STATE SOCIALISM
Most Socialist agitators in Great Britain oppose and condemn State
Socialism for two reasons: firstly, because, owing to their Communist
and Anarchist leanings, they oppose and hate the State as such, as has
been shown in the Chapters on "Socialism and Communism," "Socialism
and Anarchism," "Socialism and Revolution"; secondly, because with the
introduction of State Socialism their occupation would be gone.
Socialist agitators do not wish others to govern the State. They wish
to govern it themselves. The welfare of the masses is to them
apparently only a secondary consideration. Hence most British
Socialist agitators condemn the State Socialism of Germany, though it
has greatly benefited the masses, and perhaps because it has greatly
benefited the masses. They also condemn the British Post Office,
although, being not overburdened with scruples, they praise it to the
skies as a Socialistic model institution when it happens to suit them.
In fact, most Socialist leaders condemn all existing Government
institutions, ostensibly because they are capitalistic enterprises
which are run at a "profit," and because they "exploit" their workers.
It would of course be fatal to the Socialist agitators had they to
preach the gospel of envy and hatred, of destruction and pillage, to
the contented.
"The State of to-day, nationally and locally, is only the agent of the
possessing class."[1122] "Mere nationalisation or mere municipalisation
of any industry is not Socialism or Collectivism; it may be only the
substitution of corporate for private administration; the social idea
and purpose with which Collectivism is concerned may be completely
absent."[1123] "Mere Statification, as we may term it, does not mean
Socialism. The State of to-day is mainly an agent of the possessing
classes, and industrial or commercial undertakings run to-day by
Governmental bodies are largely run in the interests of these classes.
Their aim in all cases is to show a profit, in the same way as ordinary
capitalistic enterprises. This profit accrues to the possessing classes
in the form of relief of imperial or local taxation, mainly paid by
them, interests on loans, &c. In other words, these industrial
undertakings are run for profit and not for use, and their employees
are little, if at all, better off than those of private
employers."[1124] "The modern State is but the organisation which
capitalist society gives itself in order to maintain the external
conditions of capitalist production against the attacks both of the
workmen and of individual capitalists. The modern State, whatever its
form, is essentially a capitalist machine."[1125] "State administration
is very far from being the same as a Socialistic administration, as is
sometimes erroneously supposed. The State administration is just as
much a system of capitalistic exploitation as if the institutions in
question were in the hands of private undertakers."[1126] "A
bureaucracy--that is, a body of permanent officials, entrenched in
Government departments, according to whose piping ministers themselves
have willingly or unwillingly to dance--is totally incompatible with
the very elementary conditions of Socialistic administration."[1127]
"Bismarckian State control is brusque and baneful, and is certainly
not the desire of the true Socialist."[1128]
"State ownership, State tyranny, State interference exist to-day. We
have to bear them now; we have to submit to them now; we have to pay
for them now. The people, as such, own nothing. And the Socialists
demand that the people shall own everything. Not the 'State,' the
'People.' So great is the difference between the word 'State' and the
word 'people.'"[1129] "Do you propose that all these means of
production which are now owned by individuals, by this class, as you
say, should be made the property of the Government, like the Post
Office and the telegraph system are in this country, and the railways
as well in some others, or that they should be owned by municipal
bodies, as waterworks, tramways, gasworks, and so on, are in many
cases already?--No. Socialism does not mean mere Governmental
ownership or management. The State of to-day, nationally or locally,
is only the agent of the possessing class; the Post Office and the
other State-owned businesses are run for profit just as other
businesses are; and the Government, as the agent of the possessing
class, has, in the interests of its employers, to treat the employees
just as other employees are treated. The organised democratic society
contemplated by Socialists is a very different thing from the class
State of to-day. When society is organised for the control of its own
business, and has acquired the possession of its own means of
production, its officers will not be the agents of a class, and
production will be carried on for the use of all and not for the
profit of a few."[1130] "The Post Office to-day is an organised
sweating-den. The Government get the largest possible amount of work
for the lowest possible wages. That is capitalist wage-slavery under
Government control."[1131] "The country postman has to walk excessive
distances for miserable wages in order that the profit on the Post
Office may be filched from the employees and from the public by the
Chancellor of the Exchequer."[1132]
The Fabians, on the other hand, advocate State Socialism, but they are
a small minority. "The Socialism advocated by the Fabian Society is
State Socialism exclusively."[1133] Some Socialists would welcome
State Socialism in the hope that it would prepare the way for free
Communism. Mr. Keir Hardie, for instance, says: "State Socialism with
all its drawbacks, and these I frankly admit, will prepare the way for
free Communism, in which the rule, not merely the law of the State,
but the rule of life will be--From each according to his ability, to
each according to his needs."[1134]
"Socialists only believe in the fraternal State. Paternal State
Socialism all Socialists unanimously oppose."[1135]
FOOTNOTES:
[1122] Bax and Quelch, _A New Catechism of Socialism_, p. 8.
[1123] Ball, _The Moral Aspects of Socialism_, p. 9.
[1124] Bax, _Essays in Socialism_, p. 7.
[1125] Engels, _Development of Socialism from Utopia to Science_, p.
71.
[1126] Bebel, _Woman_, pp. 198, 199.
[1127] Bax, _Essays in Socialism_, p. 9.
[1128] Ben Tillett, _Trades Unionism and Socialism_, p. 14.
[1129] _Clarion_, October 18, 1907.
[1130] Bax and Quelch, _A New Catechism of Socialism_, pp. 8, 9.
[1131] Hyndman, _Social-Democracy_, p. 22.
[1132] _Fabian Election Manifesto_, 1892, p. 3.
[1133] _Report on Fabian Policy_, 1896, p. 5.
[1134] Keir Hardie, _From Serfdom to Socialism_, p. 89.
[1135] Bliss, _Encyclopedia of Social Reform_, p. 1262.