The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-02
Timely Topics" zee How
Thomas Aids Capitalism
Capitalism Is Going Ultra-Nationalist," He
Says in New Leader" 81

animation Of his proposals with the
full assurance that he speaks Of
ficially for the Socialist Party.
The first thing that an examinA-
ton of the Thomas thesis discloses
Is that it is international In scope.
The second fact disclosed is that IL
is composed Of a number Of alter
mating points-one to please the
capitalists, one for attracting work
ers. The third fact is that the
article is so constructed aud
phrased as to appear very anti
capitalist. The fourth fact is that
the Thomas program is purely cap
itaIist and differs only in very
minor details from the program Of
the so-called "progreSSives" in tl1S
House and Senate-Borah, IAYo1~
lette, Norris, Wheeler and other
figleaves of the tive big capita9isS
parties.
LINES UP WITH
BOSS ANALYSIS
To begin with it is necessary 10
Thomas in HIS introduction lines UP
with the capitalist analysis Of the
present situation. He conceals the
fact that the revolutionary struggle
Of the masses against irnperial&st
war is a decisive factor In postpon-
ing the outbreak of a new world
war. Thomas puts the question as
if there was a general and all I'M
elusive positive desire" for war.
We quote:
Capitalism at this final end
of its epoch has definitely gone
nationalist, partly because ma
tionalism Is a convenient opiats
to drug exploited workers. The
very poverty Of the world lessons
the resistance to war, heightens
the strife for markets, and Gre
ates almost q positive desire for
large scale war as means Of in
flating a sadly debated domestic
economy" (Our ernphasis.)
Thomas approach to the ques-
ton Of imperialiSt war and the at
titude of the working class to 1t,
especially in this, the third year of
the crisis, has nothing In common
with revolutionary MarxiSri. Who
is 10 that has IAN almost positive
desire for large scale WARP" etc.
The working class? Has ''the very
poverty of the world" lesssned the
resistance to imperialist war on the
part Of the working class?
ONLY a Socialist anxious to ex-
v onerate the capitalist rulers as
far as possible will answer yes, as
Thomas does. The capitalists know
better. The European social-demo-
Gratis know better. Let us quote a
recent statement by a dear friend
of Mr.. Thomas, Benjamin G. Marsh
of the Peoples Lobby, who has just
returned from the Amsterdam
World Congress Against War:
1.-THE most significant state
ment made to me In Europe,
however, during my six weeks
trip, was by a relatively conser-
vative labor leader In the British
Labor Party that every govern
ment in Europe as well as the
British government fears a dec
laration Of war would mean q
revolution at honE." Peoples
Lobby Bulletin, September issue.)
AS for the fact that capitalism
has definitely gone nationalist"
this is no new discovery. Lepin
pointed this out In 1915 as one of
the outstanding contradictions of
the imperialist period-"the period
Of wars and revolutions" But this
is in no contradiction with the
support of the imperialist League
Of Nations in the Socialist Party
platform and with the latest pro-
posals of Thomas-as we shall see.