“I’m alright, Jock”

 

A 100 days to go until the referendum vote. Throughout the independence referendum debate the working class perspective has largely been missing.

The Socialist Party counterpose internationalism (technically, that’s the interrelation of nations but in common parlance we take it to mean anti-nationalism), against nationalism. We are internationalists because we believe that the interests of the exploited are the same all over the world, and that socialism cannot be achieved in a single geographic area. The class struggle recognises no borders. We seek a truly free society where all peoples and nationalities shall be united into a universal brotherhood.

 The creation of new national borders is not a step forward in the direction of the unity of the woking class, a pre-requisite for the establishment of socialism.  Independence movements divide workers of different nationalities and push them to line up under national flags  instead of struggling to free themselves from the wage labour and exploitation, imposed by a local ruling class as well as foreign ones. Nationalism is an objectionable sentiment since it means the placing of one’s own country, its interests and well-being, above those of the rest of humanity.

Men and women the world over are beginning to realise that nationalism and patriotism are too narrow and limited a conception to meet the necessities of our time. Some capitalists want independence but it should be revolution we, the people, should want. There are but two nations in the world. Do you belong to the nation that lives by working, or to the nation that lives by owning? The Pole, the Indian or the Somali who works belongs to our nation. On the other hand, the factory owner, the share-holding investor and the land-owner does not belong to our nation, no matter where they are born or where they live; no matter where you were born or where you live. No matter what their race; no matter what your race.

Forget your bogus patriotism. Our country is the world. Those who do useful labour are our fellow compatriots. The foreigner, the enemy, is oppressing our co-workers all over the world. They are breaking our backs. They are grinding our lives. We have nothing in common with them. Let us cast off all sectionalism, all parochialism, and sit down as brothers and sisters together. The task of building a socialist movement is not easy and it should include no support whatsoever for either the unionist or separatist factions who represent only different aspects of exploitation and oppression. The workers in Scotland must join the world working class to get rid of a global system which has long outlived its usefulness.

Nationalism finds little expression among the Scottish ruling class which is firmly committed to its junior partner relationship with British capitalism. This is hardly surprising, as the integration of their economic interests has inevitably tended towards what might be described as a social integration of the owners and representatives of Scottish and British capital. Their common outlook is reinforced by an unusual degree of inter-marriage, common club affiliations, common educational background, etc.

We must resist all attempts by one ruling class to play us off against each other. The idea of the "Scottish nation" hides the class character of the capitalist system and gives the impression that their exists the common interest of the "Scottish people".

We have no country but we do have a world to win. The only solution is a society in which money, exploitation and profit have been overthrown and production is in harmony with humanity and the environment. A society in which the means of production are socialised and no longer in the hands of state or private capitalists. It is a question of a new society, an "association of free producers", in which production is for the satisfaction of human needs and not for profit. A society without nations, states or borders.

There is simply no solution to the oppression of many of the world’s peoples within the framework of capitalism – this is clear enough from all that has happened. Capitalism is a world wide system.  Capitalism created the nation-state and the interdependence of world economy as one single system. However, it did so in a rather haphazard and contradictory fashion. On the one hand the capitalist nations are dependent on one another. But on the other hand they compete against one another. Neither nationalism nor pseudo-Europeanism is a solution in the interests of the working class. The solution to the problem lies in the unity of the workers of the world against the capitalists of  the world, the community of interests of the world’s workers.

Although multinationals often have interests distinct from those of the home state and can often frustrate the achievement of its policy aims, this does not entail the conclusion that MNCs are more powerful than the state and can dispense with its protection. Indeed the growth of the power of the MNCs has contributed to the growth of the power of the state and the increasing role of state capital as a counterweight. by internationalizing production, has created a world-wide division of labour. But it has also concentrated ownership and control into fewer and fewer hands. Profits know no nationality, no boundaries. Every new international corporate merger binds the world capitalists together as a class irrespective of nationality.

Should we be surprised at the finding that of 700 oil industry companies polled 18% said they believed independence would be positive for the sector, while 12% said it would be negative and 38% said they did not care either way.

Don't create a new nation - Create a new society. It’s in your hands.