Holocaust Memorial Day is observed globally on 27th of January, marking the Anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp by soldiers of the Soviet Red Army in 1945. Nazi-fascism, the ideology which unleashed the most costly war in human history, is the same force which planned and carried out the mass extermination of over 6 million Jews which we know today as the Holocaust. Fascist death camps were also used in a coordinated campaign of slaughter against Roma, the disabled, ethnic minorities, members of the LGBT community, communists, socialists and trade unionists.
While these crimes are almost unimaginable in their scale and evil, they were not the product of one crazed individual. Fascist parties rose to power first in Italy then in Germany Spain and Japan, as a response of the ruling class in those countries to the advance of left and democratic forces.
Lenin explained that fascism is capitalism in decay. Unable to resolve its own contradictions, when confronted with crisis and the prospect of socialist change or even any erosion of their power, the ruling class will readily utilise fascist movements and an antidemocratic counterattack.
It should be remembered that it was banks and massive multinational corporations, including British ones, that guided the Nazi Party to power in Germany. The fate of Germany’s Jews, minorities and democratic forces were of no consequence in their drive to retain power. Millions who were not tortured, gassed, beheaded or shot, were worked to death as slave labour for giant corporations like Siemens. The resistance and endurance of Jews and other minorities in the face of this horror is a testament to the indomitable will of working people.
The heroic and decisive role of the Soviet Union in ending the Holocaust and World War II, should serve as a clear lesson to those here in Britain and especially the European Union, who have the audacity to equate Nazi-fascism and Soviet Socialism. We must oppose gross historical revisionism which is an insult to the memory of millions of Soviet wear dead and all those who ended the Holocaust.
In the current period capitalism is again faced with its own insoluble contradictions, stagnation and crisis. Capitalism is once again giving rise to and supporting far right forces across Britain, Europe and the United States. The risk to the working peoples of the world, who are always the victims of fascism is clear.
Anti-Semitism remains a stain on society, sustained and propagated by ruling class controlled monopoly media and reactionary political forces
But working people are not passive in the face of this threat. Working people are the real authors of history. Just as the people of Britain, and across the planet rose to defeat fascism in the last century, it is us who can prevent the crimes of the Holocaust from ever being repeated.
The elimination of anti-Semitism and all racist, xenophobic and divisive ideologies which Capitalism propagates and relies on is more important today than ever before. Working people united are invincible and only through unity can we take the road to Socialism.
Today we remember the countless ordinary people, victims of the Nazi death machine.
We remember the brave ordinary people who were the freedom fighters and the partisans.
In their memory, we say
No Pasaran!
Fascism will not pass!
Central Committee
Young Communist League
27 January 2022
London, Britain
