Class against Class

The Socialist Party of Great Britain  is not a large organisation – yet. But its membership has its roots solidly in the groundwork of Marxist theory and practice; its case for socialism is clear, its membership persistent and determined. The members are therefore confident of the future of the Socialist Party and intend to carry on toward the goal of the socialist reorganisation of society. Instead of getting caught up in popular fads,  rushing around  with our eyes closed just to build up the party, we continue our work in trying to bring about the union of socialism and the working class movement.  We must fight against the influence of those who would have us close our eyes to the weaknesses in our movement. We expose shallow thinking which is based more on wishful  desires than scientific analysis. For we must not allow our hearts to run away with our heads.

At present a fierce class war is raging throughout the world.  The two basic classes in our society, the working class and the employing class, are locked in a bitter struggle. The bourgeoisie represents the old system of exploitation and oppression. The working class represents the fundamental progressive force, the most consistent social force in the struggle to eliminate capitalism. All capitalist governments are openly fighting the battles of the exploiters to impose austerity. Capitalists are using the present economic crisis to increase their power of exploitation and oppression. The idea that everyone can get rich under this system has been exposed as a lie invented by the rich themselves. Under capitalism, the only way to get rich is to trample on someone else. This is why workers have only one choice: either submit to this wage slavery or fight it! For the workers, the future is bleak. The exploitation and oppression gets worse every year. The bosses get rich, not because they have “taken risks” or “worked harder,” as they would have us believe. The more they keep wages down and reduce the number of employees with speed-ups in productivity, the more they can steal from us and the greater their profits. And if the boss thinks he can make more profit somewhere else, he just closes his factory and throws the workers out on the street.

In response, political formations in the UK appear to be undergoing realignment with the prospect of new Left party arriving on the scene. Workers do not like division. There is nothing that dispirits them more than to see their own battlefront divided.

The Socialist Party is in fundamental opposition to all pro-capitalist parties. It has as its aims the overthrow of capitalism, the establishment of a socialist society in which the means of production will not be the private property of the few, a society which will not be based upon profit, will not be based on class division, will eradicate both war and class war, as well as  abolish poverty for ever. The Socialist Party participates in elections, in parliamentary action, in all forms of political activity as the means to the preparation of the working class for the act of imposing its will.

The idea of socialism is powerless without a social force powerful enough to see to its implementation. There is but one such force in modern society – the working class and they cannot escape its exploitation by capitalism without socialism. Without socialism the working class is reduced to a constant struggle against the effects of capitalism because without socialism the system of  capitalism remains intact. Socialism is powerless without the working class and the working class cannot advance without socialism.

When the working class has political power it can build socialism.  Real democracy means the mass of the population being at once voters and administrators. The power of the working class is not the power of its spokespersons in Parliament, but the strength of its own organisation.  If the working class is to be successful in its struggles with capitalism, it must be united and organised. Only by all the workers acting together as one can challenge the power of capitalism. By organising themselves they can develop a co-ordinated attack on the capitalist enemy.

The Socialist Party must publish newspapers and journals, it must publish leaflets and pamphlets and books and it must produce videos. It must intensify its activities hundredfold in order that it may inspire workers with socialist understanding and purpose. We must overcome their doubt and hesitation and pessimism, and answer their questions.