A year of prophesyingWells, H. G. (Herbert George)
History
A year of prophesying
Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)
Civilization, Modern -- 20th century; Europe -- History -- 20th century; Great Britain -- History -- 20th century
All this is perfectly natural and necessary. All political parties must
represent the present, existing interests, existing social fears and
jealousies, current delusions. No political party can represent the
future, as Mr. Smillie would have us believe the Labour Party does.
But it was the delusion of Karl Marx that the expropriated masses
of mankind, living at a disadvantage, would necessarily realise the
desirability of a more highly organised Socialist State and evolve
a collective will to bring it about. This idea, through the devoted
repetition of the Marxists, has infected the greater part of Socialist
thought. It had manifestly infected Mr. Smillie. In so far as modern
social inequalities and injustices, illuminated by modern educational
influences, have brought out a steadily increasing hostility between
the masses and the classes with an advantage, Marx was right, but in
so far as that has involved the development of any capacity whatever
to achieve a new and better order, he was wrong. The uncomfortable
masses seek uncritically for some expression of their antagonism to
the lucky, the dexterous, the unscrupulous, and the far-sighted who
enjoy the advantages of the existing social and economic tangle, and
their suffrages and passion will go to support the particular lucky,
dexterous, unscrupulous, or far-sighted politicians who seem most
in harmony with the hates and hopes of the stinted, hampered, and
oppressed multitude. But the antagonisms and discords of the present
system are as much a part of the present as its order and its success.
The Labour Party as a Labour Party is no more inherently reconstructive
than the Banking Interest or the Shipping Interest. Like them, it
merely wants an excessive and inconsiderate share of present power and
satisfactions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account