From national separatism to planetary unity

“Marxism rejects the theory that a man is a clam wedded to the rock of his nativity.” —Daniel De Leon

Ever since Marx and Engels gave voice to the interests of the working class, the socialist working-class movement has been recognised as a worldwide one and this spirit of internationalism remains alive wherever workers raise the banner of revolutionary socialism. De Leon once wrote, "There are but two nations in the world today -- the capitalist class nation, which exploits and lives upon the sweat of the brow of the working class nation, the sweat of whose brow, through unrequited toil, feeds, clothes, houses and fattens the capitalist class nation."

Nationalism is employed by the capitalist class deliberately to submerge the class struggle and to blind the workers to their own class interests. Internationally it is used to keep the working classes of the world divided against each other, and to blind them to their common struggle and common aim. Nationally it is used to make the demands of the workers seem in conflict with "national interests," and their efforts to enforce these demands as threats to "national unity."

Convincing workers that their fortunes were intimately tied to the successes of capitalist commercial adventures throughout the world required the whole litany of nationalist rhetoric, for it was working-class well-being that was to be sacrificed in the interest of profits. The 2008 Great Recession hit Europe hard. Unemployment is rampant. The guest migrant workers have apparently out-stayed their welcome as the nationalist virus mixed with deadly strains of racism have fueled resurgent neo-fascism. Suddenly the “guests” are now persona non grata. Various European politicians from fascist ultra-nationalists to social democrats — a narrowing difference as time goes on — have expressed degrees of opposition to the movement of migrant workers. These are the same parties and governments that once encouraged foreign workers to live and move about in the EU and to participate in the economic “miracle” and other high-sounding phrases that mark an ever more intensive exploitation of the working class. They are also the same politicians and governments that have now acquiesced to “Fortress Europe”. Every worker who can see what is at stake had best heed the alarm, rouse themselves and join the struggle to educate and organise our class for socialism -- while there is still time to do so.

A world socialist movement is a powerful antidote for some of capitalism's most vicious and virulent ideologies, including racism, divisive nationalism and blind patriotism. A clear view of the commonality of interests of the oppressed throughout the world provides a powerful bulwark against the bellicose, chauvinist propaganda which issues daily from ruling-class sources. Recognition of the interest all the exploited share in ending class rule is a large step toward exposing and withdrawing support from the nationalist aims of their respective ruling classes.

Seemingly innocuous activities such s sporting events and singing contests have formed nationalistic attitudes. We hear workers speak of national and world events in terms of “we” and “our” when referring to the actions of the government. The media, the pulpits, the schools, the politicians and other mouthpieces of capitalist ideology have apparently done their job well.  In short, many workers were, and remain, caught up by the "patriotism" of the capitalist class.

Socialism and nationalism are incompatible concepts since socialism can only exist when the political state has disappeared, and its shell, the nation, has disappeared along with it.

The nation-state is the political form of capitalism. It was fashioned and adapted to promote capitalist interests in opposition to the interests of the vast majority of the working class. It is a capitalist tool, and it is anathema to the working class. We must not lose sight of the fact that nationalism is a tool of capitalist reaction used to thwart the social unrest within the working class away from tendencies aimed at their emancipation from wage slavery. It is grit in the eyes of the working class to blind them from the conditions of their exploitation and misery under capitalism.

For sure, socialist internationalism understands that each country's working-class movement must adapt itself to the conditions peculiar to the particular country. It also realises that demonstrable signs of internationalist ties between various working classes can surface only in proportion to the growth of the socialist movement in each country. Given the current weakness of socialist forces, overt signs of internationalism are infrequent. But because the overthrow of capitalist class rule and a socialist reconstruction of society remain the sole solution for the working classes of the world, the resurgence of international socialism is inevitable and will grow step-by-step with the march of the workers of the world toward a socialist future. It is one of the touchstones for gauging the real achievements of the workers' movement.  For workers today, class-consciousness -- loyalty to one's class -- is patriotism. International working-class interests are the paramount interests to be served -- not those of any capitalist political state. Class-consciousness is the key to working-class victory in ending the class struggle. It is the mortar that will hold the bricks of human progress together. Socialist solidarity means that workers' real interests and loyalties lie in supporting the efforts of workers worldwide in the class struggle; in supporting all workers' efforts to resist their exploiters and defeat their exploiters through the establishment of socialism. It means rejecting nationalism and the efforts of ruling-class nation-states to pit workers against each other in economic competition or set them at each others' throats in war. It means holding up global working-class solidarity in opposition to ruling-class nationalism.

"He fights in the name of the international proletariat against international capitalism. He attacks it where he finds it and can effectively strike it; that is, in his own country. In his own country, in the name of the international proletariat, he fights his own government and his own ruling classes as the representatives of international capitalism.” Karl Liebknecht