Ever since the Socialist Party was formed in 1904 it has opposed all wars. Our members have suffered imprisonment and persecution rather than fight—and the members of our companion socialist parties have done the same in other parts of the world. It is because we recognise that under capitalism wars arise when rival powers fall out over the control of markets and supplies of raw materials or over the domination of trade routes and spheres of influence. It is this struggle between rival capitalist states which compels countries to maintain armed forces wherever they have interests. But in these struggles, the working class have no interests at stake. We do not appeal to you merely as people who think that war is senseless and want to see an end to it. We appeal to you as working men and women whose interest lies in establishing a world socialist community. The workers are asked to make the supreme sacrifice in the name of patriotism.
The slaughter continues. It is now clear that this was always the intention of Putin. He cynically allowed the diplomatic wrangling to go on so as to buy time to get his forces massing on the borders of Ukraine up to full fighting strength. This done, diplomacy was discarded and the military was given the go-ahead. This war is no different from any of the wars that have taken place in modern times. It’s a business war. Capitalism is driven by the competitive struggle for profits between corporations and states. Conflict, economic, political and, as a last resort, the military is built-in to capitalism over sources of raw materials, investment outlets, markets, trade routes, and strategic points to control and protect these. When a state judges that its “vital interest” is threatened—e.g. needing to secure access to a key raw material, trade route or military outpost - it goes to war.
Most people would prefer to live in peace. Consequently, massive propaganda exercises are employed by the state to stoke their fears and anxieties. Invariably, they also endeavour to present it as being in some way humanitarian. This is because people have a healthy horror of war. They know war means death and destruction. Death not only of the soldiers on both sides, but also of women, children, the infirm and elderly as “collateral damage” and destruction not only of military installations and hardware but also of bridges, roads, power stations, ports, hospitals and other socially-necessary infrastructure.
Many people’s gut reaction is simply that war is crazy. Socialists share this anti-war sentiment. It is one of the reasons why we are Socialists-real Socialists that is, not supporters of the sort of state capitalist dictatorships that failed in Russia and Eastern Europe, but advocates of a united world community without frontiers based on all the Earth’s resources, natural and industrial, becoming the common heritage of all humanity and being used to satisfy people’s needs instead of for profit. We have concluded that capitalism means war and that therefore to get rid of wars and the threat of wars-and the constant preparation for war represented by maintaining armed forces-you have got to get rid of capitalism.
That voices are raised against the war, millions of voices show that there is hope. Those workers—whose experience of life stems from using their energies and talents to cooperatively solve problems and achieve goals; who realise the potential for mutual dependence and support; who enjoy some security of life won through the class struggle—are determined to oppose the war shows that opposition to war has its basis in material reality rather than mere moral condemnation.
War is completely unnecessary. We are living in a world that has enough resources to provide plenty for all, to eliminate world poverty, ignorance and disease, to provide adequate and comfortable life for everyone on the planet. Yet under capitalism resources are squandered on armaments, of individual as well as of mass destruction, and, as now, in actual war. Even in times of peace -as the armed truce between wars is called - capitalism’s pursuit of profit pollutes and plunders the planet and upsets the balance of nature with potentially devastating consequences. The economic law “no profit, no production” applies implacably, resulting in millions dying of hunger and related diseases every year simply because it is not profitable to produce the food to feed them and, in fact, often while the food that could feed them is destroyed so as to maintain prices and profits.
As world socialists, who are opposed to war and to capitalism which creates it:
· We place on record our horror that capitalism has once again provoked the orgy of death and destruction known as war.
· We extend the hand of friendship to our fellow workers in Ukraine who the political masters in Moscow have designated as targets for destruction.
· We pledge to do all within our means to bring the slaughter to an immediate end.
· We pledge ourselves to continue to work for the establishment of a world socialist society of peace and cooperation.
· We call upon fellow workers everywhere to join in the struggle for One World, One People! Unite for World Socialism!
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