NOTEBOOK “ε” (“EPSILON”)

ARGUMENTS OF THE SOCIAL-PATRIOTS

Arguments of the Social-Patriots

Upton Sinclair’s pamphlet, with Blatchford’s reply, sets out particularly clearly, frankly, accurately and vigorously the new (not Plekhanov’s or Kautsky’s, etc.) argument of the social-patriots:

Yes, the war is in the interests of the capitalists, etc., but we are manifestly weak , manifestly powerless to prevent it. Talk of struggle against war, of “insurrection”, etc., etc., is “piano opinion”, hopeless “exaggeration” of our strength.

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| | A variant of the “utopianism” argument, which was advanced also in Plekhanov’s lecture. | |
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From this point of view, the Basle resolution is a well-meaning attempt to frighten the governments, and not a resolute pledge to carry out revolutionary actions or revolutionary propaganda.

[This formulation, which reduces everything to a “preventive war”, is extremely narrow—and was deliberately made so by Blatchford. The essential thing is to utilise the crisis for revolutionary propaganda and to prepare for revolutionary action.]