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them the General Strike is nothing less than an introduction to the social revolution. Therefore we call this General Strike, to distinguish it from General Strikes for higher wages, or for political privileges (political mass strikes), "The Social General Strike." This conception of the General Strike will be dealt with in this treatise.
The General Strike idea has been opposed by the German working man until now with the same idiotic phrases as the big-bellied bourgeois have used heretofore, by everlastingly re-chewing the tale of dividing all property, thus thinking to have made clear the nonsense of Socialism, and at the same time proving only their own ignorance. "The General Strike is general nonsense." With this phrase the Social Democrats thought they could kill the General Strike idea.
When a discussion about the General Strike was permitted, the following ideas were always maintained: "The General Strike is a Utopia. It will never be possible to so thoroughly organise the proletariat that all working men will go on strike like one man; and if it were so well educated, and imbued with solidarity, and so well organised as to be able to declare a General Strike, then it would not need any General Strike; then it is the power in the country; then it may do anything it sees fit."
The conduct and the result of the General Strike do not depend upon all workers laying down their tools. It would certainly be worth while to endeavour to educate all classes of working men so well that, on the day on which the General Strike began, the proletariat of all countries would leave its factories and mines like one man, and through the expression of its united will throw off the chains of slavery. This ideal of propaganda will, however, in spite of its beauty, always be a dream.
It was always the energetic and enthusiastic minority only that revolted against tyranny and oppression, thereby giving the initiative to the large, indolent masses, who were dissatisfied and complained of their fate, but did not have the courage to revolt. It is quite a distance between dissatisfaction and open rebellion. In every revolution it was the force of the energetic minority that aroused the courage of the timid masses.
The same is observed in a strike. Although the Labour Unions as a rule represent only a minority of the working men, they always cause, organise, and lead the strikes of the unorganised masses. Often in this way a small minority goes on strike, and during the strike the rest of the masses follow.
Often it happens that during the strike the related industries and branches join in, spreading the strike over ever-increasing territories and amongst ever-growing masses of labourers. The example of the strike is, in fact, suggestive and contagious to the masses.
It is, therefore, not of such great importance for the propagandists and followers of the General Strike theory (as the Spanish and French workers understand it) to get all the workers to lay down their tools at the same time, as it is to completely interrupt production in the whole country, and stop communication and consumption for the ruling class, and that for a time long enough to totally disorganise capitalistic society, so that after the complete annihilation of the old system, the
