What For?

 

The media headlines all tell the same tale: the “horror” of the invasion; the atrocities of the Russians and the outraged feelings of decent civilised nations. Experts and intellectuals tell us a victory for Ukraine will a victory in the war for democracy. Yet the same news outlets talk of the closing down of television channels and the banning of political parties.

War is inseparable from the capitalist system. Witness the failure of all the so-called international conferences to settle the disputes among the nations. Not only has diplomacy ended in fiasco, but they have actually led to increased tensions that have rendered the capitalist world asunder. War means squandering of wealth; it means devastation of provinces and countries and death for a great many people. Now working people in neighbouring nations live in an atmosphere of imminent war. All national policies are now directed towards the preparation for war. Military budgets are increased to acquire deadlier weaponry. Armies and air forces are modernised.

The Socialist Party declares we will no longer fight in the interests and in the wars of capitalism. Even when war is covered with patriotic and nationalistic speeches war remains always unjustified and hated. Every day we see more and more clearly the destructive consequences of the wars.

In the past, war was usually the business of the elite of the population, the nobles and knights. Normally, the majority not only took no part in the fighting but, in point of fact, their lives were very little affected, even indirectly, by the conduct and outcome of wars and battles.  Often wars were conducted by hired-out mercenary armies. The question of who won the war was of hardly any concern to the average serf. His duties and obligations were the same whether Baron X or  Duke Y prevailed on the battlefield.

Today, everything is changed. It is the privileged class who are unaffected by warfare, retiring to rural retreats or safe foreign resorts. Now, directly or indirectly, every working person is part of the war machine. Not only are workers conscripted into military service, as civilians they have become targets in a strategy of inflicting terror tactics. Sanctions and sieges are applied to starve populations into submission.

Experience has already shown that the people can be, and probably have been, dragged into wars against their will. Certainly, they are subjected to campaigns of propaganda and indoctrination, fed nationalistic and patriotic messages. And soon they begin to believe the war is their fight.

When oligarchs quarrel, it is the people who receive the blows.