Never Again! A Protest and a Warning Addressed to the Peoples of Europe — John Shaqi
Never Again! A Protest and a Warning Addressed to the Peoples of EuropeCarpenter, Edward
Philosophy
Never Again! A Protest and a Warning Addressed to the Peoples of Europe
Carpenter, Edward
Pamphlets; Peace; World War, 1914-1918
I think we may see that the new conception of life will only come
through the peeling off in the various nations of the old husks
of the diplomatic, military, legal, and commercial classes, with
their antiquated, narrow-minded and profoundly. irreligious and
inhuman standards -- those husks which have so long restricted and
strangulated the growing life within.
It will only come with the determination of the workers
(that is, of everybody) to produce things useful, profitable, and
beautiful, in free and rational co-operation -- things useful because
deliberately made for use, things profitable for all because not
made for the gain of the few, and things beautiful because of the
joy and gladness wrought into their very production.
Simultaneously with this peeling off, of the Old, and disclosure
of the New, will of necessity appear -- indeed it is taking shape
already the blossom of international solidarity and federation -- the
common cause of Humanity and of Labour liberated over the world.
Naturally such process will not mature all at once. It may, bit
that the four Western nations, England, France, Italy and Belgium,
combining with some of the neutral States, will constitute the first
European Federationor at any rate the nucleus of a Federation
destined, as it expands to absorb within its borders Germany herself
(of course when she shall have taken on her true republican form)
and the other States in due succession.
Such Federation when firmly consolidated might, it is not unlikely,
still retain for a long period a military system, of some kind,
if only for its own protection against outlying and non European
dangers; but that military system would be small and secondary.
It right reasonably be no more dominant or meddlesome than the
military system of China has been during the last thousand years
in comparison with the massive imperturbability of the great
Chinese Empire itself.
Meanwhile let us remember how important it is for the future of
the world that each nation and people should be free to contribute
its special quality and character to the whole; nor be ridden-over
roughshod by the others;
That each should contribute, in Trade or otherwise, its special
gifts or facilities; and that the Internationalism which already
rules in labour affairs and in Commerce and Science and Fashion
and Finance and Philanthropy and Literature and Art and Music,
should at last be recognized in Politics.
Let us further remember how important it is that every man and woman
should insist on the rights of Personality to preserve sacred his
or her most intimate sense of selfness and duty the very,
essence of Freedom.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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