Imperialism! (1909)

From the February 1909 issue of the Socialist Standard

When a certain Imperialist was dead, his friends, who had forgotten all about him when he was starving, thought his great love of the Empire should be fittingly memorialised, so they clubbed together to raise upon his grave a chaste headstone, upon which was inscribed the following beautiful legend:—

HERE LIE

the mortal remains of

JOHN SMITH,

who worked hard and died poor, supported

through all the trials and vicissitudes of life by

THE REFLECTION

that 

HE WAS THE PROUD INHERITOR

of a share

IN THE GLORIOUS EMPIRE UPON 

WHICH THE SUN NEVER SETS.

At his death 

he was placed in this grave,

and his share of 

THE GLORIOUS EMPIRE

was 

reverently shovelled in on top of him,

so that he

came by his own in

THE END.

—Stockton Bulletin

SPGB February Events (2025)

Party News from the February 2025 issue of the Socialist Standard

Our general discussion meetings are held on Zoom. To connect to a meeting, enter https://zoom.us/wc/join/7421974305 in your browser. Then follow instructions on screen and wait to be admitted to the meeting.

Socialist Sonnet No. 180: Barriers (2025)

From the Socialism or Your Money Back blog

Barriers

Close the borders of the land of the free,

Throw up interlocked fences, build a wall

Or, better still, both, thereby keeping all

Clamouring criminal migrants at bay.

Call out the National Guard, a show of strength

By bristling patriotic warriors.

Next, time to erect tariff barriers

And be prepared to go to any length

To make this a country of succeeders.

 Promise the people they’ll be securer,

Even when everyone’s so much poorer,

Everyone, that is, except the leaders.

It seems the question of security

Is finally solved through ethnic purity.

D. A.