25.07.1996

Making an honest buck

Sometimes thieves do fall out - especially imperialist ones. This can be seen by the current argument between EU states and the United States over the issue of Cuban sanctions. Specifically, over the Helms-Burton Act, which seeks to ‘penalise’ all companies which trade with Cuba, regardless of whether they are American or not. This Act would unleash a deluge of billion-dollar lawsuits against all overseas companies with any trade links with Cuba.

This move by Clinton, aimed at appeasing the ‘anti-Castro’ lobby and the right in general as the presidential elections beckon, outraged world bourgeois opinion, which was affronted by the thought of the US interfering in its god-given right to trade and deal with who it pleased. The British government was particularly outraged and led the attack against Clinton’s ‘illegal’ blessing of this Act. After all, ‘what right does American law have to override UK law’ bleated government spokespeople.

A nasty trade war between the EU and US loomed, which would have involved all manner of petty ‘tit-for-tat’ measures, as each state attempted to defend its ‘national interests’. Such a ‘war’ would have made the new world order look slightly tatty round the edges.

At the last minute, quite literally, Clinton ordered a climbdown, as the midnight deadline approached. Generously, Clinton announced that the Helms-Burton Act would be delayed. Under this ‘compromise’, legal action against foreign companies deemed to be “trafficking” in Cuban assets expropriated from US citizens by Castro’s revolutionary government will not apply for six months.

Malcolm Rifkind, the foreign secretary, was still not satisfied. He declared that he was glad the US had “pulled back from the brink” - but it would be so much better if the entire law was scrapped, or made less putative at the very least. Ian Lang, the trade secretary, got his sabre out and warned that Britain, and other EU members, could still impose visa restrictions on US citizens and take other measures against US firms operating in Europe.

Despite his ‘compromise’, it looks like Clinton is serious. His administration warned nine executives of a Canadian mining company they would be barred from entering the US because of their dealing in property in Cuba deemed ‘stolen’ from Americans.

When it comes to trade, the ‘democratic’ capitalist states reveal their true colours - they will do anything to protect their right to make an ‘honest buck’. Much to the dismay of EU members, the US Congress is at this moment putting the finishing touches to legislation that will punish non-American companies investing in Iran and Libya.

US imperialism is extending its reach, in its insatiable quest for profits and political clout. Inevitably, it will come into conflict with other imperialist powers. This is a dangerous recipe, as every Marxist realises. Anybody who dismisses the prospect of another inter-imperialist conflagration clearly has not learned the lessons of history.

Communists seek to exploit these inter-imperialist tensions and point to the necessity of proletarian revolution to eradicate the menace of war for good. An essential element of this approach is the need to unconditionally defend Cuba from all imperialist attacks and manoeuvres.

Paul Greenaway