for debate - Notes regarding Cosmopolitanism and the National Question

Cosmopolitanism and Imperialism by F Chernov in Bolshevik 15th March 1949 - Introduction and Notes by Democracy and Class Struggle

Democracy and Class Struggle has written on many occasions about the cosmopolitan character not only of the "British " Left but the Post Second World War Left in general.

In fact we have found the RCPUSA a classic expression of this imperialist Anglo American supra-national ideology but they are not alone unfortunately. Promoting the cosmopolitan ideology of Anglo/American Imperialism is self defeating at best and counter revolutionary at worst.

The ideological struggle against cosmopolitanism has been falsely portrayed by the Ango/American bourgeoisie has only a Russian nationalist struggle of the 1940's,sometimes even has anti Semitism though the people originally criticised were not Jews or Zionists.

In fact the abuse of the term cosmopolitan by anti semites has led some comrades to use words like imperial universalism instead of cosmopolitanism but we reclaim the word and the concept it expresses has part of the ideology of the socialist and communist movement.

These are diversions to ensure that idea expressed in this concept are not studied and understood in the anti revisionist and anti imperialist struggle and we have to express our ideas through bourgeois terms.

Fascism makes use of words like international finance but we have heard no one say we should not use criticism of international finance has part of our critique of capitalism.

The article by F.Chernov sees cosmopolitanism has a global ideology of imperialism.

However the roots of the struggle against cosmopolitanism go back to Marx and Engels and Lenin and is part of the universal ideological struggle for socialism - a socialism that understands that the universal idea of socialism can be found in particularity of different nations.

For those that find the idea of the universal being found in the particular difficult I suggest you study Hugh MacDairmid in Scotland and Niclas Y Glais in Wales or Steinn Steinarr in Iceland as they are living examples of the idea.

This was what Mao Zedong meant when he called patriotism applied internationalism, it is  what the RCPUSA fails to grasp in its promotion of supra nationalism which in reality is promotion of ideology of US Imperialism. 

Has Comrade Chernov makes the point in the article below that 

"Cosmopolitanism and nationalism are not opposites, but are merely two sides of bourgeois-imperialist ideology"

While we agree with many of the ideas expressed by F Chernov in the article below we do not agree with the manner in which the Communist Party in the Soviet Union operated politically in the late 1940's.

Has we have pointed out before here the Communist Party of the Soviet Union did not operate politically on the basis of the Mass Line in late 1940's but by commandism and by 1949 the same year this article below was written, the arch revisionist Khruschev was already General Secretary of the Communist Party of The Soviet Union.

Concerning the battle against the imperialist ideology of cosmopolitanism we agree with Comrade Mao Zedong when writing on Where do correct ideas come from

"Generally speaking, those (ideas) that succeed are correct and those that fail are incorrect, and this is especially true of man’s struggle with nature.

In social struggle, the forces representing the advanced class sometimes suffer defeat not because their ideas are incorrect ! but because, in the balance of forces engaged in struggle, they are not as powerful for the time being as the forces of reaction; they are therefore temporarily defeated, but they are bound to triumph sooner or later"

Many people make the mistake of identifying globalism and one world government with neo-liberalism in the 1970's and 1980's but the ideology of cosmopolitanism was already firm on the agenda of Anglo/American Imperialism in the 1940's has F Chernov clearly demonstrates.

For those that think that F Chernov's statement about cultural cosmopolitanism serving enemy agents is hyperbole, then you need to read this here about the CIA sponsored Congress for Cultural Freedom founded around the same time has F Chernov's article.


The ideology of cosmopolitanism arises from the same manner of production of bourgeois society.

Cosmopolitanism is the negation of patriotism, its opposite. 

It advocates absolute apathy towards the fate of the Motherland. Cosmopolitanism denies the existence of any moral or civil obligations of people to their nation and Motherland.



The bourgeoisie preaches the principle that money does not have a homeland, and that, wherever one can "make money," wherever one may "have a profitable business", there is his homeland.



Here is the villainy that bourgeois cosmopolitanism is called on to conceal, to disguise, "to ennoble" the antipatriotic ideology of the rootless bourgeois-businessman, the huckster and the traveling salesman.



Harmful cosmopolitan ideology serves for the bourgeoisie and its agents as a very convenient ideological tool for excusing and covering up all kinds of antipatriotic actions, national treason and political double-dealing.

Marx showed that "bourgeois patriotism...degenerated into a complete sham after its financial, commercial, and industrial activity acquired a cosmopolitanist character" (Marx-Engels Archive, Vol. III (VIII), p. 355).



In the era of imperialism the ideology of cosmopolitanism is a weapon in the struggle of imperialist plunderers seeking world domination.

