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The
Pyramid of Tyranny
By
F. Domela Nieuwenhuis
Introduction
“The old man of the North, whose
blue eyes and smiling face, framed by long white hair, indicate
immense goodness”. Andre Lorulot.
Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis, born in
the Netherlands on the 31st of December 1846 was a very
important socialist advocate and leader amongst the Dutch labour
movement of the 19th century. I confess I had not heard of
him before stumbling upon a 1913 Esperanto translation of his
pamphlet De piramide van tirannie
(The Pyramid of Tyranny). But
happily he has an English language wiki page and short biography
written by Anarchist historian Nick Heath, which filled quite a few
gaps. He was raised as Lutheran preacher but gravitated towards
socialism. He resigned from the priesthood in 1879 after becoming an
atheist and threw his energy into the labour movement. He initially
became a leading personality within the Dutch Social Democratic
movement, after meeting with some members while working for the Dutch
branch of the Peace Union.
He
was the editor of the first socialist magazine to be published in the
Netherlands Recht voor Allen (Justice
for All) which started publication in 1879. By 1881 the scattered
social democrat movement united and established the Social Democratic
League (SDB) with Nieuwenhuis as one of its most active propagandists
in the north. Throughout the 1880s the SDB grew in size and supported
many actions from campaigns for universal suffrage, to funds for
striking workers spreading anti-militarist leaflets in army barracks.
Because of these activities Nieuwenhuis spent eight months in a
prison in Utrecht before being pardoned.
From
1888-91 Nieuwenhuis became the first and only SDB member elected to
the Dutch parliament. He was not re-elected in 1891. Ideologically
Nieuwenhuis was open and non-doctrinal. In the early 1880s he had
corresponded with an elderly Karl Marx, and wrote and published a
Dutch language abridgement of Marx’s Capital. He also corresponded
with other socialist groups and thinkers in Europe.
By
the 1890s the SDB found itself in the midst of a crisis. The lack of
success since 1881 caused a lot of divisions with a small majority
increasingly critical of the electoral approach favoured by the
orthodox social democrats and popularised by the German Social
Democratic Party. Nieuwenhuis sided with this majority and in 1894
the resulting splits left Nieuwenhuis and his supporters in an odd
position, still part of the Second International (Social Democratic)
but openly rejecting parliamentary means “The revolutionary idea
is suppressed by confidence in parliamentarism”.
For
a few years this position was maintained with the new Socialist Union
being established to evade a ban on the SDB for its increasing us of
direct action and even weapons. The Socialist Union increasingly
collaborated with Anarchists and Nieuwenhuis increasingly advocated
for a more libertarian socialism and worried about the authoritarian
leanings of the mainstream social democratic parties.
Nieuwenhuis
left the social democratic movement completely by shutting down
Justice for All, instead publishing the openly Anarchist magazine De
Vrije Socialist (the Free
Socialist). In the same year he also published the book Socialism in
Danger, which heavily criticises the compromises of the social
democratic movement with the state and capitalism. For the next
several years he would continue to advocate for a free society and
called for strikes and demonstrations. In 1904 he joined the
International Anti-Militarist Association, an Amsterdam based war
resistance league. What made this organisation different from other
pacifist groups active at the time is that members were expected to
be committed to supporting revolts by workers if their nations went
to war. Because of this members were monitored and harassed heavily
by the police, the Association barely existed by 1908 when it
collapsed.
When
the First World War broke out in 1914, Nieuwenhuis was adamantly
opposed to it and although his health had started declining he threw
himself in anti-war activity risking arrest, injury and even death
when demonstrations were broken up by Dutch police. He was appalled
by Kropotkin’s pro war stance and signed circulated a rival
anti-war manifesto written by Malatesta and the Anarchists of Italy.
By 1917-19 his health had collapsed, he supported the Russian
Revolution but grew opposed to the counter-revolutionary actions of
the Bolsheviks, he was also concerned about the power that the German
Social Democratic Party held within the ongoing German Revolution. He
died on the 19th
of November 1919.
Further
reading
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Domela_Nieuwenhuis
Domela
Nieuwenhuis, Ferdinand Jacobus (1846-1919) by Nick Heath
https://libcom.org/history/domela-nieuwenhuis-ferdinand-jacobus-1846-1919
“A powerful hierarchy of patronage
had evolved from the fruits of plunder of 1939. The dozen or so key
advisers and principal beneficiaries of Franco’s favours had been
granted large swathes of land, important properties, the government
of provinces, the control of ministries and monopolies,
director-generalships, etc., in return for a commitment to serve as
instruments of policy.
These people executed orders unquestioningly at the appropriate time
and, in turn, maintained below them further concatenating networks of
dependants who profited under them and relied on them for promotion
and advancement — and so on.
In this way the oppressive hierarchical pyramid permeated down
through the ranks of Spanish society until hundreds of thousands —
perhaps millions — were bound to Franco by this cord”.
Stuart Christie, My Granny Made me an Anarchist Part 1, 1946 – 1964
This passage from Christie’s autobiography outline and echo a
theory of repression and tyranny that Nieuwenhuis explores more fully
in this pamphlet. The background is the Netherlands of the late 19th
through to the early
20th
century. Industrial capitalism and international connections are
firmly cemented and the workers movement is still viewed with fear
and fiercely denounced and repressed by the authorities.
This pamphlet is an
investigation into the power relationships that underpin a society
that is still familiar to us in the 21st
century. The pyramid model would prove popular as a metaphor for
class society, there is a very famous cartoon made by members of the
Industrial Workers of the World syndicalist union in the United
States of America that makes use of it.
This sketch is essentially a visual
summary of Nieuwenhuis’s thesis. The following text simply
elaborates and explains the purpose of each layer of the pyramid.
Aside from a few modernising touches to the uniforms of the security
enforces, and perhaps inserting some representatives of the press and
entertainment industry to rub shoulders with the priests and teachers
there’s not much that dates either the image nor the pamphlet. This
is a little depressing, but it also means that both it and the
argument that underpins both is still relevant and important to those
who are serious about struggling for human liberation.
Reddebrek
Note on the text
This is a translation into English
from the 1913 Esperanto translation from the Dutch original by Wijtze
Nutters (pictured). Nutters was a Dutch social democrat who became a
communist in later years. He translated several works in to Esperanto
from Dutch and German, including On Offence and Defence by Wilhelm
Liebknecht. There was an updated Esperanto translation released in
1999, but I haven’t been able to acquire a copy. The Pyramid of
Tyranny was translated into English in 1901 by the Freedom Publishing
house for its pamphlet series. It must’ve been popular as in 1909
they released a second printing, though I haven’t been able to
track down a copy of either editions except for a very expensive
second hand listing for one copy. Because of this I’ve decided to
turn what was a personal exercise into a publication to help fill in
the gap.
