51.

This material basis of their "social existence" has not radically changed since "independence" - obtained in 1961 and 1965 respectively. In modern socialist terminology, they are still neo-colonial countries, forming part of the international mode of production of capitalism, and this dependent status still determines their politics and consciousness, their "ideology" and their "racism". Any political party in power, in either South Africa or Guyana, no matter its "race" or "ethnic" basis, will be unable to eradicate "racism" unless this economic and political dependence is chanced.

As Marx concluded,

    "At a certain stage of their development, the material forces
    of production in society come in conflict with the existing relations
    of production .... From forms of development of the forces of
    production these relations turn into their fetters. Ten comes the
    period of social revolution." (87)

    In South Africa, this "class struggle" has been underway since 1960. Meanwhile, all "races" of South Africa which do not possess the means of production, and which only have their "labour power" to sell, are united in demanding "Black Power". For the first time, this concept "black", has a positive and revolutionary connotation. Since 1980, the demand has been broadened to "People's Power".

    In Guyana, the birth of the WPA as a revolutionary party in 1979, with members from all "race" groups, also indicates, that the contradictions of neo-colonialism have sharpened. Burnham's PNC itself has to cry: "produce or perish!" And, as Kwayana pointed out, Burnham has had to move from
"race defence" to "class defence". Both cleavages were inherited from British imperialism, but for the moment he benefits from them, and nurtures them for his international masters.

    In conclusion, let us return to the historic roots of "racism" in the 20th century. As capitalism has developed, as the international division of labour has become more refined (undergoing fundamental structural changes, but without modifying the basic contradiction between capital and labour on a global scale), so the dominant ideology has changed, and "racism" has become "modernized". Since the 19th century, "racism" has served as a rationalization for the exploitation of peoples outside Europe, who historically were living at a lower level of social production, with the excuse that they were biologically inferior, even due to their "non-white" colour. This ideology had covered up a class situation, and helped keep the "inferior races" in an dependent economic position.

    "Modern racism" has two major historic roots:

     (1) It originated in the social and political conditions created by
          North-American and European capitalist expansion since the
          18th century. The "racism" which resulted, due to colonialism
          was expressed in white supremacy and hegemony (especially
          in the United States of America, Rhodesia and South Africa).

    (2) It also has a subsidiary origin in the conflict situation which had
         prevailed in various non-European countries prior to colonialism.
         These were sharpened during the colonial period, and often erupted
         in open aggression of after "independence'".

Even Europe itself had experienced this phenomenon, with the explosion of its age-old anti-Semitism during the Nazi period in Germany.

    Especially after the colonial revolutions beginning around 1960, or, more accurately, in the era of "neocolonialism'', three major types of "Racism" may emerge:

    (1) After "political independence" (where social revolution is not
         involved), ruling minorities, which have a lighter skin colour than
         the oppressed majority, are deposed by military violence, often a
         military coup, and a dark-skinned group achieves political power
         (for example, the overthrow of the Arabs in Zanzibar, or of the Watusi
         in Ruanda);

    (2) Minority groups from relatively developed countries, which have
         infiltrated a country and taken over control of major sectors of the
         economy, are eliminated by violent means, comparable even to "race
        progroms" (for example, the Syrians in West Africa, the East Indians in
        East Africa, the Chinese and Malays in Indonesia).

    (3) A mixed form of the above types, given certain specific historic
         factors. Where the nationalist movement was controlled by strong
         socialist forces prior to independence, certain groups, through the
         policy of "divide and rule", representing a specific "race" or "tribe",
         were violently, of through fraudulent political means, brought into
         power, suppressing other social groups (examples: Guyana, Malawi,
         Kenya and, partially, Ghana). (88)

    The social stratification and "racism" of both South Africa and Guyana have their roots in the European ''discoveries'', in African (and Asiatic) slavery, and in Dutch and British colonialism. Both countries experienced Indian immigration from the middle of the 19th century, employing the Indians as indentured labourers, mainly in agriculture and especially in sugar cultivation. In both cases, slaves and indentured labourers experienced the same social discrimination, political oppression and economic exploitation.

    In both cases, the ancient inhabitants - the Bathwa (Bushmen), and to some extent the Khoikhoi (Hottentots) in South Africa; the Amerindians in Guiana - were driven from their lands, dehumanized, and relegated to "reserves" as modern museum pieces. Due to the early shortage of women, miscegenation took place between the Dutch "whites'' and the slaves or other "races", creating, at first, a relatively privileged "Coloured" group. In both cases, "racism" as we know it did not exit until the mid-1800's, although a "divide and rule" policy had been introduced by Dutch colonialism, and further developed by the British. "Racism", as an ideological reflection of this policy, was fully developed in both countries by the time of the Second World War.

    The new rulers of South Africa inherited "racism" as an ideology in 1948, gave it a special "Afrikaner" taste, and fully developed it to suit national capitalist exploitation in the modern period. The new PNC elite of Guiana inherited British colonial "racism" in 1964, made political use of it, and has had to

maintain it in their Cooperative Republic since 1970. Members of the Indian majority are driven out of key positions in all important spheres; some are kept as window-dressing, provided that they "toe the PNC line". The "ruling ideas", the "national ethos", the "national culture" are PNC-directed, that is Afro-Guyanese-directed. Both states have ended up as virtual military dictatorships, the one ruled by "white supremacy", the other by "black paramountcy", both practising police terror and torture, all for the sake of a high standard of living of a ruling minority elite, and for international super-profits.

    There are also sharp contrasts between the two cases. In South Africa, a "white" minority is suppressing a "black" majority and other "coloured" minorities. In Guyana, an Afro-Guyanese elite, belonging to a "black" minority, directs the future of an Indian majority and other minority groups. Both countries have developed a huge military machine; in South Africa it is based on "white" personnel, in Guyana it is mainly "black". South African apartheid is attacked all over the globe, even by the very countries and business groups which profit most from it. Ironically, one of the front-line opponents of apartheid in international organizations is Guyana. South Africa, however, is not concerned about this small country in the "jungle" of South America. On the other hand, "racism" in Guyana, which is officially "socialist", has nothing to fear from the "non-aligned movement".
 

    It is in this sense, in that Guyana's "philosophy" of "cooperative socialism" better suits modern capitalist "racist" ideology, that it is part of "modern" and "advanced racism". The only way to eradicate this "racism" in Guyana or South Africa is to annihilate neo-colonialism in all its forms. South Africa and
Guyana present warnings for all so-called "developing countries" in their development towards real scientific socialism, to true emancipation. As long as a country has a capitalist economy, in which various "races" produce surplus-value, "racism" is always present in embryo, and it has no reason to be excited about "racism" anywhere else in the world.

    H.J.M. Hubbard, a Guyanese, had written an excellent essay on "Race" in Guyana. Although he has failed to refute "race" theories, and still uses the concept "race" as a scientific category, his conclusion ist true for the present and future of Guyana:

       "It is noteworthy that the same elements in our society that
        foment racial strife are those which oppose socialism ...
        Today's tragic dilemma is that the introduction of socialism
        which could cure our racial problems will be resisted by the
        great capitalist powers with all the Guyanese and other
        South American lives that they can sacrifice. Time, however,
        is running against the imperial powers as people join in struggle
        to end the exploitation of nation by nation and man by his national
        brother." (89)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
END OF PUBLICATION.
THE FOOTNOTES AND QUOTATIONS FOLLOW.