“What could be so important that revolutionaries would join the most reactionary elements in their respective countries, free thinkers would fraternise with priests, socialists and trade unio…
A new translation of an article written by Malatesta during WW1.
Some selected quotes-
“ On this single condition, to always look forward, to always aspire to the best, it is possible to be revolutionary and progressive; otherwise one would always have to be content with everything, because one always finds a place where one is worse off than at home, or a time when one was worse off than now. It would be the state of mind of that old woman who, having broken her leg, thanked God that she had not broken both of them. And it is also the state of mind of all sincere conservatives, who renounce the best for fear of the worst, and do not want to walk towards the future for fear that the past will return. “
“ One rightly cries out against infamous Austria, which forces subject peoples to fight in defence of their oppressors. But why is it silent when France forces the Algerians and other peoples she holds under her yoke to be killed for her? Or when England leads the Indians to slaughter? “
“ I would understand the enthusiasm of socialists and anarchists for a struggle that, while not our struggle, had some character of generosity and sincerity. I would have understood the enthusiasm if France and England (I’m not even talking about Russia), called to the conscience of the law by German arrogance, had declared the peoples subject to them independent and then had invoked their help in the struggle against German hegemony and for the national independence of all peoples. But go and talk about such a project to government men, to Sir Eduardo Grey, to Lord Kitchener, to Poincaré, and you will be lucky if they do not put you in an asylum. “
“ But in that case don’t let the warmongers come and tell us that war is good. Something good would then have been derived from it, but only because there are those who have been, or are becoming, opponents of war. “