Even in the time of the first World War, defending the Bolshevik programme on the nationalities question, fighting for the right of nations for self-determination, 

Lenin wrote:

"Imperialism represents outgrowing by capital of frameworks for national states, it represents an expansion and exacerbation of national oppression on a new historical basis.



Hence it follows that in spite of guns, exactly this, that we must join the revolutionary struggle for socialism to a revolutionary programme on the question of nationality. (Works, 4th edition, Vol. 21, page 371-2.)

This Leninist position shows the indissoluble bonds of the revolutionary struggle for socialism with the defense of national sovereignty of nations.



Imperialism is inseparable from repression of national sovereignty of peoples and monstrous national oppression. In policies of the most severe exploitation of oppressed nations, in expansionist aspirations, the imperialist bourgeoisie hides the first sources of bourgeois-cosmopolitan preaching of national nihilism.

National sovereignty, the struggle of oppressed nations for their liberation, the patriotic feelings of freedom-loving peoples and above all the mighty patriotism of the Soviet people - these still serve as a serious obstacle for predatory imperialistic aspirations, they prevent the imperialists' accomplishing their plans of establishing world-wide domination.



Seeking to crush the peoples' will for resistance, the imperialist bourgeoisie and their agents in the camp of Right-wing socialists preach that national sovereignty purportedly became obsolete and a thing past its time, they proclaim the fiction of the very notion of nation and state independence.



The ruling cliques of nations, being the objects of American expansion go all out so as to spit upon and fault the yearning of the masses for the preservation of their national sovereignty, thus rendering aid to American imperialism.



Violently attacking the peoples' aspiration to protect their national sovereignty, their national independence, apologists of imperialism insolently declare "out of date" the peoples' aspiration for preservation or achievement of their national independence, or, in other words, their unwillingness to voluntary submit to the imperialist aggressors.



The preaching of national nihilism is knowingly and deliberately led by the ideologists of Anglo-American imperialism against the land of Socialism and the people's democracies. 

The people of people's democratic countries under the leadership of communists, with the support of the Soviet Union, bravely and steadfastly fight for their national independence.



In particular the Communist parties now serve in all countries of the world as the heirs and most consistent defenders of the better national traditions of peoples, as frontline fighters for liberty and independence of peoples. 

They lead national opposition to the aggressors and the expansionist aspirations of American imperialism.

Modern bourgeois cosmopolitanism is the ideological expression of aggressive imperialist policies of the reactionary bourgeoisie of the great capitalistic powers, directed towards the establishment of their world supremacy. 

The struggle for world domination, for the exploitation of the world by a handful of capitalist monopolies naturally and inevitably results from inequality in the economic and political development of capitalism in the era of imperialism.

"Global supremacy," Lenin observed, "is, in short, the maintenance of imperialist policies, the continuation of which is imperialist war." (Works, Vol. XIX, p. 201.)



American imperialism, in the current conditions, is revealed as the pretender for world domination. And this explains this fact, namely that the ideologists of American imperialism emerge today as the most violent propagandists of cosmopolitanism. 

Present day bourgeois cosmopolitanism is chosen by American imperialism as a weapon of the ideological struggle for world domination. 

With the help of American cosmopolitan propaganda, American imperialism directs the ideological preparation for the accomplishment of its expansionist, aggressive aspirations.



The ideology of bourgeois cosmopolitanism serves as a convenient cover for the subversive activity of spies and saboteurs, working at the behest of foreign intelligence services. 

In the guise of cosmopolitan phraseology, in false slogans about the struggle against "nationalist selfishness," hides the brutal face of the inciters of a new war, trying to bring about the fantastic notion of American rule over the world.



From the imperialist circles of the USA today issues propaganda of "world citizenship" and "universal government."

The true sense of this propaganda was unmasked by Comrade A.A. Zhdanov in his report at the conference of some representatives of Communist parties.

"Some of the directions of the ideological 'campaign' accompanying plans for the enslavement of Europe," said Comrade Zhdanov, "are an attack on the principle of national sovereignty, a call for the rejection of the sovereign rights of peoples and, set up in contrast to them, the idea of 'universal government'." 

The sense of this campaign consists of this, to enhance unchecked expansion of American imperialism, inconsiderately violating the sovereign rights of peoples, to represent the USA in the role of the standard-bearer of the laws of all mankind, and otherwise, to present those who resist American influence as followers of obsolete 'selfish' nationalism.



The patriotism of the popular masses serves as a powerful spiritual weapon of the workers in the struggle for liberty and national independence. Directed against patriotism, bourgeois cosmopolitanism pursues the goal of ideological disarmament of peoples opposing American imperialistic expansion.