The
Pyramid of Tyranny
By
F. Domela Nieuwenhuis
The famous German author Michael
Flürscheim said in his book Individualism
and Socialism, that the thinnest
crust (made up of the possessing class) of the burning lava of the
social world, is no more than 2% in diameter. In other words: out of
every hundred people only two belong to the class of owners i.e.
capitalism, while 98 can be classified amongst the working class.
To
avoid ambiguity, let's start with some definitions, what we need to
understand by the words "worker" and "Capitalist".
Everyone who needs to work, whether by hand, whether by the head - a
strange distinction, as if physical labour
does not need a head and mental work no hands, but we follow the
ordinary mode of expression - all those who without work cannot
live, we call: worker.
A
professor, a doctor, a teacher, an engineer all belong to the working
class, if they exist by their salary and if they, on losing it, are
without refuge. And
by the name of "capitalist" we mean anyone who can live
without working. We think that this limit is in line with reality.
So,
out of a hundred, two are capitalists, and strangely they behave like
masters, and the other ninety eight allow themselves to be oppressed.
How
is this possible?
The
secret to how a some people are able to dominate a large mass is
found in an interesting but nearly forgotten text by the 16th
Century author Étienne de La Boétie, whose Discourse on
Voluntary Servitude says:
“And now I come to the point, which
is in my opinion the secret and mainspring of domination, the support
and foundation of tyranny. Those who think that it is the halberds of
the sentries, the watch of guards that shields tyrants, is in my view
completely mistaken. It seems to me that they are used more for
ceremony and as a show of force and method of intimidation, than for
trusted protection. The guards protect the palace from the entry of
the poor, not those who are well armed and could enact plots. This is
easy to prove by the consultation of history, for example the case of
the Roman Emperors, the number of Emperors protected by their
Praetorians from some threat is small compared to the number who were
killed by their own guardians. Its not cavalry nor footsoldiers nor
weapons that shield the tyrants; but though this seems incredible at
first, it is true that only about four or five people sustain the
dictator: always four or five people who hold the whole land in
subject to him; five or six who have the tyrants confidence. And this
small group draw near to the dictator, to be his companions in
cruelty and to take part in his pleasures and plunder. These six or
so do there jobs so well that in the eyes of society the Tyrant is
not just responsible for his own misdeeds but for those of his close
circle too. Those six have under their care six hundred, and this six
hundred do for the six what the six do for the Tyrant. This six
hundred bind to themselves six thousand, whom they have taught in
order to be entrusted with the management of the provinces, the
administration of finances etc. on the condition that in addition to
looking after themselves, these six thousand also do at all times
what their superiors desire; and that they always keep in mind that
it is only through their superiors that they remain in office and can
avoid laws and punishment only with their superiors support. The
consequences of this are very important. And if you look at it like
the unfolding of a thread you will see that through this arrangement
it is not only the six thousand, but hundreds of thousands, millions
even, that are linked to the Tyrant by this thread, just like in
Homer where Zeus supreme God boasts that he can bring to himself all
the other Gods by the pulling of a chain.”
In other words, the great Tyrant is
only a Tyrant on the condition that he give to a chosen few the
opportunity to let him play the role of Tyrant; and that these few
then permit others to become tyrants of a smaller circle, so that one
is faced with a pyramid of Tyranny, at the base of which lies a
Tyrannised mass and at the point a Chief Tyrant.
This how the artificial construction
of Domination is constructed. This is the only way to explain how it
is possible that such a small number of capitalists, at most 2%,
dominate masses.
The capitalists drew upon all their
powers. These can be divided into two types, namely:
Spiritual Means
Material Means
Both types can be further subdivided
into three parts, observe:
Spiritual Means; 1. Education 2.
Religion 3. The press.
Material Means; 1. Police 2. Courts
3. Army
We will discuss all these in further
detail.
I.
Education
There are still people who live with
the naive belief that school is intended for the free, spiritual
enlightenment of children, this is very wrong. No, the teachers,
usually hungry proletarians themselves are unconsciously influential
tools in the hands of capitalism, who are used to educate children
from an early age to accept resignation and obedience.
The capitalists understand very well;
that the youth are the key to the future, so it should come as no
surprise that in all countries the school is the object of fierce
fighting.
In the class based state there must
necessarily also be a class education.
Because of this there is not even one
school were children of all social classes are taught together and
view themselves as one group, parts of one connected whole. On the
contrary, everywhere there are separate schools for the poor and
disadvantaged who have to be content with a minimum of education.
-workers children are no longer needed “in their own state.” -
and separate schools for the upper classes, in which the teaching is
extended in proportion to the wallets of their parents.
All teaching is based on lies and
hypocrisy.
The Constitution of the Netherlands
stipulates that;
That everywhere within the
Kingdom the magistrates will establish sufficient elementary public
education.
That the legal regulation of
public education must “respect the religious views of all.”
And, according to the constitution,
the law on first grade teaching requires that “the teacher refrain
from teaching anything, doing something or allowing something that
offends the respect due to the religious opinions of other thinkers.”
But, while the law clearly requires this, it at the same time demands
that school teaching “be used for education in all Christian and
social virtues.”
Well now, how can one respect
everyone’s religious opinions and at the same time educate every
child in “Christian virtues” that is, in the virtues specific to
one religion, namely Christianity? What is to be done if and when a
Christian virtue conflicts with other religious opinions? To teach
Christian virtue, are we not in reality promoting a version of
religion opinion to the detriment and exclusion of others?
So, according to the law of the
Netherlands there exist both Christian and Social virtues. The
teacher must teach them both. But what to do if the two come into
conflict with each other? And they conflict with each other at every
step, here are a few examples;
Christian virtue: not to swear an
oath: as Jesus himself made clear during his sermon on the Mount, do
not take an oath, simply let your yes be a yes, your no a no.
Social virtue; to swear an oath whenever the lords demand it,
otherwise the prison looms.
Christian virtue not to kill: as
Jesus again made clear during his Sermon on the Mount.
Social
virtue however; that youths as young as 19 go calmly to the barracks
to be trained in the murder of his neighbour.
Christian virtue: to not worry about
tomorrow, because every day has its own worries.
Social virtue:
to save, and the schools teach the children the importance of saving.
