CINA

본문

Following critical, controversial article (*) about the current anti-S.K.-US FTA movement/struggle I found several days ago on Jinbonet. Yesterday Jae-young ("marc") wrote a kind translation in summary about it.

Well, here it comes:

Organization for Building a Party for Liberation of Laborers (OBPLL: not official name) criticized that current way of the anti-KORUS FTA movement is fraught with petit bourgeois ‘nationalism slogans.’ Subsequently, they are contributing to the dismantlement of dynamic force of anti-KORUS FTA movement struggle by making obscure the frontline of laborers.

The title of the document by OBPLL is “Let’s struggle for the right of laborers to live, not for the protection of national interests.” It made it clear that “urging people to fight for the protection of national interests or our economy and industry is just shuffling the direction of our struggle and is only a delusion of the middle class which believes that they can join the side of Korean capitalists under the concept of the nation.

It also pointed out that such anti-KORUS FTA movement fraught with nationalism slogans “has just been yelling toward the sky in neglect of Korean capitalists’ class which is the very target to be attacked, and in the meantime KORUS FTA was signed, now making us face this worse situation where we are being forced to allow the FTA.”

OBPLL explains that the reason why most Korean capitalists except for agricultural and few industrial sectors welcome the KORUS FTA come to a settlement is that “they are sure that they will have the chance to increase their profit and wealth with the help of KORUS FTA.” It suggested an outlook that such thing will be possible since the way of restructuring is widely opened by the external shock so that they will be able to freely lay off the laborers and fill the vacant positions with contract workers.”

It analyzes that Korean Alliance Against KORUS FTA is led by the middle class civil movement force which is a group of nationalist ideology.

It also points out that delusion and ideology of nationalism was distributed among the laborers in general by the medium of the leaders of KDLP and labor union participating in the Korean Alliance Against KORUS FTA.

It emphasized that it is time for the laborers that they should throw away the nationalistic ideology and slogans and step forward to fight against FTA systematically and collectively under the slogans of their own demand such as “Smashing the restructuring!” “Desperate protection of the right of laborers to live!” “Abolish the irregular worker system!”

Influenced by this document by OBPLL, theoretical disputes around the issue of coming presidential election including KORUS FTA are expected to seriously begin among both major parties, PD (People's Democratic) and NL(National Liberty).

My simplified summary (once again):

* ☞ 한미FTA 반대투쟁 '범국본'은 노동자 외면하는 민족주의 집단, 민노당 민주노총도 노동자 투쟁동력 갉아먹는 기능하고 있다

Related article:

☞ FTA protestors hold joint meeting, notch up efforts (Hankyoreh, 4.14)

PS:

For yesterday organizations such as DLP, KCTU, Da ham-kke etc.. called for a "massive" protest (actually just by a "candlelight-culture festival") against the S.K.-US FTA...

..and just imagine: There is a protest - and (nearly) nobody is participating (**):

Source of the pics: Da ham-kke('All Together')

** Please remember 4.07: "Nearly 6,000 hold rally to demand scrapping FTA with U.S." (Yonhap)