Joseph Kishore’s lecture at the Socialist Equality Party’s International Summer School focused on the escalating drive towards war, particularly between the United States and China, and the necessity of a socialist program to combat it. He argued that the war preparations are not driven by rational policy but by the inherent contradictions of capitalism, including declining US hegemony and intensifying global competition.
Kishore outlined the historical context, tracing the roots of the current situation to the post-Soviet era and the US’s subsequent military interventions. He emphasized the role of the US military-industrial complex and the bipartisan consensus within the US political establishment supporting military expansion. The lecture examined the specific flashpoints in the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the increasing militarization of nations surrounding China.
He critiqued various explanations for the escalating tensions, including those focusing on national interests or perceived Chinese aggression, arguing that they fail to address the underlying capitalist dynamics. Kishore stressed that the only viable solution is the development of a unified international working-class movement capable of challenging the capitalist system and preventing a catastrophic war. He underscored the importance of building a socialist anti-war movement that connects opposition to war with the struggle for social equality and the overthrow of capitalism.
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