Poor teacher, condemned to teach
children two things at the same time, each in direct opposition to
the other.
What’s more, the children are
filled with lies, all so the schools can be turned to the advantage
of the property owners!
We would need too much space if we
wanted to demonstrate this in details. However we may be required to
provide some evidence for our own statements, statements which may
sound harsh to the ears of others. So, we will cite some proofs.
Children are taught to sing:
We live freely
We live
happily
On the dear land of the Netherlands!
When the child reaches the age of
maturity and looks back on these days after experience the real
world, what will they learn? They will learn that they were taught
three lies! For instead of living freely, the worker must due to the
fear of starvation submit to the slavery and imposition of his
master. The worker has no reason to rejoice, for, as a labourer in
this society he is kept away from all that a beautiful land offers
for pleasure. And finally, this land on which he was born cannot be
dear to him, because not even the tiniest spec of it belongs to him;
and so, to feel a love for his homeland, where he must suffer misery
and slavery, would prove beyond doubt that even the last trace of
human decency has been extinguished within him.
In school you are taught: Knowledge
is power, however experience of life teaches instead that the
Biblical preacher was correct when he said: Knowledge is good, but a
common heritage, it is better accompanied with a sack of money.
Knowledge with an independent character does not bring prosperity,
only if knowledge is humble, servile and reptilian, can knowledge be
used as a means for obtaining money, provided one is also an obedient
tool in the hands of capital.
The school
teaches: Work ennobles; but the experience of life will soon make the
children understand, that indeed there is no greater shame than work.
Who are the most esteemed in society? Those do nothings who have
never worked but consume much, or those pitiable souls who done
nothing in their lifetime but work? The nobility of work, the working
of hands, are highly praised and glorified in meetings and speeches,
but everyone would rather leave the real joys of working to others.
The blessing of work, taught so extensively in the schools, only
serves to educate to people as quickly as possible on the true role
of workers, i.e. the source of the riches for the idle rich.
In school, children are taught that:
Honesty is the greatest good. But, if a child in its naivety asked
whether those who live in the vast estates are the most honest, while
those living in slums are the most dishonest, could the teacher
conscientiously answer `yes` to this question? This is untrue;
therefore school serves to root in the minds of children sayings and
teachings which are false.
We could easily
have continued, but, it seems to us that these few examples are so
clear, so convincing, that no one can accuse us of not giving
evidence for our claims. Don't you learn to
respect your superior in school? Well, who are those superiors? A
worker ennobled by his work? the scientist, the artist? No,
let us be honest, let us admit that it is those who have a full purse
that are ordinarily regarded as superior, though they are anything
but respectable in conduct and way of life; or one who is powerful
for the moment, though he may have betrayed his principles in order
to advance.
In a society so
unrestricted and so hypocritically arranged as ours, and so based on
class difference, the inability to educate our children as truthful,
just, self-conscious people; for, supposing
that they are educated in that direction at home, all external
influences endeavor to weaken that influence. Nothing in the world is
less forgiving than: being oneself; and especially this is not
forgiven by the vast majority. Character perishes altogether, though
certain knowledge is cultivated; and so what, then, is the meaning of
a society in which character has been lost?
Education, as now
organised, must
create the appearance that young people are educated and turned into
thinking human beings; but this is an illusion. On the contrary the
children have to be educated in a way that does not disturb the
owners. The teachers are not to blame though, despite the large
number of them who defend a system that oppresses and harms; it is
the system of class society itself that is to blame.
If it concerns the
children from the owning class, than we can quickly see that much
better care is taken. In a society where everything is measured by
money, the best measure of the love of its masters for something is
the amount of money they are willing to spend on it. Consider,
every child visiting the elementary school, so the children of the
workers cost 25 guilders per year; every child in middle school, so
the children of the most prosperous, cost 125 guilders, five times as
much; and each high school student, so the future rulers and powerful
ones, costs 630 guilders, twenty-five times more than a working
child.
Therefore, all
the hypocrisy over education, as if one spends so much and shows so
much interest in the growing generation, all this means, in fact,
nothing. Kneading the children’s spirits in such a way that they,
as adults, will be usable tools in the hands of the capitalists, only
their own interests are taken care of. And that's the job of the
school. It is true that the little knowledge which the children of
the people receives may motivate some of them to aim for further
enlightenment; but, that is an inescapable fact, and not at all
intended or desired.
II.
The Church
The second spiritual power that the
capitalists apply to keep the people suppressed is the Church. It
also begins with children whose spirits are to be confused by all
sorts of nonsense and lies. They give them a sort of spiritual
chloroform that puts to their intellect to sleep. The priests then
continues the process with its sermons in church. Do we ever hear
about rights there? It's as if man has only duties! Surrender,
submission, contentment - this is the beginning and the end.
They even dare to console the
doubters - who throughout their lives have known nothing but overwork
- with the promise of the afterlife, with life after this one, during
which they will find a reward for all their suffering, provided they
behave quietly and obediently here. So, what do the sufferings and
hardships of the present matter, when compared with eternal happiness
in the afterlife? And if some have doubts, or even ask the priest,
how he knows this, and whether it is really true, then they must
hear a rebuke via sermon for this unbelief and their heretical
inclinations. If people say “That is all well and good, but we want
something in this life too!” Then they are denounced as being under
the influence of the devil, of succumbing to temptations which must
be overcome.
“Be obedient” - is constantly
preached, and nothing else. Obedience to your parents, obedience to
your superiors, obedience to all authorities!
But how do the lords of the church
live? Ordinarily they are not strangers to the good comforts provided
by the earthly sphere. On the contrary, they are famous gourmets and
wine lovers: They prefer to eat at the abundant tables of the rich,
than sharing from the humble plates of the poor. They know well, the
difference between the rich and poor, they do not tell the wealthy
the truth, out of fear of being disinterred from their posts, even
though the words of Jesus are not kind to the great. To the poor they
do their best to teach them to accept a happy resignation to a fate
that is inevitably imposed upon them anyway.
Do the rich really believe in the
gospel? Of course not, if they did believe would it be possible for
them to stay peacefully in their great mansions, surrounded by
splendour, while their brothers toiled in constant suffering? If they
really believed that the poor will inherit the kingdom of heaven,
then they would not trade this short period of luxury for an eternity
condemned to suffering.
That they can allow such a state to
exist is effective proof that they do not seriously believe what they
allow others to preach for them.
