“War is a quarrel between two thieves too cowardly to fight their own battle; therefore they take boys from one village and another village, stick them into uniforms, equip them with guns, and let them loose like wild beasts against each other.” - Thomas Carlyle
It appears that the SNP are trying to make political advantage out of the Scottish government’s differing approach to the pandemic to push for separatism and full sovereignty.
The “internationalism” of the Socialist Party is much more than the mere internationalism we hear so much of in the present day, of global treaties, world courts of justice, or United Nation resolutions. These themselves may a sign of the times that the nation-state is growing more and more superfluous but it is one of capitalist expediency which necessarily overlaps national frontiers. Instead, our world socialism is based on the principle “fraternity” – or, if you will the one family of humanity, a union of peoples. Socialism the antithesis of capitalism. The latter means the domination by one nation in the interests of the governing and capitalist class, of weaker nations. The former, on the contrary means the voluntary co-operation on the basis of the communalisation of the means of production and the disappearance of all existing nation states. Socialism is the reconstruction of human life broadly. The Socialist Party seeks the elimination, not merely of national jealousies, but also of national barriers generally. Socialists feels that we belong first and foremost to the World Socialist Movement, and, as such, that our socialist comrades of other lands stand closer to us than any non-socialist compatriot. It is right to look forward to the day when national patriotism is swallowed up in world-wide solidarity. Let us cast off all nationalism, all parochialism, and sit down as brothers and sisters together. Patriotism requires allegiance to the State and the flag, which means obedience and readiness to kill father, mother, brother, sister, sons and daughters.
The true lover of liberty is the one who aspires and works at home and abroad for the elimination of class exploitation and the abolition of the poverty, misery and suffering which increases so long as the private property system continues, who aims at making this world and all its wealth the common property and heritage. A world socialist movement fighting relentlessly for socialism and in that fight combating the day to day attacks of capitalism is the only way to meet and defeat nationalism. Workers can be won from the blind alley of nationalism only if the socialist movement spells out and campaigns clearly for the alternative. The Socialist Party fights within the confines of the nation-state for the interests of the world’s working class. We will defend workers wherever an attack is made, regardless of frontiers. Our purpose is to create an understanding of the interdependence of all humans the world over. All governments are maintained for the purpose of keeping us in subjection.
Nationalism means exclusivism and isolation. Any nationalism finally implies that those people are better than all others. Nationalism preaches superiority and inferiority. Nationalism divides workers so that the workers of one nationality are struggling against the workers of another nationality for a few illusory crumbs the rulers throw out exactly for that purpose! It is nationalism that pits workers against each other while their mutual oppressors accrue the benefits from the profiteering. A nationalist outlook preaches to the people of a country or ethnic group that regardless of class they have more in common with one another than they do with the people of other nations. Countries and national groups consist of different classes. Nationalism helps bind the working class to the bourgeoisie of its nation. Nationalism binds the working people to their own ruling class. That is why our masters promote nationalism. The Socialist Party say that working people’s destiny must not be tied to our employers. We say that the world’s working class must rid itself of patriotism, the ideology of its class enemy. We do not fan the flames of nationalism that further divisions between the working class. We criticise all nationalisms as reactionary. We did not welcome the national liberation struggles. They were ideas based on illusion, not reality.
These new states were never really independent. The economic grip over them was never broken. Vietnam, Cambodia and many others have become the sweat-shops for the West. The leaders of these new states all pretended a desire for socialism but they had to ensure no trade unions had any power, the the working class had an independent voice. The local capitalist or bureaucracy made a deal to get a bigger slice of the exploitation pie. Experience has repeatedly shown that the national bourgeoisie will betray the people every time. They have adopted the banner of nationalism, not socialism. They have chosen to negotiate with the capitalists instead of maintaining the perspective of class war.
Those who believe that a nationalist party, or a party based on race, can be for the working class, reveal their complete ignorance of the ABCs of Marxism. Genuine socialist parties in each country are parties that represent the interests of the entire working class, a class party representing all the working people, not only a section of the working class, not organised along race or national lines, but united upon class lines.
Separatism is no answer.
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