Friday 7 December 2012

European Socialism

By the end of World War Two, Europe had changed beyond all recognition. Large parts of the continent were under occupation by Russia and the U.S.: the two new world Super-powers. Great Britain seemed in terminal decline - bankrupt and unable to finance the development of its once great Empire which now clamoured for Independence. And a post-War Labour Government was preventing the recovery of British industry by wholesale nationalisation which sapped the spirit of commercial enterprise and initiative.

[REDACTED] recognised the changed conditions and pragmatically rejected any temptation to return to the past. He had spent the wartime years in prison, without charge or trial, and had used the time well to contemplate a new way forward for Britain.

'European Socialism' is a concise summation of [REDACTED]'s new thinking. He recognised the British Empire was now a lost opportunity and urged his fellow countrymen and women to unite with Europe. But not only to give our continent the strength to resist subservience to Russia and the U.S. He saw Europe, together with Europe Overseas, as the new self-contained area that could withdraw from the chaos of global markets. World trade, he contended, would always undermine our home industries by undercutting them with goods made using cheap Third World labour.

[REDACTED] also moved beyond the economics of the [REDACTED] Corporate State which he now viewed as too bureaucratic and unwieldy. Instead, he proposed a far simpler system of worker-ownership based on syndical, or guild socialist, structures. He brought together these two new strands in his political thought and called the result 'European Socialism' - a new creed of hope for a post-War world.

Anybody care to have a guess at whose book this is? Any lefties getting a moist gusset about the ideas outlined?

4 comments:

David Chiverton said...

I'm guessing that collection of hair-brained nonsense belongs to Oswald Mosley. Typical 'right-wing' fascism on display there...

Simon Cooke said...

nnypesnIt's like this other "right wing" philosophy:

We demand:

a) Universal suffrage polled on a regional basis, with proportional representation and voting and electoral office eligibility for women.

b) A minimum age for the voting electorate of 18 years; that for the office holders at 25 years.

c) The abolition of the Senate.

d) The convocation of a National Assembly for a three-years duration, for which its primary responsibility will be to form a constitution of the State.

e) The formation of a National Council of experts for labor, for industy, for transportation, for the public health, for communications, etc. Selections to be made from the collective professionals or of tradesmen with legislative powers, and elected directly to a General Commission with ministerial powers.

For the social problems: We demand:

a) The quick enactment of a law of the State that sanctions an eight-hour workday for all workers.

b) A minimum wage.

c) The participation of workers' representatives in the functions of industry commissions.

d) To show the same confidence in the labor unions (that prove to be technically and morally worthy) as is given to industry executives or public servants.

e) The rapid and complete systemization of the railways and of all the transport industries.

f) A necessary modification of the insurance laws to invalidate the minimum retirement age; we propose to lower it from 65 to 55 years of age.

Forza Mussolini!

Anonymous said...

Mosley started out in the Labour Party and Mussolini in the Socialists. So no surprises here, really.

Anonymous said...

sounds like Hitler, only he was dead! he was the first to dream of one Europe....socialist to the end