MARY E. MARCY AND WORKERS' OPPOSITION TO WAR

• Published in: Peace research Vol. 35; no. 2; pp. 115 - 123
• Main Author: Shantz, Jeffrey
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Winnipeg The Canadian Journal of Peace Studies 01.11.2003; Menno Simons College
• Subjects: Capitalism; History; Labor; Labor strikes; Marcy, Mary E; Patriotism; Peace activism; Ruling class; Socialism; Socialist parties; War; Weapons; Working class; World wars; United States
• ISSN: 0008-4697

Marcy directed much of her work to arguments against working class patriotism and national chauvinism. In her article, "The Real Fatherland," Marcy asks the question that she believes applies to every worker in the world: "What has 'your' country ever done for you.(4) Her answer is that workers' homelands have done nothing for them. "Everywhere you will find thousands of men hunting jobs and no jobs. Everywhere you will find the rich protected and the poor driven out."(5) Nation-states defend the ruling classes and protect the interests of the powerful against the needs of the poor. There is no reason for workers to love the land of their birth any more than other lands. The only real homeland for workers is a world without property and profit, a world of socialism. In the interesting article, "Better Any Kind of Action Than Inert Theory!" Marcy refutes arguments that the rush to war as a result of "primal instincts" or "primitive emotions." She points out instead the importance of acquired habits. In a very telling passage which identifies work discipline as one crucial acquired habit for war, Marcy states: "And when we look closely we find almost an utter lack of enthusiasm, an amazing lack of emotion among the soldiers. They went toward France like men going to work in a factory; they discharged their guns like "hands" running a machine in a steel mill."(11) The habit of obedience, imposed by discipline has worked to send soldiers to the front. Without this habit of doing what one is told to do, of following orders and obeying leaders, Marcy continues, the "desires of the capitalist class for new conquests would have remained fruitless."(12) Marcy, as a socialist, recognized that in order to abolish capitalist war it is necessary to abolish the root cause of capitalist war, the profit system. However, she also recognized that appeals for the abolition of capitalism alone would be abstract and not particularly useful in times of war. Thus she always tried to emphasize contemporary real world examples, from the successful strike waves in Italy to industrial sabotage in the U.S., which could undermine preparations for war. While these options may not be available to contemporary American workers, given the low level of working class organization and unionization in the U.S., Marcy's example shows the importance of taking a principled stand against chauvinism and rabid patriotism. During a time when any criticism of U.S. foreign policy is branded "un-American" and dissent is threatened by new "anti-terror" legislation,(19) Marcy's courageous stand has much to show us.