Imagine a father, who gives to one
child everything, while allowing another to live in misery. What
would we call such a parent? A tyrant. And that would be just! So,
does God act any differently? Giving other people at birth a life of
abundance and opportunity, and others born into lives of misery and
want? If the church preaches against such heretical thinking then it
is the church itself that undermines the belief in the existence of
God for it is more logical to accept that God does not exist, than to
accept that God does exist and that it does evil.
A child who calls on his father in
vain does not sin. A father who lets his child’s calls for him go
unanswered is acting cruelly. And it is more beautiful to believe
that there is no father, than to believe that the father chooses to
be deaf to his child.
But the priesthood restrained the
masses: it serves as a moral police and in that role is more
effective than the regular police.
It acted with the aid of reward and
punishment; it threatened eternal pain, and it promised eternal
happiness. Through this it became a power, and capitalism willing
granted its priests a good life in return for keeping the people
under illusions in a better afterlife. Distractions that kept them
from recognising the root causes of their misery.
Its true that a minority of the more
enlightened have broken through, become free thinkers and risen above
the crowd. But as soon as free thought started to penetrate the lower
strata it withdrew. That wasn’t the intent they were aiming for.
Certainly, freedom of thought is beneficial for the upper classes,
but the lower classes must not suffer under its light. They must seek
their comfort within religion. Why? Well for this simple reason, if
the heaven above us and the hell beneath us is banished then what
remains? Just the earth on which we stand and move upon. Then the
people will say to themselves that this hell on earth must not
remain, it must be changed into a heaven, think what if could become!
With eyes fully open, this state of misery and injustice cannot
remain, and efforts will be made immediately to end the oppression
of the many by the few.
Consider the conversation between the
priests and the people in the work of Volney:
The priests: Dear brothers! Beloved
children! God has given us office over you.
The people: Show us your heavenly
authorisation!
The priests: To do that you must
believe, rational thought obscures.
The people: So, do you rule without
reason?
The priests: God desires peace;
religion requires obedience.
The people: Peace presupposes
justice; obedience requires knowledge of the law.
The priests: You are on this earth
just to suffer.
The people: Use yourselves as
examples of this.
The priests: Do you want to live
without Gods and without Kings?
The people: We want to live without
despots.
The priests: You need
intermediaries.
The people: Go intermediate between
God and with kings! Courtiers and priests, your services are too
expensive; from now on we will arrange our own affairs.
Then the small band of priests cried:
We are perishing, the people have become enlightened. And the people
answered: “We are saved, and since we are enlightened, we will not
misuse our strength, we demand only our rights. We have complaints
but we will forget them; we were slaves, we could now command, but we
only want to be free. Freedom consists simply in justice.”
Effectively, it is so: from the
moment the people are enlightened, they no longer need intermediaries
nor priests. Taking advantage of ignorance and a certain penchant for
mysteries, capitalism uses the church as an instrument to hold people
in the night of ignorance, and in the twilight of mysticism.
III. The Press
Without a doubt when considering the
powers that exist in our current time to mislead and influence the
masses special attention must be paid to the press. It is the press
that talks to the people every day. Well like with nutritious food a
body can get accustomed to poison, and its astounding how much one
can consume if they start with small doses. “Lying is a European
power”. Theses quick words of Lassalle deserve to be remembered.
And capitalism fervently uses lying, i.e. thorough the press; it is
not surprising then that people drown in lies, more and more every
day.
Who owns the free press?
The
owners are big capital
Do these statements conflict with
each other? Far from it. We know for a fact that bankers snatched up
the press to use for their own profit. That is why the editor of a
capitalist newspaper is one of the dirtiest trades found in the
world. He is the mouthpiece that capitalists use to spread their
lies; he is the pen that they use; he is simply their instrument; he
must dance to the tune of the capitalists. He is a spiritual
prostitute, he stands lower than a prostitute who rents their body to
a stranger for a piece of bread. And woe to the few who want to act
on their own and in accordance with their own judgement, for them
they quickly learn that they must bow their down, or face dismissal.
News about the stock exchange, about
theatre, art, all this unsolicited work, and through money one can
even buy criticism if needed. Woe to those who still trust in press
releases, which are the same today, and the opposite tomorrow, just
as capitalism demands. Rumours about war are circulated to cause the
market to rise or fall, to set courses so a few can profit. Mr.
Capitalist sends an instruction to his paid lackey, requiring that
certain messages be communicated to the people. Immediately the
public read that such and such important thing has occurred, or that
war is inevitable, and the market immediately reacts. The shares
fall. And Mr Capitalist who knows better has agents in several
cities; they buy these shares affected by the news. Then, after some
time has passed, news is printed in these same newspapers stating
that thanks to experienced diplomats the threatened danger of war has
now disappeared and the stick market relaxes, and the speculators who
have bought up much of the stock cheaply now sell. The difference
between the drop and rise that was sparked by his lies is pocketed.
This how the little people are deceived by falsehoods, the news in
the press is at the service of the big capitalists who enrich
themselves out from their savings. And the editors are faithful
instruments, they do everything the capitalists want, and do exactly
as instructed. The influence of the press is huge, and capital knows
this well, otherwise it would’ve acted very foolishly to invest as
much as they have in a tool that was useless. Today, the press is
implicated in every scandal: in all scandals one reads about the sums
of money used to bribe the press. The good hearted, simple people are
still too naive and do not realise these deception, and so they will
keep being deceived.
The so-called popular press are
mostly capitalist enterprises, so the people in effect end up paying
its lackeys to deceive them and glorify their oppressors. From where
else does the hateful attitude towards everything concerning the
labour movement come from? Or the unrelenting praise for the
manufacturers and capitalists? Every little thing they do, is treated
like the actions of a world famous celebrity. Meaningless trivia
about princes and great men fill the columns, space which could
easily be used to benefit the general interest. And the people are
always incited to oppose those who have dedicated themselves to
helping the workers break free from the shackles of capital. Capital
and science in the press and in books work hand-in-hand to keep the
people low. Science says: capital is the greatest blessing for
humanity, through it you exist, as well as your family, and thousands
of others. Thrice blessed capital, without which the world would
return to a time of barbarism! This is the anthem to capital that is
sung by the press and the bought scientists. And capital says: listen
to the voice of science: these visionary people will teach and inform
you about your good fortune. This is why professional scientists
protect capital and capital supports science. They both have a
pleasant connection, they both find that the world as it is is not so
bad. Woe to him who comes into disfavour with these powers; they will
defame him, mock him, and even destroy him materially if that is what
it takes to silence him. I will right about one example: A man who
“makes a cry of battle, a fundamental threat to every country that
values safety and order” this was how one of our (Netherlands)
newspapers described it. As if the people were in danger! And order…
who dares to speak of order in this world of total disorder. The
press systematically present things upside-down, and this is why it
is so difficult to present a counterweight to these powerhouses,
because there arms are so long!
