Editorial – What is war good for? Absolutely nothing
War has never solved, and can never solve, any working class problem; wars only help to make our position worse in the long run. They brutalise all those concerned in it, cheapening the feeling for human life and all that makes life worthwhile. Only the continued existence of capitalism drives society to war. The abolition of capitalism and the establishment of socialism will remove the causes of war – and is the only way to remove them.
In furthering the economic ends of the capitalist class within their borders, states have two objectives that are complementary. One consists of economic, political and diplomatic actions, aimed at enlarging the market for exports, securing reliable sources of supply, and finding profitable investment outlets; the other consists of actions intended to enable them to resist armed attack (or force submission on other states) by building up the most murderous and destructive forms of armament that they can afford within the range of human ingenuity at any time. The building up of armaments in turn breeds fresh economic struggles in the effort to acquire the material needed to produce these weapons such as uranium or rare earths.
Thus there is an intermingling of economic motives in the pursuit of economic and military dominance, because the means to carry on modern warfare are rooted in access to the resources for building up methods of destruction. Sections of the international capitalist class accumulate wealth out of the labour extracted from the working class, and without ever being seen as coming within the categories of ‘war profiteers’ or ‘merchants of death’.
Ultimately, wars are only possible because workers do not understand their identity of interest with workers everywhere in opposition to the interests of their rulers everywhere. Whilst this condition remains, workers of different states can be inveigled into shedding their and other workers’ blood for alleged objectives that, even if accomplished, leave them still an exploited class.
Many subterfuges have been used to entice workers into supporting a war; such as the defence of democracy, the right of nations to self-determination, overthrowing tyranny, resisting the aggression of some other state, safeguarding essential sources of food and other supplies, and so on.
Workers in this and other countries should turn a deaf ear to all those — bellicose generals and compliant governments — who are trying to get their support for policies to increase preparations for war by spending more on so-called ‘defence’. We urge them to recognise their fundamental identity of interest as the wealth producers of the world; join together for the purpose of abolishing capitalist domination in all its forms and, by establishing socialism, make the Earth and its products the common inheritance of all. Only then will it be possible to put into operation the socialist principle that will ensure the comfort, security and well-being of the whole of humankind –‘From each according to their capacities, to each according to their needs’.