Once a sound base is restored, prosperity will follow gradually, giving a chance to fuse the best features of pre-industrial society with the many truly brilliant inventions of our own era. Craft production and decentralised but high technology workshops would follow naturally, and ownership of these would mirror the already established widespread distribution of land which would give the society its distinctive stamp.3
The Moral Society
It must be understood that what is presented here is only a brief outline of how a distributist society would function. This booklet deals with the general principles, but the fine detail must be filled in with regard to the special circumstances, history and national characteristics of each nation which seeks to use these principles as the only possible basis for a stable, prosperous, cultured and moral society.
Genuine choice offered
Distributism is the only viable way to challenge the exploitative capitalist attitude towards production. However it must be stated that this should not be taken as the word of a dogmatic perfectionist. Whilst the big unit must not be regarded as the desirable norm, it may be tolerated as an exception where necessary. The desire to make family ownership of the means of production the characteristic feature of the economy, does not demand that every man should work his own land or his own business.
The abolition of every wage-earner is desirable but probably unworkable. For a start, not everyone wants, or ever will want, the responsibility of running their own worklife as well as the rest of their time. And, secondly, certain major industries are necessarily so large and complex that the idea of their massive workforces having a say in their running — as opposed to a just share in their profits — would verge on ludicrous. However, the abolition of a class of wage-earners, a mass of wage-owners who have lost the hope or opportunity of ever being anything else, is a concrete and obtainable goal.
It must also be understood that distributism is far more than an economic theory. It is nothing less than the moral principles which underpin European culture put into practice. Distributism is the character and religiosity of Europe put into practice. It is the system which most suits the relatively individualistic nature of our race. Its implementation is a moral and psychological necessity as well as a material one.
Where capitalism is based on greed, and communism on envy, the distributist vision of the future is rooted in natural law and religious values — on individual free will, on rights tempered by duties, on the family as the building block of society.
Grass roots revolution
Because a distributist society must by definition involve the majority of its population in ownership and decision-making, it cannot be created by legislation from above. A sympathetic and moral government would certainly help in its creation, but the absolutely vital factor is the conversion and involvement of a growing number of idealistic but ordinary people. A return to property and to the land is an organic process, so it must begin at grass roots level.
The same is true of the equally vital resistance to the tidal wave of evil and liberal filth now sweeping over our entire continent. If we, as individuals, fail to rise above it, then there is no hope for our nations as a whole. Opposition to the insanity of modernism may be offered by governments from time to time, but it must be offered at all times by everyone of us in our own lives. However persuasive the advocates of capitalist degeneracy may be, we each of us have the free will to reject their overtures.
Rejection of the capitalist system
To one extent or another, very large numbers of thinking people in the West do reject the immorality of the capitalist system, together with many of its most poisonous fruits. But resistance to capitalism in the West is still all too often confused with socialism, which we have seen is no alternative at all. And Western rejection of the present system is generally individualistic and incoherent. In most areas it lacks a community base and a moral or ideological foundation.
This weakness could prove fatal — to the fast-diminishing natural world and to the future generations to whom inaction by us would bequeath not only environmental devastation and exhaustion but also the wreckage of the cultures and identities which are what make us truly human. And, even in the short-term, the pace of globalisation — and the proletarianisation of the working and middle classes that goes with it — is increasing at such a rate that those who do not summon up the will to resist this, the final manifestation of capitalist greed, will forego even the semblance of prosperity and freedom. For, in the words of Hilaire Belloc:
“If we do not restore the institution of property, we cannot help re-establishing the institution of slavery”.
1 Editors note: This essay was written and produced as a pamphlet for distribution by nationalists in the Baltic States in 1991. We reproduce it here because it is as relevant today as when originally published.
2 Editors note: This is the only part of this essay which has seriously dated in the 25 years since it was written. In recent years a huge and welcome growth in craft breweries has seen the number of independent, private brewers in Great Britain rise to an 80-year high of more than 1,700. Distributism in action thanks to personal initiative and choice
3 Editors note: A quarter of a century on, developments such as the World Wide Web and 3-D printers have only increased the feasibility of this vision.
THE POLITICAL SOLDIER1
Derek Holland
Preface
It is now over a decade since The Political Soldier: A Statement was first published, and close comrades believe that this new edition merits a new Preface as well as a new cover. So be it.
The more or less instant success of The Political Soldier in nationalist circles in England has, much to the immense surprise of the author, continued down to the present day and a new generation of Third Positionists. This success has not been confined to England, but has found its way to those countries where the forces of Nationalism have foreseen the need for this traditional conception of Life and Struggle; and 1994 will witness this spread to both France and Lithuania, the latter being particularly gratifying in the light of developments in Eastern Europe, and the success of the Polish edition published in Warsaw in 1993.