The press in the hands of capitalism
is a plague, instead of explaining it has to obscure. It poisons
everything; Everything gets worse when the capitalist breathes upon
it.
Imagine for a second that all the
bought scientists, every journalist and all of the priests had united
to prepare a better future – and this future must come, for all our
society is sick to death. Well, if that were case think how quickly
we would have progressed! The capitalists themselves know very well
how sick our society is. One of them the Dutch Grand Banker Wertheim
declared at a gathering of senators: “Work is overpriced, salaries
are not sufficient, food is poor, they’re oppressed throughout
life, their education is neglected, their knowledge is deficient, all
material needs are miserably provided, in short, they long for fresh
air in the material and moral sense”. According to this
accusation, thrown at capitalism by a capitalist, nothing on this
earth is fit for purpose. And yet the preservation of this society is
still presented as necessary and desirable for everyone! Even hymns
are sung to express that everything has been arranged to the best of
their ability in the best of all worlds! t is, however, before all
the men of science, the men of the press who day after day recommends
the capitalist system.
From the fruit you can begin to know
the tree. So, what are the fruits of this tree? Are they truly
deserving of praise? They are in fact praising evil. They are the
servants of the oppressors and opponents of the oppressed, they use
their intelligence and talents to defend capitalism by sophistry.
However, their situation is hopeless, because:
They can confuse the minds of the
people for a long time, but deceiving stomachs is another matter
entirely.
Well, the stomachs are complaining,
because the material needs are making themselves heard. And even if
the intellectuals spill ink onto every page of white paper to prove
that this current state of affairs cannot possibly be approved upon,
that the capitalists have already done everything possible for the
people, in the long run it will not succeed in keeping the people
foolish. The labour movement will go over their heads, it will
destroy much built by the obstinacy of the property owners, and the
deception of journalists, but it will save much through the timely
surrender to the just demands of the people.
Of course, that power - the press -
is also very important, and the capitalists have not misunderstood
that with it they will be able to confuse and fool the spirits in
every way and every day - in the guise of enlightening the people.
The three powers mentioned above are
much more stronger than the others; at least in our opinion. However,
they are not the only ones; they act hand in hand with those of the
second kind, which we shall now discuss in some detail.
The Material Powers
There number is also three, we will
deal with them one at a time.
I. The Courts
In a class state like ours, every
institution demonstrates its character. And so we have, - of course,
class judgement. This can be seen clearly if you keep two things in
mind, firstly: who is given the position of a judge. Secondly: The
judgments that the judges make.
Who are our judges?
Obviously
they come from the ranks of the propertied class, as they are the
only ones who can afford the academic education necessary for the
role for them and their sons. And if they are a few exceptions who
come from the lower orders, these are examples of talented young men
who had their education provided for them, by some rich man’s
intervention, which they pay back by faithful service to the class of
property.
So, what could we expect anything
less? Of course the judges are defenders of the class to which they
belong.
An example. Imagine some judicial
body, whose members really like hunting. They would look upon every
action that impedes hunting as a serious crime deserving of the death
penalty; therefore, every alleged hunt saboteur would be punished
severely by them. He would however receive a much lighter punishment
if the judges themselves disliked hunting, and saw it as a Medieval
stain for a time and society that claims to be “civilised”.
Every Judge will, involuntarily,
favour or disfavour in accordance with his own values and beliefs
concerning justice. It is a certainty, that you will find a Judge
treats a striking worker or one who does not behave in the customary
style of total servility towards his master severely, if that Judge
is the son of a factory owner. The atmosphere in which he matured is
so bestial that he is simply not fit to judge with impartiality
disputes between employers and their employees. In the opposite
scenario we would get the same result. Now, imagine instead that the
ranks of the Judiciary were filled by workers who judged these
disputes; Who among us is not certain that these judges would favour
the workers as much as possible? This situation is totally natural,
and after some thought, prudence will compel us to conclude that such
a relationship is necessary if we are to have Judges and courts. This
is not the fault of the individuals themselves, they often declare
themselves to be impartial and deny that they are subject to any kind
of class sentiments, nevertheless it is so.
And the most miserable factor for
workers is that, they really fall before the most enlightened members
of this class, on the contrary they usually face the worst and least
educated.
Who really chooses the career of a
Judge?
Not the most talented lawyers. Why not? Simply because
they can make more money by remaining lawyers. So only those who have
failed within the legal professions make up the ranks: all who feel
that for want of ingenuity or lack of eloquence they will not prosper
- they are the ones who hold office among the judiciary. That’s why
we can say that every time we fall into the hands of the court, it is
into the hands of the least capable. There exist no guarantees that
the power of the judge is honest and impartial. We can prove this
with the words of many competent people who have long belonged to the
judiciary. They admit that acquiring a job does not depend on ability
or aptitude, but only on friendship, political calculation, kinship,
and so on. Another, a Minister no less, assures us that they usually
do not look for information on ability or zeal. And a third expert,
who himself has sat in various colleges for 20 years, says that a
judge often has to work with colleagues who are not only completely
incompetent, but whose intellect is obviously abnormal - a
"parliamentary" expression for madness.
And their judgements also show
incontrovertibly that their actions are dictated strongly by class
sentiment. Workers are placed under confinement for even the most
minor offences, while wealthy criminals are afforded every
opportunity for lenience and escape! Look at how differently they
treat workers and gentlemen! And how severely they punish any act
against the sacredness of property!
Poverty, instead of being treated as
mediating circumstances ifs often regarded as an aggravating motive.
We would need too much space to cite a full series of ruthless
verdicts for trivialities. It is true that in similar circumstances
we would have done the same. But in the courts sit uniformed
gentlemen, paid by capitalism to ensure that the working class allows
itself to be used without protest by the possessing class, out of
fear and terror; to allow itself to be sucked dry, down to its very
blood and marrow.
Enemies of human people - this is
what the early Christians were called, because they protested against
the social order of the time, based on injustice. The same title is
given today to anyone who does not want to submit to the order
created by the capitalists and secured by violence. In a legal way we
are condemned and punished, to the greater glory of our social order,
which is the greatest disorder.
