The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Sri Lanka are holding a public meeting in Colombo on November 30 to discuss the international implications of the election of Donald Trump as US president.
Trump’s administration will be the most right-wing in US history. Its real character has already been indicated by Trump’s reiteration of plans to ban abortions and carry out the mass deportation of immigrants, and by the appointment of Stephen Bannon, who has direct ties to white supremacist and neo-fascist groups, as his chief strategist. Trump will intensify the class war at home and the US military-strategic offensive against its rivals abroad, posing immense dangers before the American and international working class.
As demonstrated by his anti-China remarks during the election campaign, Trump will escalate Washington’s war preparations against Beijing, raising the possibility of a military conflict between these two nuclear-armed powers. India will be further encouraged by Trump’s threats of a tougher stance against China and Pakistan, which will intensify the already explosive geo-political tensions in the region.
The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government in Sri Lanka was installed in a US-sponsored regime-change operation in 2015 in order to integrate Colombo into Washington’s strategic campaign against China. President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have immediately voiced their readiness to closely collaborate with the incoming Trump administration.
The SEP-IYSSE meeting in Colombo will clarify the essential political factors that led to Trump’s election, explaining in particular the class nature of Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the role played by various upper middle-class organisations and the pseudo-left. The meeting will detail the immense dangers confronting the working class internationally and outline the program of socialist internationalism that the working class must adopt to oppose the danger of imperialist war and escalating social austerity attacks.
We urge workers, young people, intellectuals and everyone concerned about these vital political issues to attend our meeting and participate in this important political discussion.
Date and Time: Wednesday, November 30, 4 p.m.
Venue: New Town Hall, Colombo