Interview with Hamid Taqvaee
October 17, 2001

Haftegi: The future political developments in Iran will inevitably drive the Left and Right alternatives in society and future choice of government to the centre stage of people’s attention. On the Left, the Worker-communist Party of Iran is promoting the alternative of a Socialist Republic and strives for its establishment. Why do you think people should choose a Socialist Republic?

Hamid Taqvaee: Anyone who desires freedom, welfare and equality must choose a Socialist Republic. Other alternatives will not solve people’s problems but will only change appearances. Any 'alternative' that maintains the pillars of class society, sanctifies capital and exploitation and compromises with religion, nationalism and reactionary Nationalist-Islamic culture and mores will not have solved the suppression, poverty and injustice, which is rampant in Iranian society today, but will have only changed its Islamic covering. The Islamic Republic must be eradicated along with the totality of the productive and social system that it defends. The Islamic regime's very existence is indicative of the political, social and cultural bankruptcy of a system that requires such a regime to maintain itself. The Islamic Republic is the most reactionary and most degenerate type of capitalist state; it must be the last of its kind. This is the demand of a people who do not want to fall out of the frying pan into the fire, women who can no longer tolerate any inequality, discrimination, and humiliation, and workers who no longer want the fruits of their labour plundered and their families living in abject poverty. This is the demand of all who want a modern, secular and humane society, free from all exploitation, inequality and discrimination.

The political and economic foundations of this society are outlined in our party’s programme - a clearly defined programme that must be declared and implemented from the outset of the establishment of the Socialist Republic. Politically, the Socialist Republic relies on people’s councils i.e. people’s direct and permanent participation and intervention in managing society's affairs. At the economic level, the Socialist Republic will abolish capitalist exploitation and wage labour and make the slogan of 'from whom according to his ability, to whom according to his need' the chief policy. The Socialist Republic will eradicate the religious apparatus and its laws from the state and judicial, legal and social system and establish a secular system free from all religious, national and ethnic prejudices. In this system, women will be completely equal with men, and all types of legal, social, economic and cultural discrimination and inequality against women will be abolished. Ethnic and national 'minorities' will enjoy equal rights. The unconditional freedom of expression, assembly, organisation, demonstration and strike will be recognised for all. In a nutshell, the socialist system is based on safeguarding human dignity, welfare and freedom. Only socialism can truly and realistically bring about such an enormous transformation to Iranian society because it will eliminate the main obstacle to such a transformation, i.e. capital.

Haftegi: The opposing camp argues that socialism is impossible and refers to the defeat of the Soviet Union, which collapsed after 70 years, as one of the reasons. What is your response?

Hamid Taqvaee: The majority of those who argue that socialism is not possible are themselves part of those forces that do not want or won't allow socialism to become possible. All the ruling apparatus in almost all countries from the USA, Europe to the Third World have lined up against socialism with their oppressive forces, police and their immense propaganda machinery. They are constantly broadcasting that socialism is impossible. If socialism is truly impossible, one must ask why the decades of non-stop confrontation and repression of socialists and communists? What is the horrific police machinery, primarily aimed at communists, doing? If socialism is impossible, what are they afraid of? In fact, they will not allow it to become a reality. States and right wing and reactionary forces and parties have been waging a war against socialism for decades – a full-scale propaganda, cultural, military and police war. The Soviet experience was also ultimately a part of this war. After the victory of the Russian revolution, the Russian bourgeoisie did not easily step aside. It returned to the scene and this time in the name of the revolution, pursued the same objectives of the Russian industrial bourgeoisie. Socialism was translated into state capitalism; aspirations for freedom and equality gave way to establishing a powerful industrial Russia capable of competing with Western capitalism. Socialism was not defeated in Russia; it was never given a chance to be established at all. What collapsed was state capitalism under the guise of socialism. If the Soviet experience is analysed correctly and free from Western propaganda, it will only show the bankruptcy of state capitalism vis-à-vis Western free market capitalism; it has nothing to do with socialism. The whole question of the feasibility of socialism, with or without reference to the Soviet experience, is a political question. Both economically and socially, socialism is the most feasible system of our times. It will suffice to push aside the police and repressive apparatus for this reality to become clear.

Haftegi: Another point raised is that socialism is impossible because there is no place in it for competition and individualism. Specifically, it is argued that without competition, society cannot progress. What is you opinion on this?

Hamid Taqvaee: If you take today’s class society as your standard - a society in which competition is its principle, everyone must be responsible for their lives alone, in a free capitalist jungle where the rule of kill or be killed, make bankrupt or become bankrupt reigns – naturally nothing progresses in these societies without competition. In these societies you cannot move up without using others as a ladder, but there is so much more to life than this. This capitalist system has taken human beings into this depths of despair. If a society were created in which there were no place for classes and where profit and profiteering were not its motor power, competition would not be needed for progression and elevation. Instead, its motive would be public welfare. Even in today’s societies, if you minutely distance yourself from work and production relations among people, you see that philanthropy and cooperation are motives for people's activity not competition. Take the relationship between family members as an example. It is not based on competition and self-centeredness, but on cooperation, philanthropy and the fulfilment of the group's welfare. Another example is instances when the people of a society, city, or locality are faced with a natural calamity such as a flood, earthquake or fire. At such times, competition and personal interests are not the motives for taking action, but the well being of all. Why can’t productive relations also be organised on the same basis? Why must these very people be at each other's throats in places like factories, offices, stores, etc.? The answer is obvious: capital's profit makes it so. There is nothing natural, humane or instinctual in competition. (To be continued)

The above is a translated summary of an interview in Persian first published in International Weekly, number 67. Translators: Maryam Namazie and Fariborz Pooya.