Lenin: 1916/ni-nu: SIEGFRIED, NEW ZEALAND (original) (raw)

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

NOTEBOOK “ν”

(“NU”)

SIEGFRIED, NEW ZEALAND

André Siegfried, New Zealand, Berlin, 1909.

(N.B. Chapter 28: “Imperialism.”)

A very useful outline of a broad economic andpolitical scope. The distinctive feature of “imperialism”:
exclusiveness. The yellow race is com-pletely barred from entering thecountry. S a v a g e restrictions [e.g., £100!!!—p. 190] on immigration in general. A country atthe edge of the world (four days to Australia!). Almostas big as Italy, but with a population of less thanone million!!! (_900,000_—p. 189; 929,000 in 1907,p. 234; half of France) ((magnificent climate, etc.)).
N.B.

“Snobbishness” of the population (Chapter XXI): servility towards the aristocracy (“Sir” is a title of honour, before which they crawl), the British monarchy, the Court, etc., etc. Population growth is very low.

A country of inveterate, backwoods, thick-headed, egotistic philistines, who have brought their “c i v i l i s a t i o n” with them from England and keep it to themselves like a dog in the manger. (Exterminated the natives—the Maoris—by fire and sword; a series of wars.)

Example: persecution of the Austrian (N.B.) workers who emigrated to New Zealand (1893, 1898-) (p. 191): the “Labour Party” attacked them.

Equal rights for women.—Campaign against alcoholism.— Clericalism: intense religiosity; numerous sects.

Opposed to union with Australia: we are for ourselves. We are “the best country in, the world” (293) (!!)....

N.B. “New Zealand imperialism” (p. 294).... Its “specialform” (ibidem) ... “colonial jingoism” (295 idem 296),which might be described as “Australasian impe-rialism” (295).
Two trends of imperialism (fully compatible):
N.B.“_localimperialism_” 1) Great-Power imperialism (participa-tion in the imperialism of Great Britain). 2) “Local imperialism” (295)—its isola-tionism ... exclusiveness.
N.B.

Protests against the French presence in New Caledonia—against the German occupation of Samoa (297), etc. This leads to irreconcilable hostility because of the “Greater New Zealand” idea....

In June 1901 New Zealand annexed the Cook Archipelago.

New Zealand is Great Britain’s most “faithful”, loyal colony.

The national debt:£ 51,200,000 (out of£ 66,500,000)—Britishcapital Trade—66 per centwith Britain Arch-patriots inthe Boer war (307)...(sent troops againstthe Boers)....

Prime Minister Seddon—a representative of Australasian imperialism. “An imperialist of the first water” (310) ... (he died June 10, 1906. Was Prime Minister (1893-1906) (p. 71))

His first trip to Britain —1897
” second ” ” ” —1902
“The champion of _social policy_in him [Seddon] began to yield pride ofplace to the imperialist and pro-tectionist statesman” (311). Althougha reformer (favoured reforms in New Zea-land)—in Britain he made up to the Tories. The Conservatives lavished praiseon the “socialist Seddon” (311). TheTimes, June 18, 1902, praised Seddon,the radical, the democrat, the imperialist!!(quotation p. 311). N.B.socialpolicy+ imper-ialism!
N.B.

Growth of the idea and practice of preferential tariffs....

Their “socialism”: “The New Zealanders are practi-cal and opportunist to the point of cynicism”(67)— — —and the workers too (67), they are wholly“conservative”, they have something to “guard”(ibidem).
N.B.

(Seddon—a representative of the “labour group in the Liberal Party” (68)).

| Labour protection legislation—factoryinspection—and of work in the home—a 48-hour working week (law of 1901)for men, 45 hours for women—minimumwage, etc. Compulsory arbitration, etc. The “key to all this is protectionism(140) and industrial prosperity....((It could not be maintained under freetrade).... Old-age pensions (at 65).... | ⎧⎧⎪⎪⎪⎪⎪⎪⎪⎪⎪⎪⎩⎩ | N.B.:||theimperialistbourgeoisieis buying theworkers bysocialreforms | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |

Creation of small landownership; large estates (stolen, etc., in the basest fashion from the Maoris, etc.) bought out and sold to smallholders—that is “democracy, but not _socialism_” (175). ((True!))

“Converting big landownership into small! That is what the French revolution did, too” (175)....

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