No To Nationalism

The Radical Independence Campaign's conference at the weekend in Glasgow has come and gone. Invited speakers of the likes of Tariq Ali, SNP, Catalan and Basque politicians along with various political activists have had their say and declared their positions. The Socialist Party was not among the invited guest speakers and our message would have been one that would not have been welcomed.

In the struggle to win the minds of the working class one of the biggest obstacles to the establishment of socialism, is nationalism ― the loyalty and patriotism felt by many members of the working class towards "their country." Feelings of loyalty to a nation are purely subjective, having no basis in reality; the working class in Scotland has more in common with the workers in other regions of the UK and in other countries than it has with the any Scottish capitalist. Like it or not, but nationalist movements represent the interests of a section of the capitalist class. Nationalism can take on a "right-wing" or a "left-wing" form. This depends upon the position of the capitalist class in the particular time and place. However, once independence is achieved and the new ruling class has consolidated its power, then nationalism becomes a conservative force.

The Socialist Party opposes all nationalist movements, recognising that the working class has no country. But there are certain other groups the left-nationalists in Scotland who, though claiming to have a class outlook, possess a wholly opportunist attitude to nationalism, which reflects not so much the interest of the working class as it does a certain part of the Scottish business. They accept the mythology of the existence of "the Scottish nation" and espouse the right of people of each nation to self-determination and national sovereignty. Scotland is a nation; Scotland is not Britain; and the Scots have a right to decide whether or not they wish to have any association with the rest of the UK. This is a complete denial of Marxism; it is almost incomprehensible that people who call themselves as “socialists” should call for the right to re-establish Scottish nationhood. The Scottish independence is in essence no different from any other nationalist movement; it has been brought into being to further the ambitions of a fledgling native capitalist class to break away from Britain.

Some on the Left resort to the argument argued Marx and Engels supported particular nationalist movements and that therefore socialists should do so today. Such an assertion is based on a faulty understanding of the Materialist Conception of History. Marx and Engels were living in time when the bourgeoisie was engaged in a struggle to assert itself against the old feudal regimes. The victory of this class was a historically progressive step at that time in that it brought about the re-organisation of society on a capitalist basis, the essential pre-condition for the establishment of socialism; and it created an urban proletariat, the only class which can bring about socialism. This was why Marx supported the rising capitalist class in Poland and Ireland in their bid to capture political power. They were at the same time vehemently against the nationalist aspirations of many Slavic peoples. However, once capitalism reaches the point where socialism is a practical proposition, there is no need for socialists to advocate the capitalist industrialisation of every corner of the globe; they can concentrate fully on the task of establishing socialism. Hence the Socialist Party gives no support to any nationalist group, and in place of the opportunism and hypocrisy of the left-nationalists, our call is for "Workers of All Countries, Unite!"