On War 1909

War Is Hell, for Workers

If we are to believe even half we hear through the jingo press and from patriotic spouters of bombast, war is imminent between Great Britain and Germany. These thimble-riggers would lead us to expect to hear the tocsin of war sounded at any moment by that spectacular accident known as “Kaiser Bill,” or the “war lord” of Germany. But before the working people of either country allow themselves to be carried off their feet by the reckless and worthless benchmen of the ruling class they should ascertain what logical reason exists why they should fly at one another’s throats like savage beasts on slaughter bent.

The British ruling class has ground the workers into profits by the wage process for the past half dozen centuries. So complete and thorough has been their exploitation that millions of them have been reduced to a level even below that of galley-slaves. Untold millions of wealth has been coined from their blood and sweat under the lash of capitalist rule. This wealth has been spread to the four corners of the earth in the shape of further investments for the benefit of the conscienceless and merciless bunch of capitalist pirates and bandits at whose instigation the present war scare is being engineered. What may be said of the British ruling class in this respect may also be said of the German ruling class, and with equal truth.

Between British and German capitalists there may exist a conflict of interest that could result in nothing short of open hostilities. That this conflict of interest is of no concern to the working class or either Britain or Germany may be easily seen by enquiry into the facts bearing upon the matter. In order to dispose of the surplus wealth accruing to British capitalists by virtue of the merciless exploitation of their workingmen, it becomes necessary to find additional or new markets into which this wealth may be thrown and thus transformed into new capital. With the German capitalists the case is the same. Neither gang of pirates can successfully pursue their buccaneering enterprises unless a continually enlarging market be at hand. As that portion of the earth’s surface available for the purpose of this delightful game is limited, a clash is bound to occur sooner or later from the fact that each gang of pirates will be forced to struggle for the same territory in which to dispose of their stolen wares.

If victory perches upon the side of British capital and the coveted markets be held for British trade, German industry will, of necessity, be crippled in its operations, and vice versa. Whichever way it goes the slaves of the particular gang of capitalists which is getting the worst of it will be laid off or discharged outright and thus afford a prolific source from which the victorious capitalist gang may draw goodly supplies of cheap labor wherewith to beat down the wage of its own workmen and thus keep them in that condition of meekness and humility so vitally necessary to the proper observance of the scriptural injunction: “Servants, obey your masters.”

No matter which way the fortunes of trade may flow, the workers get the worst of the deal. Let a given country forge to the front by conquering new territories (markets) for its capitalist class and the tendency of labor to flow in that direction is soon manifest. This will continue until labor conditions in the favored country have been brought down to the normal level under the rule of capital; and that level is the line of subsistence even at the best. In times of general depression it sinks below that level as millions of workers can, at the present, truthfully testify.

When the capitalists of any country fancy their interests can be advanced by war with some other country they endeavor to stir the passion and prejudice of their slaves to the point of going forth to battle. And when the fool slaves have been wrought up to the pitch of wallowing in gore at their masters’ request, the aforesaid masters will be found snugly ensconced behind their ledgers busily figuring up how much profit they stand to make out of the murderous business.

Whenever an attempt to stir up a war scare is made by the ruling class through its reptile press, loud-mouthed toadies and hypocritical lickspittles, it is safe to assume that some ulterior motive lies behind the scheme. Some capitalist interest is to be conserved either by a conquest of further territory or a more complete riveting of the chains upon the limbs of slaves already in leash. And the prince of all fools is the slave who will voluntarily bear arms in the cause that holds him in chains and sucks his blood.

Every war of modern times has been a war of conquest. Should a war break out between any two nations of the earth today, it would bear the same ear-marks. The workers of the world are interested in no war of conquest, except it be to conquer their freedom from wage slavery. If the masters of one country desire war with those of another land, let them have it and to their hearts’ content, but let no workingmen shed the blood of his fellow in such an inglorious cause.

The interests of the workingmen of all lands lie in the direction of the overthrow of capital and the ending of its baneful rule, so that peace may dwell upon the earth and fraternity and good fellowship become the order of the day. Out upon this warfare business. It is fostered by business for the purpose of inducing fools to shed their blood in the interest of our bargain counter capitalists, the most vulgar ruling class that ever fastened itself, like vermin, upon mankind.

E. T. K.