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There have been numerous academic and scholarly studies of the many streams of Freemasonry and their various rôles in political history. Unfortunately free range theorizing can erroneously lead to agenda-driven conclusions assigning masonic responsibility to global events.
ANTI-MASONRY
CONSPIRACY THEORY
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SECRET SOCIETIES AND THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL
FREEMASONRY AND THE PARIS COMMUNE
FREEMASONRY AND THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL
HISTORY INDEX
L’Internationale
Written by Eugène Pottier (1816-1887) in Paris, June 1871, with music composed by Pierre Degeyter (1848-1932) in 1888, L'Internationale—the rallying cry of the 1871 Paris Commune—has nothing to do with Freemasonry. It is true though, that many freemasons were involved in both the Commune and the First International.
Arise ye pris'ners of starvation
Arise ye wretched of the earth
For justice thunders condemnation
A better world's in birth!
No more tradition's chains shall bind us
Arise, ye slaves, no more in thrall;
The earth shall rise on new foundations
We have been naught we shall be all.

Refrain
'Tis the final conflict
Let each stand in his place
The International Union
shall be the human race.

We want no condescending saviors
to rule us from their judgement hall
We workers ask not for their favours
Let us consult for all.
To make the thief disgorge his booty
To free the spirit from its cell
We must ourselves decide our duty
We must decide and do it well.

The law oppresses us and tricks us,
the wage slave system drains our blood;
The rich are free from obligation,
The laws the poor delude.
Too long we've languished in subjection,
Equality has other laws;
"No rights", says she "without their duties,
No claims on equals without cause."

Behold them seated in their glory
The kings of mine and rail and soil!
What have you read in all their story,
But how they plundered toil?
Fruits of the workers' toil are buried
In strongholds of the idle few
In working for their restitution
the men will only claim their due.

We toilers from all fields united
Join hand in hand with all who work;
The earth belongs to us, the workers,
No room here for the shirk.
How many on our flesh have fattened!
But if the noisome birds of prey
Shall vanish from the sky some morning
The blessed sunlight then will stay.

Debout! les damnés de la terre
Debout! les forçats de la faim
La raison tonne en son cratère,
C'est l'éruption de la fin.
Du passé faisons table rase
Foule esclave, debout! debout!
Le monde va changer de base
Nous ne sommes rien, soyons tout!

Refrain
C'est la lutte finale
Groupons-nous et demain
L'Internationale
Sera le genre humain.

Il n'est pas de sauveurs suprêmes:
Ni dieu, ni césar, ni tribun,
Producteurs, sauvons-nous nous-mêmes!
Décrétons le salut commun!
Pour que le voleur rende gorge,
Pour tirer l'esprit du cachot
Soufflons nous-mêmes notre forge,
Battons le fer quand il est chaud!

L'etat opprime et la loi triche,
L'impôt saigne le malheureux,
Nul devoir ne s'impose au riche,
Le droit du pauvre est un mot creux.
C'est assez languir en tutelle,
L'égalité veut d'autres lois;
«Pas de droits sans devoirs», dit-elle,
«Egaux, pas de devoirs sans droits!»

Hideux dans leur apothéose,
Les rois de la mine et du rail
Ont-ils jamais fait autre chose
Que dévaliser le travail?
Dans les coffres-forts de la bande
Ce qu'il a créé s'est fondu.
En décrétant qu'on le lui rende
Le peuple ne veut que son dû.

Les rois nous saoulaient de fumées.
Paix entre nous, guerre aux tyrans!
Appliquons la grève aux armées,
Crosse en l'air et rompons les rangs!
S'ils s'obstinent, ces cannibales,
A faire de nous des héros,
Ils sauront bientôt que nos balles
Sont pour nos propres généraux.

Ouvriers, paysans, nous sommes
Le grand parti des travailleurs;
La terre n'appartient qu'aux hommes,
L'oisif ira loger ailleurs.
Combien de nos chairs se repaissent!
Mais si les corbeaux, les vautours,
Un de ces matins disparaissent,
Le soleil brillera toujours!


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