Red Is The Colour Of Our Flag

Non più nemici, non più frontiere

Sono i confini rosse bandiere

O socialisti, alla riscossa

Bandiera rossa trionferà.

No more enemies, no more frontiers

The borders are red flags

Oh socialists, to the rescue

Red flag will triumph

BANDIERA ROSSA (Red Flag)

You want to abolish all national enmity, do you not? You are striving for the complete solidarity of peoples, are you not? Know then that all national strife will be abolished only when capitalism is abolished. Your aim must be the triumph of socialism. Therefore rally under the red flag. There shall be no peace under capitalism. On the first day of each May socialists celebrate the international holiday of brotherhood. In all parts of the globe where workers toil and suffer, and the bosses rule and enjoy, workers will march in proud procession to the inspiring tune of the “Internationale” carrying the defiant symbol of their hopes and aspirations, their ideal, their revolt and their challenge — the red banner of socialism. We socialists glory in the red flag as the emblem of kinship of all that bears human countenance; we revere it as the sign for worldwide peace, harmony, and fraternity, we clasp to it as the inspiring standard in the great international fight against exploitation, and oppression. We are proud of the red flag. Our allegiance to it is open and honest. The World Socialist Party (New Zealand) has never been attached to symbolism such as the stars and hammers and sickles of the Left which has only increased our distaste for such icons of ideological and nationalistic state power. We do have a romantic regard for the red flag and its historical association with the Paris Commune and the bloodshed in the class struggle by the workers during and since that time.

So New Zealanders are being offered a choice from four new flags. The WSP(NZ) cares little for the patriotic trappings of nationalism. Our loyalty is to our class and the workers flag is the Red Flag

The people's flag is deepest red,

It shrouded oft our martyred dead,

And ere their limbs grew stiff and cold,

Their hearts' blood dyed its ev'ry fold.

Then raise the scarlet standard high.

Within its shade we'll live and die,

Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer,

We'll keep the red flag flying here

THE RED FLAG

WSP(NZ) website:

http://www.worldsocialism.org/nz/

E-mail: wsp.nz@worldsocialism.org