A mother who kills her child ----
this is an act of the utmost despair, for how much must’ve happen
to her for murder seems to her the only solution! However, such a
mother is severely condemned, and the Judge, who may have fathered
the child and then left them both to their fate – remains a
“respectable” man in the world. And his fellow judges, though
they know it, nonetheless remain working with him in the same clubs,
instead of expelling him as a despicable man, or shunning him
themselves - what would their honour require of them if they do not
have honour?
Those who do evil remain free, while
those who uncover their crimes are punished instead for causing
offence! In all countries the working class keeps in mind facts which
clearly show that there is a particular justice for the rich and a
particular one for the poor - the former - gentle, lenient,
forgiving, gloved; the latter - stern, ruthless, unmoved, a clenched
fist.
It is totally unsurprising that the
people have even less respect for the courts as an institution; that,
on the contrary, it has many spiritual proverbs and puns which
express its contempt for that institution which judges the people
according to the state of their purse. It is felt deeply that rights
can be bought with money, and for the workers proper girts do not
exist. The people know instinctively and by conviction that the
courts as an institution are nothing more than a tool in the hands of
the capitalist class, to be used against the working class.
Let’s explain this through a fable.
A pack of wolves has ambushed a flock
of sheep. Some lambs were ripped apart during the bloodletting.
There was a great commotion among the flock, and especially one Ram
passionately protested against the wolves, urging the flock to defend
themselves against the beasts of prey. One day, however, he was
dragged before the Judges… because he offended the wolves. Sheep
and wolves were called to testify. Al the sheep declared that the
Ram told the truth; and a horse who had seen it all gave his support
to the statements of the sheep. But the wolves who had attacked the
flock asserted and strengthened their claim by swearing that, on the
contrary, they had been threatened by the sheep, and were therefore
compelled to defend themselves against attack. So, what did the
tribunal do? It rejected the testimony of the sheep and believed the
claims of the wolves. The verdict: “in the name of our king, the
lion, one leg will be cut off from every ram, for offending the
wolves”. The whole of animal kind rejected this verdict, the
indignation was general. An old wolf who had listened to all the
outcry said while smiling to the sheep; “Why are you surprised by
this judgement? I am only surprised that the verdict was not more
severe and that you were not all torn apart. For you see, the Judges
are all wolves themselves!
He who has ears to hear, let him
hear!
II. The Police
In addition to the lawyers, uniformed
in white collar and black toga, who do the delicate work (?), there
are still other people to do the dirty, rough work. That task is
given to the police. And amazingly, those who do that dirty work, so
dirty, that they themselves are usually disgusted by it, being ready
to leave it at once, if they can earn the same wage in any other way
- these people do not belong to the possessing class, but to the
working class! People who themselves have no property are the
protectors of the property of others! People, belonging to the class
of thieves, make sure that the thieves can enjoy the loot quietly!
Out of zeal for craft, out of hope for reward and advancement, they
often act brutally and ruthlessly against their own brothers and
classmates.
Police despotism is today like a
supreme law, and the bourgeoisie has fallen so low that it must rely
on the police. The hero, the caress of our bourgeoisie, that is the
police. The police are the search dog who must catch the poor devils
if they, in order to alleviate the hunger of wife and children, dare
to take some of the supply that is created from their work, and
previously stolen from them.
Why the poor see in the police their
enemy, the rich on the other hand see the police as their friend.
This is proof that it really is a class based institution, a product
of a class society.
How brutally it acts against workers;
how it dares to treat them badly, knowing full well that this will
not be disapproved of! And how reptilian and submissive it is against
the rich!
However, neither does it have much
reason to be content. Aren't they also sent home with a starving
salary? Is it not made up of proletarians, of slaves, bent by the
same yoke as the other workers? Aren't they often bought and ready
for a bribe, if not to kill then to at least look the other way if
others kill?
The police, for example, are the
engine of prostitution, as evidenced by the unmasking of the trade in
girls and women, which is an international affair, under the high
protection of the police.
The police, for example, are the bane
of every strike, because without any examination, to find out which
is the right side, it immediately puts itself on the side of the
boss, against the workers.
It is the hope and consolation of the
rich who entrusts it with the protection of its property.
So,- everything for the capitalists,
and everything possible to oppose the workers.
Who pounces on the workers first,
like a watchdog, as soon as they try to lighten the loads that weigh
them down? The Police and Gendarme.
Who will treat the workers to
beatings with a stick or a sabre if they try to break their chains of
slavery? Again: police and gendarmerie.
That they are acting on a
high-ranking order is utterly egotistical. If someone attacks us on
the way, do we then ask him if he is acting on his own initiative or
at the request of others? Not at all.
If you are beaten, kicked and
mistreated by order or insistence of others, or of the attackers own
free will, in both cases the result is the same for you.
Some
people say: don't blame these people, they are also products of
social relations. Well, literally, the killer who kills by order is
more despicable than the ordinary killer; since the former is like a
career killer, sometimes he does not even know why he is doing it,
while a person who commits murder, on his own impulse, has, in any
case, some reason.
"There are decent policemen,
too," they say. Chattering babble. There are also "decent"
people among robbers. Among the greatest robbers are Rothschild,
Carnegie, and so on. Aren't these men very decent people, accepted
and glorified in all circles? It doesn't matter to the victim whether
he is shot dead by a "decent" bandit or an indecent one.
A great newspaper wrote, not
incorrectly that:
"Just as there is a papal spirit
and a bourgeois spirit, so there is a police spirit. Anyone who sets
foot in the police station to get a job there will be infected with
that spirit, even though he did not own it before.” - What is the
make up of this police spirit? Its main trait is; hatred of the poor.
The police in effect, were created solely so the wealthy could sleep
soundly. Its main purpose in social life is to protect the owners and
prevent the dispossessed from depriving those who own everything. The
police must see in a poor man his natural enemy. The police are
trained to see in every poor person: a criminal, or at least a man
who bears the germ of a crime that can flourish at any moment. The
police are not shielding the poor man while he gains an honest
existence. It guards him as a free-living criminal, and arrests him
if he makes a minor suspicious move. The police don't have any
interest in exterminating the actual crime. The existence of
criminals is indeed the only pretext for its own existence.
Instinctively it nurtures crime - because of an instinct for
self-preservation.
However, although the bourgeoisie is
spending more and more on the police, it will not be able to meet the
demands in the long run; besides, the police have a final trump card.
On the day when the possessing class is defeated and its destruction
is certain, the police will pass entirely to the victors. It is all
the same to him who is its master; it shouts with the same ease
today: Long live the king, long live the Emperor! than tomorrow: long
live the Republic. Reptilian souls always join the party, which
momentarily triumphs.
