legal representation. This 
violence points to the hypocrisy of Amerikan democracy. There are 
no not mythical "rights for all" under imperialism. The pigs, with 
their guns, riot gear and state funds have the power to deny all 
protesters the privileges Amerikans are supposed to have through 
the Constitution. Arrested protesters now understand first hand 
what the Amerikan Injustice system is all about. And we look 
forward to increased support for the struggles of Amerika's 
prisoners among those at the rally. 

Proletarian internationalist leadership Maoism is based in 
proletarian internationalism. MIM's proletarian internationalism 
and scientific analysis make us stand out from the groups giving 
lip service to socialism within imperialist nations. When MIM 
attends rallies such as this one: *We explain that correct 
revolutionary theory is necessary in the fight to end Third World 
exploitation; *We explain that the super-profits appropriated by 
First World nations are stolen from Third World labor; *We explain 
that the path to communism requires an end to the flow of super-
profits to imperialist nations; *We uphold revolutionaries in the 
oppressed nations who waged or are currently waging protracted 
people's war against imperialism. Many protesters perhaps learned 
more about Amerika's steadfast support of global oppression. 
Spontaneous, broad movements quickly grab attention. These 
protests and rallies are a good example of people's ability to 
mobilize against injustice. But we emphasize that large eclectic 
protests or even longer-lasting eclectic movements are missing an 
essential piece: proletarian internationalist leadership. 
Proletarian internationalist leadership, in part, means that the 
interests of the world's majority exploited and oppressed masses 
are leading the rallies, protests, actions, or whatnot. MIM 
believes that the vanguard of the proletariat -- a revolutionary 
Maoist Party -- is necessary to steer the most direct path toward 
liberation. Eclecticism of the SDS variety gives credence non-
proletarian interests and withers away before the proletariat's 
interests are achieved. That is why we persuade progressives and 
internationalists at rallies like this to join MIM's circles and 
transcend single issue organizing. Only anti-imperialist 
revolution will abolish the the vampirism of institutions like the 
IMF/WB. 

Notes: 1. http://www.prisoncensorship.info/archive/etext/debt/ 2. 
www.jubilee2000uk.org and in particular see chart at 
www.jubilee2000uk.org/policy_papers/tables/figure-alpha.html