The Socialist Calling

WORLD FOR THE WORKERS

The aim of the World Socialist Movement is to unite the workers of the world.  It demands the abolition of the wage system and the elimination of all capitalists. Marxists develop their strategy and tactics based on a materialist analysis of objective reality, and not from a projection of their own preferences onto reality. Capitalism, even in its liberal democratic forms, remains a system of domination and exploitation.

While trade unionists have waged some of the fiercest struggles, their motto has still remained "a fair day's pay for a fair day's work," and not for the "abolition of the wage system." The socialists in the WSM  advocate the accomplishnent of their purpose through the ballot. We are opposed to association with other groups not committed to socialism.

Times are hard, and are bound to get harder. With the employers riding high, the austerity offensive will accelerate. Can a revival of the workers movement be far behind? After all, where there is recession, there is resistance. A united, class-conscious working class may respond to employers attacks with an offensive of its own.  But the situation today is different. The ruling class finds the working class badly divided and lacking the self-conscious purpose. Social crisis throws different sectors of the working class into sharper competition with each other. Unable to transcend this effect of capitalist social relations, the poor often struggle against each other as much as against the rich. The fact remains that many people have only variants of our rulers ideology with which to express their anger against the system.

 We reject the view that capitalist crises automatically bring on a socialist revolution. Whether the crisis grows into a revolutionary situation cannot now be foreseen. Given the lack of an independent labour movement  and the political insignificance of the socialist movement, our work towards that goal will not be easy.  How do we go about convincing more and more people that there are socialist solutions to the shortcomings of capitalism? What are the means which will enable socialists to spread socialist ideas? There are many people  today who strongly feel the need of a party free of the baggage of history which have burdened the socialist movement.  Seasoned socialists are stymied by the thought of past failures and disappointments. But it is perfectly possible to envisage the coming into being of new socialist formations. We need to impress on the naturally cautious worker that the socialist project is more than a utopian vision.  The social movements against sexual and race oppression, and for ecology and peace have enriched the meaning of socialism and such movements are now an essential part of the coalition of forces on which a socialist movement must depend. However, no such movements can obviate the need for a socialist party (or parties). Nor can they replace organised labour (the wealth producers) as the main force on which a socialism must rely. The task of a socialist party is to unite and inevitably fragmented and divided class , and to do so without artificially imposing it with some sort of  ‘monolithic’ unity.

We are well aware that nothing which has been said here provides a blueprint for the solution of the many practical problems that socialists have to resolve if they are to make headway with the socialist project. What is needed and badly needed, is a reaffirmation of the principles and values which make up the socialist objective and yet again make clear that there are radical, rational and feasible alternatives to the way of life dictated by a capitalist system, whose own needs conflict with human needs.

Only one socialism is possible. A socialism based upon understanding. A socialism that expresses the needs of the people.