As it is evident from the facts of reality and from the analysis of Pacific Unity League, the ruling groups of Oceania are not interested in development on the basis of economic self-sufficiency and real progress. They are interested in the preservation of a dead-end economic model since their true social nature is comprador i.e. they are intermediaries between national market and owners of foreign capital, which penetrating this market. The path in which they are pushing their own people is the path of eternal underdevelopment and neo-colonial dependence. The unenviable fate of low-wage lackeys of rich Western tourists and unhappy lot to become guest workers in Australia and New Zealand are in store for the peoples on this path. It is the path of destruction all national traditions and culture with transforming them into exotic entertainment for the wealthy Western tourists. And the only way out that letting the Oceania peoples to avoid this sad future is path to socialism.
It is possible
Experience shows that bursting through the front of imperialism and neocolonialism is not a simple task even for the larger countries than the small island states. So, why the victory of socialism is possible in Oceania? To answer this question, we must turn to Lenin's theory that the victory of socialism is possible initially in one single country or group of countries.
In tactical terms, in terms of the political environment, the Lenin's concept foresees two cases when the victory of revolution is possible in a relatively backward country or group of countries. The first case in which rival imperialist groups have approximately equal power and influence over one or another country, so that imperialist groups mutually balance each other (such case we had in Russia in 1917, where the strength and influence of the Entente and Central Powers were about equal). The second case is when a country, for various reasons, is currently of no interest to the main imperialist players or only relatively weak imperialism interested in the country (such case we can see in Nepal nowadays, only weak Indian imperialism has been interested in this country).
Obviously, Oceania countries belong to the second case. They are in the interests of a relatively weak Australian imperialism and very weak New Zealand imperialism. However, the very hard problems face them.
Rupture the imperialist chain in its "weak link" reduces the basis of capitalism and significantly weakens imperialism. Geopolitical blow to imperialism in Oceania will be quite noticeable. Given the 200-mile exclusive marine economic zone, it comes to territory of many thousands square miles and a population of about 6 million people. In today's environment, in the case of the victory of socialism in Oceania it will not remain in isolation, but will rely on support from the anti-imperialist Latin America (Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua and other countries of ALBA), it will establish contacts and cooperation with North Korea, with all countries, which trying to conduct independent, anti-imperialist policies.
It has to be done
The main objectives of non-violent people's democratic revolution in Oceania should be:
- Removal from office all comprador politicians and drive comprador political parties from power;
- Immediate withdrawal from all the imperialist blocs, economic alliances and agreements (Pacific Islands Forum, British Commonwealth, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, etc.);
- Nationalization of the entire infrastructure of transport and tourism.
- The state monopoly on foreign trade.
- Reassessment of all agreements with foreign companies that already have acting businesses in the country. Foreign concessionaires must either agree to substantial increase in taxes to the country's treasury and to significant decrease in their share in the revenue-sharing from the concession, or go away while the going is good.
- Conducting a wide range of democratic reforms aimed at redistributing income in favor of vulnerable layers of population, the elimination of unemployment, illiteracy, providing access to health care for all citizens.
- Adoption of long-term plan of progressive socio-economic development on the basis of self-sufficiency
How it will be
Every revolution, including people's democratic revolution, based on certain social strata and classes. Is there any social basis for the revolution in Oceania?
First, there is a proletariat in many countries of Oceania (Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, Papua - New Guinea, Solomon Islands) which though a relatively small but already sufficiently aware of its interests. Thus, in New Caledonia the workers have organized their trade union, the Union of Kanak Workers and the Exploited (Union syndicale des travailleurs kanaks et des exploits) and anti-colonial Labor Party (Parti travailliste). Do not also forget that employees in modern service sector (at the grass-roots level) are proletarians. Unemployed young people who moved from rural to urban area are a reserve army of labor and they are also objectively belong to the proletariat (although in some cases and under certain circumstances they could be used for reactionary purposes).
Secondly, it is well known from the theory and practice that driving force behind the popular-democratic, anti-imperialist revolution may not only be the proletariat, but the peasants, which are threatened by imperialist offensive that result in degradation and actual destruction of traditional communal forms of farming. But many Oceania's countries are agrarian countries, and it is class of peasants that make up a huge proportion of the population.
The progressive-minded students and intellectuals should play a special role. We mean the healthy part of the social strata that has not lost contact with its people, has not fallen for the fake glitter of decaying culture and moral of Western world.
But what should be the strategy of popular-democratic, anti-imperialist revolution? How the nations of Oceania will be able to overthrow imperialist puppets, remove comprador bourgeoisie from socio-political arena?
After all, because of the relative limitations of the island territory it would be virtually impossible to employ the tactics of "encirclement the city with the countryside" in a protracted people's war, which was developed by Chairman Mao and proved its effectiveness in China. It seems to be impossible to use the guerrilla warfare tactics by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara in these conditions too.
Ironically, the imperialism itself suggests the solution. At the turn of the 80s and 90s of the XX century and the beginning of the XXI century the world witnessed a series of so-called "Velvet revolutions" in Eastern Europe and Asia. Although the driving forces of these non-violent revolutions were the masses, but judging by their final results (restoration of private neo-liberal capitalism in Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union, advent to power the puppets of U.S. and EU imperialism in Ukraine, Georgia, Serbia and other countries) they have been reactionary. But it would be mistake to make general conclusion that the very form of non-violent revolutions can not be added to progressive forces armoury for the reason that some specific velvet revolutions showed its reactionary content. In addition, there is an opportunity to come to power without any revolutions, even non-violent, in some small island countries (eg Kiribati).
The case with such relicts of the colonial system as French Polynesia, American (Eastern) Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, etc. is more complicated. It is obvious that there can be no single approach. In each case it must be proceed from local conditions, but the primary task is expulsion of the colonizers, independence. West Papua New Guinea occupies a special place in this regard. This country was captured by Indonesia, which has been implementing a real terror against the liberation movement of the indigenous Melanesian population for about forty years.
John Foster Dulles a well-known imperialistic hawk, furious reactionary, U.S. Secretary of State and the author of the political concept "domino effect" did not anticipate at the time that his concept can be applied to Oceania. However, if the people's democratic revolution will gain a victory in at least one Pacific country initially, thereupon the victorious revolutions have to take place in other countries of the region
Thus, the main task of the moment is the political parties and movements formation in certain Pacific countries. These progressive parties and movements should organize and lead the people's struggle against imperialism and its puppets, against local comprador bourgeoisie.
Our will to win should not be dampen down by neither limited resources nor seeming superiority of the enemy. As Chairman Mao said wisely: "All reactionaries are paper tigers. In appearance, the reactionaries are terrifying, but in reality, they are not so powerful. From a long-term point of view, it is not the reactionaries but the people who are powerful".