As the ruling class is an
internationally organized power, it is only natural that it should
organize the police internationally in order to prevent the
internationally organizing working class from becoming
self-organized.
In the long run, however, it will not
be able to oppose the workers; for in order to be able to do that,
one would have to put a police officer in front of or next to each
property, and that is not feasible. What would the world look like
then? Next to each poor man, pale with hunger: one rich man, pale
with fear, and between the two: the police, armed from head to toe,
ready to beat, stab and shoot the poor man, on any suspicious move.
In the long run, however, it will not be able to oppose the workers;
for in order to be able to do that, one would have to put a police
officer in front of or next to each property, and that is not
feasible. What would the world look like then? Next to each poor man,
pale with hunger: one rich man, pale with fear, and between the two:
the police, armed from head to toe, ready to beat, stab and shoot the
poor man, on any suspicious move.
The police and the judiciary usually
help each other, both of whom are servants of the same master:
capitalism. And, if the police have acted too brutally, or too
foolishly, then the judiciary may, in order to preserve appearances,
disapprove of it, however, in balance they are solitary and
unreliable. Some are calling for a reorganization, an improvement in
the police force, but that will be of little use. Try to improve a
prison - you will never be able to make a good prison, because prison
and good, these two things are in stark contrast, to want to unite
them is to want to carry out nonsense. The same goes for the police;
one can never do good policing, because what is bad in itself cannot
be improved no matter how one arranges it.
In addition capitalism uses every
means to keep power in its hands. Espionage, inciting one person
against another, sowing distrust among those who need each other to
be able to obtain liberation, dividing in order to rule - these are
the means that are used every day. Capitalism despises the traitor,
but uses betrayal; he despises the liar, but he applies the lie.
The police are therefore one of the
most powerful instrument of the ruling class to stay in power. This
class therefore uses part of the working people to keep the other,
larger part in slavery. When asked, what is the power of the police?
how can it obey the crowd? then one can answer that the cause is not
so much the staff and the sabre, but, moreover, the certainty that
the police can beat at will, even kill the people, while the people
know that every blow on the holy body of a policeman will be punished
by weeks, months, even years in prison. Shielded by that impunity, it
is strong against the unarmed mass.
III. The Army
The
last stronghold on which capitalism relies is the army, with its
cannons and rifles and its strong organisation. If the people ask
their governments – who are nothing more than proxies for the
property owners- what the army is for, they would reply that the army
is needed to guarantee the independence of the country. However, this
is not the case. This is a cover given to the army. In reality the
army is often used against the workers to secure the ruling class.
Don't
we see that in every case the army is used inland, to guarantee order
(?) And tranquillity (?). There is hardly a strike anywhere, that
soldiers are not immediately sent to stand by the master's side, and
to protect him. If one wants to squeeze taxes, then don't the
soldiers help the police prevent resistance from the people? If the
people demand their rights through large rallies and demonstrations,
they immediately keep the military ready in the barracks, who can
march against the people at the first sign.
In
all its manifestations of power the ruling class uses the army. The
first and most ordinary cry of the bourgeoisie at every movement of
the people is: send soldiers against them, shoot the rebels!
Isn't
this thing too cunningly arranged? One part of the people is forced,
at a certain age, to say goodbye to home and family, work and the
environment, to be dressed in a mocking suit with multicoloured
ornaments, and to be trained in the craft of killing. With strict
isolation, an effort is being made to make them a separate class that
views the rest of the people as enemies, and is therefore ready to
smash and machine-gun them at all times. It is claimed that it is an
honour to be a soldier; caste culture is cultivated to encourage
soldiers and citizens against each other - so that the former can be
better used against the latter. And who are our soldiers?
Working-class boys whose interests are and remain the same as those
of the whole working class, in spite of being given a different
costume for some time.
If,
therefore, soldiers appear during a strike, then in fact, workers in
uniform and workers in ordinary clothes stand against each other. And
if commanded: fire! then those soldier-workers must shoot at their
colleagues, at their co-workers, among whom are, perhaps, their
fathers and mothers, their brothers and sisters. They are therefore
used to wage a war on brothers, at the behest of capitalism, which is
certain of its leadership, as long as it can apply any theory: divide
and conquer.
Recruited
from the people, paid by the people, the army is used when necessary
against
the people. This is what the facts to teach to one who will see and
hear.
So
it is not the owners themselves who are defending their property; for
that they even seem too cowardly and too powerless; they hand over
that task to the dispossessed. If they had honour, then the owners
would certainly not do so; if they had the courage, then they
wouldn't even trust that task to anyone else.
Now
they have arranged the matter so well that they themselves remain out
of danger, hobbling one part of the people with the other.
However,
this same militarism with its voracious maw is one of the means by
which capitalism leads itself to destruction.
It
always wants new sacrifices, to the point of exhaustion; one goes
round in a fatal circle: to fight socialism, one strengthens
militarism, and militarism, slavishly, displeases many and pushes
them into the arms of socialism. So: the means of combat becomes the
incubator of new followers. In the long run it leads a society to
general bankruptcy, because it is insatiable and if it is given a
finger, then immediately it takes the whole hand, the arm,
everything.
It
is therefore a double-edged sword that at the decisive hour can turn
against the one who uses it. The iron discipline, the rigorous
organization compels the soldiers to do what their superiors command,
on pain of death. But who could stop them from firing into the air,
over their heads? Besides, we must be careful not to recruit soldiers
of our own. Let us not forget that the workers dislike nothing as
much as being a soldier; we must take advantage of that dislike.
Education will be the best way to do this. Frederick II of Prussia
rightly understood: if my soldiers think, then none of them would
stay in the ranks. Let us therefore learn from him that knowledge is
the greatest enemy of militarism. Naturally, because thinking people
do not allow themselves to be used as involuntary tools in the hands
of others. Therefore, knowledge is the best way to undermine this
stronghold of the bourgeoisie: militarism. Tolstoy
rightly remarks: “How is it possible that men, from the point of
view of their own peril, can tolerate the heavy, cruel, deadly power
of any government that relies on the army! The bloodiest band of
robbers is less dangerous than it is. The authority of the leader is
limited because the members of the gang have partial freedom, they
can oppose the committing of crimes that displease them. But the men
who make up an organized government are not limited by any obstacle.
One cannot imagine a crime which the people belonging to the
government or to the army would not be prepared to commit at the
behest of the one whom chance has placed upon them”.
