Massacre in Maguindanao: Decomposition of capitalist system

The whole world was shocked in massacre in Maguindanao last Monday, November 23. Fifty-seven (57)[1] confirmed brutally murdered by armed goons.

All sectors vehemently condemn the massacre.

Decadent capitalism: continuously generate violence  

When capitalism is in its permanent decline, the violent conflicts between different factions of the ruling class escalate also. We also witnessed this in class societies in the past since the ancient slave society. Decadent capitalism killed more than 100 million in two imperialist world war. Not included here the local and regional wars in different parts of the planet. These wars are spreading and intensify especially in the Middle East. All of these are caused by factional rivalries of the different factions of the exploiting class.

On-going violence of different factions intensifies - within the Right, within the Left, and between the Right and Left. This is worst in backward countries like the Philippines where the "old-type" of warlordism in feudal system is still being used by modern capitalists in local level - in their own territories. Big capitalist-landlords have their own private armies, mercenaries whose loyalties is to kill for their master who give them big money and salaries. These modern warlords are also the political warlords in their own "local kingdoms". Politicians running for national positions especially for president lean on them since 1940s.

Society's barbarism: ruling class and state's inutility

When a mode of production is progressive, so as the ruling class. Generally, its rule gives "generalize harmony" in the rivalries of its different factions. Why? Because the social wealth to be divided is still vast under an advancing mode of production.

However, in the permanent decline of the system, the whole ruling class and the state itself that should "regulate" these conflicts in the society increasingly lost its capacity to assert rationality of the system it defends. And as decadent capitalism entered in its decomposing phase since 1980s, society rapidly losses its rationality and morality even in bourgeois standards. Rationalization in all things completely exploded under a dying system. Any mystifications of demarcation between the fascist dictatorship of one man and democratic order totally disappeared.[2] The so-called democracy was completely unmasked as the other face of bourgeois dictatorship.

Bourgeois analysts even admitted that the Maguindanao massacre is unparalleled in Philippine history even at the time of Marcos dictatorship. Maguindanao massacre refuted the claim of the exploiting classes that a democratic system is different from Marcos dictatorship.

Hypocrisy of ruling classes around the world

The state and all factions of the ruling class shed crocodile tears in Maguindanao violence. They condemn it but hiding the real cause, the root of this kind of barbarism.

Imperialist powers, the models of democracy, immediately issued statements condemning the massacre, where in fact, these countries initiated and behind the worst slaughter of world history in WW I and II, as well as the barbarism in the Middle East and Africa. The condemnation of imperialists America and Britain, and the den of thieves - United Nations - are so disgusting because the USA and UK are the initiators of barbarism today in the Middle East.

The Arroyo regime on the other hand made gimmicks declaring "national day of mourning", "national day of prayer", "state of emergency"[3], "no one above the law", blah blah blah.....

Bourgeois opposition and the Left are united in pointing to the ruling faction currently sitting in Malacanang[4] as the culprit to add points in their ambition for power or to have more seats in the state and parliament in next year's elections.

As before, the Right and Left use any issues dear to the people to advance their own self-interests.

The question is what faction of the ruling class - administration and opposition, Right and Left - that does not lean on the warlords and armed groups? Which of them who does not approach, talked to, and have an alliance with these armed groups especially in election campaigns? No one. All of them lean on and allied with them or creating their own private army!

Even the Mangudadatu clan, prime victims of massacre in Maguindanao is a warlord clan, and had connived with the other warlord clan - the Ampatuan - to sow terror and electoral fraud in Maguindanao last 2004 presidential elections in their province to make the Arroyo faction win.

Most of all, the state itself where they are violently fighting to control is the biggest and most powerful "warlord" having its own "private" army for the entire ruling class!

The Maguindanao massacre is not the last of heinous killings. It's just the beginning of more barbaric killings. The domination of rotten bourgeois ideology in society - "one against all" and "every man for himself" - pushes the different bourgeois factions, formerly allies in killing each other for their own self-interests especially in remote areas.

This is very clear in what happened in Maguindanao: the Mangudadatu and Ampatuan clans, the two most powerful warlords in Maguindanao, formerly allies, are mortal enemies today. In fact, the Ampatuan clan is the prime suspect as the brain behind the recent massacre in Maguindanao.

We should not be surprised if the Mangudadatu clan, currently allied with the administration party will change allegiance to the opposition if they are not convince to the "justice" to be rendered by the Arroyo regime. And there is strong possibility that the bourgeois opposition is already approaching the Mangudadatus.

Real peace can only be achieved after the overthrow of capitalism and its state

Decadent capitalism is a never-ending wars, violence and chaos.

Of all the violence happening today, the first victims are always the poor people. They kill each other not for their own class interests but to the bourgeois faction they are supporting. Furthermore, in this violence, innocent people are also victimized.

All condemnations by the Right, Left, media, Church and imperialist powers have one objective: strengthen the state to control whole society. For them, only the state has the power to bring "peace" and "normalcy" in society. A solution that could only bring about more violent conflicts and heinous killings because in decomposing system, the state is increasingly incapable to "control" conflicts in society. In fact, it is the root-cause of all the barbarism in society.

The only force who can bring peace to society is the revolutionary working class; the class who has the historic mission to end all exploitations. The class can do this if it would stand as an independent class in the forefront in the struggles of all exploited classes by capital.

And the first step is to overthrow the state.

Communists in the Philippines are calling the Filipino workers: no support between the warring factions of the class enemy. Don't be used by any faction of the enemy. Advance own class movement against the capitalist system and its state.

Internasyonalismo

November 26, 2009

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[1] Out of 57 murdered, more than 30 of them were journalists invited by the rival warlord - Mangudadatu - of the ruling warlord - the Ampatuan - to accompany them in filing the certificate of candidacy in the day of massacre. Even the international bourgeois media acknowledge that killing journalists in the Philippines is the worst in the world. Maguindanao is a predominantly muslim province, which is part of Mindanao, the second largest island in the Philippines.

[2] In the Philippines it is widely known that a "one-man dictatorial rule" of Ferdinand Marcos existed since 1972-86. And through a "People Power revolution", the "dictatorship" was dismantled in February 1986 and democracy reigns again since then.

[3] Lately, the state declared martial law in entire Maguindanao province to "accelerate in giving justice to the victims". This is a complete lie. Martial law means to re-assert the power of the state in an uncontrollable environment due to intra-factional violence.

[4] Malacanang - seat of power in the Philippines.