War - The Cost of Class Collaboration

Before being able to combat an evil, one must know its cause. Thus, seeking the primary cause of war is the first step in preventing it. It is impossible to understand modern wars without understanding the class basis of society. Socialists predict the inevitability of war if capitalism was not overthrown. the real roots of the war can be seen in the class system of society. A study of the nature and causes of modern war proves that war is an essential part of capitalism. The contradictions and conflicts of capitalism lead and must lead to war. A common misconception is the wide-spread belief that the anti-war is independent of the class struggle in general, that a broad alliances of all sorts of persons from every political group can be formed around the issue of fighting war, since – so the reasoning goes – these persons may be all equally opposed to war whatever their differences on other points. War is thus lifted from its social base, considered apart, from its causes and conditions. War is not the cause of the troubles of society. The opposite is true. War is a symptom and result, of the irreconcilable troubles and conflicts of the present form of society, that is to say, of capitalism. The only way to fight; against war is to fight against the causes of war. Since the causes of war are part of the inner nature of capitalism, it follows that the only way to fight, against war is to fight against: capitalism. The Socialist Party is absolutely clear on this point. There is no “separate” or “special” struggle against war. It is of little use to cry out against war while we tolerate a social system that breeds war. No one can uphold capitalism – whether directly, as an open adherent of the capitalists, or indirectly, from any shade of liberal or reformist position – and fight against war, because capitalism means war. Only a socialist can fight against war, because only a socialist takes the road to the overthrow of capitalism. To suppose, therefore, that socialists can work out a common program “against war” with non-socialists is an illusion. There is only one anti-war policy: the program for revolution.

Capitalism makes war inevitable. Capitalist nations not only exploit their workers but ruthlessly invade, plunder, and ravage one another. The profit system is responsible for it all. Abolish that, establish industrial democracy, produce for use, and the incentive to war vanishes. All Biblical talk about “Peace on earth and goodwill toward men” or“ Thou shalt not kill” are fairy tales.

The socialist revolution can and will eliminate war because, by overthrowing capitalist economy and supplanting capitalism with a socialist economy, it will remove the causes of war. With socialism there will no longer exist the basic contradictions that lead to war. The expansion of the means of production, under the ownership and control of society as a whole, will proceed in accordance with a rational plan adjusted to the needs of the members of society. Socialism will remove the limits on consumption, and hence permit the scientific and controlled development of production. Thus, with socialism, war will disappear because the causes of war will have been removed.

My enemy is in my own country, and this enemy is the same for all the workers of the world. The enemy is capitalism. The Socialist Party calls for the replacement of capitalist society by a just and better word based on the socialist cooperative commonwealth of the workers of every country. The Socialist Party is against any and every war. It’s task is to work to turn that war into a class war. Socialism groups working people, poor against rich, class against class, without taking into account the differences of race and language, and over and above the frontiers traced by history. The differences which exist between the present countries are all superficial differences. The capitalist regime is the same in all countries. Workers have no country. Our fellow-workers who offer their lives for “their” nations have been duped. There is only one war which is worthy, that is class war, social revolution. Workers are awakening and the dawn and sunrise is approaching. Let us show the people the real cause of war. Let us arouse anger against war. Let us teach our children to abhor war.