With the aid of cosmopolitan propaganda, the bourgeoisie of Western countries and their agents in the persons of Blum, Bevin, and Schumacher and their like aspire to excuse their national treason, and to prepare ideologically the total surrender of these countries before American imperialism.

Editor's notes:

Blum -- Leon Blum, leader of French Socialist Party (aka social-fascist, social-imperialist, etc) before and after WW II.

Bevin -- Ernest Bevin, foreign minister of Britain's Labour government.

Schumacher -- Kurt Schumacher, leader of W. German Social Democratic Party


Comrade A.A. Zhdanov showed that bourgeois cosmopolitism and, in particular, 

the cosmopolitan idea of "one-world government" have a strikingly expressed anti-Soviet orientation.



"The co-opting of the idea of 'one-world government' by the bourgeois intelligentsia from a number of dreamers and pacifists," said Comrade Zhdanov, "is used not only as a tool to press for the ideological disarmament of peoples, who stand up for their independence from encroachments from the direction of American imperialism, but also as a slogan expressly opposed by the Soviet Union, which constantly and repeatedly defends the principle of true equal rights and the protection of the sovereign rights of all peoples, great and small."



Fed by the aggressive Anglo-American plans for world domination, present-day cosmopolitanism is nothing but the seamy side of unbridled Anglo-American bourgeois nationalism and racism.



Cosmopolitanism and nationalism are not opposites, but are merely two sides of bourgeois-imperialist ideology.



Cosmopolitanism always was and is merely a screen, a disguise for nationalism.



In due course, unmasking the German bourgeois "true socialists," Marx and Engels indignantly wrote: "...such a narrow nationalist world-view lies at the foundation of supposed universalism and German cosmopolitanism" (K. Marx, F. Engels, Works, Vol. IV, p. 464).



Self-seeking imperialist interests of the Anglo-American capitalist monopolies and militant Anglo-American bourgeois nationalism lie at the foundation of bourgeois cosmopolitanism.



All the preaching of cosmopolitan ideas, exported from the USA, of "world citizenship," "universal government," "world-wide power," and the "supranational state" etc. are called to serve in their own way as an ideological disguise for Anglo-American nationalism.

Leninism revealed the sources, the roots of bourgeois cosmopolitanism. V.I. Lenin wrote: "...the union of imperialists of all countries, the union, naturally and inevitably, for the defense of capital, knowing no homeland, proved by many of the most significant and greatest episodes in world history, that capital puts the keeping of its alliance of capitalists of all countries against the workers higher than the interests of the fatherland, of the people or of anything else." (Works, Vol. XXIII, p. 4).

Lenin proved here that the bourgeoisie places the protection of its self-serving class interests "higher than the interests of the fatherland, the people, or anything else," that in the name of protecting its class interests the bourgeoisie creates a "union of imperialists of all countries" against the workers.



The composition of a new international situation as a result of the Second World War - the growth of the power of the Soviet Union and its international authority, the drop-out from the imperialist system by the peoples' democracies, leftward tendencies among the masses in capitalist countries, the colossal growth of the strength of socialism and democracy in the whole world, the growth of national liberation movements in colonial and semi-colonial counties - all this provokes spiteful hatred from the imperialist, antidemocratic camp, headed by the USA, having set as its main purpose the struggle with socialism and democracy.



Present-day bourgeois cosmopolitanism with its call for the repudiation of national sovereignty, with its notions of "one-world government," the creation of the "United States of Europe," etc. is an ideological "basis" and "consecration" of the assembling under the aegis of American imperialism of a "union of imperialists" in the name of the struggle against the toiling masses, against the Soviet Union and people's democracies, against the irresistible growth over the entire world of the forces of socialism and democracy.



Bourgeois cosmopolitanism is from start to finish a profoundly reactionary ideology of the imperialist bourgeoisie, an ideological banner of the imperialist, antidemocratic camp. Therefore the struggle with bourgeois cosmopolitanism is an indispensable and paramount component part of the struggle against imperialism, against decadent bourgeois ideology.
source: 

http://www.cyberussr.com/rus/chernov/chernov-mirovaya-e.html

NOTES by wilf dixon

 

 Democracy and Class Struggle notes while the RCPUSA and British Left are infected by this cosmopolitan world outlook of Anglo/ American Imperialism both the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and the Communist Party of the Philippines demonstrate by their practice that they have grasped Mao Zedong's thought that patriotism is applied internationalism and that they are the true Indian and Filpino patriots in the 21st Century.

