Dr. Edmond Melhem – The Social Nationalist Economy

Foreign capital, as per Sa’adeh’s perspective, harbors the intent to assert control over an entire nation, encompassing its populace, territories, and resources. The liberation of a nation’s natural assets and its entirety of land becomes imperative for any meaningful discourse on addressing the pressing issues of unemployment, poverty, and underdevelopment. Consider the paradox: how can thousands of job seekers aspire to gain employment when imperialist forces continue to wield dominance over our lands, exploiting our resources through political and military manoeuvres?
It’s crucial to recognize the significant toll unemployment exacts on society. It represents a stagnation of potential and a loss in productivity, fostering emigration and displacement. Countless Syrians have been compelled to seek refuge in foreign lands due to a dearth of employment opportunities and adverse economic conditions. Moreover, unemployment inflicts profound negative impacts on individuals’ mental, emotional, and sometimes physical well-being.
John Tippett underscores this, stating that unemployment takes away their independence and the dignity associated with being independent, and renders them dependent.”[1] He adds: “Dependency, on the other hand, has the propensity to turn people into being irresponsible, lazy, lacking in initiative, and weak.” [2]

Equally devastating is poverty, which often walks hand in hand with unemployment, akin to a slow demise. Sa’adeh posits that the remedy lies in Social Nationalism, advocating for the reclaiming and safeguarding of national territories and resources under sovereign control. Through this approach, he argues, “we can attain great production by our labour and we can have abundance and felicity by distributing the social national production fairly.” [3] Sa’adeh leveled criticism against Communism for its perceived failure to safeguard the nation’s resources from falling into the hands of Jewish interests. He contended that Communism failed to differentiate between Syrian workers, who grappled with illness, poverty, unemployment, and deprivation, and Jewish workers who, in his view, exploited the resources belonging to Syrian laborers. According to Sa’adeh, Communism espoused equality among all workers irrespective of their Jewish or Syrian heritage. However, he argued that this equality disregarded the unique plight of Syrian workers, allowing Jewish interests to capitalize on their resources.
Furthermore, Sa’adeh observed that Communism prioritized its political agenda over the welfare of the Syrian homeland and its resources. He criticized its utilization of Syrian workers as pawns in its conflicts with British and American capitalism, as well as its alignment with Russia’s political objectives. In essence, Sa’adeh posited that Communism, rather than championing the cause of Syrian workers, exploited them for geopolitical maneuvering, undermining their interests in the process [4]

In contrast to Communism, Social Nationalism underlines the Syrian homeland as a cornerstone of its overarching national vision. Central to this perspective is the third foundational principle, which asserts: “The Syrian cause is the cause of the Syrian nation and its homeland.” This principle underscores an inseparable link between the nation and its territorial integrity, serving as the bedrock of national endeavors. Haytham A. Kader underscores this sentiment, stating:
The SSNP does not struggle for independence in an undefined sense but for the independence of the Syrian nation in its homeland, i.e., its political, economic, cultural, military and strategic independence in its completely liberated homeland.[5] This articulation highlights Social Nationalism’s commitment to securing not just political sovereignty, but comprehensive self-sufficiency across all aspects of national life within the boundaries of its liberated homeland.
Syrian nationalism, at its core, asserts that the Syrian homeland belongs to the entirety of the Syrian people. The primary tenet of the SSNP, “Syria is for the Syrians, and the Syrians constitute one nation,” unequivocally declares the land of Syria as the rightful heritage of its people. This principle underscores the equal and inalienable right of all Syrians to their homeland. Sa’adeh vehemently condemns any individual, organization, or nation that challenges this principle, branding them as guilty and criminal:
“Those who deny the Syrians’ sovereignty over their homeland commit the grave offense of stripping them of their birthright. The Syrian Social Nationalist Party, representing the aspirations of millions of Syrians yearning for freedom and striving for progress, unequivocally denounces such individuals as criminals.” [6] In pursuit of this vision, the Syrian Social Nationalist Movement is dedicated to securing national sovereignty over Syrian land and its abundant natural resources. It seeks to implement a comprehensive plan for social and economic reformation, ensuring that all contributors to society receive their due rights and rewards.[7] By establishing national control over the entirety of the homeland and its resources and restructuring the economy based on productivity, the Social Nationalist Movement pledges to usher in an era of economic rejuvenation and uplift millions of workers and farmers.
Sa’adeh passionately addresses his fellow Syrian producers, emphasizing that only through social nationalism can they attain the right to work, as it provides access to land and its resources. He asserts that the Social Nationalist Movement is their sole safeguard against misery, indignity, and exploitation, championing their genuine interests. Social nationalism, he asserts, signifies the equitable distribution of wealth, not impoverishment. Therefore, he urges them to pursue social justice within the abundance of the Social Nationalist Renaissance.[8]

Footnotes:

[1] John Tippett. A Philosopher’s take on Economics, Epping, NSW (Australia): Delphian Books, 2012, p. 50.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Antun Sa´adeh, al-Nizam al-Jadid (15), Beirut, 1951, p. 73.
[4] Ibid., p. 74.
[5] Haytham A. Kader. The Syrian Social Nationalist Party: Its Ideology and Early History. Beirut: SSNP, 1990, 9. 33.
[6] Antun Sa´adeh, The Ten Lectures, pp. 54-55.
[7] Antun Sa´adeh, al-Nizam al-Jadid (15), Beirut, 1951, p. 75.
[8] Ibid.