UptonSinclair’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.
[BOXENDS:] [[ A variant of the “utopianism” argument, which was advanced also in Plekhanov’s lecture. ]]
Fromthis 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.
[Thisformulation, 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.]
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