This contribution is from Comrade Wilf Dixon in response to the article by F.Chernov on Cosmopolitanism and Imperialism here

Racism, bourgeois nationalism and suspicion of, and hatred of other nationalities is used to weaken the class struggle of the proletariat. The ideology which most consistently serves the interests of the proletariat is proletarian internationalism. This must be the cornerstone of our policy on the national question, especially given that we seek to build a communist party in the British state consisting of the most advanced elements of the proletariat, closely bound up with the masses who if they are going to succeed in rallying the vast masses in making an assault capital, must be capable of resisting the jingoism and imperialist venom of the monopoly capitalist bourgeoisie.

 <!--[endif]-->     The national question is in essence a class question.  In rejecting the nationalism of its own bourgeoisie, the proletariat of an oppressor nation is clearing the way for building unity with those nations and peoples oppressed and specially oppressed by their ruling class and facilitating the class struggle against capitalism. But this cannot just be expressed in terms of resolutions and goodwill, it requires concrete actions and demonstrations of support for the demands of nations and oppressed peoples, including the demand for self-determination and separation from the oppressor state.  It is a unity built in struggle against a common enemy.  Lenin talks of giving direct assistance to the struggles of the oppressed peoples.

      The petty-bourgeois democrats who oppose racism and racist oppression, do so often from a position of moral indignation and outrage, often restricting themselves to the external forms of racism, terminology and language and are proud of their cosmopolitanism seeing this as the model of anti-racism. This results from their class position in bourgeois society and when faced with the revolt of the masses against their racist oppression,  they can react with fear and condemnation. For the working class of the oppressor nations the struggle against racism and national chauvinism  is a question of life or death, success or failure in its own struggle.

      I have made these points as my starting point because as communists working in the imperialist heartland they constitute the basis on which a party must be built. Racism and national chauvinism cannot be eliminated until the workers and oppressed peoples hold state power and can begin the process of re-educating and rebuilding society in its own image, but just as the outbreak of the first world war revealed the Achilles heel of the 2^nd international and opportunism and chauvinism took the place of proletarian internationalism, a Party that does not consistently struggle against opportunism and social chauvinism will never succeed in taking its place at the vanguard of the proletariat.

           <!--[endif]-->Imperialist states often describe their domination of subject nations as a unifying force for the common good. This is not new. The British renamed the Empire on which the sun never sets as the British Commonwealth. The French regarded its possessions, most notably Algeria,  as part of France which much of French society regarded and still regards as the pinnacle of civilization. A view which underpins racism in French society which in many respects is stronger than in Britain. Defence of this outlook is a form of cosmopolitanism. But as far as it infects the working class movement it is better described as social chauvinism.

           

<!--[endif]-->      Cosmopolitanism may describe the view that national interests, national struggles and the possibility (or impossibility) of genuine self-determination as outdated. But again as far as this relates to the outlook of communist or so-called left organisations in the imperialist countries, I believe these views are social chauvinist.  In essence they help to perpetuate and subjugate the oppressed nations and nationalities by denying the legitimacy, ideologically and in practice, of the peoples’ revolts against this special and national oppression. The working class movement of the oppressor nations must give direct assistance to these struggles to the extent that they weaken and sap the strength of the imperialist powers and hasten the day that imperialism will be destroyed in its heartland. Not all national movements, however, are progressive and the recent past has seen many cases of interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, exploiting national contradictions for economic and political gain.

     <!--[endif]-->   

      On the the question of national nihilism. The national question of every country must be studied concretely and even  in imperialist nations and states, the question must be studied concretely and historically. Support for ones own nation in the first world war, it being an imperialist war, a war to decide which power or group of plunderers would get the lion’s share of colonial booty, was and is opportunist and social chauvinist. A united front with those nationalist forces prepared to resist the fascist axis in the second world, and for us here in Britain, in alliance with the Soviet Union after its invasion (I believe for Britain the war at its outset was an imperialist war) were correct.  Trotskyism found itself in alliance with fascism by denying the progressive nature of nations anti-fascist struggles.

       <!--[endif]-->The struggle in Ireland for national unity which is a democratic task that needs to be completed will remain a progressive struggle until it is completed. Irish people are proud of their history of struggle and quite rightly so. The Welsh and Scots people have national demands which are being made and struggled for.  How these demands and struggles can be formulated in a programme for a communist party uniting the peoples struggle against the British state, is a matter of concrete study and struggle.

      There are certainly things that the English people, particularly the working class, can be proud of in their history. But I believe this should be concrete. Promoting general English pride in the present political and ideological environment and in the abstract, can only give a boost to national chauvinism and undermine educating the working class in the spirit of proletarian internationalism. However, I do not believe this is promoting national nihilism. 

      The day will come when the English will make a great contribution to throwing off the shackles of imperialism. Then I will feel proud to be English. Now I can only feel the shame of what British imperialism does in oppressing, exploiting and super-exploiting  the workers and oppressed in Britain and abroad.