May 1st, 2009

Dear colleagues,

Presently we are experiencing the deepest world economic and financial crisis in the history of capitalism.

Never before has the state given so many trillions to the banks and corporations. This shifts the burden of the gigantic destruction of capital in the crisis onto society.

This also deepens the crisis of the bourgeois family system and the global environmental crisis. Changes of governments and class disputes characterize political crises. The militarization of foreign policy increases the general threat of war.

What is the cause of this proneness to crisis?

The law-based striving for maximum profit, for the elimination of competitors, for the domination of the world market determines the policy of the big corporations and banks and their compliant governments.

Because the 500 biggest banks and corporations in the world have amassed so much capital that they could no more utilize it for yielding maximum profits due to the stagnating markets, a chronic structural crisis has emerged and speculation has assumed unprecedented proportions. Finally the entire society has been dragged into the whirlpool of the crisis.

With the internationally organized production at the most advanced technological level, starvation could immediately be abolished worldwide, a humane care in old age and in case of illness could be guaranteed and a conversion to renewable sources of energy could be made possible. Instead, factories are at a standstill, the most modern installations are being destroyed and surplus commodities are being thrown away. Millions of workers are driven into unemployment and misery . Capitalism is not able to satisfy the fundamental needs of mankind and is drifting from one crisis to the next.

Of course, the working class has to fight against the shifting of the burdens of the crisis onto their backs. It is the superior force worldwide, if it organizes itself and unites beyond country borders. In Iceland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Belgium and Latvia, the governments were driven or elected out of office. Millions of people in Eastern Europe, France and Italy are protesting in the streets or went out on strike. However, the world economic crisis is a crisis of capitalism. It cannot be ended arbitrarily without attacking capitalism. In order to avoid class struggle, the SPD (Social Democratic Party) and the Left Party are calling for the crisis management of the state. But who is this “state” which is supposed to protect us from crises in future? Are these not the same people in the governments who are responsible for the entire disaster? This is no way out! For this reason, all the crisis programs of the state will at best lessen some consequences of the crisis - in the end they all will fail and prepare and deepen the next crises.

Whoever wants to abolish the crises of capitalism has to overcome capitalism! Karl Marx, the mentor of the working class, demanded that the dictatorship of the proletariat take the place of the dictatorship of international finance capital. With a socialist planned economy that is orientated to the satisfaction of the needs of mankind, a production in harmony with nature can be realized. The growing prosperity will then benefit the producers instead of a few profiteers and speculators. Then economic crises will be history.

The future of the working class lies in genuine socialism. The workers need a strong revolutionary party for their struggle that adheres to the teachings of Marx and Lenin and develops them further in accordance with the present time.

Let’s go to the May Day rallies!

On May Day, the international day of struggle of the working class, the workers and employees of the whole world are taking to the streets for their common interests. Let’s stand up for:

· Higher wages and salaries! Abolish the Hartz IV laws!

For a legal minimum wage of 10 euros per hour!

· Instead of short-time work and mass unemployment -

for the 30-hour workweek with full wage compensation!

· For a massive restriction of agency work!

· For a full legal right to strike in all matters!

· Save the environment from the greed for profit!

· Solidarity with the liberation struggle of the peoples!

German Federal Army out of Afghanistan!

· For work, peace - genuine socialism - strengthen the revolutionary working - class party, the MLPD!