The World Needs A Change

Never has the bankruptcy of our social system been more widely realised than with the current recession and the imposition of austerity cuts. It makes no sense except under capitalism to spend  billions buying bombs or bailing out banks, but can’t afford to end world hunger. We live in an absurd world. Can it get any worse? It will, if we don’t fight back and change things. Once upon a time we did have a vision of an alternative economic and social system to build a better world. But the workers movement never won the most important thing: power, the right of everyone to participate in running both our economic and political system. This power was left in the hands of tiny minorities who ultimately run the world in their self-interest.

Capitalist minorities have increased their wealth and also have more money to finance election campaigns, to lobby and manipulate political agendas to maintain their control of government spending. Roads, bridges, rail lines, sewage and water systems have been allowed to deteriorate. Public services such as schools, hospitals and housing has fallen behind needs. Imagine how many sewage treatment plants need expanding, how many  anti-flooding systems need building, how many bridges need fixing, how many schools need teachers and hospital nurses.

The largest transnational corporations have more revenues than most governments. They patent products, technologies, and processes. They buy up the most profitable sources of supply, control marketing networks, and spend millions on advertising  and PR. Whenever possible, they introduce technologies that increase productivity and reduce employment. They outsource work. The fewer people employed, the less paid for labour, the more profits for shareholders. Finance capitalism adds nothing to the real creation of wealth and  means of livelihood; winners merely gain at the expense of losers. Financial bubbles are followed by crashes. As capitalism hits rises the bosses hold on to what they can by demanding that workers be punished for the sins of management. Austerity leads to further declines in working-class income and markets.

What we must have to have a different better world is a whole world full of people with changed minds. Changing people’s minds is something each one of us can do, wherever we are, whoever we are, whatever kind of work we’re doing. Changing minds may not seem like a very dramatic or exciting challenge, but it’s the challenge that the human future depends on. The Socialist Party purpose is simple. We have to proceed with our educational propaganda until the working class have reached an understanding of the fundamental facts of their position.