Militarism is a cancer that bites
into the well being of the people. However, it is preserved because
of the purse that rules everything, controls everything, turns
everything around, while the people who produce everything through
their work can see that others are enjoying the fruits, while it
lacks everything that ennobles, beautifies, makes life pleasant. And
all this for big business, which absorbs everything, which uses heads
of state, ministers and statesmen as puppets to do whatever the real
powers of our time want: the werewolves, the bankers and the
financiers. Everything is subject to them, they are the rulers of the
world; by invisible threads they dispose of the fate of millions.
So
we have seen first-hand the powers that be that allow a handful of
people to control everything and everyone. Although the subject has
not been exhausted at all yet, we think that we have explained enough
the ways in which they have arranged it. An artistic building of
tyranny has been created, in which every little tyrant has a sphere
to rule in it with supreme power, provided he submits to a higher
tyrant, who in turn has a region for his
tyranny; thus ascending the pyramid we find a capital enthroned on
the top of the whole building. This is very artistically arranged.
Everything and everyone depends on each other, just like the links in
a chain. If we ask ourselves by what means we keep this system, then
Tolstoy and I point out the following four:
Fear;
such that men fear every change which is presented to them as if it
were a phantom:
Bribery;
so that the people are sucked dry, to fatten a few:
Hypnosis,
as if to drug the people; for this they apply religion and
patriotism, church and school, as well as the material means of
cattle-raising: alcohol, the pleasures of low theatres, prostitution
of the spirit through press and science, and prostitution of the
body.
The
power of the army, which closes the circle of violence.
How
to rid ourselves of this?
By resisting tyranny, by undermining
all authority, each in his own way, wherever he can. If it is said
that resistance has little effect if it does not occur on a large
scale, then we answer: how can you set up large-scale resistance if
you do not start on a small scale? We believe that any refusal of
military service, that any opposition to tyrants and their cronies
helps to undermine the whole building of authority. Let us not forget
that the example of the brave few who have the courage to do this
work will inspire others; for such resistance immediately leads to
imitation. That is why people are silent about these actions.
Certainly,
a force emerges, a mysterious but great force from those men who have
enough energy to break the chains placed around their pulses. And
let’s not forget, the people are what they deserve to be. If the
people are chained in slavery, then they do not deserve a better
fate, because they obviously feel like slaves. For it is not a tyrant
who enslaves a people, but an enslaved people that enables tyrants to
play the role of tyrant. How could it be possible to rule
tyrannically for just one week over a free people? Such a people
would not tolerate tyranny for a single day! But the people
themselves form tyrants, and when they behave like tyrants, then the
people complain of their own deed, and it is so powerless that it
adapts to circumstances.
Didn't
Multatuli
say truly:
“Tyrants
– Without a doubt they exist, but who enables them? The people. All
the tyrants of whom history is told could not have existed if the
people among whom these monsters lived had not enabled them, from
century to century, to play their part as tyrants. Always, the
people, the environment - crawled, hypocritically, applauded every
arbitrary act, every tyrannical act of the tyrants - where an ox
grazes, there must be grass, and the people always accepted a style
of grass that the two-legged cattle - predators - ate and trampled.
The people therefore deserve the fate they have. No, no tyrant, no
bloodsucker could exist if the people wanted them not to exist. The
people have remained the same. When Nero set fire to Rome, then then
the people demanded action. It was the people who shouted, "Crucify
Jesus, free us, Barabbas!" Pioneers, announcers of new ideas are
always insulted and covered in mud by the Judases and so on, from the
people”.
First
of all one must be aware of one's situation, he must feel his
slavery, because before that is done he will not seek a means to free
himself. So: we have to revolutionize the heads so that it is
understood that for the 98 subjects it will be a small effort: to get
rid of those two who have wrapped themselves around those others in
order to get the best juice.
In
doing so, we encounter one of the obstacles in our path: hypocrisy.
This one takes, oh! an extremely beautiful mask to create a false
appearance. So much is being done for the people! - that's the usual
saying. Well, apart from the fact that all this is philanthropy - and
philanthropy always degenerates the giver as well as the recipient -
except that philanthropy is like a small return after stealing
wholesale, to be praised as a benefactor of the human race - if you
pay attention and count all that is taken from the people, well, then
there is little actually done for them.
Tolstoy
understood this game and wrote: "One deals with sobriety, but in
such a way that intoxication cannot disappear; with the teaching, but
in such a way that one, instead of diminishing ignorance, increases
it still more; with freedom and with the constitution, but in such a
way that despotism is not prevented; with the fate of the workers,
but in such a way that they are not protected from slavery; with
Christianity, but only with official Christianity, which supports
governments instead of overthrowing them”.
When
the feeling of self-worth awakens, then everything will no longer be
tolerated; we must begin by being a man himself, a man who thinks,
who thinks for himself. In doing so, we are freeing not only
ourselves, but at the same time encouraging others to help us put
aside some more tyrants.
To
rule means to use violence to force others; to submit means to
tolerate what one does not want. So let's start shouting: Away with
tyranny! It is better not to live than to always have to discard
oneself and be nothing for others to be everything.
Then
we will also finish the High and the Low of
today,
and we will sing with the poet:
The
robbers stand tall.
Low:
the workers.
High:
owners, low: people.
High:
enjoyers.
Low:
sweaty.
High:
deceivers, low: the honest.
High
nobles.
Low:
"Rogue",
High:
rulers, low: people,
High:
violent.
Low:
our daughters,
High:
“gentlemen”, low: “cheating.
Down
with that "Height"!
Up
with that "Low"!
Up
with right, down with violence!
Away
with repression!
Live
free!
Away
from idleness, long live Labour ’!
Down
with the luxury
Of
the palaces,
Instead:
bread in every cabin ’-
For
the "subordinates",
Also
for them:
Art
and knowledge, justice and peace.
La plej granda sekreto de
la internacia aktivado kaj sukcesoj de PSEK estis la t.n. persontaga,
sendeviza interŝanĝo, kio signifis ke partopreno de unu eksterlandano
dum unu tago de PSEK-aranĝo egalis al la partopreno de unu PSEK-ano en
eksterlanda aranĝo. Ni havis multajn partnerojn de tiaj interŝanĝoj. La
plej grava kaj la plej ofte uzata estis la PSEK/GEJ kontrakto, sed ni
havis apartajn kontraktojn kun: TEJO, JEFO, JES, JEB, ĈEJ, BEJ, HEJ, NEJ
kaj KCE en Svislando.
