THE ETHICS OF VIOLENCE
251
ideas of Socialism cannot be kept intact by diluting the phrases of Marx in verbose commentaries, but by continually adapting the spout of Marx to facts which are capable of assuming a revolutionary aspect. The general strike alone can produce this result at the present day.
One serious question must now be asked. "Why is it that in certain countries acts of violence grouping themselves round the idea of the general strike, produce a Socialist ideology capable of inspiring sublimity, and why in others do they seem not to have that power?" Here national traditions play a great part; the examination of this problem would perhaps help to throw a strong light on the genesis of ideas; but we will not deal with it here.
