Norway

Comrades from Tjen Folket Media have published an article on the results of the recent parliamentary election, and how the voting numbers were lower in the poor districts of Norway and especially the proletarian neighbourhoods. To quote the conclusion from the article:

“Lastly: the state, the parties and even a number of private companies, use enormous ressources to entice and lure and threaten the masses to the polls. Many people vote without having any faith in the politicians. They vote for “the lesser evil” or because they experience strong social pressure to vote. A large proportion of those who use the right to vote, fall into this category. Participating in the election is not a neutral action, because the state is not a neutral institution. The state is the state of the bourgeoisie, it is the machine for one class oppression over other classes, and such it is, since we live in a class society.

On the basis of this the bourgeoisie fears falling voting participation, and high participation in the election is politically important for them, to legitimise the state and the politics that the state puts into motion. Such the voters are “approving” the capitalist exploitation and oppression. We recognise that no such “approval”, since people vote under all kinds of pressure and influence from those in power, but to build opinion for revolution today demands an active election boycott. It is impossible to stand with one foot in the circus the bourgeoisie calls an election, and the other foot in the revolutionary struggle. These are two roads that are too far away from each other, that anyone that tries doing such a side split, will be torn in two. In our epoch the question is simple: Election or revolution?”

Kampkomiteen calls for demonstrations on the 25. of November, on the occasion of the International day against violence against women, in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Kristiansand. From their statement: “Kampkomiteen will mark the day with the slogans “Combat violence against women” and “Combat and Resist”. We fight against patriarchy, against violence against women, against oppression and exploitation of women. We unite us with all that want to make an effort against the violence that targets women, and make a call for individuals, environments and organisations to unite forces on the 25. of November.”

Finland

Comrades from Punalippu call for a counter-demonstration against fascists, on the 6th of December and write in their article:

"Finally, the fact must be emphasized so that it is also undeniable that voting and reform do not help in the fight against fascism. In the age of imperialism, fascism is and will remain an integral part of the range of recession now and in the future as long as the bourgeoisie has power. The revolutionary and the real Democrats acknowledge this, and it must therefore be said that only with the revolution can we eradicate that fascism once and for all. Naturally, in the case of Finland, the old democratic revolution is a historically bypassed stage and therefore a socialist revolution must be pursued, which will take our country from bourgeois democracy to proletarian democracy. Let us give 6.12. once again a determined and united blow to the fascists, for whom the bourgeois state wants to grant peace and rights against the people's right to justice, and let us raise in this struggle the symbols: "Death to fascism, freedom to the people!" and "No peace to the fascists!"

Fi