World Citizens

 

The Socialist Party’s politics is not the same as the shabby dishonesty and opportunism of capitalist politicians but strives to raise the political awareness of our fellow workers.

Dangerous and deceptive is the resort to “patriotism.” Statements about loyalty to the nation, have to be ignored. The notion that the country is “our” country – i.e. everybody’s alike, that there is such a thing as nation or community, a mystic something to which we belong and which protects us, is cultivated by the ruling class for the purpose of hiding the fact of class cleavage, of exploitation for the purpose of making the worker think that when he goes to war he is fighting for “his” country, instead of against himself and for the capitalists. 

In a time when patriotism is the dominant emotion upon which capitalism calls in order to fasten the chains of reaction and terrorism upon the masses, we must not fall into the trap of arousing sentiments upon which the demagogues can, in any case, play much more effectively than revolutionists can, and which in the end can only be used to destroy the revolutionary movement. The hold of capitalist,  nationalistic symbols upon the workers must, however, be broken, not confirmed.

 

The revolutionary movement must, therefore, have its own. They must be such as to bring forward the idea and strengthen the emotion of class – the working class against the capitalist – and consequently the idea of labour internationalism against nationalism. To break the hold of false ideas is difficult enough at best. We should be foolish Indeed to make the task still more difficult by using symbols that might confuse the workers, which do not clearly and uncompromisingly suggest loyalty to class, loyalty to the worldwide brotherhood of labour, and not to any lesser cause.

 

While we, as humanity, remain divided by rival capitalist states, it is impossible to organise our use of the world in careful and sensitive ways that would be in the mutual interests of all people. Instead, we have economic exploitation, waste, war and destruction. Although we mostly think of the market system in terms of private corporations or state enterprises, it is also true that each nation is a "national business." A national economy must do its budgeting and keep its accounts as an autonomous trading nation. 

Governments must maintain national security. This is the protection and enforcement of national interests both within the state and between states. Externally, national security involves diplomacy, negotiated agreements and the formation of alliances which in turn can be backed up by networks of spies and where necessary the threat or use of armed force. The strategic aim is the ability to trade at the best advantage. As caretakers of national economic strategy, governments aim to promote national advantage whilst reducing vulnerability. 

If the people of the world are to stave off the global catastrophes that now loom before us, they are going to have to cast aside their lingering nationalism and patriotism, recognise their common humanity, and begin working for the good of all, promoting the cooperative commonwealth.