The Socialist Party of Great Britain’s policy is the clenched fist against the capitalists and an outstretched hand to the workers. A revolution that overthrows capitalism and establishes socialism is the only way to solve problems facing workers. Ours is not a business-as-usual political party. Critics smirk that the Socialist Party are “idealists.” and that we are, on the whole, “pretty good fellows,” but utterly “impractical”, however, the Socialist Party is a class party. It openly admits that a political organisation is but an expression of class interest. The Socialist Party therefore exists for the sole purpose of representing the working class. Seeing clearly the age-long struggle between the producers of the world’s necessities and the parasites upon their backs, the Marxian philosophy of the historic “class struggle” is the foundation of its propaganda and organisation work. A higher quality of life and leisure is the class war-cry of our side, as against greater production and higher profit of the other.
It is an economic law proven by the history that when a social system becomes a hamper upon the productive potentialities it has outlived its day and is ready to give way to a new industrial system. If we apply this test to the capitalist system of to-day, we find that capitalism, instead of using the existing productive forces to supply the necessities and wants of society, is holding back and limiting our productive powers. We find that capitalism does not dare use to their fullest extent the productive forces. Its very existence depends upon limiting these forces. Modern capitalism is showing itself to be not only injurious to the vast majority of individuals, but a definite obstacle to the advance of the human race.
Only through social or collective ownership can society secure for all its members the benefit of the improved method of organization. Once we establish collective ownership of our industries we will throw off the clogs and checks of our productive powers and will be able to produce more than enough not only to supply every human being food, clothing, and homes to live in, but the opportunity for education and culture which can make life worth living. The last of the slave systems shall be finally swept away.
Our primary task must be the making of socialists, and, isolated as we are, we must carry on that work in our own way.The Social Party declares its object to be:
First — The organisation of the working class into a political party to conquer the public powers now controlled by capitalists.
Second — The abolition of wage slavery by the establishment of a world system of cooperative industry, based upon the social or collective or common ownership of the means of production and distribution, to be administered by society in the common interest of all its members, and the complete emancipation of the working class from the domination of capitalism and the abolition of all class rule.
We further declare that through the ballot box, we can abolish the capitalist system of ownership and establish in its place socialism — an industrial democracy — wherein all the land and the tools of production shall be the collective property of the whole people, to be operated by the whole people for the production of commodities for use and not for profit. We ask the working class to organise with us and other socialists around the world to end the poverty-breeding system of production for profit — and substitute in its place the socialist co-operative commonwealth in which every worker shall have the free exercise and full benefit of his or her faculties.
Representing, as it does, the working and dispossessed class, and having for its sole programme the abolition of the exploitation of the workers through rent, interest, and profit, there can be no compromise between the Socialist Party and the owning class or its state. There is an ever growing tendency to confuse socialism with reform of one sort or another. No policy of partial redistribution will satisfy those who have done and are now doing the hard and necessary work. Minimum wage laws plus all the kinds of other legislation that has marked the attempts of the ruling class to placate the workers, and will merely postpone the final result. In the end, an enlightened and class-conscious proletariat will be satisfied with nothing less than the collective ownership and democratic management of the means and instruments of production and distribution.
The Socialist Party draws a clear and true line between socialism and social quackery, between reform and revolution. It cannot be too strongly insisted that socialism means but one thing, and that is the abolition of capital. Anything else is not socialism. Mere reforms of the present system, band-aid patches on industrial servitude is not socialism. Therefore, while not opposing any reforms or improvements which may be secured under capitalism, the Socialist Party is against taking time, energy and resources away from its main battle, for revolution, in order to carry on the struggle for reform. The one demand of the Socialist Party is socialism - unadulterated and undiluted - the unconditional surrender by the capitalist class. The Socialist Party insists all the philanthropic ventures, humanitarian societies, and charities are based on aspiration alone. The Socialist Party stands out unique as the only one based on the programme which will make the realisation of those aspirations an accomplished fact. Socialism alone will supply the basis for any permanent improvement in the condition of mankind.
Those who advocated workers’ state sometimes mis-called state-socialism but more accurately described as state-capitalism call for the continuance of the wage system, and an extension of modified class management but socialism means the entire abolition of the payment of money wages, and the production and distribution of wealth by all, for the use and benefit of all. It is a return to the old democratic primitive communism, but at an immensely higher level, due to the almost infinitely greater technological powers of mankind. Since there is no difficulty whatever in creating wealth far in excess of our requirements, by the scientific organisation and application of the right labour of all to the satisfaction of our social needs, then the old motto, “From each according to ability, to each according to needs,” ceases to be Utopian and becomes a reality. Labour will be devoted to this or that branch of production in proportion to the desires of the community. Work that, after all possible amelioration, remains dangerous or difficult will be shared by all of the community who are fit, instead of being relegated and imposed upon the poor. The standard of life for each and all will be far higher than anything ever yet achieved. The best possible conditions will be to the general benefit that raising the level of society will be the aim of each individual as of the whole community. Nearly all crimes are property crimes. Remove the incentive and these crimes will vanish.
The capitalist media frequently misrepresents socialism. Socialism would destroy individuality. Capitalism, on the other hand, exalts the individual. Capitalism is a fraud within a fraud. Proclaiming itself individualistic modern conditions of production and distribution that is, the institution of private property in the means of production, is itself the root and source of the coercion of the individual. Socialism proclaims itself in favor of collective ownership and control. By these means it would secure to labor the products of its toil, now confiscated by the few, and, in this way, preserve to the workers, the majority of the population, a greater individuality than that which they now attain. With freedom from the economic pressure due to the capitalist control of industry, such as socialism alone can provide, individuality will achieve proportions previously unattainable.
When from infancy and youth to old age the beauties of nature and the pleasure of perfect health can be enjoyed with none of the sordid and degrading drawbacks due to the dire poverty; when work is but the useful and pleasing expression performed voluntarily for the community and with regard for the individual; when, through the longer, fuller and more active life which mankind will be heirs to, the minds of all will be more completely cultivated than those of the most gifted have ever yet been; when art naturally rises to higher and ever higher achievement due to a keener public conception of beauty; when the whole world is fully, freely and rapidly open to the travel – when all this is accomplished, death itself will be nothing more than a sigh of satisfied content at the close of a banquet of life so religion, too, will lose its worshipers.
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