The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-11-20
BY K. A. wITTFoeEL.

Bernard Shaw, the English dramat
list and writer is no Revolutionary
Marxist. Co-founder and member fol
a long number of years OF the re
form-socialist union of the Fabians
(so-called after a Roman general who
is supposed to have crushed his op
ponents not by open attack, but by
caution and hesitation*), Shaw has
just recently rejected the revolution
airy methods of Communism as a de
plorable tactical error, Even fo1
Marxism, the theoretical expression
Of the Communist movement Shaw
quite logically-is unable to muster
up any enthusiasm. Once before, IL
his literary youth, Shaw was an ad
herent of the MARKHAM theory of value
But that was long time ago. Today
he obviously has only quite a hazy
idea of the basic thoughts of Marx
ism. That does not prevent him from
disappearing these thoughts most en-
ergetically,
Like many social reformers VIII;
have no objection to socialism "con
ing" some day-a hundred years afte.
their death-Shaw, too, calls himself
a socialist What is the nature O
this socialism of his? In his dramati
cycle, Back to Methusala," the poe.
presents a socialist to us who, in spit,
Of his alleged socialist sentiments
holds fast to the good old manners
and virtues of the bourgeoisie. "Bour-
geois manners may be snobbish man
ners, they may offer no kind of pleas
ure but they are better than no
manners at all. Many bourgeois vir.
tues may be false, but at least they
still exist" Hence bourgeois social
ism, ''Virtuous" or honorable social
ism. This is undoubtedly one Of the
sides of the artistic-political personal
Hy of the English poet. In contradic-
tory union with this, however, there is
another side to Shaw's nature. Shaw
is not only last bourgeois; he is also
a last bourgeois. In his manner he
recognizes and hastens the decline OF
capitalistic bourgeois society, Hereil
lies not only his literary but also
his political, world-historical signifi-
canoe.
Bernard Shaws Other Side.
Nonetheless, Lenin, who knew
Shaw's Fabian attitude very we'll. de-
scribed the Englishman (more exactly
the English-Irishman) as ian honest
fellow among out and out hypocrites, -
as reformist who stands much far
Their to the left than the rest. In fact,
no reformist has recognized and pill
loried, like Shaw, the contradictions
and the weak points of bourgeois So
ciety. Altho himself bound to the ex-
listing capitalist world by a thousand
ties, Shaw still sees with outright rev.
dictionary acuteness that the culture
and the ideals of the bourgeoisie have
run their course, that they are devoid
Of their meaning. Each single truth
of the bourgeoisie is a lie. Bourgeois
theology, which once had its historic
force, has today become rotten ant
weak with age. This theology must
be demolished; its emptiness must b.
exposed Shaw, standing within the
camp Of the bourgeoisie, is one of the
most persistent, one of the most
clever and successful destroyers of
the ideals of the bourgeois era. BY
means Of the social comedy, he plan
fully attacks the structure OF bour-
geois theology from all sides.
The bourgeoisie would very much
like to make capitalistic wage-labor
palatable to the workers by senti-
mental phrases. In Shaw's Man and
Superman" young bourgeois ideal
ist' watches his chauffeur repair the
damaged car with the sweat of his
brow and says, while looking on: 81
believe very much in the dignity Of
labor" This remark did not make
the slightest impression on Shaw's