What then has changed in this respect when the war broke out? Have private property, capitalist exploitation and class rule ceased to exist? Or have the propertied classes in a spell of patriotic fervour declared: in view of the needs of the war we hereby turn over the means of production, the earth, the factories and the mills therein, into the possession of the people? Have they relinquished the right to make profits out of these possessions? Have they set aside all political privileges, will they sacrifice them upon the altar of the fatherland, now that it is in danger? It is, to say the least, a rather naive hypothesis, and sounds almost like a story from a kindergarten primer. And yet the declaration of our official leaders that the class struggle has been suspended permits no other interpretation. Of course nothing of the sort has occurred. Property rights, exploitation and class rule, even political oppression in all its Prussian thoroughness, have remained intact. The cannons in Belgium and in Eastern Prussia have not had the slightest influence upon the fundamental social and political structure of Germany.
Rosa Luxemburg The Junius Pamphlet Chapter 6
The meaning of this passage is very clear. It tell us that the class struggle does not ceased to exist just because of the war. And yet the official leaders proclaim that it has to be put aside in order to unite the nation. However they only ask the working class to put their differences aside for the good of the nation but do not demand the same from the ruling class. That tactic continues to be play even today. The people in power continue to tell us that we must make sacrifices for the good of our nation and to maintain our freedom. At the same time they don't send their kids to war but they makes millions of dollars on defense contracts, weapon manufacturing and with companies like Halliburton who billed the Pentagon $4.18 billion dollars for " logistics work" in Iraq and Kuwait.
1- Luxemburg believed that the wars of 1871 affect the wars in 1914 because the war of 1870 split Europe into two opposing camps and established the rule of militarism in the lives of the European peoples. In turn this created a period of insane competitive armament and that lead to the 1914 world war.
2- Luxemburg makes it clear that the SPD placed "Russian despotism" as a danger to German freedom.
3- The relationship between nationalism and capitalism according to some scholars is that nationalism is a product of capitalism. I believe this because one of the first things that lights the fire of revolution for freedom is people’s desire to own their land and the fruits of their labor. After you become an owner with something to protect just like your neighbors, now your loyalty is not to the king or queen, is to you land (you r Nation) However, Nationalism tries to keep capitalism tame because if left unchecked, capitalism will destroy the very nation in peruse of capital.
4. Luxemburg believes that the war supports the business interests of steel and the banks because those are the two industries that profit from it. The steel industry supplies the weapons and materials needed to carry out the war and the banks supply the capital to by the goods.
I agrees with you class struggle have not change. Today many people around the world have been exploitesd and alienated in at their place of employment. Capitalist industry owners are concern with maximining profits rather than the well being of others.
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