Long Live the
Memory of Our Comrade John Buckle
Today, November
27, is the 30th anniversary of the death in 1983 of John Buckle, then General
Secretary of the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist).
He was just 34, and had led the Party since its founding in 1979.
On this
occasion, we honour John’s memory, appreciating more than ever the
sacrifice of those who, like John, came forward at a crucial time in history to
contribute to providing solutions to serious problems of the times.
John Buckle leading the fight against
the fascists, Digbeth, Birmingham, 1978John Buckle came
forward as an anti-fascist fighter and leader at a time when the state tried to
float a fascist movement as a respectable political organisation, and he led
the movement to smash this. John had joined the work of the forerunner
organisations of RCPB(ML) as a student, and from then on dedicated his whole
existence to the cause of the revolutionary transformation of society, taking
up the work in Britain which led to the founding of the Party in March 1979. He
died in a terrible air crash in Madrid, Spain, while on his way to attend an
international communist conference in Colombia, South America. Thus his
contribution was so tragically cut short, but the cause to which he dedicated
his life lives on in the work today to renew all the arrangements at the base
of society, provide it with a new economic direction and ensure that the
political and social institutions are human centred, not capital centred.
Today, at a time
the ruling class is engaged in all-sided wrecking and is perpetrating wars of
aggression, having absolutely no way forward for society, it is common to
rehash Cold War anti-communist rhetoric and try to dismiss those who came
forward in the sixties, seventies and eighties, as well as the current
generations, as extremists for believing that a better world is possible and
working to bring about social change. It would be laughable if it were not so
tragic to see virulently extremist and right-wing advocates of neo-liberal
privatisation, and the rich who are becoming ever richer, blame others of
extremism so as to give the impression that they themselves stand for something
moderate. Furthermore, they criminalise those engaged in political activity and
social action which upholds rights, so that no political movement of the people
can coalesce. They commit horrible crimes in the name of human rights even 
John Buckle speaking at the historic
Conference against Racism and Fascism,
Conway Hall, London, June 7, 1981as the world sees them
trample the human rights of the most vulnerable the world over and say to hell
with the human condition so long as they get richer and their private interests
are served.
At the height of
the time John Buckle became active, the US secret agencies launched Operation
CHAOS in Northern America and Europe to create phoney “left-wing”
groups which engaged in extremist activities, such as those of the Red
Brigades, and then blamed the Marxist-Leninists. They also engaged in coups
d’état such as that in Chile of 1973, and launched Operation
Condor to commit horrible crimes against the people who demanded democracy and
human rights.
It is important
to study the work carried out by John Buckle and the Party which he led, in
order to defeat the attempts of the ruling circles to use disinformation to
bring down new tragedies onto the peoples, tragedies much worse than those
committed by the Hitlerites in the thirties and forties because of the
limitless power these ruling elites control today.
On this
occasion, RCPB(ML) calls on everyone to channel the human power which is also
without limitations so as to bring these reactionary forces under control.
May the
life and work of John Buckle serve as an inspiration to the youth of today!
Long live his memory! Long live his example!
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