Socialism the only path to Peace
The world is already, shortly after the Second World War, divided into the two great armed camps, which are the logical conclusion of capitalist militarism.
The preliminary skirmishes in Greece, China, Palesetine and Indonesia are on.
The breathing spaces between wars are drastically shortening. Whereas the preparation and fruition of the 1939 war took 21 years, the preparations for the next explosion are already well advanced today.
During the last weeks the Government has passed legislation enrolling the whole population in some form of war service, and was only dissuaded with difficulty from fining old ladies of 60 years £5 for failing to report for Civil Defence duty.
So John Anderson, who was so confident in the efficacy of the biscuit tins which still bear his name, as a protection against high explosive in the last war, now surpassed himself by the discovery of brown paper as protection against atomic bombs.
It is an ostensibly Peace Government, the Labour Government, which in reality prepares wars, as Lloyd George in 1911 and Baldwin in 1935, both elected on peace pledges, did before them.
The people are terrified and aghast at the latest application of science to warfare. The frightful destruction of the atomic bomb has petrified all who hear of it. People talk as though Scientific Warfare (so-called) is something new. And yet even a slight comparison of the history of warfare and that of science shows they have always marched hand in hand, from Archimedes’ construction of his devices for the defence of Syracuse to Leonardo Da Vinci’s cannon for the Duke of Milan, and Bessemer’s steel, to the present day. And here let me say a word, as a Socialist, in defence of the research scientist. It is fashionable in some quarters, at the moment, to search out the scientific pioneer as the scapegoat whom certain sentimental and hysterical pacifists are seeking.
Rutherford and his colleagues are no more to be blamed, or accused, of the lethal application of the discovery of the nucleus within the atom, than the Wright brothers could be accused of the bombing of Berlin.
In point of fact, not even the general public, who could not know what was being done, but Rutherford’s own fellow-physicists were his bitterest critics, asking “what practical use” was his research, just like Labourites ask us “what practical use” is the propagation of Socialism.
And yet, today, we can already extract one million kilowatts of energy from 1lb. of coal, whereas prior to 1936 we could only get one.
As usual the new discovery, having been pooh-poohed for years, is now being treated by the “experts.” Series of lectures, articles, books, discourses, are appearing in which the only thing the experts do is cancel each other out.
One such series has just concluded here in London, in which the most famous physicists, philosophers, economists and politicians have participated.
The Socialist view is that the most able physical scientist becomes just an ordinary citizen as soon as he stieps outside his laboratory.
When he leaves his own special field, and has to vote as an elector, he is often just as wrong; making the same damfool mistakes, as millions of others.
His highly specialised training in science in no way guarantees superiority or infallibility in general policy, frequently quite otherwise.
If I quote any statement of any scientist it is purely in that capacity I refer to him.
Consequently, Professor Blackett’s view that agreement will be reached with the Russians for joint control of the atomic bomb in two years, is worth as much as Professor Roy Harrod’s statement that nothing but International Prohibition by a joint committee of U.N.O. will do. Professor Bertrand Russell, as almost invariably happens with life-long pacifists, has finished up preaching preparedness for war.
The more one listens to them, the more obvious it is, that their solemn dicta are merely the cackling of a bunch of old hens who have no more effect on the actual course of events than a pea-shooter on a tank. The events control the experts, it is they who limp behind, with their “schemes” and “plans” to “control” atomic warfare.
It is being said, by some, that modern warfare has become so fearful, so destructive, that it will be impossible. Nations and governments will fear to use atomic bombs, some pacifists say. Nothing could be more stupid. If one politician or general shrinks from the task, fifty will leap into his place, full of moral justification, certainly the archbishops won’t be far behind.
The last time such arguments were used on a wide scale was in the 18th century, when one foolish statesman claimed that the cannon would end warfare. It did not, it ended feudalism. The atomic bomb will not end warfare until we end capitalism. A gentleman by the name of Machiavelli, who was then laying the foundations of modern Labour Party practice, devoted half of one book to refuting this type of ignorant stupidity. In all sober seriousness, it must be pointed out that some have completely lost all sense of proportion. The only thing the atomic bomb can do, is the same job as ordinary bombs, much more quickly. Everything the atomic bomb can do, could be done by high explosive before. The U.S. War Office has it worked out precisely—2,000 tons of H.E. equals one medium atomic bomb. Socialists take no part in the futile discussions as to whether it is better to be instantaneously roasted by heat hotter than the centre of the sun, or blasted, or crushed by falling masonry. Neither is it true that whole populations are exterminated by bombs.
The productivity of German industry was higher in 1944 than 1940. The human being has a louse-like capacity for survival. The town of Hiroshima is again thriving and populous; eye witnesses are amazed to see so little apparent effect. The fantastic fairy tales of the efficacy of the bomb belong to the same genus as the false hopes reposed in the cannon and battleship.
It all sums up simply to this, that support of Labour Reformism today is not merely backing the fabulous wealth and luxury of a handful of useless parasites, but also the periodical wholesale slaughter of millions of wealth producers. The Greeks had a word for it, that word is “holocaust.”
The position, is no different from the pro-atomic warfare days. The cause of the prostitution of science to war is private property. Under capitalism, knowledge, science, is a commodity for sale. It is highly trained specialised labour. As long as there is plunder, wrung from the toilers, it will be fought over—by the wolves who have snatched it. There will always be moral justification, once you accept the national basis of capitalist states. What you do is good, what the enemy does—bad. When Churchill “Burned and Blasted” it was good; Hitler, for doing the same, was a “fiend incarnate.”
While the workers remain ignorant of the profit motive of the capitalist system, they are fertile soil for the nationalistic war demagogue; the “Victory promiser” who will herd them to destruction.
Only the Socialist movement, in its mighty strength, when it has the support of millions, can prevent war. See how these ephemeral “Peace” outfits evaporate at the first whiff of cordite!
HORATIO