No to Nationalism

About 1,500 people attended another Scottish independence rally in Glasgow. One of the organisers and main speakers was Tommy 'liar, liar, pants on fire' Sheridan, intent upon keeping his ebbing political career alive. We also witnessed a massive demonstration in Barcelona for Catalonian independence and heard in a statement from the Kurds that they intend to hold a referendum on their independence, so perhaps it is pertinent for the Socialist Party to once more reiterate its position on nationalism.

In the struggle to win the minds of the working class, the Socialist Party has to contend the loyalty felt by many members of the working class to "their country", the place in which they happen mostly by accident of birth to reside in. Feelings of loyalty to a nation are purely subjective. Every nationalist movement believes it is unique. But broadly speaking, nationalist ideologies and movements represent the interests of the capitalist class.  We expect jingoist Tories to be flag-waving fools, rejoicing in the lunacy of nationalistic fervour, with sick demonstrations of patriotic enthusiasm used as a means of whipping up workers' support for the pernicious belief that we, who do not own the nation's wealth, have an identity of interest with those who do.  Too often fellow-workers have been urged to concern themselves with the interests of the nation - to fight to defend one against the other or to establish new ones, as in the case of Scottish nationalism. What particularly angers members of the Socialist Party is when self-styled Marxists endeavour to deodorise the stink of national patriotism The Socialist Party continually finds the need to challenge those from the Left who pay lip -service to the idea of workers of the world uniting and then support the nationalism of the SNP.  The problems of workers in Scotland are the problems of wage slaves everywhere and they will not be solved separately within a sovereign state from the rest of the working class.

It is an obligation of the Socialist Party to warn our fellow-workers of the futility a nationalistic policy as far as they are concerned. There can be no relief for the oppressed Scot in changing an English robber for a Scottish one. The person of the robber does not matter — it is the fact of the robbery that spells misery. National divisions are a hindrance to working-class unity, and national jealousies and differences are fostered by the capitalists for their own ends. Our fellow-workers are being used like pawns to fight the battles of their oppressors. Let the thieves fight their own battles.  For the worker in Scotland there is but one hope. It is to join the world socialist movement and make common cause with the workers of all countries for the end of all forms of exploitation: saying to both English and Scottish capitalists: “A plague on both your houses." For the true battle-cry of the working class is broader, more significant and more inspiring than mere nationalism, and that rallying cry is: THE WORLD FOR THE WORKERS!