The text of this reprint has not been altered in any way at all. It was, of course, tempting to update here and there, but on reflection it became obvious that such an updating could only affect details: inflation might be up or down; unemployment growing or receding; government parties coming or going. But none of these details change in any meaningful way the essential message of The Political Soldier: that what is needed above all else is a fundamental shift in attitude towards struggle, towards life, towards destiny; that there cannot be, and will not be, any serious change in the overall direction taken by the countries of Europe until the New Man, like a giant on the horizon, capable of moulding and inspiring a New Social Order, arises and builds it not according to the clauses or sub- clauses of some abstract political manifesto, but according to the objectively true principles of a creed believed and acted upon, and drawing their life from the Eternal Law of God. Without this core belief that our Cause is absolute, immutable, timeless, we run the very real danger of betrayal: betrayal by Party hacks; betrayal by those taken up with “media image”; betrayal by those mesmerized by the deceit and falsity of liberal democracy.
The New Man, therefore, is not merely an obstacle to betrayal, but, in fact, the only alternative to a guaranteed betrayal. The New Man is the herald of the New Social Order, but his appearance at this most crucial of times in our History, is by no means a foregone conclusion. Too many think, wrongly, that they can adhere publicly to our values, yet lead a private life of degeneracy; by this is meant not our tendency to sin, but rather the refusal to admit the existence of Sin in our lives and to attempt to conquer it through painful, lifelong struggle. Without this consciousness of sin, and with the contradiction that ex
ists too often between our public beliefs and our private actions, we enter upon the path of hypocrisy that necessarily leads to the motorway of Treachery and Betrayal. The New Man is, therefore, necessarily a moral man, for only then does he possess that profound inner peace and confidence that allows him to fight the world, its powers and its dominations, unafraid of Death.
Some have said that The Political Soldier appears to be demanding the creation of Warrior Saints. And so it is. What is the problem with that? No one doubts for a moment that tremendous effort and dedication are required to fulfill this demand, but it is a wholly desirable objective, for a Saint seeks Ends that are Good and True, and uses Means that are Pure and Admirable. What kind of political activist is it that does not seek the Good and the True, the Pure and the Admirable? Some remark that “Politics is too dirty” for this to be possible. Granted that political life has become vile to a horrible degree in the modem world, it remains true, nonetheless, that if we do not aim for the Good and the True, the Pure and the Admirable, we will almost inevitably end up sinking into the cesspit of political filth that is suffocating our European inheritance. Who can listen to, or follow in faith, politicals who lie, cheat or swindle; politicals who cheat on their wives, girlfriends and comrades; politicals whose Ends vary according to their ambition, opportunism and greed? The New Man must, therefore, shine out like a blazing beacon in the infinite dark; by what he says; by what he does; by how he acts.
Nowhere is the need for clarity of Thought and Action greater than in how we express our beliefs. The very first edition of The Political Soldier was published under the auspices of the National Front, a group that the writer quit years ago, and which has to all intents and purposes disappeared from the political landscape of the country. Deo gratias. It disappeared because it confused the Idea and the Vehicle. The Idea is spiritual, something divine, whilst the Vehicle is man-made, growing or diminishing in its ability to express and implement the Idea. The Idea remains pure, even when the Vehicle has become corrupt, has rotted away. Truth remains forever Truth, even in a world of liars. The Vehicle merely exists to serve the Idea; once it has ceased to do that, it must be discarded for the sake of the Idea.
Finally, let us address ourselves to the fact that the world has changed dramatically in the last ten years. The old Soviet Union is apparently dead; Euthanasia, the desire to kill old people by law, is edging towards victory in a number of European national Parliaments; AIDS is striking down perverts the world over, the revenge of a Moral Order too long sneered at or ignored; the New Age2 movement is trying to fill a worldwide spiritual vacuum with a hocus pocus philosophy of life which is no more than Witchcraft and Satanism dressed up as a new and attractive Way of Life. Yes, the world has changed, and will continue to change for the worse. It is growing daily more unacceptable, daily more unbearable.
It is this very process of disintegration and decadence which has made the New Man, the Political Soldier, not less, but more urgent, more necessary than ever before. Truth and Right Values are not now merely disappearing from view, but are becoming incomprehensible to growing numbers of our people: the inevitable consequence of a world soaked in the poison of Liberalism of all kinds. If the Political Soldier does not stand up and proclaim the Truth, does not point out the Right Values, who will? What future for our families, for our nations, our culture?
Confronted on every side by injustice and exploitation the average man mumbles: “What can you do?” The answer is frighteningly simple: FIGHT, FIGHT and FIGHT AGAIN! Have done with the spinelessness and cowardice that characterize our age. Unfurl the banners of Truth, Heroism and Sacrifice. Become the Warriors and Saints that once made this land worthy of love and respect. Live your life that others might live, and live greatly. Launch the Holy War that cleanses our soul, purifies our mind and casts out forever the traitors and cowards in our midst! Fight with courage, a granite determination and a happy heart until Final Victory!
