Organise for Civilisation

WORLD FOR THE WORKERS

Organisation means getting together with a common understanding and a common end in view, and working systematically for the attainment of that end. For the workers to organise effectively, they must have an understanding of their position in society and of the conditions under which they live and work. If they fail to understand these things, they will organise in an ineffective manner. The effectiveness of their organisation depends on the correctness of their understanding. The better they understand conditions the more effectively they will organise.

The capitalist system  push working people down the economic ladder and concentrate wealth at the top. But promoters of capitalism, who dominate the media debate, simply blame the poor for poverty. Most of poverty is artificially manufactured. It is poverty created in the pursuit of market ideals expressed in recent times by the imposition of neo-liberal economic policies – the sort of policies that cut taxes on the wealthy, do away with fiscal and other business regulations, shred the social safety net, and erode middle-income stability – all while singing the praises of self-reliance and individual responsibility. As a result it has done very well in making the rich richer and the poor both poorer and more numerous. However, the working class is beginning to awaken from its long slumber. Slowly we are waking up. The people — the great "common herd" — are finding out what is wrong with the social, political and economical structure of the system of which they are a part. Slowly but surely the lesson is being learned that capitalists are not interested in production to benefit the peoples of the world . They are interested only in profits.

If the productive forces in the world were to be used for providing for the needs of people, the entire planet could be transformed and the standards of living and level of culture raised to undreamed of heights. This is not possible under capitalism. Despite the hunger and famine in dozens of countries, crops in millions of bushels have been destroyed because there was a “surplus”. It was not profitable to feed the starving peoples,  therefore the capitalist class preferred to plough it into the ground. Capitalism preys upon the life-blood of the poor, its ethics are expressed in beastly gluttony and insatiable greed, and whose track of conquest is strewn with the bones of its countless victim.

While the capitalists revel in luxury and riot in extravagance, the workers are condemned to lives of poverty, ignorance, toil and privation. They lack economic security. Poverty and the fear of poverty render their lives miserable. The average worker is not more than a few pay-days removed from a state of dependency. If he or she  should become sick or injured, they would soon become a burden to friends or relatives or to public charity. Thousands are killed annually in the industries. Hundreds of thousands die from occupational diseases. Having little standing before the law, workers are hounded by the police, victimised by the courts and subjected to all kinds of abuse, injustice and tyranny. Millions of children around the world are deprived of education and are stunted and dwarfed physically and mentally by slavery in factories and farms. Millions go hungry to school and suffer from countless diseases brought on by malnutrition.

 Only the unity of the workers can produce that “One World” which can abolish want and oppression, dictatorship and war. Capitalism attacks and destroys all the finer sentiments of the human heart; it ruthlessly sweeps away old traditions and ideas opposed to its progress, and it exploits and corrupts those things once held sacred. The structure of a society built upon such wrong basic principles is bound to retard the development of all people, even the most successful ones because it tends to divert a person’s energies into useless channels and to degrade his or her character. The result is a false standard of values. Trade and material prosperity are held to be the main objects of pursuit and conquest, the lowest instincts in human nature — love of gain, cunning and selfishness — are fostered. Nevertheless, although, crushed, stupefied by terrible poverty, people demand that they shall have some of the beauty, some of the comforts, some of the luxuries which they have produced. Socialism means plenty for all. We do not call for self-denial but for a great production that will supply all, and more than all the people can consume.Such a great production is already possible, with the knowledge already possessed. The majority of the population is not engaged in productive work. The greater part of the non-producers is employed in the buying, selling and advertising of the commodities.

The only way to abolish capitalism is to strike at the root. This is radical action.  The word "radical" is derived from the Latin word "radix," a root and radical means "pertaining to a root." Radical action means action that deals with causes instead of tinkering with effects.  Lacking wealth, workers lack power, and the wealth they produce constitutes the power of the capitalists which is used to hold them in subjection. he workers have a power infinitely greater than that of the capitalists - numbers.

 In socialism the land, the means of production and transport belong to all the people. The title to be one of the joint owners of the earth and its products and the inheritance of collective human labour does not rest on any question of inheritance or purchase; the only title required is that one is alive on this planet. In Socialism no one can lose the right to a share or the common possession. In socialism a comfortable, cultured and leisured people will produce artistic and scientific work for pleasure, and will have the ability and the desire to paint, to carve, to write, to play, and to compose music. They will adorn their dwellings with their arti, and will share them freely to whoever admires them.  There will be no buying and selling, no money, no barter or exchange of commodities.

There can be no organisation without action, and it must be systematic, not haphazard action. Getting together is not enough, we must get together and act systematically, otherwise we are not an organisation but only a herd. When the workers get together to demonstrate or protest they are only making of themselves a target for police-clubs and tear-gas. The power of the workers is not on the street but at the ballot box. If the workers are not  organised, they may easily become a blind force of destruction, unable to check their own momentum, their cry for justice drowned in a howl of rage.

When workers come together and join the Socialist Party, some will be speakers, some others will be writers, some arranging and advertising meetings, some distributing literature, all taking part in its administration, discussing and exchanging ideas, making decisions by the combined intelligence and experience of all, then we are organised and are using our power to the best advantage. Every worker can take part in this activity. Every member being valued equally.

Let us study the social and economic conditions that we may understand them and agree on a common end, and all work as one for the attainment of that end, which can be none other than to take over the means of production and distribution and operate them for use instead of profit. Whatever is good and beneficent in our civilisation can be saved only by the workers.