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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol 35 no. 18. 27th July 1972

[Introduction]

One of the newest and most fashionable "left-wing" pressure groups is the Organisation to Halt Military Service, which aims to abolish compulsory military training. The Spartacist League recognises the army as the key insitution (usually left in reserve) for the protection of the bourgeoisie and its state. Consequently the SL approves of actions which tend to undermine the army. But rather than having radicals defy the National Military Service Act and keeping them away from the army, which is what OHMS preaches, the SL looks forward to organised revolutionary activity to undermine the army from within.

Unfortunately OHMS appears to have attracted the support of a number of individuals whose rhetoric, if not thei actions, are radical. Even ostensible revolutionaries have offered their support. Peoples Voice Wellington correspondent, "F", has blessed OHMS with a solemn: "Communists will recognise OHMS as the boldest manifestation of hostility to ruling class militarism to have appeared so far among students... OHMS is still working through individual acts of defiance by a small sector of youth (students) and in terms of a bourgeois liberal world outlook. But in time OHMS will learn the need to use mass tactics and to see military service from the viewpoint of working class politics." That is how revolutionary the Communist Party is. Spontaneous evolution from middle class liberal pacificism to a perspective of working class revolution!

A close examination of OHMS' policies and tactics show it is a long way from working class politics.

Firstly, it uses pacificism as one of its arguments — absolute opposition to war and training for war. However, pacificism is usually associated with deceit, and always with pathetic illusions about the nature of society it is very easy to denounce violence when your own life is comfortable, but such pontificating ignores the violence of the imperialist system.

We live in an era of war — war as a direct outcome of the irrationality of capitalism in its imperialist epoch. The laws of capitalism force the imperialists into a militant protection of the markets they control, and into fighting for fields of investment and profit.

Consistent pacificism is impossible: it would involve total condemnation of capitalism and joining the struggle (necessarily violent at times) against it.