Society and its Early History_, p. 28.

CHAPTER XXXII

STATE SOCIALISM

Most Socialist agitators in Great Britain oppose and condemn State
Socialism for two reasons: firstly, because, owing to their Communist
and Anarchist leanings, they oppose and hate the State as such, as has
been shown in the Chapters on "Socialism and Communism," "Socialism
and Anarchism," "Socialism and Revolution"; secondly, because with the
introduction of State Socialism their occupation would be gone.
Socialist agitators do not wish others to govern the State. They wish
to govern it themselves. The welfare of the masses is to them
apparently only a secondary consideration. Hence most British
Socialist agitators condemn the State Socialism of Germany, though it
has greatly benefited the masses, and perhaps because it has greatly
benefited the masses. They also condemn the British Post Office,
although, being not overburdened with scruples, they praise it to the
skies as a Socialistic model institution when it happens to suit them.
In fact, most Socialist leaders condemn all existing Government
institutions, ostensibly because they are capitalistic enterprises
which are run at a "profit," and because they "exploit" their workers.
It would of course be fatal to the Socialist agitators had they to
preach the gospel of envy and hatred, of destruction and pillage, to
the contented.

"The State of to-day, nationally and locally, is only the agent of the
possessing class."[1122] "Mere nationalisation or mere municipalisation
of any industry is not Socialism or Collectivism; it may be only the
substitution of corporate for private administration; the social idea
and purpose with which Collectivism is concerned may be completely
absent."[1123] "Mere Statification, as we may term it, does not mean
Socialism. The State of to-day is mainly an agent of the possessing
classes, and industrial or commercial undertakings run to-day by
Governmental bodies are largely run in the interests of these classes.
Their aim in all cases is to show a profit, in the same way as ordinary
capitalistic enterprises. This profit accrues to the possessing classes
in the form of relief of imperial or local taxation, mainly paid by
them, interests on loans, &c. In other words, these industrial
undertakings are run for profit and not for use, and their employees
are little, if at all, better off than those of private
employers."[1124] "The modern State is but the organ