Mussolini as revealed in his political speeches (November 1914-August 1923)Mussolini, Benito
History
Mussolini as revealed in his political speeches (November 1914-August 1923)
Mussolini, Benito
Fascism -- Italy; Italy -- Politics and government -- 1914-1945; Mussolini, Benito, 1883-1945; Partito nazionale fascista (Italy)
Our position is different as regards the Socialist Party. In the first
place we are careful to make a distinction between party Socialism and
the Socialism of Labour. (Comments on the Extreme Left.)
I am not here to overrate the importance of the syndicalist movement.
When you think that there are sixteen millions of working men in Italy
and of these hardly three millions belong to the syndicates, whether the
General Conference of Workmen, the National Italian Syndicate, the
Italian Workmen’s Union, the Confederation of Italian Economic
Syndicates, the White Federation or other organisations which do not
concern us, and that their membership increases and diminishes according
to the times; when you think that the really advanced and scrupulous
thinkers are a scanty minority, you will realise at once that we are
right when we do not overrate the historical importance of this movement
of the working classes.
But we recognise the fact that the General Federation of Workers did not
manifest the attitude of hostility at the time of the war which was
shown by a great part of the Official Socialist Party. We recognise,
also, that through the General Federation of Workers technical forces
have come to the front which, in view of the fact that the organisers
are in direct and daily contact with the complex economic reality, are
reasonable enough. (Interruptions from the Extreme Left and comments.)
We—and there are witnesses here who can prove the truth of my words—have
never taken up _a priori_ an attitude of opposition to the General
Federation of Workers. I add also that our attitude might be altered
later if the Confederation detached itself—and the political directors
have for some time considered the possibility of this being done—from
the political Socialist Party—(Comments.)—which is only a fraction of
political Socialism, and is formed of those people who, in order to act,
have need of the big forces represented by the working-class
organisations.
Listen to what I am going to say. When you present the Bill for the
Eight Hours Day, we will vote in favour of it. We shall not oppose this
or any other measures destined to perfect our special legislation. We
shall not even oppose experiments of co-operation; but I tell you at
once that we shall resist with all our strength attempts at State
Socialism, Collectivism and the like. We have had enough of State
Socialism, and we shall never cease to fight your doctrines as a whole,
for we deny their truth and oppose their fatalism.
We deny the existence of only two classes, because there are many more.
(Comments.) We deny the possibility of explaining the story of humanity
in terms of economics. We deny your internationalism, because it is a
luxury which only the upper classes can afford; the working people are
hopelessly bound to their native shores.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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