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CHAPTER V.
"Ultra-Imperialism" versus Revolutionary Mass
Action
The Socialist jingo theory of "ultra-imperialism" put forward by Kautsky is very subtle and most skilfully arranged to bear a scientific and internationalist aspect. The author himself recently formulated the theory with great clearness, as follows:
The weakening of the protectionist movement in England, the lowering of the duties in America, the striving after disarmament, the quick shrinkage of the capital exported from France and Germany during the years before the war, and, finally, the growing interlinking of the various international cliques representing finance-capital—all these factors induced me to weigh the possibility of the present imperialist policy being ousted by a new ultra-imperialist policy which would substitute for the mutual struggle of the various national units of finance-capital, the general exploitation of the world by a united international finance-capital. Such a new phase of capitalism is at all events thinkable. As to whether it be feasible, the premises for solving this question are not yet sound enough. (“ Neue Zeit,” No. 5, April 30th, 1915, p. 144.)
...The trend and the result of the present war may prove to be the deciding factors in this regard. The war may utterly crush the feeble germs of ultra-imperialism by inflaming to the highest degree national hatred, even amongst capitalist financiers, by intensifying the growth of armaments and the desire to outbid each other in this respect, thus rendering inevitable a second world war. In that case the anticipation formulated in my pamphlet “The Path to Power,” will to a terrible extent come true. Class antagonisms will become more acute and will at the same time hasten the moral Abwirtschaftung[1] (downfall) of capitalism.
....But the war may end differently. It may bring about a strengthening of the weak germs of ultra-imperialism. Its lessons (note this!) may accelerate a development which might have been slower in times of peace. If things come to such a pitch, if agreement between nations and disarmament becomes a fact, together with a lasting peace, then the worst of the causes which before the war were tending more and more to bring about the moral downfall of capitalism may disappear. The new phase, of course, will bring with it “fresh calamities for the proletariat,” which may be even worse than the present one, yet for a time ultra-imperialism could create an era of fresh hopes and expectations within the confines of capitalism ” (p. 145).
- ↑ We must here note that by this pretentious word Kautsky understands simply “enmity” towards capitalism on the part of “the sections which are placed between the proletariat and finance capital―that is to say, the intellectuals, members of the lower middle class, and even petty capitalists.”
