Our Answer to War

Capitalism must lead to war. 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 nature of capitalism, it follows that the only way to fight against war is to fight against capitalism. the only possible struggle against war is the struggle for the socialist revolution.  There is no “separate” or “special” struggle against war. The struggle against war cannot be divorced from the day-to-day struggles of the workers. 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. The wars of the contending national groups of capitalists are not the concern of the workers. All the ruling classes of the capitalist countries are bandits. Their wars, whatever the pretentious and hypocritical slogans, are wars between bandits.

The real roots of war can be seen in the class system of society. The narrow interests of each “national” capitalist class conflict one with the other.  It is not love of democracy but pure defence of the capitalist interests of the ruling class that pushes them into war. Democracy can never be imposed upon any country by a foreign power by force of arms. True democracy  can be won only in the struggle against capitalist domination. Wars are not accidental. An accident can be the immediate spark for a war but only if all the other conditions for war are present. But there is no such thing as an “accidental war”.  Modern wars as a rule have been caused by the commercial rivalry and intrigues of the capitalist interests in the different countries. Whether they have been frankly waged as wars of aggression or have been hypocritically represented as wars of “defense,” they have always been made by the ruling classes and fought by the masses. Wars bring wealth and power to the ruling classes, and suffering, death, and demoralisation to the workers.

The lesson is clear. Capitalism provokes slaughters of people. The Socialist Party’s aim must be to warn the workers against allowing themselves to be misled by the lies of the media and the mutual recriminations of capitalist groups, and to remember that the worker in enemy countries is just as much a victim of capitalist oppression as they are —that even though they are compelled by circumstance to fight against each other, that it will not be long before they are again compelled to help each other against the common foe – capitalism. War obscures the struggles of the workers for life, liberty, and social justice, breaking the vital bonds of solidarity between them and their brothers in other countries.

The working class has no quarrel with the working class of any other country. In support of capitalism we will not willingly give a single life. The end of wars will come with the establishment of socialized industry and industrial democracy the world over. The Socialist Party calls upon all the workers to join it in its struggle to reach this goal, and thus bring into the world a new society in which peace, fraternity, and human brotherhood will prevail. In the midst of abundance, with a productive apparatus which could, well organised and directed, cover more than all the present requirements of humanity, capitalism dooms millions of to misery, suffering and starvation. Capitalism is utterly incapable of assuring the well being of the people and equally incapable of assuring peace.

Once more the exploited are called upon to destroy each other for their respective masters. Once more cities are transformed into devastated blood-soaked tombs. When capitalism calls for war the working class of the world must answer with a call for world socialism.