The Managerial Revolution: What is Happening in the World

by James Burnham

The general outcome of the second war is also assured. It is assured because it does not depend upon a military victory by Germany, which is in any case likely. The hopelessness of the position of the British capitalists has been shown from the beginning of the second world war by the fact that they have absolutely no peace plans (“war aims”). During the first year and a half of the war, their spokesmen did not even pretend to be able to formulate war aims. If they finally make some sort of statement, it will be empty of all meaningful content. They cannot have war aims (peace plans) because there is no possible solution on a capitalist basis. England, no matter with what non-European allies, cannot conceivably hope to conquer the European Continent; and could no longer run the Continent if she could conquer. Revolutions on the Continent, even if they should get rid of the Hitler regime, cannot benefit England. Nor could they repartition Europe into independent, fully sovereign states. The same general result would follow them as a Hitler military victory: the consolidation of the European strategic base, with England compelled to integrate into it. Military ups and downs, mass revolts, can alter the time schedule for this general outcome, can mean more or less chaos in the intervening period, but there is no prospect of its being essentially changed.