The statesmen of Europe are in high feather just now. traveling thousands of miles and engaging in pow-wows. dinners, and triumphal tours that delight the hearts of politicians. And it is all being done in a good cause. Over and over again they point out that they are determined to secure peace, perpetual peace.
Capitalist interests may be what they will, but all representatives are agreed on peace — in principle. That is why they are engaging in such a terrific armament race. Building numerous fast and powerful bombing planes. Concluding pacts of mutual support in case of attack. Staging aeroplane attacks on towns and teaching the citizens the art of dodging gas attacks. No expense is grudged in convincing all and sundry of their peaceful intentions.
The capitalists assert they are too poor to pay workers a wage that will ensure a comfortable existence. Now surely this seems strange when wealth to the value of thousands of millions of pounds is used up providing battleships, tanks, planes, guns and the men to man and use them, and the people to minister to these armies of men. And more extraordinary still, all this wealth is simply wasted because none of the powers that be have warlike intentions — at least in principle!
(From an Editorial "Peace in Principle" in the Socialist Standard, June, 1935.)
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