3 On nations and global capitalism
3 On nations and global capitalism
3.1 On a social toxin called“ nation”
Supplemented by the idea and practice of social partnership there exists the unparalleled Ideology of nations and nationality to keep people under control. Nations were artificially constructed by separating criteria, self- idealization, and exaltation for a common national cause. The hazy notion of a nation and the artificial“ WE” came into being with the modern bourgeois state and made the masses dance and often march to the tunes of their national upper classes.
From the beginning of modern class formation the national question was essential for both sides. The imperial and colonial stakeholders of the European great powers needed the underclass populations following them into military adventures, wars of conquest and finally two World Wars. Intensive national propaganda and agitation aimed at making up the working class identify with the interests and intentions of the upper class. But you can hardly win over the common man when you exploit him at the same time in your production sites, make him suffer from unemployment and let him thus sink into poverty with his family.
In the second half of the 19 th century the national ideologies of the rivalling European powers were relentlessly unmasked by the leaders of the then revolutionary Social Democracy. They were demonized as knaves without fatherland and prosecuted for challenging militaristic and imperialistic national strategies. The Social Democracy was hated and stigmatized as a subversive party. Nevertheless large sections of the proletariat trusted and followed them. The political workers’ movement always cherished humane ethics of solidarity. The General Rules of the International Workingmen’ s Association( 1864) had declared“ that all societies and individuals adhering to it [ the Rules ] will acknowledge truth, justice, and morality as the basis of their conduct towards each other and towards all men, without regard to colour, creed, or nationality.” When in 1889 467 delegates of more
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