Derek Holland
London, 1994
This pamphlet is dedicated to my long suffering parents, Patrick and Mary, and to my very good friend, Roberto Fiore. “Fiat pax in virtute tua: et abundantia in turibus tuis.”
Introduction
This booklet has been written with the expressed intention of acting as a spur to action. Heroic action, vital action. It is not a manual which is to be quoted from as though it were Holy Writ, but a personal statement of the principles that underpin our creed and our philosophy of life.
It makes no claim to originality, but is the result of wide reading. A debt of gratitude is expressed to all the Masters from whom I have learned, but especially to G.K. Chesterton whose wit and perception are a constant source of pleasure and inspiration.
I make no apology for the impassioned style in different areas of this short work. It is my country that is being butchered: I cannot look on this desecration without being moved to pity for her, and anger for her executioners. For too long our people have been inhibited by the cold calculations of the ruler and test-tube - now is the time for the return of the Poet and the Musician with the gifts that will guarantee us final victory.
Finally, and especially for those who know me personally, I hasten to add that I do not present myself as a model for the Political Soldier, conscious as I am that my weaknesses far exceed my virtues. I am merely struggling on the path to the Political Soldier and I invite all true patriots to do likewise.
Huntingdon, 1984.
The Contemporary Situation
“The modern tyrant is evil because of his elusiveness. He is more nameless than his slave. He is not more of a bully than the tyrants of the past; but he is more of a coward”
All Things Considered
G.K. Chesterton.
Wherever we look today amongst the nations of Britain and of Europe, we see mounting evidence of disintegration and of decay. The evidence is there for all to see; it is incontrovertible fact.
On the political level, we find that the worst type of individual, the self-seeking and mean of spirit, has risen to the leadership of Establishment parties and structures, and in so doing, has guaranteed that government throughout Europe, from Lisbon to Leningrad and from Belfast to Belgrade, has made corruption and treason a way of life. Politicians and party bosses, caring nothing for the people they claim to represent, are lining their own pockets by selling out their countrymen to poverty, to degradation and to hostile, foreign interests. In our land, the Thatchers and Kinnocks, Owens and Steels, are junketting around the world at our expense, receiving the adulation of a deceitful media, whilst Britain slowly but surely bleeds to death.
On the economic front, our people are being constantly reassured that the world recession is drawing to a close, yet for those with memories that go back further than last week’s episode of Coronation Street, it is a fact that the Tories have been peddling this cheap lie since they first took office in 1979. Unemployment is still continuing to rise sharply from one year to the next and no amount of cynical manipulation of the figures by the Civil Service bureaucracy can hide the fact that the lives of nearly four million people, our people, are being destroyed by dole queue humiliation.
It is a fact that most orthodox economists regard 10% unemployment as the threshold above which discontent and strife develop by stages into civil disturbance and revolutionary upheaval; as I write nearly 14% of our people are without a job.
The country that Napoleon described early last century as “a nation of shopkeepers” no longer exists, having given way to supermarkets and hypermarkets, national and multi-national corporations. The figures for the financial year ending April 1984 revealed that over 12,500 firms went bankrupt, the highest figure ever in British history. And the picture for the coming years is no brighter.
The gathering financial crisis, highlighted incessantly by the media, has seen decrepit old men from the I.M.F. and the World Bank rushing to and fro across the globe to inaugur
ate yet more talks - and whilst they wilier on without end our currency is becoming worthless. The media demands that we too should be concerned for the fate of the world banking system; that we should worry about a system that has destroyed the lives of millions of Europeans; that has condemned all peoples and cultures to grinding poverty; that has ransacked and plundered the resources and treasures of a beautiful creation. We are meant to lament the demise of a system that possesses the Midas touch of Death.
The social impact on our people of this political and economic decline has been catastrophic. Fewer new houses means that several million of our countrymen are living in houses not fit for animals, let alone humans; unemployment has severely distorted family life leading to more divorces, more abortions, more child-battering, more suicides. In an effort to escape this nightmare, Britons have turned in huge numbers to drink, drugs and gambling as “a solution”. Young people deprived of a job, a home and a little self-respect have sought an answer in innumerable ‘anti- Establishment’ groups and cults, much to the pleasure of our political masters. Whilst White Skinheads are beating the hell out of White Mods or White Hells Angels, the Westminster tyrants are going about their business unimpeded - destroying our country.
But it is spiritually that our people have suffered the most. No longer believing fervently in the supernatural or the divine, they have been left prey to the manipulation of con-men, quacks and latter-day Wizards of Oz. Man to be truly healthy must be balanced materially and spiritually. It is not enough for a man merely to feed himself or have a roof over his head. He must have a reason to live; he must know why family life is vital; why the bloodline must be perpetuated; why the Common Good of the British peoples must be protected; why we must ensure that our Nation and Culture survives and prospers.
Winds of Change Page 4
