THE STATE.

Grey River Argus, 30 May 1922, Page 6

THE STATE.

The term “The State” is, perhaps, one of the most used and least understood in the sphere of terminology. Alost people, when using the lerm, think of the State as the people, — whereas there were people many thousands of years before there was a State—while others think only of the Capitalist State, and are ignorant of any form of State prior to that. Sociologists ami historians now recognised that the State began with civilisation; political society ami. the exploitation of man by man. But to think . that that exploitation was capitalist • •exploitation is a grave mistake, such a system as Capitalism was unthought of in those days. It was after lhe Barbain- Tribes had discovered that nian j could produce more than he needed for his own support and that is was. therefore. wiser to compel him to work than to kill him, that society became divided into two classes—muster and slave — which brought the State into existence. I The first form of State might be described as the ‘‘Dictatorship of the Slave-owner.' ’ ‘ From that followed the system of Serfdom when the toilers of society l were bound to the land on which they ■ and their fore fathers lived and died. ; Thus we see the Dictatorship of the < I Feudal Lord. | There followed after that portion of history that in English history is known to meny people as the “Cromwellian Revolution’’ and in French History as ; the French Revolution. Then, and not | till then, came the Dictatorship of the Capitalist Class, and so in it remains in a more developed form to-day. The whole of the machinery of the State is made and administered in the interests of the dominent class no matter which class that may be. "When speak of “Alachincry of State,” wc mean the institutions that are necessary and useful to the reigning power. Let us view the machinery of the Cap- [ italist State. We see the Parliaments--which have been described as tn»> “ Lx- i ecutivo Committee of 1,b.0 Capitalist | Class” and under the control of this i Executive Committee is—the system of

Education, finance. International war j and pence, the police, the law courts, | the soldiery, and so on till we get l to the people, who are compelled to sub- , mit to laws enacted by it or bo p.aeeit bv its police force In its prisons. 'The Capi'alist State, like its predecessors, is destined to oblivion and will be followed by the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, which will be something whore there will be no State as there I will be only one class—the working- I T . I class.