The principal aim of bourgeois
nationalism is to cause the division
and breaking up of the proletariat
under the more deceptive pretexts,
as, for instance, the defence of the
interests of the nation, the defence
of the culture and the identity of the
peoples.
One of the tactics preferred by
the bourgeoisie is the proclamation
of the sacred “national unity”, of
“national defence”.
These proclamations aim to instill
in large sections of the proletariat
the idea that there can exist
common interests between
antagonistic classes, that there
can be a just war lead by the
bourgeoisie.
So they serve to spread
confusion and division in the ranks
of the working class and to prevent
it from taking up independent and
revolutionary positions hoisting the
flag of proletarian internationalism.
The bourgeois slogans about
national unity favour the
establishment of “states of
emergency” in which the freedoms
of the workers are suppressed;
these “states of emergency” are
the prelude to the calls to arms of
the proletarians for the war of their
own imperialism against other
imperialisms, nations and peoples.
In order to get these reactionary
slogans accepted by the popular
masses, the bourgeoisie creates
the impression that there are good
nations and bad nations (“rogue
States”), there are peoples with
violent characteristics, peoples evil
by nature. The ruling class hides
its responsibility in the aggression
wars against other peoples under
a thick demagogic curtain, in the
war crimes that it perpetrates,
claiming that imperialism is not the
cause of the problems, the
bourgeoisie is not the principal
enemy of the proletarians, but
other nations and social groups,
while it claims to defend peace,
freedom, democracy, etc. In this
way the ruling classes of the
opposing camp are encouraged to
10
do the same thing, resulting in the
peoples being driven to the
slaughter.
In reality, the imperialist
bourgeoisie has nothing to do with
the true national interests; it is in
direct conflict with them. It is a
parasite in the belly of the nations,
and its agents are dangerous
extraneous bodies in the ranks of
proletariat.
Only the interests of the
working class, its proletarian
internationalism, are in harmony
with the interests of the oppressed
nations and peoples.
The tasks of communists and of
class-conscious workers
In the present situation of
economic, political and social
instability of world capitalism, of the
sharpening of all its contradictions,
the revolutionary proletariat must
face the inescapable task of
stressing the struggle against
national-chauvinism and the
menace of fascism, increasing the
activity in the ranks of the working
class and among the popular
masses, maintaining the firm
commitment to revolution and
socialism.
As comrade Lenin taught us,
we have the task of struggling daily
and concretely against every form
of bourgeois nationalism. It must do
this against the warlike, violent,
openly chauvinist nationalism, or
the more sophisticated nationalism
which hides behind calls to
“equality” of nations” while it
promotes the division of the
working class according to
nationality, or finally against the
social-chauvinism of the reformists
and opportunists.
In this struggle the principal
task is the education of the workers
and the exploited and oppressed
working masses in the spirit of
proletarian internationalism and of
the international solidarity of the
workers and peoples.
The communists must show in
practice that the working class is
conducting a resolute struggle for
the solidarity, closeness and union
of the proletarians of all countries
and all nationalities, for the unity
of the class struggle against the
common enemy, world imperialism,
against national oppression and in
defence of brotherhood and
national equality. This task is even
more important today, in a situation
in which the inter-imperialist
conflicts become more acute.
It is necessary to conduct the
struggle against nationalism
connecting the ideological aspect
to the concrete and urgent
demands of the workers, according
to the present level of class
consciousness and sentiments of
the masses.
We have to oppose the
chauvinist propaganda and
conduct counter-propaganda in a
simple way, understandable to the
young
workers
and
the
unemployed, to the poor people,
putting their real interests at the
centre of our action.
Clearly, fighting against
bourgeois chauvinism does not
mean offending the feelings and
national pride of the great working
masses; it does not mean falling
into national nihilism. On the
contrary, we must explain that the
bourgeoisie and fascism cause the
ruin of the nation, that proletarian
internationalism and socialist
revolution mean the salvation of
the nation and of popular culture,
their free and independent
development. Likewise, fighting
against chauvinism must not make
us forget the indispensability of
support for national liberation
movements of the oppressed
countries which tend to strike,
weaken and break down
imperialism.
In our propaganda we have to
clarify the class character of
chauvinism, the pillar of bourgeois
tyranny,
and
its
ruinous
consequences for the workers. We
have to explain that in “the first
place” the policy of the bourgeois
nationalist forces is not the national
Class Struggle