British policy to-day is as bad as America's despite our…
““British policy to-day is as bad as America's despite our Socialist Government. I am a Socialist and a member of the Government party, but every day I ask myself how a Socialist can conduct the affairs of this Nation by co-operating in international policies with the desperate and grim Capitalist of America. It isn't by force, because we still have an alternative. It is apparently by choice, by our own fear of stepping up to our necks in Socialism. We prefer to be half-baked about it, to be respectable about it, to be careful instead of being daring. Our policy to-day is not to make Socialism work, but to make Capitalism work. For that we conduct our foreign affairs with the same intentions as our Tory opponents. Because of our own fear of Socialism, our policy has become theirs. Theirs is the common anti-Russian front of American and British capital struggling to survive in a world that is rejecting colonial domination and economic slavery. Yet we are not deep enough into it for our great friend opposite. Each step we take into this anti-Russian campaign he asks us to go one more, deeper and deeper, until we are finally committed to war. Our men of capital and imperialism ask us to follow the American crusade so that Britain can gather a few crumbs that we can get in Iran for instance. Ironically, we are expected at the same time to release our grip on the straggling Empire so that American capital can enter and take over.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker criticizes the British government's foreign policy for aligning with capitalist America instead of pursuing socialist ideals, driven by fear and compromise.
In simple terms: British policy mirrors US capitalism due to fear of true socialism.
Recognize and challenge fear‑driven compromises.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- parliamentary debate
- policy drafting
- public advocacy
- academic analysis
- media commentary
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does fear shape national policy choices?
- What alternatives exist for socialist governments in international relations?
A purely socialist stance may be impractical in a globally integrated economy.