All Campaigns subcategories:
Anti-fascist keywords:
Fascism
Highlight keywords |
Print this article
Search site for keywords: War - Capitalism - Working class - Britain - Syria - Wales - South Wales - Fascist - Fascism - Mussolini - Solidarity - Hitler - Fascists - Anti-fascist - Socialist - Spanish revolution - Socialism - Spain - Miners - Imperialism - Invasion - Revolution
Hilary Benn's pro-war speech
International Brigades fought against capitalism, not for it
Scott Jones
Hilary Benn's 'electrifying' speech for bombing Syria outrageously invoked the International Brigades in support of imperialist bloodletting.
The brigades fought alongside mass popular resistance in the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War to stem the tide of fascism. Thousands of working class people from across Britain, including many from my hometown Blackwood in south Wales, went in solidarity with the Spanish revolution.
The 'typical' volunteer from South Wales was, of course, a miner. Usually unemployed due to the Great Depression or trade union activities, he would have taken part in many working class and anti-fascist struggles.
From Britain's 1926 general strike, to the 1936 Battle of Cable Street - where trade unionists fought police to prevent fascists marching - with hunger marches and demonstrations in between. South Wales miners formed the largest regional grouping in the brigades' British battalion.
Sacrifice
Their struggle was later immortalised by working class Welsh rockers the Manic Street Preachers. Their 1998 number one record about the Spanish Civil War, 'If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next', features a line attributed to a Welsh volunteer: "If I can shoot rabbits, then I can shoot fascists."
In total, over 2,500 men and women from Britain and Ireland voluntarily travelled to Spain to defend the elected Popular Front government of the Spanish republic against the forces of Franco, Hitler and Mussolini. The 40,000 volunteers from across the globe were an unprecedented example of international solidarity.
They gave up everything. Many literally gave up their lives, including 500 from Britain and Ireland alone.
Benn compares this to the sectarian civil war in Syria, where there is no obvious independent working class or socialist force leading mass resistance.
This is both wrong, and an insult to those who consciously fought against the forces that invented the systemised bombing of civilians, at Guernica. We will now see similar bombings repeated in Syria.
Fighting fascism?
It's also worth noting that the British state did nothing to aid the Spanish Republic in its unsuccessful struggle against fascist invasion.
This is despite Hilary Benn's claims that parliament "stood up against Hitler and Mussolini" and for "justice". On the contrary, it actually attempted to stop International Brigades and other anti-fascist forces from obtaining weapons to fight.
The US-led coalition which Britain is now part of is bombing a beaten and confused population to bolster its prestige and defend its profits.
These bloody imperialist aims are a million miles away from the goals of working class men and women in the International Brigades who fought alongside the Spanish people against fascism, imperialism and capitalism.
The International Brigades fought for socialism. They embody the true spirit of internationalism which Benn tried to invoke - not RAF Tornadoes on million-pound air raids for capitalism.
Donate to the Socialist Party
Finance appeal
The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.
LATEST POSTS
12 May Stop Israeli state brutality
 |
9 May Post-election meetings
15 May Birmingham Socialist Party: How can we fight for socialist change and a new workers' party?
17 May Oxfordshire & Aylesbury Socialist Party: The role of the state
18 May Bristol North Socialist Party: Liverpool - history of socialist struggle
CONTACT US
Phone our national office on 020 8988 8777
Email: [email protected]
Locate your nearest Socialist Party branch Text your name and postcode to 07761 818 206
Regional Socialist Party organisers:
Eastern: 079 8202 1969
East Mids: 077 3797 8057
London: 075 4018 9052
North East: 078 4114 4890
North West 079 5437 6096
South West: 077 5979 6478
Southern: 078 3368 1910
Wales: 079 3539 1947
West Mids: 024 7655 5620
Yorkshire: 078 0983 9793
ABOUT US
ARCHIVE
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999