Hands up any reader who can imagine Bill Shorten, as a Labor prime minister, declining to join in any war against anyone (even New Zealand) a US president asked him to send Australians to. None of you? That's a little harsh; but fair. Shorten's Labor Party has supported the new war with modern Labor's usual me-too gusto.
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But 100 years ago principled Labor offered the people a sincere alternative to Capital's brutishness. On this day in 1914, and quoting the socialist George Bernard Shaw (pictured), Sydney's The Australian Worker lectured that "There are people who believe that War will always exist. But if War were an inevitable effect of human nature, then we should have to recognise that the Labor Movement is a gigantic folly and delusion.
"But War [which is caused by Capitalism] and the Labor Movement can't go on breathing the same atmosphere. One of them has got to get off the earth. lf the Labor Movement is destined to govern the destinies of mankind, then War might as well ... blow out its brains now, and exit the world.
"
The Australian Worker thundered that, "Obviously the one course open for those who long to sweep War from the world is to throw in their lot with the Labor Movement."
