The Socialist Party of Great Britain faces the fact that if society is to be changed from what it is into what the workers wish it to be, many more other things are involved than just gaining a parliamentary majority in the House of Commons. To make it so that wealth is produced not for money-sale but for the direct satisfaction of the needs of the whole community involves a complete change in every detail of social life.
It may mean the scrapping or rationing of such luxuries available to only to a privileged few living in a life of ease at the expense of the toiling and suffering of the many. It will undoubtably also mean an increase in the things necessary to the health and well-being of the people, of which they are deprived by the poverty they presently endure under in the existing system. It means, therefore, the creation of new methods of distribution.
It is because it means all these things that the Socialist Party say that the emancipation of the working class must be the work of the working class itself. It cannot be done by legislative decree. At every stage it will require understanding, judgment, discernment, sympathy, and goodwill for the working mass in whose interest the change must be undertaken. Hence the preparation for the workers’ emancipation involves a whole series of considerations—whole worlds of experience.
Why does the Socialist Party run candidates for Parliament? Primarily because the employers will use parliament to give a show of fair play and legality to every act of dictatorial repression against the workers until the workers rob them of that pretence by taking Parliament away from them, to expose the fraud and the brutality and class-savagery camouflaged as government impartiality. Parliament will be treated as an enemy encampment to be taken and dismantled.
However futile, in view of the present world situation, might be the attempt to struggle for socialism, it is still the only course for workers to adopt. Better the sense of futility than the wasted energy expended on false roads. We will preserve our sense of truth and reason at all cost, even at the cost of futility.
Fear permeates the capitalist system. Fear in the propertied ruling class and fear in the dominated oppressed working class. The rich and wealthy fear loss of property and assets and they consider any social unrest as threats upon their privileges. While the workers fear destitution, unemployment, hunger, and humiliation. These two types of fears impact on the respective classes. The property owning employing class comprise of a few percents continue to profit, even from their own fear from the insurance and security industries who profit from the fear within the dominating classes. Thus the dominating classes turn into a monster that even feeds on itself to satiate its thirst for profit. Fear drives the controlling class to make them alienated from broader society by themselves with gated communities. They intend to exist alone, inconsiderate to the existence of others. Yet they fail to recognise their dependence upon the very people whom it subjugates and feeds on.
The dominated classes are exploited more subtly by fear. Economic insecurity, hunger, homelessness, destitution etc. are manifestations of the fear that lead the dominated classes to plunge into a race to serve the system. Fear is a controlling mechanism of the system. Seeds of fear are sowed deep in society by the system. The masses are thus driven to serve the system as best they can chained to the profit- system that squeezes out maximum possible profit from them all the time restraining any move to rise against the system. Fear is also used to divide working class and create competition among them that work as a safety tool for the system. Fear is propagated and engineered by the media. The propagation of fear is a primal function of the system. Fear destabilises unity and the morale of the masses, which in turn helps the system. By the suppression of class consciousness and sowing disunity, the ruling class enjoy an unhindered flow of profit.
The daily debasement heaped upon working men and women breeds anger and rage. Often this rage is turned inward and shows itself as depression, addiction, or suicide. Frequently it is directed against children, spouses, or against “others” and “outsiders” like immigrants, or minorities, or gay people. But sometimes it is correctly aimed at the class enemy and takes the form of riots, sabotage, strikes, demonstrations, even revolution. Then people try to take control of their daily lives and their labour and liveliehoods.
Nevertheless, within this apparent powerlessness reside the very triggers and ingredients of political power. In the midst of the fear of uncertainty, violence, and confusion the possibility of revolution is very much alive. The Socialist Party task is to change the political environment, not succumb to it. One of our key principles is to avoid compromise. We are often told by those who want reform that the solution we are urging is “not on the table.” We need to refuse to accept the limits of the negotiating table that are designed to divide and conquer. People are given the fake choices to squabble over but never offered a real solution. We are seeking real solutions that require a paradigm shift. We must advocate for transformational change and not for inadequate reforms that do not solve the problem but merely make it look like the system is responding to our concerns. Reformism co-opts the movement’s goals and allows those in power to undermine the movement through false solutions.
If the World Socialist Movement is be relevant we must begin reversing divide and rule into unite and win. Some may become discouraged by our perceived lack of progress and success and may resort to advocating violent tactics believing that previous tactics failed. This path will actually undermine the socialist movement by giving openings for the government to infiltrate it and respond with their own state-violence. It would scare people away. When some say that the elections are rigged, people imagine that the machines or the counting is rigged. That may be so in a few minor instances, but that is not what gets one person elected over another. It is the mistaken votes of the people fooled into acting against their own interests that gives the bosses their political power.
The role of the socialist is to encourage thinking not to dictate all the solutions, but engaging with others and providing informed opinion. There will be victories on the road to socialism. There will also be defeats. We should celebrate the successes and learn from the failures.
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