Wednesday, July 04, 2012

How to place people and planet over profit

The journey to a new society begins when enough people have come to two important conclusions. The first is that something is profoundly wrong with our current political economy—the system on which the world now runs. That system has been routinely failing us socially, economically, environmentally, and politically. When big problems emerge across the entire spectrum of our daily life it cannot be for small reasons. We have enormous social problems because of fundamental flaws in our economic and political system. The second conclusion follows from the first. It is the imperative to change the system,to build a new political economy that is beneficial to people and the planet we share.

Already a growing number are already finding it impossible to accept the deteriorating conditions of life and living. They see frightening gap between the world that is and the one that could be. Ever larger numbers of the working class are losing faith in the current system and as it steadily loses support, it leads to a crisis of legitimacy.So, our first step is to become teachers—to help bring our fellow workers to see the basic relationships: that the huge challenges we face are the result of the system's failure and that our current system of political economy no longer deserves legitimacy because it doesn’t deliver on the promises and values it proclaims, and that, therefore, the only path forward is to change the system. Revolution - That is the core, fundamental message.

Opposition to the detrimental effects of capitalism remain fragmented and we cannot take advantage of the opportunities presented by the rising popular disenchantment sparked off by the crisis. What’s needed is a concerted effort to coordinate a common organisation commited to creating a unified movement beyond isolated campaigns - a socialist party. Coming together is important because all the campaigns and causes face the same reality. We live and work in a system of political economy that only cares about profit and power. What is required is a fusion, embracing all those concerned about social justice, environmental protection and a true democracy into one powerful force. We have to recognise that we are all communities of a shared fate. We will rise or fall together, so we’d better get together. And as a  part of the drive for transformation we must posses a compelling vision of the world we would like to achieve.  We must confirm that the path to this better world does indeed exist. We must show that when it comes to defining the way forward, we know what we’re talking about. We may be accused of being dreamers, perhaps, but dreamers with a plan and the tools - the vote.

The democracy we need for administrating a new society , is unfortunately not the democracy we have but it is suffice for the majority to appropriate political power from the wealthy few. Achieving meaningful change will require more than parliament and will involve a re-birth of protest marches and demonstrations, direct action and strikes, and non-violent civil disobedience. At the local level, people and groups plant the seeds of change through a host of innovative initiatives that provide inspirational models of how things might work in a new society devoted to sustaining human and natural communities and the movement broadens to become national and then international.

The prospects of abolishing the capitalist system depends on the power of the popular movement that is built and upon our willingness to struggle together under the umbrella of One Big World Socialist Party.

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