Snapshots from “War--What For?”

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 36, 10 November 1911, Page 14

Snapshots from “War--What Fo r?”

FOLLOW THE FLAG.

"Follow the flag!" sounds good, but strikes blind the working-class. "Follow the flag!" sounds brave &H<L grand. Very! "Follow the flag!" is wine for tr*'-*----brain —of the working-class. "Follow the flag!" makes millions of our class blind and usable.

"Follow the flag!" stirs a savage passion, cunningly called "patriotism." "Follow the nag!" never confuses a man wearing a silk hat. "Follow tlie flag!" is bait laid for fools, "rot" fed to ' mules, by every tyrant king, tsar, and president at the head of governments used by the industrial ruling class. Governments, to-day iinder capitalism are composed of "leading citizens." These "leading citizen" governments quarrel over business markets and territory.

Being proud, these '.'leading citizen" governments pompously decide to "protect their honour" —their alleged honour — "at any cost."

Lacking sufficient brains, they cannot settle their quarrel with brains. Reverting to savagery, they decide that "might makes right." Being brutal, they decide to 1 "fight it out/

Being cowards, they decide to avoid personal danger to themselves. Knowing the working-class are gullibly usable, these "leading citizen" governments decide to use the workingmen as fists.

Being crafty, they decide to seize the brain of the toiler—to teach the work-ing-class.