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DISARMAMENT -- a REALIZABLE GOAL

(From a Printer's Group)

With the shift in the relations of world forces in favor of peace, differences show up in big business circles on how to cope with this unprecedented situation. 

Some sections continue to follow the Dulles line, intensifying the cold war, sharpening international tensions, increasing the threat of war, and opposing serious negotiations with the Soviet Union. A recent development in the attack of these cold and hot warriors has been the effort to divide China and the Soviet Union. This effort, based on desperation and wishful thinking, seeks as its ultimate goal, to engineer a war between these two nations, after which American imperialism would emerge triumphant. These are the sections who claim we fought the wrong war against Nazi Germany.

There are other, increasingly important sections of big business, however, who are aware that war against the Socialist countries is fraught with great danger for American imperialism, for the very survival of capitalism. Thesesections are compelled to face the fact that war is no longer a solution guaranteed to maintain imperialism but rather will result in its demise.

The line of difference between these several sections of monopoly capital is not always sharply defined, nevertheless differences do exist and are becoming more pronounced. That grouping which favors a lessening of tensions, engaging in negotiations with a view of arriving at some agreements on international questions, is emerging stronger and its strength is based on a number of factors, among which are:

1. The increasing economic, political and military strength of the Socialist countries in the world balances of forces.

2. The growing weight of the colonial and recently liberated nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America as an immense factor for peace.

3. The sharpening contradictions among the imperialist powers.

4. The development of the peace movements and sentiments for peace expressed by the peoples of the world, especially in the U.S. itself.

Within the framework of the contradictions now rending the ranks of the imperialists, it is now possible to consider disarmament as a realizable goal.

Disarmament is not merely a pacifist slogan. It has deep meaning for the people. The tremendous burden of taxes to maintain useless war production with swollen profits can be taken off the backs of people. The many socially useful proposals which are slashed from budgets each year could be effected. This would mean expanded housing, schools, hospitals, playgrounds, parks, etc. Disarmament would have a tremendous impact on the economy. A change from a war economy would require vast programs of construction, shortening of the work week, provisions for retraining of workers and relocation; a planned approach to a peace economy. The workers must have assurance that they will have work under a peace economy or they will become the victims of the propaganda of the war-mongers. A peace economy under capitalism will not solve the contradictions of capitalism, but the economic conditions for the workers will be no worse, and they will not live with threat of war constantly hanging over them.

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